News and Reviews

Newsletter

MAY - 2026

Hello again

I've just got back from the Isle of Skye. Some will recognise that as a line from Andy Stewart's early 90s hit song 'Donald, where's your troosers?' (Those who don't remember it are the lucky ones) And in last month's newsletter I promised  - or perhaps 'threatened you with' is more accurate - lots of holiday pictures. Well I've relented, and with good reason. We had two weeks of the most glorious weather, with continuous unbroken sunshine. We have visited Skye over twenty-five times since I retired in 2005 and have never experienced anything even close to it during that time. In fact, I think it's the longest spell of good weather in the whole history of the island.

'What has this to do with pictures?' I hear you ask. Well, it is impossible to capture the spectacular scenery in a snapshot. The landscape is just too breathtakingly big to do it any justice, so I won't even try. While we were there we stayed with my brother Geoff, who lives on the very northern tip of the island, and In our dining room at home we have a wall mural

 consisting of four panels showing what is effectively the view from just behind his cottage.

This is what we look at every day when we are having our breakfast and evening meal. The display is four feet wide and three feet high - so quite a significant item - but nothing to compete with the real thing and with a bright blue sky.

Lambing was at its peak while we were there so I thought at least one 'AWW' picture was admissible.

And on one of our newly discovered walks through some fabulous woodland on the west coast near UIg, where the ferry terminal for the Outer Isles is located, we came across this magnificent specimen of a sycamore

And to give a sense of scale, Carol, who is standing beside it is about six-foot-eight. Well, perhaps not quite but it's a massive tree all the same.

As is the case with all great holidays, the time went far too quickly, but we packed a lot of walking into the twelve full days we were up there, and we're already looking forward to returning in August. The only downside being that, if we get the same weather then, we'll have to contend with swarms of midges, which are aggressive enough at times to force you to stay indoors. So we're hoping for a fresh breeze to accompany the sunshine. Midges don't like wind!

On the way up and back, we always split the journey with an overnight stay at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel, just south of Glencoe. From the patio doors in our room, we got a good impression of how Spring is progressing with these before and after pictures fourteen days apart.

With all that excitement not a lot happened on the literary front during April. I spent an excellent day at the Costa cafe in the Tesco Supermarket in Prestwich, Manchester. This is the closest-to-home venue for my book signings and I always enjoy meeting people I know along with new readers. And, as I have said many times in the past, the proximity of flat whites and Sicillian lemon drizzle muffins always adds to the enjoyment, (Those Sicillians certainly know how to drizzle their lemons. Little wonder that the Mafia are such a cheerful bunch) 

A bit more going on in May with another book signing, again in Costa but this time at the Bury Superstore. That is on this Saturday, 9 May, from 10.00am until around 5.00 pm. I'll be signing copies of The Moorstone. That's if I can find anyone who hasn't already got one given that it's somewhere I've been before, many times. And next Monday, 11 May, at 2.00 pm I'm giving a talk to a group at Rishton Library near Blackburn. Really looking forward to that. 

Speaking of books, and my brother, I shared with you details of his first book, The Alphabetical Zoo, published last year. His second book, Welcome to Alphadale is now out and a third will follow soon.

Welcome to Alphadale is a book of poems describing the people and activities in the village, all following the letters of the alphabet and including the village school, people's occupations, the local farm, the surgery, the Alphadale Hotel, the library, the vet, and others. It is immensely clever and very funny and has already become very popular in libraries and schools. Amazon states an age range of 4 to 10, but I think it will appeal to all ages. It's worth a look and, in case you're wondering, I don't get anything from the sales for promoting it!

A brief commercial:- don't forget you can get the best deals for my earlier books of the Hotel St Kilda series through my website www.michaelknaggs.co.uk including favourable individual prices, a 3-for-the-price-of-2 deal on the original trilogy and no P&P to pay.. 

Commercial over.

That's all for now. Thank you for continuing to receive my Newsletter, but if you don't want further copies, please let me know and I'll take you off the list.

With best regards

Michael

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