After drinking numerous pots of mispelchen the previous night we expected to wake bleary, thankfully the apple brandy from Frankfurt must be of fine quality as our heads were surprisingly…
Carnival 2023 – Scotland to Sardinia by Train – Day Two – Ijmuiden to Höchst
Predictably, everything was smoother, cleaner and more efficient as soon as we disembarked and set foot on Dutch soil. Although passport control was busy, it was reasonably quick and waiting…
Carnival 2023 -Scotland to Sardinia by Train – North Shields to Ijmuiden
We chose the ferry to the Netherlands from the north of England over the Eurostar for a few reasons. First, we’ve done the Eurostar route a few times now, the…
Carnival 2023 – Scotland to Sardinia by Train – Day One – Taynuilt to North Shields
I’m lucky enough to live in one of the few villages in North Argyll with a train station, an easy, downhill walk from my house. It’s understandable that many folk…
Carnival 2023 – Scotland to Sardinia by Train – Introduction
I have long been interested in the pre-Lenten carnivals that take place throughout Europe. The combination of old traditions, local culture, unusual masks and costumes, carnival rituals and the general…
The Toffee Works – Lusty in Carnac
Around 10 years ago some pals and I put together an Anglo/Scots band to try and realise some musical ideas we had been thinking of for a while. We named…
Memories Of The Ceilidh Bandidos’ First Gig
I can’t quite remember how our first gig came about (care to shed some light on this guys?) but it was for a wedding at a very nice house near…