Thoughts from a Devon Sitting Room

Recording my life in diaries and photographs, from heady days as a student in London in the 1970’s to being a pensioner on a low income today. My writing is a mixture of insight – from knowledge & experience – and history. I explore my professional and personal interests – energy & climate change, history, politics, music, film, food & drink… the list goes on!

50 Years of Photos – a new photo every week

No.8: Smoo Caves

2022: A glimpse inside Smoo caves near Durness in the far north-west of Scotland

THIS WEEK

Morning Thoughts From A Devon Sitting Room

  • No.92, Sunday, 8th. March 2026

    After a highly unusual day of watching films I suspect I will want to get on with some work today. The minor furniture change I made yesterday does not really work, although one of the outcomes – sleeping on the other side of the bed – seems to be fine. I will today remove the heavy and quite sizeable bedside table and hope that someone will take it, and its companion languishing in the shed, off my hands.

    However, I will need a small side table beside the bed, for my glasses, phone charger and light switch. I will figure something out. I could, of course, simply remove the occasional chair, which I use mainly to pile up bedding in the morning rather than for its more usual purpose. Except that there is nowhere for it to go.

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50 Years Ago…

  • Gordon Giltrap free gig; GeogAss festivities… & lectures!

    Friday, 20th. February 1976

    One of the best guitarists around – then and now – is Gordon Giltrap. Seeing him for free – to promote the new album ‘Visionary’ – was a a real treat. The new album was something of a departure from the complex folk tunes he was known for up to that point. He was drifting into rock, and even prog-rock.

    Earlier in his career he was managed by Miles Copeland, who also managed Wishbone Ash, one of my favourite bands in the early 1970’s. Later in 1976 I was to see him again – supporting Wishbone Ash on their tour.

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My home town in Devon since 1956! Many of these blog posts will be featuring Newton Abbot through the years but some will also be from around Devon.

A sample of recent posts

So who is Colin Anderson?

A Devonian with stories to tell and a love of history, science, philosophy, environment, & entertainment.

An increasing number of people I know are either down the rabbit hole or caught in its event horizon, which I find distressing. I prefer the real world and, like a frantic sponge, I cannot help but soak up knowledge, insight & quality.

Which I like to share…

Scotland 2022 travelogue

HOW I GOT HERE
and what I did along the way