Category Archives: Art

The Marbles

Posted on February 22, 2025 by Grouse Beater

A few of the exhibited Marbles in the British (English) Museum These last days I have enjoyed the privilege of watching a partially edited documentary entitled The Marbles, a sneak peak, if you like, shot by the documentarist, David Wilkinson, … Continue reading →

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Return the Book of Deer

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Grouse Beater

 The Book of Deer, Scotland’s oldest surviving manuscript. Photo: Glen Reid I suspect the ‘Book of Deer’ is not an historical document most readers know exists. Like much of Scotland’s historical treasures, that’s likely because the book is locked away … Continue reading →

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Not a Potato

Posted on November 19, 2023 by Grouse Beater

Half of a faience shabti inscribed for a man named Hor-sa-Iset. Photo: NMS This is an archeological mystery. In 1952, a schoolboy was digging up potatoes, assisting a gardener in the grounds of his school in Fife as part of a … Continue reading →

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Colonial Museums

Posted on September 3, 2023 by Grouse Beater

British Museum’s Benin bronzes, taken from Nigeria by soldiers in 1897. Photo: Leon Neal The recent news that Scotland’s national museum was handing back a handsome 193 year-old totem pole to the Nisga’a tribe in British Columbia from whom it was … Continue reading →

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A Play for Today?

Posted on August 15, 2023 by Grouse Beater

Playwright Peter Arnott and director David Greig. Photo Caitlin Boyle A play on the referendum and its aftermath is about to be premiered at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 25th of this month, August, something of a departure since the days … Continue reading →

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Honouring the Dead

Posted on August 3, 2023 by Grouse Beater

The Coigach sculpture, illustrated by Marian Leven RSA Readers may be interested in a project created to remember an event in our Clearances history. The design of the memorial (illustrated above) comes from artists Will Maclean and his wife, Marian … Continue reading →

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Elgin Marbles Belong to Greece

Posted on January 5, 2023 by Grouse Beater

A section of the looted Elgin Marbles Ripping priceless marble figures from the pediments of Greece’s Parthenon cannot be classed as a safe, legal form of conservation, no matter how much money changed hands with the local corrupt authorities, an … Continue reading →

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A 5-Star Trilogy

Posted on December 9, 2022 by Grouse Beater

Review via Amazon Books – Nineteen 5-star reviews “Essays: Grouse Beater by Gareth Wardell is a hugely entertaining collection of musings on language, politics, multimedia, popular culture, philosophy, and Scottish life in general. Mr Wardell’s polemic runs from gentle admonishment … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, General, Scottish Politics | 2 Comments

Benedetti’s Festival Plans

Posted on October 21, 2022 by Grouse Beater

The press are making a hullabaloo out of Benedetti being the ‘first female’ director of the Edinburgh Festival, which to my mind is demeaning. More critical is the fact that she is the first Scot, the governors of the world’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Great Scots | 5 Comments

Sad Sadowitz

Posted on October 20, 2022 by Grouse Beater

The American-Scottish comedian Jerry Sadowitz has made a wobbly career out of courting a strong recation to his shows, a take it or leave it attitude to audiences. There is always a comedian who makes it their task to ‘push … Continue reading →

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