IT started last year as a one off, one-day festival celebrating the life of the great Scottish poet, songwriter, independence campaigner, soldier and intellectual, Hamish Henderson.
Now in his home town of Blairgowrie, and organised by Stuart Paterson and his coleagues, the Hamish Matters Festival of 2018 has expanded to five days and looks set to become an annual event.
East Perthshire school pupils will be performing songs and poems written and collected by Hamish Henderson in the first of the Hamish Matters events on Friday, November 9, at 1.30pm at St Catharine’s Centre, Blairgowrie.
The organisers say: “All are welcome to come along and be blown away by fabulous local young talent."
Fred Freeman will speak on Hamish and other Scots writers at Blairgowrie Library on Wednesday at 7.30pm. Entry is free.
The Gig on William Street will host a music and poetry event, Gigs and Dreels, on Thursday night at 7.30pm. Tickets priced £7 are available from the Eventbrite website.
Friday evening at The Dome restaurant will see family storytelling from 6.30pm while Saturday will see two events, starting with a Gaelic and Scots Bookbug session at Blairgowrie Library in Leslie Street at 10.30am. Youngsters of any age are welcome.
At 1.30pm in the Library, Margaret Bennett and Fiona Ritchie will combine in a session exploring Hamish Henderson’s life, work and legac.
Dr Margaret Bennett is a folklorist, writer, singer and broadcaster who was inspired in the mid-sixties by Hamish to make her career choice.
Fiona Ritchie MBE is a Scottish radio broadcaster best known as the producer and host of The Thistle & Shamrock.
Meanwhile, the Campaign for a Clean Scottish Currency (CCSC) has set up a network which has been meeting once a month for the last couple of months in the Yes Bar, Glasgow.
The aim of the campaign is to stimulate some discussion about currency, fiscal policy and banking issues in the run up to the next independence referendum.
Andy Anderson, one of the key driving forces behind the campaign said: “The debate about currency needs to be aired in a constructive way before the next independence referendum.
“We are not saying what currency the Scottish Government should pursue after independence. What we are saying is that there are alternatives, like a Scottish currency, for example.
“The banking crisis has been a disaster for western economies. It is certain that there will be another economic crisis in the near future. In an independent Scotland we should be considering a banking system that does not operate casino banking.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here