What a horrible case! It underlines the need for real, deep, & properly supported local journalism — and also the crying need to get rid of the leasehold system, endlessly prolonged by govts, which (from a Scottish perspective) was always mad & exploitative.

Wow! Many congrats Dominic!

Well, that all sounds grand. I’m on research leave until the end of Jan, but any time after that (Wed and Thurs usually see me in St Andrews) it would be something to look forward to in the dreich months!

Bless you! Thanks, Alastair. That makes my day. Let me buy you coffee and cake sometime when I’m back in Scotland.

That a company founded by a Dundonian could attack labour rights — if this story is true — is truly shocking. Scotland in the 1820s staged popular uprisings that helped to give birth to unions, workers’ rights & protections. 200 years later, is selfish tech-tosterone to turn us all back into serfs?

Interesting. It’s so local. People on here saying in parts of Ireland it was also not that big. And I believe them. But it was really the big festival of the year, alongside Hogmanay, in my hood.

I nearly lost a finger to tumshie lantern carving, but they do look more like skulls! Not complaining that we now do pumpkins, though.

I believe you. But in Edinburgh, where I grew up in the 70s, it was HUGE. And had been a major festival in my parents’ and grandparents’ lives.

In Scotland and Ireland Hallow’een has always been really culturally important. Guising from door to door. It went with the Celtic communities to North America. It upsets me sometimes to hear people say confidently ‘in the 70s, there was none of this’. There was — just not in England.

Every time I go to Glasgow, I think ‘I should really spend more time here’! It’s such a great city.

Thank you! Such a great audience & festival. Will 100% be back!