Another side of Lesley Riddoch

Mamma Mia...the numbers are in

Well, well. It seems the dvd of Mamma Mia the Movie - due out on November 24th - is set to become the best selling dvd ever befpore release, knocking Star Wars off its golden perch. the movie - widely panned by everyone except myself, friend Steph and stepdaughter Rosie -- has already become Universal's biggest UK film of all time. Kinda justifying my own much mocked Scotsman column this summer. Smug? Its the Name of the Game!

Westray Writers' Weekend

Just back from Westray and a weekend with the writers, here is the photographic evidence.

Some feedback from Paul Phare about my Neil Gunn Trust Lecture

I was working at the Eastgate Shopping Centre in Inverness on Saturday, promoting a share offer for a local wind farm co-op.  I spoke to a gentleman who attended your Lecture at Eden Court Theatre the night before and we had a good chat about your thoughts on community ownership and social enterprise.   I couldn’t agree more that Scotland is a nation of social democrats that have an inherent mistrust of private investment.  I also unfortunately agree that action against the current capitalist system and towards something more suitable to Scottish values will not be taken until the job queues start extending (something I fear is immanent).

Interested in having Riddoch Questions at your event ?

We’ve been asked by the BBC to have two outside broadcast with panels per month. We’ve already recorded two such events – a Scotsman Islands debate in Benbecula and a Question Time organized by Edinburgh University Students Association (EUSA). On October 14th we’ll record another Scotsman debate on Renewables in Jedburgh and at the end of October we’ll record a Glenrothes hustings organised by a poverty group there.

The basic idea is that a group that already wants to have a Question Time or panel type event and has contacted guests and booked a hall can invite me to chair the event (free of charge), and our team record it and broadcast 45 minutes of the highlights in the Riddoch Questions slot on Radio Scotland every Friday.

The news from Orkney

I'm on sunny Westray -- the busiest island I've ever come across. not only having their first writers weekend but also trying to figure how to put up a community owned turbine in (arguably) the windiest place in Britain! They'll need to hire cranes to come over and lift turbine into place -- could you predict when wind will be calm enough now to haul turbine into position? But with Willie the maths whiz on the case, I imagine an answer will soon be forthcoming.

The Neil Gunn Trust Lecture

I must admit both Ann Yule and Colin Feguson, pictured here, were superb hosts at the Neil Gunn Trust Lecture. Entering the Eden Court for this event at the Inverness Book Festival, I was nervous. Introduced by Ann and thanked by Colin, it was easy to enjoy the warm Highland welcome and I hope I suitably 'roused the rabble.' Thanks again to all, including the folks at Capstone.