Alan Hay
@alanrwhay
Civil Servant by day, Genealogist, Freelance writer, and occasional lecturer/speaker by night. Member of the Doric Board, Journal Editor for Clan Hay.
Alex Mair has just turned 102 and I talked to him about launching Grampian TV in 1961 and helping the channel become a pioneer in news, current affairs and entertainment. Alex still thinks it was a sad day when Grampian closed in 1997. He’s right! pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/lifestyle/6…
Can the BBC get any worse? Watching the breakfast programme as we approached 7.00 am, some creature called John Kay said we would now be "going over to wherever you are." We were then treated to a lengthy and irrelevant broadcast from "BBC London." I'm in rural Aberdeenshire.
As a teacher of Scots, I can see that my job is to provide a pathway for bairns to develop and improve their Scots skills. This map shows any skills, 72% in my area. Hopefully next census, folk with 'any' skills will be reporting that they speak Scots too.
Kate Forbes announces £1.8m for Gaelic broadcasting after success of crime thriller thenational.scot/news/24970026.…
A fine afternoon at the Aberdeenshire Cricket Club last Saturday, with the Wallace 700 Association's annual Burns lunch. Finished up with one of our Ukrainian guests in Aberdeen giving a rendition of "Scots Wha Hae," first in the original and then in his own Ukrainian translation
I agree
Any signs in a foreign language should be removed - on roads, in hospitals/GP surgeries, for transport networks, wherever. If you want a public sector that caters for said language, go and live in that country. This is England, and we speak English. Don't like it? Leave.
A memorable evening last Saturday at the Lord Provost's Burns Supper in Aberdeen's historic town house. Thank you to the estimable Charles Henderson for his kind invitation. Included memorable dramatic renditions of "Tam o Shanter" and "To a Louse," fae my auld freen Gordon Hay.
A great afternoon last Thursday at the Scottish Arts Club at the Royal Celtic Society’s lunch party. Accompanied by an excellent talk from Professor Hector MacQueen on his recent book, “Pedigrees, Power and Clanship”. A must read anyone interested in Highland genealogy.
This can never be retweeted enough. Anas Sarwar is as dishonest a politician, that Scotland has ever seen.
On the Sunday Show today, Labour MP Kirsty McNeill told Martin Geissler her party did not promise Scottish voters that Scottish Labour MPs would stand up to Keir Starmer. Really Kirsty? Here's Anas Sarwar during the election campaign.
RIP Kirsty Archer Thompson, Collections & Interpretations Manager at Abbotsford, where she inspired so many with her passion for Sir Walter Scott. Died Christmas Eve, aged 37. She faced her cancer with astonishing fortitude, serenity, and courage. May God rest her beautiful soul.
Scrievers, dominies an bairns. Fit wye nae pit in an entry ess year?
OEC attended the Edinburgh, Lothians & Borders Archaeology Conference where we had a stall in Nov 2024. The talks from the conference have now been made available on line by the @johngraycentre buff.ly/4iVNdeT . This includes the dig at Cowans Close in the South Side Edin
New direction, new publisher, new book. Delighted to have signed with @bonnierbooks_uk and @BenWillisUK. The Good Father will be out from @ZaffreBooks next year. I hope you’ll give it a go…
I have been sitting on this news for some time now, but no longer! I am utterly thrilled to be publishing @LiamMcIlvanney's new contemporary thriller. You *need* to read this game-changing crime novel. ALL OF YOU. Hit me up if you want an early read. bookbrunch.co.uk/page/article-d…
Very much looking forward to presenting my lecture 'HERALDRY IN CHIEF' to worldwide members of the mighty @ClanHaySociety on the evening of Saturday January 18th 2025 via Zoom The 21st century is proving to be the busiest era for Scottish Clans so far, I have an idea as to why..
I'm finding it very difficult to take a storm seriously when it's called Bert. Wouldn't Balthazar, or Boromir, have been better?
Mhairi Black, "I'm not understanding why there is so much heat around this" @MhairiBlack "Is this is a case of farmers working their knuckles down to the bone, living on the breadline, that happen to be sitting on assets" "Or is this like people like Jeremy Clarkson" "Because…
Do you ever get the feeling the world’s gone crazy? With this in mind, I play the Flintstones theme in the style of the Russian classics.