The Windmills of my Mind

The windmills of my mind…

The time and the place for Windscape
What a week. Great kids, wonderful teachers, fantastic libraries and a chance to launch my first topical kid’s adventure - WINDSCAPE.
Up in Harris and Lewis there is a real dichotomy. They’ve just voted to halt a huge wind farm that would have run down the spine of the Western Isles. Some say that it’s been a real missed opportunity, some say that it’s been a near miss. My book: an innocent adventure, has been hailed as a catalyst in the discussion. Mmm… Not sure I wanted that but, it’s good to talk. Unsure where I am on the subject, it was interesting to hear the various responses and ideas.
Some say the energy used to construct these majestic machines would never be cancelled out by the good they would do. Some say that the local community would stand to gain a great economic boost, both commissioning and decommissioning these things. Some say they scar the beautiful landscape that the many tourists come to see. Some say they disrupt wildlife and destroy the peat bogs, Scotland’s lungs. Some, like me, are simply confused, torn between the damage they may do and the horrible alternatives. Are there other viable alternatives out there? Will it be the children who read this book that are ultimately affected?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Windscape-Sam-Wilding/dp/1907354123

A dip in the loch

The last time I went for a paddle in Loch Lomond would have been about 20 years ago. I put my toe back in this weekend. It was 23 degrees and we had our own wee private beach. We really are very lucky to live beside such a beautiful place. Even Mrs Wilding braved the chill. Wee Ruthy had great fun skiffing stones inches from my head,while Betsy, our flatcoat retriever, swished her tail and tried to disembowel me with her front paws. Part four of the Denthan series is set on Loch Echty (Loch Lomond), about 500 yards from that island in the distance. I also had my first signing of August in W H Smith's Glasgow. Even though Jordan, or Kate Price, was just along the road, stealing business away, I still sold quite a few of my books. I met Clare Wilson, a new Olida author, during the signing. Clare's book The Long Staff, is a great young adult, fantasy tale and due for release any time now. You might catch Clare at the Publishing Scotland knees-up on the 23rd, at the Edinburgh Book Festival. We plan to do a few joint workshops and events, both here and down in London. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, it's time to cook the Sunday dinner.

Aerosmith and Camper Vans

Last weekend I journeyed down to Download, near Derby, to the biggest rockfest of the year. My main remit was to keep my boys happy, but I love this kind of music too. I probably sound old fashioned but I just think, oh, no... whenever the 'stars' feel they have to swear and stuff. ACDC and Myles Kennedy didn't seem to find it necessary. You basically camp up in a field full of litter, next to some over-flowing toilets and walk 2 miles to get to the gig. Once there, you're stuck in a massive pen with 100,000 other rock fans. There's food all over the place, 4 stages that merge into one cacophony of sound if you stand at the wrong point, and no chance of finding anyone you know. This is fine, even strangely enjoyable when the sun shines, but when the heavens open, it's no joke. It remained beautiful until the last few songs in Slash's set. After that it poured. We retreated to our trusty camper van but decided to ignore our wet clothes and venture out again to see the living legends that are Aerosmith. Steve Tyler was amazing! What a voice and what a showman. Spinning like a dervish in his gold spandex, he sang his lungs out. We all went home tired, dirty, smelly but happy. (Finds of the Festival were singer with Slash - Myles Kennedy, and new band - Them Crooked Vultures. Check em out.

The Big Hoose!

After a refreshing swim, I settle down to some lunch and then walk the gardens of the place I once worked and played. Cameron House, formerly the home of Sir Patrick Telford Smollett, it is now a full-blown De Vere Hotel. It was, however, a stately home when I first ran along the grassy lawn by the family jetty. I was, well, 6 when I first stepped off the launch and joined in the Sunday school games. Mmm... 1967. It was a sunny day, like today, and the gardens were made all the more mysterious by the wailing of peacocks and the bleating of exotic geese. I got to know the Smollett's through the church, St Mungo's, and always found the local gentry personable and kind. Patrick would hail me in the supermarket, even though he did call me by my last name, whereas Mrs Smollett was more of a mystery. She was, in my opinion, like Grace Kelly in looks and seemed more distant, in a movie-star kind of way. I still see her from time to time, and she still looks beautiful. After a childhood of once a year visits, I eventually sang at their daughter's wedding. I think the song was 'By Blue Galilee', and I think the daughter's name was Gabrielle. After a few more years I became an employee of the Smollett's, working as a game-warden, shop-keeper, fairground attendant and ticket collector in the Loch Lomond Bear Park. I wandered, blinded by hay fever, through an assortment of fully-grown Himalayan, European Brown and Canadian Bears, protected only by luck and the odd clump of dirt. They were great days and I still keep in touch with the various survivors. Patrick would, from time to time, yell at me from a high turret as I lay sunbathing in the bay, bobbing in the gentle roll of Loch Lomond. "Murdoch! I don't pay you to float!" Time moved on and, after the sale of the estate, the Smolletts moved up the hill to a smaller pad. I visited the new house once, where, after several huge whiskies, I was introduced to the black piano where Irvin Berlin wrote White Christmas and where David Niven, perched on his boney elbows, recounted many an anecdote. I now swim and exercise in the building that has managed to form such a constant part of my life. And, I might add, have the odd wonderful meal. Cameron House - I salute you!

Harris Tweed

It’s a full house. Fiona at the Tarbert Library has, like the pied piper, drawn in children from every school in Harris, and this on a day when Sir Seb Coe is only a few miles away promoting the relevance of the Olympics in the Western Isles. Hosting the biggest sporting event in the world is extraordinary but I still wonder how, other than T.V., the islanders up here will get to see it. Hat’s off to Seb though for coming all the way here. The kids were totally enthralled and excited to see him. The workshop in the library goes well, and has brought children in from 20 miles or more. There's great interest in the Denthan Trilogy and the kid's questions are yet again, brill. I give the Callanish visitor centre a plug and, after expressing my thanks to the library, get back on the road towards Leverburgh and the ferry to North Uist.

Port Ness

After a wild drive to Port Ness, on the most northwesterly tip of Lewis, I arrive at the school and settle down in their new Library. The school kids are at the door to greet me and they lead me inside to give my workshop. They are fantastic and soon tell me about the real Gugas Hunters. One girl’s dad is an actual Guga Hunter and disappears for 2 weeks every year to harvest the gannets. He is only allowed back in the house after 3 showers. I ask them what the birds taste like and how they cook them. They are very salty and fishy in taste but many of the kids enthuse about them and the teacher tells how they are cooked. They are scrubbed with washing-up liquid and then boiled for an hour before being served with boiled potatoes and veg. The gannet skin has the complexion of an old tramp and the fat layer is extremely thick. Some of the class say how you have to eat the fat and the dark flesh together. The teacher isn’t too keen on the fatty parts. I eventually take the road to Callanish. It’s been 20 years since I’ve visited the stones that appear on the cover of The Magic Scales. There is a visitor centre there now, so I track down the manager and show him the cover of the first book. He loves it and sees that it will sell in the shop, so takes 6. I take some pictures of the magnificent standing stones and realise the time. Racing down the road towards Harris, the site of Windscape, my new book-to-come, I just get into the library in the nick of time.

Argie Bargie

Stratford was bathed in sun as we boarded the barge and prepared to feast. Pate, pork and pricey river properties all came and went as we sailed down the Avon through a series of slimy locks that gurgled and bubbled. It was rather decadent but you're only here once. In the heart of Shakespear's-ville the tourists were buzzing and the fizz was flowing. Promise to be good next week. Back to reality and back to the thing I love doing most of all - exploring the Western Isles, from Ullapool to Oban and quite a few points in-between.

W H Smith show the way...

Sam Wilding wooed the children from Banchory in a W H Smith writing workshop, where the kids got to design their own monsters and run with their imagination....
W H Smith is showing its colours as a very proactive store that cares about the reader, and wants to develop new talent. Sam went on to raise awareness about asthma. He spoke recently at the Scottish Parliament on the subject and pointed out that James Peck, the main character in the Denthan series, has fantastic adventures despite the affliction... The Denthan series continues to be the most tagged children's book on Amazon.co.uk.

Ted McKenna and Wee Joe

Ted McKenna - legendary drummer of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, The Michael Schenker Group and Rory Gallacher,to name a few, and, Wee Joe - The 6 years ago, main inspiration for Wee Joe in the Denthan Series. Ted and Joe are now a little older but both made a huge mark on my creative life. I've admired the various bands where Ted has drummed and Joe is still, as my youngest son, one of my main inspirations to write. On Saturday Ted gave a drum clinic where he showed his great skill and immense wit and experience. Wee Joe, a budding drummer, pianist and guitarist, loved every minute of it. Thanks, Ted. A huge thanks must be given to Jim Carr, another huge influence on my life, and to Johnny Watson, drummer of Littlehed, my rock outlet these days. It was great to meet so many other friends on the day. Great stuff!

Auchinairn Primary School - Recent Visit

What a great school! Auchinairn Primary children explored their own writing talents through a brilliant workshop where the children created their own characters and wrote out their own story board. Split into groups, they worked furiously under the guidance of Kirsty Rawley, a truly inspiring teacher, and myself to produce some fantastic work. They also used mind maps and passages from the Denthan series to give them a greater insight into their own work and really amazed me with their slick cartoon scenes and inventive plots. Great Work all round guys!

Sam Wilding meets Gordon Brown at Scottish Parliament

Gordon Brown promotes new fantasy book
Gordon Brown, of Asthma UK Scotland, met with children’s author, Sam Wilding, at the Scottish Parliament today. They attended a cross-party discussion group on asthma action plans and then took the opportunity to launch book three in the Denthan series to tie in with World Asthma Day. Sam Wilding’s fantasy trilogy about a boy hero with asthma has been a great success and Sam’s work in libraries and schools across Scotland has boosted creative writing among children and raised awareness of the affliction. Over 300,000 people have asthma in Scotland and awareness is key to saving lives and preventing primary care patients ending up in secondary care.
Sam had pictures taken with Emma Graham, Asthma UK Scotland’s Youth Engagement Officer.
If an asthma sufferer has an ‘asthma action plan’ they are 4 times less likely to have a serious attack. For more detail visit www.asthma.org.uk/scotland
For details on Sam’s fantasy adventure books for children from 7 – 87, visit Sam’s website at http://www.sam-wilding.com/

Up Up and Away?

Up Up and Away?
Apparently not, if you want to fly anywhere… This is as close as I came to flying during my Easter break, thank goodness. Unfortunately the camera missed my forward double twist roll. Ah well… Wee Joe has a nice pose as does Ruthy. This is Brora just before the ash from Iceland started to clog up my asthmatic lungs. No kidding, I could hardly breathe for days. We had a little cottage in Helmsdale where the chippy, La Mirage, is to die for and the beach, apart from the odd decapitated seal, was a dream. What would do that to a seal? A very fussy Killer Whale? I don’t know. But guess what? I’d never ever seen a newt before and, sitting on the sand minding my own business, one crawled out of the seaweed and walked right towards me. Is it a sign? Wee Joe found some Ammonite fossils and the girls had a good old moan about the dead things. For Pete’s sake, it’s nature… Bought some lovely pork and apple burgers and had a barbecue but still they moaned…

A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE...

It started off so well… A brisk, Easter Day walk round Ardmore Point with Betsy, was the idea. There was sun, a full complement of Wildings (7, including Betsy – the dog)and a cold to shake off. I went ahead with my eldest daughter, Emma, only to discover that we’d actually slipped into another dimension and ended up in the forbidden marshes of Middle Earth. Damn, I hate it when that happens. It was nice, in a bleak, ‘dont follow the lights or jump in a pond with dead people’ kind-of-way but I knew it was all going to go pear-shaped and I was right. A sudden scream from Emma saw her new, expensive trainer disappear beneath the deep mud she thought was sand. Bare-footed, she leapt about, said some rude words and stomped off to the car. And then there were 6. We pressed on, had a giant hogweed fight and soon found the going sunny and very pleasant. Not for long, though. The wide hawthron-lined path soon merged into a tiny strip of mud surrounded by an impenetrable wall of gorse. Before long my youngest was crying and we’d become hopelessly trapped between the Sleeping Beauty-like wall of thorns and an endless Hound of the Baskervilles-type marsh. Everyone started blaming everyone else, mostly me, until we had no option but to get very wet. Besty was in heaven. She splashed and yelped and wagged her sodden tail and shook herself vigorously at every opportunity, usually at the very point where balance and a clear mind were imperative. Ryan, my eldest boy performed a Herculean leap, only to smack straight into a 9 foot gorse bush and fall back, slowly, into the mire. We all guffawed and then saw his expression and bit our lips. Soon, well after about an hour, we escaped the terrors of Ardmore and hobbled back to the car and my waiting daughter, Princess Huff. Well, we all have nasty cuts which are copiously covered in foul-smelling mud, but hey… That’s what family walks are all about.

Return to Denthan released in 7 days

At last, The third and final book in the Denthan Series is to be released any day now.
Find out how the whole story ends and perhaps begins...

Rock and Roll

Dumbarton Castle, the prison of William Wallace and the home of the Britons for many years before that, was resplendent today. There are many legends about the place, one of which is that the Ark of the Covenant lies hidden in the rock. I’ll get a closer look tonight as we attend the Dumbarton F.C. grounds for a night of fun and fund-raising.

Sam Wilding and Kate Humble

Kate Humble and Sam Wilding
Yes, it was a long drive south to listen to vets and country folk enthuse over a new cure for sheep, but there was a fun night and a chance encounter. Carden Park is in the beautiful Chester countryside where, not far away, Kate Humble was filming ‘Lambing Live’. Manged a quick chat and a look at some of the local sheep. Baaaa! Spent much of the day signing books and chasing editors. Book 3 of the Denthan series is in its final throes. The sad thing was, I missed my Emma’s birthday, so I organised a trip in a hot air balloon for her.

Hawick - Young at Heart

It all started with a the search for the historic Hawick Library building, built by Andrew Carnaigie. Parking sorted, I got myself ready and chatted to event organiser, Cameron McAulay. As usual the kids were fantastic and asked some brilliant questions. They also came up with some great ideas and suggestions for their own stories. – “I just wanted to thank you again for your very insightful and enthusiastic workshop with the pupils from Wilton Primary School this morning. I am positive all the kids went away with a whetted appetite for reading but even more so for writing. The drawing exercise made them feel part of the book writing process (beware BEWUL) and it helped stoke their imagination. I won’t hesitate to recommend your name for future visits and I wish you luck with the publication of the final book in the Denthan Series.”- C McAulay – Young People’s Services. Couldn't ask for much more than that. It’s great to get positive feedback, and when people ask “what age group is the Denthan series aimed at?”, I always say 9-90. Today I got another pile of lovely letters and drawings from Stoneywood Primary School in Aberdeen – Part of the Arts Across Learning Festival). I also received a fantastic email regarding a senior citizen that read – “Hi Sam, I thought you might like to know that my 85 year-old Mum has just finished THE MAGIC SCALES and has sat engrossed for 48 hours. She has just asked me to order vols. 2 and 3 on Amazon. My daughter and I heard you talk & read at the canal centre in Linlithgow (I was also there as an author.) My daughter then bought me a copy of THE MAGIC SCALES for Xmas but Mum has got around to reading it before me.” - Linda Gillard. http://www.lindagillard.co.uk/
All fantastic stuff.
See the website for the children’s drawings, letters and stories.
http://www.sam-wilding.com/
Oh! Finally I finally finished Return to Denthan…

Off I go - NOT!

Fear soon replaces excitement as I skid off the A9 and almost hit the barrier on the way into Kingussie. EEK! The snow is falling in big clumps and my bed is a few more hills further on.

However...

One and a half feet of snow fall during the night and I am completely covered in. No chance of driving. My car looks like a big Ice Lolly.

Some Library Visits

Well, I'm a bit rusty but I'm still looking forward to some really great library visits with the help of Christine and the Scottish Book Trust. Arriving at at the library, I get organised and greet some 50 kids plus teachers and librarians. The Imagination session goes well with an array of fantastic questions at the end. Their drawings were tops and they behaved so well. You get the odd wee chestnut like - How much to do you make? What age are you? etc. These were fantastic children who seemed motivated and were very talented. I then speed on to the next spot where the children are equally enthused. I am particularly blown away by a boy called Lewis, who cannot see at all, but is totally part of the whole event, answering questions and showing his sense of fun and excitement during the reading section. I cover my usual Asthma Awareness section and am completely surprised to receive a gift from the Hecklegirth Primary School class. Lewis has written out the first few pages of The Magic Scales in Braille and the rest of the class have made an artistic collage of the front cover. I am totally lost for words. Sign posters etc and make my scary way north.

The Dumpling and the Frozen Loch

Okay, so it's now well and truly the weekend. I've not done the chores I've promised yet, and I need to spend some time outside. It's a crisp,sunny,fresh, afternoon and I've already finished 2 paper rounds and made everyone breakfast. I suggest a walk in the air, but soon realise we'll have to drive to get anywhere a bit exciting. A few seconds after setting off I notice that I only have 20 miles in the tank so this comfortably restricts our movements. 'The Dumpling!' I say.

"Ohh, daaaaad! Not agaaaiiin!"

"Yes, again," I confirm, and we are on our way.

The Dumpling, a 200ft lump of granite stranded a few yards from Gartocharn (pronounced - Garto-Harn), is the perfect viewpoint to see the partially frozen Loch Lomond. Now, the last time Loch Lomond was frozen over, my Mum did this Viking, survival of the fittest thing and pushed me, in my pram, like a lump of blue hone granite, towards the middle of the loch, and presumably the thin bits. I would either be consigned to the depths or... Well. I'm still here, so I presume the gods looked on me favourably. By the way, the view from the Dumpling is 'to die for'.

After trudging up with Betsy, our flat-coat retriever, nutter, dog; Joe, Emma, Justine, Ruthy and the Tiny, we all decide to go for a swim etc at Cameron House.

First changed, Ruthy and myself venture out to take some rare pics of the Frozen Loch. It's fairly solid, all the way from the Cameron House jetty to Balloch Park,

Go home, listless and ready for some rocket, sun dried tomatoes and Parmesan salad.

Look in the hall mirror - still fat - oh yes - the 9 ferrero rocher might have something to do with that, but I was so hungry after all that swimming and stuff.