Windy......

.... as you can see, Peebles has got some of the biggest arrows, and it's certainly rattling the windows.

It's Burns day - and on the 25th January 1759 the weather was just the same.  So much so that a bit of the thatched roof on the Alloway cottage where he was born was blown in.   The song he wrote - "There was a lad was born in Kyle" - tells the story.

Our monarch's hindmost year but ane
Was five-and-twenty days begun,
'Twas then a blast o' Janwar' win'
Blew hansel in on Robin.

The gossip keekit in his loof
Quo scho: "Wha lives will see the proof,
This waly boy will be nae coof:
I think we'll ca' him Robin.

"He'll hae misfortunes great an' sma',
But ay a heart aboon them a',
He'll be a credit till us a':
We'll a' be proud o' Robin!

"But sure as three times three mak nine,
I see by ilka score and line,
This chap will dearly like our kin',
So leeze me on thee Robin!

"Guid faith," quo' scho, "I doubt you gar,
The bonnie lassies lie aspar;
But twenty fauts ye may hae waur,
So blessings on thee, Robin."


The words are attributed to the local woman with second sight who attended the birth.   The last two verses refer to Robert's undoubted love of the lasses.   The last verse we might consider far too spicy for blip!!   I'll risk a modified translation for the non-Scots speakers.


My goodness, she said, I doubt you are going to get the lovely girls to "make themselves available" to you.    But you could have a great many worse faults!