David Knight

Jan 19, 2025 | pressandjournal.co.uk | David Knight

Perhaps I was slightly delirious after anaesthetic made my abdomen so numb even Mike Tyson at his peak would have given up thumping it. I was miffed about missing my hospital lunch. I’d gone to so much trouble ticking off the form for Friday fish and chips on the ward. Ravenous after eating practically nothing due to my big cancer operation the day before. The surgeon who saved my life swept in and announced cheerily that I was good to go. Home, she said; before lunch could be served, dammit.

Jan 12, 2025 | pressandjournal.co.uk | David Knight

There’s a young man from the north-east who will be putting his best foot forward today and trying to make a big impression. He’s not attending a job interview. It’s more important than that: he’s trying to fight his way out of a situation which destroyed his life at the tender age of 15. But there’s nothing tender about him. It’s fighting that landed him in court in the first place.

Dec 22, 2024 | pressandjournal.co.uk | David Knight

With due respect to Mariah Carey and “All I Want for Christmas is You”, there’s another festive tune which sums up a different type of yearning for me. It’s hardly headline news, but the 80th anniversary of “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth” is here. I wasn’t around then; yes, I know it’s an easy mistake. It’s been covered a lot by other artists over the years because “two teeth” filled a gap (so to speak) in the novelty comic-song market.

Dec 15, 2024 | pressandjournal.co.uk | David Knight

There must be an old saying about giving up on something before you’ve even started, but I can’t remember what it is. Maybe throwing in the towel too early? If Storm Darragh blew my roof off I wouldn’t expect the top builder in town to say there was little he could do – before he even turned up. So when John Swinney agreed to meet the family of murdered Highland banker Alistair Wilson he put a dampener on it straight away by adding a significant caveat.

Dec 8, 2024 | pressandjournal.co.uk | David Knight

I don’t know about you, but Black Friday turned into a grey day for me as I discovered more shocks than bargains. I’d set my heart on a fancy pair of shoes. Slip-ons in what they called a basket weave: like you see on linen baskets or small waste paper bins, but in “Italian leather” don’t you know. They were a little flash, but right up my street; great for holidays in the sun, I thought. There would have to be sun because I’d get trench foot in a week if I wore them in wintry Aberdeen.