logo
Dugald Bruce Lockhart: 10 things that changed my life

Dugald Bruce Lockhart: 10 things that changed my life

The National3 days ago
One: Strontian (Western Highlands)
DESPITE spending the first four years of my life in Fiji, my earliest memory is sitting in the hull of a rowing boat, fitted with an outboard motor, as we set off from the village of Strontian across the wind-whipped waters of Loch Sunart, terrified the boat would sink.
Having made it to an island, picnicked, and not sunk, I was charged with newfound confidence for our return journey.
Peering over the gunwale, staring into the low-lying sun, I repeatedly sang the chorus of Kumbaya, My Lord, marvelling at how the tune fitted the scenic backdrop.
Thus was born my desire to impose narratives on the world about me; which, in turn, led to playing guitar, acting, and eventually, writing my first novel.
It was also where I first tasted a lime-flavoured popsicle; which to a four-year-old, fresh from the Pacific Islands, was almost as weighty a game changer!
(Image: PA/Alamy)
Two: My first fishing rod
A FOUR-FOOT-LONG, fibreglass fishing rod, that had been given to me by 'Dear'', my formidable great-grandmother, (real name, Mona), wife of J H Bruce Lockhart, former Scottish international cricket and rugby player.
In a Highland burn, I caught my first trout, a whopper, at least five inches!
This triggered a passion for fishing that continues to afflict me; casting my line over rivers far and wide, as well as providing the subject for my first short story – Salar The Salmon – which I wrote at the age of nine; about a salmon who struggles to find her way back to the stream where she was born.
Even now, I'm unable to cross a bridge without stopping to check if I can spot that elusive, wavering shadow lying in the current below.
And wondering how much it weighs.
Three: February 22nd 1991
THE day I received a phone call at our home in London, to say I'd got in to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art – despite the fact I'd been drunk at my recall (thanks to a four-pint liquid lunch, to quell the nerves); that I'd given my Shakespeare monologue as Sean Connery (they stopped me after my first line), and had lied about all the other drama schools to which I'd applied.
With no one else around to celebrate the news, I drank a glass of orange juice and explained to our pet African Grey parrot, Coco, how I was going to be a famous actor.
Coco remained predictably implacable, looked me in the eye, then shat on the newspaper bedding at the bottom of his cage.
My first of many critics.
Four: My Yamaha acoustic guitar
I BOUGHT it in Tokyo, while touring with the Royal Shakespeare Company. After an all-nighter in the district of Roppongi, a combination of hangover and jetlag caused a five-day bout of insomnia, resulting in a breakdown – along with the realisation I had to call off my engagement to my fiancée back home.
Unable to think straight, let alone utter a sentence of Shakespearean verse, I was taken off the show to recover, only venturing from my 17th-floor hotel room to stumble across the square to the music store opposite, where I parted with the equivalent of £200 to buy the instrument.
I continued to write songs for the remainder of that 12-month tour, and on, for the next 20 years; including one titled Wedding Train – which I now realise was an ode to my guitar – about the comfort of strumming her dependable six strings, and how she had carried me through my hour of need.
Five: My pet lizard
I HAD caught it in the wastelands outside our house in Cyprus in 1978. Hoping the creature might join the family, I gave him first a name, then set up home in our open-roofed inner courtyard, where there was a hole in the tiles.
Using a rock to provide cover, I brought him flies and worms, and he soon became accustomed to his new dwelling.
Then one day, I introduced him to some school friends. After much oohing and ahh-ing, we left him to his own devices – me quickly dropping the rock back into place, as we hurried out. When I returned to the courtyard that evening, I found him to be unusually still. He was lying at an angle that didn't make sense – his jaw, squashed and out of line. But still alive.
In a panic, I took him outside and dropped him over the garden fence into the scrub below – lying to myself that he'd be better off fending for himself.
My first encounter with true guilt; which, 50 years on, continues to haunt me.
I hope one day to be able recall the poor creature's name.
(Image: PA/Alamy)
Six: The Diorama building in London
THE soulless building in central London was where, as an out-of-work actor, I had to trek from my flat in Harlesden in order to take part in a group selection process for a corporate roleplay company based in Bristol.
My spirits lightened when an extremely attractive brunette in a slim-fit suit passed me in the doorway, asking if she was in the right place. The building took on a greater shine, when it transpired she and I were both familiar with Southwold and that we both knew a certain actor – with whom she had read to stroke patients, and with whom I had toured the world for 10 years.
A month later, I emailed him to ask about the status of a certain Penny, whom I'd met at Diorama. He replied that she was 'unattached', and would I like her number?
Staring at a family photograph of myself, Penny, Mackenzie and Cassidy, posing in the grounds of a hotel in Gran Canaria, this spring, I recall that it had been raining the day of the interview, and that I'd hesitated in the hallway of my flat, wondering if I could really be bothered to schlepp across town in the pissing rain, for a job I was unlikely to get, and which I didn't really want in the first place.
Seven: My children
TO splash with them, one on each arm, in a tiny paddling pool in the garden, lost in their joy and wonder, and gap-toothed grins.
Watching them grow, hearing them laugh.
Sharing their daily tragedies.
To know you are not only perpetuating the circle of life, but that your navel-gazing days are over.
And that you are finally at one with unconditional love.
Eight: Propeller Theatre Company
WHEN in the autumn of 1998, I joined Edward Hall's all-male Shakespeare company, I had no idea that this would begin 15 years of international touring with a group of actors that would become tantamount to a second family.
True, each 10-to-12-month tour was as akin to a 12-month stag do, as it was to spreading the joy of Shakespeare's plays; and yet, it was with Propeller that I truly learnt the craft of storytelling, and how performing is really more of a sport than any kind of mysterious art form.
From climbing the pyramids in Mexico City at dawn, to performing The Comedy Of Errors in Sri Lanka, watched by a group of wild monkeys that had climbed in through the windows, it was also my own Homeric journey of self-discovery, and the birth of lifelong friendships. Halcyon days, I shall never forget.
Nine: Across The Universe
WHENEVER I hear John Lennon's masterpiece, I am transported back to my parent's house in Greenwich, where I sat on the drawing room floor, in diffused sunlight, listening to the song unfold for the first time.
I smell chocolates, pipe smoke, old books, coffee and toast; the musty aroma of our dog, Poggy, curled up in his basket, tucked away in the corner by the piano; the muffled chatter of the BBC's World Service from the kitchen, and the cloying scent of linseed oil from my newly acquired Gray-Nicolls cricket bat leaning against the wall behind the front door.
Everlasting peace, frozen in three minutes and 47 seconds.
(Image:)
10: Passing my driving test
MY first attempt (in Dundee, while a student at St Andrews University) went rather well, I thought. Having pulled up by the side of the road, the examiner asked me how many lessons I'd taken. Understanding him to be thoroughly impressed, I proudly confessed I'd only had five. He smiled and informed me I'd be taking a few more.
My second attempt ended up with the same result. (What you don't do, if a suitcase comes off your roof rack, is wait for a pause in the traffic then run out and grab it).
The day I finally passed, I'd wrenched my back and had sat stiffly in the driver's seat with a brace on my neck, stinking of Deep Heat, barely able to look left or right, let alone turn to face my nonplussed examiner.
How she let me sit next to her, let alone pass me, I have no idea. But I'm eternally grateful.
How my life would have unfolded without the freedom of wheels, I can't imagine.
Second Skin, a thriller set in the Greek Islands by Dugald Bruce Lockhart is published by Muswell Press
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Oleksandr Usyk is one of boxing's greats – but he'll never be able to enjoy success due to horrors of Ukraine war
Oleksandr Usyk is one of boxing's greats – but he'll never be able to enjoy success due to horrors of Ukraine war

Scottish Sun

time11 minutes ago

  • Scottish Sun

Oleksandr Usyk is one of boxing's greats – but he'll never be able to enjoy success due to horrors of Ukraine war

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) OLEKSANDR USYK'S fame and fortune is a 'curse' while his friends and countrymen are lying dead in trenches and bomb sites. Derek Chisora lost a 12-round decision against the two-weight undisputed genius in 2020 but the pair bashed up an unlikely bromance. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Derek Chisora has claimed Oleksandr Usyk can't enjoy his success and money Credit: The Sun 5 Usyk became undisputed heavyweight champion again last weekend Credit: PA 5 Usyk beat Daniel Dubois with a fifth round knockout Credit: EPA The heavyweight heroes meet at a Ukrainian sauna when the Brit-basher visits London, and they speak regularly on the phone, when the 41-year-Londoner can hear missiles and rockets raging over his roof. Del Boy was ringside to watch Usyk's latest four-belt crowning over Daniel Dubois on Saturday night at Wembley, cementing his place as a generational talent and a multi-millionaire. But he told our Split Decision YouTube show that all the belts and cash in the world are wasted on the devout 38-year-old, while Vladimir Putin lays siege to his home and slaughters his nation. Chisora explained: 'He has made so much money but he can't enjoy it because his country is at war. READ MORE IN BOXING SOR LOSER Chisora claims Dubois quit against Usyk - but offers to turn him into a 'killer' 'He can't go around driving a Lamborghini while his friends are having their houses destroyed and they are dying. He is cursed. 'He can't go on holiday in St Tropez and sunbathe and drink tequila because his friends are in the trenches. 'He can't enjoy his money. He can't because he is all Ukraine has right now." Since the 2022 invasion, Usyk has scythed through British boxing's best big men. 5 Usyk is a proud Ukrainian Credit: Getty CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS After Chisora was outpointed, the gap-toothed southpaw did almost faultless doubles over Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and now 27-year-old Dubois. And the Englishman reckons the sickening onslaught his people are facing is inspiring him in a way that transcends sport. Oleksandr Usyk has press conference in stitches as he NAMES the left hook that floored Daniel Dubois at Wembley He said: 'The population is going down because so many people, young men, are dying. 'It's so difficult for him but it's also why he is so dedicated, he is doing it for his whole nation. 'If it's your destiny then it's your destiny. If God says it's your path then nothing will take you away from it.' Arguments about cross-generation fantasy fights will rage on in pubs and online forums. But Chisora tries to keep it short and sweet. He added: 'Usyk is 100 per cent a top-10 heavyweight and he is in my top-five. 'European amateur champion, Olympic gold medalist, undisputed cruiserweight world champion and two-time undisputed heavyweight champion. 'What more else can he do? He has whooped us all. He has taken the p***!'

Ozzy Osbourne dies two weeks after final Black Sabbath reunion concert
Ozzy Osbourne dies two weeks after final Black Sabbath reunion concert

The Herald Scotland

time25 minutes ago

  • The Herald Scotland

Ozzy Osbourne dies two weeks after final Black Sabbath reunion concert

Just over two weeks later Osbourne's family announced his death at the age of 76. The heavy metal band were the last to appear on stage as part of a star-studded line-up for the Back to the Beginning concert at Villa Park, Birmingham, not far from the Crown pub where they played their first gig in 1968. At the start of his solo performance, Osbourne entered the stage by rising on a large black throne through a trap door, wearing his signature black attire and thick eye make-up. He started the set by saying: 'Let me hear you. Are you ready? Let the madness begin!' Later, he told the crowd: 'It's so good to be on this f****** stage. You have no idea. I f****** love you all. Let me see your hands in the air. You are the best, each and every one of you. God bless you all.' In an emotional moment, he added: 'I don't know what to say, man, I've been laid up for, like, six years. You have no idea how I feel – thank you from the bottom of my heart. 'You're all f****** special. Let's go crazy, come on.' The rocker sang five songs in his own set, with fans waving torches from their phones during Mama, I'm Coming Home. He finished his performance with Crazy Train, before confetti rained over a packed Villa Park. Ozzy Osbourne performs on stage during the Closing Ceremony for the 2022 Commonwealth Games at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham (David Davies/PA) After a short break, he re-entered the stage to join the rest of Black Sabbath for the first time in 20 years. The band performed some of their greatest hits, ending with a rendition of Paranoid. Fans chanted 'Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy' as the rock great thanked and blew kisses to those in attendance, before departing in an emotional ending to cap an illustrious career on stage. In one of the messages displayed before his performance, Sir Elton John told Osbourne: 'You are one of the most remarkable singers of our time. 'You are the king, you are the legend. You've been through so much crap in the last few years – I hope this is the best day of your life so far.' Personal videos from dozens of fans were also broadcast at the event, in which they credited Osbourne and Black Sabbath for inventing heavy metal and thanked them for their generational influence on music.

Sir Alex Ferguson's hilarious Rio Ferdinand podcast cameo
Sir Alex Ferguson's hilarious Rio Ferdinand podcast cameo

Glasgow Times

time43 minutes ago

  • Glasgow Times

Sir Alex Ferguson's hilarious Rio Ferdinand podcast cameo

The legendary former Scotland manager walked into the middle of a recording for Ferdinand's Rio Meets series, although he made it clear he didn't plan to take part. Ferdinand was deep in conversation with former United and West Ham team-mate Michael Carrick, as the two chatted in a quiet, seemingly deserted bar, reminiscing about Carrick's career. Rio Ferdinand (Image: PA) READ MORE: Sir Alex Ferguson pictured visiting popular Glasgow restaurant But around 48 minutes into the episode, the pair were unexpectedly interrupted by the Govan icon, who casually strolled over apparently unaware that a podcast was in progress. The 83-year-old asked: "What's this?" prompting a beaming Ferdinand to stop mid-sentence and greet him: 'Alright, boss?' Ferguson had both men laughing as he wagged his finger and declared: 'I'm not doing this podcast.' (Image: rioferdy5 Instagram) Trying to keep the mood light, Ferdinand responded: 'No, no, no — we're going to talk after. You go and get a coffee, boss.' Carrick added reassuringly: 'We're just finishing now. Don't worry — this is not for you.' Never one to miss a cheeky dig, Ferdinand joked: 'You've not dressed for the camera, boss, have you?' As Ferguson turned to leave, he fired back: 'I just wanted to listen to the nonsense you talk.' READ MORE: Sir Alex Ferguson spotted buying new Rangers kit (Image: PA) The footballing great took a seat at the next table, off-camera — but not for long. Roughly five minutes later, the show was interrupted once more — this time by the ringing of Ferguson's mobile phone, which he promptly answered, much to the amusement of the hosts. The camera feed briefly cut to Ferguson mid-call, with Ferdinand and Carrick once again in fits of laughter. READ MORE: Legendary Scot Sir Alex Ferguson spotted at Rangers' training ground Fans quickly flooded the comments with messages of love and support. One viewer wrote: 'I can't stop smiling. This is really lovely to see. We still miss him.' Another added: 'See the fear and respect still there — wow.' A third hailed it as a 'Classic Sir Alex moment', while someone else commented: 'This is so amazing to watch. "The amount of respect the ex-players still have for Sir Alex Ferguson is a testament to his impact — not just on their sporting journeys but on their personal lives too.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store