Fact or Fiction?
Mrs.H
According to Roland Imboden, director of tourism in Zermatt, Switzerland --
there is a story that Queen Victoria upon hearing of the deaths of 4
climbers - 2 British, as they descended down the Matterhorn, said that she
"thought it is so stupid to climb mountains" and wanted PM Chamberlain to
"create a law to say it is forbidden to climb mountains."
Mrs.H.
poetman
>According to Roland Imboden, director of tourism in Zermatt, Switzerland -
climbers - 2 British, as they descended down the Matterhorn, said that she
"thought it is so stupid to climb mountains" and wanted PM Chamberlain to
"create a law to say it is forbidden to climb mountains."
According to Nancy Reagan biographist, Kitty Kelley, in her 1997 book 'The
Royals', both The Queen and her sister Princess Margaret were conceived by
artificial insemination because their father King George VI was incapable of
doing it. Fact or fiction?
Mrs.H
"poetman" <su...@online.no> wrote in message
news:0AdXb.3982$rj4....@news2.e.nsc.no...
Oh, the old turkey baster story. That story has been around for yonks, mine
hasn't.
Mrs.H
Mrs.H
"Mrs.H" <annaha...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:REdXb.2859$tL3...@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...
At least not on AGR.
Mrs.H
>
poetman
>Oh, the old turkey baster story. That story has been around for yonks, mine
Then you are way ahead of me, Mrs. H. I only learnt about it today - from a
library book. And not having the English version I cannot know the author's
exact wording. It is a privilege to be amongst such well-informed people!
G
Gillian White
> Then you are way ahead of me, Mrs. H. I only learnt about it today - from
a
> library book. And not having the English version I cannot know the
author's
> exact wording. It is a privilege to be amongst such well-informed people!
That's the wonderful thing about gossip though. Every time one person hears
a story for the first time, it gives the rest of us a fantastic opportunity
to drag it all out in to the open again :-)
I first heard the turkey baster story four or five years ago, from a person
who worked at Glamis Castle, if you can believe that. For all that she
worked there, I don't think she was particularly enamoured of her employers,
or the QM.
Gillian
poetman
>That's the wonderful thing about gossip though. Every time one person hears
a story for the first time, it gives the rest of us a fantastic opportunity
to drag it all out in to the open again :-)
Call it the feminist in me if you wish, but I just love chewing on a juicy
piece of gossip. Or is it a fallacy that testosterone hinders interest in
the absorbing trivialities of heresay?
>I first heard the turkey baster story four or five years ago, from a person
who worked at Glamis Castle, if you can believe that. For all that she
worked there, I don't think she was particularly enamoured of her employers,
or the QM.
Well, is there smoke without fire? If anyone has this book in English I'd
love to read the 3 paragraphs following on from where the Duchess had flown
first class from the Bahamas to New York just to have her hair done. It's on
page 40 of the Norwegian version.
Mrs.H
"Gillian White" <Gillia...@nospampleasethanksmail.com> wrote in message
news:_2eXb.480926$JQ1.189923@pd7tw1no...
It's like the friend who worked in Windsor Castle and said that they always
knew
when Pss Margaret was visiting because of the preparations and demands. She
liked the Queen very much and was impressed with how she managed to remember
everybodys name.
Sorry if you have seen me post this before, Gillian.
Mrs.H
>
>
Gillian White
> It's like the friend who worked in Windsor Castle and said that they
always
> knew
> when Pss Margaret was visiting because of the preparations and demands.
She
> liked the Queen very much and was impressed with how she managed to
remember
> everybodys name.
Ooh, I hadn't heard that one. I can, however, imagine that it has more than
an element of truth...
> Sorry if you have seen me post this before, Gillian.
No need to apologise! I hadn't read this one, but even if I had, it's quite
nice to occasionally re-hash some old gossip :-)
Gillian
Tee
--
Tara
Tee
news:c0juj1$17t1vq$1...@ID-92443.news.uni-berlin.de...
> I have no idea if its true or not but my gutt reaction is "fact"
Oh, I take that back. Its fiction. I didn't do any research but just
finished an historical fiction novel about mountain climbing. The author's
note at the end talks about it being a huge fad during Victorian times and
that Victoria herself recorded some of her most favorite jaunts in her
highland journals.
--
Tara
Sacha
amGilli...@nospampleasethanksmail.com_2eXb.480926$JQ1.189923@pd7tw1no
One of Ray's friends was head gardener at Glamis and spoke well of the QM
when she visited. On one occasion she caused an almighty security scare
because she hopped out of her car as it was going up the drive and said "oh
that's X (the gardener) I haven't seen him for ages, must go and tell him
about......." and disappeared. The empty car arrived at the castle door,
the chauffeur hadn't got the name of the gardener and all hell broke loose
as they all went searching for her. She was very indignant when their cosy
chat about roses was interrupted. ;-)
--
Sacha
(remove the weeds to email me)
Sacha
I don't think there's any reason to believe it. The King and QM loved each
other deeply and had a close knit and loving family life. She and their
daughters mourned his death most sincerely. I may be wrong about this but
haven't the faintest glimmer that the story was started by the Dss of
Windsor because of the mutual loathing between her and the QM. If that IS
the case, I should think everyone in royal employment heard it at some time.
Sacha
ams...@gardenweeds506.fsnet.co.ukBC53A612.1566A%sa...@gardenweeds506.fsnet.
co.uk
Oh dear - should be "have the faintest glimmer". Sorry!
Mrs.H
Mountain climbing was made popular by Edward Whymper, the British mountain
climber, it was his climbing party that had those four fatalities.
Tee, I found this today while doing a search on Queen Victoria --
During the descent, four members of his group fell to their deaths. One man,
Douglas Hadow, slipped, pulling off three others. Whymper and his two
guides, Peter Taugwalder Sr. and Peter Taugwalder Jr., caught the fall, but
the rope snapped and Michel Croz, a Chamonix guide, and the English climbers
Charles Hudson, Douglas Hadow, and Francis Douglas fell 4,000 feet.
In Zermatt, Taugwalder Sr. and Whymper were accused of cutting the rope. The
Swiss authorities conducted an inquest. After three days, Whymper and
Taugwalder were exonerated, but the controversy continued. The Times of
London denounced the ascent and deplored the utter uselessness of the sport
of mountaineering. Queen Victoria considered outlawing the climbing of
mountains. European newspapers published denunciatory editorials by writers
who had never set foot on any mountain, let alone the Matterhorn. England
was in an uproar over the disaster and everyone had an opinion. (Sound
familiar?)
In 1871, Whymper gave his account of the story in a best-selling book titled
Scrambles Amongst the Alps.
Mrs.H
grumblebug
This is odd. I believe that QV climbed at least one Scottish mountain
near Balmoral - I believe I read it in one of Hamish Brown's books
"Hamish's Mountain Walk" - but lack of proper indexing makes this hard
to confirm. Of course, east Scottish mountains are less fearsome than
the Matterhorn, at least in summer when the RF are there.
The PM can't have been Chamberlain, because both Austen and Neville C
were C20th politicians. In any case, a constitutional monarch isn't
supposed to intervene in these matters. The nearest she came was when
she allegedly refused to consider legislation against lesbianism, on
the grounds that it didn't exist. (Difficult to see how they could've
worded it anyway.) No source, just my memory, but doubtless someone
can provide one.
Oliver
Jean Sue Libkind
Gillia...@nospampleasethanksmail.com wrote on 2/13/04 7:35 PM:
>
> I first heard the turkey baster story four or five years ago, from a person
> who worked at Glamis Castle, if you can believe that. For all that she
> worked there, I don't think she was particularly enamoured of her employers,
> or the QM.
Glamis was the home of the QM's family, not the royal family.
js
Jean Sue Libkind
sa...@gardenweeds506.fsnet.co.uk wrote on 2/14/04 5:16 AM:
> I don't think there's any reason to believe it. The King and QM loved each
> other deeply and had a close knit and loving family life. She and their
> daughters mourned his death most sincerely. I may be wrong about this but
> haven't the faintest glimmer that the story was started by the Dss of
> Windsor because of the mutual loathing between her and the QM. If that IS
> the case, I should think everyone in royal employment heard it at some time.
Yes, the turkey baster is a very old story.
Perhaps Wallis was projecting David's lacks onto Albert.
js
Jean Sue Libkind
annaha...@earthlink.net wrote on 2/14/04 12:22 PM:
> Tee, I found this today while doing a search on Queen Victoria --
>
> During the descent, four members of his group fell to their deaths. One man,
> Douglas Hadow, slipped, pulling off three others. Whymper and his two
> guides, Peter Taugwalder Sr. and Peter Taugwalder Jr., caught the fall, but
> the rope snapped and Michel Croz, a Chamonix guide, and the English climbers
> Charles Hudson, Douglas Hadow, and Francis Douglas fell 4,000 feet.
>
> In Zermatt, Taugwalder Sr. and Whymper were accused of cutting the rope. The
> Swiss authorities conducted an inquest. After three days, Whymper and
> Taugwalder were exonerated, but the controversy continued. The Times of
> London denounced the ascent and deplored the utter uselessness of the sport
> of mountaineering. Queen Victoria considered outlawing the climbing of
> mountains. European newspapers published denunciatory editorials by writers
> who had never set foot on any mountain, let alone the Matterhorn. England
> was in an uproar over the disaster and everyone had an opinion. (Sound
> familiar?)
>
> In 1871, Whymper gave his account of the story in a best-selling book titled
> Scrambles Amongst the Alps.
> Mrs.H
Very interesting. Thanks for posting.
js
Gillian White
news:BC53E5F4.2135A%jea...@bookschlepper.com...
> Glamis was the home of the QM's family, not the royal family.
I'm perfectly aware of that, having been there several times. I meant
employers as in the Earl and Countess, not a member of the royal family.
Gillian
Mrs.H
> in article 0PsXb.3742$tL3....@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net, Mrs.H at
> annaha...@earthlink.net wrote on 2/14/04 12:22 PM:
>
> > Tee, I found this today while doing a search on Queen Victoria --
> >
> > During the descent, four members of his group fell to their deaths. One
man,
> > Douglas Hadow, slipped, pulling off three others.
In the Matt Laur interview, the director of tourism said that DH "became ill
and looked down than threw himself of the mountain taking the other men with
him."
> > In 1871, Whymper gave his account of the >story in a best-selling book
titled
> > Scrambles Amongst the Alps.
> > Mrs.H
>
>
> Very interesting. Thanks for posting.
>
> js
> ===========
You're welcome.
Susan Cohen
>
> > That story has been around for yonks,
> mine
> > hasn't.
> > Mrs.H
> > ==========
> At least not on AGR.
Your posting is the first I*'ve* ever seen.
SusanC
grumblebug
> "Mrs.H" <annaha...@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:<qkdXb.2848$tL3....@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net>...
> > On the Today show - Where in the World is Matt Laur. 10th Feb
> >
> > According to Roland Imboden, director of tourism in Zermatt, Switzerland --
> > there is a story that Queen Victoria upon hearing of the deaths of 4
> > climbers - 2 British, as they descended down the Matterhorn, said that she
> > "thought it is so stupid to climb mountains" and wanted PM Chamberlain to
> > "create a law to say it is forbidden to climb mountains."
> > Mrs.H.
>
> This is odd. I believe that QV climbed at least one Scottish mountain
> near Balmoral - I believe I read it in one of Hamish Brown's books
> "Hamish's Mountain Walk" - but lack of proper indexing makes this hard
> to confirm. Of course, east Scottish mountains are less fearsome than
> the Matterhorn, at least in summer when the RF are there.
I know it's not done to reply to one's own post, but I can't see where
else to put this. I thought there was something fishy about this
story.
[begin quote]
Carn A'Chlamain remained. It was Queen Victoria's first Munro - the
first of quite a bag.
[end quote] pp.118-119 from Hamish's Mountain Walk (H Brown, Paladin,
1978). A pity he doesn't give more details but doubtless the Highland
Journals would give more clues. A Munro is a Scottish Mountain over
3000 ft, btw - nothing compared to the Alps but you're generally
climbing them from near sea level, and they require a lot of effort, I
can tell you, and though only one requires actual rock-climbing
several others can put you in scary situations - though usually ones
further west than Deeside.
So I can't believe that QV would want something made illegal that
she'd actually done herself - unless she was making a distinction
between rock-climbing and summit-bagging. Difficult too to see how any
British law could be made to apply to British citizens abroad. Could
this actually be a remark of some other Queen contemporaneous with a
Chamberlain - Alexandra, Mary or the QM?
> The PM can't have been Chamberlain, because both Austen and Neville C
> were C20th politicians. In any case, a constitutional monarch isn't
> supposed to intervene in these matters. The nearest she came was when
> she allegedly refused to consider legislation against lesbianism, on
> the grounds that it didn't exist. (Difficult to see how they could've
> worded it anyway.) No source, just my memory, but doubtless someone
> can provide one.
Come on AGR-ers, someone must have a source for this one!
> Oliver
poetman
>Feminists believe in equal opportunities . . . [it] has nothing to do with
any man or woman's appreciation or lack thereof for gossip.
Thank you, Adrav - and congratulations on being the only person alert enough
to pass my "let's see who's awake' test by spotting the deliberate mistake.
Well done!
poetman
>Oh, the old turkey baster story. That story has been around for yonks . . .
Well, I have been thinking more about this business of Elizabeth and
Margaret being conceived by artificial insemination, as claimed by the
author of that book. While sitting in church today listening to the priest
babble on about what Peter said and what Luke said, my mind lost interest
and wandered back to this very subject. I cannot seem to fathom exactly how
an impotent man can become a father - and the only details supplied by the
authoress is that George VI couldn't rise to the occasion because of
nervousness borne from a stutter combined with stomach ulcers. So from where
did the gynaecologist obtain the seed that he injected into the Queen
Mother's uterus - or rather: how was the seed taken from George? I keep
thinking of a wildlife programme I saw with David Attenborough, which dealt
with how near extinction the gorilla is becoming. To ensure a pregnancy from
a male of the species suffering from a low libido they shot the reluctant
ape with a dart containing sedative. To extract a specimen of sperm they
inserted a rubbery sausage-shaped anal intruder deep into the sleepy
gorilla's rectum. The tip of this gadjet housed a small electrode that
emitted weak electric shocks - and this appliance massaged the gorilla's
prostate gland while simultaneously administering small electric shocks of
about 30 volts. The sphincter ring-muscle had been lubricated with axle
grease prior to the gadjet's insertion, and now it started to contract, and
this in turn stimulated erectile tissue in the penile area into becoming
engorged with blood. Gentle squeezing of the scrotum by one of the
assistants then produced an involuntary erection, and seminal fluid started
to leak from the creature's manhood. All of a sudden, and to the glee of
those present, the gorilla's eyes opened and its beady eye-balls started
rolling about like marbles on a plate. A sterile receptacle was held in
front of the huge ape, and then, giving out a mighty groan, it's backside
jerked like a jack-hammer and it shot its load. Do you think it was
something like this they did with The Queen's dad?
Mrs.H
Oh well, for awhile there I thought you were going to be a really
interesting poster of some quality, even bringing in some balance that's
needed in here.
Mrs.H
Wull
Who cares how they did it or if it was done at
all?
She is the Queen, had parents and had her own
children. C'est tout.
I do not know you at all and have read very few of
your posts.
So I don't want to start a hoorah with you.
Your gorilla post is not even worthy of an OT,
IMO.
Wull
-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
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Mrs.H
"Wull" <wjma...@datarecall.net> wrote in message
news:402FAE8D...@datarecall.net...
> Postman, is all this necessary?
> Who cares how they did it or if it was done at
> all?
>
> She is the Queen, had parents and had her own
> children. C'est tout.
>
> I do not know you at all and have read very few of
> your posts.
> So I don't want to start a hoorah with you.
>
> Your gorilla post is not even worthy of an OT,
> IMO.
>
> Wull
Well, Wull, I did say we discuss everything here from soup to nuts, but of
course I didn't mean those kind of nuts. ;)
Mrs.H
Jean Sue Libkind
Gillia...@nospampleasethanksmail.com wrote on 2/14/04 3:19 PM:
I know you know; I was only making the point for some of the newer posters
who may have seen the story as another slam at the Windsors.
Is Glamis worth a stop?? Have you been to Castle Mey? Is it worth it?
js
Jean Sue Libkind
wrote on 2/15/04 10:59 AM:
Next Sunday, at the Oscars, I'm sure you'll get the award for Most
Disingenuous Performance.
Gillian White
> I know you know; I was only making the point for some of the newer posters
> who may have seen the story as another slam at the Windsors.
Oakey doakey :-)
> Is Glamis worth a stop?? Have you been to Castle Mey? Is it worth it?
It's worth a stop if you're a fan of The Queen Mother. Every stately home
I've been to in Scotland inevitably has one room dedicated to photos and
stories of the family who own it, and the room at Glamis is fairly
overflowing with details of its royal connection. You can see the room where
Princess Margaret was born, if you like that kind of thing. The parkland
surrounding the house is beautiful, and the tiny chapel is very lovely. You
can take the organised tour with a guide, and the quality of your visit will
depend very much on which guide you get - some are far more knowledgeable
than others!
I have seen Castle Mey from the outside, but have never been in it, because
it was closed to the public when we were there. It's in a very remote part
of Scotland, and is not easy to get to. However, if you do travel up that
far north, you must pay a visit to Dunrobin Castle on the way, because it's
amazing.
Gillian
grumblebug
Could you give some sources for this please, as it contradicts what
I've found out about QV?
Mrs.H
"grumblebug"
>
> Could you give some sources for this please, as it contradicts what
> I've found out about QV?
http://outside.away.com/magazine/200005/200005hardway4.html
Mrs.H
Susan Cohen
Nah. Best Performances have to be believable.
SusanC
>
grumblebug
> "grumblebug"
> >
> > Could you give some sources for this please, as it contradicts what
> > I've found out about QV?
> =============
>
> http://outside.away.com/magazine/200005/200005hardway4.html
>
> Mrs.H
Thanks for that. It doesn't give any reference for QV's wish to ban
climbing but at least the horrific incident puts it in context. The PM
could not have been Chamberlain - he was 1937-40, his half-brother
Austen was prominent from 1903 onwards, but in 1865 their father was
not yet Mayor of Bitmingham. In 1865 it is most likely to have been
Gladstone or Disraeli - most likely the latter because he flattered
her "We Authors, ma'am" whereas she couldn't stand the former: "He
speaks to me as if I were a public meeting".
I don't know if Victoria was climbing Scottish mountains by 1865 but
Balmoral was already bought. It was after Albert died that she spent
more time there, yet Disraeli knew of the Journals and he died (or at
any rate stopped being PM) relatively early.
I suspect that she was making a distinction between rock climbing and
hill walking, which she did herself. I gave up rock climbing decades
ago when I first took out life insurance and was astonished by what it
would add to the premiums. More risky even than smoking!
Oliver
grumblebug
> "Jean Sue Libkind" <jea...@bookschlepper.com> wrote in message
> news:BC5524DA.21415%jea...@bookschlepper.com...
>
> > I know you know; I was only making the point for some of the newer posters
> > who may have seen the story as another slam at the Windsors.
>
> Oakey doakey :-)
>
> > Is Glamis worth a stop?? Have you been to Castle Mey? Is it worth it?
I know you're coming to GB this summer, Jean Sue, but beware that the
distances to Castle of Mey (and Dunrobin, below) are epic, at least in
British terms where almost everywhere is a day's drive or less from
everywhere else. So it'd better be open (closed when I was there.)
Glamis isn't too remote - not far from other royal Scottish sites like
Scone, Dunfermline and Edinburgh. But it's spooky. Anyone else here
recall the story of the room with a window but no door, wherein was
kept "something so horrible, that should any man see it, he'd ne'er
forget it for the rest of his life"?
Oliver
Sacha
pmhand...@yahoo.ie3f3a5c67.0402160522.52615ec6@posting.google.com
> "Gillian White" <Gillia...@nospampleasethanksmail.com> wrote in message
> news:<BaPXb.517319$ts4.377115@pd7tw3no>...
>> "Jean Sue Libkind" <jea...@bookschlepper.com> wrote in message
>> news:BC5524DA.21415%jea...@bookschlepper.com...
>>
>>> I know you know; I was only making the point for some of the newer posters
>>> who may have seen the story as another slam at the Windsors.
>>
>> Oakey doakey :-)
>>
>>> Is Glamis worth a stop?? Have you been to Castle Mey? Is it worth it?
>
> I know you're coming to GB this summer, Jean Sue, but beware that the
> distances to Castle of Mey (and Dunrobin, below) are epic, at least in
> British terms where almost everywhere is a day's drive or less from
> everywhere else. So it'd better be open (closed when I was there.)
> Glamis isn't too remote - not far from other royal Scottish sites like
> Scone, Dunfermline and Edinburgh. But it's spooky. Anyone else here
> recall the story of the room with a window but no door, wherein was
> kept "something so horrible, that should any man see it, he'd ne'er
> forget it for the rest of his life"?
>
> Oliver
<snip>
Jean Sue has 'done' inaccessible. She and her husband have stayed with us
twice and last time they even drove themselves here! ;-0
Isn't Glamis supposed to be the inspiration for Macbeth?
Gillian White
news:BC568B2B.1593F%sa...@gardenweeds506.fsnet.co.uk...
> Jean Sue has 'done' inaccessible. She and her husband have stayed with us
> twice and last time they even drove themselves here! ;-0
> Isn't Glamis supposed to be the inspiration for Macbeth?
Yep, it is. The other one is Cawdor Castle near Inverness - Thane of Cawdor
and all that...
Gillian
grumblebug
Devon is positively metropolitan compared to Caithness - 4 lane
highways almost to your door. (So is Glamis btw). The single-track
switchbacks in NW Scotland are something else. We've been to
Ardnamurchan Point and to some dead-end glens in the North-West
Highlands - pretty hairy drives, but worth it. The A9 is not so bad,
but it's l-o-n-g!
AFAICR one of the MacBeth characters (MacDuff?) is Thane of Glamis.
Somebody look it up. But surely Glamis Castle wasn't built back then?
Gillian White
news:3f3a5c67.04021...@posting.google.com...
> AFAICR one of the MacBeth characters (MacDuff?) is Thane of Glamis.
> Somebody look it up. But surely Glamis Castle wasn't built back then?
The castle was originally a royal hunting lodge, owned by the Scottish
crown. It has been occupied in one form or another since 1372, when Sir John
Lyon of Forteviot was granted the Thaneage of Glamis by King Robert II. Sir
John was married to the King's daughter, Princess Joanna.
Shakespeare is not known to have visited the Castle, but once travelled to
Aberdeen as part of a theatre company, and may have heard about the castle
during his journey. He may also have met the first Earl of Kingshorne, who
was a member of James I & VI's court.
Gillian
Mrs.H
news:<aTPXb.4911$tL3...@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net>...
> > "grumblebug"
> > >
> > > Could you give some sources for this please, as it contradicts what
> > > I've found out about QV?
> > =============
> >
> > http://outside.away.com/magazine/200005/200005hardway4.html
> >
> > Mrs.H
>
> Thanks for that. It doesn't give any reference for QV's wish to ban
> climbing
No just that one liner. I wonder if Whympers "Scrambles Amongst the Alps"
would give more information.
=========
Mrs>H
Mrs.H
news:<aTPXb.4911$tL3...@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net>...
> > "grumblebug"
> > >
> > > Could you give some sources for this please, as it contradicts what
> > > I've found out about QV?
> > =============
> >
> > http://outside.away.com/magazine/200005/200005hardway4.html
> >
> > Mrs.H
>
> Thanks for that. It doesn't give any reference for QV's wish to ban
> climbing but at least the horrific incident puts it in context. The PM
> could not have been Chamberlain - he was 1937-40, his half-brother
> Austen was prominent from 1903 onwards, but in 1865 their father was
> not yet Mayor of Bitmingham. In 1865 it is most likely to have been
> Gladstone or Disraeli
No, Lord Palmerston till 1868 then Gladstone.
Mrs.H
Jean Sue Libkind
Gillia...@nospampleasethanksmail.com wrote on 2/15/04 1:49 PM:
> I have seen Castle Mey from the outside, but have never been in it, because
> it was closed to the public when we were there. It's in a very remote part
> of Scotland, and is not easy to get to. However, if you do travel up that
> far north, you must pay a visit to Dunrobin Castle on the way, because it's
> amazing.
I've seen photos of Dunrobin and it looks fantastic. Not sure how far north
we'll get; still settling on an itinerary. Who knew there would be so much
to see.....
js
Jean Sue Libkind
handy...@yahoo.ie wrote on 2/16/04 8:22 AM:
> I know you're coming to GB this summer, Jean Sue, but beware that the
> distances to Castle of Mey (and Dunrobin, below) are epic, at least in
> British terms where almost everywhere is a day's drive or less from
> everywhere else. So it'd better be open (closed when I was there.)
> Glamis isn't too remote - not far from other royal Scottish sites like
> Scone, Dunfermline and Edinburgh. But it's spooky. Anyone else here
> recall the story of the room with a window but no door, wherein was
> kept "something so horrible, that should any man see it, he'd ne'er
> forget it for the rest of his life"?
>
> Oliver
Thanks. We in the States tend to think that everything on the "Island" is a
few hours, at most, from everywhere else. Even the experience of an all-day
drive in Wales hasn't stamped that into my little head.
Do they provide a ladder to see the horribility?
js
Jean Sue Libkind
> Devon is positively metropolitan compared to Caithness - 4 lane
> highways almost to your door. (So is Glamis btw). The single-track
> switchbacks in NW Scotland are something else. We've been to
> Ardnamurchan Point and to some dead-end glens in the North-West
> Highlands - pretty hairy drives, but worth it. The A9 is not so bad,
> but it's l-o-n-g!
Not where Sacha is <LOL>
We had single lane roads with twelve foot hedge-rows and those little
indents that you have to back up into when someone else is coming... all
very interesting when you're on the wrong side of the road to begin with.
But I have a feeling our days will be full enough without going to the wild
braes and dins (or whatever).
js
Jean Sue Libkind
Gillia...@nospampleasethanksmail.com wrote on 2/16/04 3:28 PM:
Isn't Glamis also haunted?
js
Mrs.H
"grumblebug"
> Devon is positively metropolitan compared to Caithness - 4 lane
> highways almost to your door. (So is Glamis btw). The single-track
> switchbacks in NW Scotland are something else. We've been to
> Ardnamurchan Point and to some dead-end glens in the North-West
> Highlands - pretty hairy drives, but worth it. The A9 is not so bad,
> but it's l-o-n-g!
>
> AFAICR one of the MacBeth characters (MacDuff?) is Thane of Glamis.
> Somebody look it up. But surely Glamis Castle wasn't built back then?
http://www.strathmore-estates.co.uk/
Mrs.H
Gillian White
> Isn't Glamis also haunted?
It's rumoured to be haunted, yes. However, that might have more to do with
the PR department than the history department :-) Also, you'd be hard pushed
to find an ancient house or castle in Britain that doesn't have at least one
ghost.
Gillian
Gillian White
> I've seen photos of Dunrobin and it looks fantastic. Not sure how far
north
> we'll get; still settling on an itinerary. Who knew there would be so much
> to see.....
If you do go, the drive up is well worth it. We left Inverness very early in
the morning, and crossed over the Dornoch Firth before the mist had lifted.
You couldn't see the bridge until you were actually on it, and we must have
looked like we were driving through thin air :-).
If you make it to Dunrobin, remember to look out for the Duke of
Sutherland's infamous statue. You can't miss it!
Gillian
Sacha
pmGilli...@nospampleasethanksmail.comB49Yb.516819$JQ1.486604@pd7tw1no
That's it. Thanks, Gillian. Shades of my long ago school days and trips to
Stratford and Ludgrove..... ;-)
Sacha
pmhand...@yahoo.ie3f3a5c67.0402161148.21e01ed5@posting.google.com
Gillian has answered the latter point about Glamis.
One thing we warn all visitors and especially American visitors with their
excellent roads back home, is that our distances are much greater than they
appear. About 3 years ago, we stayed in a small hotel near Falmouth and the
proprietor said he'd had American guests who had stayed one night and
intended to 'do' Penzance, Truro and the Eden Project and get back to London
the same day. While it all looks close on the map, it's a nightmare in
reality. From here to Dartmouth by road can take us nearly an hour -
single lane twisty, narrow road, heaps of traffic.
While the actual lane leading to us is proverbial Devon, one of the best
things about our location is being 2.5 miles off the A38 and equidistant
between Exeter and Plymouth - not just good for us but good for the business
angle.
Gillian White
> One thing we warn all visitors and especially American visitors with their
> excellent roads back home, is that our distances are much greater than
they
> appear.
Indeed. When American friends of ours visited Scotland for my wedding in
1998, they thought they would have to fly in to London, because it was
'only' 400 miles away. Needless to say, they were very pleased to discover
the nearest airport was actually half an hour down the road.
Gillian
Sacha
pmGilli...@nospampleasethanksmail.com2ObYb.532546$X%5.291844@pd7tw2no
I remember an American friend who had never been to Britain asking me why
the RF couldn't drive from London to Balmoral and back in a day.
When we were in USA, we were warned (rightly) that Highway 1 is a twisty
death trap in parts but compared to the same distance (LA to San Fran)
Highway 1 is not only a real glory in visual terms but a doddle compared to
some of our roads. We never had to reverse out of anyone else's path, for a
start and the road is beautifully maintained.
We are quite accustomed to people arriving at the Nursery and saying "is
there an easier way out of here" to which the answer is "maybe by
helicopter." Myself, I can never see the problem, possibly because I grew
up in a small island where the roads are at least as narrow if not more so.
You meet a car coming towards you, or a tractor and trailer or a combine
harvester or whatever - you back up to the nearest possible parking space
and continue on your merry way. We count it lucky if we only have to do
this three times on a trip to our nearest towns and a near miracle if we
don't have to do it at all. We try to avoid going out during school run
time, though. Those mums are in SUCH a hurry! ;-)
Interestingly, some of our customers from further away think nothing of
hurtling down motorways at 70mph (or more) with other large, fast chunks of
metal a matter of maybe 4' from themselves but ask them to back up in a
country lane........... ;-)
grumblebug
> Gillian
There was one once but the Tourist Boards and the Stately Homes
associations ganged up on them so they suddenly found one.
grumblebug
No, it's just a legend. This was from a TV program a mere 30 or 40
years ago, but nobody else seems to remember it. Apparently a party
once tested this by counting all the windows from the interior, then
from the outside finding there was one more. But they'd been drinking,
and couldn't work out which it was. I've never heard this story since.
No longer in the guides.
poetman
>Who cares how they did it . . .?
Matters concerning royal lineage is of paramount importance; one needs to
have absolute guarantee that seed involved in conception was produced solely
by the king - or future king. Viagra had not been invented in those days, so
if the king was unable to perform the act, as is claimed in Kitty Kelley's
book, the consequences could be catastrophic. I have now discussed this
business with a lady who runs the corner shop and she gave me her theory on
what happened. She said that impotent men are similar to celibate monks,
inasmuch as their bodies are forced to retain the seed it produces. It is a
fact, she said, that this accumulation of seed does not just evaporate - it
has to be ejected somehow or other. She said that nature takes care of this
build-up in the form of nocturnal emissions - or so-called 'wet dreams', as
the layman may call it. She likened it to when water filling a faulty
cistern reaches the overflow pipe - it is a sort of safety valve. She said
that the Queen probably dipped a finger into it and manually gave one or two
sperms a chance to meet the egg as it slid down one of her fallopian tubes.
After hearing this I had to agree that this method of achieving conception
seemed far more dignified than the 'gorilla' method. I am sure that this is
how it was done.