Thursday, February 16, 2023

Mixer taps.

Curlews are the new bane of Sophie's life. A large flock of them have taken up residence in the field by the burn. If they weren't so far away they would be 'dealt with'. Instead the distant birds get the full on PONette glare.

On our return we meet the cleaning lady. We are her first call of the day . The new American tenants at the house in town have never seen an electric kettle ( do they not exist in the US ? ) and are perplexed what it's used for. This may explain why the cafetiere is a thing of mystery but the old coffee maker with a paper filter is used all day every day.  The tenants are also surprised that all the bathroom basins have separate cold and hot taps. To be fair 'The Font' also finds this a Scottish peculiarity . For some reason the kitchen sink does have a mixer tap.


It is suggested by 'The Font' that Angus has a haircut. In fact it's not so much a suggestion as an instruction. 

The road by the roundabout is closed off. This is annoying as it's where Angus intended to park. A man in a blue boiler suit is standing in a hole doing something with a fibre optic cable.  He's protected by an array of bollards and blue wheelie bins. A number of locals are standing in their doorways watching him. I guess they've taken the view that you take your excitement where you find it.


Angus goes to see the physiotherapist who tortures the soles of his feet for five minutes and then announces grandly 'You're discharged'. He goes on to say ' Do remember you're not as young as you used to be so don't go lifting heavy weights'. The cheek of it ! Physiotherapy finished it's time to head off in search of a haircut.

The first barber says they can see me at five this afternoon. I thank him but say that's too late. The Turkish barbers don't open until noon so they're not an option . The Turkish barbers also have an alarming habit of burning ear hair with a cigarette lighter. Nineteen year old students may think this cool - those of more advanced years are less keen on naked flames near their ears. Angus tries the trendy  'grooming salon'. Three young men with civil war re-enactment beards are already hard at work cutting their clients hair. They are wearing shorts which is unusual in the Scottish winter. From the look of the clients it would seem that the 1950's era short back and sides has suddenly become fashionable again.  This only goes to show that if you wait long enough your look will be considered hip -  this may not apply to kipper ties. I ask when they might be able to cut my hair. ' We could do you a week on Friday ' says the young man closest to the door. I thank him and leave. When did getting a haircut ever require so much planning ?


Walking back to the car I pass a wonderful 18th century doorway that's been added to an old medieval building behind. The outer door is open but the inner one is closed. There's something very inviting and ' lived in '  about this door. What tales it could tell.


Down by where I've parked the car there's an building that's been remodeled many times. These houses were part of the medieval ceremonial route to the cathedral. This one has all sorts of closed off windows and doorways. I can't work out what the huge arch that spans the second floor could have been used for. I'm guessing that this was a merchants house and that there might have been wooden doors and a pulley there to haul up goods for storage.

A group of staff are standing outside one of the colleges. They're protesting that their pay isn't keeping pace with inflation.

So starts a Thursday morning in an unusually mild Scottish February. A trip to the beach with Sophie now beckons.


18 comments:

Lisa in France said...

I never saw an electric kettle in the US, although Amazon.com indicates they do in fact exist. Amazon.co.up says they also exist in Japan, but I surely have never seen one here. In Japan, no one wants to wait for a whole minute or two for their tea water, so everyone uses one of these 24/7 models: https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Thermos-PDR-G220-WU-Microcomputer-Electric-Retention/dp/B00OR1E6QW "Fade" haircuts, on the other hand, do most definitely exist in Japan - I was so surprised the first time my son came home with one of these "modern" cuts.

WFT Nobby said...

Certainly no electric (or any other sort of kettle) in my 'fully furnished and equipped' apartment in Oklahoma in 1988. When I enquired I was told to "boil water in a pan in use the microwave like everyone else does".
Best of luck with the haircut!
Did news of a certain resignation reach St Andrews yesterday...?

jabblog said...

I wonder why Americans don't use electric kettles. What are they worried about?
Haircuts are influenced by 'celebrities'. Little boys with big ears and hideous haircuts are following their favourite footballers - well, perhaps not the big ears. Add a toothbrush moustache and everyone can be a Hitler look-alike!

Coppa's girl said...

Sometime in the mid 70's, my long-time Texan penfriend finally made it across the pond to visit us. She was intrigued by many items in the house - especially the electric kettle, and wanted to take one back with her. We had to explain that it would take so much longer to boil once she used it at home, because of the lower power - 110 as opposed to 220 in Europe.
Angus perhaps 'The Font' can refer to You Tube for instructions to give you a haircut? You probably have all the necessary items - like Sophie's clippers, and a pair of scissors! It will save you having to wait - or did you go back and take the 5 p.m. appointment at the first place you tried?

Camille said...

I had a cup of tea with my cousin just yesterday as she used her brand new and shiny electric kettle. I have one too but sadly, it resides in the cupboard going largely unused. Yanks aren't known for their tea drinking habits since that Boston Tea Party kerfluffle.

We have a "Beauty School" here in town. One can walk in and, for a few dollars, allow a budding barber or hair stylist to "practice" on them. Mostly everyone comes out looking...ummmm, ok.

Fay said...

Oh my, I use an electric kettle everyday. I didn't realize it was archaic....although I find the wait, in the morning, a little long....

Fay said...

Thank you, Lisa! I think I am in love!

Travel said...

Electric kettles are rare in the USA, but they do exist. We have one. The drip coffee maker is used daily, the electric kettle only when tea is made and that is a few times a year. Brits drink more tea, and instant coffee (yuck!) making an electric kettle more useful than a drip coffee maker.
Perhaps Sophie's groomer can give you a quick trim? I usually have to make an appointment and it is usually a few days away.

Iza said...

I probably can't explain the trend of no kettle because I'm a Pole living in the USA. We always had one either electric or for the stove. Americans might boil water in the pot or in a microwave. Some use a coffee maker to make tea of they want it in larger quantities. Also I don't think they drink as much tea as we do.

elginknitter said...

I don't know about the U.S. but here in Canada electric kettles are in common use! The only reason ours never sees the light of day anymore is because we now have an Aga, which boils water in a non-electric kettle considerably faster -- but on this side of the pond Agas are probably rarer than the proverbial hen's teeth. Perhaps even rarer than electric kettles south of the border.

The architecture in your neck of the woods is fascinating! What stories those old buildings could tell.

Melinda from Ontario said...

We Canadians love our tea. Google informed me Canadians drink twice as much tea (per capita) compared to Americans. I was surprised anyone would be confused about an electric kettle. I'd forgotten there are other ways to boil water for tea.

Sharon said...

I also live in Canada and we have always had an electric kettle. I remember when my Grandmother came to live with us back in the 1960's and she was not used to it. She put it on the stove and melted it. I have a glass one now.

Joanne in Massachusetts said...

When I married an Englishman he insisted his electric kettle was faster than the microwave at boiling water...having ruined 2 of my Mom's copper tea kettles by boiling them dry, I became an instant convert.The few weeks I spent without my electric kettle this winter was really quite annoying.
Older homes in America are likely to still have separate hot and cold taps but after renovation I think single taps are more likely.

Jim Davis said...

American here, we have an electric kettle, have had it for 35 years, works fine. They are available in most stores here in the US that sell small electrics.

Barbara Anne said...

We were introduced to electric kettles by new friends from South Africa and in the course of the intervening decades, we got one, but seldom use it. I suppose it's what you're used to.

rottrover said...

I think it's fair to say that Americans drink more coffee than tea - George Clooney sold me on a Nespresso and I've never looked back. Though I do have a 'tea kettle' on my stove just in case. Please refer to almost any episode of Ted Lasso (on Apple TV+) for more on the coffee/tea schism.

I agree that that beautiful stone house probably once belonged to a merchant. I would have loved to see the original.

Anonymous said...

Growing up in US, we had a whistling tea kettle. I think it boils the water very hot and retains its heat longer than microwaved water. I use an electric kettle now that has an insert to steep loose leaf tea while it boils.

Anonymous said...

Dual taps here in Seattle. I tried single taps but never could get the right mix of hot and cold water.
After a family vacation U.K., Mom went on the hunt for an electric kettle. She couldn’t find one locally and so “had to” go Victoria, B.C. to buy one. It lasted for years and by that time, you could buy electric kettles here. The microwave takes longer to heat water.