00:00 EM only child, no family now except one distant cousin. Importance of different friendships, mentions three: Christopher Whyte, who opened up the whole subject and keeps in touch; Margaret, a straight female friend, who was the first person he told and was very supportive; young heterosexual friend Mark, whom he met at Edinburgh Science Festival [1998], instant attraction on EM’s part. Parents deaths 1965/1970: EM explains how difficult it would’ve been to tell them. Mother dropped hints about his marrying, but must have sensed something, and stopped asking about marriage. She knew John, and knew how close he was to John: during a bad patch in that relationship, EM’s mother wrote to John, suggesting they get back together.

06:05 EM’s relationship with John: met in a cinema, then weekly, but never lived together. EM had to write alone: writer first of all, and human relationships come after that. John came from a large Catholic family in Carluke. Long conversations, lots of fun, humour and stories. John knew some of the poems were about him. Went to cinema and theatre, walks, holidays together. Went to most of countries of Europe. Longer staying together would have got on each other’s nerves. Could be freer while on holiday, but once in the Netherlands, which is fairly free and easy, made the mistake of holding hands together and found that people were looking. In Glasgow couldn’t show affection outwardly.

11:30 EM and John met in Glasgow in Green’s Playhouse, the largest cinema in Europe, which was a hive of gay activity. Still had to be careful: periodic ‘cleaning up’ operations, puritanical moments, flashing torches to see if you were up to anything. EM was caught with someone, but got in again after a week or so. Meeting places included pubs, parks and cinemas – 140 cinemas in Glasgow. If didn’t enjoy talking, then you probably didn’t enjoy the pub scene, which in Glasgow was always on the verge of being violent. By word of mouth learnt places to go, and where not. Aware of threat of violence. Scary moment in a pub in Dublin, caught in flagrante, but barman didn’t call the police, which would have meant the end of EM’s career. Theatres in Glasgow, hanging over rails of the gallery, possibility of touching. Alhambra was one. ‘There were always people to be met in these places.’ In theatre/film was aware of Noel Coward and Dirk Bogarde. Might speculate on an

actor’s sexuality.

18:53 The residual Calvinism of Glasgow: even a glance in the street could be dangerous. Two guys at a bus stop must have sensed EM looking, EM had to escape on bus. In Glasgow you are easily made to feel guilty about things. About religion in childhood, churchgoing family. At 6 or 7 was told by mother there was an eye up there watching you. Stopped going to church around 16, despite terrible scenes at home. Agnostic, and doesn’t see himself having a late conversion.

23:01 Friends found him current Nursing Home, describes his accommodation, staff, don’t know how much they know. The big change is that people are not so upset and worried now about such things. The question of ageist attitudes that assume old people are without sexual feelings: EM looks and listens and knows this isn’t true. It’s very wrong to be ageist. He has had no problems that way.