Funny Scottish Books

26/11/2025

AND speaking of my entertaining new book, "The Wee Scottish Guide to Golf" . . . here's the back cover:

24/11/2025

Yes - it's the news you've all been waiting for: "The Wee Scottish Guide to Golf (people who love it and some who don't)", the latest of my Funny Scottish Books, is now up on my website and ready to buy!!!!! (a steal at "only" £6!) Postage in the UK is £2.50 but if you live within half-a-mile of where I live (Kelvinbridge, Glasgow), I can drop it off for free and refund the postage! www.funnyscottishbooks.co.uk

24/10/2025

Many thanks to Elderslie and Linwood Parish Church guild for inviting me along to their meeting this week to deliver my talk on Scottish Superstitions. They were a great bunch and I had a lovely time (they even paid me - and bought books!). Pic shows audience response to the “would you dare hold a brolly over your head indoors” challenge.

12/02/2025

Had a lovely time at the Paisley St. George's Church guild on Monday, giving my Scottish Superstitions talk and eating more than my fair share, afterwards, of the chocolate chip shortbread. (Full of admiration, again, for all the work that guilds do in the local and wider community.) Their minister, Rev. Hazel Shaw, popped in at the end - wearing a lovely top - and revealed that she was well acquainted with Scottish superstitions, handed down from her granny to her mum. Some great life stories from guild members, one of which I couldn't resist sending into The Herald (Glasgow Herald as was) Diary page, And lo! it appeared today. (No names were mentioned, I hasten to add.) Pics show guild members during the "would-you-put-an-umbrella-up-indoors" challenge, and the Herald piece.

07/02/2025

Delighted to receive an email from Ronald McCoy in St. Kilda, Australia, letting me know that the two Spooky books he had ordered from me had arrived - and only eight days after I posted them in Glasgow! He included a pic. Many thanks, Ronald!!!

Checking it out on wikipedia, it seems that the Australian St. Kilda - "an inner seaside suburb in Melbourne" - was named after the schooner "Lady of St. Kilda" which was moored there around 1842 and was, itself, named in honour of Lady Grange who was imprisoned by her husband on St. Kilda from 1734 to 1740. Lovely (not)! (fascinating story, of which I knew nothing until now).

27/10/2024

23/10/2024

Yes - it's the news you've all been waiting for . . . I have a new book out!!!! It's called "The Wee Guide to Spooky Stuff" (ghoulies, ghosties and things that go bump in the night) and, despite the Halloween theme, "The Wee Guide to Spooky Stuff" is, in fact, a book for all seasons - including Christmas! I can't remember why I hit on spooky stuff as a subject for investigation - probably something to do with a survey claiming that more than 1.5 million people in Scotland believed in ghosts - but it was great fun, as usual, to carry out the research and produce the book . . . which is available from my website: www.funnyscottishbooks.co.uk priced at £6 (plus postage, although if you live very near me, I can deliver by hand and refund some of your cash).
It just occurred to me that I haven't actually said what is in the book . . . Well - lots of stories from people I spoke to who said, for instance, that they had actually seen a ghost/ghosts; had consulted mediums and taken part in Ouija board sessions; and had witnessed poltergeist activity. And then there was the woman who had her fortune told by a psychic goat (in Queen's Park, Glasgow) and the school girl who claimed a witch put a spell on her nose.
* For your added enjoyment, a wee shoogly ghost features on "The Wee Guide to Spooky Stuff" page.

15/03/2024

Invited to give my "Scottish Superstitions" talk to Moncreiff Parish Church guild in Calderwood, East Kilbride. What a great bunch of women!!!, many of them involved in running the community groups that meet in the church. And they always have such interesting stories to tell. Thank you for welcoming me - and buying my books!!!!! Pics show guild members responding to the "would you open an umbrella inside" challenge.

15/02/2024

Long time no post! Well - two months, approx. Anyhoo, had the pleasure, earlier this week, of delivering my "Scottish Superstitions" talk to the Strathaven Trinity Church Guild (in the lovely, bustling town of Strathaven) who were joined by the Guild from the nearby village of . . . DRUMCLOG! What a great name! The Trinity Church hall looked lovely, the tables decorated for Valentine's Day (next day); and the Guild members looked just as lovely. They were a terrific crowd, many of whom actually BOUGHT MY BOOKS (the latest one: "I Love Scones"). I was looked after so well by Guild secretary, Ishbel Anderson (loved her Dennis the Menace jumper) and her colleagues. The sun shone and . . . THERE WAS HOME BAKING! Not only that, I got the bus out from Glasgow (and back), using the 3C express service set up and run by the Strathaven community initiative, "Climate Action Strathaven" (they're on facebook) which was excellent and had the radio tuned to stations playing Dolly Parton, Fleetwood Mac . . . Heaven!! (Took less than an hour to get out there.) So, yes, a great day. And here are some pics (mostly showing Guild members who dared, or dared not, open their - paper - umbrellas inside!!!!):

14/12/2023

Brilliant time yesterday giving an "I Love Scones" talk to a small and select group of Trust Housing Association residents in Glasgow. In fact, the audience did most of the talking (just the way I like it) and then there were scones (including the "fun size" Irn-Bru ones I made) and, best of all . . . I SOLD BOOKS!!!!! So - many thanks to Iain and his residents. P.S. The Irn-Bru scones were shockingly bad although audience members were very kind and said they would "keep you going" if you got stuck on a hillside for a few days with nothing else to eat.

27/11/2023

Last week, a friend told me she'd been to a meeting at The Bridge library in Easterhouse (Glasgow) and seen . . . a copy of my book "The Wee Guide to Porridge" on display!!!! Turns out it was part of a project on healthy eating. Naturally, I hightailed it out to Easterhouse (using the free bus pass) to have a look and library multi-tasker, Jim (who's also a fire warden, I see) agreed to have his pic taken with the book in question. Thank you, Jim and The Bridge - and Glasgow Libraries who have bought several of my Funny Scottish Books titles and also to Liz for letting me know!