Dixon-Spain, Author at And The Next Thing Is ...

Deirdre of the Sorrows

Deirdre’s story is a sad and epic tale of love, betrayal and heartache – as well as death, blood and vengeance. Only in Cowal, among its gentle lochs and hills did the great Irish beauty find a measure of happiness.

Deirdre of the Sorrows

Draped over his shoulder
The cloud crept toward dawn
And masked the soft-edged sigils
Of drought dulled heather.

Her scent curled about his
Tonsure of Rowan and Alder,
As he opened his chest
In a supple twist of his hips –

He revealed the long loch
Of his cavernous belly,
And the glittering breadth 
Of his seaward ardour.

Only then did she weep,
Effacing herself,
Until all that remained
Was a shiver of mist in the air.

The ZippedyZoom.Club mixes #liveactors, #creative #makers, #fineartists & #childrensactivites into a compelling, colourful brew!

Professor Zippedilla Zoom

As web developer and visual designer I’ve been working on ZippedyZoom.club which is part of TWTC’s response to Covid-19 – providing both a portal for kids to access fun activities and awesome stories, and a place for creative practitioners of all sorts to keep working. With funding for an initial 12-week run, we’re focussed on delivering content beyond that endpoint. Have a look here.

Dorothy Gale earns ‘ZoomPoints’ during lockdown!

Tinfoil: a #poem in response to #lockdown, #covid-19 & the danger #conspiracytheorists pose to #vulnerable #ruralcommunities everywhere

This poem was written with a particular story in mind, one I heard from a volunteer I work with in our community’s response the lockdown. We’ve been lucky so far in ColGlen I think, but it staggers me how stupid some folks can be, particularly those who think ‘they know better’ than the full weight of scientific consensus.

Tinfoil

At dusk I stood at his gate,
His sanitizer in my hand,
A greeting stuttering
On my lips as he crossed
The head of my shadow
And entered Covid range.

I stepped away into the lane
My hands warding against him,
And my penumbra pursuing
His steps, until a bramble
Bit my neck.”You are sweet”
He said, “but this we do not need.”

Later, collar soaked in water,
Hands washed to Dion, tongue
Whetted with Jarl, I explained
The fear this gentle man provoked –
With his jaunts South, his weekend guests, 
The tinfoil hat of his credulity.

Take a #Knee: a #poem in response to the #death of #georgefloyd because #blacklivesmatter after centuries of #othering

It only takes a knee to comfort a child,
To receive a knighthood,
To listen to a god - to be inspired;

Just a knee for grouting around tiles,
To ask a girl if she will,
To loosen bolts and change tyres;

Perhaps two for French cricket,
To warm a lamb as its fed,
To chase mice, all smooth and sleekit.

It only takes a knee placed very precisely
To stop a man’s breath,
To fully express centuries of othering.

#LatestNews from #DunansCastle in #December #video from #theLairdHimself

Including a tour of the cleared castle and news on the ongoing works for the restoration.

#Cross-stitch Experiment for #DunansCastle with #flyingbuttress & #virginiacreeper

After several requests, and given that we are nearing the festive season, I thought I would finally try my hand at developing a cross-stitch pattern! The results can be found here and below is a gif of the unrestricted palette version (you’ll need 95 colours!!).

Spinning Castles in the Air

Rough and ready take of overflying Dunans, showing the cleared castle and practicing for detailed aerial survey! Unfortunately the quality is also rough and ready, but you’ll still get a feel for the height and shape of the castle as well as the plan of the interior!

Packaging ScottishLaird’s Most Prestigious Decorative Title

Graphic and product design has always been a passion of mine, particularly in relation to restoring Dunans (of course!). Our new red boxes are spectacularly lovely, and I just wanted to share the design (and the rest of the package) which includes a square foot of the castle itself. If we can sell every square foot of the castle, we will be able to restore the building fully. So that’s the target for the next 12 months or so.

Dunans Castle Clearance Continues in Kitchen & Library: More Images

The clearance of the back two compartments of the castle has taken much longer than the others, simply because they aren’t accessible by the minidigger and there’s not enough room for more than a couple of workers. Our luck continues with the floors, which are all concrete, making clearance much much easier than suspended floors.