I like

What Presence: The Rock Photography of Harry Papadopolous

2012-02-17T23:08:36Z

There's a great exhibition on at Street Level Photoworks in King St, showing the rock photographs of Harry Papadopolous. It's a huge selection of atmospheric photos, really out of the ordinary in style and subject as far as music photography goes. Also, the Lovely Photos of Edwyn Collins-quotient is very high.

Harry was born in Helensburgh and became staff photographer for Sounds magazine. His friendship with fellows Scots in bands like Orange Juice, Aztec Camera and The Bluebells led to an archive of great candid photos like this one.

The whole exhibition really sums up the spirit of the early 80s - handmade haircuts, dodgy jumpers, charity shop chic which somehow came together to be cool. The exhibition is on until 25 February so catch it while you can.

Nothing To See Here: A Guide to the Hidden Joys of Scotland out now

2011-12-15T22:39:08Z

Book plug alert. The new Nothing To See Here book: a guide to the hidden joys of Scotland is out just in time for Christmas. Published by great small publisher Pocket Mountains it's a neat volume of 144 pages containing some articles from the website plus some new pieces, all with lots of photos. The list of contents are on Nothing To See Here.

The book will be in bookshops over the next few weeks, but if you'd like one for Christmas please order direct from the Pocket Mountains website. Type NTSH into the discount box to get 20% off. Thanks and happy travels.

The summer of Instagram

2011-10-17T22:43:10Z

Oh dear, it hasn't been a good summer for blogging, but it was a good one for photos. Here it is briefly, via Instagram.

Llandudno

Southport

Blackpool

Crosby

World War Z

2011-08-28T16:50:12Z

For the past week or so Glasgow city centre has been turned into Philadelphia for the filming of World War Z, starring Brad Pitt.

It's strange to see Glasgow's streets full of yellow taxis, newstands and even a hot dog vendor in George Square.

It has been causing a lot of excitement (not every day Brad comes to town) and lots of people are around to have a look and take photos. There's a Flickr group collecting them.

According to the steward I was speaking to, not every is happy about the disruption it's causing, but I thought it was great. It's funny how a single sign can make you feel like you're in another country.

Brad has finished his bit now but filming is carrying on until Wednesday next week. It's definitely worth going in for a look if you haven't seen it already.

Herb does Glasgow

2011-07-25T09:53:29Z

Herb Lester, makers of the coolest maps around have come up trumps again with their guide to Glasgow. In one beautifully-designed sheet, Glasgow's best bits, well-known and hidden, are picked out by Glaswegian connoisseurs. I suggested a few of my favourite places for it and can vouch for it being a very valuable asset for anyone visiting this fine city.

The maps are available from the Herb Lester website and in Glasgow, from the Maisonette and Monorail among others. In the time it has taken to write this they're on to their next map - a beautiful guide to Untamed London in partnership with Caught By The River . Like the others it's a breath of fresh air.

Spot the difference

2011-07-03T23:13:53Z

This is a new painting by Leigh Mulley, a contemporary realist painter based in Folkestone.

And this is the original photo that I took in Scarborough a few years ago. Good likeness, huh?

After discovering that we share a number of interests like the seaside, fairgrounds, ice cream vans and Tunnock's, Leigh asked if she could turn one of my photos into a painting. What an honour, to contribute to this amazing collection of work.

If you're in the area, Leigh has a show on at the Space Gallery in Folkestone until 10 July, and will be exhibiting at Canterbury's Lilford Gallery in August.

You're gonna need a bigger couch

2011-06-04T08:41:07Z

These amazing Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Cushions are new from Nikki McWilliams. They're available for £27 from Folksy.

Nikki also makes great Tunnock's Tea Cakes cushions. I'm the proud owner of some and they're great. Really good quality and always a talking point.

Two wheels good

2011-06-02T21:27:55Z

The Scottish Cycle Museum at Drumlanrig Castle has had a makeover. It was good before, but now it's even better.

Drumlanrig is close to Keir Mill, where Kirkpatrick Macmillan invented the first pedal-driven bicycle in 1842. This small museum in the stableyard celebrates everything that's good on two wheels.

Drumlanrig has beautiful gardens, a great adventure playground and a good cafe. The cycle museum is an added bonus and if that wasn't enough, there are some Andy Goldsworthy sculptures around the grounds which we've never yet managed to find. There's always a good reason to go back for another look.

Quarrelling is taboo

2011-05-28T22:40:41Z

This is The Boy's Club building in Stirling."Quarrelling is taboo" is such a good motto.

The building was remodelled in 1929 as a base for boys' associations like the Scouts and the Boys Brigade. It has these great inscriptions above the door and windows.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T14:18:20Z

Happy Easter everyone (chick from Fisher & Donaldson in Cupar - yum).

Herb Lester's East London Companion

2011-04-14T21:38:04Z

Here's another cartographical delight from Herb Lester. This time it's a comprehensive guide to the delights of east London from Old Street to Hackney Wick. There's a lovely map on one side and 99 things to do and see listed on the other.

This is going to be so handy next time I'm down at the Newspaper Club HQ. It's available from the Herb Lester shop for £4. Their last release Where The Sidewalk Ends: How To Find Old New York is similarly wonderful.

Another Tunnock's pilgrimage

2011-03-28T21:35:46Z

The warm weather seemed like a good excuse for the first picnic of the season. So on Saturday we took ourselves off to the Tunnock's bakery in Uddingston to pick up some treats.

I took the opportunity for a walk round the back of the factory. Being Tunnock's they have jollified the usual vats and pipes with their upbeat and forthright advertising.

Their bakery (which is labelled the 'tea room') across from the factory (labelled the 'bakery', above) is like a traditional high street bakers filled with Tunnock's products and baked goods made exclusively for the shop. It is amazing at the best of times but even better, they were giving away free Caramel Logs with every purchase. Imagine!

The window display was superbly mad as always.

Plus, they've got some new merchandise in the shape of these fab caramel wafer mugs, launched to celebrate their mini Caramel Wafer tubs. Sitting in the shadow of Bothwell Castle, sipping coffee and eating a mini lemon meringue pie = sheer bliss.

Life in Tokyo

2011-03-16T23:41:34Z

The news and photos coming from Japan in the past week have been heart-rending and almost impossible to comprehend. Considering the scale of events, the stoicism and community spirit of the Japanese people has been incredible. Today I spent a long time looking at the photos on Shoot Tokyo, the blog of a photographer living in Tokyo. The shots of quiet department stores, impish kids, closed garages and queues say so much about everyday life in Tokyo. It's reassuring, in a way, to see how life goes on.

For anyone wishing to donate, the Red Cross and Save The Children to name a couple have donation forms set up.

Music books

2011-03-06T21:23:01Z

Here's my reading for the year so far. Past: The Celestial Cafe by Stuart Murdoch. Present: Nileism: The Strange Course of the Blue Nile by Allan Brown. Future: It's Lovely To Be Here: The Touring Diaries of a Scottish Gent by James Yorkston.

Together they're a good Scottish musical trio. The Celestial Cafe collects short pieces of writing previously published on the Belle & Sebastian website in one book. It covers a few years from 2002-06, dipping in and out of different tours and albums, showing life on the road and at home. I absolutely loved it and was sorry when it ended. The writing is lovely, really warm and funny, like someone talking to you. It's good if you're a B&S fan but is more of a love poem to Glasgow than a warts and all rock biog.

The last chapter of The Celestial Cafe is called "Tinseltown In The Rain" which leads nicely into Nileism. The Blue Nile are a huge band in a small way. Also based in Glasgow, they released four albums over twenty years and made few personal appearances but their music was so distinct and atmospheric that they attracted a huge reputation and a devoted following. "A riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a raincoat", as it says in the book.

Only one member of the band was interviewed for the book (the band's singer, Paul Buchanan) so it reads more like a standard rock biography than an intimate memoir. As one of the devoted few I'm looking forward to reading more about them. I'm only a few pages in at the moment so the enigma remains.

Finally, I've sneakily dipped into It's Lovely To Be Here: The Touring Diaries of a Scottish Gent and it seems very good, full of James Yorkston's tales of life on the road (and in Fife) with the Fence Collective. I'm looking forward to reading more as I like these kind of books - a little glimpse into someone else's life, a bonus if it's musical.

If any of you can recommend other music biographies I'd love to add them to my reading list.

Tin ears

2011-02-17T23:08:19Z

It's starting to feel a bit springlike here - snowdrops out, buds on the trees etc. And as nature springs to life, so Nothing To See Here cranks up for another season. The latest entry on The Band Room by Jane from Maraid Design is particularly lovely. A small corrugated iron building built in the 1920s for the Farndale Silver Band, it has been rejuvenated as a modern music venue with an impressive list of select international visitors. More on The Band Room website.

Fans of tin buildings may also enjoy Corrugated Iron Buildings, the new publication from Shire Books, as well as the essential Flickr groups Corrugated Iron Buildings, Tin Tabernacles and the sharply-focused Corrugated Iron Barns of North Herefordshire and the Whole World.