Dry but cold. A high bank of cloud drifting in from the North Sea brings with it a breeze that has more than a hint of 'nip' to it. For the morning walk Angus puts on a thick jacket and a Michigan baseball cap. Two gentlemen outside the golf club shout out ' Go Blue !' as we pass by. This is rather unsettling - not least for the enthusiasm with which it's said. People don't often display that much gusto at six thirty in the morning in Scotland. We are left to ponder on whether I should have shouted out ' Go Blue' in response . What would Miss Manners have advised ?
Scottish schools start again in two weeks. The town full of families trying to squeeze in some quality R&R before term kicks off. What better time for the fire brigade to have an open day ? This is attended by six year olds - wild eyed with excitement - and fathers pretending they don't want to press the button that sets the klaxon going. A variety of fire tenders are parked on the station forecourt as a lure.
We watch as two young fire ladies dressed in flame resistant outerwear demonstrate what happens if you pour water onto a flaming chip pan . There's a loud 'whoosh' and a wall of heat and flame hurtles towards the audience. ' That's the warmest we've been since we came to Scotland ' says an Englishman standing next to me. The fire officer maintains a running commentary with the sage advice never to let water and burning fat come within a mile of each other. ' Throw a towel over it if you want but the best thing you can do is close the kitchen door, leave the house and phone us ' he adds cheerfully. Angus quietly wonders how many people in an age of oven chips and air fryers still use a pan and oil . He keeps this thought to himself.
Boat shaped flower planters on the wall of a house down by the harbour.
There's a Hillman Imp parked by the railings above the Witches Pond. This little rear engined beauty was the last car to be made in Scotland before deindustrialization set in . Looking at it you'd have to agree that life in the late 60's was much simpler ( but not necessarily better ) . I'm guessing the average car today would weigh 40% more than they did then. The Hillman Imp was not a commercial success perhaps due to its 'free spirit' handling and lack of reliability.
8 comments:
It's nice to see the Guide Dogs collection box.
My first boyfriend had a Hillman Imp. I never realised they were made in Scotland.
I'm pleased to report that on a walk the full length of the beach at St Cyrus yesterday we saw only two dead sea birds (both fairly well decomposed).
Cheers, Gail.²
The Hillman Imp has "driven by one little old lady to Church on Sundays" stamped all over it! It's in remarkable condition.
The fascination with fire engines has always amazed me. Years ago, in the early days of microwave ovens, I had a fire in mine, with flames coming from the locks. Husband carried it outside onto the terrace away from the house, where we stood looking at it, deciding how best to extinguish the flames. This was long before the days of P.C's, so no Mr Google to refer to. Eventually we decided to phone the local fire station for advice. They weren't sure what to do either, but said to leave it with them and they'd send someone round. Imagine our embarrassment when less than ten minutes later a fire engine turned up, followed very quickly by another one - both with lights flashing, klaxons going, screeching to a halt outside the house. Hoses unrolled round to the back of the house where the fire had just about burned itself out. They gave it a liberal dose of foam, declared it "dead", and I went indoors to make a couple of dozen teas and break out the best biscuits! Further embarrassment when we looked out of the front door to see the road completely jammed with cars and people everywhere gawping at the engines! It was the talk of the neighbourhood for weeks, and I had to slink out through the back gate to take the dog for a walk, just to avoid explanations!
It seems that wherever you go in the world, these fire department events are a happy constant. I have a picture from an old New Jersey newspaper of me at about age five sitting in the cherry picker of our local fire engine, and my kids were able to do the same in Tokyo (along with the earthquake preparation events where you can try to stand in a container that shakes at different magnitudes). I've never heard of the Hillman Imp, but it's pretty cute. It kind of reminds me of the old Datsuns.
My roommate's brother had a Hillman Minx that she borrowed for us to drive from Pullman to Seattle - it quit halfway there.
As for a reply you could have say "Go Red" or "Go Green" to flummox them.
The Hillman is very cute. I agree with the Datsun comparison - or an old BMW. But Witch's Pond? Must see a photo! When I was 10, I won an essay contest about fire safety. I got to ride in the big fire engine through the park, but I didn't get to blast the siren because it was in a residential neighborhood. Very disappointing!
I looked ...only 48 left that pass the MOT in the UK.
I like the flower planters and the car. Perfect color car as well and cute as a button.
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