Rab Wilson

FIR the feck o the fowk o the UK coronavirus wull be seen as a verra unwalcum event. But thair is a tribe o fowk wha aiblins view it as an opportunity… Thae fowk bide in Downing Street.

OWER the past year thair haes bin a loat o news coverage wi regairds tae hospital acquired infections an daiths. These hae bin wi Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Queen Elizabeth University Hospital daiths. Thair’s alsae the problems wi the ventilation an infection risks at the still unopened Edinburgh Children’s Hospital, and a potential 200 patients infectit durin surgical procedures at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, wi an unkent nummer o daiths.

LAST week ah wis invited alang tae a gala denner held tae gie a hieze tae the life an warks o ane o Scotland’s greatest leevin heroes, Sir Jackie Stewart. The great an the guid wir aa in attendance, including oor First Meenister. Ah wis asked tae write a poem celebrating Jackie’s life an achievements.

THE body o the kirk sae tae speik micht no be awaur o the wheen o ploys that’s gaun oan tae gie a heize tae the Scots leid the nou. We hae jist hud the braw Scots Language Awards event whaur champions o Scots wir gien weel desairved tassies fir their wark in media, culture an leeterature – promotin Scots oan the national an international stage.

AINCE they sang o ‘Rule Britannia’Nou Boris, wi his megalomania,Ettles oan a new Utopia,E’er heard the like!?Seeks tae create his Brexiannia;The man’s gaen gyte!

An “imagined” conversation…

SITTIN oan ma desk in front o me here as ah scrieve this is a copy o the latest Lallans magazine; ‘Lallans 94’. Lallans is the bi-annual journal o Scots airts an letters - jam packt fou o guid new writin in Scots. A wheen o canty an skeelie scrievers in Scots contributes tae Lallans, this edeetion haes 45 contreebutors, wi some kenspeckle nems amang thaim; Derrick McClure, Sheena Blackhall, Tom Hubbard, Sheila Templeton, Willie Hershaw, an a wheen o ithers… Aa thaim wha submit airticles, p

AIBLINS some o ye’se missed the statement oan a veesit tae the UK bi Professor Philip Alston, the United Nations special rapporteur oan byordnar puirtith an human richts.

IN London courtroom stowed tae the gunnels wi WikiLeaks and journalist supporters, Julian Assange wis jyled fir the near-maximum year’s term ahint baurs fir breachin his bail condeetions. Thae supporters branded the sentence as “shocking” and “vindictive” – an wi guid raison.

THIS past twa years ah hae bin warkin wi Professor John Brown (Astronomer Royal fir Scotland) oan a buik o cosmic science, eemagery, an poetry. It’s title? Oor Big Braw Cosmos. Due shortly, the buik’s publish bi Luath Press. It hus a deliberately Scottish slant tae it, amang its pages o fascinatin cosmic science we alsae ettle tae mak the public awaur o a wheen o Scots wha hae punched way abune their weicht wi their contributions tae human knowledge, in perteecular astronomy.