St Andrews Break

We decided to spend 2 nights away at St Andrews. I had been to see a cardiologist on Tuesday at the Western Infirmary. After the examination, I needed some time to think. More of that in another blog.

So on Thursday afternoon we drove up to StAndrews, via Perth and Dundee.

We were booked into the Drumcloig Golf Hotel. We have stayed here before. It is about 15 minutes from St Andrews. Our room overlooked the golf course, and one of the holes. There was some snow lying around the area, and it was cold.

The chef waited for our arrival so we could have dinner if we wished. We wished. I had haggis, neeps and tatties in a delicious whisky cream sauce.

Friday morning was sunny but cold. After breakfast, we spent the day in St Andrews, which was preparing for the celebration of the feast day of St Andrew on November 30th.

Andrew was an Apostle, one of the Twelve. He it was who brought Peter to meet Jesus.

He was crucified on an X shaped cross. Legend says his bones were brought to Scotland from Greece by some fleeing monks who built a monastery, the ruins of which lie at the top end of the town. St Andrews became a great place of pilgrimage for many years till the abbey was destroyed at the Reformation.

As we made our way back to our room after dinner on Friday night, the snow began to fall. This morning there was much more of it, and all the way home, it was clear that snow fall has been widespread. Tonight the temperature is down to -5C and there is more snow on the way.

Photos show view from room on Saturday morning, Friday morning, and some views of St Andrews.

The Lochs of Scotland

It is estimated that there are over 31,000 fresh water lochs in Scotland. In the Western Islands alone, there are over 7,500 lochs.

The word LOCH is a Scottish Gaelic word which means lake or fiord. In Irish Gaelic the word is LOCH which was Anglised to lough.

There is only 1 lake in Scotland, and that is the Lake of Menteith, near Aberfoyle. This lake is also the location of a Curling competition on the lake when the lake can freeze hard enough for people to walk on. In the middle of the lake is a small island, Inchmahome, where there are the ruins of an Augustinian Priory, where a young Mary Queen of Scots once spent a night.

I have a memory of bitter winter when I managed to walk some distnac eover the thick ice towards the Island.

A number of the Scottish Lochs are well known, while others are known only to a few.

Loch Ness is perhaps the most famous because of Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster.

Loch Lomond is also popular with tourists and Scots alike. The well known song, "By Yon Bonny Banks...." is perhaps one reason. Another is the beautiful little village of Luss at the edge of the loch.

Loch Ness at 39 miles long is the longest loch in Scotland. It also contains twice the volume of water of all the lakes in England and Wales put together.

Loch Lomond, at 36 miles long is the second longest. The A82 road along the side of the loch is the main west coast road northwards towards Oban and Fort William and the road to the Western Islands of Scotland. In Glasgow, this road is known as "Great Western Road."

Loch Katrine is the source of the water supply for the city of Glasgow, about 25 miles south.

It is a popular visitor attraction, and a steamship, the SS Sir Walter Scott carries visitors on a sail along the length of the Loch.
The famous, (or infamous if you prefer) Rob Roy McGregor was born near here.

The photos are of the beautiful Loch Lomond from side of the A82 road.

HMS Ark Royal

Because Britain is an island, it has always been vital that she had an efficient Navy.

In the days of the Empire, the arrival of a British warship was often enough to bring a rapid end to any troubles.

A mixture of the climate and our Anglo saxon Celtic forebears moulded Britain into a leading naval power throughout the World.

In total, 5 ships of the British Royal Navy have been named Ark Royal.

The present Ark Royal is an aircraft carrier. And as a direct resul of the financial mess in which Britain now finds itself floundering, the decision was made to retire very suddenly the Ark Royal.

At the same time, the contracts for 2 other aircraft Carriers are going ahead, because to cancel them would cost more than the construction costs, although it seem likely that only 1 carrier will go into service. In addition, the Harrier Jump Jet, a triumph of British Engineering, is also to be withdrawn.

Britain will have an Aircaft Carrier, but no aircraft on board.

I am not a military person, but to me, this seems absurd. The world is going mad. Or else there is a plot somewhere to bring about the demise of Britain.

So, HMS Ark Royal is on her final voyage. For the next few days she is berthed a few miles from here on Loch Long, near Arrochar, a few miles form Britain's Nuclear Submarine Base.

Here, she is being stripped of her weapons before she heads back South to be tied up for the last time.

We drove there today to see her. From a distance she does not seem that big. The aircraft deck seems very small. But then with the hovering abilities and its VETOL systems, no long deck is needed for the Harrier Jet.

There were many people there today to look at Ark Royal. I can say now that I saw her with my own eyes. She does look impressive. The crew were busy aboard her. The tannoy was regularly calling out orders and information. In the loch beside her, a couple of security launched watched vigilantly.

Maybe we should be more positive. Maybe we no longer need a large Navy to protect us. Maybe that threat is gone, replaced by more subtle threats, threats which cold endanger us much more seriously. And I don't just mean terrorist bombs. I am thinking more of the dangers to the world today through computer viruses.

So much today is controlled by computers. The banking system. The Power system. Air Traffic Control. Hospitals. The National Grid.

An Aircraft Carrier cannot protects us from the lone bomber or the internet hijacker.

It's a new world, with new threats and dangers. perhap we need a re-think on how to achieve our National Security.

Photos are of Ark Royal at Loch Long today.

In a couple of days she will be gone. When will we see her likes again

Edinburgh and the Kielty Brothers

Yesterday we went through to Edinburgh to see John and Gerry.

We met John at Greyfriar's Churchyard. Greyfriar's is famous for being the burial place of a wee dog called Greyfriar's Bobby. The story goes that when Bobby's Master died, the little dog would not leave his grave and stayed there for many a year. Walt Disney made a film about it, but the truth is perhaps not quite the way Disney presented it.

We took the boys for lunch to the Scream Pub. It was a nice lunch.

John is off to Australia on Tuesday for a month or so, while Gerry starts rehearsals for the Brunton Theatre Christmas Pantomime, "Mother Goose" The boys were in good form.

John managed to get us Company tickets for the Royal Lyceum's production of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest."

It was a great night's entertainment. The cast did well. I recognised 2 of the cast, because they had been in John, Gerry and James' award winning show "The Sundowe." They were Carla Kelly and Mark McDonnell

One of the funniest moments is the scene change. A curtain shrouds the stage, except fo a door sized opening, where the Butler stands. A hand emerges from each side of the opening and proceed to undress, then re-dress the butler for his next scene as a different butler. It has to be seen to be appreciated! For me, the butler, though he had little to say, stole every scene he was in.

Photos are from Greyfriar's Churchyard.

http://www.lyceum.org.uk/

All Souls Day 2010

Today the Church celebrates the feast day of All Souls.

By All Souls, we mean those people who have died and were not ready to enter Heaven because they were not perfect. They need to be purified before they can enjoy the Vision of the Glory of God.
We know that sin separates us from God. Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, our sins are forgiven. But even so, sin still leaves an effect on us that has to be erased before we can enter the presence of God.

The Church Fathers understood this and thought carefully about the matter. And the idea of Purgatory emerged.

Purgatory is much misunderstood by Catholics and non Catholics alike.

Purgatory is the place where the souls of those who need purification go. There they await this purification. They can do nothing now to help themselves. The time for that was when they were still alive.

But we can help them through our prayers and good works. By applying the benefits of our prayers and works to the Holy Souls, we can minimise their time in Purgatory.

Purgatory is not a place to be in terror of. All those ther know that one day they will enter heaven. The suffering they endure there comes from their temporary separation from God.

Our souls were made for one thing alone. To see God and to be with Him forever.

So the souls in Purgatory ache to be with God. We can aid them simply through prayer and Mass offerings.

And one day we may find ourselves ther too, hoping that there will be people on Earth to pray for us so that we may be released into the joy and happiness of Heaven where we will be with God.

The Church has always taught that it is a Holy thing to pray for those who have died. After the Reformation, the idea of Salvation through Justification became widespread in the Reformed Churches, and the custom of praying for the dead faded away. But Catholics have always remembered to pray for the dead. Every coffin has Mass cards placed on it by family and friends.

The Catholic Church reminds us of the four last things...Death Judgement Heaven Hell.

We are sorely tempted throughout our lives. We are weak. We fall many times. Many times we pick ourselves up and start again. We should therefore see Purgatory not as a punishment, (which it is not ) but as yet another chance given to us by our loving Father to be with Him in His eternal Home. World without End. Forever.

Today, and every day pray for the Holy Souls. Visit a graveyard within the next few days to pray there and gain for a Holy Soul an indulgence.

Eternal rest grant unto them Oh Lord!

And let perpetual Light shine upon them.

May they rest in Peace.

And may the Souls of all the Faithful departed,

Through the Mercy of God,

Rest in Peace.

Amen

All Saints Day

Today, November the first is the feast of All Saints.

Saints, as you may know, are those people who, after they died, ended up in Heaven. They were not born saints. They became saints by their way of life, and by the way they followed Jesus, and kept the 10 Commandments.
Some of the saints were great sinners at stages of their life. Check out St. Augustin. But they repented of their sins, found the true road, and kept to it.

Today we recall not just the great saints....Andrew, Peter, Mary, Bernadette....but also the saints known only to a few.
I used to tell the children in school..."If you have a relative, a friend, a brother, sister, mum, dad; someone you once knew who has died. Well, if they are in Heaven, they are a saint too. How wonderful to think that someone who mattered to you might already be in Heaven, amongst the throng of saints surrounding God. Someone you talked to, ate with, sat and talked with. Somoen who loved you as you love them.

Tomorrow is the feast of the Holy Souls. I will explain that tomorrow.






John and Gerry, plus friend Houston, make up the band The Martians.

They used to have a website, but recently I discovered that it was no more.
But via Geoff, I now have the new site.
So if you want to keep up with them, you will find a link at the bottom of this blog.

Phots are of Dumbarton Castle and the Clyde and Old Kilpatrick taken from the Erskine Bridge.

http://www.themartians.co.uk/