Douglas Skelton
5Feb

Meyrick, Murders and Memories

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Last February author Denzil Meyrick passed away.

He was a friend to many.

He was a friend to me.

We spoke nearly every day. He advised, guided, cajoled me into writing the Rebecca Connolly and Jonas Flynt books.

Believe me when I tell you that I need him now.

Next week, authors who knew him will gather in Stewarton for a special tribute night to his memory.

Some will read from his books, others will share memories. Still more have provided video tributes.

Quintin Jardine, Alex Gray, Alex Kane, Michael J. Malone, Gordon Brown (Morgan Cry), Olga Wojtas will be present in person.

Lin Anderson, Caro Ramsay, Shona (SG) MacLean have provided videos. I hope for more.

Why not join us on the night, in St Columba’s Church Hall, Stewarton, East Ayrshire.

The event has been organised on conjunction with the award-winning Book Nook, Stewarton.

Tickets cost £5 per person, there will be copies of Denzil’s books for sale, and 10 per cent of all proceeds will go to the British Heart Foundation.

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26Sep

Carry on Sleuthing rides again

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Despite public demand, the Crime Writers Amalgamated Players (CWAP for short) are on the road again.

Fresh from its triumph on Bute, the Carry on Sleuthing team will, to paraphrase The Monkees, take the last train to Clarkston to bring quality theatre to the city suburbs. Or something.

Yes, you lucky Clarkstonians will have the chance to revel in the mystery and fun that has had audiences both puzzled and incontinent from Sanquhar to Grantown.

A talented band of performers will be presenting a superb show filled with wit and style and elegance.

Unfortunately, that’s not this show.

Authors Caro Ramsay, Theresa Talbot, Michael J Malone and Douglas Skelton will trot out the clues that will help amateur sleuth Letitia Luvibod solve the mystery of the Murder at the Knickerage (oo-er, missus!)

Unfortunately, there will also be bad jokes and even worse accents.

Come see them in Clarkston library on Tuesday October 29. To book, contact the library.

 

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6Oct

Dark Nights and Dark Deeds in Grantown-on-Spey

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It’s autumn so that means it’s time to return to Grantown for the Halloween weekend.

This is always a high spot on my calendar, not the least because we get to do Carry on Sleuthing.

OK, maybe audiences don’t share our enthusiasm but the cast enjoy themselves. Well, most of them.

And this year, it’s a BRAND NEW show, entitled A MURDER IS MISPRONOUNCED!

Regular cast mates Caro Ramsay, Michael J. Malone and I will the joined by guests stars SG MacLean, Lesley Kelly, Olga Wojtas and James Oswald in the comedy. For want of a better word.

Shona MacLean has walked the boards before, so she should know better. Lesley Kelly has also appeared in a previous show. Olga and James are fresh meat…sorry, newcomers.

The play kicks off the festival weekend during which all the above will be joined by author Mark Leggatt for panels and chats and, on Saturday night, a quiz being concocted by Caro Ramsay.

It really is a fun weekend and if you can get to this lovely town nestling at the foot of the Cairngorms, then we’d love to see you.

See the poster illustrations for details. All events will take place in the newly refurbished Grantown YMCA Community Centre on the Main Street.

jtasjtas

 

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26Jul

Murder, Mystery and Murmurs!

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Douglas will be joining author pals Caro Ramsay and Michael J Malone in Newton Mearns in October as part of their Murder, Mystery and Murmurs tour (other dates to be announced).

Caro will be talking about her brilliant new series, which begins with The Devil Stone, and Michael will discuss his atmospheric, spooky new book The Murmurs. Douglas will bang on about Children of the Mist, and probably Jonas Flynt!

The event is free but booking is essential. Call the shop on 0141 616 3933.

The actual event will be held in the Prima Vera Bistro in the The Avenue Centre, Newton Mearns.

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25Apr

Into Wales for a fantastic crime festival

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I visited Wales for the first time at the weekend, to take part in the Gwyl Crime Cymru Festival in Aberystwyth.

And it was absolutely fantastic.

I was invited to take part in two panels, one on historical crime in the town’s library with bestselling – and prizewinning – author Chris Lloyd (below right), chaired by the urbane Barry Forshaw (left). In case you didn’t realise, that’s me in the middle.

The audience was informed and engaged and I thoroughly enjoyed the chat and it was a delight to meet the guys.

Later I appeared with old pal Caro Ramsay (yeah, she’ll dispute that) and the always gentlemanly James Oswald to talk about Scottish Noir.

This panel took place in the Ceredigion Museum, an Edwardian theatre and a fantastic venue.

Again, Barry was in the chair and the event was hugely enjoyable.

When I wasn’t being an important author type, or at least pretending to be, my partner, Sarah, and I took in some of the town, walking round the ruins of the castle and taking the funicular to the top of some cliffs. It’s a beautiful place and the weather was kind.

We later visited a very important TV location and made a foray into England to spend some time in another new location for me. But I’ll tell you about that in another blog.

In the meantime, here’s me being an important author type at the castle. Or to put it another way, posing like a posey thing.

Also, as a wee extra, here’s a couple of seascapes, because the weather was fabulous overall.

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7Nov

In conversation with crime writer Caro Ramsay

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Public appearances are back, folks!

In September there was Bloody Scotland and now we have Book Week Scotland taking place between November 15 and 21.

First up for me is this chat with pal Caro Ramsay in Paisley Central Library on Wednesday November 17 at 7pm.

Caro is always value for money (even though the tickets are free) and her books are absolutely terrific.

She also seems to be issuing one a week at the moment. That’s an exaggeration but that’s the way it seems.

So if you’re in the area, why not come along?

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10Oct

Dark Nights, Dark Deeds – and some jokes – in Grantown

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What am I doing right now, I hear you say?

Well, I’ll tell you – I’m trying to think up (Skelton speak for steal) as many jokes as I can for the opening event of this year’s crime writing festival in sunny Grantown-on-Spey.

For the past three years we have presented a new Carry on Sleuthing on the Friday night but this year is different.

Letitia Luvibod, the real-life alter ego of the fictional Caro Ramsay, has a subsequent appointment and has managed to avoid the show this year.

Frankly, we couldn’t do it without her. She told us.

So, Michael J. Malone and I have put our heads together. It was quite painful and I don’t know why we did it.

Anyway, the upshot is the opener this year will be a pot pourri of comedy. And if you have some pot, it might help.

Rather confidently called You’ll Die Laughing, the show will feature the aforementioned Mr Malone and myself, along with special guests.

I’m scribbling away right now. Well, not right now because I’m typing this, but you know what I mean. However, the only thing I can say with any measure of confidence is that the show will feature a Sherlock Holmes parody.

We think.

But the festival as a whole is super exciting. OK, no Caro Ramsay this year but we do have Theresa Talbot, Lesley Kelly, Margaret Kirk, Hania Allen, Olga Wojtas, Gillian Galbraith, Denzil Meyrick as well as, of course, Michael and your current correspondent.

All the events take place in the Pagoda, which is a superb venue, and the festival kicks off on Friday November 1.

Now – back to writing some original comedy.

I say, I say, I say….my dog has no nose…

I’m laughing already.

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23Jun

The Grand Day Oot

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Madness.

That’s the only word for it.

Let me add another.

Utter madness.

To travel across Scotland, West to East, in a single day, visiting five independent bookshops along the way, to mark Independent bookshop Week, and paddling in two seas.

Along the way there would be Caro Pool Karaoke (Caro-oke?), water gun fights and cash raised for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

That was the cunning plan hatched by crime writer and Carry Sleuthing alum Caro Ramsay – and she roped in fellow author Michael J. Malone and your current correspondent too.

See what I mean?

Madness.

As it turned out we weren’t quite as tetched as we thought, because we cheated and visited our first bookstore – the fabby Print Point on the marvy Isle of Bute – on Friday afternoon.

It just wasn’t possible to make ferry crossings, paddle, traverse the country, spend time in the shops, donate signed books to be given away in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blind and finally paddle again in the single day.

The shops were the aforementioned Print Point on the Isle of Bute, Hyndland Bookshop in Glasgow, The Edinburgh bookshop (guess where?), Far From the Madding Crowd in Linlithgow and Toppings in St Andrews.

However, we did manage to do it in a 24 hour period, so hey – that’s a day.

My boy Mickey also joined us, recent events in my life meaning that he had to become part of the team.

And, considering it was the first time he had been thrust into the limelight (not to mention travelling on a boat and staying in a hotel), he was an absolute star!

While in Print Point we met Ian Rankin. Caro wonders if we were being hoodwinked somehow. Turns out there are two Ian Rankins. Who knew? One is a very accomplished plumber. The other does something else.
Mickey loved the paddling session at stunning Ettrick Bay. Caro and Michael see how close they can get to Arran.

Mickey’s entire routine was obviously disrupted (he is more used to staying at home in Hole-In-The-Wall when I’m away) so there was a lot of walking about with him while hoping he would see to his necessaries. On one such saunter I grabbed some shots of the dying light

Mickey needed reassurance as he read Michael J. Malone’s latest outside Glasgow’s Hyndland Bookshop. I told him we all need that after reading Michael’s stuff.
We headed for Embra, where we visited the Edinburgh Bookshop. Sorry – no pic available yet.
We helped mark 50 years of the Hungry Caterpillar in Linlithgow’s Far From the Madding Crowd.

  • Then someone said let’s go see the Forth Bridge, but I could only find three.

While there, we spotted a zebra crossing. That meant we simply had to recreate a legendary album cover. I mean, it’s what you do, right?


And then it was across the Queensferry Crossing and into the Kingdom of Fife.

Toppings Bookstore in St Andrews, like the other shops on our tour, made us feel most welcome. And, like the other stories, it’s very much like a Tardis. It’s much bigger on the inside!


The tour over, there was only one thing left to do.


We had resolved to dip our toes in the water on both sides of the country and so it was off to the sands and off with the shoes and socks!

And out with the water guns.

It was a hugely enjoyable trip and I’d like to thank ann the bookshops who took part and made us feel most welcome as well as Caro, Michael and Parker out chauffeur (in another life Alan Stewart) for a great couple of days.

Frankly, Mickey and I really needed it.

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1Jan

Four Blokes and the Sleuthing gang join forces again

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Yes – it’s true!

Those Four Blokes are still searching for that plot and the trail is taking them back to Dumfries’ fabulous Theatre Royal.

Once again, they will be joined the Carry on Sleuthing team in a double bill of mirther (that’s a mixture of mirth and murder, in case you hadn’t spotted it).

 

The crime writers on offer in the show are Caro Ramsay, Lucy Cameron, Neil Broadfoot, Gordon Brown, Mark Leggatt, Michael J. Malone and Douglas Skelton.

The blokes will, as usual, create a crime story before the audience’s very eyes – and given it’s taking place on Burns Night, there may well be a Bardic flavour. Be prepared for exploding haggi, Slashy Sarks and a man’s a corpse for a’ that.

The Carry on Sleuthing epic this year will be ‘A Death on the Ocean Wave’, a cunning tale of murder and skulduggery aboard an ocean liner. Once again ace sleuth Letitia Luvibod will look up from her knitting to fathom the mystery and bring the identity of the dastardly murderer to the surface – but the audience have to spot the clues and put forward their own theories. To do so they have to wade through a sea of bad jokes and red herrings. Perhaps even a couple of turbot.

You’ll find details here. You can buy tickets singly at £8 or £12 for both shows:

https://www.evensi.uk/carry-sleuthing-66-68-shakespeare-street-dg1-2jh-dumfries/279949477

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7Nov

Carry on Sleuthing visits Troon

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The Carry on Sleuthing gang are heading for the seaside – with an ocean-based mystery!

You’d think we planned it.

But anyone who has seen Sleuthing knows that’s just not true.

We’re appearing in Troon Library on Wednesday November 14.

So come along and join Caro Ramsay, Pat Young, Michael J. Malone and Douglas Skelton for an evening of fun and mayhem.

Space is limited so booking is essential. Tickets are priced £8 and can be booked in the library on South Beach or by phoning 01292 315352.

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