Bert Thomson
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westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
Bert Thomson
@westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
1.4K followers 1.3K following 2.3K posts
Once we were lawyers. Scottish, European, Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award. Born @ 312.2 ppm. MD Ant. Largs Thistle F.C.
Glasgow, Ayrshire, Argyll.
books, writing, music, art, film, photo, nature, climate.
'cela nous concerne tous'
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westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
From the Riverside Museum today looking east. The Science centre (the eyelid shaped building) and the BBC with the Waverley moored below the Science Centre
The river Clyde looking east from the Riverside Museum. The photo shows a placid river in the late afternoon. On the southside an eyelid shaped glass building is Glasgow Science Centre and below that the paddle steamer, Waverley lies moored.
November 16, 2025 at 4:17 PM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
From the Riverside Museum today looking east. The Science centre (the eyelid shaped building) and the BBC with the Waverley moored below the Science Centre
The river Clyde looking east from the Riverside Museum. The photo shows a placid river in the late afternoon. On the southside an eyelid shaped glass building is Glasgow Science Centre and below that the paddle steamer, Waverley lies moored.
November 16, 2025 at 4:15 PM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
The rugby and football groundspeople have got a fair bit of work ahead with their pitchforks if they're wanting to get these pitches playable on Saturday.😄
Thornliebank, Glasgow.
A picture of a rugby pitch under a considerable body of rainwater this afternoon in Thornliebank, Glasgow. 13th November '25. A picture of a football pitch under a considerable body of rainwater in Thornliebank, Glasgow this afternoon 13th November ' 25.
November 13, 2025 at 4:02 PM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
Beautiful concert last night at the City Halls with Yeol Eum Son and, for me, the best of the Scottish orchestras, @scomusic.bsky.social .
The only disappointment was the number of empty seats, which neither Yeol Son nor the orchestra deserved.
Everybody must have been out guising.
A photo of the cover of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra's programme for 30th October to 1st November. The cover is a photo of the South Korean soloist Yeol Eum Son with large white letters covering the bottom half of the page. The letters say 'Yeol Eum Son plays Mozart.' Below that in smaller letters 30th October - 1 November are set out in much smaller white lettering. At the top of the page the words 'Scottish Chamber Orchestra' are written in pink curves and next to that the numbers 25 26 are in white. A photo of the inside first page of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra programme for three successive dates between 30th October and 1st November in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen respectively. The programme consists of Mozart's Piano Concerto no.21, Webern's Symphony and Mozart's Piano Concerto no.24. Below that there is a black and white photo of the guest conductor Andrew Manze and alongside that photo another in colour of the South Korean soloist Yeol Eum Son.
November 1, 2025 at 12:08 PM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
The Snuff Mill Bridge and the River Cart in mid autumn, Cathcart, southside of Glasgow.
A photo of the River Cart from the Snuff Mill Bridge, Cathcart, Glasgow. The photo shows a fast running river with trees and shrubs on it's left bank, white painted housing on the right. A late autumn picture of the River Cart taken from the Snuff Mill Bridge in Cathcart Glasgow. The photo shows a number of trees at different stages in their autumn transformation, reds,yellows, browns and greens. In the bottom foreground the bridge wall has lichens growing upon it. A photo of a castellated tenement gable end Cathcart, Glasgow taken from the Snuff Mill Bridge Cathcart, Glasgow. The photo shows a gable end glowing ochre on an autumn afternoon.
October 27, 2025 at 8:23 PM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
A wander down the Strath Eck glacial valley this afternoon, starting from Harry Lauder's memorial to his son John, killed on the 28th December 1916.
Some time ago there was a debate as to whether John Lauder was an early, modern victim of 'fragging'.
A photo of Harry Lauder's memorial to his son John, killed on the 28th December 1916 by a German sniper. The photo shows a memorial in red sandstone with two plaques upon it. The memorial has a fence around it and is on a hill with a forested area further up the hill behind the memorial. There is a black painted wrought iron fence surrounding the memorial. There is also dying bracken surrounding the memorial A close up of a memorial plaque which reads ' To the beloved memory of John Lauder Captain 1/8 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders killed in action in France December 28th 1916. Aged 25 years. A second plaque below this states ' He gave his life, not impulsively but for a cause he held to be the best in the world.
October 25, 2025 at 6:53 PM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
Scottish Opera on their home ground at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow for us tonight. 'La Bohème'.
'I love the way Puccini lays down a tune...'
A photo of a café scene from Scottish Opera's production of La Bohème. The photo shows an opera set. There is a café with a terrace table outside. A man in a beret and blue 'worker's' jacket sitting behind an empty chair reading an art deco drinks menu. A couple sitting at the table near to the man look at one another smiling and to the right of the table two more men discuss that same café drinks menu.
October 23, 2025 at 12:22 PM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
Through to Edinburgh today for the Andy Goldsworthy exhibition at the National Galleries of Scotland and Scottish Ballet's brilliant 'Mary, Queen of Scots'. Unfortunately the Goldsworthy only has a few days left to run but if you have a chance to see 'Mary, Queen of Scots' don't pass it up.
Programme cover for the Andy Goldsworthy exhibition at the National Galleries of Scotland. The cover of the programme shows the main door of the National Gallery with sand coloured columns on the background behind a wrought iron fence. In the foreground Andy Goldsworthy is riding from the black pavement in black tee shirt and jeans leaving his body shape in grey outlined on the pavement. Andy Goldsworthy' s exhibit 'Flags'. In the exhibit 50 flags one from each U.S. state are hung. The flags have no colour other than stain distilled from the red earth of each state. The flags are in various hues, ochre, yellow brown etc and clearly have a great deal in common with one another. The exhibition space has white walls and a brown/yellow wooden floor and a shadow from the bottom of each flag shows on the floor The programme for Scottish Ballet's 'Mary, Queen of Scots' The programme is brown with the words Scottish Ballet at the top in white capital letters. The two Ts in 'Scottish'are blurred. At the bottom right of the cover the words Mary, Queen of Scots' are in light brown capital letters. Down the left hand side of the cover is a full length portrait of the principal dancer Roseanne Leney, who dances the title role. A photograph of two of the art deco chandeliers on the ceiling of the Edinburgh Festival Theatre.
October 16, 2025 at 11:33 PM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
Autumn at the pine marten hide, Glen Branter, Argyll. #Scotland #autumn
October 13, 2025 at 12:09 AM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
A smirr at Loch Fyne this morning picking out this web
Photo shows a spiders web on a barbed wire fence top, the web picked out in water droplets from a morning smirr.
October 11, 2025 at 12:30 PM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
Since I'm posting book covers today...
Paperback copies of ' Lennon Remembers' John Lennon's Rolling Stone interview with Jann Wenner and 'The Penguin John Lennon' a Penguin compilation of ' In His Own Write' and 'ASpaniard In The Works'
October 9, 2025 at 12:46 PM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
#TheBeatles A bonus no. 6. Wilfrid Mellers 'Twilight of the Gods' This for musicologists really and a book which to some extent mystified the Beatles themselves. There's much of it I don't understand but I couldn't part with it😄
The photo shows the hardback cover of Wilfrid Mellers' ' Twilight of the Gods' on hardback. The cover is a cartoon reflective of the cover of 'With The Beatles' showing the four faces drawn in a stylised way on a black background m red tears drip from each of the band's eyes. The title of the book is in black lettering the subtitles outlined in red 'Thr Beatles in retrospect ' the authors name is in smaller black lettering than the title.
October 9, 2025 at 11:40 AM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
#TheBeatles 5.You Never Give Me Your Money. The battle for the soul of The Beatles' by Pete Doggett. A blow by blow account of the descent into the bitter squabbles that ended the group. The book documents what has almost become a trope for the destruction of bands( though obviously not on scale)
The cover of the hardback of Peter Doggett's 'You Never Give Me Your Money's. The dust jacket of the book is black with silver and white lettering The main title is in silver capitals. Below that there is a stylised picture of a drum kit and 3 guitars one of them being McCartney's violin bass . Below that is the books subtitle in white lettering ' The battle for the soul of the Beatles' and below that the author's name in silver.
October 9, 2025 at 11:40 AM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
#TheBeatles 4. Ian MacDonald's brilliant 'Revolution in the Head'. A beautiful elegiac essay takes up the first part of a book which gives a song by song analysis of the Beatles entire output this for me is not only the best book about the Beatles but one of the best books ever about rock and roll.
Photo showing the original hardback edition of Ian Macdonald's Revolution in the Head. The Beatles records and the sixties' the cover of the book is largely white, the bottom third of the cover taken up by a Don McCullin photo of the band on 'The Big Day Out' The authors name is in green lettering with the main title in white embossed capitals on a white background. There's a definite tip of the hat to The White Album here. The subtitle of the book is written in dark lettering.
October 9, 2025 at 11:40 AM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
#TheBeatles 3.The Beatles. The Authorised Biography. Hunter Davies.
Warm hearted, sometimes sentimental, this has been a comfort read for me since 1968. Captures how Britain and a good part of the world felt about them at the height of their power. i.e. they were widely almost universally, loved .
The photo shows a first edition of Hunter Davies' 'The Beatles. The Authorised Biography' The dust jacket is somewhat tattered and is mostly white with 'The Beatles' written in plump red/pink text with yellow stars where the holes in the B and the A are. The subtitle ' The Authorised Biography' and the authors name are written in red on yellow banners. The rest of the cover has what was regarded at the time as a 'psychedelic' look.
October 9, 2025 at 11:40 AM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
#TheBeatles 2. 'Love Me Do' by Michael Braun. How they broke, first Britain then the world. Again, strong on atmosphere and full of indicators that the cynical Lennon and the winsome McCartney wasn't all there was to them..
Photo shows the cover of the Penguin paperback of Michael Braun's "Love Me Do"! The Beatles Progress. A black and white photo shows girls, dressed in early sixties fashions reaching out. "Love Me Do" is written in pink lettering with 'The Beatles' Progress' in red lettering. An exclamation mark on the cover is also in red. The author's name is in white with a quote from John Lennon also in white. ' A true book. He wrote it like we were, which was bastards'.
October 9, 2025 at 11:40 AM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
#TheBeatles A wee thread on some Beatles books I wouldn't swap for a gold pig.
1.'The Man Who Gave the Beatles Away' Alan Williams and William Marshall. Just a great wee read about the early days in Liverpool and Hamburg. Thick with atmosphere, it seems absolutely real. 'I laughed a lot' John Lennon
The cover of the Coronet paperback of The Man Who Gave The Beatles Away by Alan Williams and William Marshall. The photo shows a black and white picture of The Beatles taken in the Cavern with an overlaid colour picture of the four Beatles c.1967/68. The book title is in red capitals with the two author's names in white.
October 9, 2025 at 11:40 AM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
Think Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass had already said all there was to say about it. 😄
Cover of Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass L.P. ' Whipped Cream and Other Delights. The album cover is green with the album title in a brighter green. The main part of the cover is taken up by a dark haired woman sitting covered in whipped cream and she is licking cream from one of her fingers.
October 3, 2025 at 9:27 PM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
#Alphabetchallenge #weekNfornights
Clyde St and Customhouse Quay, Glasgow on the northside of the Clyde, taken from the start of suspension bridge in Carlton Place on the southside
A photo taken in Glasgow at night. The picture is taken from Carlton Place on the southside and looks through the suspension bridge towards Clyde St and Customhouse Quay on the Northside of the Clyde. There is a railing at the bottom of the picture latticed with steel and the camera looks through vertical spars over towards brightly lit buildings. The light from the buildings reflect on to the river.
September 29, 2025 at 4:52 PM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
Since I'm quoting Tim Winton talking about the climate crisis in my last post((the quote comes from a talk at Canberra Writers Festival about his novel 'Juice') a shout out for the book
A cli-fi thriller, it asks a fundamental & urgent question, which is, 'What do we owe to future generations?'
The cover of ' Juice' a novel by Tim Winton.
September 29, 2025 at 2:42 PM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
All glories to @brickingglasgow.bsky.social who built these magic things.
A photo of a Lego model of the facade of the Barrowland Ballroom. Gallowgate Glasgow Made by @brickingglasgow.bsky.social A concert venue of worldwide renown, everybody knows Barrowland. A photo of a Lego model of the Battlefield Rest restaurant in Battlefield Glasgow. Made by @brickingglasgow.bsky.social I wouldn't be over surprised if he's put wee Lego pizzas and lasagne inside on wee tables. A photo of a Lego model of Alexander 'Greek' Thomson's Caledonia Road church. The area around this church was a playground of my father as a boy and the last time he saw it almost had him in tears. The model is in yellow and black and is by @glasgowbricking.bsky.social A photo of a Lego model of the facade and entrance of the Glasgow Film Theatre which may be my favourite public place in all the world. (alright I'll give you the Parthenon but I can't go there every couple of weeks) The model is by @brickingglasgow.bsky.social.
September 22, 2025 at 11:27 PM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
Standing stone and shinty goal. Inveraray.
Black and white photo showing a shinty goal and standing stone. Inveraray, Argyll
September 20, 2025 at 12:41 PM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
I was in at the garage at Wemyss Bay today and spent 10 minutes in the secondhand bookstore in the railway station right next to it. I've said before that the station's a wonder and the bookshop well worth a visit. It has the destination board for the old Marchioness of Lorne steamer on display too.
Photo of the Marchioness of Lorne, Clyde paddle steamer, photo by J McPhee and part of the Peter Rolf collection. Picture is a black and white photo of a steamer on the Clyde. A photo of the destination board of a 1935 Clyde paddle steamer the 'Marchioness of Lorne'. The board has the words 'Marchioness of Lorne for' at the top of the board in gold lettering and then a set of slide in boards giving destinations in similar gold lettering as follows- Wemyss Bay, Largs, Arrochar, Furnace, Innellan, Helensburgh, Kilchattan Bay, Millport, Rothesay, Kyle's of Bute.
September 18, 2025 at 3:33 PM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
A Small Tortoiseshell kept me company in the garden a good part yesterday morning . A beautiful wee thing.
A photo of a small tortoiseshell butterfly on a white brick wall. The butterfly is mainly orange red but with yellow and black bar marking on the front of the wings. The outer edge of the wings have blue dots running across them
September 18, 2025 at 12:31 PM
westcoastsmirr.bsky.social
We went over to Argyll today with the intention of birdwatching, or maybe just a wander in the woods, but the passing belts of rain were epic, dousing, so I spent the afternoon reading Norman MacCaig which is never a waste of time.
Norman MacCaig's poem Landscape and I.
September 12, 2025 at 4:58 PM