About

All my working life since graduating from University has been in organisations and sectors of community life where there is an element of storytelling. At all times I like to feel I am invested in living and telling the story of the people, and the time and place.

1982-1989, I was working to develop a FairTrade organisation in Edinburgh, Scotland. The story to tell was of exclusion and exploitation, and of connection enabling inclusion and community development.

1989-1993, I was working in Local Economic Development in the Lothians and keen to tell the story of how co-operative initiatives like Social Enterprise and Community Business enrich people, communities and our society.

1993-2003, I was working in Disability and Employment, again in the Lothians, assisting mainstream employers to integrate people with disabilities into their workforce; helping local agencies to co-operate; and learning from others’ experience through participating in a European Funded Horizon Partnership. The story was about false negative assumptions, and how connecting and co-operating could create new opportunities for people.

2003- until I retired at the end of July 2021, I was working as a Parish Minister of the Church of Scotland, first in Leith, the port area of Edinburgh; then for five years in Jerusalem as the minister of the St. Andrew’s Scots Memorial Church, teaming up with my colleague Colin, the Minister in St Andrew’s Galilee Church in Tiberias; and finally seven years in a linkage of Clydesdale parishes called Tinto Parishes. Lots of opportunities for story telling – ancient tales to modern – deep meanings.

Now, retired, there’s no longer an organisation or infrastructure to work through. But still, I have my thoughts and my enthusiasms, and I am actively developing new story-telling skills. Thoughts and story need a place to go….even if it turns out there’s nobody else out there to read them.

If there is, welcome to George’s Ecke!

Ecke is German for ‘corner’, ‘nook’, ‘edge’.  My wife and I spent a good number of our summer holidays house-and-pet-sitting for friends near Bingen on middle Rhine, and our favourite hikes were from Bingen down the Rhine. One in particular started on the other side, from the riverside village to Assmanshausen to the riverside village of Lorch – about 11 miles – ferry over and ferry back.

The hike begins and ends on steep paths to the top of the Rhine Gorge, and much of it is a wandering path through woodland that obscures any view of the river, and then turns back to offer you wonderful panoramic views of the Rhine ahead or behind you.  At one point the view of the meandering river back towards Bingen is just astonishing.  At that point you find a home-made bench and some log-stump seats.  The first time we found this, we sat down, thankful for the hospitality, and brought out our water bottles and sandwiches.  We must have sat there for quite a time, quietly engaged in the view.  As we stood up to walk on, Margaret pointed out a sign behind the bench which proclaimed ‘George’s Ecke.’  I have no idea who this lucky George is, but every time we have visited this corner I have adopted it as mine for a while.  I think everyone should have such an ecke to go to, or to hold in their memory.