Ladykirk-a winsome spot

The description of Ladykirk comes from the long out of print (published 1912) 'The Gateway of Scotland:Lammermoor, East Lothian and the Merse' by A.G Bradley. He describes his visit to rather forbidding all stone (to prevent the English burning it down) Ladykirk, er, Kirk overlooking the Tweed and scowling down at the English frontier outpost of Norham. He found the church locked but with the help of 'two village matrons of ripe years and comfortable proportions'(and this well before Morrisons) gained access as they insisted ' It wad be an awfu pity for ye to gang awa'' Sir,without seein the inside of the kirk-sae mony hundred years old as it is, tae' Mr Bradleyt seemed not to be disappointed by the inside despite its adaption to the 'arid exigencies of Presbyterian worship' (Surely a Piscie,he? and an Embra man to boot.)

Mr B seems to have been something of a snob, coupled with a keen observation of homo sapiens Mersius and a good ear for the dialect. He was lucky on this occasion with his 'comfortably proportioned matrons' as they were the 'eloquent and accessible sample of Border peasant as opposed to the other and perhaps more prevalent uncommunicative type' I fear he must have had a few run ins with the latter category-perhaps refused credit at The Cross?

Certainly not as uncompromising an encounter as befell a friend of mine who, on a rare sunny day on Harris in the Outer Hebredies greeted the local Wee Free Minister with 'What a glorious day!'

''Aye' was the response ' We will have to pay for it'

Live now. You will certainly regret it

Later

Arid exigencies notwithstanding

Labels: Church of Scotland, Merse, Wee Free

  ¶ 9:14 AM