Musings from the Merse
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wet Dreams en Route
Is Dumfries (or should it be are) and Galloway the dampest places on the known earth. For some one whose experience of Scotland -Hutton primarily-is of a bone dry climate, (Dunbar is statistically the driest place in the UK) -Dumfries is a nasty shock. Pouring and dreich, visibility about 4 London buses or half a football pitch and motorists, albeit rare in the hinterland, who glorify in driving through a puddle if it is anywhere near you.
Why was Rabbi Burns not obsessed by the weather :
My Love is like a wet wet Rose,,. That’s newly soaked in June :
My love is like the summer rain. That’s damply out of tune.
Not surprisingly one of Scotland's most successful bands is called Wet Wet Wet
They came from Clydebank; it is damp but not in the same morass as Dumfries.
I would like to suggest a new local Dish for the Liitle Chef on the A75:
Dum Fries
AKA
Soggy Chips.
Is Dumfries (or should it be are) and Galloway the dampest places on the known earth. For some one whose experience of Scotland -Hutton primarily-is of a bone dry climate, (Dunbar is statistically the driest place in the UK) -Dumfries is a nasty shock. Pouring and dreich, visibility about 4 London buses or half a football pitch and motorists, albeit rare in the hinterland, who glorify in driving through a puddle if it is anywhere near you.
Why was Rabbi Burns not obsessed by the weather :
My Love is like a wet wet Rose,,. That’s newly soaked in June :
My love is like the summer rain. That’s damply out of tune.
Not surprisingly one of Scotland's most successful bands is called Wet Wet Wet
They came from Clydebank; it is damp but not in the same morass as Dumfries.
I would like to suggest a new local Dish for the Liitle Chef on the A75:
Dum Fries
AKA
Soggy Chips.
Labels: Burns, Dumfries, Wet weather Dum Fries
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Or so it says on the Ordinance Survey map. One of several sculptures scattered over a large area of Dumfries and Galloway countryside. No signs, no parking, no explanations. We can only guess at the titles but 'Odd Couple' might cover both Moore's
The third statue is obviously not an HM. Again no explanation. Title could be 'Nude with Codpiece' PPs concealed behind a slab of mossy copper.
Labels: Dumfries, Henry Moore, Public Art
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Out side Stranraer (best place to) a swanky new electronic sign proclaimed for the benefit of traffic going East on the A75-the Road of Dearth (of anywhere to stop) 'Forecast of Heavy Rain. Flood Warnings. Take Care' Not a cloud in the sky. Road bone dry. Has the BBC Blether Centre started moonlighting on trunk roads? Mr Fish recalled to the colours. Mystery. To be fair it did rain on our arrival in Dumfries but then it does on most people's arrivals Dumfries and Galloway must be Britain's wettest place. But no floods. We asked a cafe lady why people came to Dumfries. She seemed baffled by the question. Not the weather evidently? She agreed. Then her face lit up 'Its The Burns' she said.
I was rather afraid that might be the case. That's why two nights will be enough. 'Ah she added 'you have just missed the 800th anniversary celebrations'.? The Octocentenary of Dumfries When was that- Last week?
No 1986.
Narrow escape, that
I was rather afraid that might be the case. That's why two nights will be enough. 'Ah she added 'you have just missed the 800th anniversary celebrations'.? The Octocentenary of Dumfries When was that- Last week?
No 1986.
Narrow escape, that
Monday, April 28, 2008
The image is of Urban Decay' in Dumfries-Thankyou Mike Doswell.
I am only showing tbis as an indication that blogging over the next two days will be haphazard as we leave Norn Iron tomorrow-for-yes- a two day stay in Dumfries. No mad whim this. We are helping our middle daughter to settle in to her new home in a rural area-no decay involved but a spot which apparently makes Hutton appear to be densely populated. The MD has abandoned an urban life style and like her father before her as opted for the sticks to follow a writer's existence on the back of her first novel-now out- Out of a Clear Sky.. Lovers of psychological thrillers need look no further and if you are a twitcher-its your bag. You will need to rush-Amazon UK is down to its last copy already but no doubt large vans are hastening from Macmillan to replenish stocks.
Normal service should be resumed on 1 May when we return for, hopefully, our last two months in the Old Manse. But many a slip
If you want to read a good review of the MD's book go to http://doyouwriteunderyourownname.blogspot.com/2008/04/out-of-clear-sky.html
I am only showing tbis as an indication that blogging over the next two days will be haphazard as we leave Norn Iron tomorrow-for-yes- a two day stay in Dumfries. No mad whim this. We are helping our middle daughter to settle in to her new home in a rural area-no decay involved but a spot which apparently makes Hutton appear to be densely populated. The MD has abandoned an urban life style and like her father before her as opted for the sticks to follow a writer's existence on the back of her first novel-now out- Out of a Clear Sky.. Lovers of psychological thrillers need look no further and if you are a twitcher-its your bag. You will need to rush-Amazon UK is down to its last copy already but no doubt large vans are hastening from Macmillan to replenish stocks.
Normal service should be resumed on 1 May when we return for, hopefully, our last two months in the Old Manse. But many a slip
If you want to read a good review of the MD's book go to http://doyouwriteunderyourownname.blogspot.com/2008/04/out-of-clear-sky.html
Labels: Dumfries, Out of a Clear Sky, The Sticks
