Swinging the Lamp

Thor and Rory exchange tales of woe on the boating front and Rory finds some of the nursery material not to his taste.

Rory drops in to Bill Williamson's pottery studio in Argyll to hear about his recent arrest and weekend in captivity after his silent vigil for Palestinian children fell foul of the 2000 Terrorism Act.

Thor gives Rory some "Thorapy". Rory is out at sea as he leaves the harbour at Eyemouth and heads for the Forth - but things are all a bit fraught.

Mark Thompson joins Thor and Rory to discuss how to deal with dodgy engines and the delights of taking your boat to the Mediterranean.

Thor and Rory discuss the dramatic Greenpeace protest off the Forth road bridge and Thor tells Rory about his plans for a weekend of Sailing out of Tarbert on the West Coast.

Thor reports on his sea experience with the RYA and his discovery of the best takeaway in Scotland while Rory recounts an unwelcome encounter with a dog owner on the beach.

With Thor on the high seas, Rory invites Mark Thompson to swing the lamp from his anchorage in Ibiza. He weighs in on the RYA debate, discusses solar power on boats and offers some candid reflection on the covid era + much more.

Thor and Rory contemplate the latest sinister plan to use our hair cut outings for indoctrination purposes and how some of the players at Wimbledon have been made stateless. They also reveal who's in the running for Scottish President.

Thor and Rory dive into how debates are won and lost and the power of being on the side of the dominant narrative before pondering who might make a good Scottish president.

Thor tells Rory about his application to join a reality TV show and his decision to enrol on an RYA (Royal Yachting Association) course.

Thor and Rory catch up on their travels and marvel at Maltese ferries while they disagree on Greta's voyage to Gaza

Thor and Rory exchange notes from their recent dining experiences and another rollercoaster of a chat lands on Greta Thunberg's voyage to Gaza

Rory and Thor discuss the triumph of Aberdeen at the Scottish Cup and return to the theme of the declining Granite City.

Thor and Rory ponder the slur of being a 'midwit', while on the maritime front, Rory updates Thor on the progress of a new mooring. There's also time for a chat about bananas.

Thor and Rory are joined by former British Diplomat and Middle East consultant, Alex Parsons to discuss the recent Palestine / Israel debate between Douglas Murray and Dave Smith on the Joe Rogan podcast. Plus Rory tells a few stories about an obsessive stickler for rules and diesel engine maintenance at sea.

Thor and Rory discuss the lack of children out and about in suburbia, Rory tells Thor about the sailing trip to Belfast and they end up in a discussion about doing the right thing at work.

Rory and Thor start this weeks Pod with a discussion about modern parenting before Thor finds out some unwelcome news for boat owners.

Thor and Rory consider the effects of Thatcher's legacy on the fabric of society after Rory's hotel stay cast his mind back to the 80s. Thor is feeling positive after his visit to Dubrovnik and continues to try and persuade Rory that not all politicians are incompetent buffoons.

Thor dials in from the outer reaches of Shetland using Starlink to hear about Rory's misgivings about changing the clocks and offers some comedy material as an antidote to government intervention. Rory swings the lamp about his favourite sea captain and his attitude to authority.

Thor and Rory discuss what makes an influencer and their impact on contemporary society + Thor reveals that he's been trying to influence the Edinburgh comedy circuit with some pacifist influence.

Rory and Thor discuss living to work and working to live and then we swing the lamp with Portsmouth Harbour Master and Ship's Pilot Ben McInnes.

Thor returns from Romania where he enjoyed the wine, while Rory was a bit concerned about the Tesla backlash but took a trip to Eyemouth and was excited about how the boat is progressing at the yard and where the lamp will swing from.

Rory stops by Thor's boat on his way to sail a supertanker and Rory has some good news about Thomas the Tank Engine books.

Thor contemplates a negative Trustpilot review after he discovers all is not well with his boat engine and Rory thinks the North Sea collision might actually be a cock-up rather than a conspiracy.

Thor and Rory talk about the mystery of the sea and how stories shape our understanding.

Thor and Rory discuss the possible advantages of focussing on small things close to home rather than getting too stressed about world affairs.

Thor and Rory consider why contemporary discourse has become more unpleasant and the lively debate is in danger of being consigned to the past.

Thor and Rory discuss what kneeling at the altar of net zero means

Thor and Rory launch Swinging the Lamp with a chat about the extra Flower of Scotland Lyrics