Poppy appeal.

Saturday night and some of the harder partying students are enjoying a second night of Halloween festivities. At the local byre five hundred had paid £47 each to watch a firework display and listen to bands. The wind and the rain made the fireworks  something of a damp squib and they were soon back inside. Although the youngsters must have been four miles away the sound of their music travelled undisturbed across the 5 star hotels golf course towards us. The news today focused on the awful stabbing on the LNER train. This is the train company that runs from here to London so it's a double shock.

Two cheerful ladies from the village arrive at the front door at first light. They're collecting for the Poppy appeal.  'The Font' had already bought two at the display in the butchers but they were flimsy affairs with a thin plastic stem. The ones the ladies are offering this morning are altogether sturdier . The ladies remind us that tickets for the St Andrews Day Ceilidh in the village hall will be on sale soon. 

The majority of the tradesmen who come to The Last Wee House before Denmark have learnt their trade in the military. They are ferociously proud of the armed services and won't hear a word said against the King. This in no way compromises their critical view of our southern neighbours nor dilutes their Scottish republican sympathies. Quite how these conflicting beliefs co-exist is best left to an expert to analyse. 

We are now in the off season. Life here is decidedly quiet. From time to time there is an open day for prospective attendees but for the most part the students are studying and the locals are hunkering down before the winter storms. We are still waiting for the builders to come and tile the downstairs bathroom. Their excuse is that old staple ' We've been dealing with a few emergencies but we'll be with you just as soon as we can '.

The cafe owners keep the outside tables ready just in case the sun should decide to revisit. This is best described as staunch optimism.

While 'The Font' goes shopping Angus goes to the modern coffee shop . This it turns out is very popular with students. Angus manages to find a table but it's on the way to the loos and people are for ever bumping into him on their way there. My coffee is drunk quickly.

I wander next door to the student shop. This sells a strange variety of stuffed animals ....

...whisky ...

.... and brightly coloured diaries. Angus is slightly surprised that in the i-Pad era diaries and note books are still a thing.

Halloween :https://www.thecollector.com/history-of-halloween/

That man again :https://tinabrown.substack.com/p/the-inside-story-on-how-king-charles

This is true :https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/the-one-thing-donald-trumps-asia-trip-proved/

Purple:https://jonn.substack.com/p/some-notes-on-the-non-existence-of

Christmas tree decorations --- at a price :https://shop.thefifearms.com/collections/festive-decorations