I met this group of wonderful musicians from Mali at the Skoll Forum for social entrepreneurs in Oxford last week. HIV AIDS is still a massive challenge in Mali, as well as all the other harsh challenges they are having to face. The spirit of Malian music can never be...

Heartbreaking news from Boston this morning. The generic pictures of post apocalyptic smoke plumes towering over buildings. The bloody chaos and total mayhem. Those of us who've never experienced an event like this can never know the full impact of it's destruction....

Looks like Spring might be springing here in London Town.. Buds bursting.. Leaves emerging.. This old magnolia has the edges of it's petals singed.. Strange magnolia blossom indeed..

Yesterday's blog only served to illustrate the main essence of it's message…that Margaret Thatcher was a political leader who provoked powerfully polarised responses. To those of you who wrote intelligently and respectfully…It's always interesting to...

Margaret Thatcher's death has provoked an outpouring of polarised responses, clearly reflecting how people felt, and still feel about her, right up to the present day. As a political leader, her style was strident (some would say strong), inflexible (some would say...

I used to love drawing .. It's the kind of solitary pursuit that fits in rather well as an only child. I made this self portrait in 1983 .. Just before Sweet Dreams.. A much younger self.. before travelling the world and the seven seas. Twenty seven seems like light...

Here's an astounding portrait of Mary Queen of Scots wearing a white mourning veil. It can be seen at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. I had the opportunity to wander through the various halls of the Gallery, which houses a treasure store of...

Fascinating things you really need to know about your Easter Bunny The Easter Bunny or Easter Rabbit is a character depicted as a rabbit bringing Easter eggs. The Easter Bunny is sometimes depicted with clothes. In legend, the creature carries colored eggs in his...

Today is an empty glass day.. Came down with some kind of virus and laying low.. Dang!

Wandering around the Royal Mile in Edinburgh..just went to reminisce the 46664 paving stone..It's a little bit worn now..but still going strong. Madiba's in hospital now.. We all wish him a safe recovery.

Yesterday I had the opportunity of addressing several Ministers at the Scottish Parliament, as well as members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association on the topic of Malawi, a country with one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, where one...

This is one of the outfits I wore on stage back in days of The Tourists when we were performing in places like The Hope and Anchor, The Nashville Rooms, Dingwalls, The Electric Ballroom and The Marquee. God knows what I was thinking, but I certainly wasn't trying to...

I had a great time with Muriel Gray ( Scottish broadcaster extraordinaire ) last night. Here we are backstage, having a laugh!..Love that girl!!

I'm up in Edinburgh where The House of Annie Lennox is being exhibited in it's fourth incarnation.. Here's a picture of my tartan suit, with Queen Victoria's bust looking on disapprovingly.. or perhaps...approvingly.. Hard to tell with statues these days!