There are a few highlights to note as 2022 draws to a close.

After our excursion to Germany with the FLAG team in October, we returned home to learn that Strange Sickness had received some wonderful recognition.

Strange Sickness was nominated for a BAFTA Scotland Award in the game category, and longlisted in the creativity category at the Scottish Games Awards. The latter was part of the first ever Scottish Games Week, held at the end of October, which was a busy set of activities bringing the games industry together across Scotland.

The BAFTA Scotland Awards ceremony in Glasgow in November was only the second time that the whole Strange Sickness team of William, Katherine, Alana and Jackson had been together in person. It was a dazzling night – no less than two Doctor Whos were there – and it was a great honour to be recognised in this way.

On 29 December, William featured in a radio interview for The World, about the Strange Sickness project.

The World, based in Boston, Massachusetts, is US public radio’s longest-running daily global news programme. Check out the interview in the broadcast online here.

And finally, something seasonal from the Burgh Records…

On this day (31 December) in 1481, several alewives were convicted for selling ale at a higher price than the burgh statutes allowed. Presumably demand was high during the festive period of yule! The day was, of course, not reckoned to be the end of the year under the old calendar, although the date did fall within the yuletide period. These cases were heard in the bailie court which met this day (it was a Monday). The next day of business was the yule head court, held on Monday 7 January. See this blog post about holidays in the ARO.

Of these women only two were identified by their given names: Joneta (spouse of William Rate), and Agnes Baxtar. Another woman, called the spouse of William Moyses and the widow of John Cathkyn, was named. One man – Nicholas Baxtar – was also convicted for selling ale against the common ordinance on behalf of his wife (possibly Agnes who was listed separately) and the wives of Duncan Smyth and John Sincler.

No punishments were specified, suggesting that these measures were a matter of course, the convictions being more of a slap on the wrist than anything more severe. Brewing was a craft dominated by women, and here is a little snapshot of the way in which the courts were used, even during a holiday period, to regulate those who supplied this refreshment to the people of the burgh.

References: ARO-6-0710-02, ARO-6-0710-03, ARO-6-0710-04, ARO-6-0710-05.

Link to Scottish Games Network story about BAFTA nominations.