July 2025

Ride 4 Rita

I met a lovely couple, Liz and Fadi Ghazala who, along with friends and family, were cycling to Glasgow from Aberdeen in memory of their baby daughter. The team traveled 210 miles across Scotland, connecting the neonatal units in Aberdeen and Edinburgh before finishing in Glasgow, at the NICU where Rita was treated for the rare genetic condition Edwards Syndrome, or Trisomy-18. The brave couple with their team are pictured at Crossbasket House on campus at The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. The event was called Ride 4 Rita. It is events like these that make me very humble indeed.

Hon Docs

One of my favourite events of the year is the honorary doctorates at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Jazz legend Wynton Marsalis, theinternationally acclaimed trumpeter, composer, bandleader and one of the most influential figures in jazz was receiving his honorary doctorate at from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He is a very cool dude indeed.

Also getting an award was Bunny Christie OBE , a multi-award-winning set and costume designer whose creative vision has transformed the world’s most celebrated theatre productions.

She has two Tony Awards and four Olivier Awards and made history as the first woman to win the Olivier Award for Best Design and was also the first woman to receive the Evening Standard and Critics’ Circle Awards for Best Designer.

It was a treat to accompany her as she toured around the Royal Conservatoire’s  Wallace Studios.

A Walk In The Woods

I had a walk in the tall trees near the University of Glasgow to publicise a new filmed theatre play, which will help explore climate crisis impact on UK forests. Three Words for Forest: Exploring Uncertainty in a Time of Climate Crisis had been developed by the University of Glasgow’s Dr Rachel Clive and Prof Dee Heddon. The theatre production had secured additional funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council to expand its reach and spark discussions about the complex challenges facing UK forests. I have always had a love of trees.

London Sail

I do love a trip to London. I have been working with the Tall Ship Glenlee and it really inspired me to check out some other Tall ships. This trip I thought it would be good to take an Uber Boat along the River Thames up to Greenwich to visit the Cutty Sark. It looked great with the rigger working on the ropes with Canary Wharf in the background. It was an interesting visit but The Glenlee is still my favourite.