Last weekend I found myself in Nairn along with this chappie, Prof Dave Barclay, world renowned forensic scientist and jolly good mate to crime writers.
And this chappie…who you will recognise as James Oswald. It's always annoyed me how he can write such good and consistent books - producing two a year while he has a full time job. He told me but I am not telling any of you.
This was me going through the new contract just before we left. Note my special advisers, Mathilda and Pi.
Nairn itself is an ancient fishing port 16 miles east of
Inverness.
It’s best known for golf, being the favourite holiday resort
of Charlie Chaplin who played golf here, golf,
award winning beaches, golf, tilde Swinton and lots of men in silly
trousers playing (you guessed it ) golf.
When King James VI of Scotland visited the town in 1589 he
said the High Street was so long that the people at either end spoke different
languages Scots and Gaelic.
I was appearing at the Nairn book and arts festival which is
a small festival that really punches above its weight in terms of the guests it manages to book.
While I was there I was forced to appreciate, but failed
that Nairn has two 18 hole Championship golf courses and that the Nairn Golf
Club is one of the greatest links courses in the world, established back in
1887.
It looked very narrow
to me,
The famous statue of the fishwife.
The plaque which describes how the fish were processed in those days.
Enough to put you off your special fish supper.
A typical Nairn house, with the championship course on the back door step.
Me suffering my nieces and nephews who have blogged here before
They live at the foot of Cawdor Castle
Four children under the age of six.
I didn't stay long.
Lovely piece of art in garden of our five star B and B.
Beautiful Garden of our B and B.
So who is A D Garrett? He/ she is the crime writing partnership of my friend Margaret Murphy and the Prof! Who would have guessed that!
Off to Bloody Scotland where I have been told, I am doing something with a beach ball.
Caro Ramsay
Posts
Was that summer or winter in those pictures?
ReplyDeleteI'm breathless until I find out more about the beach ball...
And a fine whatsit you are!
ReplyDeleteI had the great pleasure to play the Nairn Links course last year. I discovered that it was a good idea to tee off near low tide because the opening holes have the beach (at low tide) and the sea (at other times) cunningly positioned to accept slices. I found a seven iron was good off the beach (which is not out of bounds).
ReplyDeletePlease tell us all about Bloody Scotland too. And I know that you will have ball. If Jeff gets out of hand, I bet Stan will lend you his seven iron.
ReplyDeleteWell I survived the improv. Just. The beach ball was thrown into the audience and the poor person who caught it had to give us the next thing to include. Sweetheart cabbage. The job of the improvised crime writer is not easy but I assure you that no crime writers were harmed in the making of this production.
ReplyDeleteI am here to report first hand that what our dear Caro did with a beachball is not to be believed. The house was packed to standing room only and the laughter must have made it all the way back to Nairn. She was the backbone of the story line, kept the moderator on his toes, and even brought John Grisham into the act.
ReplyDeleteYou have my sympathies, Caro. At Love Is Murder in Chicago this year, a few of us had to make up a crime story as we went along, using a motive, location and murder weapon provided by the audience. Amazing how we began to speak more slowly as our brains had to work more quickly ...
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like great fun.
ReplyDeleteLike those advisers; they must give great advice.