Bryan Peterson

As someone who has been a supporter of Mareel for many years, firstly as a local musician then as Shetland Arts’ Music Development Officer, I’ve seen the project being blamed for all manner of local ills. School closures, cutbacks in road gritting, music tuition charges – you name it, Mareel Continue Reading

If you’re reading this, then we’ve survived the ‘end of the world’ prophesied for 21st December 2012 by apocalyptic Mayan calendar misinterpreters. I’m writing this article towards the tail end of the day and we seem to have got away with it. I was starting to think there was maybe Continue Reading

I’m delighted to be sitting in Mareel’s cafe bar as I write this month’s article. I’ve just finished work here for the day, which today mostly comprised delivering lectures to NC and HNC music students, working through some event bookings with a local promoter and helping organise an exchange visit Continue Reading

When the editor let me know that there would be a bit of cycling theme this month, I thought that would be the push I needed to dust off my old bike and take her for a hurl. I had grand visions of my cycling companions and I effortlessly gliding Continue Reading

My philosophy on using local shops is quite straightforward – using local retailers means cash slooshes around in the Shetland economy a bit longer rather than instantly disappearing off island via a supermarket till. And using rural shops means they’re more likely to survive and continue to provide a valuable Continue Reading

When I was a grasscutter we noted a suite of social phenomena we termed the “Politics of Waving”. It manifests itself in several ways – when driving in the van ‘round Lerwick, we noted a tension as to whether to wave and/or return waves to other motorists and pedestrians. Surely Continue Reading

Since I can remember, I’ve always had a fascination for the science of very big things. However, I’ve got a terrible memory and my first childhood recollections are from when I was about 8 and being into cranes – an obsession I still harbour – which were the biggest things Continue Reading

Moan alert – I’ve just read back through the below article and it seems I’m a right cantankerous columnist this month! I’m in the process of trying to reclaim some of my life back from the constant onslaught of electronic communications that take up an incommensurate amount of my time. Continue Reading

One of the main things I miss since moving back to Shetland is the opportunity to go clubbing at the weekends. And by that, I don’t mean being jostled around a sticky floored late night drinking den full of drunken teenagers with blasting cheesy pop-dance music ringing in my lugs. Continue Reading

Tickets. It’s an ebullient word in Shetland at the moment. If you got yours for Mumford and Sons, Bill Bailey, The Levellers, Bjorn Again or Kevin Bridges, congratulations; if you didn’t, blaming the Shetland Box Office or the promoters seems to be a common default retort. Personally, I’m delighted when Continue Reading