A bit of a lapse from blogging partly due to patchy communications recently, also laziness.
I wasn’t sure about Berwick on Tweed: Scottish or English? Turns out it changed hands thirteen times in about six centuries, including theoretically to the French very briefly. It was specifically mentioned in the declaration of the Crimean War but not in the peace treaty so remained at war with Russia for some considerable time afterwards. The Battle of Minden, 1759, a decisive victory over the French at the end of the Seven Years War (google it to find out about the misinterpretation of the battle command which led to Scottish infantry advancing on French cavalry), is celebrated annually. The Kings Scottish Own Borderers are now subsumed into the Scottish Regiment but veterans are presented with a rose for their bonnets as a reminder of how their forebears picked roses from gardens as they approached the enemy, then parade through the first purpose built barracks in Britain and on through the town.
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| Minden Day pipe band |
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| Presentation of roses |
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| Proud veteran |
Later in the day I saw the last family of traditional salmon fisherman casting their net in a circle from a rowing boat and then pulling it in, sadly without a catch while I watched.
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| Casting the net |
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| Pulling in the net |
Finally I crossed the border into Scotland and went visiting friends in Leith and to be a tourist in Edinburgh.
I was impressed with the restrained furnishings of The Royal Yacht Britannia. Apparently the Queen refused to countenance the original designs as “ far too fussy” and requested Hugh Casson for the job. No doubt she let him know her preferences quite clearly.
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| Dining Room |
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| R Y Britannia |
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| Notes about landing sites |
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| Sitting Room |
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| Binnacle & bell |
There were many anecdotes from the years the family used the yacht for holidays and one really feels what a wrench it must have been to giver her up without replacement.
Next visit was the Scottish Parliament building - very impressive in its open areas and transparent offices, no hiding place for secret plots there. There were also some lovely specially commissioned art works.
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| Parliament debating chamber |
The locals were unimpressed by Boris disappearing out of a back entrance after his visit rather than facing the relatively small number of protesters who had welcomed him on arrival. The bus drivers were even more unimpressed with the route diversions he caused. I kept a low profile.
