The Stràilleach Golamas

Has anyone here met the Stràilleach Golamas? He lives on the foreshore, in the space between where the water reaches when the tide comes in, and where the water reaches when the tide goes out. And how long do you think he’s lived there? For as long as the tide has come in and gone Read More…

Two new Waste Stories

We’re delighted to be able to make two new Waste Stories available to read and download. Arrochar and the Waste of the World is a true story about the Scottish village of Arrochar, located at the top of Loch Long. Arrochar suffers from constant deposition of litter/waste on the foreshore, washed up the loch from Read More…

Brattea fatua

A story about balloons has been brewing for quite a while. I’ve been promising myself to write something ever since I wrote the story about foiletti and my slightly more ranty but factual post about foiletti and balloons, and there have been various times when I’ve said to myself that I’ve got enough photos of Read More…

Bells and Rings

The Christmas and New Year period bring many reminders of waste and consumption, so it’s a particularly productive time of year for Waste Stories. For example, I now have enough pictures of Christmas trees abandoned on kerbs and paths to constitute a series (rather like our series of pictures of inappropriately disposed of dog-poo bags). Read More…

The Braeside tar pit

This story was created as part of our work with the Royal Highland Education Trust. It is a continuation of our Future Archaelogies theme. It is inspired by the enormous number of old tyres there are, stashed in various places throughout the country. It has a strong link to farming and the land, and is Read More…

Small hands, close to the ground

The story below reflects the way in which two projects I’m currently working on – Waste Stories and a project called Water and Fire – have begun to combine in my mind. Water and Fire is a collaboration between the Universities of Stirling and Glasgow in the UK with the Universities of Cape Town and Read More…

The Patient Bride

Waste Stories was recently approached by Bruno Noriega, a fourth-year Film and Media student at the University of Stirling and friend of Phoebe and Marvin.  He wanted to know a bit more about the project and to use it as a focus for a photojournalism assignment. Last Saturday, George and I went for a walk Read More…

A Feast of Souls

  Night falls. The last light fades from the sky. The white of the snow, the bright red and glossy green of the holly: all turn to grey. Inside, Julia shivers and pulls the curtains tight. Marguerite wimpers in the corner. “Shhh! You must keep quiet, especially now.  Dusk is the most dangerous time.” “But Read More…