Comments on: Look What I Didn’t See Last Week Because I Wasn’t In Edinburgh

By: ninme

ninme — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:08:16 +0000

Well they were businessmen, weren’t they. Out for the quick local-exploiting buck. They probably saw you guys with your rickety Yorkshire rowboats and thought they’d come to the wrong place for a high-yield investment opportunity.

Where was it, up by Oxford I think where there’s all these little rivers all over the place, and the locals had these little walnut shells they’d strap to their backs, then whip out again to cross the next river? Those were cool. Can’t ever remember what they’re called, tho.

By: Rueful Red

Rueful Red — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 09:26:46 +0000

Dunno whether those Vikings were all they were made out to be. OK for rape and pillage and sacking monasteries etc, but, when Harald Hardrada brought 300 longships up-river past where I lived in Yorkshire, we sent him back down-river with just 30. The Vikings: all helmet and no cattle.

By: HalfEmpty

HalfEmpty — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 17:11:26 +0000

You just wait, with this global warming thing they’ll be a viking again. It’s the warm weather that sets ‘em off.

By: ninme

ninme — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:38:21 +0000

I would totally go to that Viking thing. Even if it is made up by the Victorians. I'm a redhead. Red hair comes from the Vikings. My people!

And y'ever thought we may have something to whinge about? At least we haven't invaded England lately. Models of noble stoicism and resignation, us.

By: Rueful Red

Rueful Red — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 10:38:36 +0000

Happens in the dark of winter, and is one of those entertaining bits of folklore invented by the Victorians. Shetlanders are ever so snobbish about mainland Scots, whom they regards as definitely foreign and probably inferior.

Since Shetland’s not the easiest of places to get to, one might prefer Allendale, a patch of MAMBA in the northern Pennines: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allendale,_Northumberland

By: Brett_McS

Brett_McS — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 09:40:09 +0000

Are we too late for the "Up Helly-Aa" Viking fire festival in the Shetlands?

By: Rueful Red

Rueful Red — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 09:06:49 +0000

There are 92,000 gaelic speakers, of whom perhaps 60,000 speak it regularly. The language receives public subsidy of one sort or another to the tune of c£60 million. It’s not the best value language one has ever heard of. Bet that movie’s all about how it’s wet and miserable in the Gaeltachd. And how they’re feeling hard done by by assorted governments, history, the world in general etc etc. World class whingers.

By: ninme

ninme — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 05:06:41 +0000

My human right to a Scottish holiday.

By: RC2

RC2 — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 02:56:49 +0000

A gross violation of your right to a Scottish holiday.