I am still slightly astounded that I have actually reached my 250th weekly blog as when I started up this site nearly five years ago, I surmised it may run for a couple of years at most, but to my ongoing delight I still have many venues remaining in the ‘Jimmy Archives’ to report on. At this juncture, I wanted to extend a heartful thank you to everyone who continues to support and kindly encourage my little endeavour. It then transpired that my loquacious ramblings ran this into a double article and also encompassed Blog 251 as well!
So, when thinking how could I mark this milestone, I chose to make a return to the wonderful world of the Wickerman! Regular readers will know that I was a huge advocate of the entire fourteen Wickerman festivals that took place between 2002 and 2015. Looking back now at all of those events I have compiled a personal Top 10 performance list in strictly chronological order. These are namely Stiff Little Fingers, The Beat, Spiritualised, Proclaimers, The Rezillos, Bad manners, Chic and Nile Rodgers, Public Service Broadcasting, The Amazing Snakeheads and The Members.
The Amazing Snakeheads. Image Credit Last.fm.
There have even been some rumours circulating regarding the festival’s potential return, but unfortunately nothing more concrete has developed on that front as yet. However, they could not let the 50th anniversary of the iconic original movie to slide by without a commemoration.
Thus, it was announced that in September 2023 a Fringe event would take place in Kirkcudbright where a portion of the 1973 filming especially around the tollbooth on the High St took place. In true festival style we rested our heads again at my good pal’s lodgings of Dewhurst Towers with Uncle George and I in the twin beds loosely resembling Bert and Ernie! It also appropriately doubled up as a shindig for John Dewhurst’s 60th birthday.
So, on the Friday after commuting the extra hour from my Manchester base I picked up Uncle George in Preston and headed northwards on the M6. I have always loved driving up that route especially when the road opens up and slices between the hills, it also in some strange way feels like I am heading home.
To maintain tradition, we made a pit stop off the A75 in Annan to visit one of their cafes for a fish and chip luncheon with the obligatory bread and butter and can of Irn Bru on the side! On arrival, we decamped to the large new beer garden in the nearby Garret (previously Gordon House) hostelry and also paid a sabbatical visit to the Masonic public house. We kept a beady eye out to see if the Mansfield Boys were also in town as they had also been perennial attendees of the festival, but there were no sightings of them over the weekend.
Masonic Arms. Image Credit ribapix.com
We had our full complement of six by the Saturday and we had been blessed by glorious autumnal sunshine. Our first port of call was to attend the Dark Space Planetarium in the town. Apparently, the nearby Galloway Forest Park is one of the darkest places in the UK resulting in it being awarded a Dark Sky Park designation, one of only four in the Western hemisphere. To complement this the Planetarium opened up in 2021 where there are interactive exhibits and also a dome with a 360 degree cinema screen.
Dark Space Planetarium. Image Credit darkspaceplanetarium.org
Our attendance was for an event that had been set up in the dome area to show a documentary about the chaotic Scottish football World Cup adventure in Argentina in 1978 compered by the esteemed journalist and TV presenter Archie Macpherson.
However, two key elements then conspired, Archie contacted Covid and could only dial in and there were IT difficulties where the film couldn’t be displayed. This resulted in the organisers asking the audience whether they would like to continue with a Q and A but without the film. Whilst people cogitated, one chap took up the mantle, stood up and whilst walking out said ‘not faw me pal’, so that as they say was that!