Rab Noakes Anniversayville

Thanks so much Rab Noakes for the early hard copy of your new CD - and I am thrilled to have my Photos on there! 

Great band surrounding Rab Noakes Music top songs, some new, some old. Plus backing vocals with Jill Jackson and Kathleen MacInnes.. ...Things get better with maturity! Well done.

In the 60s and 70s, Rab played with greats such as Gerry Rafferty and Lindisfarne. When I hung out in the folk scene then, i remember well the harmony singing of Noakes songs, such as Branch, Clear Day. 

Back in 2007, I saw Noakes still going strong at an Oran Mor gig. He often includes a fifties classic, this time a song my husband remembered his mother singing. He is also a dedicated Dylan follower – check out his version of Mississippi. 

Noakes says music is all about the dialogue and more about performing than simply the song. Those residency night gigs were artists can learn their craft in front of the live audience and the live performance when 'flying' in the heart of the music toughens you up and you have to learn loads of songs. He played in Denmark six nights a week.

Noakes now runs his own production company Neon. 

Some of my Rab Noakes images

Rab Noakes performing at Celtic concert for Michael Marra

Rab Noakes at Celtic with Eddi Reader and Dougie MacLean

Noakes at Milngavie folk club

Rab Noakes at the Old Fruitmarket Anniversaryville concert January 2018

NEW ALBUM 2018 Rab Noakes -'Welcome to Anniversaryville'
https://itunes.apple.com/…/welcome-to-anniversar…/1394881656

One of my favourite Noakes song, Gently Does It

And a few years ago you'd been on this road so long
Now they're building a highway to take you home

Gently does it for a change
I used to think you were just like a mountain range
Your big boots stomped where small men feared to tread
I can hardly believe what I've just read

They say you can't travel any more
But you've got the key to a new front door
And don't you know 'cause you once said it all
When you stand so high you've got so far to fall

Not everyone can look you eye to eye
'Cause you get difficult, dangerous I'm damned if I lie
But we all pay the price
And they place your ante high.

The Nature of Nationalism

Excellent article by Isobel Lindsay National July 2018 on the nature of nationalism. 

Lindsay writes that, “nationhood  is morally neutral – like say parenting. It ranges from commitment to place, self-government, national identity and to enthusiastic internationalism in which nations co-operate within agreed structures. 

At the football World Cup we saw a display of nationalism that was good natured – both internationalism with competition and co-operation among the nations, promoting their national interest within a set of agreed rules an shared objectives." 

The commitment to a specific place and people is an essential part of the human condition. The group is essential to our survival and the development of culture. Below the surface we are all nationalist. Nationhood is about shared values, distinctive identity, civic culture, shared experience and mutual understandings. What is the alternative to nationalism and the nation state?  

Uniquely, and unlike populist far right national groups in Europe. Scotland's nationalist movement, going back to the 19th century, was led by people whose values were egalitarian, liberal and internationalist - Roland Muirhead, Cunningham Graham, Compton Mackenzie, Neil Gunn, John Maclean. In other words a fight for civil and social rights. 

Lindsay writes, “It has been one of the failings of the left in England to ignore national identity issues and it gives the opportunity to the right to impose their interpretation on nationalism.”’ 

Therefore “England has allowed the right to define Britishness and Englishness in their own image - of monarchy, military and of a mythical rural idyll.” 

Isobel Lindsay on the nature of nationalism, The Nation July 2018

http://www.thenational.scot/comment/16357986.isobel-lindsay-why-we-need-to-talk-about-nationalism/

Edinburgh Festivals 2018!

The worlds largest arts festival has invited the world and the world came……

One of the highlights of my year is visiting the Edinburgh festivals in Augusts –  the Fringe, the Arts festival, the Edinburgh Book festival, as well as the main International festival. 

My main focus is always the Edinburgh International book festival, where I attend talks and do photography. Many famous faces attend from across the world of literature, politicians, sports, music the arts, science. I have photos of Scottish and authors worldwide on my website – 

Seamus Heaney, John Byrne, Ian Rankin, Iain Banks, Alex Salmond Liz Lochhead, Mark Baaumont, Neil Gaiman, Elif Shafak, Ruth Rendell, Maggie O’Farrell, Joanne Harris, Martin Amis, Nile Rodgers, Alan Cummings, Simon Callow, John Byrne - http://pkimage.co.uk/edinburghbookfestival

In the perfect setting of Charlotte square Edinburgh. EIBF is a celebration of books, written words ideas, spaces to collaborate and exchange views, inspiring stories. retrieving and renewing. I am looking outward to common interests, shared values, an informed country, and to renew the Scottish arts. The book festival will celebrate 'freedom' as their theme this year. 

Last year I was proud my son took part in the Edinburgh Fringewith the Aberdeen Aperpella group at Surgeons hall – the always popular harmony singing groups – and performed on the high street.  

The biggest part of the fringe is comedy – as well as musicals, drama, dance, music, 

The Edinburgh Arts festival is hosting a show on Scottish photography at the Arts Centre, As well as a show on Rembrandt at the Scottish National galleries. 

LINKS - 
EDINBURGH ARTS FESTIVALS -  https://edinburghartfestival.com/scottish-photography

EDINBURGH FRINGE-   https://www.edfringe.com

EDINBURGH BOOK FESTIVAL -  https://www.edbookfest.co.uk

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL - https://www.eif.co.uk

This year will see a high street revamp, I look forward to that!  The high street is always a must see. There will be nearly a thousand performers over the vast array of 3,500 varied venues. To provide the biggest platform for creative and for freedom of expression 

"All the arts involve writing and reading, in the widest sense, writing as in composition, creation, production, publication and reading as in attentive analysis, interpretation, conversation, comparisons and contrasts." Alan Raich

Theatre show Leo

Skating minster by Henry Raeburn

Island Nations

Scottish indy is about bringing our island nations together in a more united and stronger way than ever, in an equal partnership. 

By contrast to the Faroe islands the beautiful island of Barra faces a crisis. Barra has the only scheduled flights to a beach airport. Imposed restrictions on non EU workers mean fishing boats are idle and this will effect the major employer, fish processing firm Barra Atlantic. Fishermen from the Philippines islands are desperate to come, but cannot get visas. While exceptions are made for Australian sheep shearers. I recently visited the Western isles and it struck me to have a healthy economy we must care about all our remote regions. 

Respect for diversity is good and we benefit from rigorous debate and co-operation. Why does one culture have to be repressed, to benefit another? Equality and fairness does not mean we are all the same – we are actually very different. What it does mean is equal opportunities, which can’t exist alongside patronage and elitism. After the Grenfell fire and the fight for justice, Carillion and more disasters do people still buy into this fake system …. 

The Scots language has been protected within the EU by a European charter. One third of today’s population speak a modern version of the same language used by Burns. Will old Scotia’s heritage, laws, rights, language, culture and arts be protected once we leave the EU? Will our wildlife be protected?

Indy means freedom of choice, being mature, regaining confidence, and adaptable in our wee nation - not to suit bankers. Why don’t the Highland and islands set up their own small, non profit banking system, or mobile broadband (as in the Faroes). Indy will enable change as we build a country best suited to Scotland individual needs, geography, immigration and resources (for example farming is opposite to England’s)   

Indy isn’t about Edinburgh or London, but about more local decision making and much smaller councils. Indy is about finding our own way in order to make the most of our resources. 

The islands were not remote at all – and in those days of the Neolithic Brodgar of Ness as historian Tom Devine says – “the land divides, the sea unites.”

‘Fortune favours the brave. ‘

’To harness our unique potential.’

evening sun on Orkney

Scotland – 5.5m population 

Iceland – 350.000 population

Denmark – 6.5m population- 134.76/km²

Finland – 5.5m  population - 16/km²

Ireland – 6.5m: Population density - ‎77.8 /km²

**Excellent series of programs by journalist Lesley Riddoch’s NATION and with Phantom River films,on successful small countries requires funding. The first program on the Faroe islands – 50,000 land mass,18 barren islands,  All makes Scotland look a substantial and not so wee place, as we’ve been fooled into believing, after all! https://www.youtube.com/NATIONLesleyRiddoch

Also highly recommend Allan Little’s ‘Friends in the North’ BBC - 

Harris beach