Wow, we're a bit behind, I'll try to fill in some blanks:
Friday 2nd Sept
We spent the day today with the Nicols, Jamie, David, Debbie and the rest of us headed for Doune Castle, after we scaled our ambitions down a wee bit (all feeling a bit jaded).
Doune is a great castle, it was a hunting lodge used by the Duke of Albany - regent King. He had a great ensuite that could be used as a nasty castle defence. I remembered going there with the Maxtons and Thomsons - probably back in '81 I think - and enjoying all the stairs and secret rooms. The kids had a ball darting all over the place.
Doune was also a major site of filming for the film 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail', and there was a woman handing out coconut shells for us to bang when we got into the courtyard.
After our castle visit we headed down by the banks of the river Teith and had a picnic lunch in the sunshine. The girls took their Uncle David off for a walk to find out if the River Teith ran into a river mouth. I watched for fish - trout or salmon? - that were swimming upstream and we all lazed about for a while.
When we came home everyon collapsed in a heap and Warren and I went into Bridge of Allan to get some groceries and stopped at Clives (our BofA local) for a wee glass of wine and a pontificate.
Saturday 3rd Sept
Today was the day Bridie had been waiting for all week!! Party at Auntie Barbara's!! We got off to Glasgow, dropped Jamie in town and I picked up my race number for the Great Scottish run and then we drove down to Giffnock.
Susan and Graeme presented Ash and Hannah with a present - Scotland footba' shirts for them both. Nice!! We loaded up with Saltires and Lion rampants and Hannah and my crazy hats (specially bought in Edinburgh), left the party girls too it and headed into town.
We found a carpark in Shawlands and walked to a great burger place that Susan had booked for us, the kids had started counting kilts as we drove through the city but they gave up counting at this point as there were too many.
From the restaraunt we walked to Hampden past and with the huge mass of Scotland supporters. The atmosphere was amazing and the crowd was spectacular!! Hampden was full and the singing was LOUD!! It's hard to describe really, hard to do it justice! The game was an emotional rollercoaster. Scotland scored first - thanks to Kenny Miller - had the score stayed that was for the rest of the game Warren would've won 250 quid from the bookie. Sadly though Czech equalised. Doom and gloom. Then Scotland scored again - JOY!! Everyone in the crowd went completely MENTAL!!!! From the faces on the people around us, you would've thought their first child had just been born.
Then, tension as Scotland played defensively and tried to hang on. Crap refereeing meant Czech were awarded a SOFT penalty in the last 90seconds!!! OH MY GOD NOOOOOOOOO.
Welcome to the world of supporting Scotland at football....
It was a fantastic afternoon, and Ashlen and Hannah learnt a lot of new words.
After the game we trecked back to the car and headed back to see how the party had gone. Very well it seemed. There had been a flurry of scrapbooking and card making, the girls had set the table for tea and made placesettings and menus - cute! Then they took our orders and helped Barbara dish up. We were introduced to Susan's Margetti. Nice :)
Sunday 4th Sept
Phew, Ok we all squashed quite successfully into Barbara's wee house for the night and I was up and off just after 9am when my second cousin Moira came to pick me up for the run. Not sure what the others got up to...we spent a long time driving to find a car park near the finish, and Claire (Moira's friend) and I were both getting twitchy! Claire was running her first half, so she was feeling a bit nervous. I was just twitchy :)
We were in the second wave of starters, so we started off just after 11am. Daly Thompson was the starter man, and Moira was very excited to run past him!! We ran together all three of us for a wee bit, so that we could run past Joan and Ian and have our photo taken all together, then Moira and I ran on together and left Claire to it. The route was really good. we ran up st Vincent St and looped around then up and over the Kingston Bridge. Moira and I split up around then...Round past Scotland St school, through Belahouston Park, did a big loop through Pollock Park - past the Burrell and the Highland Cattle. From there it was back up through town, through the Gorbals and over into Glasgow Green. It was great to see the crew with Susan waiting for me and waving as the last three miles my poor un-trained legs were starting to complain!! It was a great run, lots of sights and people to see, nice to be part of a big event like that all for fun.
I got my medal and my banana and met the others, the kids had a play in the swing park and we headed back to Barbara's for lunch, then off out to meet Moira and the rest of the McPhedran's at Rouken Glan for another swingpark and coffee/cakes in the coffeeshop. It was nice to see everyone and catch up on all their news, the kids soon warmed Seth up and they were all playing well by the time we had to head off!!
I'm developing RSI now so will get Warren to keep on catching this up.
Lyn
Monday 5th Sept
Ash came with Lyn David and I for his first run. 5km off road and he handled it no bother.
We headed into Hamilton to visit Lady Maxton finding her place no problem. Had a nice cuppa with scones and Scottish Pancakes- Bridie liked these.It was good to catch up on the family news.
We met Susan and Barbara at the Riverside Museum on the northern bank of the Clyde. It is the transport and technology museum. It is new and of modern design, very interactive too. We all had a great time with the various touch screen activities. Favourites were the Tea trade route simulation from China to England where your ship could fall victim to reefs, viscious pirates, becalming in the doldrums and other mishaps. Delivering telegrams in Glasgow too was a good one. Warren was the undisputed top mailman! Visiting the Victorian street and shops: Saddlery, Pawn Shop, Pub, Icecream parlour etc was good too. After we drove through the University district and visited a large park there. As all University campus there was a vibrancy that made the area interesting.There were 2 very tame Grey Squirrels that kept the kids amused. Met Jamie and drove back to Bridge of Allen.
A busy and interesting day.
Warren
6 September 2011.
Only David and Warren running today. David tried to wear he and I out with a very long run. Good off road trails.
Off to the Highlands today. Drove via minor roadt to Aberfeldy and had a nice walk to the waterfall. Was about an hour and the kids handled it well. Very pretty and wooded area. Robbie Burns spent time here and used the location to inspire some of his writing. There is a seated statue of him part way to the falls. The drive through the highlands: there were mists, bunning burns and heather. Sheep, Highland Cows...
Kenmore for a very tasty lunch. We had is at a restaurant as its raining and no weather for a picnic. 11 degrees.
There was a Crannog there for tourists to visit: we did not go in but it was very interesting to view built out over the shallows of Loch Tay, a 15 m diameter circular house on stilts on the water with a conical thatched roof. All made of natural materials.
On to a 5000 year old Yew tree and some neolithic standing stones. Then pitlochory and the dam and manmade Salmon run to allow the migratory salmon to make their way to the river headwaters...
Served by a very grumpy woman in the shop there. I'll say no more.
Drove home and fed everyone including a fish and chip haggis supper, then Lyn and I walked into Bridge of Allen to visit Clives for a wine.
Warren
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