Rampant Scotland Sun 28 Nov 99
RMBlack
Once again I am posting the Rampant Scotland Newsletter.
It is FREE to all subscribers every week from "Scottie".
It is a very well produced Newsletter covering all aspect of Scottish
daily life and living. I would urge you all to subscribe to it.
The web version at http://www.RampantScotland.com/letter.htm
is "pure dead brilliant".
If you would like to receive your own copy direct from Scotland, just send
an
email to sco...@cqm.co.uk with "Subscribe" in the subject line.
Cheers
The Glenallan
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Rampant Scotland Newsletter - Issue Number 137, dated 27 November 1999.
Your weekly insight into what has been happening in Scotland, snipped from
the Scottish media - plus some elements of Scottish culture.
A Web version of this Newsletter, with some graphics and newspaper-style
layout is available at http://www.RampantScotland.com/letter.htm
If you have been passed a copy of this Newsletter by someone else, but
would like to receive your own copy direct from Scotland, just send an
email to sco...@cqm.co.uk with "Subscribe" in the subject line.
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CURRENT AFFAIRS
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This week, the following issues were debated in the Scottish Parliament:
~ a series of ambitious targets over the next 10/20 years to end poverty
and unemployment in Scotland and guarantee financial security for older
people were announced, together with a series of shorter-term milestones.
~ "Freedom of Information" legislation was unveiled. This will create the
post of a "Freedom of Information Commissioner" who will have the power to
force the disclosure of documents held by the Scottish Executive,
parliamentary committees and public bodies. Equivalent legislation in
England and Wales will only allow the Commissioner to "recommend"
disclosure and will have a large number of areas excluded. However, the
Scottish Executive will retain the power to veto any release of
information.
~ a draft code of conduct for Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) was
agreed. This includes how they should conduct relations with lobbying
firms.
~ a strategy to provide support for unpaid "carers" - those who look after
disabled relatives at home - was announced. Additional financial help is to
be made available and local authorities will be required to report to
Parliament that carers' groups and health boards are satisfied with the way
the money is spent.
~ ministers were accused of hypocrisy over plans to encourage the use of
public transport. A survey had revealed that 60% of the administrative
staff of the Scottish executive working in Leith, travel to work by car.
Red Card for Member of the Scottish Parliament
Conservative MSPs, who held up a red card when the Nationalist spokesman on
transport and the environment stood up in parliament this week, were
rebuked by the presiding officer who said "I am the only person allowed to
show a red card here." The bantering incident arose because last week Kenny
MacAskill had been arrested (but subsequently not charged) for being drunk
and disorderly before the Scotland v England football international in
London. "All a misunderstanding" said MacAskill. However, he startled the
other MSPs by saying "I am resigning with immediate effect...." But he then
went on to say "..as bus convenor of the Tartan Army."
Bank of Scotland Takeover Clears Hurdle
The hostile takeover bid by Bank of Scotland for National Westminster Bank
(Natwest), one of England's largest banks, will not be referred by the
government to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission as it is not considered
to be "anti-competitive." A few days after this announcement, Bank of
Scotland raised their bid from 22 billion pounds to 27.6 billion (US$45.5
billion). There has been speculation that the Royal Bank of Scotland might
launch a competitive bid for Natwest. This week, the Royal confirmed that
their chairman, Viscount Younger, is to retire and their current chief
executive, Sir George Mathewson will become the new chairman. The Royal
Bank was the first Scottish company to make profits of over a billion
pounds. The takeover timetable for NatWest means that the Royal has to
lodge a counter bid by 8 December, at the latest.
Scotsman on the Move
After 95 years in an ornate, baroque building on Edinburgh's North Bridge,
overlooking Prince Street, the Scotsman newspaper, which was founded in
1817, is moving to a new building at Holyrood Road - overlooking the new
Scottish Parliament building being built nearby. Their existing
13-storey-high building is to be converted into an up-market hotel called,
appropriately enough, "The Scotsman." As the new owners pointed out, with
the Scotsman name carved on the front of the listed building, what else
could they have called it?
Yarrow Yard Wins Destroyer Contract
There was delight (and some relief) that Yarrow's shipyard on the Clyde had
been awarded a 35 million pound Ministry of Defence contract to build a
Type-45 destroyer for the Royal Navy. It will secure the jobs for 2,000
workers in the shipyard for years to come, with the prospect of further
orders - a total of twelve of these ships will be required. There was also
hope that some of the work on two new aircraft carriers could be carried
out at the beleaguered Kvaerner yard, also on Clydeside.
Job Losses in Oil Platform Construction Yards
The fabrication yards at Ardesier and Nigg are to lay off over 3,000
workers as the yards are effectively put on a "care and maintenance" basis
due to lack of orders for North Sea oil platforms. Workers come from a wide
area in the north of Scotland. Highlands and Islands Enterprise were
nevertheless surprisingly positive about the situation, saying that the
area had experienced downturns before, and bounced back.
Scotrail Promise Improvements
Ever since Scotrail increased the frequency of the train service between
Edinburgh and Glasgow from every 30 minutes to every 15 minutes, there have
been persistent delays because of the late delivery of the new rolling
stock. But Scotrail say that they now have taken delivery of nine of the
new trains and once staff training is completed, probably next week, they
will be brought into service.
Postal Strike
1100 postal workers in Glasgow went on unofficial strike on Thursday,
bringing postal collections and deliveries to a standstill over the whole
of the West of Scotland. They were protesting against Christmas working
arrangements, which they said were inferior to the deal being offered to
postal workers in Edinburgh. The main sorting office in Glasgow handles 1.5
million items a day. The men returned to work on Friday after they accepted
a revised deal. It will be a few days before workers can deal with the
backlog of mail.
Flagship Building Opens
British Telecom's new 50 million pound high-tech building at Atlantic Quay,
overlooking the river Clyde in the centre of Glasgow was officially opened
this week by the First Minister, Donald Dewar. The building will house
1,400 BT workers in a purpose-built building called Alexander Bain House,
named after the Caithness-born inventor who is recognised as the father of
the modern fax machine.
Standard Life Bank Building
The banking arm of Standard Life (the largest mutual insurance company in
Europe") has been growing so rapidly that it is having to rent a 60,000
square feet office block which is being constructed close to its huge
existing head office in the centre of Edinburgh. "Caledonian Exchange" will
house the existing 1,200 staff and have room to grow to 1,700. The bank
launched its telephone mortgage service at the start of 1999 and expects to
have 4 billion of house loans on its books by the end of the year.
Clyde Runs Dry - Nearly
The level of the river Clyde which flows through Glasgow fell by 20 feet
this week due to what was described as a "technical hitch" which kept the
tidal gates open when they should have closed. There were concerns that the
drop, from 30 feet to 10 feet, might cause river banks, normally held in
place by the weight of water, to collapse. The last time this occurred, in
1974, a pub fell into the river (which at least helped to add some fluid to
the river....).
There Once Was An Ugly.... Rabbit?
When one of the rabbits in the children's section at Glasgow Zoo rejected
the smallest of her offspring in a litter of eight babies, keepers decided
to put him in a pen with some ducklings which had just hatched. Mother duck
Delilah looked a bit askance at first, but as the rabbit snuggled up for
warmth, her maternal instincts took over and the rabbit - named Moses -
became one of the family. The duck and her brood, with its big-eared
member, is now a star attraction in the Zoo's Nativity Experience section
which opened recently.
Bank Cash Machine Blown Up
A Bank of Scotland through-the-wall cash dispenser in the Ayrshire town of
Irvine resisted an attack by thieves who attempted to blow out the front of
the machine. Although the frontage of the machine was blown off, the cash
safe is designed to resist such attacks. More conventional attempts at bank
robberies have declined considerably in recent years as countermeasures
have been put in place. One of the most successful system is a "smoke and
dye" pack which is inserted in notes handed over during a robbery. This
explodes with purple smoke and dye which drenches all the notes. The
robbers this get a purple face as well as a red one!
Second Bravery Medal for Policeman
A police sergeant in Inverness who disobeyed orders and jumped into the
fast-flowing river Ness to save a drowning man, was awarded a medal for his
bravery this week. Sergeant Peter Wemyss has already been decorated for an
earlier life saving incident in the same river.
Oldest Department Store Takes Off
Jenners, the venerable and well-loved department store on Edinburgh's
Princes Street is to open a branch at Edinburgh Airport. The Edinburgh
institution opened its first satellite last year at the Royal Yacht
Britannia, in Leith. The main Jenners store is housed in a rambling corner
site on Princes Street. The greatest fear that customers have is that some
whizz-kid marketing expert will "modernise" it and spoil its character.
Lifeboat for Lighthouse
The "Lighthouse" building in the centre of Glasgow, which was designed by
Charles Rennie Mackintosh, was the centre-piece of the city's "Year of
Architecture" festival. It was converted into exhibition and retail space
at a cost of 12 million pounds (US$19.8 million). However, lack of tenants
in the retail portion of the building and low visitor numbers, has resulted
in the project requiring a further 200,000 pounds (US$330,000) of subsidy
from the city council, amid criticism that the project should have taken a
more "populist" approach. The city's Year of Culture in 1990 had featured
the Bolshoi Ballet (populist?) and Frank Sinatra.The Lighthouse had 150,000
visitors in the first five months after it had opened.
Boticelli Masterpiece Stays in Scotland
The National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh has purchased the "Madonna
and Child", by the Italian Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli
(c.1445-1510). The painting had been put up for sale by the Earl of Wemyss
and there had been concerns that it would go to an overseas buyer. But the
10.25 million (US$17.3 million) was raised in less than three weeks from
the National Lottery Heritage fund, private benefactors, banks and the
Scottish Executive. It was described by the director of the National
Gallery as "A very beautiful painting".
Stamps for the Millennium
The UK Post Office is continuing its Millennium series of stamps with one
featuring the Seabird Centre at North Berwick. The Centre not only has lots
of birds on view on the mainland, it is also opposite the Bass Rock, a
volcanic island a few miles off the coast which is home to thousands of
seabirds, particularly a large colony of gannets.
Bakeover for Meat Pies
A Scotch pie is a pastry shell filled with minced meat (usually mutton). It
is an unpretentious, low-cost, popular snack, much favoured by fast food
outlets at football (soccer) matches. But 100 makers of Scotch pies have
formed an association, the Scotch Pie Club, and recently held the "World
Scotch Pie Championships." The winner of the championship, selected from
the 60 entries (including one from Northumberland in England), was John
Davies, a butcher from Bo'ness. He can now label his pies "World Champion"
for a year... The Pie Club have started a campaign to have the Scotch pie
recognised as a gourmet delicacy. Since haggis has cornered the market at
Burns Suppers, they have suggested it should be associated with St Andrew's
Day (which, as all readers will know, is next week, on 30 November).
Rarest Whisky for Sale
A bottle of the rarest malt whisky is being auctioned this week. It is one
of only 12 bottles of Macallan from 1926 which was bottled 60 years later
with a label designed by the Italian artist Valerio Adami. A similar bottle
was sold for 12,000 pounds (US$20,000) in 1996.
Sweetie Capital of the World
The Scots eat more sweets (candies) than any other country of the world.
That was the claim of the writer of the "Oxford Companion to Food" who has
fallen for soor plooms and Hawick balls. But the British Dental association
commented "Sweets have no nutritional value and sugary things make for a
poor dental record." Bah! Humbugs!
Children's Ultimate Sacrifice - No Sweeties at School
Tackling the dental health of their pupils head on, Kilmuir Primary School
in Skye banned the children from bringing sweets (candies) to school. The
school also set up a tuck shop selling fruit, fruit juice and low-sugar
snacks. That was 18 months ago and now the figures show that the number of
children needing dental treatment has fallen dramatically from 90% to 66%.
Whether this situation in a rural community can be followed in other parts
of Scotland remains to be seen.
Light From Planet Orbiting Distant Star Detected
The Department of Astronomy at St Andrews University claim that they have
detected the light reflected from a planet orbiting the star Tau Bootes, 50
light years from the solar system. A planet had previously been detected
at this star from the "wobble" in its location and an orbit calculated.
Using the William Herschel telescope in the Canary Islands, the university
astronomers then subtracted the spectrum of the star from the variable
light coinciding with the planet's orbit. This is the first time that the
light from a planet has been measured.
October Weather Statistics
The Scottish Meteorological Office have now published the aggregate weather
statistics for October. Most places were around half a degree centigrade
above the seasonal average. Sunshine was around normal, except in the
north-east which saw only 80% of their usual quota of sunshine. The month
was drier than usual - in the south of the country only 50% of the expected
rainfall appeared. Only Shetland got its usual amount of rain. The highest
temperature recorded in October was 19C (66F) in Dunbar and the lowest
temperature (overnight) was -4C (25F) at Carnwath in Lanarkshire. The month
ended with strong, gale-force winds with gusts of over 77mph in the Western
Isles and in the mountains of Cairngorm. The storms brought heavy
precipitation and Tyndrum, in Stirlingshire had over 3 inches of rain on
the last day of the month.
Weather in Scotland This Week
The cold snap of the previous week came to an end and milder weather
returned. Even so, the highest temperature was only 13C/55F, recorded at
Prestwick on the Ayrshire coast. Most places were dull and cloudy for much
of the week, apart from Monday. On the other hand, rainfall was light in
most of Scotland. Tiree, in the western isles, did have 1.5" of rain on
Tuesday and there were showers in the east on Friday. There were also
gale-force winds on Friday, with winds gusting to 70-80mph on exposed areas
in the west.
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HISTORICAL AFFAIRS - Topical Items from Scotland's Past
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Replica Monymusk Replica
A silversmith has worked for a year to produce a replica of the 8th century
casket known as the "Monymusk Reliquary." The original, which is on display
at the Museum of Scotland, was believed to contain a bone relic of St
Columba. It was used to bless troops before battle - such as before
Bannockburn in 1314. The replica is to be displayed beside the original at
the Museum of Scotland.
New Poem by Hugh MacDiarmid Found
An unpublished poem written 60 years ago by Hugh MacDiarmid, considered by
some to be Scotland's greatest poet this century, has been discovered in
the archives of novelist and critic Catherine Carswell. The poem, written
in 1938, is a violent attack on the appeasement policy of Neville
Chamberlain, the UK Prime Minister who negotiated with Hitler in Munich at
that time.
Jacobite Day in Lancaster
Each year, the northern English town of Lancaster celebrates the two nights
in 1745 when Bonnie Prince Charlie and his army stayed in the town on their
way south (to eventually turn back at Derby). They serve haggis and
oatcakes as part of their festivities. But, at the same time, they
commemorate Lancaster's King's Own Regiment - which fought as part of the
Hanoverian forces which defeated the Jacobites at Culloden the following
year. Of course, in the middle ages, many northern English towns were
invaded by armies from the north, as the fortunes of war swung to and fro!
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ENTERTAINMENT
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Glasgow's Millennium Tickets Sell Out
Glasgow's Millennium celebrations are on a smaller scale than those in
Edinburgh "They are complementary" says the Lord Provost of Glasgow,
diplomatically. Nevertheless, the final 15,000 (free) tickets available for
the Glaswegian Ne'er day Party were distributed to long queues of
prospective revellers in George Square this week. The steady downpour of
rain did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of those waiting for one of the
precious bits of paper.
Skating in Princes Street
The re-opening of the skating rink in Prince Street Gardens, Edinburgh,
this week was marked by a skater dressing in 19th century clothes,
recreating the Raeburn painting of "The Rev Robert Walker Skating on
Duddingston Loch". The ice rink, part of the series of events for
Edinburgh's festive season, will remain open until 9 January. Last year,
the mild weather initially caused problems, turning the ice to slush.
Shine On Glasgow
A record number of 17,000 people turned up in Glasgow's George Square to
see the Christmas lights being switched on, accompanied by a fireworks
display. The switch-on was made by the Lord Provost, who has just returned
from a visit to Bethlehem. The city's festive season events are being
marketed under the marketing slogan "Shine On Glasgow".
Videos Launched for Christmas
Three popular Scottish entertainers jointly launched their latest Christmas
videos this week. They feature Andy Cameron (raconteur and jokester), Ally
McCoist, (footballer and chat show host) and Jonathan Watson (actor and
comedian who performs in a take-off of football entitled "Only a Game?").
Nigel Tranter at 90
Prolific Scottish author Nigel Tranter (he has written 120 books)
celebrated his 90th birthday this week. And he says that he has seven new
books in the pipeline, which he still types on an old manual typewriter.
Eurythmics Promote Greenpeace and Amnesty International
The proceeds from a concert given by the Eurythmics at the Scottish
Exhibition and Concert Centre in Glasgow next week will be donated to the
charities Greenpeace and Amnesty International. It is ten years since Annie
Lennox and Dave Stewart have performed as the Eurythmics in Scotland.
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SPORT
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Sunday and Mid-week Results
Hibernian 0 St Johnstone 1
Motherwell 2 Hearts 1
St Johnstone 1 Aberdeen 1
Rangers 2 Borussia Dortmund 0 (UEFA Cup, first leg)
Scottish Premier League Results - 27 November
Dundee United 1 St Johnstone 0
Hibernian 2 Aberdeen 0
Kilmarnock 2 Hearts 2
Motherwell v Celtic and Rangers v Dundee are being played on Sunday
Scottish League Division One Results - 27 November
Dunfermline 2 Clydebank 1
Falkirk 2 Raith Rovers 1
Greenock 0 Ayr United 0
Inverness 2 Airdrie 0
Livingstone 1 St Mirren 2
Rugby Results - 27 November
Currie 18 Heriot's 23
Gala 21 Melrose 23
Glasgow Hawks 27 Jed-Forest 8
Kelso 21 West of Scotland 16
Watsonians 36 Hawick 25
Scotland Manager Will Quit
If Scotland fail to reach the next football World Cup Finals, to be held in
Japan and Korea in 2002, the manager, Craig Brown, says he will step down.
His current contract runs to the end of 2001. He has been in charge of the
team since 1993 and is highly regarded by his peers. But the failure of
Scotland to reach the Euro 2000 finals has led to media speculation about
his position. But he says that if Scotland qualify for the World Cup finals
and he is asked to stay on, he would do so. He points out that in the
recent play-off against England, both teams won a match each and the
aggregate score was a close 2-1.
Rangers and Celtic Tickets on the Net
Rangers football club are selling match tickets on the Internet and Celtic
plans to do the same are well advanced. Fans often complain about having to
queue in all weathers to buy tickets for European games and for the "Old
Firm" matches. Credit card hotlines often have long waits - 3,500 people a
minute tried to phone the ticket office for tickets for the Rangers v
Borussia Dortmund match.
Full Sports Results
A full results and news service for Scottish football is available at
http://www.scottishfootball.com/
A full results service for shinty is available at
http://shinty.com/result.htm
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SCOTLAND THE WHAT?
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"A Wee Mindin' for the Heid Bummer"
The Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Sir David Steel, was
presented with a special gilt-edged, leather-bound copy of the Concise
Scottish Dictionary this week. The book was inscribed "A Wee Mindin' for
the Heid Bummer" (a small memento for the top man). The dictionary will be
placed in the Parliament's library. It was recently agreed that MSPs can
take the oath in Scots (or in English or Gaelic) when they are sworn in.
Some Scots words are used by Members but no-one there has yet become a
fluent speaker in the language.
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SCOTTISH QUOTATIONS
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When Keir Hardie, founder of the Scottish Labour Party, was elected to
Parliament in 1892, the former miner turned up at the House of Commons
dressed in ordinary working clothes and a cloth cap. The following
conversation is reputed to have been held between Hardie and the policeman
on duty:
"Are you working here?" said the policeman
"Yes" replied Hardie
"On the roof?"
"No. On the floor"
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SCOTTISH FORENAMES
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Each week we have a look at first names which are found in Scotland. Who
knows, it might be your name next!.
Owen - A Celtic name meaning "well born" which came to Scotland via
Dalriada when Eoghan ruled for 14 years. There was a later king of the
Picts, Uven, and in Strathclyde, Owen "The Bald" was killed in battle in
1018. The name is more popular in Wales (Owen Glendower fought for Welsh
independence against Henry IV in the 15th century) but nevertheless Owen
was still the 62nd most popular boys' given name in 1998.
Holly/Hollie - derived from the ever-green plant, this name only came into
use in the 20th century. It may have become more popular because it was
used in Galsworthy's "The Forsythe Saga" and the TV series based on the
novel. Holly is the 23rd most popular first name and Hollie the 98th.
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CLAN/FAMILY NAMES
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The clans and family histories which have appeared in this section over the
last few months have been assembled onto a separate Website which now
covers 20/30 different names. The URL is
http://scottishculture.About.com/Library/weekly/aa070199.htm
MacIntyre
This name is derived from the Gaelic "mac an-t saor" or "son of the
carpenter". Legend says that a nephew of Somerled, Lord of the Western
Isles, bored holes in a galley of King Olaf of Norway which were only
plugged when the king agreed to allow his daughter to marry Somerled. The
descendants of this "carpenter" settled on the shores of Loch Etive by Ben
Cruachan. But as a name based on a trade, it did not originate in just one
place. There were a number of MacIntyres in Lorne and Glencoe in the 14th
century. MacIntyres also had a tenancy agreement with the Campbells for
Glen Noe, annual payment being a snowball and a white calf. This was
converted to a monetary value in the 18th century but when they could no
longer pay this, the MacIntyres lost their land in Glen Noe. The clan chief
emigrated to America where the line continues.
One branch of the clan became hereditary foresters to the Stewarts and then
the Campbells and others were hereditary pipers to the chiefs of the clans
MacDonald and Menzies.
A number of MacIntyres became attached to the Stewarts of Appin and fought
under their banner at the Battle of Culloden. The MacIntyre clan chief was
prevailed upon by his Campbell neighbours (who were government supporters)
not to support the Jacobite Uprising but a number of his clan no doubt
slipped away to join Bonnie Prince Charlie. In the same battle at Culloden,
Duncan Ban MacIntyre, a fine Gaelic poet, fought on the Hanoverian side.
MacIntyre is now the 94th frequently registered surname in Scotland.
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THIS WEEK IN SCOTLAND IN 1939
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Each week we have a look at the impact of World War II, as reflected in the
local Scottish newspapers.
Enemy Raiders Over the Forth (Fife Advertiser, 2 December 1939)
Were Nazi aircraft, which flew low over the sea at the mouth of the Firth
of Forth early on Thursday morning, engaged in mine-laying?
There appeared to be five machines. Visibility at the time was fairly good,
although there were clouds through which the aeroplanes climbed and were
lost from view.
Later in the day sharp bursts of machine-gun fire were heard high in the
sky over the Forth, off Leven. Fighter aircraft on patrol spotted the
visitor and, following a chase in the clouds, the aircraft was identified
as a Heinkel, evidently on reconnaissance.
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FAMOUS SCOTS
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The notes on the famous Scots who have featured in this section of the
Newsletter over the last few months have now been gathered together on a
Web page at http://www.RampantScotland.com/famous.htm
Adam Smith (1723-1790)
Son of a customs officer who died before he was born, Adam Smith was raised
in Kirkcaldy. Amongst his friends in Kirkcaldy were the Adam brothers who
became famous architects. After attending grammar school there, he went to
Glasgow University - at the age of 14 - to study maths plus natural and
moral philosophy, afterwards going on to study at Oxford for seven years.
He returned to Scotland and did some lecturing at Edinburgh University.
This was so successful that he was appointed to the Chair of Logic at
Glasgow University at the age of 28. He became professor of moral
philosophy in the following year. Following a spell in Paris between 1764
and 1766 (where he met Voltaire and other philosophers) he returned to
Kirkcaldy and spent the next ten years writing his great work "An Inquiry
into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations" which was published in
1776. This was not only the first "modern" book on economics, it also
advocated free trade as the way to increase wealth. It was written in a
clear, understandable style and had considerable influence on William Pitt
the Younger who became Prime Minister in 1784. Smith was elected Lord
Rector of Glasgow University in 1787. Much of Smith's later work was burnt
after his death, at his request.
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SCOTTISH HUMOUR
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The jokes which have appeared in this section over the last few months have
been assembled onto a separate Scottish Humour Web Page at
http://www.RampantScotland.com/SCM/humour.htm
Scotland's unpredictable weather becomes more certain on the west coast,
especially in places such as Fort William, where, beneath Scotland's
highest mountain, Ben Nevis, it is more likely than not to be raining! This
has given rise to a number of jokes about the weather:
It only rains twice in Fort William - October to May, and June to
September
What comes after two straight days of rain in Fort William? Monday morning.
What do you call two weeks of rain in Fort William? An Indian Summer
"How do the locals predict the weather in Fort William? If you can see Ben
Nevis, it's going to rain. If you can't see Ben Nevis, it's raining.
"I can't believe it," said the tourist. "I've been here an entire week and
it's done nothing but rain. When do you have summer here?" "Well, that's
hard to say," replied the local. "Last year, it was on a Wednesday."
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SCOTTISH POETRY and SONG
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Following from the item above about rain in Fort William, here is a poem
written by a visitor to Mull which was published some time ago in the Oban
Times.
Mull Weather
It rained and rained and rained and rained
The average was well maintained
And when our fields were simply bogs
It started raining cats and dogs
After a drought of half an hour
There came a most refreshing shower
And then the queerest thing of all
A gentle rain began to fall
Next day 'twas pretty fairly dry
Save for a deluge from the sky
This wetted people to the skin
But after that the rain set in
We wondered what's the next we'd get
As sure as fate we got more wet
But soon we'll have a change again
And we shall have
A drop of rain
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BEST OF THE RECENT ADDITIONS TO RAMPANT SCOTLAND DIRECTORY
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Note that the sites which have been highlighted here each week for the last
two years have been gathered together into a "Sites in the Spotlight" Web
Page at http://www.RampantScotland.com/hot.htm
Virtual Mitchell http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/vm
Glasgow's Mitchell Library is one of the largest public reference libraries
in Europe. It also houses the City Archives. As part of an ongoing project
to make its resources more accessible, a selection of photographs and other
images of the city has been digitised and made available on the Net. A
fascinating collection if you have an interest in Glaswegiana.
Pheonix Choir http://www.phoenixchoir.org/
Dedicated to the famous choir which delighted audiences in Scotland and
abroad with such songs as "All on an April Evening". The site has
up-to-date information on concerts, recordings and events. Selected tracks
has been encoded using the Microsoft Advanced Streaming Format using the
Windows Media Player.
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SCOTTISH QUIZ
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Test your knowledge of Scotland with this weekly quiz on all aspects of
Scotland. Answers at the end of this Newsletter!
Q1 Who were the "Sobieski Stewarts"?
Q2 Who was the flower "Sweet William" named after?
Q3 How many women Members of the Scottish Parliament are there?
Q4 Who invented coal-gas lighting?
Q5 The entertainer Will Fyffe is well known for his song "I belong to
Glasgow." Where was he born?
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PLACES TO VISIT in SCOTLAND
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Note that the places to visit which have been highlighted here each week
have been gathered together into a "Places to Visit" Web Page at
http://scottishculture.About.com/Library/weekly/aa081599.htm
Museum of Transport, Glasgow
If you have an interest in old motor cars, steam trains, tram cars, buses
or ships, this is the place for you! It is located next door to the Kelvin
Hall (now a sports and recreation complex) and opposite the huge Art
Gallery and Museum at Kelvingrove. Like all of Glasgow's museums and
galleries, entrance is free. Lighting is good enough to allow you to take
photographs without the use of flash.
The main exhibition hall houses some of Glasgow's old transport from
horse-drawn coaches to tram cars and buses. Walk-ways allow you to get
close to the exhibits and in the case of some of the steam trains, to get
right inside the driver's cab.
The museum also has a large collection of vintage and more recent motor
cars. This is set out like a motor car show-room. Special exhibits include
a Glasgow to London mail coach, a gypsy caravan - and the caravan used by
the anti-nuclear protestors at Faslane!
Glasgow and the Clyde has had a long history of shipbuilding and the
companies involved often created detailed models of their ships. Many of
these have been collected by the Transport Museum and so the "Three Queens"
( Elizabeth I and II and Mary), warships, sailing ships - and Clyde
ferries, are all on display.
The collection of cycles and motor bikes includes the world's oldest
surviving example of a pedal cycle. The museum has also recreated a Glasgow
street of 1938 with period shop fronts, motor cars of the era parked on the
cobbled street- and a reconstruction of a Glasgow Underground station.
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SCOTTISH RECIPES
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Cock-a-Leekie Soup
This traditional soup, with prunes included in the ingredients, is
mentioned as early as the 16th century. It is often served at Burns Suppers
or St Andrew's Night Dinner (30 November) as well as an every-day soup in
winter. Some people omit the prunes though!
Ingredients:
1 boiling fowl, about 4lb, including legs and wings
1lb leeks (about 12) cleaned and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 pints stock or water
1oz long grained rice
4oz cooked, stoned prunes
Salt and pepper
Garni of bay leaf, parsley, thyme
Some recipes also have 3 chopped rashers of streaky bacon
Put the fowl and bacon in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to
the boil and remove any scum. Add three-quarters of the leeks, (green as
well as white sections), herbs (tied together in a bundle), salt and pepper
and return to the boil. Simmer gently for 2-3 hours, adding more water if
necessary.
Remove the bird. Some thrifty chefs use the bird as another course, others
cut the meat into small pieces and add them back to the soup (certainly it
should have some pieces of chicken in it when served). Add the rice and
drained prunes and the remaining leeks and simmer for another 30 minutes.
Check for flavour and serve with a little chopped parsley.
Serves 6/8 people.
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PARLIAMO GLESCA
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A collection of the words which have appeared in this section have been set
up on a web page at http://www.RampantScotland.com/SCM/glesca.htm
This week, here are some words found around the farm.
"Howk" - to dig or dig out. "Tattie howkers" or potato diggers were
employed to lift the harvest by hand.
"Byre" - cow shed.
"Girnel" - granary. The toast "May the moose ne'er lea' yer girnal wi the
tear-drap in its ee" means "May the mouse never leave your grain store with
a tear drop in its eye."
"Mains" - farm outbuildings. Many years ago there was a BBC Scotland radio
programme entitled "Down at the Mains".
"Tryst" - a market. The "Falkirk Tryst" was a cattle market held at the
town of Falkirk which was at one time the largest in Scotland.
"Liggat" - a self closing gate.
"Sheuch" - a drainage ditch.
"Lonnach" - couch grass, gathered for burning. The 200 Men of Lonach who
have marched each year for 176 years on the six-mile trek round the five
stops in the Aberdeenshire glen where they are given the traditional drink
of whisky. One of the stops is Candacraig Castle, where the laird is now
actor and entertainer Billy Connolly.
Scottie
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http://scottishculture.About.com
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ANSWERS TO THE SCOTTISH QUIZ ABOVE
Q1 Two brothers who revived an unsubstantiated claim of their father that
he was the legitimate son of Prince Charles Edward Stewart and Louise of
Stolberg. Lord Lovat installed them on an island on the Beauly river in
Inverness. Queen Victoria is said to have believed the story too.
Q2 William Augustus, the Duke of Cumberland, third son of King George II
whose brutal activities in the Highlands after he crushed the Jacobites at
Culloden earned him the title "Butcher". In Scotland, Sweet William is
sometimes called "stinking willie"!
Q3 47 (out of a total of 129).
Q4 William Murdock (in 1792).
Q5 Dundee.