When I hear The Proclaimers, I have so many thoughts and memories. They are woven through my life and this blog. Their music, their wonderful concerts, their harmonies.

This song always makes me think of my dear friend Craig Kincaid. I met him in Melbourne in my early days there - maybe even before I’d decided to stay. I remember meeting him at the launch of one of the Harry Potter books that Fox was involved with. We were at Federation Square and he asked me what I did, how I earned a crust. I told him I was independently wealthy. Years later he admitted that he kind of believed me, though he wasn’t sure, but I sure did look the part in my red coat and all the time I had on my hands.

His Scottish accent was gorgeously thick and he used to get so annoyed that people (Fox mostly) couldn’t understand what he was saying most of the time. Until we got used to him, or his accent thinned out, or something.

Anyway, I can’t listen to Craig and Charlie sing “Throw the R Away” and not at least think of our Craig.