Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying machines

Replica of A Mark I Spitfire

    Five hundred and forty four,  RAF fighter pilots, were killed during the Battle of Britain and this weekend in the UK there has been a flypast over Buckingham Palace, London to mark the 75th anniversary of the battle.

    War isn't something that I want to celebrate however, I want to commemorate the men who lost their lives. These men helped change the outcome of World War II and who knows what would have happened if they hadn't taken to the air to protect British shores.

    Close to where I live there was a fighter base manned by the, 58 Operational Unit,  whose duties included protecting the Forth Bridge and Rosyth Dockyards, used by the Royal Navy. The airfield belonging to RAF Grangemouth, Central Scotland, closed in 1955 and the BP Refinery dominates the landscape there now. But the loss of these magnificent men will never be forgotten and they are remembered by the siting of a replica Mark I, Spitfire on the now industrial area.

   

 

 

A Little Teed Off!

Old Course, St Andrews

    I was feeling a little teed off on Wednesday, because my partner and I were celebrating our anniversary and the weather had let us down. Nevertheless we jumped in the car and drove along the coastline of Fife, our favourite coast.

Pettycur Beach, Kinghorn

    This coast will be driven by thousands next weekend as Thursday the 16th, is the day British Open Golf Tournament tees off in St Andrews http://www.britishopengolf.co.uk/ and although our weather is a little unpredictable it can't put a dampener on the scenery.

Inchkeith Island, Firth of Forth

    Once we were driving around and stopping off to take some photographs, I forgot that the sun wasn't actually shining because the beauty around me put the smile on my face.

Looking towards Arthurs Seat, Edinburgh

#StAndrews  #Golf  #Scotland  #FirthofForth

Meal do Naidheachd!

The Forth Rail Bridge

Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, New Town

    The Forth Rail Bridge has become the newest site in Scotland to be awarded, UNESCO World Heritage Site. The bridge is the sixth site in Scotland to have world heritage status. 

    The others being Edinburgh's Old and New Towns, the Antonine wall, New Lanark, St Kilda and Neolithic Orkney.

The Forth Rail Bridge

Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh Old Town

    Meal do naidheachd! Congratulations, being the translation.

P.S
Charlotte Square is where the Edinburgh International Book Festival edbookfest.co.uk is held in August each year.


Other posts that might be of interest:
 http://bit.ly/1LS0f9T

http://bit.ly/1RfxUxR                                  

#ForthRailBridge #UNESCO #Edbookfest #Scotland #Edinburgh

Just Can't Get Enough

Dunbar

St Andrews Harbour

   US cinema goers just can't get enough. No, not of the three letter word beginning with S and ending in X, although it does start with an S.

    Scotland is their favourite film location according to a recent poll by, USA Today  and I've included some photographs that say it all.
 

Linlithgow Palace

Wallace Monument, Stirling

Friendship

Feeling down in the dumps,

Because I'm thinking I'm going to fail.

But I always know you'll be supporting me all the way,

So for you I'll come up trumps.

Overwhelmed with sadness,

Sitting down and talking to you gets it into perspective.

Making me realise the thoughts I had were just madness.

Amigo, freund, ami, friend, I love you,

Because you always stick around.

With our friendship we are truly bound.

Unconventially Taxing

Tolbooth, Clackmannan, Scotland

    Paying taxes causes most of us to take a sharp intake of breath. I was wondering if we made our payments in quaint buildings if it would lessen the pain? Probably not.

    I've included pictures of two buildings dating back a couple of hundred years that were used for that purpose amongst other things, which I find kind of cute.

Tolbooth, Dunbar, Scotland

Midsummer Celebrations

    The Summer Solstice is here, whether we call the celebration Litha, St John's Day, or the Festival of San Juan, it doesn't matter.The superstitions and myths add to the celebration of the day with the longest number of daylight hours in summer.

    Which means to me, more time to take in the beauty that surrounds me in my garden and public spaces. One special place is my 80 year old neighbour's garden which she tends with loving care and I've included some photographs so you can share the pleasure too.

    Have a great Summer Solstice, whatever you're doing.