By Steven Whittaker ARPS

We did start off 2026 with our very excellent Labhairt Beag…big thanks to all those who contributed, and it’ll soon be on the Contemporary YouTube pages. 

Talk by Tom Astbury…Dùlchas. Tom has recently retired from his job as an international cameraman, and settled back into life in Dunblane, and volunteering for the Stirling Photography Festival team. His latest project…Dùlchas (it’s a Gaelic term for that feeling of understanding between the land, it’s people, and it’s customs) is based on the works of legendary Gaelic poet Duncan Bàn MacIntyre, and is an elegant selection of monochrome images from around Glen Orchy. It’s sure to be an interesting and evocative evening, 10th February 19.30 GMT 

Book Club night, so I’m looking for 6 or so members to talk to us about a book…could be a new one, an old favourite, a revisited classic, a source of inspiration, anything really, for 10 minutes each. As diverse as possible please, 19th March. Let me know to book your presenter spot. 

After that we should be going back to face to face stuff, and I was thinking Inverness in April, Perth in May, Glasgow in June,  Edinburgh in August for the Festival, and Stirling in September for their Photography Festival.