California drawl; you can’t miss it, especially when attached to a tall man kitted out to look like the tramper-fisherman. At Carlisle train station he started talking to two men about how you can walk down the train lines and it’s perfectly safe as long as every few miles you rest your boot on aContinue reading “There’s ugly, but more good.”
Category Archives: The Great OE blog
Different in real life…
KFC’s are not the same the world over. Glasgow’s version has rice but no bread roll, gravy without the mashed potato, and the corn cob comes on a stick. Rembrandt isn’t the same either (not that I’m comparing Rembrandt with KFC). Books and TV cannot portray the depth of the real thing, the same asContinue reading “Different in real life…”
Don’t go, they said.
Don’t bother going to Hamilton they said. How wrong they were. Sure, there’s empty shops, graffiti, and an abundance of charity shops, but there’s also treasures like Helen Thompson. I met her in a Cafe. She was reading her newspaper over a quiet cuppa when an older gent approached. The laugh wrinkles around his eyes,Continue reading “Don’t go, they said.”
What were they saying?
The site of the Walter Scott statue in Glasgow wasn’t his originally. The guy who had been there carelessly lost the America’s for Britain, so disgruntled citizens had his statue removed, reminiscent of Damnatio memorial, practiced around 300AD, which involved a new ruler having statues inscriptions removed, the stone turning upside down, and a newContinue reading “What were they saying?”
Trees!
You go to sleep sailing away from Lerwick, and wake up in Aberdeen. And there’s the chairs that Aberdeen workers use for a pre-work massage… so public. Then catch a train to Glasgow; trees! So nice to see trees. On the walk from the ferry through to Aberdeen Union Square (that massive complex which housesContinue reading “Trees!”
Oh oh
How many ways are there to pay for the bus? Cash; not on some. Card, at entry, at a kiosk, or there’s tap on tap off; you scan your visa when you get on, and again when you get off. The bus company computer works out what you owe and charges automatically. Last but notContinue reading “Oh oh”
The unmarried case
In civilised York, a few hundred years ago, an unmarried woman who became pregnant could expect corporal punishment, forced abortion, or even death. The pregnancies were all immaculate conceptions, as accused members of the male population assured judges they were definitely never involved. Saints apparently, victims of scheming wenches. During the same period, in remoteContinue reading “The unmarried case”
Shetland extra bits :)
Some photos from Shetland museum etc.. you should be able to expand them for easier reading. Official sheep colours: Sheep ear notching patterns for recognising who they belonged to in crofter days (no plastic tags then) Above: even the flax doesn’t get over 1m tall. Once a year a devil figure would visit every houseContinue reading “Shetland extra bits :)”
They were there…
Walking the land, smelling the sea, watching the wildlife where my hardy Unst ancestors crofted and fished; absolutely incredible. Home and Unst are almost polar opposites, and not just geographically. The hills are low, there’s no trees to interrupt the views, but there are quite large farmable areas. Sheep mainly. Across the Hebrides I’ve beenContinue reading “They were there…”
Yell!
Thick peat bog, combined with wind, equals no trees on Yell. Walking across country is fraught, with bog hidden under grassy or other plants. Yet Yell is breathtakingly beautiful. Ferries run from Toft to Yell, then you get the bus, which could be a car, van or actual bus, to the other end of Yell,Continue reading “Yell!”
Stories for you - Enjoy! 