31st December is a day of celebration in many countries across the world, as the old year draws to a close and the hope and prosperity that accompanies the arrival of a new year is embraced. In Scotland, this is a time of particularly great festivity, through the...
Each year, people ask, ‘So, what’s your new year’s resolution?’ Many of us feel a sense of pressure having to come up with something life-changing, such as becoming fluent in German, or going to the gym five times a week. But you can start small and build up – and as...
We’re in the festive season. Christmas music is played on the radio at every opportunity. Shop windows are full of sparkling lights. You might even be scared that dear Aunt Maud will never forgive you if she doesn’t receive her annual bottle of sherry, finished off...
With Christmas just over a week away, there are constant reminders all around us of Father Christmas – that jolly man with a white beard adorns everything from Christmas tree decorations to boxes of chocolates. For many, Father Christmas – or Saint Nicholas –...
A Christmas Carol has become a story so deeply entrenched within our culture that it is hard to extract the narrative from any other of the traditions of the season. Whether singing along to the recently reinstated ‘When Love is Gone’ in the Muppets version, to...
Wherever we look, we can access the news. Many of you probably have a news app on your phone. Social media bombards us with links to current affairs. We literally have the world at our fingertips and can access this wherever we are – pretty much. So, that’s all great...
