Broons, Brodgar & Paulo
by Bernie Bell - 08:43 on 12 July 2022
As some of you will know, I am no longer contributing to The Orkney news. A few folk suggested that I start a blog – I didn’t think it was my kind of thing – but I decided to have a go.
This is just to let y’all know that I now have a blog – you might be interested to have a look at it, you might not.
I’d say it’ll keep me out of mischief – but maybe it’ll cause some instead!
We’ll see……
To begin with a taste of things to come – a bit of daily life, followed by a bit of archaeology……
The Broons & Brodgar
A soggy Sunday, and Mike’s having a clear-out in the room we call his office since he started working from home in March 2020 – remember that date? and how much it mattered – and still matters to work from home if you can. He hadn’t cleaned it since he moved in and as the floor and all other available surfaces are covered in papers and ….stuff, I leave it to him to ‘housekeep’ it. In a cupboard he found an empty tin which was produced to mark the 75th anniversary of The Broons – 1936 to 2011. He’ll have bought it for me as I like fudge – a lot – and he’d get me various tins of it from Edinburgh airport on the way back from work trips. They usually contained Scottish whisky flavoured fudges - Glenfarclas, Glengoyne, Edradour, two kinds from Tobermory (one est. 1798 and one est. 1823) and there was also a tin of Jack Daniel’s flavoured fudge – a real combination of pleasures!
I like the little poem on the Broons tin …
‘The Broons frae number 10 Glebe Street
Enjoy a stroll and a little treat.
Tho’ frae Paw’s pocket they’re hard tae budge,
The favourite is a Scottish Fudge.’
It’s now become our sweeties tin, mostly holding Mrs. Tilly’s fudge and tablet. Mrs Tilly’s is the nearest to home-made tablet I’ve ever tasted. She makes cinder toffee too – otherwise known as honeycomb toffee, as mentioned here.… https://theorkneynews.scot/2021/09/04/week-thirty-five-one-day-at-a-time/
One of my great-nephews once observed…… “It’s a wonder you have a tooth in ‘yer head.”
Then the day cleared and we went for a walk, pretty much following this route…. https://theorkneynews.scot/2021/06/25/stenness-brodgar-20th-june-2021/
In the Stenness Stones car park – discarded masks - again …
I’m angered at this, but also pleased enough that some folk are still wearing masks!
Fine sheep in among the stones…..
The dig at the Ness of Brodgar has recommenced but only on week days, so as it was Sunday we just leant wistfully on the gate and ….looked…. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-62068094
Then along by Harry Loch, along the RSPB Birdy walk, round the Ring of Brodgar and home.
I previously wrote about a longer version of this walk…..https://theorkneynews.scot/2020/06/05/the-last-first-of-brodgar/
We never tire of walking the Neolithic Heart of Orkney.
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I’d given up on what was being presented as music. Then Paolo appeared. Then Paolo disappeared.
And now….he’s back…and I am v.v. pleased! We listened to a few tracks….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJJOQ6ReMwA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz_qisKJiK4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5iXrZf1wSM
…and ordered the C.D. – yes we still play C.D.’s It arrived – eager to listen……it’s very Paulo – a hint of Springsteen – a hint of The Doors - but that’s no criticism. I thought I detected an echo of Ivor Cutler – can Paulo be aware of Ivor Cutler? A very niche following, and he’s young, but he is interested in music. Over all and all in all – it’s very Paulo.
I just hope he doesn’t disappear again.
And here’s one that Mike made earlier….. https://theorkneynews.scot/2018/03/20/western-approaches/
Will look at the many links later: no time now, but congratulations for taking the techno-plunge!
Elizabeth
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