Wednesday 1 September 2010

The Gallery - One day of sunshine and showers, beaks and claws, pipes and drums.


Welcome to Sunday, 29 August 2010. This is what it looked like where we were:



This week, those of us who take part in the Gallery have been asked to take part in an almighty photo journal, a "what we all did on our Bank Holiday Sunday", a snapshot of blogging life, on one, for most of us probably not particularly important, Sunday in August. 

Because for three bloggers, Sian, Josie and Eva, it was an incredibly important day.  On 27 August, they flew out to Bangladesh to see first hand the work that Save The Children are doing.  They are already sending amazing posts, photos and tweets back.  Please think of them, read what they write, and support Save the Children.

Back in Blighty, and a million emotional  and humbling miles from the poverty they are experiencing, this is what we did. The Floors Castle Massed Pipe Bands Day. A wonderfully Scottish, goose-pimple-inducing, paddling-pool-fishing, falconry-watching, umbrella-sheltering, roast-hog-eating, caber-tossing, skirling, dancing, marching celebration of the idiosyncracies, charm, and weather that the British Bank Holiday (despite it not actually being a bank holiday in Scotland) is all about:













 

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I have a shame-faced admission.  I have amended this post after publishing, because I failed totally to put in the most important part - about the work Sian, Josie and Eva are doing for Save the Children, with the Blogladesh initiative.    I suppose that's a neat image for the way in which we all (at least I hope it's not just me) have brilliant intentions of doing something that helps those less fortunate, but get wrapped up in our own lives and forget to do even the little we can.  I am very ashamed, and apologise to them, and to Tara, who wanted to use the Gallery to publicise what they are doing.

In my defence, I'd left blank the paragraph I was going to put in so I could put the links in, then forgot to do so at midnight last night after a six hour drive and a bad night the night before, then published the post, then linked to the Gallery from my phone and the train, then realised and spent the rest of the day traipsing round London looking desperately for an internet cafe so I could make the amendment.  Without succcess.  I did fall in the Round Pond though, so I've got my comeuppance...

16 comments:

  1. I love the first photo - so romantic and so very Scottish! The pelting rain gives such a lovely feel to the shot.

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  2. Feeling all nostalgic for Scotland now, even though I'm only married to a Scot. Though I used to be a Highland Dancer so would be very happy here with the piped bands!

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  3. That first picture reminds me of my wedding day - lots of kilts and rain in a stately home setting.

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  4. Great photos - especially the first one. Just so qunitessentially Scottish.

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  5. Jeepers, what an incredible day! Lovely pictures!

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  6. oooh, I hate bag pipes. If I could wear ear plugs the rest looks wonderful!

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  7. Wow! Fabulous pics! I love that chap's face in the first one; perhaps you should run a caption competition!

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  8. Fabulous photos! The first one is so brilliantly Scottish! x

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  9. Lovely photos, shame it was raining, we had sunshine in London ;)

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  10. The 1st photo is so Scotland - lol x

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  11. Wow! That's a lot of rain! Very beautiful setting though!

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  12. Thank you all very much! I will reply properly in due course, but in the meantime just wanted to say please see the amended post - I realised just after leaving the house for the day that I'd never put in the links to Blogladesh, which was the whole point. They're there now. Please have a look at what Sian, Josie and Eva are sending back, because it's important. And great writing too.

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  13. I need to come back to Scotland sometime. I do miss it when I see your pictures.

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  14. I love that top picture. You should enter it into a competition. Photos that win competitions often have a group of people doing something random, with just one of them looking directly at the camera.

    Yeast infection, in answer to your question.

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  15. Calif Lorna - thank you! Didn't feel very romantic, but I know what you mean!

    Trish - Highland Dancing? Most impressive? How's your fling these days?!

    Jude - sounds brilliant. Looking forward to seeing pics.

    Kelloggsville - how can you hate bagpipes? Played badly, I agree, but played well they're just magic.

    Christine - I like that idea! Best one wins a Selkirk Bannock? (Look it up....)

    Mirka - la la la, I'm not listening.... Still I know it's horrid there now, so that's ok!

    Deer Baby, Linz and Notes to self - Thank you! Not sure the Scottish Tourist Board would agree though!

    Alethea - it was wonderful. You should give it a visit next year!

    Livi - we have even more tonight. Am wondering about the wisdom of this moving house business!

    New Mummy - thank you.

    Mwa - come! Come and bring your babies!

    Iota - glad it's not just me then.... and I like the idea of the competition. Just got to find one now!

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I know. I'm sorry. I hate these word recognition, are you a robot, guff things too, but having just got rid of a large number of ungrammatical and poorly spelt adverts for all sorts of things I don't want, and especially don't want on my blog, I'm hoping that this will mean that only lovely people, of the actually a person variety, will comment.

So please do. Comments are great...