Monthly Archives: July 2017

  1. Bridgy McBridgeface over the Nevis The Competition May Be Fraught

    Bridgy McBridgeface over the Nevis

     The Competition May Be Fraught

    Nowadays public interaction is the new goal of politics, but it almost always goes wrong. Do you remember the Antarctic vessel that they asked the public to name and the winning choice was RRS Boaty McBoatface?  Those  clever chaps at the Natural Environment Research Council who run the boat asked for names to generate public interest in their work, little suspecting that pranksters who take over poll and cause red faces all round. They finally decided to call it the RRS Sir David Attenborough after the telly naturalist. The moniker Boaty Mc Boatface was condemned to the deep as it became the name of the ship’s submersible.

    Trainy McTrainface

    Then as history always repeats itself in the modern media came

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  2. Is the Capercaillie Going to Be the Scottish Dodo? – ‘Horse of theWoods’ Under Threat

    Is the Capercaillie Going to Be the Scottish Dodo? –

    ‘Horse of theWoods’ Under Threat

    In Gaelic the capercaillie  is  ‘the horse of woods’ and it is a creature on the decline. Pundits have blamed global warming and  too many people  blundering through its woodland habitats for the  decline of one of Scotland’s rarest birds. The large colourful bird was reintroduced to Scotland in 1837 after being hunted to extinction the previous century. There were 2,000 across Scotland in 1970, but the numbers have been in steep decline ever since and the wet spring and lack of insect life for new chicks have been blamed this year.

    Super Sized Scottish Bird

    Capercaillies which can grow to 16lbs, or 7.25 kilos, are the largest member of the grouse family and are now included on the “red list” of species of highest conservation concern. The latest national survey

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  3. Great Scot! – The Edinburgh Tattoo in China Edinburgh Spectacle Goes on Its Hols

    Great Scot! – The Edinburgh Tattoo in China

    Edinburgh Spectacle Goes on Its Hols

    Now you and I might be forgiven for thinking that the August Tattoo is a strictly Scottish and indeed Edinburgh affair, but its organisers are not of the same cast of mind. Those in high places are hoping to send the tattoo across the world to across Asia, the Middle East and North and South America. The Edinburgh Tattoo was started in 1950 raises large amounts of cash for military charities. For the last two decades it has been completely sold out attracting attendees of 220,000 at the event and 100 million viewers across the world on television. The tattoo was held in Australia and New Zealand last year, but plans to take it to the Middle East were abandoned early this year.

    Chinese Whispers

    This year’s tattoo opens on 4 August will see the Lone Piper and the massed bands on the esplanade all centred on the grim ramparts

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  4. Dark Knight Director Turns to Our Darkest Hour – Dunkirk and Dumfrie

    Dark Knight Director Turns to Our Darkest Hour –

    Dunkirk and Dumfries

    I just went to see the new film about Dunkirk and was reminded of how Dumfries and the Battle of Britain and the great evacuation were linked. It is always seen as Britain’s Darkest Hour. The film doesn’t have a lot of dialogue and focuses on the personal stories of some of the survivors and of course stars Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance and Harry Styles. I felt the film was a little bit lacking in storyline and dialogue and I enjoyed it, but not as much as I had hoped. Which was exactly how I felt on the director’s take on the Batman Series.  The Dark Knight Trilogy even though the series was a huge commercial success. I guess sometimes you are just out of kilter with other people’s taste.

    Spitfires over Dumfries

    But this film has a direct connection to a new public show in Dumfries which features a

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  5. A Whale of a Time – Scotland One of the Best Spots to See Giants of the Sea

    A Whale of a Time –

    Scotland One of the Best Spots to See Giants of the Sea

    Avid readers of this blog will know that I live by the sea, but unfortunately not where I can whale watch, not even on porpoise. But the west coast of Scotland is to be said to be one of the best places in Europe to see whales. And now the government has put its money where the whales are and has awarded a grant of almost £20 0,000 to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT). The idea is to create a network of 25 whale-watching sites across the west coast of Scotland.

    Visitors Shoaling off our Shores

    The question of why whales are returning in such numbers to these shores is usually explained by the changes in the gulf stream and the warming oceans that push the minerals that form the food of the krill and other creatures that whales love to feast on and the variety of sea life is staggering with whales of all kinds from minke,

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  6. Florist Gump and Tree Wise Men Versus James Pirie – What’s In A Name?

    Florist Gump and Tree Wise Men Versus James Pirie –

    What’s In A Name?

    In the drive to get noticed and of course to get more customers many retailers get inventive with their names. It’s all just to grab your attention, and maybe irritate you the thousandth time that you see the sign There is  Bonnie Tiler, Florist Gump and of course the Cod Father among those trying to stand out from the throng.

    Try these beauties:

    Curl Up and Dye -  Hairdressers

    Tree Wise Men  - Tree surgeons

    Pulp Kitchen - Takeaway

    Florist Gump - Guess

    Iron Maiden - They’ll iron for you

    Alan Cartridge – for your printer needs

    It’s Curtains for you - Fabrics

    Amy’s Winehouse - Mm

    Lord of the Fries – Chip shop

    Spex Appeal – Should Have Gone to Spec Savers

    Housewives on Fire - Restaurant

    Cyclo-Analyst – Bike

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  7. Just a Wee Deoch an Doris, Before we gang awa’ – One for the Road

    Just a Wee Deoch an Doris, Before we gang awa’ –

    One for the Road

    If you like old films there is a terrific video of the legendary Sir Harry Lauder singing his signature tune, which is about ‘one for the road.’ The subject of the song is the old phrase a deoch-an-doris which in  modern usage would mean a drink at the door, that is to say on your way out to go home and it would involve the quaich, or a stirrup cup. The stirrup in question of course was on your horse, which hadn’t been drinking and could happily take you home without much guidance from the rider.

    Last Orders

    Now as the the landlord closes the pub you might just occasionally hear the term a wee deoch-an-doris with a drinker trying to have one last drink before the bus home, drink driving being very much a thing of the past. The phrase is almost  literally one for the road and good night to all.

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