Sheep competitions
Apr. 30th, 2024 09:53 pmLooking in the British Newspaper Archive, trying a search for where my Kerr ancestors were living in the early 1900s, among the Cheviot Hills near Yetholm. And found great uncle Andrew - a shepherd - winning loads of sheep competitions. Need to gather these up properly and blog about them sometime! Great Uncle Andrew was a fantastic character who I was lucky to meet several times when I was young. My last visit to his home (by then in Yetholm) saw him get young me to try snuff (!), and also fill me and Mum full of Selkirk bannock. Oh and I drove the three of us to Kelso to buy him more snuff!
This will be blogged on my dedicated genealogy blog. On another branch of the Scottish family a gg-uncle at Melrose was a well known breeder of Border collies and a sheepdog trials judge.
This will be blogged on my dedicated genealogy blog. On another branch of the Scottish family a gg-uncle at Melrose was a well known breeder of Border collies and a sheepdog trials judge.
Piles and Dandies
Apr. 10th, 2024 08:56 pmToday's brief awake time during the day despite neuro illness saw me tackle a couple of piles. More stuff sorted out. Things put away properly, things brought out for attention (including some books to read). Also things to go to charity shops including lots of Dandie Dinmont Terrier club magazines.
Re Dandie Dinmont Terrier dogs my gggg-granddad in the Scottish Borders was a pioneering early breeder. I recorded a video talk about him some years ago. I'll give a link to it here. My husband also grew up with Dandies next door in rural southeast Somerset.
Re Dandie Dinmont Terrier dogs my gggg-granddad in the Scottish Borders was a pioneering early breeder. I recorded a video talk about him some years ago. I'll give a link to it here. My husband also grew up with Dandies next door in rural southeast Somerset.
Current reading
Jun. 13th, 2022 01:18 amJust finished another book of the last batch, so now have my fixed next main chunk of reading for the rest of June 2022.
I’ve now got two novels on the go, both rereads. Terry Pratchett’s Maskerade and Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile. Both read on my Kindle, though I have a paperback copy of the former and a facsimile hardback reprint of the first edition of the latter.
I am still reading and enjoying Andrew Cotter’s first book about life with his labrador dogs Olive and Mabel.
Having just finished my latest Japanese manga book my next graphic novel read will be the first volume of Heartstopper. Which looks like it will be a quick and breezy read. It also looks to have fun with the graphic novel format.
The Last Bookseller is a somewhat exaggeratedly titled but interesting so far memoir of rare bookselling in 1980s and 1990s America.
And I am still happily enjoying Loren Wiseman’s Grognard book of Traveller RPG newsletter columns.

I’ve now got two novels on the go, both rereads. Terry Pratchett’s Maskerade and Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile. Both read on my Kindle, though I have a paperback copy of the former and a facsimile hardback reprint of the first edition of the latter.
I am still reading and enjoying Andrew Cotter’s first book about life with his labrador dogs Olive and Mabel.
Having just finished my latest Japanese manga book my next graphic novel read will be the first volume of Heartstopper. Which looks like it will be a quick and breezy read. It also looks to have fun with the graphic novel format.
The Last Bookseller is a somewhat exaggeratedly titled but interesting so far memoir of rare bookselling in 1980s and 1990s America.
And I am still happily enjoying Loren Wiseman’s Grognard book of Traveller RPG newsletter columns.

Current reading
May. 31st, 2022 03:17 amCurrent reading, end of May 2022.
I’ve newly started the first Chrestomanci fantasy novel while finishing Eleventh Doctor novel The Water Thief. Still reading a manga book, Sandman short story collection and Andrew Cotter’s dog book. And now also a stroke memoir by a neurologist.
The Doctor Who novel is set partly in ancient Egypt and is a quick read. Loving the manga book, but reading it slowly. The Sandman short stories are proving a slog, but I’ve heard other people find the second half better. The dogs book is excellent.

I’ve newly started the first Chrestomanci fantasy novel while finishing Eleventh Doctor novel The Water Thief. Still reading a manga book, Sandman short story collection and Andrew Cotter’s dog book. And now also a stroke memoir by a neurologist.
The Doctor Who novel is set partly in ancient Egypt and is a quick read. Loving the manga book, but reading it slowly. The Sandman short stories are proving a slog, but I’ve heard other people find the second half better. The dogs book is excellent.
