Uni, Ten Years On

Sunday, September 10th 2000, was my first day at the University of Stirling. I remember the day very well. Rangers Drew with Dundee the previous day and the number one song was 'Lady' by Modjo, an old favourite.



I remember standing in the entrance to Macrobert Theatre, waiting on my induction, thinking how strange the whole experience would be, and in reflection, I was right. I was originally signed up to do modules in environmental science, sociology and economics, however the economics was swiftly dropped for history. I never fully understood the other side of university until I was well into my first semester, and I reckon if I'd had attended at least one open day, I would have been enlightened on the social aspect of uni life.

However, the years trundled along, as did the graduations, and now, ten years later, I am (or at least think I am) approaching the final straight. It has been such an enormous part of my life, and it would be difficult to imagine life without it, a stark contrast to that sunny day back in September 2000!

The 1990s

Not the decade, the band. The guy 'wi the teeth' has been about for years according to my mate Johnny. Their song 'See You at the Lights' is one of my favourites, here it is:

Stuart in Eastenders Agreement Shocker

Driving in to uni this morning, listening to Rangers-supporting Ken Bruce on BBC Radio 2, where Eastenders actor Martin Kemp was giving the Tracks of My Years. He selected Won't get Fooled Again by The Who.

"Probably the best track ever made!" He said.

I won't disagree.

Another Island Checked off the List

On Wednesday I had the fantastic opportunity to accompany the Ochils Landscape Partnership on a trip to Bute, just off the west coast of Scotland to meet with the Bute Landscape Partnership and have a trip round the island. Given that it was a damp (yet dry) October morning and I set off just after 6 in the morning, I went with an open mind and minimum expectation.

The island itself was very pretty, albeit for the presence of one or two structures, however the people and the hospitality reflected what I see as a strong community spirit, a baseline for the success of the partnership.

I took around 60 photos, so here are a couple I would like to share.

The top one is an unknown beach, second the Church of St. Blane and the last one is the 'airport' with the runway getting its grass cut!

This Tastes Blogging!

Blogs by myself are clustered and sporadic, usually through the lack of content worth sharing. However, this may change. I have visited Zingermans in Stirling a few times now and although that wee bit more expensive, they have a range of unique beers and a comprehensive cocktail menu. So with help from Danielle, we've decided to blog these and give feedback on how good or bad these drinks have been. Marks are out of 10, and score is based on taste and quality. Here's to a long and non-exhaustive blogging topic!

First Weekend of October

Old Engine Oil. Brewed by Harviestoun, chocolatey and dark, comes in a smaller bottle but it is that bit stronger. 8/10

Tom Collins. A bit too plain. We know, simple cocktail, but it didn't really hit the spot. 4/10

Dirty Martini. 6/10, but this could easily have been an 8. It is all down to taste and how much olive juice you want!

Second Weekend of October

Schiehallion. An award-winning pilsner from Harviestoun, the hint of grapefruit reminds me of the other Harviestoun favourite Bitter and Twisted. A very refreshing 7/10.

Ben Nevis. Brewed by the people behind the Bridge of Allan Brewery, this ale is refreshing yet tangy, a nice drink. 6.5/10.

Margarita (with dodgy Petron!). 1/10. The mistake was made here by using coffee liqueur Petron opposed to Petron Silver, which turned a fruit-based concoction into a bitter, coffee/chocolatey effort which wasn't that good! Top marks to the bar staff who provided wise feedback and insight to make sure Petron Silver is used in the future.

French Martini. 'Smells like a cake', very sweet although it is delicious. 7/10.

Zingerman's Sling. An in-house recipe, containing gin and a blueberry liqueur, lemon juice and topped off with Midori. Well balanced and tasty, 9.5/10.

24th May, Tannadice - A Reflection

On the 24th of May, Tannadice cemented itself in my opinion as a favourite football away day. As one of only a few thousand present in the 'Shed' I felt somewhat honoured to be in attendance watching Rangers obtain their 52nd Scottish League title. The game itself was fine, but it was the buildup which had the most impact.

There must have been at least 100 re-dials to Tannadice about a month beforehand to secure the tickets. With United selling them to the fans direct, I went ahead and got some. As the games progressed, the title swayed in the favour of Rangers, then Celtic, then back to Rangers after a series of bizarre results. Rangers were in pole position and suddenly the £22 tickets I had were changing hands for several hundred pounds. It would have taken a lot more than that, as I was taking Dani to her first Rangers game and I knew the atmosphere would be electric!

Tension built up and on the way to Dundee, every second or third car was filled with supporters, with Celtic busses travelling south on the opposite carriageway. The wait outside the ground was heightened with JC's weak bladder! We got in, the songs started 20 minutes before the match and finished about an hour after. Rangers scored an early goal, then one before half time and a third early in the second half. The songs continued, the helicopter flew overhead and the match was over. We headed south and passed those same Celtic coaches travelling north, it was somewhat amusing.

It has brought about a sense of happiness amongst everyone, suddenly the imminent Champions League fixtures has everyone foaming at the mouth. As for the atmosphere, I haven't sampled anything like that since the Sturm Graz game in September 2000. The song of the day? Well one someone has thankfully added to YouTube, Glasgow Rangers Champions....

Modern Monopoly: A Social Problem?

Monopoly is one of my favourite board games. In my younger years, it was the game of choice on rainy days when we couldn't play football. The set we used to play with was from the 70s and belonged to my mum. Money has been lost over the course of many years, so it is now supplemented with money from the Game of Life and Operation! Games took hours, but you received a ruthless lesson in how to handle money. Poor investments and you would pay later!

I discovered that anti-capitalist passengers of the Offended Bus created Anti-Monopoly where you have to turn the board back to a free-market economy. Doesn't sound as much fun, but still better than the modern versions.

Most new Monopoly versions (Here and Now, etc.) have no money. All payment is on a credit-card. Surely this cannot be right. By having paper currency in your hand, you got a feel for money and along with that came a value. Can it be said that 'invisible' money is absent of this value and is essentially skipping out the part of growing up where you feel what money is like? I know that society today is mainly card-based, represented in the newest versions of the board game, but surely it would do no harm to get some experience with paper cash...whether it is Monopoly money or not!!!