Work Ethic 2009

The SNP is always preaching to us about how a dynamic,technologically advanced, proactive (a favourite SNP word), commercially aggressive Scotland would be the envy of Europe and the known world if only it could escape from the stifling embrace of the United Kingdom. The known world would not have been too impressed with Duns, this very second of January, 2009. Dead would be too lively a description. Bank Holiday Day Two. Nothing open apart from two enterprising-non Scot run, corner shops and newsagents. Even the crumbly servicing coffee shops were shuttered and the only action in the Market Square by 1030 was a couple of proactive Pigeons crapping under the Christmas Tree. Meanwhile in Ber wick, south of the Border the rest of the UK went about its business. And I doubt if Saturday will be much better.

'Hows your Hangover, Wullie?'

'Bollocks, thanks for asking Mrs Broon'

'Shutters down til' Monday then?'

'Aye. But we don't normally open on Monday, do we?'

'True. Lets not upset the habit of a life time then.'

Now that's how to deal with a recession. Like a hangover, if you lie down long enough

It will go away

Labels: . Duns, Hogmanay, Scottish Bank Holidays

  ¶ 2:19 PM (0) comments

 
The House of Hangover


Sean X Hume, the great Scots Philosopher and grave robber was once asked by Dr Johnston to define the difference between Hogmanay(Scotland) and New Year's Eve (rest of known world). 'Sir' he said ' Hogmanay is the same as New Year's Eve but with extra vomit'

To assess the accuracy of this description one need go no further than Embra to participate in the Hooley there. You can get some idea idea of the excitements in store (and a possible whiff of the vomit yet to come) if you go to the lavish website here but if you are trying to get a ticket (essential to penetrate the orgiastic city centre) you may have problems. Hence the error message:

We are sorry, but an error has occurred whilst trying to process your request:
There is no row at position 0.


There may be no row at position 0 but a hell of a shindig elsewhere.

Bah, Humbug and all that but Huttonian will be in bed by 2200 hours which will already be New Year in Amman, Ankara, Addis Abbaba and all points east.

As the Psalmist had it 'Sufficient to the evening is the vomit thereof'

Why actively seek it out?

For those who are wondering what Hogmamay actually is I can do no better than consult Wikapedia

: Hogmanay (pronounced [ˌhɔgməˈneː] — with the main stress on the last syllable) is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year (Gregorian calendar) in the Scottish manner. Its official date is 31 December (Auld Year's Night). However this is normally only the start of a celebration which lasts through the night until the morning of Ne'erday (1 January) or, in some cases, 2 January which is a Scottish Bank Holiday.


You can't put it fairer than that. Especially the cautious and non explicit reference to the 'Scottish manner'

You will note that the website gives no date in January for the end of the celebrations. The 2 Jamuary suggested by Wikapedia may be


a trifle conservative

Labels: Embra, Hogmanay, Old Years Night

  ¶ 10:42 AM (1) comments

 

The Year of the ?

Dreich, damp, murk,breathless (wind wise, my lungs are fine thankyou very much) and grisly grey. Welcome 2008. Careful inspection of garden has not revealed any spent rockets so I suspect the Glasga' lot at the bottom of Kirk Lane were not indulging in pyrotechnics early this morning. Deathly quiet in Hutton, but then it always is dqiH

I was not quite in bed by 10pm so saw the Sydney New Year in. So I have no personal images of the New Year arriving in the UK. So I am very indebted to someone who took the trouble to stay up until 7 seconds after midnight to photograph, courtesy of the TV, Big Ben and get the picture onto Flikr before anyone else could. And all from the comfort of her Christmas Sales' armchair. An inspiring shot and next year I might well go out and photograph Duns' answer to Big Ben ( Little Jimmy?)and paste in some Photoshopped fireworks)

If I am spared, of course.

The other image is the Old Manse Garden seeing in-just about, 2008. 'Ou sont les neiges d'antan?' asked the French Poet. Gone with Global warming, every one. But Les Dreichs d'aujourdhui are still very much around.

Labels: Hogmanay, Hutton

  ¶ 10:09 AM (2) comments

 
Counting the Empties

Hutton approaches another Hogmanay. It won't be like the massive celebrations in Embra as captured in the image above. We have had fireworks in the past-our neighbours had some squibs (dampish) and a Catherine Wheel which fell off the Trampoline in mid fizz. Further down Kirk Lane a few rockets were fired in our general direction by roistering Nordics. This year the Nordics have rented out the house to a party (no pun intended) of Glaswegians obviously hoping to see Old Year out in a civilised manner-Iron Bru rather than cheap Scotch -warm towels and not vomit buckets. No street parties here but there may be gentle first footing when the New Year creeps in. On Scotland a bit of excess is acceptable, expected and catered for. Our English neighbours take a days holiday to get over the fun:

here it is two

Huttonian will not see the New Year in. Any phone call after 10pm will be unappreciated

And unanswered

Labels: Hogmanay, Hutton

  ¶ 9:49 AM (0) comments

 
Count Down to HogmanayAs the deep freeze intensifies in the Merse- a sighting of a snowplough yesterday may be some kind of portent-its off to the Isle de France, Greater Paree, for Christmas with half the family and 50% of the grandchildren-the other 50% having opted for a Welsh celebration.We will however be back for Old Years Night, Hogmanay and the rest of the Scottish end of year festivities. As Dr Johnston once said, or was it Boswell-'New Year in Scotland is like New Year in England, but with extra vomit' With the usual crack down on drinking and driving in the Borders the vomit may be confined to walking distance from the Cross and other hosteleries and towns with many pubs-Coldstream, Duns, Eyemouth, pools of the stuff may be confined to within the 30mph limit. Huttonian is glad to be in bed well before ten pm by which time, anyhow, the New Year is well advanced in Sydney, Wellington and Mumbai.

The French are determinedly and officially secular but Christmas is as evident in say L'Etang La Ville (The Town Pond apparently) as it is in Regent Street. It will be fun but we will miss the wild scenes of enthusiasm in Fishwick where (according to a Hutton Think Tank puff) the main street is a pedestrian only zone between 2 and 6am, long after the rush hour traffic has been parked before the dangerous corner and the cavorting fishermen, well away from their cherished 4x4s dance in thigh length waders to canned hits from the 50s and 60s. New Year is even wilder and an alternative to the massive Hogmanay Bash in Embra-see image above of the fireworks last year. No doubt Fishwick, the odd damp squib always excepted, will put up a similar display of pyrotechnics

Labels: Christmas lights, Fishwick Bypass, Hogmanay, Merse

  ¶ 12:51 PM (2) comments