Nature – Hit The North

Weeping Willow

The weeping willow spreads out its tendrils like fingers Quietly enduring, inhales wind, exhales air as bellows Dominating this landscape, a reminder That not all is corrupted.

Late May Sunset

I like the peace of sunsets after temperamental Scottish spring weather. Bring on the sunnier days. I just couldn’t capture how pink it was.

Sun Haze

These are the days When the light hits right A white and gold Sunny champagne haze

This is not my tree, but the weeping willow outside my window is. If I take a picture it will reveal where I’m sequestered. There’s something about a weeping willow that soothes me. It’s fragile looking, all drooping, distended, delicate leaves like fingertips framing the town. For me, it’s a reminder of nature’s resilience, aContinue reading “My Favourite Tree”

Blossom, Dearie

Blossom bursting into life always symbolises hope for me. It’s nature awakening after her winter slumber. Right now, it’s blossom season in Japan, but since I can’t afford the plane ticket, I’ll simply make the most of this Scottish display. Look at that light. It’s perfect. The sky is paintbox blue today. It rained almostContinue reading “Blossom, Dearie”

Anxiety

There was no name for it, the first time it happened. To be honest, I’m not even sure how old I was, or even the catalyst. There was only the feeling, like the floor moving away from me and the churning, like a rending machine in my guts. It was only later that I reallyContinue reading “Anxiety”

Album Review: Anna B Savage -You & I Are Earth

A new Anna B Savage album is always something worth investing time in. Her voice is so disarmingly beautiful that everything else melts away. This is not background music. It’s intimate and raw, and you lean in to listen, as though she’s sharing precious secrets with you alone. This time, Savage is, as with BjorkContinue reading “Album Review: Anna B Savage -You & I Are Earth”

Film Review: Cat Nation

This quirky documentary, created by film maker Tim Delmastro and You Tuber Chris Broad, an Englishman who has lived in Japan for over five years, follows the Japanese fascination with the domestic felines. From a station master’s cat (below, in jaunty hat) to a temple festooned with Neko beckoning lucky cats, to a slightly OTTContinue reading “Film Review: Cat Nation”

Book Review: Alex Rigg- Mouth to Mouth: Short Stories 1997-2001

Oceanallover’s artistic director Alex Rigg seems allergic to cliché. His site-specific theatre work- whether in performance, costume, music or text- is never about empty sensationalism; he reacts to, and transforms, the spaces around him. The work is unique, often something otherworldly and satirical. So it is with this collection of his short stories., gorgeously illustratedContinue reading “Book Review: Alex Rigg- Mouth to Mouth: Short Stories 1997-2001”

Album Review: Modern Nature- Island Of Noise

Imagine this. You’re in the Lake District perhaps, or by a boathouse. Take a moment to lie down in the still of the night. Can you hear it? There’s a bàbbling stream. Birds twitter. There’s no Twitter, no social media, no hassles here. Modern Nature have created an album that is sheer bliss, as ifContinue reading “Album Review: Modern Nature- Island Of Noise”