Blue Noun

17/10/2026

09/10/2026

09/10/2026

Today I had my first mammogram.

I’m grateful for our health system, but it’s not a fun process so I’m rewarding myself with gorgeous cake.

Crieff is a small town on the edge of the highlands loaded with artisanal chocolate shops, bakeries, cafes and other high-quality food retailers.

I’m full of respect for all these expert makers. And as their businesses help make Crieff such wonderful place to come and use English, I’d best do my bit to help my favourites weather the less touristic times…

(To be more honest, there was a mini queue waiting for them to open today).

How are you looking after yourself today?



Ems & Co. Pastry Shop

08/10/2026

Tonight at Strathearn Arts

A 50-min film centred around the National Emergency Briefing. The frank facts, but also the huge opportunity if Government steps up and leads a WW2-scale response. Designed to be watched by communities together with their MP. Due for release 7th April.

28/09/2026

As a French learner, I kept hearing about le déclic — the click.
That magical moment when, after a long period of confusion, everything would suddenly become easy.
I believed in it.
I lusted after it.
And when it never happened to me, I blamed myself.
Many years of language teaching later, I still remember that feeling.
I DO believe in aha moments.
I see them all the time.
I love hearing my language guests go:
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.”
Something that felt impossible suddenly gets a little clearer.
Sometimes it takes time, practice and repetition.
Sometimes it takes one tiny, well-placed intervention:
“Try putting your tongue like this when you say ‘j’.”
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
But that’s very different from promising one big click.
My invitation isn’t to come to Scotland for le déclic.
It’s to come for 1,000 micro-moments of being you in English.
Lots and lots of evidence that says:
I can do this.
That’s often where enjoying using English starts to grow.
And maybe that’s the only déclic you really need.



22/09/2026

When we were walking the banks of the River Earn, we came across a construction — some kind of summerhouse extension being built right next to the river.
There was no one around, so we made it our own. It was like having a private stage.

At first, we picnicked on homemade sushi. But then we got brave and started dancing.

Blue Noun is about permission to speak, permission to feel good using your English. We don’t plan every second. We ask what every new element could be.

This is Blue Noun.
This is how we explore.

My Tastes of Place holiday gives us an extra-rich food-and-drink version of just this.

My own image. Taken on a Blue Noun holiday.

19/09/2026

My bus trip into Edinburgh, I never get tired of this view, and crossing into the city? Exciting! 🍺🍩🌮🎶🎵

❤️

17/09/2026

A windy visit to Blackness Castle

10/09/2026

A wee reminder that this is on.

I'll be at the 1-3 session (in a purple hat) come and say hi!

10/09/2026

I spent yesterday at the 2026 Perth & Kinross Economic Summit, joining the conversation about what kind of economy we want to build here.

I came away encouraged by some of what I heard, troubled by some of it, and more convinced than ever that landscape, culture, wildlife and community need a voice in how we define economic progress.

I’ve written about what the day meant to me as a Perthshire microbusiness owner — and what I hope happens next.

Read the full piece here:

https://bluenoun.co.uk/perthshire-economic-summit-2026/

What I heard at the Perth & Kinross Economic Summit — and why place, culture and landscape need a stronger voice in our definition of growth.