Having examined the origins of whisky and golf in his native Scotland and followed this up with visiting golf courses and whisky distilleries in England, Wales and Ireland, the author now sets off on an exploration of how they fare on the continent of Europe. This latest odyssey starts in Granada in the south of Spain and ends, some 3,000 miles to the north, on the Lofoten Islands inside the Arctic Circle. With travel much interrupted by the pandemic, he visits an eclectic mix of distilleries and golf courses many of which have been inspired by whisky and golf ’s Scottish roots and meets fellow whisky and golf enthusiasts of different nationalities. As well as marvelling at the diversity of golfing and whisky offerings across the different countries, he continues to develop his ‘golf and whisky as metaphors for life’ hypothesis and concludes positively that they are both topics on which different peoples will seek common ground and friendships while they even offer lessons on how we can all lead better lives in the post-pandemic world. Andrew Brown was born in Edinburgh, brought up in the Borders and educated at Loretto School in Musselburgh. After reading history at Cambridge University, he pursued a career in the food industry, marketing many famous brands such as Bisto, Hovis and Mr Kipling.
Available on Book Depository
Published:
Dec 2022
Hardback:
160 pages
Price:
£19.50
ISBN:
9781914424816
Available on Amazon
Paperback:
160 pages
Price:
£10.00
ISBN:
9781914424823
Of Peats and Putts - Continental
by Andrew Brown
He has three grown-up children, is now retired and, outside of his regular visits to Scotland, lives in the Chilterns. Apart from playing golf he is an enthusiastic dog walker, a very average tennis player and a novice gardener.
Reviews of Peats and Putts...
Charles Maclean, Whisky Writer and Master of the Quaich
It is astonishing that until now nobody has sought to bring together Scotland’s two greatest gifts to the world – whisky and golf.
This little book is a personal journey of discovery. In ten chapters, each devoted to a region or county – from Sutherland in the north to East Lothian in the south and Islay in the West - Andrew Brown reviews a golf course and a locally made malt whisky.
As he travels from one place to the next he ponders how and why these two products developed in Scotland and what it is about the country, its landscape and people, which connects them. As he writes: “Both whisky and golf are more than just a drink and a sport; both can be seen as metaphors for the vagaries of life itself.” Indeed!
Golf Quarterly Review June 2018
This is a delightful, well-written little book – part travel guide, part history, part personal philosophy, and part unwitting nationalist tract (what better way, after all, to celebrate Scottish distinctiveness than through writing about its two most famous exports?). It takes the form of a tour of nine regions of the country, in search of the author’s favourite distilleries and favourite golf courses along the way.
I can imagine peripatetic golfers with a fondness for an evening dram, or whisky aficionados with a set of clubs in the boot of their car, packing this little volume and reading up on pleasures planned for the following day. It will be equally enjoyable, though, with a glass of single malt to hand in the privacy of your own home.
What gives the journey special significance is the author’s playful exploration of the similarities and connections between whisky and golf. Andrew Brown, a native Scot who spent most of his career in the food industry south of the border, suggests that location, history and architecture are crucial to the two experiences. History, for instance, is an important part of the narrative that accompanies both playing and drinking. Just as we like to know the origins, ownership and social impact of a particular whisky brand (notwithstanding the marketing hype), so hearing about how and when a golf club was founded, who played there and who designed and changed it invariably enriches a round of golf.
Perhaps design is the most striking common factor given the simple, limited and seemingly unpromising ingredients that course architects and whisky manufacturers both start with. All golf courses are hewn out of sand and soil, while the essential elements of any whisky are also the same: only malted barley, water and yeast are permitted in anything that calls itself Scotch. What produces so many different and unique variations of the spirit is everything from the distilling process to the local landscape, whether it be the taste of the water, the quality of the soil, or the extent of the annual rainfall. In the case of golf it’s the eye and skill to use nature to best effect.
Each chapter describes the idiosyncrasies of a favourite course and distillery. The golf choices are far from predictable – Brora rather than Dornoch in Sutherland, Kilspindie rather than Gullane, Luffness New or Muirfield in East Lothian, the Eden rather than the Old Course in Fife. These reflect not just a conscious decision to stay away from Championship venues but those the author considers best meet his three criteria for selection: a tough but enjoyable (and affordable) test for all levels of golfer, delightful surroundings and a welcoming clubhouse.
There is an equally diverse spread of distilleries, old and new, large and small, ranging from multinational owned enterprises such as Glenmorangie to independent Edradour in Perthshire (20,000 cases of which went down off the island of Eriskay in 1941, inspiring Compton Mackenzie’s wonderful book Whisky Galore).
Wisely, the author does not take prior knowledge for granted though spelling out a three-shotter for golfers or mash tuns for devoted whisky drinkers may mildly irritate some. I liked his many diversions - musings on what makes a good golf hole and a good malt, for example, thumbnail sketches of important golf designers like James Braid and Harry Colt, and reflections on the history and practise of naming golf holes. There are plenty of surprises (at least to this non-expert whisky drinker). Did you know that eight of the world’s top ten whisky brands are Indian, while the country that consumes the most whisky on a per capital basis is France (the United States being second and the UK third)?
Tim Dickson
Editor
Golf Quarterly
Simon Marquis, Cornwall
Of Peats and Putts will appeal to anyone who enjoys golf and/or malt whisky. Andrew Brown is an enthusiastic amateur of both and his enjoyment shines through this delightful scamper across nine of Scotland’s finest golf holes, and a rather more leisurely trundle around nine of its distilleries. The real pleasure of this short volume though is the author’s drawing of nice parallels between these twin pleasures and life itself. Golf has its ups and downs as do our lives, some of them at least, perhaps smoothed away by a late evening dram or two!
The book is a pleasure in itself. I eagerly await volume two.
James Holder - Author of The Great War's Sporting Casualties
Andrew Brown's second book, Mashies and Mash Tuns, has all the same charm as his first book. He describes the golf courses highlighted in his book leaving you wanting to play them and writes about whiskey in a way which, because of my own aversion to whisky (and whiskey), leaves me regretting I cannot taste them.
And not content with just writing about golf courses and distilleries, he expresses in no uncertain terms how he thinks golf should be played, views I share but views which I fear too many golfers choose to ignore.
Books by Andrew Brown...
Of Peats and Putts
Mashies and Mash Tuns
Of Peats and Putts - Continental
All posts by Sarah
Of Peats and Putts – Continental
Golf Croquet for Tournament Players
Ian Burridge
International croquet champion, Ian Burridge, reveals tactics from novice to championship level.
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Golf Croquet for Tournament Players by Ian Burridge Ian Burridge is an International golf croquet player and a previous winner of the English National Singles, English First Eight, Welsh Championship and New Zealand Doubles titles. Golf Croquet for Tournament Players is a manual aimed at taking players through the development journey of a competitive player. At every level of play sound decision making is a vital component in being successful and winning games. The book aims to ensure that the reader is armed with the necessary understanding to confidently make the right decision in whatever situation they face. A series of Golden Rules set out the basics for those just beginning their journey, these are backed up with more detailed explanations as experience and understanding increases. Once the basics have been mastered the book advances into the more detailed elements of strategy that permeate the sport, as the standard of play increases, providing the reader with the insight they need to make the most of their own ability and to counteract their opponent’s |
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Reviews... Raouf Allim This is the book which will help you transition into comfortably playing in Golf Croquet tournaments, all the way up to A class. International player Ian Burridge has written a thorough and accomplished account of the tactics and strategy of the game. So sit comfortably, with your favourite beverage at hand, put your feet up, and get stuck in. Players of all levels will benefit from the coverage of skill-sets and common tactical scenarios in the first two sections. Good players will find this a useful fine-tuning of ideas. Developing players will already be into study mode. Following this the author offers his unique insights into the strategy of the game, on literally a hoop-by-hoop basis, and after this comes ‘Part 4: The Battle’. This is the meat of the book and these sections are not intended to be read in one sitting. Rather, they are a study guide to be returned to as your game develops. If you’ve ever been disturbed by how often you go two hoops down at the beginning of the game, or puzzled over how best to play hoop 5 against a strong hitter, then you will be dipping into those sections straight away! The highlight for me was the masterly account of how to counteract the various game strategies - the power players, the positional gurus, the irritating (for me) mid-paced clearers, jawsers and hoopers etc, etc. There’s a lifetime of tournament knowledge in this section alone. I once heard the author comment to an opponent after a game “I had all the luck and you still won.” Ian has a generous spirit, and this book is the true gift of his knowledge. Buy it. |
A Potteries Boy in Wales
Jean Hayward
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A Potteries Boy in Wales by Jean Hayward Why is Walter having such terrible dreams? Who are the frightening dream people and why do they want to take him away from home? Is he really going mad or can other people see the strange things that he is seeing? Who are the four Welsh children at the heart of this mysterious tale and what have they to do with Walter’s holiday? Long hot summer days by the sea: it should have been just an ordinary holiday - if only Walter wasn’t Walter! Jean Hayward was born, grew up, and worked in the Potteries before leaving for university and a career as an English Lecturer in the English Midlands. Jean is now retired and writes and illustrates nostalgic novels inspired by her hometown and by her father, Walter Hayward, whose fictional childhood adventures form the basis for themes dealing with love and loss, the supernatural, transformation, restoration, and the triumph of kindness and love over frailty or even downright evil. Jean has a horse, a Shetland pony and a cat and enjoys bringing animals and humour into her writing. |
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Books by Jean Hayward... A Potteries Boy A Potteries Boy in Wales |
The Phenomenon of the Human Distress Pattern
Micheline Mason
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The Phenomenon of the Human Distress Pattern Our only Real Enemy We are born with three extraordinary powers naturally available to us free of charge – the power of touch, the power of attention, and the power of imagination, but no one tells us this. These powers are barely understood and therefore greatly underused. If they were understood and used we would not find ourselves in the precarious state we are in. Our beautiful world and all it’s natural wonders are being threatened by hurt human beings who are consequently unable to think and act in our own best interests. This little book tries to explain how our minds work, how they become partly frozen by painful memories, and how these ‘ice-balls’ can drive our behaviours. It looks at how we can help each other to melt these inner ice-balls using the natural powers we all have. The author suggests how we can harness these powers to halt our own destructive behaviours, allowing nature to heal not only us but also our damaged ecosystems before it is too late. Micheline Mason is an artist, writer and activist. For over forty-five years she was part of an international organisation of people who developed a simple but profound way to help each other to recover from past emotional injuries. In this community she helped develop the theory and became a teacher of the method, exchanging attention with thousands of people in many different countries. In her ‘retirement’ she has chosen to share what she learnt with as many people as possible with a view to empowering them to continue the work themselves. She lives in London. |
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Books by Micheline Mason... An Ordinary Baby Healing The Hurts of Capitalism The Phenomenon of the Human Distress Pattern |
An Ordinary Baby
Micheline Mason
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An Ordinary Baby Tales of Childhood Resistance All-powerful adults organise the lives of children but rarely take into account the fact that children have minds of their own, disabled children even less so. This account is a remembered story of one such child, born in 1950 with an impairment called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or ‘Brittle Bones’. Micheline invites you to experience the world from her point of view and, in particular, how she developed and executed an escape plan from the segregated and shrunken world that most people expected her to inhabit for the rest of her life. Her story highlights some horrific memories of children’s wards back then but also the good times: the fun and support given to her by her unusual working-class family. Her own illustrations add images to the words, giving the reader a sense of how her identity as an artist/activist began to develop and eventually led her onto the world stage. Micheline Mason is a life-long Artist/Activist and Writer. She was born in the 1950s to a working-class family, a fireman’s daughter. At four days old she was diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or Brittle Bones, seen then as a severe ‘handicap’ which would define her life. Her struggle against any such false limitations led her to help disabled people to develop the concept of disability as a social oppression, kept in place by segregation and loss of human rights, which needs to be constantly challenged. Since becoming a mother she campaigned for a fully inclusive education system to become a right for all children. She is now 71, ‘retired’ and living in London, with more time than ever to stir things up. |
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Books by Micheline Mason... An Ordinary Baby Healing The Hurts of Capitalism The Phenomenon of the Human Distress Pattern |
The Greatest – The Times and Life of Beryl Burton
William Fotheringham
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Beryl Burton overtakes Mike McNamara to clinch victory in the 12-hour race at Otley, Yorkshire. When she finishes the marathon event after 277 miles, Burton has beaten Britain’s leading male time triallist and achieved something unheard of: she has taken a men’s endurance record outright. The moment enters cycling folklore because of Burton's gesture as she overhauls ‘Mac’: unsure what to do or say, she offers him a liquorice allsort from her pocket.
Burton was a seven-times world champion and multiple national champion, and this was the greatest feat in her 30-year career. The Otley ‘12’ should have been a groundbreaking moment in women’s sport, but along with the rest of Burton’s achievements, it has slipped into relative obscurity. This new biography from best-selling writer William Fotheringham tells Burton’s story in full for the first time, from the brutal illness that left her bedridden as a teenager to her quarter century at the top of women’s cycling in the UK, and her premature death in 1996. |
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William Fotheringham is the No.1 best-selling author of Merckx: Half-Man, Half-Bike. He writes for the Guardian on cycling and is the critically acclaimed author of Sunday in Hell, Fallen Angel, Roule Britannia and Put Me Back on My Bike, hailed by Vélo magazine as ‘the best cycling biography ever’.
A racing cyclist and launch editor of Procycling magazine, he has reported on almost 30 Tours de France, four Olympic Games and the Rugby World Cup. |
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Illustrated Multiple Choice Questions in Anatomy for Medical Students
Liz Saunders
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For Medical Students This book provides the student with the ability to test their visual knowledge, as well as their functional knowledge of anatomical structures. Furthermore explanations are given as to why answers are incorrect in order to help the students’ understanding of anatomical relations, neurovascular supplies and clinical presentations. There are one hundred and thirty figures, most with five structures highlighted. The multiple-choice question for each structure has five possible answers, one being that sought after single best answer. Eight of the illustrations have up to fifteen structures labelled (A to N), this time the student must identify the structure from a given description. Medical students will welcome the ability to identify structures they have seen in the anatomy suite and to test their knowledge to prepare them for their exams and for clinical practice. Embryology The Respiratory And Cardiac Systems The Upper Limb And Lower Limb The Neck And Back The Digestive System The Urogenital System The Head, Brain And Spinal Cord |
Available from YouCaxton with 40% discount (UK only) £30.00 (+ £2.50 postage) Number of copies: |
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Liz Saunders was Assistant Professor of Anatomy on the Graduate Entry Medical course run by the University of Nottingham in Derby. Anatomy is all about structures and relations, movement and protection, circulation and nerve supply. It is important that students understand the physicality of anatomy; to visualize what lies deep to the surface and to connect that knowledge with their patient’s symptoms and history of events. I have used illustrations throughout the book, with questions designed to include clinical relevance such that students can test their anatomical knowledge in preparation for clinical practice. | ||||||||||||
What is next for us
Nubia Assata
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What is next for us Nubia Assata What Is Next For Us? Is in itself a question. Opening up a discourse on the future of black political activity, modern Pan-African pursuits and the relationship between the African continent and the global black diaspora. Nubia answers a multitude of questions covering the urgency of psychological liberation, the erroneous attachment to Black Messianism and the importance of radical collectivism. Following her debut book Silent Screams, Nubia stays true to her commitment to use her writings to mitigate the legacies of colonialism and slavery, but this time she focuses on the economic and socio-political legacies that ravage the global black community. Ultimately bringing the reader to ask themselves the culminating question, what is next for us? Nubia Assata is a young ,eighteen-year-old, up-and-coming author who integrates her intersecting activism for black consciousness and mental health through her work. She has used her experiences with mental health and racism, whilst being a young black woman in Britain as a springboard to open the conversation of what ‘Blackness’ means in 21st Century Britain and the world. |
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Reviews... Khushi Dhutty Nubia's words are empowering, raw, authentic – she leaves the readership with that one eponymous question – what is next for us? And poses the final balance on the weighing scales of the future – will we remain in comfortability, or will the Black Diaspora leave the slumber and launch a rekindling of that innate determination to debilitate the lies of white supremacy? Dr Martin Glynn (April 2022) Despite being young, Nubia displays a maturity of purpose in her writing, combined with an important ‘call to arms’ to anyone who believes in addressing important issues concerning blackness, politics and identity. |