MacRobert's Reply - Not for Self But for Country

As a resident of Tarland and the son of a former RAF officer it is good to see that the name of Macrobert has not been forgotten.

The story of the deaths of all of Lady MacRobert's sons is very sad but the way she went on to help both her country and the RAF is truly inspirational. Even now 60 years after her death her fortune is helping many organisations to help many people and help run many national institutions. Over 800,000 pounds was spent in the 2008 financial year, including over 20,000 pounds to local groups in Tarland.

It would be only right that her name lives on by naming a new Typhoon after her and the family Motto of "Not for Self But for Country". A motto that would well be remembered by some of those who purport to leading our country in these dark times.


Call to salute the height of courage - Scotsman.com News:

Lucky - The Lynx Effect

A couple of days ago I wrote about the fire at Strachans in Aboyne. What I hadn't thought of was that just a day later we would have a Chimney Fire in our house. Luckily there was no major damage and just some embarrassment at having to call the Fire Brigade. If you look closely at the photograph above you will see that the metal grate at the top of the Chimney is heavily blackened, it was at one point glowing a very good shade of red with the heat.

The fire itself was caused by something that should not have been in the fire. Just at the end of the night we were burning some extra cardboard and in a box of cardboard someone had put an aerosol can of Lynx deodorant and a plastic inhaler, why and who we are not sure.

I had not long put the box into the fire and replaced the Fire Guard when we heard a small pop this, we think, was a small plastic inhaler used by one of my sons. I was just looking at the fire to see what had caused this when there was an enormous bang as the aerosol can exploded. The force of the blast blew the fire guard out of the fireplace and sprayed ashes and sparks around our lounge. Luckily, even though I was only sitting about 4-5 feet from the fire, the guard did it's job and stopped most of them from getting past it. Almost immediately we could hear a roaring as the chimney went on fire with the debris blown up the flue.

By now smoke alarms were going off around the house, we have 4 all mains and inter-connected, we dialed 999 and got the fire brigade called out as it looked as if the fire was taking hold. I then poured water on the fire to extinguish it and shut the doors to the lounge to try and stop the fire. Luckily it burnt itself out fairly quickly and within 5 minutes all signs of smoke and flames had stopped coming out of the chimney.

The fire brigade, despite being located 6 miles away and being a retained crew, arrived within 15 minutes and checked the house out thoroughly with a heat-sensing camera to ensure it truly was out. After a quick cup of coffee and filling in a report about the fire they were off happy not to have had as much work as the previous day.

It was only then I realised how lucky we had been. If the guard had not been up it is likely that the whole lounge would have been showered with red hot debris and sparks and we could have had a much more serious situation. As it is we got away with no damage apart from our blushes. The combination of melted plastic and other debris could have caused quite serious injuries apart from setting fire to the lounge. The photo below shows the two offending articles.

The other thing we realised was how lucky we are to have retained firemen available in our rural area as if the the EU has it's way we may not be so lucky. I'm glad to see that this is an area that our local prospective Conservative Councilor Jo Pick is highlighting in her campaign for the local by-election on the 23rd April 2009. As usual we see the Lib Dems at their hypocritical best saying they support the opt out of the EU directive when one of their number in Scotland voted to end the opt out along with two Labour MEPS.


MicroShaft Blog: Honest Guv it Wasn't me!

100 holes for 100 years (and Granddad)

I blogged on this on Saturday under the Title 100 holes for Grandad.

This is the article online, which is a bit of a surprise as the Deeside Piper only puts a few of it's articles online. This one has a different photo.

100 holes for 100 years - Deeside Today

Sunset at Tarland

Sunset
Originally uploaded by fitaloonson.

My son Cameron took this last night about 40 yards from our house. It was also selected to go onto the Scotland in the Gloaming Blog.

Nae Langer Tae Lie Hodden In a Pauper's Grave

Peter Milne - Fiddler
Originally uploaded by fitaloon.

Taken from the Press and Journal on the 17th March 2007

Riches denied, thy boon was purer joys What wealth could never give nor take

Inscription on Monument to Peter Milne

AS A LAD that lo'es the traditional fiddle music o wir ain country an specially fae oor North-East neuk, I hae dauchl't in reverence eence or twice at the monument tae Scott Skinner (1843-1927) in Allenvale Cemetery and the een tae Peter Milne (1824-1908) oot in Tarland bearin the inscription as abeen.

Dash't tho, I wis nivver sae touch't as at the unveilin at Nellfield Cemetery on Sunday efterneen, o a granite heidsteen tae Milne, dubbit in's day, the Tarland Minstrel.

That the Lord Lieutenant o Aiberdeenshire saw fit tae be there made it aa the mair impressive bit fin young Eilidh Anderson, aa spruc't up in her clan tartan kilt, gaed forrit tae lay a posy in front o the heidsteen, it got till's - maist o ye wid o seen the photo in Monday's P &J.

Eilidh is the niece o the lad that bears the accolade o the modern day "Tarland Minstrel", Paul Anderson, an it wis aa throwe him that at last Milne wis nae langer tae lie hodden in a pauper's grave.

PAUL, jist noo, a research Fellow at Elphinstone Institute cwidna lat things abee as his myn wis set tae find far Peter Milne wis beerit haein deet in the Aiberdeen Peerhoose an dumptit wi ithers somewye in the toon.

The ootcome wis that Paul's researchin pyntit tae es spot in Nellfield cemetery and raisin siller throwe concerts an donations wis able tae mark, in a fittin wye, the contribution Peter Milne made tae oor music.

Ere's links wi the self-styl't Strathspey King, James Scott Skinner, fa started oot as an aucht-eer-aal playin in Milne's band at dances roon aboot Don an Dee.

Skinner wis tae reca in articles for the People's Journal those days o yore far the barns the dances were held in hid earthen fleers, plunks laid on tap o secks o corn wis the seatin an myn transport wis shank's meer or the bike.

Aboot fower in the mornin, they aa made for hame an Skinner wis tae write 'I often wonder how I, a boy of eight or nine years, survived the physical strain and the loss of sleep . . . it was nothing for Peter and me to trudge eight or 10 weary miles on a slushy wet night in order to fulfil a barn engagement'.

Weel they were tae gyang their ain roadies an Scott Skinner's career his been weel documentit bit lang overdue his been the acknowledgement o the debt we owe tae Peter Milne for pittin his mark on oor unique fiddle music, describit as 'perhaps the very best interpreter of Highland Strathspey Deeside could ever boast till the after days of the vastly popular Scott Skinner'.

Foo than did sic a talent fa on hard times? Weel apparently Milne wis said tae tak tae opium as a cure for rheumatism fin workin doon in Manchester an syne a daft caper in a pub fin somebody ruggit a cheer fae oot aneth him cripl't him, spennin the hinmaist ten eer o's life in hospital.

HE DIDNA write aa that mony tunes bit the eens he did were toppers. Een that comes tae myn is 'John McNeil's Reel', composed for a celebratit heilan dancer an still play't ower an ower the day, a tune that fun its wye ower the Atlantic far the French Canadians claim't it as their ain, bit they jist ca'd it 'Big John'.

Ay, nae only dae we owe a debt tae Peter Milne bit tae Paul Anderson for the valuable darg an gran tae see the name Elphinstone Institute on the gravesteen at Nellfield.

Noo fae greats o the past, lat's get richt up tae date wi the news es wikk o twa freens o mine that hae made their mark in their ain lifetime an for that, richtly honourit in their ain circles.

First, congratulations tae that gentle giant o the hivvywechts o the Heilan Games scene, Bill Anderson, on bein inductit inta the Scottish Sports Hall o Fame anent sic like as Ally McCoist an Yvonne Murray.

WELL deserv't and acknowledgin the Heilan Games scene at last - toorist billies tak note.

Syne there wis Jim McColl bein recognis't at the Royal Television Society Awards as bein best Nations an Regions presenter, es efter the eident darg ower 30 eers in front o the cameras.

That they be MBE's afore jist rubber-stamps their achievments athoot ony cash-for-honours capers.