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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2015 19:04:20 GMT -1
No respite, it seems We usually have the pleasure of my sister's late July birthday party outside in her tiny, lovely wee back garden, at least till about 9pm when we'd usually resort to slankets and setting fire to the cocktails to keep warm. Not so tonight. Back door stayed resolutely closed while we piled more coal on the fire in the living room... Today in the office-- the building heating's been off since May, quelle folly, we were a-chittering like chittery wee things so I had to fire the fan heater on to keep our brave wee hearts working. Even our big, tall, strong young men were grateful for a heat... Mr R, meanwhile, has been working ridiculous hours outdoors rigging sound systems at Wickerman in Dumfries--at least maybe the punters'll get a bit of welcome heat when they set the thing on fire at the weekend! He's away now in Perth to rig Rewind, the hugely popular 80s festival. In the rain. With hail showers forecast for tomorrow. You gotta laugh. No, really. Rolo, gonnae stop tellin the furriners aboot our wonderful summers - yer givin away to many secrets......................they'll be wantin to come and experience it fur themselves next - and there isnae enough to go round as it is Hahaha Took the tube home earlier after yet another torrential downpour, I swear there was steam pouring off the passengers, everyone totally drookit. Three German tourists in their 50s got on, with hunners of backpacks etc, soaked to the skin, the sowels. They struck up a conversation, worried they were on the 'wrong line' for Kelvinbridge. They took it in good part when it was pointed out that every train in each direction arrives there, sooner or later...at least we all had a wee laugh about that and they got off at KBridge with smiles on their faces and waving their thanks Not heard from Mr R up in waterlogged Perth. A bad sign, I fear. Probably another total slog, why DO we DO these bloody outdoors gigs, argh.
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Post by ozneil on Jul 24, 2015 21:11:45 GMT -1
Lovely Rolo ...Did the German tourists have their towels on seats? Poor Mr R growing webs between toes mibbee? You may have noticed in Ms Oz's pic the blue sky? In our nearly 3 months in UK ( June to August) it only rained on 3 days one in Glasgow and 3 in England mind you it had rained there (wherever there was) the day before or rained the day after we left. we discounted Scotch mist as not proper rain Wade Bridge somewhere (no idea where now) But see its not raining more a scotch mist perhaps? Even more Scotch mist Spean Bridge this time Even the piper had given it away The Van
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Post by notanimby on Jul 25, 2015 4:38:12 GMT -1
Rolo, gonnae stop tellin the furriners aboot our wonderful summers - yer givin away to many secrets......................they'll be wantin to come and experience it fur themselves next - and there isnae enough to go round as it is Hahaha Took the tube home earlier after yet another torrential downpour, I swear there was steam pouring off the passengers, everyone totally drookit. Three German tourists in their 50s got on, with hunners of backpacks etc, soaked to the skin, the sowels. They struck up a conversation, worried they were on the 'wrong line' for Kelvinbridge. They took it in good part when it was pointed out that every train in each direction arrives there, sooner or later...at least we all had a wee laugh about that and they got off at KBridge with smiles on their faces and waving their thanks Not heard from Mr R up in waterlogged Perth. A bad sign, I fear. Probably another total slog, why DO we DO these bloody outdoors gigs, argh. hope you didnae mention the war..............
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2015 19:41:07 GMT -1
Wade Bridge somewhere (no idea where now) At first look, thought it might be Carrbridge, near Aviemore...(below) but not so sure now, looks more like further north to me, maybe around Invergarry area, north west Highlands, near Caledonian Canal? Going by the forestry... Attachments:
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Post by ozneil on Jul 25, 2015 20:48:46 GMT -1
Gees your good!!!! I reckon Invergarry is correct. WELL DONE Our map showed we overnighted there and the Pics before showed locks on Caledonian Canal and ones after were of the Loch Ness Monster See it is genuine
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2015 21:18:40 GMT -1
Gees your good!!!! I reckon Invergarry is correct. WELL DONE Our map showed we were there and the Pics before showed locks on Caledonian Canal and ones after were of the Loch Ness Monster See it is genuine I think it might be, Oz. Invergarry's on Loch Oich, next to Loch Lochy. (bit of a tongue-twister there, bear with me!...) Both are sea-lochs that interlink with Loch Ness to make up the Caledonian Canal, which stretches from Fort William in the West to Inversneckie in the North. Going from West to North, you only hit locks (not lochs!) around about Fort Augustus on Loch Ness, because at that point you're basically sailing uphill. When Ms Rolo was a tiny wee thing, we couldn't be arsed with the total stress and hassle of flights, etc-- so took our holidays at home. Staycations, in modren parlance Such fond memories of www.glengarry.net/
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Post by ozneil on Jul 25, 2015 21:49:38 GMT -1
According to trip diary we overnighted at Invergarry on Tuesday 10th July 1985 (campsite not hotel) where were accosted by an Aberdeen family, none of us could understand dad so mum did the translations when it was obvious we werent getting it
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2015 18:31:32 GMT -1
According to trip diary we overnighted at Invergarry on Tuesday 10th July 1985 (campsite not hotel) where were accosted by an Aberdeen family, none of us could understand dad so mum did the translations when it was obvious we werent getting it View Attachment I think we've cracked the bridge location between us, Oz! It looked familiar to me because we'd chanced upon it once up at Invergarry when we took the wrong turn back to the hotel. You shoulda stayed there, it's really not *grand* or *expensive*, just a lovely old country house-- and camping in Scotland in summer is aye a disaster waiting to happen!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2015 22:22:09 GMT -1
Hahaha Took the tube home earlier after yet another torrential downpour, I swear there was steam pouring off the passengers, everyone totally drookit. Three German tourists in their 50s got on, with hunners of backpacks etc, soaked to the skin, the sowels. They struck up a conversation, worried they were on the 'wrong line' for Kelvinbridge. They took it in good part when it was pointed out that every train in each direction arrives there, sooner or later...at least we all had a wee laugh about that and they got off at KBridge with smiles on their faces and waving their thanks Not heard from Mr R up in waterlogged Perth. A bad sign, I fear. Probably another total slog, why DO we DO these bloody outdoors gigs, argh. hope you didnae mention the war..............
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Post by ozneil on Jul 26, 2015 23:16:02 GMT -1
I think we've cracked the bridge location between us, Oz! It looked familiar to me because we'd chanced upon it once up at Invergarry when we took the wrong turn back to the hotel. You shoulda stayed there, it's really not *grand* or *expensive*, just a lovely old country house-- and camping in Scotland in summer is aye a disaster waiting to happen! Yes it would be great but we couldnt afford any hotels , balancing $$$$ against time to get max time for min $$. Hiring a motor home was the best compromise. Fully self contained wc, shower, h&c water, stove,fridge sep single bedroom. Lived on counter lunches and take aways cooked own meals when no handy pub or take aways. We had a ball. The van was brand new and we had it for 3 months, met at Heathrow driven down to Winchester (Van hire place) left suitcases in their depot. BA gave us a good deal access to Scottish & English Nat trust places as well as 3 days in Nice London hotel and a rover ticket for London transport. (One of my pommy staff had a sister who worked for BA marketing). She organised most of it. At that time it was $au1.80= £1stg July Beach wear Dunnet Bay Caithness PS thats my jacket Ms Oz is wearing Bought some market somewhere in for £5 I think. I still have it.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2015 19:38:45 GMT -1
And coming into August motorhomes are bumper to bumper down Great Western heading off out on the A82. Weather is so grim I feel sorry for their occupants. Let's agree to differ on the whole camping out on holidays, Oz I'm firmly of the opinion that holidays should be a treat you've grafted for for all year, a wee bit of luxury. Camping's not a proper restful holiday, its hard work for those who have to do the driving, the shopping and cooking and clearing up afterwards. AND it doesn't support the economy either. Our hotels, inns, restaurants and cafes rely on tourist business in what passes for summer...
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Post by ozneil on Jul 27, 2015 20:28:16 GMT -1
And coming into August motorhomes are bumper to bumper down Great Western heading off out on the A82. Weather is so grim I feel sorry for their occupants. Let's agree to differ on the whole camping out on holidays, Oz I'm firmly of the opinion that holidays should be a treat you've grafted for for all year, a wee bit of luxury. Camping's not a proper restful holiday, its hard work for those who have to do the driving, the shopping and cooking and clearing up afterwards. AND it doesn't support the economy either. Our hotels, inns, restaurants and cafes rely on tourist business in what passes for summer... Im all for luxury but luxury costs $$$. I would rather spend $ doing and seeing new things . As I said its a balance of $ and time. Even in our van we spent heaps in cafes, pubs, souvenir shops, second hand book shops and petrol, bought the best kippers in the world staight from the smokery? at Sandend on the Moray Firth neat Cullen. Had a long chat with a barman at Tyndrum Hotel on malt whiskies ( fascinating guy) Chatted to an RAN Helicopter pilot and wife in a windmill on Norfolk Broads. Long conversation with a young Dutch Couple at Dunnet Bay about life in Oz, they were thinking of coming here. They had seen the flag on the van. The cop at Berridale that was holding up tourists for a dam fool survey. He held up a caravan to let us go in front of them, nice guy. The caravan park guy at Balmacara near Kyle of Lochalsh, who told Mrs Oz it was nice to hear a Scottish accent again. Not forgetting the above mentioned Aberdonian One highlight was on Gt Western Road stuck in traffic crawling along with Mrs Oz making sandwiches for lunch watched by an appreciative audience in a Corpy bus which was keeping pace with us on the left. Another was taking a tiny ferry from near Durness across a loch to pick up a mini-bus to Cape Wrath, something I had always wanted to do. Ferry to Cape Wrath Ms Oz in pink parka boatman couldnt get motor started for ages, swearing in Gaelic.(you can always tell swearing!) Things like that you just dont get on a luxury holiday. Besides I have been "a suit" all my working life and its great being able to let my metaphorical hair down Huge coincidences running into my best man and family at a remote campsite at Resipole on Loch Sunart near Ardnamuchan , we had lost touch years before when we had gone to Oz and he had gone to Kenya. Typical emotional greetings on meeting "Hi Brian" "Christ!!! you are in Australia!" "yeah and you are in Kenya!"
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Post by ozneil on Jul 27, 2015 20:35:34 GMT -1
and at the end packing up. The proverbial quart into a pint pot one new extra holdall and 8 kilos over weight (BA waived excess charge) Long Flight home 24 hours. London/Mumbai/Perth/Sydney HOME!!!
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Post by notanimby on Jul 28, 2015 15:18:57 GMT -1
and at the end packing up. The proverbial quart into a pint pot View Attachmentone new extra holdall and 8 kilos over weight (BA waived excess charge) Long Flight home 24 hours. London/Mumbai/Perth/Sydney View AttachmentHOME!!! Dave he jist reverse a big huge pickup intake yer garage, strap the hoose on and away he go in yer campervan again
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2015 18:35:43 GMT -1
And coming into August motorhomes are bumper to bumper down Great Western heading off out on the A82. Weather is so grim I feel sorry for their occupants. Let's agree to differ on the whole camping out on holidays, Oz I'm firmly of the opinion that holidays should be a treat you've grafted for for all year, a wee bit of luxury. Camping's not a proper restful holiday, its hard work for those who have to do the driving, the shopping and cooking and clearing up afterwards. AND it doesn't support the economy either. Our hotels, inns, restaurants and cafes rely on tourist business in what passes for summer... Im all for luxury but luxury costs $$$. I would rather spend $ doing and seeing new things . As I said its a balance of $ and time. Even in our van we spent heaps in cafes, pubs, souvenir shops, second hand book shops and petrol, bought the best kippers in the world staight from the smokery? at Sandend on the Moray Firth neat Cullen. Had a long chat with a barman at Tyndrum Hotel on malt whiskies ( fascinating guy) Chatted to an RAN Helicopter pilot and wife in a windmill on Norfolk Broads. Long conversation with a young Dutch Couple at Dunnet Bay about life in Oz, they were thinking of coming here. They had seen the flag on the van. The cop at Berridale that was holding up tourists for a dam fool survey. He held up a caravan to let us go in front of them, nice guy. The caravan park guy at Balmacara near Kyle of Lochalsh, who told Mrs Oz it was nice to hear a Scottish accent again. Not forgetting the above mentioned Aberdonian One highlight was on Gt Western Road stuck in traffic crawling along with Mrs Oz making sandwiches for lunch watched by an appreciative audience in a Corpy bus which was keeping pace with us on the left. Another was taking a tiny ferry from near Durness across a loch to pick up a mini-bus to Cape Wrath, something I had always wanted to do. View AttachmentFerry to Cape Wrath Ms Oz in pink parka boatman couldnt get motor started for ages, swearing in Gaelic.(you can always tell swearing!) Things like that you just dont get on a luxury holiday. Besides I have been "a suit" all my working life and its great being able to let my metaphorical hair down Huge coincidences running into my best man and family at a remote campsite at Resipole on Loch Sunart near Ardnamuchan , we had lost touch years before when we had gone to Oz and he had gone to Kenya. Typical emotional greetings on meeting "Hi Brian" "Christ!!! you are in Australia!" "yeah and you are in Kenya!" Fantastic post, Oz! What brilliant memories you have of being *on the road* in Scotland. Maybe it's because of our jobs---both me and Mr Rolo being *on the road* so much over the years, that I like a wee bit of luxury and a bit of a pause to be together as a family on our infrequent holidays. I guess given our lifestyle and silly hours most of the year, we just like to flop a bit and rest up somewhere comfortable. And now that Ms Rolo's graduated, I do feel a certain sense of freedom in that I can now take holidays out of term-time and believe me, I plan to take more of them from now on! Starting very possibly late August. This goddarned weather is SO bloody depressing we all need a late week in the sun to get the Vit D levels up before tackling another Scottish winter! Today in central Glasgow I felt so sorry for the hordes of tourists, dreeping about in layers of wet weather gear. Merchant City Festival's been a total washout thus far, with a few days to go.
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