SOOP's kindly Kitcheners

Thank you dear POGS x

janer Your mother has certainly endured several major setbacks. Morphine will have side effects, which may, in part, be responsible for her changeable mood. Your stepfather is a good man. He must find the situation very trying. I'm glad that you will be able to judge the situation for yourself. (hugs) from me to you. Please keep us lot updated.

Last night's sky was truly beautiful

I shall be visiting the Care Home Five tomorrow morning. Until I return, (at sometime in the early afternoon) a warm hug for each of our lovely Kitcheners

Good afternoon to our lovely Kitcheners...

Having spent some time drinking tea and blethering with the ladies in the care home, I'm ready to catch up with any news from my Granspals. I shall wander away to deal with my ironing before too long. I'm leaving a plate full of buttery Scottish shortbread for those who need a treat. Sorry, but I have polished off the date slices. Scrummy!

A nice man (Glasgow born and bred) called by early today to fix our wayward television signal. I heard MacSporran seemingly having a long conversation with the engineer. When I asked MacS about the discussion, he admitted that he had barely understood a single word but didn't want to appear rude. I hooted with laughter.

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A wee speck on the horizon turned out to be a Tall Ship. I was lucky to capture the image.

Oh soop what a lovely picture of the tall ship. It must have been a beautiful sight.

With reference to Macsporrans comment , I was at a party out here once with one of our Scottish friends, a retired architect from Edinburgh. He was telling a joke and a dutch friend whispered in my ear "What language is he speaking?"

dustyangel Oh yes, that happens frequently in this area. I was chatting with the ladies in the care home this morning and I told them about MacS's so-called conversation. One lady, Chrissie, tried to teach me a few words in the Glaswegian tongue. I simply could not get the hang of things. It made everyone laugh...not a bad thing.

Back at the care home...Margaret, who is 94, told me that her father was visiting a relative in Canada. She also mentioned that, since he retired, he no longer drives the tractor on the farm. Bless her.

I was born and brought up in East Fife and when I went to work in Dundee I heard people discussing "baffies" and I did not have a clue what they were talking about. They are slippers.

As my granny came from Dundee, I am familiar with 'baffies' and I'm fairly sure that my uni friends who came from Angus used the same term. soop, I can recommend Stanley Baxter's sketch series, 'Parliamo Glasgow' (a take-off of the 'Parliamo Italiano' series) which you can find on You Tube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfCk_yNuTGk

Thank you very much, anno we both love Stanley Baxter.

You and your 'youtube' have made my day. hilarious and so damn clever with it. Thank you anno xxx

Stanley Baxter used to come to Lochaber in a wee cabin boat and berthed in the 1st basin of the caledeonian canal.

At that time the locks were opened by capstans, and all hands to the pumps.

Also when the divers in full gear with lead boots and[ air lines to the surface] to inspect the lock gates were supplied by pump air.

I was always on hand to help.

Happy Days

jollg Our next door neighbour, Bobby McMillan* is some sort of honorary laird of Lochaber. We used to sing a Scottish song when we were in primary school in a little village in Northamptonshire. Lochaber was the loch beside which the traveller in the song would pass. ...I shall try to remember the title of the song. Our headmaster at that time had a son who married a Scottish girl called Fiona. Hence we did learn quite a bit about Scotland.
Having searched for the title of the song I mentioned, I cannot find it in any of my collection of Scottish songs. It's the one that goes something like...The far Cuilins ? are calling me away, as step I with my crummoch? to the road...I apologise for my incorrect spelling. Can anyone put a title to the song please?

"So by Rannoch???? and by Tummel????? and Lochaber I will go
As step I with my crumach to the Isles . . ."

"If pou're thinking in your inner heart that braggart?????'s in my step
You've never smelt the tangle o' the Isles"

I think that is "The Road to the Isles"

Yes it is. www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV5mh4SbjWs

A cromach/crummach is a walking stick www.walkingsticksonline.co.uk/new/cromack-cromach.php

The tune. song that always haunts me is The Iona Boat song.

Iona Boat Song

The story goes that this melody was sung by the monks of long ago, when they rowed the dead Kings of Scotland from the mainland to be buried on the sacred island of Iona, off the West coast of Scotland. Macbeth and Duncan, who were immortalised in the play "Macbeth" by Shakespeare are buried there and their graves can still be found. The melody was arranged and the words written by Sir Hugh S. Roberton, who was the founder of The Glasgow Orpheus Choir.

Softly glide we along,
Softly chant we our song
For a king who to resting is come.
O, beloved and best
We are faring out West
To the dear isle Iona, my home.

Calmly there shalt thou lie,
With thy fathers gone by,
Their dust mingled deep with thine own,
Ne'er again to awake,
Till the last dawn shall break
And the trump of the judgement is blown.

Softly glide we along,
Softly chant we our song,
For a king who to resting is come.
O. beloved and best
We are faring out West,
To the dear isle Iona, my home
To the dear isle Iona, my home.

It was set to song by Marjorie Kennedy Fraser, I think who loved the isles.

And equally could have been used by the kings of Scotland who were buried at Kilmartin Kintyre.

BTW My mum sang in the Glasgow Orpheus directed by Sir Hugh, and I have the image

There are boat songs all over Scotland. Here is a sad one The Corries sing the Tay Boat song

That page has a lot of other Corries videos.

Dear Elegran I knew that you would know...I should have asked for your advice before misspelling the beautiful Scottish words. I shall enjoy The Corries. Thank you kindly.

jollyg I have two top favourites - 'The Road and The Miles to Dundee' and 'Westering Home'. The latter I would to be sung on the beach opposite our home, as my ashes are scattered into the sea. I would also like those present to have a wee dram to cheer me on my way. Not just yet though...[wink

jollyg I shall try to find this song on You Tube. I did attempt to locate Mary Cameron singing 'The Road and the Miles to Dundee' without success. l

I have been saving hard (for some time) for a traditional ladies bicycle with a basket. When I mentioned this to MacSporran he went a deathly shade of pale. He said...PLEASE, for both our sakes, do not buy a bike. The reason being, he would fret for my safety whenever I went out for a pedal. The road is busy especially when the logging lorries thunder along and enormous turbines are being transported. There are also a few tight and nasty bends. Instead of the bike, I have bought a proper artist's easel (used, but still in very good condition) from a painter who was advertising on Ebay. It has a useful drawer in which to keep brushes. I think that I have secured a real bargain. I shall photograph it when it arrives.

I looked up the Iona Boat song on Tinternet,

It was not at at all what I knew.

Mine was
was a bit of a dirge with the melodic rhythm of oarsmen rowing a boat, albeit on a calm sea.

Perhaps my imaginatination is in overdrive. Ill persevere in my quest to find

The tune is in my head all the time

Re bike Artists easel will keep all minds at rest.

BTW Whereabouts did your neighbour hail from in Lochaber.

Our family house was built by Telford and housed navvies from Ireland to dig the canal and had in the attics bunk beds to house them. Not one or two but lots, As a child I did not count. Many, and a well in the cellar for water

The house was slated on the west side to keep off the rain. There is a similar one on the Crinan canal, bout half way up.

Oh Soop, thank goodness you took notice of MacSporran! As soon as I read that you`d been saving for a bike, I thought, NO, not on that road!! I won`t be here for a few days, we`re off to Norfolk tomorrow for a week, so bye for now, see you all soon! And all of you take care of yourselves.

One of my father's favourites, I persuaded the minister to let us have the music played as my father's coffin was carried in. He was a keen hill walker all over the Highlands and especially on the Cuilleans on Skye so it seemed appropriate!

The Road to the Isles

A far croonin' is pullin' me away
As take I wi' my cromak to the road.
The far Coolins are puttin' love on me,
As step I wi' the sunlight for my load.

Chorus:
Sure, by Tummel and Loch Rannoch
And Lochaber I will go,
By heather tracks wi' heaven in their wiles;
If it's thinkin' in your inner heart
Braggart's in my step,
You've never smelt the tangle o' the Isles.
Oh, the far Coolins are puttin' love on me,
As step I wi' my cromak to the Isles.

It's by 'Sheil water the track is to the west,
By Aillort and by Morar to the sea,
The cool cresses I am thinkin' o' for pluck,
And bracken for a wink on Mother's knee.

It's the blue Islands are pullin' me away,
Their laughter puts the leap upon the lame,
The blue Islands from the Skerries to the Lews,
Wi' heather honey taste upon each name.

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Alea Wow! As I read the lyrics to 'The Road to the Isles' I was back as a child standing on the little stage at primary school. We sang this at the tops of our voices. I can almost smell the Mansion polish. Thank you.

number Of course you, folk in the village and MacSporran are right to be opposed to the bike idea. What was I thinking. It surely was a senior moment with bicycle bells on. Safe travels and I hope that the sun shines for you. You deserve a relaxing break.

jollyg For as long as the villagers can remember, Bobby has lived here. There is a marvellous portrait of a dignified man, wearing a kilt, hanging on Bobby's wall. We were told some time ago that it was a close relative. I shall endeavour to find more info'. Sadly, Bobby now has dementia.

Photo taken of the orange leather trainers that one of my sons gave me for a birthday present.