Send not out to ask for whom the bell tolls. You won't be told.
Was the thought that occurred to me last night when we were looking for the Bank of Scotland Building in the 'First Toon in Scotland'

Coldstream is a lang toon-basically a main street with alleys off it and although the BoS is a prominent building the street lights are so dim that the wife and I missed it completely. Being in a hurry-we were late for an appointment, I lowered the car window and asked a respectable looking gent 'Excuse me Sir..?' He scurried on' head down. I tried again but he accelerated, reached his front door, ignored a third appeal when inserting his key and disappeared inside. 'Knock on the door' said the wife. I did; no response and the light in the hall went off.

Irritating. Coldstream did have a reputation in Burns time of being unfriendly, perhaps that is why he was so determined to cross the bridge to England. HV Morton in one of his travel books about Scotland had a disagreeable encounter in a Coldstream pub-he was obviously English and he was not buying a round-two black marks apparently and not necessarily in order of importance.

Mind you I have always found 'streamers friendly enough so I am not sure what was it with this guy. Desperate for the Loo? Stone Deaf? Scared? (Do I look like a mugger he asks rhetorically) Anxious not to miss East Enders?

I doubt if we will ever know. I have the house number. So perhaps next time any of you plan a visit there, doubtful about directions and care to ask me, I can save you sometime by letting you know what door to leave unknocked.

Just a thought

Why not ask someone else I hear you cry?

8-30pm, Tuesday, Coldstream. Marie Celeste syndrome, you might call it.

(And you will no longer run into this famous 'streamer-Lord Home of the Hirsel, once my boss)

Labels: Coldstream, First Toon in Scotland, Unfriendly places

  ¶ 2:39 PM