My Tiny Hand is Aching

That’s a good few more limited-edition signed copies of my best-selling tome delivered to a well-known specialist whisky shop in Inverurie and my tiny hand is aching from the holding of the pen. As I have no doubt said before, ‘The A-Z of Curious Aberdeenshire’ sits well with a dram and perhaps – dare I say it – a Cuban cigar. I was pleased to learn that a copy of my book is to accompany a hamper-full of locally produced Aberdeenshire products to a charity event where hopefully it will raise a few pounds for the relief of hardship in our green and beautiful land.
Yes surprisingly, despite the boom and bust of oil and the incessant flood of capital into Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, there are still poor pockets of folk all around. Charity shops abound on the High Street alongside the inevitable bookies and, somewhat shamefully, food-banks inhabit the lanes and side streets. And this in the so-called ‘oil capital of Europe’.
The situation if of course nothing new and I well recall applying for a marketing post with a well-known neighbourhood charity in Aberdeen City just a few years ago. The role was fund-raising and I have to acknowledge that I had, at the very least, a limited track-record in that area of expertise. Despite this, I made the short-leet – I had after all been instrumental in both running and marketing a well-known Scottish brand of street newspaper and I had also successfully marketed a private health centre in the Rosemount area of the city. I did not take the job. Not only were the working conditions dismal –  but the ‘shared desk’ was situated in a windowless and damp basement next to a busy road and the so-called 'work-space' sat squarely within the charities very own food-bank which kind of made a mockery of the title ‘Marketing Executive’. There was one shared phone as I recall, no internet and zero provision for expenses such as envelopes and postage. I told them to take a hike, but before I did I advised the fat-cat in charge that he should take-stock and respect the needs of others before his own needs. The gilded head-man occupied a plush office on the ground floor and had to the best of my knowledge never actually been down to the basement. Oddly perhaps, the charity in question is still trading in the city and I, at least, have to wonder wonder why. As for the street newspaper, it of course runs ponderously on and on and on … but that is another story which is probably best reserved for my next novel.
Anyway, my point is that you can never be too careful where you spend your charitable giving. But I do at least know that my local whisky shop is completely above board. And, I am completely convinced that my 'locally written' book will end up in the hands of a right-minded charitable giver and that the funds raised will be well directed.
So where is the hamper-full of locally produced gin, local malt plus of course my book heading for. Well, at present and despite some prodding, I am unable to reveal this information. And, of course, if I did I’d have to shoot you. I hope and pray that you’ll understand.

In the meantime, and as always, copies of the book are available via the following link: The A-Z of Curious Aberdeenshire 

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