Gutters and 633 Squadron

On Saturday James and I did the annual gutter cleaning at the Ullapool cottage. It was chilly but dry and I held the ladder while James cleared moss and weeds into a bucket. Earlier this week James and I heard the very well known theme tune from the 1964 film 633 Squadron on Classic FM. (I persuaded James, a while ago, to change our radio alarm to classic FM instead of the always depressing news channels). On Saturday evening James found the film on Netflix for us to watch. He claimed that we had agreed to watch 633 Squadron when we heard the tune. I had absolutely no recollection of this. However, we went ahead and watched the film and it was very good. We have seen it before of course, but not for decades. It was interesting to observe how attitude and perhaps values have changed over the last 60 years. The casual sexism was much more blatant than in most films nowadays, and the stoicism over the death of comrades seemed very strange. I wonder if it was really like that.
James went walking with the Ullapool Hill walking club today to the Stoer Peninsula. Meanwhile I did a little bit of housework, a little bit of grocery shopping, and had a coffee at Tea by the Sea. Bliss. Back at the cottage I socialised with the cats and read my current book, Theo of Golden by Allen Levi as well as a chapter of The Story of Art. 

Modest Mussorgsky

I was not in Ullapool for very long because I was going to a concert on Thursday and the first of my new set of art classes on Friday. So late Wednesday afternoon I bade farewell to James and the cats and I entertained myself by listening to a murder mystery audiobook on the way south. 
Ally W and I met for lunch at Singl’End in Merchant City on Thursday which was excellent. Then we strolled around the corner to our Scottish Symphony Orchestra afternoon concert. The concert had a Russian theme; a couple of short pieces by Lyadov, then Songs and Dances of Death by Mussorgsky, and after the interval, Tchaikovsky‘s Symphony No. 5. I found all of it very melodic and enjoyed it very much. I noticed in the programme notes that Mussorgsky’s full name is Modest Mussorgsky. I idly wondered if his brother might be called Boastful Mussorgsky! But when I investigated I found out that his brother was actually called Filaret, means “lover of virtue” which I suppose matches better! 
This morning I went back to my Art Class at the Prince of Princess of Wales hospice. There had been much discussion on the WhatsApp chat about roads being blocked by roadworks in the vicinity, but I arrived from the M8 and had no problems at all getting there. Ruth is on holiday just now but I knew most of the ladies there. I was sorry to hear that Kathleen has died. She was in her 90s and such talented and fascinating lady. 
After the class I headed north and managed to finish my murder mystery book by listening to it at 1.5 times speed. I arrived in Ullapool in good time to walk along to West Street with James to see the annual Guy Fawkes night celebrations including food and drink stalls and a large bonfire down on the shore below. It was topped with a guy made by the local primary school which burnt fiercely and suddenly toppled over to be consumed by the flames! I have always found this aspect of the celebration to be rather gruesome. Then there was a firework display before we walked back to the cottage in the darkness. 

November trip north

Alasdair is on his travels in South America and has already visited several countries, including Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname and now Brazil. As well as keeping in touch with us by phone call and message, he has been sending us postcards from each destination, which we have very much enjoyed receiving. We do miss him though, and look forward to seeing him in January at Jamie and Kerry’s wedding. 
Meanwhile our darling Jessica is very nearly smiling; a little smile seems to play around her lips from time to time while her eyes sparkle. On Sunday evening, I held her and walked around the back room with her so that Chanel and Davie had time to eat their curries, and I just love her.
I was at Childrens’ Hearings for most of the day on Monday. I have been warned that meetings can overrun, but this was the first time that it has happened for me. As usual I admired the knowledge and skills of the chairperson. And then today, after our Italian Renaissance Art Class, James and I set off to Ullapool with the cats in the car. We were glad to find the cottage undamaged after the recent storms, and soon got it warmed up and had our dinner. It’s nice to be back here. 

Hallowe’en Pickleball

I had a lovely chat with Jamie yesterday about all sorts of things, it’s always great to speak to him, and I appreciate that he phones at least a couple of times a week. Also I had a very pleasant chat with Jennifer who had some nice news to impart. 
James has had a very sore ankle for the past week, and I persuaded him to go to A&E in the afternoon. Hopefully it will get better soon. Today was the Hallowe’en Pickleball lunch at the tennis club. We had all brought a dish and it was a magnificent buffet. I brought baked salmon with baby new potatoes, cherry tomatoes and salad. I have to say that it turned out very well and was soon enthusiastically consumed by the Picklers. It was a fun and convivial afternoon.
Talking of social activities, James and Gordon went out for a curry with their friend Alastair this evening before their annual trip to see Australian Pink Floyd at the Hydro. When James arrived home he deemed the evening “excellent!” 

Kevin Bridges at the Hydro

It has been a sad week for Star Trek fans. Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov in the original Star Trek TV series, died aged 90 a couple of days ago. And today the death was announced of Sir Patrick Stewart who memorably played Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He was 86 and also had a distinguished stage career. 
We had dinner in the restaurant at the Marriot Courtyard with Gordon and Morag this evening. The food was quite pleasant but most of all it was very handy for the OVO Hydro where we were going to see Kevin Bridges. The two support acts were very good; Chris Kent from Cork in Ireland and especially Christopher Macarthur-Boyd from Glasgow, who went to Bannerman High School where I did a teaching placement long before her was born! Kevin Bridges was excellent, very good with the audience and very funny. The Hydro was completely full and his run there is for two weeks! He wasn’t afraid to joke about controversial topics, and was only momentarily distracted when a fight broke out somewhere high in the auditorium between a couple of women who were somewhat inebriated. It was a very entertaining evening.  

Simon Yates and the missing rope

Just over a year ago when we were visiting Ally and Cat in London, we gathered some acorns in Oxleas Wood near Eltham, when we were walking a section of the Capital Ring. One of them has been in my desk drawer ever since. I have decided to try to grow it but I think I’m too late because one year is apparently the limit to plant it and I’m over that. If it doesn’t grow I can always try to grow one which has fallen this year. I have purchased a little “acorn vase” to try my luck. The acorn sits in its narrow neck with a reservoir of water beneath. 
Lesley and Chris came round for lunch today. We gave them spicy pumpkin soup followed by apple crumble. We used Cat’s Mum Christine’s recipe for the topping and it turned out really well. We had a good laugh and caught up on news. 
This evening we went to Cumbernauld Theatre with Gordon and Morag to hear Simon Yates speak about his mountaineering adventures. He is the climber who had to cut Joe Simpson’s rope when they were climbing together in South America after Joe Simpson fell over a cliff. (Yates had no choice or else he would have gone over the cliff too). Against all the odds Simpson survived and crawled back to their camp three days later. This incident became famous because of Simpson’s book and the subsequent film. James and I went to see the film at the cinema in the 1990s and I also remember us watching it on holiday in Orkney with the boys. Simon Yates appeared in the film as a narrator and although he is of course now in his 60s, he hasn’t changed much. He is a very good speaker, and told us about his extraordinary adventures in a self-deprecating and understated way, illustrated with slides. At the interval we were chatting to him as he signed his books, and Gordon (who, Morag told us, had been wondering about this all day) asked him if he had kept the rope that he cut! It was very funny! Simon Yates explained that he hadn’t kept it and it had ended up in the ravine into which Simpson had disappeared. An excellent evening. 

Chanel’s 30th Birthday

James was out using his new leaf blower in the garden yesterday; he is loving it! He brought me the last two yellow roses from a bush in the front garden. It’s called “Absolutely Fabulous” and James bought it in 2023 after we saw one in Tralee in Ireland. We loved it for its bright colour and its gorgeous scent, and the two last blooms today still smell lovely. I put them in a tiny vase and set them on the kitchen ledge. 
Yesterday was our Chanel’s 30th Birthday! We popped round with her gift late afternoon and gorgeous wee Jessica was sleeping peacefully all snuggled in to her Mummy! 
The wild and rainy weather continues; we went to Italian Renaissance Art today and had lunch first at Offshore Café in Gibson Street. It’s ages since I have been there and I have very happy memories of having lunches there about 20 years ago with Fiona M and our lovely tutor Ernie. The Art History class was good and I was amazed to learn that the Bellini cocktail was invented by the chef in Harry’s bar in Venice and so named because it’s peachy pink hues were reminiscent of the colours used by Italian Renaissance artist, Bellini. Similarly, the same chef named his thinly sliced raw beef dish, carpaccio, because its red colour reminded him of the palette used by the Italian Renaissance artist Carpaccio. How fascinating!