Import complete

Import Complete.

The deed is done, every thing that is going to import from Multiply HAS imported. The text of every post and note copied perfectly, unfortunately the pictures didn’t. Some of the pictures are missing in the edited version, but present in the viewed version. Some pictures are just missing from every thing. All of the pictures that are here link back to Multiply so I guess when they turn out the lights for the very last time over there, all the pictures will disappear. All of the very old posts that were imported to Multiply from 360 refused to import here. I’ve had to do that by hand, hence the oldest posts, the 360 posts, are first in line not last as they should be.

I’m now resigned, it’s not perfect, but I guess what I have here is all I’m getting. I’ve just plain run out of energy……………this is it.

360 no 40

Entry for December 20, 2007, 360 import, Christmas letter to santa
Dec 20, '07 9:30 AM
for loretta's contacts
 
DEAR SANTA
You probably don't get many letters from grown-ups but there are some things I really do need. You must be awful busy with all those kids but I would be so grateful if you could let me have some stuff too.
Just like all those kids, I spend the whole year trying to be good and ...... well to be honest I'm not that successful. But I do try, so I just hope you can overlook the times when I haven't been that good. It's usually stuff like getting mad and yelling at people, I never mean too but I just find people so difficult at times, I'm a grown up so I know there is no real excuse for getting mad and yelling at people, but I do find it all so difficult. And that brings me to the stuff I really do need for Christmas;
Santa I need to find a way of living my life without leaving this enormous Eco-footprint that seems to follow me around.
I need to find a way of surviving and working that does not contribute to the inequalities and injustices of the world.
I need to find a place to live where there are like minded people who understand why constantly buying new things is not good, who can relate buying fashion clothes at rock bottom prices to sweat shops and child labour, who are thoughtful and considerate toward their environment and who instinctively understand the principles of 'reduce, reuse and recycle.
I need to live some place where there are no racists, homophobics xenophobes, misogynists or bigots of any kind (these are the people I yell at most)
I need to be free of people who deliberately gossip, bitch about and deride others at the slightest opportunity (I think I maybe yell at them more).
I need to find a way of contributing that is valued in ways other than monetary.
I am a grown up and I live on my own. I have no one who depends on me so I really could go anywhere you find these things for me.
This is my Christmas list Santa.
PS............ OK....... sometimes I yell just because I'm bad tempered, sorry for that. Can I have my wish list anyway please. If you manage to stop by my hoose on your way around the world I will have hot mince pies and wee dram waiting for you and carrots n' neeps for Rudolph.
Thank you Santa
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE
Tags: 360 import, christmas
Prev: Entry for December 19, 2007, 360 import, Friends at christmas,
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360 no 39

Entry for December 19, 2007, 360 import, Friends at christmas,

Dec 19, '07 5:54 PM for loretta's contacts

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Hello everyone it’s so nice to be back even if it is for such a short while, and at this point there really is no guarantee this will even make it to my 360 page but I will do my best. I haven’t managed to replace or properly repair my decrepit old computer but, on a whim, I just decided to switch on and see what happens…… so far so good, the response remains sluggish to say the least but for the time being it appears to be humouring me. So……. Strike whilst the iron is hot as they say.
I just can’t believe its only 5 days to Christmas. My house is festooned in red and gold, the tree is small but brightly lit and my red Christmas candles emit this beautiful scent of oranges, cloves and cinnamon. I have presents all wrapped and ready to go, pink and sparkly for the granddaughters, Bob the Builder for the youngest grandson and a collection of transformers for the older grandson. There are the customary ‘smellies’ for the daughters and their partners and something a little special for my two best friends. Both of my friends are an inspiration to me.



They are both registered disabled. One, a lady just two
years older than me has so many health problems I have absolutely no idea how she finds the strength
to get out of bed in the morning never mind any thing else. She has not had a happy life; she had a miserable childhood followed by an abusive marriage followed by chronic ill health. She lives alone with scant support from her grown up family and I live in the next town so I just don’t get to see her as often as I would like. This year she has become increasingly frail, she has no hope of any improvement in her condition, just a steady decline into the inevitable. Yet this lady never fails to ask how I am, to take an interest in my general well being and to offer support and sympathy when I’ve had a bad day. Compared to her, I never have anything that remotely resembles a bad day but that doesn’t stop her being supportive and saying just the right thing. Many, many thanks and a multitude of Christmas wishes to you Agnes for being my very dear friend. My other friend is a chap who is 4 years older than me. He survives with about ½ of a working lung. He has suffered more bereavements in his life than most of us could imagine and now has virtually no relatives left. He cared for terminally ill relatives, he fought in the army, he saw his comrades blown up in front of him, he brought up his child on his own and now, when he should be free to enjoy what is left of his own life, he is incapacitated and severely limited in what he can do. Does he ever complain?? NO! Does he ever let things get him down? NO! He is funny and makes me laugh when I feel down (which is very often). He spends his life joking and laughing, I must admit his jokes are NOT very PC and if anyone else said the things he says I would be greatly offended. But in his case I make an exception, mostly because I know he doesn't really meant it and partly because he has a heart of gold. If ever there is anything he is able to do to help, he is there. What a great guy, and how lucky am I to have two such wonderful friends? So thank you and Merry Christmas to you too.

Now compare these two wonderful people with my not so wonderful work colleagues. My work colleagues bring whole new meanings to superficial, they plummet depths of superficial I could not, in my wildest dreams have imagined. If asked what constitutes an international disaster I’m pretty sure at least a couple of them would say a bad hair day. They see no irony or sadness in their utter devastation caused by red wine stains on a brand new cream carpet when millions will spend this Christmas without a roof over their heads never mind carpets under their feet! They covert designer labels without a thought to the sweat shop where they are made or the children who live in poverty making the damm stuff. They are not only ignorant of what goes on in the world they are adamantly determined to remain ignorant just in case a little knowledge upsets and intrudes into the orgy of consumerism that constitutes their Christmas. These women are shallow, ignorant, racist, homophobic, xenophobic and mean spirited. I walked in on a conversation that went along the lines of its ‘ok’ to call ‘them’ Pakies because they all come from Pakistan and its just an abbreviation so that’s not racist!! If I hadn’t actually heard this conversation I would not have believed people I work with could say such things. They text each other vile, offensive racist jokes on their mobiles and see nothing inappropriate or offensive in this. They seem to believe people are not really ‘British’ unless they and their parents are white and have lived here for generations. The concept of black British or Asian British or Muslim British just seems to remain outside the realms of their understanding. It seems dear old Enoch’s ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech may be 40 (ish) years old but its essence is alive and well and living on the east coast of Scotland. And what these women think of any gay couple who have the audacity to be seen together in public is not printable!! Oh shame on us!!! I suppose I should be grateful that, of all the men I work with only one springs to mind as an out right misogynist. That I believe, is called being grateful for small mercies!
I have amused and distracted myself from the horrors of my colleagues by getting involved in something called Eco-Schools. In brief; the aim of Eco-Schools is to bring the ideals of sustainability, environmentally sound actions, recycling, energy efficiency etc into schools, to involve pupils and staff alike in making the school more ‘eco-friendly’. Well our efforts seem to have paid off because the School now proudly displays the Eco-Schools Bronze award which will soon be joined by the Silver. The ultimate award, the much sought after Green Flag, may just take me a wee bit longer, but not that long!! I calculate about this time next year we should be flying the Green Flag which is something worth working toward despite what those miserable women think. They relate to Eco-Schools as something that may be useful to them in some way.

Oh how I have missed these pages as a much needed outlet for the frustrations of every day life. Not that I intended this to be some sort of tirade against the wicked, It was meant to be a ‘hello and happy Christmas’. And on that more cheerful note I think I should call it a night. My computer has been kind to me but now I am beginning to feel I shouldn’t push my luck. Time for me to quietly, leave and quit while I’m ahead.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Tags: 360 import, friends, health, mental health, christmas

Prev: Entry for October 08, 2007, 360 import, Goodbye for a while.
Next: Entry for December 20, 2007, 360 import, Christmas letter to santa

360 no 38

    Entry for October 08, 2007, 360 import, Goodbye for a while.
Oct 8, '07 5:24 AM
for loretta's contacts
 Hi everyone, well this is absolutely going to be my last blog entry for a while. Woke up today to a totally non-functioning computer. Nope, not a thing, won't turn on!! And yes ....... it does have power, and yes the battery is fully functional. Maybe this is just mechanical, maybe the on/of button just doesn't work, just do not know. So, guess this is some sort of omen that I should spend more time with my books and less time in front of a monitor. Am using a friends computer right now, just didn't want to go with out saying why. Hope to get the dam machine repaired or replaced asap..................until then, good bye my friends, I have enjoyed this 'blogging' thingy very much and fully intend to resume in the near future. I will be back. And thanks to every one for every thing.
Tags: 360 import, friends, computer, internet
Prev: Entry for October 03, 2007, 360 import, Re-reading Hesse
Next: Entry for December 19, 2007, 360 import, Friends at christmas,

360 no 37

Entry for October 03, 2007, 360 import, Re-reading Hesse
Oct 3, '07 3:57 PM
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A very strange thing happened to me today. I decided to sort out my books and pack some up for the charity shop. I always find sorting through books difficult because no matter how resolute my intention it inevitably ends with me sitting in the middle of the floor surrounded by open books, deeply engrossed in at least one of them. This time was slightly different. I was sat, as predicted, in the midst of half open books when one book, with no provocation or encouragement what so ever, quite literally threw itself from the top shelf of the bookcase and landed, face up and open in my lap.
This book was a very old paperback. This book was just about the first 'serious' book I ever read. And there, in my lap, sat the original copy of the book I had bought in the early 70's. I was still young and impressionable with a mind ripe for education. This book changed the way I think, it introduced me to my long term all time favorite author. I have not read his work for so long. But, as I sat reading this, every thing I felt then just came flooding back. And the strange thing is, this particular passage is just so apt.............this is how I feel when I try to write
''However, the more pages I read of my handwriting, the less did I like the manuscript. Even in my former most despondent hours it had never seemed so futile and absurd to me as now. Everything seemed so confused and stupid; the clearest relationships were distorted, the most obvious forgotten, the trivial and the unimportant pushed into the foreground. It must be written again, right from the beginning. As I continued reading the manuscript, I had to cross out sentence after sentence, and as I crossed them out, they crumbled on the paper, and the clear, sloping letters separated into assorted fragments, into strokes and points, into circles, small flowers and stars, and the pages were covered like carpets with graceful, meaningless, ornamental designs. Soon there was nothing more left of my text; on the other hand there was much unused paper left for my work. I pulled myself together. I tried to see things clearly.''
Just a small excerpt from
'The Journey to the East', Herman Hesse, pub Panther Books 1972. (this particular version has an introduction by Timothy Leary which is worth reading too)
I had forgotten the pleasure of reading Hesse. I don't think so many people read his books now. So.... now rather than packing books up for the charity shop I have sorted out all my old Hesse books with the intention of re-reading ASAP.
Tags: 360 import, hesse, literature
Prev: Entry for September 28, 2007, 360 import, 360 FRIENDS
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360 no 36

Entry for September 28, 2007, 360 import, 360 FRIENDS
Sep 28, '07 5:48 PM
for loretta's contacts
 
Oh I am such a bad, bad 360 friend, people have contacted me, asked where I am, been worried about me and still I havn't answered. I am soooooo sorry if I didn't get back to you. I have just been kinda busy with work 'n stuff and have found it really diffucult to find the time to get back here long enough to do any writing or catching up. As I've already said to a couple of my friends, I have been feeling rather down lately which doesn't help, it doesn't make for good writing and communication when you just feel down all the time, well, not writing that I want to put here anyway.
Now tonight I had it all planned, I knew exactly what I was going to do. The plan was to do a very brief update on the budgie thingy and then make my excuses and close the page down for a while. I just didn't have the energy or the inclination to carry on while feeling so low in myself. I just didn't feel up to keeping this blog going right now. Mmmmmmmmmm, well plans are wondeful things but they don't always work do they?? The budgie thingy went ok, thats the first thing I have written in a couple of weeks and once that was done it just occured to me that maybe I should update this page on the recent development re the 'needle injury'. So I did that too. Well by this time I had quite gotten back into the swing of things so to speak, then I remembered this letter from my great aunt.
She is a fabulous old lady, can still walk most people off their feet and she is one of the most cheerful and happy people I have ever met. She always has a smile and never has a bad word to say about anyone. Oh if only I could be such a nice person..........yeah I wish!! So then I thought I just had to put in a bit about her request for help with her friends sponsored walk. And there you have it, my conversion in one evening from 'determined to close the page', to 'I'm really getting back into this again'. Now at some point this evening I remembered I still have a half finished entry on Glamis Castle laying around somewhere in one of my compute folders. So, providing I don't get sidetracked for another couple of weeks with work, chores and depression, I hope to actually finish it and post it soon.
Untill then my friends, so sorry to those of you I have ignored, I really really will make the effort to get back to you.
Tags: 360 import, friends
Prev: Entry for September 28, 2007, 360 import, WALKGB4CLIMB
Next: Entry for October 03, 2007, 360 import, Re-reading Hesse

360 35

ntry for September 28, 2007, 360 import, WALKGB4CLIMB
Sep 28, '07 5:10 PM
for loretta's contacts
 
I have a lovely elderly aunt called Barbara who has to be about 78 by now. She has always enjoyed walking and has recently written to me about a charity she has become involved with. It seems, the leader of the walking group she belongs to is planning on walking around the coast of the UK. His walk will begin from Bognor Pier on New years Day 2008 and is expected to take about 10 months. He is walking to raise money for a charity called 'CLIMB' which stands for 'Children living with Inherited Metabolic Diseases'. Her reason for writing was to ask if I know anyone who could offer overnight accommodation to him and/or offer sponsorship. Obviously he can stay with me for a night, I live on the North/East coast of Scotland, but if anyone else lives by the coast and would like to offer a free nights accommodation to a very worth while cause , please do .
The e-mail address is
info.svcs@climb.org.uk
and the website is
http://www.climb.org.uk
THANKS FOLKS.
 Colin Snook 
Colin has always had the ambition to walk around Great Britain and has plotted a route which will cover in excess of four thousand miles over three hundred days in 2008. All in support of Climb
For those of us untouched by a metabolic disease it is difficult to imagine the impact that the birth of an affected child has on the family and the subsequent lengthy medical and ethical uphill battles that have to be fought on that child’s behalf. However, I did have a brief insight into this dilemma when I visited a teenager in her teens at a respite centre who was in the latter stages of a Metabolic Disease. It turned out to be an traumatic experience, the memory of which I have been unable to shrug off.
My chance meeting has given me even greater purpose to achieve this ambition so with the backing and support of Climb I aim to raise £50,000 for Climb.
Climb Needs Your Help to Help Colin!
Colin aims to use a combination of B & B, backpacking, rough camping, campsites and the YHA hostels for accommodation over a period of ten months, and averaging 15 miles walking per day. For most of his journey Colin will be hugging the coast but on reaching Scotland he will head inland to take on the West Highland Way and then through the central highlands to Cape Wrath. From here he will return to the many coastal paths for the long journey south back to his starting point in West Sussex.
We thought Climb could assist in supplementing these choices and that those of you in our Family Network, living near to the intended route, might like to be involved and 'host' Colin a night’s accommodation (and a shower!) as he passes through to help him reach his £50,000 target at minimum expenditure. Also we are investigating police, fire and coast guard stations that may have a spare bed, together with campsites and holiday camps. For occasional pampering, we would like contacts with hotels along the way at reduced or no cost, so if you have the name of someone we can approach for any of these types of accommodation please do let us know. We can then pass on all our offers to Colin to help him plan his route.
Climb wishes to give Colin the publicity and support he deserves so we look to you to provide us with local media contacts as he travels round and gather friends and relatives to cheer him on his way. Starting date is New Year’s Day 2008 in Bognor Regis, first milestone - Lands End in mid-February!
This venture promises to be an exciting fund raiser for Climb and we hope you would like to be part of it to help Colin reach his target and achieve his ambition to Walk-GB-4-Climb!
For further information contact Climb on 0845 241 2173
Or e-mail frg.svcs@climb.org.uk
Tags: 360 import, environment, walkgb4climb, walking
Prev: Entry for September 28, 2007, 360 import, LONG AWAITED UPDATE ON CHILD/NEEDLE INCIDENT.
Next: Entry for September 28, 2007, 360 import, 360 FRIENDS

360 34

Entry for September 28, 2007, 360 import, LONG AWAITED UPDATE ON CHILD/NEEDLE INCIDENT.
Sep 28, '07 4:06 PM
for loretta's contacts
 
THIS IS AN INTERNET PICTURE NOT A PHOTO OF THE CHILD IN QUESTION.
I don't think I need remind any one about the incident in the summer where a three year old girl stood an a discarded hypodermic needle in her own garden!!.
Letters have been written to just about anyone and everyone who will listen. They all make the appropriate noises and send sympathetic and supportive letters of response. Some of those letters showed a genuine concern and eagerness to help but to date the situation remains the same. The family in question have not been offered alternative accommodation. The junkie next door continues to deal her drugs to the dregs of society who loiter continuously outside in the street. A couple of weeks ago she was arrested and charged, but within hours she was back home living in the midst of decent families trying to bring their children up in securely and safely. She has now started dealing her drugs again. Some of her regular customers were seen earlier today going into her flat, presumably to buy their daily drugs. Nothing changes. The two Housing Associations who were contacted with regard to alternative accommodation have responded by saying this family does not qualify for any special treatment. They are not a priority and will be given no special consideration, as far as the Housing Associations are concerned this family is adequately housed and do not have any special needs. The Housing officer from the Local Authority who is supposed to be in charge of this particular area of housing has not even bothered to visit the family. The local authority do not consider them to have any special circumstances or to be in special need. The child in question remembers her ordeal at the hospital and still on occasions wets the bed. This young mother has said from the very start of all this that she did not wish to 'go public', she preferred to deal with things via the official channels. So much for that idea.
Earlier today I bought a copy of our small, local, weekly newspaper. And what do I see on the front page??? A story of two young boys age six and seven who were 'pricked by a discarded hypodermic needle'. The boys were apparently playing in a local children's park when they found and were 'pricked' by the needle. When the boy's father realized what had happened he raised the alarm and was told to take them directly to the nearest major hospital. These boys have had blood tests and have started a painful course of injections to protect then from Hepatitis B, this is all a very familiar story, yes, we have heard this one before. I have been in contact with the young mother concerned and with the journalist who wrote the story. Unsurprisingly he was very, very interested in our story. I could hear the keyboard going as I spoke to him. I have emailed him copies of all the letters written and details of all the responses. We didn't particularly want to go to press with this but, well, what option is left??
Maybe publicity will elicit action whereas reasoned and polite letters seemed to have failed.
Tags: disgarded needles, mental health, health, 360 import
Prev: Entry for August 27, 2007, 360 import, The Reaper
Next: Entry for September 28, 2007, 360 import, WALKGB4CLIMB

360 no 33

    Entry for August 27, 2007, 360 import, The Reaper
Aug 27, '07 3:18 PM
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This is 'The Reaper', a fife sailing herring drifter which not a million years ago sailed the North Sea in pursuit of plentiful fish stocks. This weekend she was moored up in Arbroath as a visitor attraction during Seafest weekend. Once Arbroath harbour, along with many other small fishing towns and villages along this stretch of coastline, was full of boats just like her. They braved the cruel North Sea and brought back holds full of white fish. Sometimes I look across the harbour at the many shiny new leisure craft moored on the new purpose built pontoons and picture the harbour 100 years ago full of these brown sailed fishing vessels brimming with their white fish catch. What a sight that would have been. Today no white fish are landed at Arbroath harbour, today the only catch to be landed here is crabs and lobsters. There are still some small fishing boats registered to Arbroath but nothing like as many as there were 100 years ago. The Reaper represents the most popular design of fishing vessel used through out the 19th and early 20th century. She was built in Sandhaven near Fraserbrough in 1902, almost one of the last of her kind. She is also one of the biggest of her kind. She is a 70 foot, two masted lugger, usually berthed at Anstruther and oft found at exhibitions and tourist attractions through out the UK. She has had a bit of a chequered career; used first as a fishing vessel registered in a variety of places in Scotland, she was then requisitioned by the Admiralty during the war and post war she was used as a cargo vessel in Shetland. She is now the property of the Scottish fisheries Museum in Anstruther. All in all I think she is my all time favourite of the Seafest.
I have quite a few photos of her, some are in the set of 'Seafest' photos and some are old ones in a 'Reaper' set. She is worth having a look at so please just check her out, she is amasing.
Tags: 360 import, environment, boats, sailing ship, sea, seafest, arbroath, arbroath harbour, scotland
Prev: Entry for August 26, 2007, 360 import, Arbroath Seafest 2007
Next: Entry for September 28, 2007, 360 import, LONG AWAITED UPDATE ON CHILD/NEEDLE INCIDENT.

360 no 32

Entry for August 26, 2007, 360 import, Arbroath Seafest 2007
Aug 26, '07 5:53 PM
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This weekend was the Arbroath Seafest, an annual celebration of the local seafaring traditions held in and around Arbroath Harbour. We were so lucky, the weather was just about the best it has been so far this summer, hot, dry and very sunny mmmmmmmmm!!
A lovely day out was had by all. I've just posted all my seafest photos and as soon as I have time I shall be writing more, untill then just check out this band..........very different and very celtic.
http://www.thetrybe.org
http://www.myspace.com/trybalrecords
Oh heaven, sun, sea, boats, fluffy white clouds, the distinct smell of Arbroath Smokies wafting on the sea breeze, and all this while lounging on the grass watching these guys perform. I don't quite know what to say about them.........unique I guess, and good.
Tags: 360 import, seafest, arbroath, scotland, environment
Prev: Entry for August 10, 2007, 360 import, Identifying Plants.....(thanks Vero)
Next: Entry for August 27, 2007, 360 import, The Reaper

360 o 31

Entry for August 10, 2007, 360 import, Identifying Plants.....(thanks Vero)
Aug 10, '07 3:44 PM
for loretta's contacts
 
Vero, you and your friends are certainly trying at this, many thanks, so here is a little more information. As can be seen from the picture all flowers have died off now, they went a month or so ago after quite a long flowering. It's 11.00 pm and I've just been out and pulled this up from the garden. The stem isn't usually seen because the ground is covered with these pretty little Rosette plants, and the stems are hidden under the plant. However, now that we can see it the stem is slightly woody and a little pink, it is smooth with no hairs. The outer leaves, the older ones are a bit discolored, some have turned yellow/red. The root is just a continuation of the woody stem and it just throws off lots of little creeping rosettes which form their own root system.
I do live in Scotland, on the East coast so this plant survives in coastal areas with quite high winds but our air quality is very good, very little pollution here. I've just looked up some information you may find useful, Latitude 55.56, Longitude -2.58, highest temp around 30 C lowest around temp -15C both extremes very unusual. Jan/Feb coldest months, June/July warmest months. I know from experience we CAN get ground frost into April, but we don't always get it that late. We ALWAYS get some snow even though the worse of it tends to fall inland. I've lived in this house for 5/6 years and these plants were here in the garden when I moved in. In that time we have had some very severe winters but this little plant still comes up and flowers every year. It flowers early in the summer and the tiny little flowers are supported on long hairy slightly pink stems.
SO..................what do you think?? does this help you and your horticultural friends in this little garden mystery??
NOTE FOR ANYONE ELSE FOLLOWING THIS, THINK THE JURY'S STILL OUT. WATCH THIS SPACE.
Tags: 360 import, garden, plants
Prev: Entry for August 09, 2007, 360 import, Identifying Plants
Next: Entry for August 26, 2007, 360 import, Arbroath Seafest 2007

650 no 30

Entry for August 09, 2007, 360 import, Identifying Plants
Aug 9, '07 10:27 AM
for loretta's contacts
 
Thanks to Vero and her many friends I think the plant on my wall paper has been identified. She and her friends came up with two possible names, they thought either Sedum or Bergenia. So I looked at as many images of those two plants as my search engine would throw up and finaly found this picture, which seems to be about as close as it is possible to my garden plant. My plant has slightly pinker flowers and smaller leaves, but apart from that they look just about the same. So thanks Vero, with your help I think this plant is
BERGENIA EMEIENSIS, SAXIFRAGACEAC
And as an added bonus I have come accross an amazing source of plant images that can identify just about anything. This picture is one of many from botanic gardens all over the world and can be found in
Tim Waters' Photos (Flickr)
his pictures are well worth a look, thanks Tim (who ever you are)
Tags: 360 import, garden, plants
Prev: Entry for August 08, 2007, 360 import, Dementia, Malcome and Barbara, Loves Farewell.
Next: Entry for August 10, 2007, 360 import, Identifying Plants.....(thanks Vero)

360 no 29

ntry for August 08, 2007, 360 import, Dementia, Malcome and Barbara, Loves Farewell.
Aug 8, '07 6:31 PM
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Malcome and Barbara, Loves Farewell.
Tonight I watched such a sad documentary on TV. This was a film taken over many years charting the diagnosis, deterioration and the final illness of a man suffering with Alzheimer's Disease. Throughout his illness he was cared for at home by his wife. She received little or no help from the health service and was seen weeping through loss, grief, exhaustion and utter frustration with the system. He was a classically trained, Oxford graduate, pianist who deteriorated to the point where he was a wasted shell of a man without hope or dignity, being hoisted around a bed, incontinent, dependent and completely unable to do anything other than breath. Even his breathing was labored and difficult. This is the cruelest illness known to man, it robs a person of everything, it steals the person and leaves behind an empty body. For many years I worked as a carer and a nurse to people with Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. I loved my job but I couldn't do it any more. For a while I was part of the nursing staff on an assessment ward. It was demanding, difficult, rewarding, funny and tragic. It was one of the best and one of the saddest jobs I have ever had, there was humour, pathos, tragedy all on a daily basis and this little film brought so much of it back. I think carers 'burn out', this disease takes its toll on carers as well as victims. I just can't imagine how one woman could manage to care for a man with this disease on her own, for so long and with so little support. The lack of support for victims and carers of Alzheimer's is a national disgrace. We should all be aware of how neglected this area of medicine is and how much more we as a nation could do. During this documentary Barbara herself said, 'they manage to find money for wars and things, for Iraq, they could find money for this if they wanted too'. Oh how right she is.
POLITICIANS TAKE NOTE
Tags: 360 import, health, mental health, dementia
Prev: Entry for August 08, 2007, 360 import Sight Seeing
Next: Entry for August 09, 2007, 360 import, Identifying Plants

360 no 28

Entry for August 08, 2007, 360 import Sight Seeing
Aug 8, '07 7:47 AM
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I feel as if I have been away from here for ages, apart from the odd test, quiz or to answer a message or something I just don’t seem to have really sat down and ‘blogged’ so to speak. Oh I’m going into withdrawl so here goes!
I’m sure it can’t really be as long as it seems. Those of you who know me also know all about my dodgy knees; the knees belong to a body which is rapidly nearing it’s sell by date and certainly wouldn’t pass its MOT. The thing is; the knees, along with the rest of the body, are driven by a brain which foolishly refuses to acknowledge the passage of time and persists in the delusion that it’s forever 25 (ish). Now, as you can imagine, this does cause a bit of a problem at times. For the last couple of weeks or so the knees have protested if made to sit at the computer for any length of time, they just don’t like the position they are forced to adopt and they are certainly not knees to shut up and suffer in silence, all of which partly explains my absence. But only partly; As coincidence would have it, at the very same time as the knees refuse to fold neatly under the computer, a friend who I just don’t get to see that often unexpectedly turned up and offered a weeks worth of sight seeing in the car. I duly consulted the knees and they assured me that stretching out full length in a plush, air conditioned, sat navigated, all singing/ all dancing car was totally acceptable whereas bending double in the cramped confines of under computing table was absolutely not. So……well what choice did I have but to drag myself along on this sight seeing tour? Just prior to the sight seeing tour, my family, who had already noticed I was just a wee bit down, depressed and stressed out had included me in several ‘fun’ family days out.
And that just about sums up the longer than usual absence from these pages. Inconsiderate and uncooperative knees, a brain which refuses to acknowledge the passage of time, family who are observant enough to recognise rising stress levels, and the unexpected arrival of a god-send of a friend with a car. Oh and then there are the photographs of course. Sight-seeing = multiple photo shoot opportunities = loads of photos to download, sort, save and put online, a time consuming task as yet unfinished. I could only do little bits at a time as and when the knees permitted.
Where do I begin? At the beginning I suppose, 8th July.
One daughter + one daughters’ partner + his daughter + their son + another of my daughters’ son + me, all took a ride on Thomas the Tank Engine. Thomas is a REAL steam train and visits the Caladonian Railway in Brechin once or twice every year!! We met Thomas and all of his friends, we talked to the man on stilts wearing stripy trews and juggling balls, the children took rides on the fairground carousel and everyone went away clutching Thomas flags. The 25 year old brain thought it was great fun, the aged knees did nothing but complain but the sad and depressed spirit fleetingly lifted and sored.
http://www.caledonianrailway.co.uk/
Then there was Blair Drummond Safari Park, 12th July,
God-send friend + all singing all dancing car + youngest grandchild + me, all spent the day there. Child cuddled a Lama, clapped at the penguins, shyed away from the pacing Bear, rode on a ‘tea-Pot’ ride, half ate his packed lunch and finally peeded his pants in the sand pit and went home wearing bright red tiger pyjamas hurriedly bought from the shop. Think that adds up to a good time when you’re just two.
http://www.safari-park.co.uk/faqs.php
There followed a weekend of ‘events’ in our own little town.
On Saturday14th July,
WE had the ‘Seafront Spectacular’, an annual event held on the park next to the beach. With customary grandchild in tow I watched the Fly Past of three antiquated aircraft, all looping the loop and sending out streams of coloured ‘stuff’ (smoke?, Steam?, dunno exactly what it is). We watched the skydiving, all done in the name of some local charity, the grandchild climbed in, out and over and under a fire engine while wearing a REAL yellow fireman’s hat. I watched while the child inspected a steam roller, a whole row of very large motor bikes and what seemed like hundreds of circling Minis. Then, oh joy of joys…………the grandchild spotted the helium inflated, Thomas balloon floating in the sky, well he just had to have one. I was reliably informed he slept with this oversized, helium inflated Thomas balloon for the next week or until it was so deflated it posed a health hazard and had to be forcibly removed from his tiny, tightly closed fist. I think that operation also involved much screaming and stamping of feet but fortunately I wasn’t around to witness the final sad demise of Thomas, or the wrath of the child.
http://www.seafront.org.uk/
Saturdays Seafront Spectacular was followed on
Sunday 15th July,
by another local event arranged by one of the town pubs and named, rather tongue in cheek, ‘Tooties in the Park’. ‘Tooties’ is in fact the name of the organising pub, and the ‘Park’ is the park next to the pub where the event is held; But, the name itself (rather obviously) is a ‘take’ on the infamous ‘T in the Park’. Seemed to be hundreds of kids everywhere, daughters kids, daughters friends kids, kids belonging to neighbours, friends of friends, nephews, nieces, cousins, just kids, kids, kids and more kids where ever you looked. There were stalls, rides, marching bands, military bands, Radio DJ AND……the star attraction! A Crain whose top seemed to disappear into the clouds. At the very top of this Crain was a little platform from which people threw themselves off! And all in the name of charity, of course. Bungee jumping is, I am reliably informed, a totally ‘cool’ way to earn respect & cash for your chosen charity, It just looks bloody scary to me but each to his own I suppose. Guess even brain realises it’s not 25 sometimes.
MONDAY 30th JULY.
Then on with the sight seeing tour. Monday was the Falkirk
Wheel, a feat of contemporary engineering, with astounding mechanics, absolutely second to none. Monday dawned a fine, bright and sunny day perfect for our visit (no kids today) to the wheel and surrounding docks, barge boats and countryside. I managed some dramatic and almost abstract photography of the wheel, all of which are now stored in my flickr photos so please just go take a look. The Falkirk Wheel is the spectacular centrepiece of the £84.5 million ‘Millennium Link', the UK’s largest canal restoration project, developed by British Waterways to reconnect the Union Canal with the Forth & Clyde Canal, re-establishing east to west coast access for boats.
http://www.thefalkirkwheel.co.uk/
TUESDAY 31st JULY.
Tuesday was a late afternoon visit to Barry Mill just outside Carnoustie, Angus. We arrived too late to actually get into the Mill but …… another great photo opportunity, just go look at the photos and see what a great sky there was that evening. The Mill itself is a pretty interesting little place which we will return too later. This 19th century meal mill works on a demonstration basis. Records show that a mill has occupied the site since at least 1539. The present building was rebuilt in 1814 following a fire. Barry Mill was the last water-powered meal mill to work in Angus, producing oatmeal until the late 1970s and animal feed until 1982. The whole ‘visitor’ experience highlights the important place the mill held in the community.

http://www.aboutbritain.com/barrymill.htm
WEDNESDAY 1st AUG.
Now Wednesday really was an OUTSTANDING day, rated on a scale of 0-10 on out little sightseeing tour it’s right up there at 10++++. We travelled all the way North to Oban, known as the ‘Gateway to the Islands’. Oban lies on the North West coast of Scotland and is the major ferry port to many of the outlying Islands. The journey up there took us past hills, lochs, villages and scenery just out of this world. On the way we stopped briefly at Loch Earn, 87 meters deep, 10.5 km East to West, 0.8 km width at widest point, all set to a backdrop of hills, villages and water foul.

http://www.strathearn.com/op/lochearn.htm
Just before Oban we passed the Connel Bridge, built in 1901 over the entrance to Loch Etive and near to the ‘Falls of Lora’. This is a relatively small Cantilever bridge but quite an impressive one, anyone who likes bridges and engineering projects just check this one out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connel_Bridge
Once you get into Oban you can see why it is called ‘The Gateway to the islands’, that’s exactly what it is, a town that completely revolves around its little harbour. The town is full of people waiting for, embarking, disembarking, booking, or almost missing ferries all bound for one of the islands off the West Coast of Scotland. This is another of Scotland’s towns which once boasted a large, successful fishing fleet but in order to survive has had to ‘diversify’ as they say. Fortunately for Oban, it’s just the most amazing place for tourists so their future is assured, pity the same can’t be said for many more of the little fishing towns all along Scotland’s coast whose livelihoods have been decimated by ‘fish quotas’ and suchlike.
Dominating the skyline above the town is a Collosseum like structure built by Banker, (yes that is a B) John Stewart McCaig, a wealthy Victorian philanthropist. He designed the structure and built it by employing local unemployed stone masons throughout the winter months. It dominates the skyline, giving the impression that Oban is overshadowed by a great ancient monument that would rival the best that ancient world has to offer. All false of course, it’s just another example of the Victorian obsession with Ancient Classicism. BUT…… it offers views to die for, now these photos you have to check out
So here’s a bit of the history; The tower is also known as "The Crown of Oban" and is built on Battery Hill, which, as the name suggest was previously the site of gun emplacements. It’s approximately 190 feet in diameter and is essentially another Victorian ‘Folly’. The tower was built, like so many other "follies" to provide work for local stone masons. Whatever the reasons behind the building, or the inspiration, the tower has provided Oban with another attraction and this one is never, EVER forgotten. The views from the tower are stunning. It's position is perfect as it looks out over the harbour, Kerrera Island and the whole bay. Originally the wealthy philanthropist planned a tower, museum, art gallery and chapel all to be built at the site, but none of that actually happened. The likeness of the building to Rome's Coliseum has prompted suggestion that the tower was modelled on Rome's famous landmark, you can understand why, like I said, check out the photos. The tower is now owned by Oban Town Council who have added floodlights and maintain the property. The floodlights have ensured that the tower dominates the town at night. And we will just have to go back to see the tower at night!!
http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/oban/oban/index.html
http://www.robinwilson.net/mccaigstower/mccaigstower.html
THURSDAY 2cd JULY.
Thursday and half way through our weeks worth of sight seeing already. Thursday’s destination was a place I had visited before but always wanted to return to. Amongst other things, (buildings, bridges, Victorian engineering projects, etc) I have a love of boats and ships. So Thursday’s destination was the Glenlee, One of only 5 Clydebuilt ships remaining afloat today. She was built in Glasgow in 1896 and used as a long haul cargo vessel. And what a very beautiful vessel she is! Apart from anything else, she’s just another great photo opportunity. The Glenlee was built at the Bay Yard in Port Glasgow and was one of a group of 10 steel sailing vessels built to a standard design for the Glasgow shipping firm of ‘Archibald Sterling and Co ltd’. She is a three masted barque, with length 245 feet; beam 37.5 feet and depth 22.5 feet. The Glenlee first took to the water as a bulk cargo carrier in 1896. She circumnavigated the globe four times and survived ( not easy in those days, though not without incident) passing through the fearsome storms of Cape Horn 15 times,(wow 15!!) before being bought by the Spanish navy in 1922 and being turned into a sail training vessel. The ship was modified and served in that role until 1969. She then operated as a training school until 1981 when she was laid up in Seville Harbour and largely forgotten. Untill she was rescued, brought home and restored to her former glory, don’t you just love a happy ending.

http://www.glenlee.co.uk/
FRIDAY 3rd JULY
And then it was Friday, the last day of the sight seeing tour in the plush, air conditioned, all singing/all dancing, sat navigated car. Also time for me to start calculating my unusually large eco footprint for the previous week……………..I’m gonna be turning off lights, recycling mine and every body else’s rubbish and letting even more of my garden grow wild for the next year to compensate for the oh so deliciously extravagant all singing/all dancing automobile excursion. But oh!..... it has been enjoyable. So Friday, well that turned out to be an odd day. We aimed for Loch Levan, it looked like a picturesque loch with a ruinous castle on an island in the middle of the Loch, only accessible by a boat ride. Oh…. It sounded an ideal way to end our week, so we set the sat nav, sat back and enjoyed the scenery.
www.kinrosshouse.com/lochleven_touristinfo.html
Unfortunately we asked her (sat nav) to take us to Leven, not LOCH LEVEN, seems the loch is not the same place as the town and the town turned out to be not that exciting. It’s quite a sad, kinda run down little sea side town, which has the cheek to ask 30p to go to the not so special loo on the sea front! So we sat in the car, drank coffee, looked at the sea and decided what to do. And what we decided was to just drive up the coast and have a look at the picturesque villages along the way. We passed St Monans, Pittenween and Anstruther.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Monans
www.scotland-flavour.co.uk/pittenweem -
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/anstruther/anstruther
And this rather impromptu and unexpected tour of some of Scotland’s best kept secrets along the Fife coast was just such a high to end out sight seeing on. These are traditional Scottish fishing villages at their best. I haven’t quite finished downloading all the photos from my camera so the pictures from Friday have yet to go online, but all the others are there and these will follow just a.s.a.p. The only village we actually managed to park in and get a good look at was St Monans, and it was beautiful. St Monans is a town in the East Neuk of Fife named after the legendary Saint Monan. It’s approximately 3 miles west of Anstruther this small picturesque fishing community rests on a hill overlooking the Firth of Forth Estuary, with views over to North Berwick, the Bass Rock and the Isle of May. St Monans contains loads of historically important buildings, most notably the now defunct Windmill that once powered a salt-panning industry! There is also a 14th century church that perches precariously on the rock face cliffs above the water on the western side of the village. Approximately 1/2 mile west of St Monans, are the remains of the once great Newark Castle, a 16th century manor that has since fallen to ruin through cliff erosion and disrepair, another one to add to my ‘must see’ list. In 2002 with the permission of Historic Scotland, an attempt to restore the castle was made however for whatever reason was unsuccessful (if anyone knows why please feel free to add that in).
Parish Church
St Monans church, still within its kirkyard is just to the west of the village on the very edge of the sea. It’s rumored to be the church nearest the sea in the whole of Scotlands The church, one of the best Middle Ages Church in Scotland was built by King David 11Bruce (1329-71), initially for a small house of Dominican Frias. It later became the Church of Scotland parish church. The church has never been properly finished (it lacks a nave), it has many features of architectural interest, notably the fine stone vaulting in the choir and the simple but handsome ‘sedilia’. Internally it is white-washed throughout and is in a style that seems to dominate in this small Fife costal area.
Major restoration to the windows and masonry was completed in March 2007. The church is open to visitors daily from April – October, for some reason not open while we were there! And so ended our grand tour. From there we traveled up the coast intending to grab a coffee in St Andrews before setting off for our final destination….home. What we didn’t take into account was the ‘Ladies Open’, (important Golf for those of you who like me, are completely disinterested!), in full swing in St Andrews, and which consequently led to every parking place and coffee shop being full, full, full. Dehydrated, tired and homeward bound our weeks sight seeing finally came to an end. And after all that I’m sure you can see why blogging has taken a bit of a back seat for a while.
..
Tags: 360 import, environment, seafront spectacular, arbroath, scotland
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360 no 27

Entry for August 05, 2007, 360 import, Online test, levels of hell
Aug 5, '07 5:12 PM
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And another one.......find out what level of hell awaits you according to Dante's Inferno.
"Through me the way into the suffering city,
Through me the way to the eternal pain,
Through me the way that runs among the lost.
Justice urged on my high artificer;
My maker was divine authority,
The highest wisdom, and the primal love.
Before me nothing but eternal things were made,
And I endure eternally.
Abandon every hope, ye who enter here."
http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-test.mv
My test results are:
First level of Hell- Limbo
Caron ushers you across the river Acheron, and you will find yourself upon the brink of grief's abysmal valley. You are in Limbo, a place of sorrow without torment. You encounter a seven walled castle, and within those walls you find rolling fresh meadows illuminated by the light of reason, whereabout many shades dwell. These are the virtuous pagens, the great philosophers and authors, unbaptised children, and others unfit to enter the kingdom of heaven. You share company with Ceasar, Homer, Virgil, Socrates and Aristotle. There is no punishment here, and the atmosphere is peaceful, yet sad.
Now isn't this weird?? so much of this rings true I begin to think I must already be dead! LOL , for example, a place of sorrow without torment, yep...... sounds familiar. Unfit to enter the kingdom of heaven, well for the sake of argument, lets just assume this 'kingdom' is for real, I really don't think they would let me in. Share the company of, amongst others, Socrates and Aristotle, oh I wish!!
Yep..........sounds to me like I'm dead already
and if the idea of Dante's Inferno grabs your interest, try this virtual tour, fascinating.
Dante's Inferno - A Virtual Tour of Hell
You need the Flash plug-in to view this site.
http://web.eku.edu/flash/inferno/
Tags: 360 import, online test
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360 no 26

    Entry for August 05, 2007, 360 import, Online Test, Colours, yellow is my soul
Aug 5, '07 5:00 PM
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Yellow is the colour of my soul
Your soul is painted yellow, which embodies the characteristics of joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, gold, hope, liberalism, sociability, friendship, death, courage, intellect, confidence, communication, travel, movement, attraction, persuasion, and charm. Yellow is the color of the element Air, and symbolizes the sun, grain, and the power of thought.

Yellow is the colour of my soul.
http://www.quiztron.com/tests/color_is_soul_painte_quiz_23687.htm
Thanks Cinergy, nice little test
And..... now more of the same all borrwed from Wikipedia.
Yellow
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article is about the color. For other uses, see Yellow (disambiguation).


A yellow Tulip.
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M (long- and medium-wavelength) cone cells of the retina about equally, but does not significantly stimulate the S (short-wavelength) cone cells; that is, light with lots of red and green but not much blue.[1] Light with a wavelength of 570–580 nm is a yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of somewhat longer and shorter wavelengths. Yellow's colorimetrically defined complementary color in terms of color mixing using light is blue.
Yellow journalism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yellow journalism is a pejorative reference to journalism that features scandal ... Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_jo ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_journalism
Tags: 360 import, online test, yellow
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360 no 25

Entry for July 27, 2007, 360 import, Online Test, Tarrot Card, High Priestess

Jul 27, '07 10:43 AM for loretta's contacts

You are The High Priestess

Science, Wisdom, Knowledge, Education.

The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know. The High Priestess is also associated with the moon however and can also indicate change or fluxuation, particularily when it comes to your moods.

What Tarot Card are You?

Take the Test to Find Out.

I took the test and this is what I got

how about you??

and, if you want more background information about the tarot, find it here.

http://www.tarothermit.com/infosheet.htm

Tags: 360 import, online test

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360 no 24

    Entry for July 26, 2007, 360 import, Transfering Photos to Flickr
Jul 26, '07 3:13 PM
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 I have spent the last couple of hours or so transferring ALL of my many, many pictures of Buildings, Seascapes, landscapes, Townscapes, Parks and Gardens from all over Angus and the surrounding areas from the old yahoo albums to brand new ones right here. If you want to take a look the best way to make sense of them all is to go to my photos on my page and then go to 'collections'. There are 13 collections with 3, 4 or 5 sets to each collection. I think there are over 2000 photos in all, I really would like you to just dip into these collections and take a wee look at what is there. I haven't quite finished sorting them all out and some may still need turning, but just take a look anyway and feel free to leave as many comments as you like. Thanks for taking the time, I really do hope you like the photos.
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/forget-me-not5275/
Tags: 360 import, photo, picture perfect
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360 no 23

Entry for July 25, 2007, 360 import, House of Dun
Jul 25, '07 6:03 PM
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ONE WEEKEND,
ONE GRANDAUGHTER, ½ DOZ CROSSANTS,
AND THE HOUSE OF DUN
Oh, it just seems so long sinse I did a 'real' blog I just thought it was about time I did one, so here it is, AND there SHOULD be a complete album of photos of 'The House of Dun' in my photo's to go with this blog.

A Couple of weeks ago I stayed over with my daughter and granddaughter, Great Weekend!!. I have the privilege of sleeping in the granddaughters rooms on a futon when I stay there. The Futon’s nice and comfy but there’s not much chance of a lie in with a bouncy, excited 6 yr old peering over the top of her fairy princess bed, grinning her toothless grin, and all at the crack of dawn. True to form she was up with the birds and therefore so was I. We decided to allow her mother the unaccustomed pleasure of a Sunday morning long lie in bed, while we amused ourselves with a leisurely stroll to the shops. We bought the Sunday Newspapers, fresh orange juice and chocolate croissants for breakfast.
Mmmmmmm, yum yum, nice breakfast.
Croissants devoured, newspapers now sticky with chocolate croissant remains were strewn across the floor and we decided to go visit The House of Dun.

House of Dun on AboutBritain.com
This beautiful Georgian house, overlooking the Montrose Basin nature reserve, was designed by William Adam in 1730.
http://www.aboutbritain.com/houseofdun.htm
THE HOUSE OF DUN was designed by architect William Adam and is described as one of his best if not THE best surviving, modest sized, country houses in Scotland today. Adam was commissioned sometime in the early 1730’s by David Erskine,13th Laird, Judge of the Scottish Court of Session, to build a new, grand, fashionable house on his estate, overlooking the Montrose Basin. The house stands half a mile north of the basin on a pleasant, green and decidedly 'non-floodplain' piece of land. Delving a little into the history I immediately stumbled across something I would like to know more about. It seems the Dun estate was purchased in 1375 by Sir Robert Erskine from Renfrewshire and during the 16th and 17th century his descendents happily inhabited a Scottish Tower house situated approximately ¼ mile west of the present house. All that remains of this once noble and traditional Tower House is a ruinous archway in the old walled Garden. Now maybe I just haven’t looked very hard (very possible) or maybe there really isn’t much evidence or information out there on the original ‘Old Castle’, but; for what ever reason, I have drawn a blank!! My only lead to information about this now vanished Tower House is that it is mentioned in Vol 3 of the antiquated 19th century series of books; Angus & Forfarshire’ by A. G. Warden. A source of information I fully intend to investigate at a later date. But for now, if anyone knows anything of this now vanished Tower House please, please share your information with me. I would most especially like a picture of it, or some detail on its design and layout. Most original architectural drawings of these buildings are long lost, I would not be so foolish as to expect the original, or accurate copies of the original drawings to turn up. BUT; something must be known of this old tower house by someone, somewhere. It must have stood for the best part of 200-300 years at least, and it’s difficult to believe that in all those years a passing painter didn’t record it, or journey man didn’t stay there and write a letter about it. The one piece of information relating to the original Tower House to be found in the official ‘National Trust for Scotland’, guide book is that it was completely destroyed in 1723. The actual quote is from Alexander McGill, the official Edinburgh City Architect who was originally employed to survey the estate and provide plans for a new house. He is recorded as saying that the old castle (Tower House) was ‘Raze’d Dow’n to the Ground’. How, (accidental or otherwise) it was raised down to the ground the quote didn’t say but I’m pretty sure that much at least must be known by someone. Anyway, I digress, since I don’t know anything about the original Tower House this little blog was supposed to be about the grand palatial and impressive House of Dun as designed by William Adam.

A Couple of weeks ago I watched a BBC programme about the way Scottish Architecture has developed over the centuries, it was called ‘Building Britain’, presented by David Dimbleby. The eminent and much respected Mr Dimbleby presented the public with ‘Kinross House’
http://www.kinrosshouse.com/
as the very first grand country house in Scotland NOT to be built as a ‘Castle’, (his description not mine). Kinross House was designed by William Bruce and completed in 1693, although the interior had not been completed to Bruce’s designs by the time of his death in 1710. Dimbleby positively gushed over Kinross House, he admired the design of elegant classicism as opposed to the traditional Tower House design, he admired the comfort and space classicism offered and he spoke admiringly of the European influence of space, light, height and classical proportions. In conclusion to his obvious enthusiasm for the new and precisely proportioned Kinross House he said cuttingly ’what a relief’! Meaning I assume; that the peoples of Scotland were surely thrilled to do away with their old dingy Tower Houses in favour of this new breed of building. Much as I admire the eminent Mr Dimbleby I most certainly do not agree. If you want comfort and sumptuous surroundings go visit ‘Argyll’s Lodgings’, an intact, if developed Tower House just down the road from Sterling Castle. Or, if you want to see how light and the modernism of the time were adapted into Tower Houses go look at the enormous windows incorporated into Edzel Castle. What I am trying to say here is that for me, the demise of the traditional, vernacular, Scottish Tower House in favour of the classically proportioned, palatial box adorned with imitation Greek columns and other assorted embellishments, remains a tragic loss to this country. Mr Dimbleby may casually remark ‘oh what a relief, I just hope he doesn’t think his opinion is universally accepted.’
AND, yet again I digress; I am supposed to be talking (blogging) about ‘The House of Dun’. The reason for this digression is because;
Despite acknowledging ‘The House of Dun’ as a bloody fine example of what it is, (designed by William Adam you would expect that). Still, my steadfast and unfaltering preference lies with the starkly, almost forebodingly powerful, rubble built, harled, traditional Tower House, over a palatial, classically proportioned, mathematically perfect box of columns, finials, portico’s and triumphal archways.

As for the House of Dun itself, it was every bit as beautiful as you would expect. To say it was designed by William Adam is not exactly the whole truth. Its design was in fact the result of architectural consultations, plans, drawings, general chit-chat & argy bargy at a distance, between the original designer, Alexander McGill, Edinburgh City Architect, William Adam, Architect and entrepreneur and John Erskin, Lord Mar, gentleman architect and notoriously exiled Jacobite kinsman to Lord Dun. The key word there is ‘exiled’, which accounted for the consultations taking place ‘at a distance’, AND over time. Much of the original design was in fact Mar’s with a triumphal arched front centrepiece added later. Adam’s greatest contribution to the project was that he acted as what would today be called ‘site manager’. He held the post of ‘Mason to the board of Ordinance’ and as such directed the project. The house, once built, was elegant and symmetrical with a grand stair way leading to the megalithic arched entrance at the front of the house. The rear of the house is equally elegant and symmetrical with external stairs leading into the grounds which extended all the way to the waters edge. The famous jacobite connections of the family were celebrated with the flamboyant, extravaganza of allegorical jacobite plasterwork carried out by Joseph Enzer in the Saloon. The saloon being the principle room of the house, the room used for entertaining, was situated on the ground floor with spectacular views out over the grounds and down to the water. The placing of the principle room on the ground floor was just another move away from the traditions of the tower house where the Grand Hall or principle room was always situated on the first floor. The plasterwork is unequivocally the best to be seen, ANYWHERE, except maybe at Arniston House which also has plasterwork by Enzer. There is a stucco ceiling, Bas-reliefs of Neptune and Mars that dominate the two fireplaces, heraldic lions, armoury, shields; there is Minerva, Medusa and a whole menagerie of dolphins, dogs, stags and horses tethered to warrior led chariots. Whole books could be written about this plasterwork. What it actually depicts in ‘real’ terms is mostly in keeping with the new classicism, depictions of ancient Greek Mythology. But; woven into that is the thinly disguised pro Jacobite theme of victory and the ensuing peace under the victorious jacobite rule. On top of the clever politics, it is stunningly beautiful.
Having glazed over in awe at this mind boggling plasterwork I had to metaphorically smack myself in the face, tell my feet to move and head out to investigate the rest of the house. And I have to say, it was pretty dam good, highly recommended as a smart place to visit for anyone who happens to find themselves in the general vicinity of Montrose, especially if, like me you happen to be somewhat obsessed with antiquated buildings.
AND……. The icing on the cake for me was….. my six year old granddaughters apparent genuine shared interest in these old and dusty rooms. This is poetic justice indeed for the times I have tried valiantly but in vane to generate the smallest spark of enthusiasm from my daughter (her mother) in our built environment, in the heritage of our buildings. Alas my daughter has not the slightest interest in such things, but it seems her 6 year old daughter does!! Now, that really did make my day.
Tags: 360 import, dun house, montrose, scotland, robert adam, architect, architecture
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360 no 22

Entry for July 23, 2007, 360 import, Yahoo is not behaving!!
Jul 23, '07 1:28 PM
for loretta's contacts
 
Another apology and yet again NOT MY FAULT!!
Apparently Yahoo is not content with disrupting my 360 messages and friends, now it wants to wreck havoc on my personal emails and messenger!! Over the last couple of days friends, relatives and acquaintances alike have mysteriously disappeared from my Yahoo address book and messenger list. I don't know why, I don't know how, and I'm not even sure exactly when, but disappear they have.
So................if you are one of those names mysteriously erased from my lists.............what can I do but apologies and assume Yahoo will graciously return us to normal service as soon as possible.
In seriousness, if anyone IS having a problem contacting me, for now at least, I can only suggest you try MySpace because so far there have been no strange goings on over there!
Tags: 360 import, computer, internet
Prev: Entry for July 17, 2007, 360 import, internet/yahoo? problems
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360 no 21

    Entry for July 17, 2007, 360 import, internet/yahoo? problems
Jul 17, '07 4:39 PM
for loretta's contacts
 
I think there must have been something wrong with Yahoo recently. Tonight my mail box is absolutely flooded with 'new mail', the problem is some of this supposedly 'new mail' is in fact anything up to 3 or 4 weeks old!!! Some of it I have seen before and some of it I haven't . So, to all of my friends who I have not replied too over the last few weeks I do humbly apologise, but I have only just received your mail!! I will answer all of these messages, it may just take a few days! Not my fault, honest!! 
Tags: 360 import, computer, internet
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