A damp day at Stromness Marina

A long lie today after a scintillating Harvest Home in Orphir Hall.  So the results are now in from the CC Cultural Committee; after a great start in Flotta, Rendall and Harray didn’t live up to the usual high standards.  However a great end at Orphir last night.  I was sent out during the raffle for me sark to dry oot. (CMC often wins raffle prizes.  I’ve only ever won one raffle in my life and that prize was an Orkney chair).

Joe Coral’s have drastically shortened odds on the Rousay Harvest Home next Saturday.  Paddy powers are offering 4 - 1.  My advice is Ian Powrie running in the 4.30; first outing with blinkers.  Blinkers is also running, this always caused confusion for Peter O’Sullevan.  I danced a very vigorous and exact Eva Thee Step last night with Liz Sclater - there may be a Stewards enquiry.

Congratulations to Tom Orr, of Lanark, who became the Senior Scottish Accordion Champion 2016 over the weekend; a supreme effort from Mr Scollay who came third.

This, somehow, reminds me of my Aunty Emily.  She opened a bottle of damson wine in front of me in 1957.  As she eased the cork out it exploded and covered the fawn mac of the man from the Pru who was around collecting.  My Aunt E, and my Uncle Dod, once went to a funeral in the big city.  First off they tried to follow the cortège in a tram and at a major junction they split away from the funeral.  They never trusted the banks and that day they had taken their life’s savings with them - £650 in a brown paper bag (this was 1958).  In their panic to find the Kirk they left their savings on the tram. I can clearly hear her laying off one day to my mother about Gladys who was having a fling with the coalman (a dance I thought).  My Aunty E said she would ‘Cut it off and make a jug handle out of it’.  My mother reminded me of this.  I do remember it but couldn’t understand at the time.  I still don’t.  I’ve hidden every vase in the house.

This is what happens if I don’t go dancing on a Sunday night - think yourselves lucky that I normally do.

Phoned my travel agent in Edinburgh today but that’s another episode.  Suffice it to say it ended up with me getting another bollocking.