An Inspirational Teacher

The third book in the Reluctant Detective series, The Killer Performer, is the first to feature a dedication to someone other than a family member. That dedication reads:

In memory of Alison Graham, teacher, friend, inspiration

and the lady who introduced me to Raymond, Dashiel and Ross

I thought it would be good idea if I explained a little more about why this wonderful woman meant so much to me.

I was a very shy child and often lacked self-confidence. The first time that I felt some measure of self-belief was in the drama class. Alison was Mrs Kennedy at that point and she had a way of controlling the class quite unlike any other teacher. In that first year, she inspired both respect and a little bit of fear among the pupils. I loved what we did in those classes and my confidence began to grow.

In second year, myself and a friend approached Alison with an idea for the school pantomime. I didn't know what I was expecting but it certainly wasn't a suggestion from my teacher to write the script. 

It was the first of several shows that I was involved in over the course of my school career. I have a very strong memory of our regular script meetings at lunchtime. At that time she smoked Gauloises cigarettes which have a very particular smell. She wore Blue Grass perfume and loved to drink coffee. The combination of those smells was so distinctive that any one of them can take me back thirty years to that tiny office in Possilpark Secondary.

During the production of the shows, Alison's leadership as a teacher and director coaxed more out of us than any of us knew we had. In a tough area, she did everything she could to involve as many of the student body as were interested. Every show had a large cast, loads of dancers and a big squad of stagehands.

She was also a guidance teacher and cared passionately for the pupils under her care. She did all in her power to help the poorest pupils who came from tough backgrounds - her 'wee efforts' as she used to call them. Although she came from a middle-class family and had been educated at a private school, her belief in social justice was absolute.

During my time at the school she was working with some colleagues to get drama recognised as an important part of the curriculum. She asked me to write an essay about the effect drama had on my life; I was only too delighted to help. Her work was rewarded and not only was drama recognised, it now forms part of the exam schedule.

As part of that drive to showcase what drama could do for people, a show was organised with groups coming from a variety of schools across the old Strathclyde region. Each group staged their own original play and ours won high praise. I don't think she was ever more proud of a group of pupils but everything we had achieved was down to all that she had taught us and the faith she had in us.

Among the huge number of conversations we had down the years, one day I mentioned to her how I was struggling to find a crime author that I really liked. The following day she brought in a copy of 'The Big Sleep' by Raymond Chandler and 'The Maltese Falcon' by Dashiell Hammett. I read them in a couple of days and became hooked on hard-boiled noir fiction, a love I have to this very day. It was the beginning of a regular supply of books for me to read; she introduced me to Graham Greene, John Le Carré, John Fowles, Robertson Davies and a whole lot more. She also taught me about art - she had a particular passion for Picasso and the impressionists. She tried to educate me on classical music but that was the one thing that didn't stick. 

Over the years we became friends and long after I left school I still visited her and her wonderful husband, Stuart. When I introduced Kim to her, there was an immediate bond between them and Kim had passed an important test in our fledgling relationship.

Alison passed away in 2008, not long after we had lost Calum. She left a legacy of people she had touched profoundly during her life; people like me who were inspired by her love of life, her kindness, her humour, her intelligence and her sense of fairness. If every pupil was lucky enough to have a teacher like Alison, the world would be a better place. I know that after my mum and dad, Alison helped me more than anyone to become the person I am today.

Were you lucky enough to have a teacher like Alison? I would love to read about them.

Old Writer's Guide to Manchester Music

With Manchester the centre of sporting attention for the UK on Sunday and my good friend Anis Waiz calling the city home, I've decided to respond to Anis' guest blog on Scottish music with a little tribute to one of Britain's most musical places. Here is my top ten of Manchester's best acts plus a guilty pleasure.

The Hollies - The Air That I Breathe
The Hollies arrived in the wake of the Mersey Beat but unlike the majority of short-lived British bands of that era they managed to sustain success. Indeed, with the exception of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, they were one of Britain's top acts of the sixties and into the seventies. This is a sumptuous, laid-back love song.

10CC - I'm Not In Love
Clever lyrics and beautiful melodies were the signature of 10CC. This is an atypical love song, with the simple declaration of the title being undermined by the lyrics.

The Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love?
One of the top bands of the punk era, The Buzzcocks had all the aggression and attack you would expect combined with a good ear for a melody. This is not only their signature tune but one of the best songs produced by a punk band.

Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

A hugely influential band of the post-punk era, Joy Division were set to have a very short time in the sun. The suicide of Ian Curtis in 1980 brought a halt to a very promising career. Listen to modern bands like The Editors and Interpol and you will hear that his legacy lives on. This track is simply a classic.

The Smiths - How Soon Is Now
The combination of the brilliant guitar work of Johnny Marr with the lyrics and weird personality of Morrissey produced a sound that was uniquely British. Almost every UK indie band has been influenced by the Smiths ever since. This song is a work of art, showcasing the talents of both men to full effect.

New Order - True Faith
From the ashes of Joy Division came New Order. Peter Hook's distinctive bass sound and Bernard Sumner's vulnerable vocals made New Order a massive act on their own merit. The original video was one of my favourites of all time. Here is a live version from Glasgow of this fantastic song.

The Stone Roses - I Am The Resurrection
The Stones Roses first album promised something extraordinary. It was a revolutionary fusion of dance beats with the same indie sensibilities that had defined The Smiths. The songs were amazing and everyone waited for a follow up but it would be five years before it arrived. The band were tied up in a series of disputes between their manager and almost everyone else. The momentum was lost and the second release was a pale imitation of the first. This is one of a collection of incredible tracks on that first album.

Oasis - Champagne Supernova
Noel Gallagher was once a roadie for The Stone Roses but when he joined his brother's band, they became all that the Roses could have been. Oasis defined British music in the nineties. The Gallagher's have never hidden their love of The Beatles and the influences are everywhere in their work. This is just a glorious soundscape with Lennonesque lyrics.

The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony
The Verve rode the Britpop wave in the wake of Oasis and in Urban Hymns produced one of the best albums of that period. This song cost them a fortune as it sampled a Rolling Stones song without permission. The Stones and their former manager Andrew Loog Oldham  probably made more out of the song than the Verve did.

Elbow - One Day Like This
Elbow is a rare thing in music, a band that keeps getting better. They are now in their twelfth year as recording artists and every album has seen them refine their sound and produce better music. This song is a outstandingly uplifting affirmation of all that is good about life.

Guilty Pleasure
David Gray - Please Forgive Me
When this song was released in 1999, David Gray was the darling of radio and TV. He was everywhere, and people soon became sick of him but 'White Ladder' is a fine collection of carefully crafted songs. This is probably the best.

Anis, I hope I have done justice to your home town in the way you did justice to the music of my small nation. I also hope that everyone else is entertained by this collection of artists and their music.

Guest Blog - The Old Lawyer's Guide to Scottish Music

This month's guest blog is a little different from the normal top ten list. Anis Waiz is a lawyer in Manchester and we became friends through Twitter, thanks to a mutual love of Big Country and a shared sense of humour. Anis has an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of Scottish bands, so I decided to put him to the test. I have asked him to compile a list of Scottish anthems that he loves. I even restricted him to one Big Country tune. So here it is, the Old Lawyer's guide to Scottish music.

Is fhearr na ‘n t-or sgeul innse air choir

I will carry you home
with the gods in my eyes
I will carry you home
While the westerlies sigh

Introduction

First let me thank my great friend Sinclair for inviting me to be his guest blog. I am truly undeserving.

 It is with great honour and much trepidation I proffer glorious music from a great great nation so close to my heart. Alba. It has produced music so inspiring and uplifting. Music that has nurtured my very being.  Through days of hope running deep and clear as a mountain steam to the brooding sky and inner struggle.  From turbulent times of youth to grace and humanity of these days.   

So often I return to my beloved and adopted nation for the guiding hand of reason. It has held me aloft as the tide of despondency turned upon the reason of being. Above all it is music that reflects a pride that has grown with hardship. Such beautiful music from the Heart.

I chose these songs to call my own.

Orange Juice - Rip It Up

Formed in  Glasgow in the late 1970’s by the sheer force of Edwyn Collins will, this track released in 1983 heralded the new wave sound with stunning vocals and dynamic rhythm.  As a record collector at the time I was drawn to the Sound of Young Scotland and the rare Postcard Records label that released many tracks by this great Band. A stunning track.

The Cocteau Twins - Pink, Orange, Red

This track was a chance discovery to a band that both fascinated and intrigued in equal measure.  A band that  could never be defined and that had no boundaries. Brilliance beyond measure.

The Jesus and Mary Chain - Just Like Honey

Wearing black and playing guitar, so distracted from the law. The band’s first album was my release from closing walls and Latin phrases. This is sublime. 

Eddi Reader - Bell, Book and Candle

Without simple explanation, traditional Gaelic music has resonated within my very core.  It is the Land which bears harvest to the inner soul of strength and passion. Another chance discovery from a breathtaking album from 1998. This is music to reflect a journey of a proud nation.

The Blue Nile - Because Of Toledo

A band from my youth and held so precious to my inner thoughts.  From a glamorous rainy town high above the roof tops this band have produced music so rare and unassuming. There is little to compare the rich textures of their music. This track from a later album of stark beauty and longing.  Music to redefine a nation.

The Skids - A Woman In Winter

A band that was so so underrated delivering lyrics the likes of which had never been heard.  The brilliant late Mr Adamson on guitar, mesmerising and unique.  Hailing from my beloved Kingdom of Fife, they produced music that inspires and helped to define a generation.

Travis - Driftwood

Rivers turn to ocean
Oceans tide you home
Home is where the heart is
But your heart had to roam.

Stunning evocative lyrics and a beautiful, richly layered song. A track from the heart and soul of Scotland.

Deacon Blue - Real Gone Kid

And I'll show you all the photographs
That I ever got took
And I'll play you old 45's
That now mean nothing to me.

To hear a band from Alba and not be moved was simply unthinkable.  A rare occasion of hearing but not understanding greatness. I was never a fan of this band until much later. These lyrics intrigued me and drew me to this beautiful song. I realise now how wrong my first impression of this band was.

The Proclaimers - I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)

 

Not an obvious choice for my selection but this song reflects perhaps the rays upon a part of Alba hitherto lost in time. It has a nod to the classic tradition of voice and guitar of simple times and stories to be told. 

Big Country - Harvest Home

This stunning song reflects the land so cherished and guarded. A  masterpiece without doubt.

For me this is a band without equal and who in so many ways defined my generation and started within me a pride and respect for my beloved Alba.

Your islands are conquered and
You are returned to the throne
Martyrs take penance and
Fill up the mattress with stones

Kind regards

Anis

Thanks Anis for this collection that makes me proud to be a Scot. You can follow the thoughts of Anis on Twitter @OldLawyer1.