Monthly Archives: March 2019

  1. Sunday Lunch and Visitors – Floral Gift Leaves Us in a Quandary

    Sunday Lunch and Visitors –

    Floral Gift Leaves Us in a Quandary

    I'll light the fire, you place the flowers in the vase that you bought today.

    Staring at the fire for hours and hours while I listen to you

                                                                                              Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

    Well we are really in the midst of spring.

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  2. Spring Has Sprung the Sap Has Ris – I Wonder Where the Birdies Is?

    Spring Has Sprung the Sap Has Ris –

    I Wonder Where the Birdies Is? (Ogden Nash)

    Well it is definitely batten down the hatches time here on the coast, the momentary warm weather we had is long gone and maybe that was the summer that never was. You never know these days. I’ve already driven around fallen trees in the road and spent the morning moving my shrubs in planters upright. These are heavy, heavy ones too. Currently I’m been dazzled by bright sunshine and the house whipped by westerly gales. What is that they say about March, “In like a lion and out like a lamb,” jings we’ve got the lion that’s for sure. Yesterday was not quite so windy and I was able to spend some time down on the local bird and wildlife reserve which was helped by a handy guy with a telescope, because quite frankly I am rubbish at all this bird spotting and with so many gulls I get easily confused, while the missus gets bored. 

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  3. Barrelling Their Way to Success- First Ever Female Whisky Apprentices

    Barrelling Their Way to Success-

    First Ever Female Whisky Apprentices

    Now regular readers will know that I am partial to a dram and so I am always interested in news from the industry that produces the nectar. And I am pleased also that the industry is embracing our 21st century with female apprentices being accepted into that male bastion of coopering, barrel making to you and me. Two women have been accepted as coopering apprentices by Diageo for the first time.  When I mention Diageo I am of course supposed to call them a ‘drinks giant,’ because like other giants they have gobbled up large parts of the business and brands. The two women in their 30s are part of a group of 16 new apprentices, will be taught over the next four years the ancient craft of creating oak casks for whisky at Diageo's Coopering School in Cambus, Clackmananshire.

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  4. The Fashion Police of North Lanarkshire – Cops Pullover

    The Fashion Police of North Lanarkshire –

    Cops Pullover

    No we have all been told to pull our socks up and there are bars where they will refuse you entry if you are wearing jeans, or look like you have come straight off the building site, but not many people have been pulled over by the police to set you straight about your fashion sense. But in North Lanarkshire Police Scotland has a new job as the fashion police. It seems that in order to be a taxi driver in that district you have to comply with a strict dress code and taxi drivers have complained that the ban on jeans is being enforced by the constabulary. It seems that drivers must wear smart non-denim trousers, skirts or dresses as a condition of their licences. And the gripe is that cops are pulling people over to enforce it. One taxi driver maintains that he was stopped at 2am by police for a dress code check and then sent home to change his garb.

    Shut Your Garb

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