Memory Lane -Wartime - The Swarm
Alistair Macdonald was posted to Italy and was riding his motor cycle back to base after an enjoyable visit to a US Unit when he unexpectedly drove into a swarm of locusts - and he was dressed in Eighth Army’s summer outfit of shorts and open -necked shirt. Over seventy years have passed, but trying to drive through a million locusts is an everlasting memory! See: Memory Lane -Wartime - The Swarm
Memory Lane - Wartime - Buried Under Rubble
George Gordon was not even one year old when he was buried under a beam that had fallen over his cot when a stray bomb fell on his house. It took people some time to find him under all the rubble. Before discovering him alive, the searchers had said to his parents that he was probably dead. See Memory Lane - Wartime - Buried Under Rubble
Memory Lane - Food - Strawberry Picking at Boggs Holdings
In 1949 a bunch of young village lads from Macmerry would cycle for a few miles to the small holding farms in what was known as The Boggs Holdings and earn money picking strawberries. They started at 7am usually, in the rain, and we were soaked within minutes of kneeling down on the straw to fill punnets and eventually stopped at 5pm, with a break for lunch. See: Memory Lane - Food - Strawberry Picking at Boggs Holdings
Memory Lane - Dancing - Met My Future Husband at the F&F Ballroom, Partick
Like many of her generation, Eleanor Lewis met her future husband at a dance hall. She says that "Those were the "good old days". See Memory Lane - Dancing - Met My Future Husband at the F&F Ballroom, Partick
Lighthouse Letters - A Princess Visits the Lighthouse
Sharma was most impressed by the warmth and friendliness of Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth's daughter, when she came to visit Eshaness. The Princess takes her role as a patron of the Northern Lighthouse Board seriously and has paid a visit to many of the lighthouses, including the remote Shetland location of Eshaness See: Lighthouse Letters - A Princess Visits the Lighthouse
Lighthouse Letters - A Trip to Remember
Sharma doesn't regard Eshaness as "remote" but flying back to Shetland one winter which involved serious delays to her flights nearly persuaded her otherwise! See: Lighthouse Letters - A Trip to Remember
Lighthouse Letters - Heathcliff
When Sharma arrived at Eshaness she was greeted by a very proprietorial herring gull; after some resistance, Sharma eventually felt sorry for it and began feeding the bird and now it is bringing its youngsters to be fed as well! See: Lighthouse Letters - Heathcliff
Lighthouse Letters - Musical Trips to the Islands
The music and words of the Scottish songs, particularly those about the islands off the Scottish coasts, mean a lot to Sharma. (Graphic here is of the Lighthouse at Port Charlotte, Islay). See: Lighthouse Letters - Musical Trips to the Islands
Scottie's Photo Diary - June/July 2015
Even by our standards, the weather this summer has been very poor with rainfall breaking records and temperatures rarely reaching what we would regard as " normal summer" levels. Despite that, we have managed to get some spells of sunshine to encourage taking photos out and about. Even so, there has been a dreadful lack of butterflies in Scotland this summer. But here's a collection of the flowers that have faithfully produced their usual splash of vibrant colours in June and July! See: Scottie's Photo Diary - June/July 2015
Next Newsletter
The next newsletter is scheduled for 26 September and will be news items from Tam O'Ranter.
Of course, if you have any Scottish memories which you would like to contribute to "Memory Lane" please send them in!
Yours aye
Scottie
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