Last week, Rachel and I visited Alloway. This wee town is the birthplace of the Poet Burns. You must allow me to digress and quote one of my favourite exchanges from the Jeeves & Wooster series:
Bertie: The rank is but the penny stamp.
Jeeves: The guinea stamp, sir. The Poet Burns was writing at a time when--"
Bertie: Never mind the Poet Burns, Jeeves.
Jeeves: No, sir.
Bertie: Expunge the Poet Burns from your mind.
Jeeves: I have already done so, sir.
Bertie: What about the Aunt Agatha? She will kick, Jeeves.
Thank you. In any case, Rachel and I certainly
did not expunge the Poet Burns from
our minds! We recalled many of his songs, and quoted snatches of his poems (well, Rachel did, in any case, for which I was most grateful!).
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A lovely fox statue! |
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These lovely weathercocks were all depicting scenes from "Tam o' Shanter" ( a poem which seems to have some similarities to the "Legend of Sleepy Hollow") |
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The devil playing bagpipes, witches and graves! Smashing! |
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'Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie...' |
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Only this particular mouse is not so wee! |
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The new, fancy museum was fabulous in that *all* their information panels were in modern Scots (with some words explained in English below). WHAT a fabulous idea! |
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Look at this hare! Unfortunately I didn't get all of his huge, fluffy feet in my picture. |
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A carved scene from "Tam o' Shanter" |
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This is the image (repeated oft in sculpture and painting) that put me so strongly in mind of "Sleepy Hollow. |
Wow! Those weather cocks are amazing! And thsoe carved scenes look incredible. I'm sorry to admit that I don't know much Burns, but I do remember that exchange between Jeeves & Wooster! :-)
ReplyDeleteJeeves & Wooster can't be beat!! I love the Tam O'Shanter scenes, but I'm absolutely IN LOVE with the 'Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie...
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