Who would ever have thought that Lake Ontario would feature prominently in the BBC's morning radio broadcast ? I check to make sure it's not April 1st.
Parking spaces in the medieval heart of St Andrews are designed for small cars. Modern models are much larger than their 1970'e era predecessors and their rear ends jut out far into the road . Driving through town is an obstacle course of dodging oncoming traffic and parked super long SUV's. This stretched Land Rover is enormous. There are rumours that car parking charges may be levied on the length of the vehicle although this won't address the underlying problem.
The church is getting ready for the Harvest Festival. Anywhere else in the world I'd think this was a peculiarly old fashioned tradition but not here. A hiker from Tennessee ( here to trace her Scots forebears ) studies a war memorial while the organist practices ' All is safely gathered in '. We buy tickets for the Harvest barbecue. A case of wine has already been donated to help wash down the Smash burgers that are being made by the young American woman using the farmers rump steak. Older villagers are unsure about the concept of smash burgers but are willing to give them a try. " It's what young people eat " says the lady selling the tickets through slightly pursed lips.
The part for the cabbage harvester hasn't arrived and the farmer has now started on bringing in the potato crop. His two sons are still at home so he's keen to get as much done as he can while they're still around.
The church although old is a bright cheerful place and the baptismal font is a simple thing of great beauty. One story says it was commissioned by a local family after their four year old son got lost in the woods. He followed the sound of the bells back to the church and safety. Another story says it commemorates the same four year old but after his death in a flying accident in 1926. The bells and the Royal Air Force crest carved on the front tell me that two stories may well be intertwined. Scottish churches may not have the grandeur of their English cousins but they make up for this with their simple intimacy. The names of two more of the same family's sons, both killed later in the Battle of Britain , are carved on a different memorial. Private Alex Hampton was in B Company of the Highland Cyclist Corps. What in heavens name was that ? On the memorial brass the words 'How sleep the brave who sink to rest by all their country's wishes blest' . A noble sentiment for Alex and the other village lads.
But 'Remembering you we will be brave and strong and meet the last adventure with a song ' might be less polished but more heartfelt.
Almost all of the family names inscribed on the memorial still live in the village which may explain why the building and its fixtures are so spruce. The scent of Pledge furniture polish doesn't so much fill the air as permeate it.
8 comments:
I think you've captured the problem facing the president and the Republican party. When he purported to rename the Gulf of Mexico, there was a sense of outrage, but this time it's just comic relief.
I've become accustomed to looking up Scottish expressions after reading your post, but this time I had to look up "smash burger," which I guess is American. The price of being a wanderer.
It is indeed American and why a smashed beef is different from ground beef is something we shall soon discover.
Hari OM
The Cyclist Battalions were part of the Terratorial Army and seconded to the likes of the Black Watch... And Smash Burgers, apparently, are made of looser, fattier meat, literally smashed to the griddle to make them thinner, thus quicker cooking and crispier/caramalised. I'll never know for certain, being a vego... though I can imagine doing something similar with a chickpea pattie... YAM xx
The "smash" is largely in how they are cooked, my father would have liked the very well done and dry.
Yes, the smash burgers are much flatter and devoid of juices. They’ve become quite popular in this area. I enjoyed the article about Mrs. Ulysses Grant. I’d never heard of her influence over the capable general.
That poor family...My heart goes out to them all these miles and years later.
Lovely memorials. Beautiful church. So nice to see.
I hope you and "The Font" enjoy your first smash burgers. Cooked properly, the one or two flattened golf ball sized balls of plain beef mince (not lean mince as needs fat so they are not dry) can be great. I've only ever had NZ beef smash burgers (with soft buns, cheese, etc) which I prefer to some burgers as the browned mince takes on a caramelized flavour. Overcooked, or stewed on the BBQ at the wrong heat, and you'll be washing them down with large amounts of wine from the case you donated. Please let us know what you think of the wine and burger pairing.
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