Walking with the Dinosaurs

Carving of a Mammoth

    Whether you believe we were put on this planet by, something, someone, arrived in a spaceship or in Darwin's theory that we evolved from other non-complex life-forms.
  

Squirrel

    Our being is somewhat a mystery and causes much debate amongst scientific, religious and ethical communities.

Tyrannosaurus Rex

    Going along to a museum and looking at the skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and then looking at the mammals of various kinds that live in the here and now with us is most definitely fuel for an author's imagination.

Various dinosaurs and mammals

El Dia de Los Muertos

Statue in Grounds of Abbotsford House

We loved you while you were here,

We cried when we realised you would no longer be near.

Time moves on.

So does life even although you are gone.

We now want to remember you and the times we had.

It's time to celebrate without being sad.

Garlands and wreaths make a flowery bed.

We will honour you today, the Day of the Dead.

#DayoftheDead

The Deil is Knocking

The Deil he knocks on the door and waits.

While the rest of the world contemplates.

He watches and grabs every opportunity,

To cause trouble for just one of us or even a whole community.

Beware this night of Halloween.

Because it's either Heaven or Hell no between.

Food for Thought

Rev. Henry Duncan

    Each morning there are individuals, parents, grandparents and carers throughout the world who wake up and wonder how they're either going to feed themselves or those in their care that day.They may have a temporary crisis or a long-term one, due to illness, homelessness, unemployment and need to turn to a food bank.

    While the concept has come to the forefront this century there have been soup kitchens, food cooperatives and various other ways for charitable organisations to distribute food to the needy.

    I can personally remember of a food cooperative in the next village distributing food to the miners and their families back in 1984/85. They were suffering hardship due to the year-long industrial action by the National Union of Coal miners, which was the biggest of its kind in the UK since the General Strike of 1926.

    However, on my recent visit to Dumfries and Galloway, I came across a statue of a Rev. Henry Duncan of Ruthwell. The impressive sculpture adorning the front of a red stone building in the town instantly made me want to find out more about the man.

St Andrews University

    A well-educated man, having studied at St Andrews University and in Liverpool, Henry Duncan put his banking career behind him and returned to Scotland to study for the religious ministry in both the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.

    But just as there are poverty stricken families today, there were also many in the 18th and 19th-centuries. Rev.Henry Duncan recognised that his poorer parishioners in Ruthwell, Dumfries and Galloway where he was now a minister, needed help. Coaxing and cajoling some of the wealthier parishioners into backing him, from a small cottage in his parish he distributed food and grain to the very poor.

    He also recognised that with help it is possible to turn lives around and from the same cottage he used his background of banking to set up a Friendly Society. Here savers received a healthy return on whatever little they managed to put by, and his model was the pioneer for the savings-bank we know today.

    He also was a writer, editor, publisher and founder of the Dumfries and Galloway Courier, a weekly newspaper published now known as the Dumfries Courier and published by the DNG media Group.

    A man I was glad I had taken the time to find out about.  


#WorldSavingsDay  #poverty #povertyisunnessary

Products of the Author's Imagination

Rear-Admiral Thomas Cochrane

    As a writer, I love to find out what inspired, or inspires the fictitious characters of other writers. Was it a grumpy neighbour, family member, old school friend or maybe even the local barista? The writer may not use all of their traits but their little idiosyncrasies sometimes can unintentionally creep in and become part of the players characteristics.

    One individual who is said to have inspired C.S Forester's, Horacio Hornblower and Patrick O'Brian's, Captain Jack Aubrey, is Royal Naval officer Thomas Cochrane. Although a naval hero who was known as the 'Wolf of the Seas' by the French during the Napoleonic wars, he also had a questionable reputation. Which may not have been something so unusual in those bygone days.

    I came across a statue of him in the town of Culross, the other week and it was good to put a face to the character even he was a 'product of the author's imagination.'

Where Literature and Bloodthirstiness Meet

Statue of Robert Burns and Greyfriars Church, Dumfries

     I like to take a road trip at least once a week with my partner. With the picnic hamper filled with lots of lovely goodies, including a flask of coffee packed away in the boot of the car, we set off as early as possible.  As to where we end up, it could be a twenty-minute drive away or as it was last week, a two-hour journey.

     You'll know if you are a regular reader that I have an interest in churches, graveyards, rivers, oceans, castles, amongst other things and I try to take as many photographs as I can to use in my blog and, therefore we plan our outings around that.

The Mid Steeple, Dumfries Town Centre

    Once I've done a little research, we sit down the night before, check the route, anticipated mileage and importantly, the weather forecast. If all seems in okay we're ready to rock 'n' roll.

    Last Tuesday was no different and I wanted to visit the town of Dumfries, Galloway. I had visited here many years ago and although I knew it is a town with a strong literary connection, I didn't realise it was also a burgh with a bloody history.

River Nith

     We parked in a car park overlooking the River Nith, an ideal place I thought to eat our picnic once we had walked around and explored the nooks and crannies I remembered or had discovered whilst fact-finding.

    It's literary past was the main reason of my visit because this is where Robert Burns created some of his best works such as Ae Fond Kiss. It was the place where he spent approximately 5-years before passing away and I've included a couple of pictures of the signs that now have pride of place on the outside of the white-painted building that was his home.

    Ironically, his statue stands near the Gothic revival, Greyfriars Church, while the church was re-built after Burns demise, he had actually been excommunicated by the clergy of its predecessor. A man who is infamous for his dry wit, as well as his romanticism, I think he would have thought he had the last laugh there.

Greyfriars Church

    The town's sanguinary past is a historian's dream, Robert the Bruce murdered, John III Comyn at Greyfriars Church in the early 14th-century, Scotland's first hanging also took place in the town,
and we shouldn't forget that burning witches in this part of Scotland were also a regular occurrence here in 15th and 16th-centuries.

Devorgilla Bridge

   At the end of our sight-seeing, it was time to get back into the car, eat, drink coffee and take in the beauty of the river as it flowed under the Devorgilla Bridge dating back to around 1432. It had been a great day and certainly gave me lots to think about.

Scotland at its Best

   

Looking out towards the Islands 

    Keeping up traditions and embracing the culture of our homeland, I believe is an important part of who we are and being Scottish is something you will know by now that I am proud of.

Corran Halls, 2nd from left.

    124-years ago The Royal National Mod, a celebration of Scottish literature, culture and language started in Oban, Argyllshire and for the 16th time in its history it has returned there this week, taking place in the Corran Halls.
    While many go along to converse, listen to performances in the native tongue Gaelic; choirs, pianists, pipers, fiddlers, and songsters go to compete for medals which are renowned worldwide.

    Oban I have featured previously, but it's worth another blog visit once again. Because when visiting here you could be in no other country in the world except Scotland.

Oban Distillery, centre photograph

    The music, whisky, seafood, and the scenery are Scotland at its best.