Tales of Home

{{ Here's an odd thing to me, I've been trying to find out how it happened and I don't like the results!
The vid below is what started me thinking, I did History at school up to sixth year and what was then called Higher level, the top level you do prior to university level.
When it comes to monarchs I left knowing about Alfred burning the cakes, I knew about William the Conqueror and the fall of Harold with an arrow to the eye at Hastings, I knew about Henry V and Agincourt, and Henry and his 8 wives, Elizabeth and the English renaissance and the repelling of the Spanish armada, even Drake and his bowls, I knew of Victoria and her long mourning of Albert, and of course the scandal of a divorcee that brought Elizabeth the 2nd to the throne to hold the nation together in its darkest hours of WW2 and the London blitz.

What I couldn't tell you is who the first King of Scotland was, how it happened, or who the rest were for that matter. I couldn't have told you where Scottish monarchs were crowned, or what the ceremony was, I couldn't even have told you why the Stone of Destiny was significant.
As the video says, the only three monarchs I'd heard of were the big three - Bruce, Mary and Charlie. The rest we got taught nothing of, and bear in mind I went to school in the county that contains the founding state of Dalreida that went on to form the Scots nation over time, and they never even told us.
The Highland Clearances and Scottish diaspora that resulted? Not a word. Edward Longshanks Hammer of the Scots, only knew of him through curses that have lasted the ages, when I was a kid old men still spat in disgust when his name was mentioned.
But anything contentious, anything alluding to Scottish nationalism or patriotism, was exercised.
Ever wonder why the terrible, historically inaccurate Mel Gibson Braveheart film was so popular here in Scotland, despite its many, many obvious and often ridiculous flaws? Because the tale of Wallace was, incredibly, as new to most Scots as it was to an American audience. I only knew of Wallace through the Wallace Monument, but I couldn't have told you what it was for.

But the puzzler is Scottish education is not under Westminster control, not directly at least, education is one of the areas since the Act of Union, alongside law, and the right to produce our own currency (why you get Scottish and English pound notes, Scottish ones being notoriously hard to use in England where they usually think they are fake money), so if it's not under English control why up until devolution was Scottish education devoid of Scottish history?
Well it turns out that predevolution whilst education was Scottish, those deciding the curriculum were drafted in from England or were very closely tied to the Westminster governments of the day. England didn't directly control our education, they just made sure those who did were on side with England's view that it was best to promote UK nationalism, by which they meant English history, rather than risk stirring up contention and arousing nationalism n Scotland by telling us our own history. It's more devious, less direct than Edward Longshanks outright banning of tartans and playing of the pipes and other aspects of Highland culture, but it's in the same ballpark of intentions.
With the dominance of the SNP more Scottish history and Gaelic have come into our schools, but alongside it has come an increase in the counter voices who see it as the SNP trying to drum up nationalist sentiment, and so our system remains heavily biased to English history still, even if it's better than it was.
The sad fact is when I left Scottish education with a Higher in History I could have given you a pretty accurate history of England from Stone Henge to the present day, but I couldn't even tell you where the start was in Scottish history, let alone any details, I'd be hopping over centuries of no knowledge whatsoever for the few snippets I had heard of. We never even got taught how the Act of Union came about.

It's bit better now, my nieces who are just finishing their school careers both speak fluent Gaelic, they have a decent if not detailed grounding in Scottish history, certainly compared to me at same age, I've had to do my own learning since leaving school to find out my own country's past. }}

In England we have had many Kings and Queens, many fine in their own way. The earliest were successful in warfare, many were cunning. Yet all you ever hear about is Henry the VIII and Anne Boleyn. Im finding it boring now, and it still goes on today. Children have no idea of past Kings and Queens, the wits they had to stay alive, the battles, wars, how they ruled, for good or bad. how history was changed because of a certain King or Queen, The Laws they made etc. Some of these Kings and Queens, especially in Saxon times are not even heard of to have the privilege of being forgotten. Back then the women were as tough, if not tougher, than the men. I often think that Anne of Cleeves would have made a difference. I bet you a pound to a penny that she might have had boys if old Henry was up to it. I reckon he was so rank by the time he met Anne that he couldnt even raise a feather let alone anything else, He was a fat, sweaty, booze sodden grump with a smelly leg ulcer, probably had the clap, after all the wick dipping he must have done. I bet she wasnt as ugly or fat as he made out, he just couldnt face being found out and shamed for not being that fine, virile handsome man he once was. And more than likely "mr dippy" let him well and truly down, Oh my gawd, cant let the French know about that or hed be the laughing stock of the world, especially as he saw himself as some god like being that could rule the world and turn religion his way. Thats how he couldnt keep Katherine Howard, he couldnt chase her round the bed let alone down the hall. Everyone must be to blame, not him. Narcissistic brute.

A Scottish historian festooned with dreadlocks and shades. Gotta love it.

{{ Thats Bruce Fummy, he was a stand up comic with a passion for history, then the pandemic struck and he couldn't make a living on the standup circuit so he decided to make videos about his other passion, Scottish history. He still tours though doing a show thats a comic take through Scottish history, tailored to the histroy of each area of Scotland his gig is in. He did one here not long ago but sadly I was working and so I didn't get to go.
I believe now he also does tours, you can book to go on a special tour of Scotland with him and he gives the history.
I'd recommend all of his vids, this recent one on the Stone of Destiny is good, though it is one where hes promoting a book rather than just covering a topic, but the basic theory the book puts forward is one Ive long held myself, but any of his vids are worth a watch if you have any interest in Scottish history.



This is one he made while he was here on tour, it covers the massare of the Lamonts by the Campbells, and you'll get to see a bit of what's around me. Most of it is shot in the Castle Gardens, which is in the centre of town as you come off the ferry, the original castle on the hill is long gone, there's just the wall remains and rubble now but there is a 17th century 'Castle' behind where it once stood which you can see in several shots. And that castle is the towns registry office, so folk who get married have the sort of wedding pictures usually afforded to celebrities getting married in Scottish castles, and all for free! Bulk of vid though is just a history of the area and this town.



His line about needing all the taxis when the US Navy was here to take all the Glasgow prostitutes back to the Ferry is not entirely a joke. When I was 15 I worked after school and Sunday mornings in a bus garage cleaning the exterior of buses, on a Sunday morning the first ferry is later than during the week so as we (there were four of us young lads) turned up for work at 7.30 for an 8 start (you had to get your brew in before you started) we'd invite all the prostitutes in for a cuppa while they waited on the first ferry. They used to have to leave the main hotel for such things, the Harmony, first thing and clear out, so it was sit on a draughty pier for an hour, or sit in our garage round a big gas heater having a cuppa with us, probably drooling at them and crossing our legs a lot. And as 15 year old boys we got an eye full given they were of course here dressed for business (which is now just how young women dress on a daily basis, but back then it was only women of a certain trade dressed like that and you did not see it often) and we certainly got an education in those buses! }}

{{ Today is my towns annual Highland Games, can't let you see any Game stuff- caber tossing, hammer throwing, Saassenach baiting, that sort of thing, as its in the stadium and is paid entry, but the main street does have a public camera you can watch. At the end of day once all prizes are dished out the bands leave the stadium and march down through the town, depending how the day goes at the stadium that can happen anywhere between 5pm and 8pm. The camera has sound so you will be able to hear them, and the camera is pointed at the Jubilee Lamp, where bands often stop on route and pause to play to the crowd.
The hill in the distance the main street points pretty much towards is known locally as Camels Hump, but its actual name is the Dunan. Its had stuff on it going back to the Neolithic and ending with a 17th Century fort. As your seeing it now is how I remember it, more or less, as a child, for decades its been almost entirely obscured by forestry trees, but last year they harvested most of them revealing the local landmark again for the first time in ages.
The shop on the corner Bookpoint has been the town book shop my whole life, every first Tolkien book I got, I got in there. I also caused a minor scandal and affronted the rather elderly woman who once ran it when I was about 14, I gave her an order for The Maquis De Sade, Magick by Alistair Crowley, and The Teachings of Don Juan by Carlos Castenda. I think she thought I was some sort of satanist or just a weirdo, which was and is I suppose closer to the mark.}}

https://www.dunoon.tv/

And all those people have no idea a little bodkin in the south east is sitting at home watching them

{{ I have mixed feelings about it, but then there are no shortage of cctv cameras on the main street and in every shop so I dont suppose it matters any more, you are beng watched by someone wherever you go, that sort of freedom has long since gone.

Did you manage to catch any bands? Sadly its not what it once was, I think there were about 20 bands this year, when I was a kid there were over 100 and the march past took hours and the streets were packed, ferries ran all day just back and forth and the fireworks display, funded back then by the US Navy was suitably American - ridiculously spectacular and over the top, with firework tanks shooting rockets at firework ships, and so many spectacular displays and massive fireworks that lit up the whole town and sourrounding hills, and the Clyde itself was full of boats of all shapes and sizes and when all the fireworks display was over they'd all sound their horns in appreciation. And everyone was drunk and singing and dancing in the streets. Good times. }}

For the last 2 days Ive knocked myself bandy trying to tidy up my garden. Its become over grown and needs some light coming in. So, this is my triumph today, many hours went into the struggle with this big beast. Its an Agapanthus, its way to big now so, Il be splitting it up and moving it somewhere else, theres enough to give away also.


   

And this was how blue the sky was, not a cloud for miles, it was deadly hot.  

Hi Az!

That's a nice cosy little backyard garden.  I suppose the high walls keep it shady and cool during much of the day but high noon will still nail you.

Petty - alert us if anything's going be happening in front of that camera.  End of August was too busy for me to be paying attention but if there's some drunken festival we need to see it.

Thankyou Halfy Half is shady for most of the day but, the other half by my large patio door gets very hot.