The Church of Scotland still has a congregation in Budapest, made up of English speakers of many nations, and held in honour in the city because Jane Haining is far from forgotten there.
The Church of Scotland still has a congregation in Budapest, made up of English speakers of many nations, and held in honour in the city because Jane Haining is far from forgotten there.
My wife and I worshipped there about 10 years ago. I think the building, having been a school in the Communist years, now belongs to the Hungarian Reformed Church. It contains a memorial to Jane Haining. BBC TV Scotland did a good programme about her a few years ago (sadly not at present available on iPlayer); and my wife has recently read this book: https://tinyurl.com/yb29abb7
My wife agrees - and it's not just because she comes from north of the Border! Wales is also, we think, doing better than Westminster. Of course both nations have much smaller populations than That Other Country. (And Ulster seems to have vanished from our news entirely!)
I think I saw a brief mention of Arlene Foster on a news item some days ago - possibly saying something about continuing the lockdown, which would not be popular with Little England...
That might well be the first sensible thing Ms. Foster has ever said.
We've been noticing the almost total absence of statistics about Northern Ireland too - but the Westminster government tends to ignore NI anyway*, as the people there can't vote them out.
About the only thing I've seen are comparisons of hospital death rates and other stats both sides of the Irish border. With those for the south (which followed WHO advice rather than form their own unique approach) being about half that of the north.
Is the Wastemonster 'government' perhaps contemplating throwing Northern Ireland under a bus, and selling it to the Republic? Just think - the £££ could be put towards the NHS back in Little England!
I think NI has already been thrown under a bus, as the land border is too much of a nuisance in getting any form of Brexit to work. Not that any form of Brexit could actually work ... just that the land border highlights that.
There was mention of NI on the BBC R4 Today programme this morning and a story online (link) saying that the death rate was higher than previously reported as a third of the deaths were in care homes.
Another beautiful sunny afternoon. I suspect I may be another Scottish instance of getting the best weather in April/May and it then raining for the rest of the summer (with autumn setting in about mid July).
The midges love the damp weather. Damp and warm is their favourite, but they will take any kind of damp that is above freezing. Warm dry weather is not so much to their liking.
I was aggrieved to hear from my usual B&B on Iona that solely because I had to cancel my trip there a couple of weeks ago, they enjoyed sunny weather instead of the rain that almost always accompanies me.
Another beautiful sunny afternoon. I suspect I may be another Scottish instance of getting the best weather in April/May and it then raining for the rest of the summer (with autumn setting in about mid July).
That’s a familiar pattern here in the damp north-west of England. Dry and sunny in the run-up to SATs, exams etc. Grey and damp when schools are free to do outdoor Ed activities, and for the summer holidays. (Sometimes another fine spell in the middle part of September.)
Thanks for that link, @Curiosity killed - so far the only person I've known personally who's died from Covid 19 was the husband of a former colleague in Belfast.
The weather here has indeed been lovely - I've got washing hanging out to dry, and I'm about to go for my permitted daily amble.
If it stays like this and gets just a tiny bit warmer* for the next month or two, I'll be quite content!
* not too much warmer - my summer clothes are still in transit, and I really don't want to have to replace them.
Ambleworthy Weather here in the Sad Southlands, too - but what do Scottish 'summer clothes' consist of? A slightly lighter pullover, and anorak, perhaps?
Nota Bene - every time I've been to Scotland - late winter, summer, or autumn - the Weather has been quite reasonable. Possibly a bit overcast, and/or dampish, but nothing untoward...
- but what do Scottish 'summer clothes' consist of?
Tweeds. When I first came to Edinburgh 40 years ago I would notice these ladies in tailored tweeds and buttoned up blouses in July. Though there would also be the lassies in the platform shoes and skimpy frocks in December.
Over the last 16 years my Canadian summer clothes have served me well enough for short spells in Scotland in July or August - I'm rather looking forward to a summer when I don’t need air-con* ...
* The interval in Canada when I needed neither heating or air-con was painfully short.
Clouded over, cool breeze and spits of rain here today. Weather forecast all about how great the weather is going to be today. So, at least somethings are normal.
Nothing keeps midges away. But fortunately not much of a problem in suburban Edinburgh.
Not true. A big enough gale keeps them down in the ditches. One of the reasons my home is blessedly free of the wee buggers most of the time. Of course the wind does nothing about the cleggs.
I was swatting away at the midgies when we were chatting with the neighbours after applauding the NHS tonight - it was about 17°, and they were out in force.
Are they usually around this early in the year? I'm used to seeing them in Orkney in August, but I don't feel as if I remember them being around in the spring.
When I started to visit Scotland regularly, May was generally reckoned to be the best time to be here (specifically the Highlands, as I came up to bag Munro's) because there was a decent chance of good weather and low midge count. Once into June the weather was unlikely to be better, but the midges far more numerous. Over the last decade the midge count in May has noticeably increased.
Almost certainly physical, rather than political, climate change. The midges need water to breed, so can't come out while it's cold enough for water and marshy ground to freeze. They do come out in small numbers early in the year, but quite often die off again with each hard frost. As the date of that last hard frost has moved to earlier in the year the first mass swarming of midges also moves forward in the year - and at the other end of the year they persist for longer into the autumn as well.
Almost certainly physical, rather than political, climate change.
If the midge increase were due to political change, would that be because they like Sturgeon and Co. (and want to make journeys to Alba unattractive to the People of the Southland), or because they dislike her government (so want to get the Scots to vote her out, at which point they will cease their pestiferous torment - the midges, that is)? Hmm ...
Someone suggested that Harry Lauder could never have really gone Roaming in the Gloaming ...
The midges, the midges,
I'm not going to kid yez
Those midges are really the limit.
Wi' teeth like piranhas
They'll drive you bananas
If you let them get under your simmit
Comments
Alas, no - I didn't know about the Girls' School, or Jane Haining. A sad and poignant story indeed.
RIPARIG.
Kyrie eleison.
Some sensible words from Nicola Sturgeon:https://bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-52394685
A way to go yet, of course, but some positive thinking.
Can we have a dose of that South of the Border, please?
My wife and I worshipped there about 10 years ago. I think the building, having been a school in the Communist years, now belongs to the Hungarian Reformed Church. It contains a memorial to Jane Haining. BBC TV Scotland did a good programme about her a few years ago (sadly not at present available on iPlayer); and my wife has recently read this book: https://tinyurl.com/yb29abb7
We've been noticing the almost total absence of statistics about Northern Ireland too - but the Westminster government tends to ignore NI anyway*, as the people there can't vote them out.
* except when they need to buy their support ...
The weather here has indeed been lovely - I've got washing hanging out to dry, and I'm about to go for my permitted daily amble.
If it stays like this and gets just a tiny bit warmer* for the next month or two, I'll be quite content!
* not too much warmer - my summer clothes are still in transit, and I really don't want to have to replace them.
Nota Bene - every time I've been to Scotland - late winter, summer, or autumn - the Weather has been quite reasonable. Possibly a bit overcast, and/or dampish, but nothing untoward...
Perhaps Alba was welcoming back a Lost Son?
Tweeds. When I first came to Edinburgh 40 years ago I would notice these ladies in tailored tweeds and buttoned up blouses in July. Though there would also be the lassies in the platform shoes and skimpy frocks in December.
* The interval in Canada when I needed neither heating or air-con was painfully short.
Which is not to say the rest of the summer will not be damp, grey and chilly.
Which is exactly what we have at the moment in Kent!
No disrespect, but I hope we don't end up with the typical Scottish summer, so graphically described on this thread...
Not true. A big enough gale keeps them down in the ditches. One of the reasons my home is blessedly free of the wee buggers most of the time. Of course the wind does nothing about the cleggs.
We need it! What on earth has happened to the usual dismal great Welsh spring?
Are they usually around this early in the year? I'm used to seeing them in Orkney in August, but I don't feel as if I remember them being around in the spring.
Killing that giant was a big mistake.
Someone suggested that Harry Lauder could never have really gone Roaming in the Gloaming ...
I'm not going to kid yez
Those midges are really the limit.
Wi' teeth like piranhas
They'll drive you bananas
If you let them get under your simmit
https://youtube.com/watch?v=IMLona9oelM
For the benefit of other mystified Southrons, simmit/seemit/semmit means 'vest' (as in the garment so elegantly worn by Rab C Nesbitt?)