Birthday Lunch

As it is one of my children's birthday next week, we went out for a rather lovely lunch along at Ballathie House Hotel, which sits right on the River Tay. I have a few guests who go along for dinner or guests who are attending a wedding there.

Curling Bonspiel Comrie 1965

With this amazing frozen weather we are having and lots of talk going on about Curling Bonspiels taking place, I thought I'd share a couple of pictures from 1965. My grandfather Mr George Goodwin is in the centre pouring the whisky. The poem coming up soon was prompted as a result of the BBC wishing to film a real 'live' bonspiel on a New Year's Day. It was held at Sir Robert Dundas's Pond, near the Laggan Park Comrie, which had frozen over. A few of Comrie's 'finest' would try a few 'ends' and then finish up with a traditional toast - there was some trepidation associated with the project. Whenever someone set foot on the ice a loud crack or twang was heard and a line of raised, ridged rather thin ice spread away from the point of contact, and to add to the excitement no one knew the actual depth of the pond. Undeterred the party played a few ends. However, because the ice was soon covered in puddles and appeared to have become 'ower thin' it was decided to hurry the closure of the session and the party lined up in front of the camera to record the toast. A bottle of Scotch was produced and a dram poured into a glass which was then hoisted in salutation to the television viewers. Just as the glass was being raised to the lips the ice underneath gave way. The person raising the glass must have realised that his time on earth had come and was filmed swallowing the contents of the glass before following the party into the depths of the pond. Thereafter everyone rescued each other and discovered that the pond was about six inches deep!!

The Meeting of the Waters

Keith Macpherson

(Lednock and Usquebae)

Ta' 'Pherson swore a feud against that Goodwin fellow

Says he, 'My fine big chap I think that you are yellow',

'No this will never do insults I won't be hurling

Come doon to Comrie Hoose, and meet me at the curling'.

Chorus: Come a ree come a ra come a roo

Come a ree come a ra come a rous

Come a ree come a ra come a roo

Tat's a Gaelic Chorus

Says Goodwin, 'My fine chap I do not like your manner

I've heard about your clan and also their green banner,

But bring your clansmen down, my curlers I will muster

I soon will prove to you I do not fear your bluster'

They met down at the pond says Goodwin 'My fine chappie

I think we'll star the game by handing round the drappie',

The camera man was there to photograph the slaughter

When crash the ice went down and left them in the water.

MacPherson's Chief went down I think they were the losers

A puddock in the pond cried 'Donald, where's yer troosers'

Says Donald, 'Haud yer wheesht yer knowledge just be quelling

What's underneath the kilt ye never should be telling'.

However this sad tale it had a happy ending,

'Tis said the night was spent in muckle elbow bending,

And 'tis a well known fact, while round the fire you're sipping

The finest shots are played when Johnnie Dewar is skipping.

And furthermore besides this most unique position

Was shown around the world on BBC television.

But what they did not show a point that's well worth noting

Is what the puddock saw when Donald's kilt was floating!

Pinnocchio at Perth Theatre

That time of year again, and our annual trip to the Theatre in Perth. This year the festive production was Pinocchio and once again all involved did a fantastic job. The streets in Perth were very slippy with snow piled up everywhere and apparently the cold snap is set to continue.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you all, will take me some time to remember it is 2010!! Had an eventful day. As this is the first year in a while I have closed for New Year I had the opportunity to do something today, in otherwords ski-ing. Was up at the crack of dawn to check the road reports up to Glenshee, they were open, they have been closed first thing for quite a bit of the week. I was wanting to go up to the Lecht as it has great nursery slopes. Made it up past Glenshee okay, then the roads got a bit worse, it was amazing the amount of snow in and around Braemar, so made it to the Tomintoul Road and the sign said it was closed, but there was no way I was going to risk it anyway when I saw the amount of snow on the road!! So, it was about turn and back to Glenshee for a while. Hope you like the picture of stags in the snow. Was slightly disappointed when I got home and saw the roads were open to the Lecht, but safety first, especially having the little ones in the car.