Rule Pretania

On a trip two years ago to Ireland I came upon the wonderful Anglican Cathedral in Cork. Being Scottish the volunteers there wanted any information I had on Susan Boyle. My celebrity status was enhanced when they found out I lived in West Lothian. The reason this visit came back to me was that, this morning, on Radio Scotland thee was a discussion, mild mannered I assure you, on the implications for Northern Ireland of our Independence debate. The guests were a Sinn Fein MLA and a Unionist, Lord Laird. He kept trying to identify himself with lots of descriptions- British, Ulsterman and , given the visit: Ulster-Scot; everthing it seems save Irish which is how anyone in Great Britain would describe him.. However what I thought would be a diatribe about the potential for reigniting the conflict over there did not happen; he actually had some interesting things to say about Britishness. Although the prescription of the Republic of Ireland rejoining the UK was far fetched he was, this seal feels, spot on with regards to a redefinition of Britishness (which I hope follows Scottish independence). The people of these isles have so much history and are intertwined which I , as a supporter of independence, have no hesitation in asserting. The Cork holiday allowed a day trip from my base( Skibereen, a place redolent in Irish Nationalist mythology) to Cork and what immediately stuck me were the monuments the most prominent one to me displaying the harp and crown with the hubristic motto "Quis Separabit"(ironically for Ireland's tortured history, a quote from the Bible, the separation being a referance to Christ(Romans 8:35). The irony of this in an independent Ireland raised a smile but the people behind such sentiments were an integral part of Ireland and remain so (despite Lord Laird's risible contention that the Republic had been involved in "genetic cleansing". So what next? How do we reclaim our common inheritance post independence. The term "British" is perhaps too toxic for The Republic and, increasingly also in Scotland, as the debate polarises. So what to use? The Ciscertian Order simply calls the monasteries here as the region of "The Isles". A bit lacking in description. How about the Anglo-Celtic Isles, NW European Isles?  Why not go back to the Greeks though and I suggest the Pretanic Isles. Rule Pretania...

Burry Man and the Protestant Tide

Went for a nice swim today in the Forth. I love Queensferry, named after St Margaret and the ferry run by monks( whose priory still stands in the town) for pilgrims making for St Andrews. Of course of more importance is the beautiful seal statue outside the Hawes Inn, mentioned in Stevenson's "Kidnapped"- thhe inn that is not the statue. The above picture is of the Burry Man. Every August he travels the town getting drunk in all the pubs. Originating in the mists of our Pagan heritage it is a post handed down through generations. On the right is John Nicol, against whom I at one time played bowls. I believe his son took on the post but no someone else has the honour. The visit took me to the old harbour where in the 17th Century persecuted Covenanters awaited high tides( Protestant Tides) to enable them to escape to the Low Countries where a more tolerant attitude prevailed( although not to Catholics as the Church of Our Lord in the Attic in Amsterdam testifies). The frightened people would hide in the nearby buildings in homes sympathetic to their cause to await the ship.  I wonder what they would make of today's Netherlands and its secular culture? Perhaps they would feel a Pandora's box was well and truly opened ! Anyway I'm back home now.

Old Sports

To the Indoor Bowling club yesterday. I've played since shortly I was washed up here- not the genteel geriatric sport portrayed constantly by the media( why does the BBC always interview bowlers when there is a news story about pensions?). Lost heavily and comforted myself that, as I'm getting older, nothing more should be expected. However this is entirely defeatist. The above picture is the admirable Willie Wood still playing at an international level at 73. Now what other excuse can I find....

Computer down

Afraid my computer is not working so posts will be a little light over the next few days( strange how it goes down just after starting a blog!).

Old Glasgow

A day off. The decision made, off to Glasgow; mum shopping. We parked next to the High Street and, walking past the Gallowgate, to the centre. I am impressed by the changes in that historic area of the city. All the students' residences do help, of course with the lively scene developing with new bars mixing with some which appear unaltered from the 50's. As she shopped I headed to the Museum of Religion(shut on Mondays). So then to the cathedral for my first visit. Full of military monuments which , like a lot of cathedrals in these isles , to me, still jars. Even more jarring was the Union flag at the tomb of Bishop Wishart ( the great backer of Bruce and Scottish Independence). Such a juxtaposition I'm sure was not meant to offend but I'm sure I heard the sound of turning in a grave.Talking of graves next was a trip up to the Necropolis and the vainglorious monuments to the rich, including the writer of "Wee Willie Winkie" (whose name now escapes me) Then to St Andrew's Catholic cathedral( Glasgow has 4 cathedrals). The above picture shows the recently completed picture there of St John Ogilvie by Peter Howson. Howson spent an agonising time painting this so the least I could do was to turn up and impressive it is. It somehow catches the other worldliness of the martyred  Jesuit (Scotland's only post Reformation saint). However, although the building is of course a cathedral the central location of the cathedra does focus the mind on clerical power at the expense of the Tabernacle (the equivalent cathedral in Edinburgh reverses the geography). The cathedral itself shines brightly after its renovation though and was well worth the trip. And then home after buying a new iron with mum. Its weight hurt my flippers.

Tom Hanlin 1907- 1953

Tom Hanlin was a native of Armadale( where this seal currently labours). Now largely forgotten  he was a minor local celebrity, local boy made good, whose writings reflected his surroundings, surroundings utterly unfamiliar to most novelists then. After leaving school at 14 he worked for years as a miner and, after an accident, began writing when recuperating. West Lothian Council are naming a new road after him which is welcome. I wonder how many towns and villages retain affection for a local writer now largely forgotten. His book "Yesterday Will Return" is long out of print but I thought I'd show the two editions which reflect changing attitudes following World War Two. The first emphasises the mining heritage which permeates the book. The second, from the early Fifties highlights what appears to be a temptress and her name even usurps the original title. Who says sex began between the Lady Chatterley Trial and The Beatles' first LP?!

Icons are interesting things. However, to me, of more interest is their place in history. At the Seal University I studied the early Byzantine Empire and icons' significance in the complex whirl of their politics cannot be understimated( I think). At its height the extreme followers had a theory known as "acheiropoieta"  which allows for, at the very least, the possibility of icons' divine not human origin. Of couse, perhaps this view is not so extreme if the history of relics in the Western Church or even divine authorship of scared texts are considered.
The picture above is from the 12th Century and is to be found in the monastery of St Catherine in Egypt. It shows monks attempting to enter their celestial reward and the fallen angels attempting to derail them to the other place with ropes, tridents and even through their archery skills.
The other picture is more familiar and, to me more comforting. With the sharp decline of religion in the West icons are now largely an academic or artistic interest rather than being objects of piety or instruction in faith. However the human need for projection and comfort lasts and I feel perhaps "soft toys" now have the role that the likes of icons once had. I know this as I have many such things( two more obtained yesterday- a mother polar bear with baby- Lottie and Lulu). They certainly have their own characteristics and are a constant source of comfort to me. And, I'm sure, if you are honest I'm not alone...

105 Not Out

Attended what was for me, and I suspect most people, a first experience. Namely a birthday of a 105 year old. A delightful lady with a fascinating history. It made me think as to whether I wanted to live a very long life. Although life expectancy has risen healthy life expectancy has hardly changed in the last 20 years. But of course the statistics don't affect seals.

Ah my goodness ! January to me have never been the cruellest month but rather the most boring one. Evidence of this is me being reduced to posting comments on a Facebook page dedicated to maintaining the Union. Honest- the comments were mild and , I thought, amusing. However the admin could not handle a pro-Independence poster mocking it and I'm banned. What a rebel. I know not the same as being Hung , Drawn and Quartered in Smithfield but I feel so naughty. It got me thinking though as there is a case for banning and the USA, although admirable in this area, has situations where Extreme Christians picket funerals but certainly a more complex issue than it seems....  By the way the last straw for the page was a question I posed " Was the American Declaration of Independence "separatist"" !

My first real post. What to write about? Our upcoming vote on Scottish Independence? World economy?  No. On a recent trip to Falkirk I came across this lovely TV with giraffe. I was most tempted to buy it but will perhaps hang around a little longer to see if one is produced with a seal.

Hello

Hi,
How I came to be living in Scotland was a mystery to me. I think one day a huge storm blew up and, well, here I am having to live my life in this strange land. I hope the following posts will give some idea of my thoughts on living here as an outsider.