2023 was...

Kellas House, Dad’s first heart attack, New car, Managing a museum, Red Dead Redemption 2, Managing Lyth Arts Centre events, Visiting Skye, Climbing The Storr, Misty Isle Bricks, Family drama, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Perth, Being the TartanLUG Engagement Officer, Society of Caithness Artists, Three jobs, Wedding planning, DBI 2023, Street Fighter 6, Barbenheimer, Brickmania 2023, Barry (HBO), My excellent stag-do, Polmaily House, Getting married, The rainiest weekend of all time, The best weekend of all time, the best friends we could ask for, A Drumnadrochit mini-break, Alanna’s wedding, Honeymoon in Rhodes, Cocktails, Swimming, Sun, Lindos, A successful job interview, Buying a house, Moving to Inverness, Packing EVERYTHING, TartanLUG Xmas party, and the exciting beginnings of Season 2.

It was a year of change.

Rhodes, September 2023

I got married earlier this year -which is something I don’t think i’ve actually mentioned here!?- and for our honeymoon, we went to the Greek island of Rhodes for some long overdue rest, relaxation, and of course sun.

Most of the days on the island were spent at the hotel resort sipping cocktails, swimming in the sea, and sunlounging entire afternoons at a time, and while initially this all felt a little jarring, it was a lifestyle I fell into a little too easily as the days passed. Certainly, I hadn’t realised how much I needed a holiday until I was away and completely unplugged from everything.

We stayed at the excellent Atrium Prestige- a remote complex carved into the coast on the south of the island, a base the kind James Bond villains could only dream of. We were fortunate to squeeze in a few excursions too, one, to Rhodes town itself for a walking tour of the medieval architecture and night markets, and two, to the town of Lindos for rooftop cafes and a climb to the Akropolis.

Both were great and definite must-dos on the island…though sadly didn’t have any pools or loungers.

Isle of Skye, March 2023

In March earlier this year I got to visit the Isle of Skye for the first time, making the pilgrimage west to take part in Misty Isle Bricks, a TartanLUG Lego show. It was the first show of it’s kind in Skye, and though only a one day event, I greatly enjoyed the rest of my weekend on the island, making the absolute most of my time there.

I found Skye incredbly inspiring- stunning views, interesting folklore, and something cultural/historic around each corner- so naturally there were lots of photos. And lots of walking too! Some of the most i’ve done in some time, going up hills, through muddy fields, and down scree paths.

Arriving mid afternoon on the Friday -and before check-in!- I climbed The Storr. Saturday was the show of course, but also a visit to Uig. Sunday was home-time, but some further driving first, with a trip to the Fairy Pools. Throughout, I resided centrally over the weekend, staying at the Portree Hotel- an excellent mid-island base for my weekend.

I’m fortunate to be visiting Skye again next year- i’m looking forward to exploring further then!

TartanLUG Engagement Officer

I’ve been pretty quiet here recently, but I have good news to share:

I’ve been elected as the Engagement Officer for TartanLUG, the Scottish Lego User Group! I take over the role previously held by Stewart Lamb Cromar, who of course left me incredibly big shoes to fill.

I’ve been a part of the LUG for a few years now, and it’s had a huge positive effect on me as a builder- it’s been inspirational meeting so many other creative, passionate, AFOLs. I’ve written about that joy, and many of the events I attended, previously.

As Engagement Officer, i’ll be looking to do likewise for others, highlighting some of the excellent shows and builds that the LUG produces, as well as sharing news in and outwith the group. It’s all very exciting- you can help me out by following some of the TartanLUG social media channels to help me out!

I’ve never had a minifig sigfig- enjoy my new hastily constructed avatar until something better appears!

2022 was...

Catching Covid again, Starting a new job, Opening a museum, Stories featuring ghosts, Elden Ring, Edinburgh, Back to normal, Picking a wedding date and venue, Big walks with Wes & Julie, Pirate Scavenger Hunt, Olli Olli World, First time glamping, A bit of outdoor swimming, Promoting a museum, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Ailish’s 30th Birthday, Hot tubs, Writing and hosting a Murder Mystery, Managing a museum, a MRI scan, Displaying at Lego shows, New friends, Brickmania 2022, TartanLUG, Oban Winter Bricks, Displaying in the Lego store, Heavy workload, 4 stars from Visit Scotland, Granny passing away, Too much Overwatch, Julie’s Birthday, Hogmany house with friends, and so many other ups & downs, and months I feel I never had time to process.

It was a busy year, but hopefully one of growth.

1 Second Everyday: 2022

Normally, around this time of year, I post my completed 1 Second Everyday for the year, showcasing through video some of the things I did over the year, the places I visited, and invariably, food eaten/games played/books read et al.

This year was a little different. After struggling with this project over the pandemic, I bounced back, but in 2022 I found myself too busy to continue with it. I started a new job in January which had a heavy -though ultimately rewarding!- workload, and any leftover creative energy was always spent preparing for Lego fanshows and meet ups.

So… this year’s video only runs from January to June. Gaps began to appear in March, April is very incomplete, and by July…I just completely stopped work on it. Ultimately, four years in to the project, i’m not sure what else there is to cover, or crucially, how else to present it- it’s something I may revisit in the future. For now however, 1 Second Everyday: 2022.

Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities

As i’ve gotten older my media preferences have changed, and there’s now a lot more horror in there ever than before. This is a genre that’s increasingly invaded the books I read, the films I watch, and now, the TV I binge.

Netflix has been surprisingly good at being a showcase for original horror series these past few years, and I think they’ve found a lot more success with the genre than something like, say, The Walking Dead, or worse, god, any of the American Horror Story(s).

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities is the latest release from the network- an anthology horror series consisting of eight episodes from eight different directors, telling eight very different stories. Anything approved or influenced by del Toro in the slightest is immediately exciting, and having watched it all I left mostly impressed. Regarding the episodes, I thought I would leave some of my own thoughts here. I’m not ranking them however; I think there’s merit to be found in all depending on the individual watching.

Lot 36

This is the first episode of the series, and, all things considered, is a poor introduction of what’s to follow. The central concept is Storage Wars with an unexpected demonic discovery as found contents along the way, and while the idea is interesting, and the character a piece of shit with obvious hangups, it’s still a bit of a plod along. I think the last ten minutes or so are really fun, but the build-up to get there was very unfulfilling.

Graveyard Rats

This on the otherhand was lots of fun! A graverobber in over his head with debt starts getting desperate when raiding coffins, and keeps finding rats have gotten there before him. He goes deeper and dirtier to get loot to pay off his debt, and the story is a claustrophobic horror with a bleak and ironic outcome. My partner wasn’t that impressed with this one, but I found it’s tight simplicity it’s greatest strength; a perfect vignette of a concept that doesn’t overstay it’s welcome or end too soon.

The Autopsy

This opens with a bang, and with a series of smart reveals along the way, makes for an interesting episode. A coroner is sent for to investigate a mining sabotage, and the gruesome horror that caused it is slowly pieced together. If you look closely there are plotholes in the narrative, but with a collection of slow, considered, and incredibly shot scenes throughout, it’s hard to tear into this one too much. I enjoyed this a lot.

The Outside

Our good-natured but ultimately socially awkward and anxious protagonist struggles to fit in, desperate to make a connection with her shallow, superficial, sexy female coworkers. This story plays with our own self-doubt and examines the vapid awe of beauty standards and the appearances of others… a modern day Shirley Jackson! This episode felt remarkably out of place from the stories that preceded it, but it stands out in a big way, and I kind of don’t want to go into plot specifics too much as a result. Kate Miccuci delivers an endearing, captivating, and frightening performance in the episode, and the final few minutes of the episode are, I think, easily the finest of the whole series.

This one is a little jarring, but it’s lingered with me a lot. On a repeat watch it might actually be my favourite.

Pickman’s Model

This episode has a great aesthetic, brilliant monster design, and some excellent scenes. It’s based on the short story of the same name by H.P. Lovecraft, about an art student who’s sense of reality falters when they encounter distrubing art. I am unfamiliar with the source material! There’s a high production here, but it just felt incredibly lacklustre and subpar. I think this could have been tightened up quite a lot, the story seems to be there, but other than maybe a *few* minutes throughout, this was not a good investment of screentime.

Dreams in the Witch House

The monster design in this equally, is superb, but this was an absolute slog, and with little conviction. Rupert Grint plays a character who’s sister has died at a young age and has seemingly spent most of his life trying to connect with her, accidentally opening up a connection to a horrible force that torments him through a strange distant world. Which, on paper, all sounds fantastic, but I did not enjoy watching this unfold at all- it was staggeringly bland, and easily the worst of the season.

The Viewing

With a bit of 80s synth as a soundtrack, and a noise grain film filter applied, The Viewing was, to me, the most distinctive of all the episodes, looking and sounding as if from a different series altogether. In it, four strangers, talented in different fields are summoned to millionaire’s abode and given the opportunity to witness something incredible. The episode is largely dialogue -though cutting- and is incredibly compelling as it unravels and races to an unexpected climax and gruesome reveal. I loved this one a lot, weirdly, the one that felt the least del Toro.

The Murmuring

From early buzz this was the episode title I kept hearing brought up, and though it’s the last episode of the series, conversely it was the first watched. It’s directed by Jennifer Kent of Babadook fame, and currently my favourite of the bunch. Essie Davis and Andrew Lincoln are married birdwatchers, comitted to their craft, and go to a remote derelict island to record their findings. This is surprisingly the only ghost/haunted house story of the series, and what I liked most about this compared to the others was the stillness it had to it. The way it was shot, the silence, and the terrifying noises and audio clips that punctured those scenes. I found this episode the scariest, but, also the most relatable and human. Good horror.

Cabinet of Curiosities was fun! There was a lot to enjoy, and I found it very comparable to short story anthologies from the likes of Shirley Jackson, Neil Gaiman, Richard Matheson et al.

I don’t believe a second series is confirmed yet, but it’s definitely something I would look forward to.

Oban Winter Bricks 2022

Last month I attended Oban Winter Bricks for the first time, a dedicated Lego Event in the West of Scotland, and hosted by, once again, Tartan LUG.

After Brickmania in Peterhead and the Aberdeen Scale Model Show previously this year, this was the biggest Lego show i’ve attended and displayed in yet, with bigger displays, more builders, and seemingly endless waves of eager fans coming in through the doors. I displayed my reoccuring 2022 Castle MOC again -that I’ve yet to actually showcase here!- and a brand new Lego Pirates display; a big oceanscape complete with desert island, shipwreck, and mermaids.

I’ll post more of my own displays here eventually, but in the meantime, here’s some excellent builds and displays from other builders at the show. As always, plenty of inspiration to be found!

Accidentally Wes Anderson: Wick Lifeboat Shed

Wes Anderson is a well-celebrated film director, known for his set-framing, colour, and above all, whimsy. Accidentally Wes Anderson is an inspired community, sharing images and locations that feel like they would comfortably belong in his films. I received the book of the same name as a gift, and since then i’ve been trying to capture my own images.

I will never get tired of walking past and admiring the old Wick Lifeboat Shed. With it’s entrance in it’s current light blue and red colour scheme, along with it’s nautical importance, it’s an obvious candidate for the project, and very reminiscent of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. The diving pioneer and oceanographer would easily be right at home here.

Accidentally Wes Anderson: Highland Folk Museum

Wes Anderson is a well-celebrated film director, known for his set-framing, colour, and above all, whimsy. Accidentally Wes Anderson is an inspired community, sharing images and locations that feel like they would comfortably belong in his films. I received the book of the same name as a gift, and since then i’ve been trying to capture my own images.

Earlier this summer I visited the Highland Folk Museum. An open-air living-history attraction, with period accurate cottages, laid out as a small town, a uniquely fascinating museum to explore and inhabit. Along with a tailor, blacksmith, and village shop, one of the buildings was a schoolhouse, complete with teaching diagrams, old-fashioned desks, and wood-panelling as interior detailing. The room was empty, but upon entering it immediately felt like a possible set or location for a Wes Anderson film, evoking memories of a childhood camp summer, not that far removed from Moonrise Kingdom.

There was no sign of Ed Norton or Bill Murray anywhere unfortunately.