| F010 |
So maybe you'll get the chance to go one day. [laugh] |
| F122 |
That would, that would be nice. Where did, where did you stay? |
| F010 |
Well, Donald stayed in the north of the island with Peter and his family,
//and I// |
| F122 |
//Uh-huh// |
| F010 |
stayed in the south of the island, with Breisha and her sister. |
| F122 |
Uh-huh |
| F010 |
And we went to see the home of rest for horses on the way into work one day, so
//really rather nice! [laugh]// |
| F122 |
//Oh brilliant! Aye.// |
| F010 |
Lots of Clydesdales and heavy horses and things. |
| F122 |
We- were they actually ex-working horses or |
| F010 |
Yes, mmhm. |
| F606 |
[sneeze] |
| F122 |
No to- no tractors on Man. |
| F010 |
Oh, they've got them on show but they're not using them any more.
//[laugh] The ploughs and things.// |
| F122 |
//[laugh] Aye.// |
| F010 |
It's very good land actually; it's good arable land.
//It's mostly// |
| F122 |
//Uh-huh// |
| F010 |
crops they do, and some cattle, but very few sheep.
//Mm// |
| F122 |
//Oh!//
//And lots of motorbikes.// |
| F010 |
//No, it was good.//
And a population of eighty thousand, and it's a quarter of the size of Skye, you know, it's it's really not that big.
It's smaller than I thought it was, [inaudible]. |
| F122 |
I suppose that's quite a few. I want, I want to go over for the bikes.
//Just.// |
| F010 |
//Yeah, that would be//
hairy cause they still had all the padding round the
//bridges. [laugh] You know?// |
| F122 |
//Uh-huh// |
| F010 |
[laugh] Frightening! |
| F122 |
[laugh] |
| F010 |
And they can drive at sixteen.
And on the main roads outside the towns there is no upper speed limit, so it's a sort of |
| F122 |
Oh ye
//beauty. [laugh]// |
| F010 |
//a speed mindset, [laugh] it's not very good [?]form[/?].//
But they've got signs up, you know, saying, twenty five casualties in the last three years, you know?
//Just, supposedly,// |
| F122 |
//Aye.// |
| F010 |
to frighten you into driving a bit more slowly. [laugh] |
| F122 |
Aye, well, Alice came early, cause I was driving round the the Isle o Man on Joey Dunlop's bike.
//Aye, it was the// |
| F010 |
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
the night before, the night before my daughter was born.
//Aye, we were, we were we were in the Ferranti// |
| F010 |
//[laugh] On a motorbike!// |
| F122 |
motorcycle club in the in the Glenelg, watching this video of Joey Dunlop doin the Isle o Man circuit.
And of course I was on ma bar stool
with ma bump
//out to here!// |
| F010 |
//Balancing//
//precariously! [laugh]// |
| F122 |
//[laugh]//
Balancing nothing, I was
//drivin this bar stool round the bends.// |
| F010 |
//[laugh]//
//[laugh]// |
| F606 |
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
In the middle of the night, "Davy?" [laugh] "Davy, I think you'd better get up."
//[laugh]// |
| F010 |
//[laugh]//
This was in Glenelg was it? |
| F122 |
In the Glene-, in, no, in in the Glenelg. |
| F010 |
Oh, right, not in
//Glenelg, not along the single-track road to Inverness. [laugh]// |
| F122 |
//Off, off, in Lam- in [?]Lamington[/?] Terrace, no no Christ.//
Just five minutes from the from the Simpson. |
| F010 |
Oh that's not bad, mm. |
| F122 |
Did you realise that Glenelg's a palindrome? |
| F010 |
Mmhm |
| F122 |
I thought you
//would.// |
| F010 |
//Knew that at//
school,
//yes. [sniff]// |
| F122 |
//Dictionary//
//[laugh] You were thinking about that, aren't you?// |
| F010 |
//[laugh] [laugh]//
[laugh] |
| F122 |
[laugh] See dict- see dictionary people
//[laugh]// |
| F010 |
//[laugh]//
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
//Doin words backwards. [laugh]// |
| F010 |
Comes naturally,
//it does. [laugh]// |
| F122 |
//[laugh]// |
| F010 |
So did you finish your new supplement while we were away on the Isle o Man?
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
//Oh, we got, we got//
to within three weeks of finishing it, I think, I hope. |
| F010 |
That's good. |
| F122 |
Aye, Iseabail's a bit more upbeat
//about it than// |
| F010 |
//Mm// |
| F122 |
than she was before you went.
Erm, and if we just knew for sure that it was going to get up on the on the website, but
//yes they're making// |
| F010 |
//Toby'll be getting the hang o//
//of that though.// |
| F122 |
//they're making good//
progress. Well, it's the it's the trouble getting Geoffrey
//into the Dundee.// |
| F010 |
//Mm// |
| F122 |
He needs the, he needs a password to get in.
//But, och, Toby's// |
| F010 |
//That's the way of it nowadays.// |
| F122 |
mm
Toby's settling down nicely. He's he's going to cope with it all, I'm sure. |
| F010 |
Oh well, it's all go. |
| F122 |
Aye. And Pete was in to give us a box of sweeties. Were you here?
//You came back, aye?// |
| F010 |
//Yes, I've eaten half o them, aye.//
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
//Oh so it's you!//
//Well, she was she was// |
| F010 |
//Pauline told me they were there. [laugh]// |
| F122 |
sayin they were goin like snow off a dyke and it wasnae her. |
| F010 |
[laugh] She keeps tellin me to take one every time I go in. [laugh]
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
//Oh there's sweeties! [laugh]// |
| F010 |
[laugh] |
| F122 |
[exhale]
Have you seen that wee fridge of hers? |
| F606 |
No. |
| F122 |
//Oh it's// |
| F010 |
//I don't know how we//
ever lived without it.
//It's// |
| F122 |
//It's wonderful, it// |
| F606 |
//[cough]// |
| F122 |
//saves// |
| F010 |
//it's more indispensable//
than any member of staff, I think,
//inside a few days.// |
| F606 |
//Huh// |
| F122 |
//[laugh]// |
| F010 |
//[laugh] [inaudible]// |
| F122 |
[inhale]
Er cause we used to have to run down, what, three flights
//flights of stairs for the milk,// |
| F010 |
//Mm//
//And the milk was out all day.// |
| F122 |
//Cause it was in the basement.// |
| F010 |
It was goin off in the hot
//weather last year.// |
| F122 |
//Uh-huh// |
| F606 |
Mm |
| F122 |
Aye, and you know, if you if you brought pâté or something in for
//for lunch,// |
| F010 |
//Mmhm// |
| F122 |
it was happily melted by lunch
//time.// |
| F010 |
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
It's really nice to have that wee fridge, and it's
//it's such an// |
| F010 |
//Yeah.// |
| F122 |
elegant wee thing! |
| F010 |
I think it looks like an alien.
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
//Well, an alien, an alien egg.// |
| F010 |
An elegant alien.
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
//[laugh]// |
| F606 |
//Is it egg-shaped?// |
| F122 |
//Yes, it's// |
| F010 |
//Yes, it's//
silver egg-shaped; it's called an egg,
//isn't it?// |
| F122 |
//Uh-huh//
And it holds, how many bottles of wine? |
| F606 |
[laugh] |
| F122 |
Well, it says on the brochure it holds |
| F010 |
Yeah, mm. |
| F122 |
it it
//holds// |
| F010 |
//Three or four anyway.// |
| F122 |
something like four bottles of wine. |
| F010 |
Mm
That had nothing to do with the fact that we chose that one, [?]though I mean[/?].
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
//No. [laugh]// |
| F606 |
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
No, it was a it was an impulse buy.
Pauline had some "found cash"
//that// |
| F010 |
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
she felt an urge to spend. |
| F010 |
Yes. |
| F122 |
So she spent it wisely. |
| F010 |
No, it's been a great thing. |
| F122 |
Aye.
And apparently the base lights up.
//She hasn't// |
| F010 |
//Oh yes,//
she said that,
//yes.// |
| F122 |
//She hasn't done that. I want//
to see it with the base lit up.
It would look nice on a winter evening,
//wouldn't it?// |
| F010 |
//We'll need to take a//
photograph of it beside Craigie. He looks a bit gobsmacked by the whole thing.
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
//[laugh] What a// |
| F606 |
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
[?]oh isn't[/?], yes,
//right enough.// |
| F010 |
//[laugh]// |
| F606 |
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
//What- [laugh]// |
| F010 |
//He never thought he'd have an egg-shaped fridge beside him. [laugh]// |
| F122 |
//[laugh]// |
| F606 |
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
Did I tell you I met a Professor Cibuls when I was in, eh where was I, Latvia? |
| F010 |
No. |
| F122 |
And you know what Cibuls is, don't you?
It's another Professor Onions! |
| F010 |
[tut] oh! |
| F122 |
[inaudible] Er
Oh I can't remember where he came from now, but anyhow he asked me if I would bring
//a primer// |
| F606 |
//[cough]// |
| F122 |
of Scots. He collects ABCs,
from, oh he's got something like two thousand in his collection, from all different languages. |
| F606 |
Mmhm |
| F122 |
Aye.
And it's it's a fantastic collection. It's lovely to see just er what words are chosen
//for small children,// |
| F010 |
//Mm// |
| F122 |
from different cultures.
And just how |
| F010 |
Yeah, there'll be differences
//between the cultures.// |
| F122 |
//Uh-huh//
eh the, how the pictures differ and eh how the quality of the books reflects the
economic state of
//the// |
| F010 |
//Mmhm// |
| F122 |
the country and things like that, there, you know, there are wee bits of eh sociology, never mind the language.
But anyhow.
Aye.
It was Professor Cibuls, C-I-B-U-L-S.
And, you know, your mind's sort of wandering along, cibols
//and// |
| F606 |
//[laugh]// |
| F010 |
[laugh] |
| F122 |
and, right enough, his name is Professor Onions. |
| F010 |
How interesting! |
| F122 |
If you're a
//lexicographer it is! [laugh]// |
| F010 |
//[laugh]//
You wonder if your name
//de- decides what you go into.// |
| F122 |
//And I've just realised that//
I am affecting this tape every time I move my neck because the thing on the chain round my neck is rattling round and I can hear it. |
| F010 |
//[laugh]// |
| F606 |
//Can you// |
| F122 |
So I'm sorry I have just |
| F010 |
That's your ball and chain.
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
//[laugh]//
[inhale]
Aye. |
| F010 |
We may need take two. [laugh] |
| F606 |
Right, do you think we've done enough? |
| F122 |
[chain rattling]
Eh |
| F010 |
Well we could go on for hours; we could talk for Scotland,
//couldn't we? [laugh] You know.// |
| F606 |
//[cough]// |
| F122 |
Well I still [inaudible] I, you know, I've heard half of what you did. I didn't hear all about the [?]puff choots[/?] and the
You went on a, you went on a train, |
| F010 |
We got a steam train back to the airport,
which is a bit like going back to the modern world, you know, we got this steam train, and then we had to get off there, walk along by the hedge and go over the stile, carrying our cases and everything.
And then you saw the modern airport building ahead, and |
| F122 |
Over a stile? |
| F010 |
Yes, mmhm. |
| F122 |
Wow! |
| F010 |
A taxi might have been
//easier, but, [laugh], they did offer to run us// |
| F122 |
//Easier! [laugh]// |
| F010 |
there but we said no, we'll take the tr- steam train. |
| F122 |
And was it normal gauge or a small gauge? |
| F010 |
Oh I don't know. You have to ask Donald all these technical details. [laugh]
//I think it's normal, actually, it didn't look// |
| F122 |
//Aye, mmhm.// |
| F010 |
too small.
I think it's just the trains they had
an an they kept
and they're apparently talking about doing away with it, but
it's quite a good tourist attraction, but they don't seem to be very well developed in terms of tourism.
Although there's hundreds of hotels, but they
//don't seem to organise// |
| F122 |
//[inaudible]// |
| F010 |
themselves well.
//Mm. Publicise things.// |
| F122 |
//Oh that's that's surprising because they've//
they've been living off tourism for
//long enough.// |
| F010 |
//Well, that's what I thought, yeah, I was quite//
surprised that they seemed quite far back, compared to the Highlands. Mm. |
| F122 |
Cause one of Davy's schoolfriends; he had an ambition to run a hotel on the Isle o Man.
He ended up runnin a chip shop in Ballynahinch.
//[laugh]// |
| F010 |
//[laugh]//
Perhaps he's still dreaming of the Isle of Man. [laugh] |
| F122 |
Yeah, him and his wife split
//up [inaudible].// |
| F010 |
//The architecture's//
amazing too. They have no planning restrictions; you can more or less build anything.
And it's not
//too bad, there's there's one or two outrageous things apparently, but// |
| F122 |
//So what, so what happens? Uh-huh// |
| F010 |
most things are okay, and it's quite nice each house being different.
//Mm// |
| F122 |
//Mmhm// |
| F010 |
But the sea-front architecture's quite like Brighton and places like that.
//And the houses are// |
| F122 |
//Do you know I've never been//
//[laugh]// |
| F010 |
//tall! [laugh]// |
| F122 |
I've never been to Brighton. |
| F010 |
No neither have I but I've seen pictures. [laugh] |
| F122 |
[exhale] |
| F010 |
Same style. |
| F122 |
Aye.
//So is// |
| F010 |
//Tall//
narrow houses, you know? |
| F122 |
Not not all pretty colours like "What's the Story in Balamory".
//[laugh]// |
| F010 |
//[laugh]//
Some of them are different colours actually.
But they're not too bad. |
| F122 |
Is it the sort of Victorian sea-front thing there?
//Stucco and, mmhm.// |
| F010 |
//That's what it's like, yes, mmhm.//
And the horse-trams go along the sea-front and you get electric train and then you can get it right up to Snaefell which is about two thousand feet.
//And you can see// |
| F122 |
//And did you// |
| F010 |
Scotland, England and Ireland. No we didn't. |
| F122 |
So you'll need to go back. |
| F010 |
Need to go back and do that, mmhm. |
| F122 |
Mm |
| F010 |
We didn't have time.
And the day we maybe could have done it it was a bit cloudy so we wouldn't have seen it. |
| F122 |
And are the horses in the taxis are in reasonably good nick, are they
//looked after?// |
| F010 |
//Yes.//
Mmhm. The horses get regular breaks, you know,
//they stop outside// |
| F122 |
//Mmhm// |
| F010 |
the stables. Somebody walks down with a replacement horse and take yours off, and it goes.
And there was a horse called Donald. |
| F606 |
[snort] |
| F122 |
//Aw// |
| F010 |
//Who was//
quite splendid, and a horse called Victor.
//So I got my photo taken with him and I'm goin to// |
| F122 |
//[laugh]// |
| F606 |
//[inaudible]// |
| F122 |
//[laugh]// |
| F010 |
//tell Marace we met Victor on the Isle of Man. [laugh]//
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
//Brilliant!//
//[laugh]// |
| F010 |
//We just need to find Willy now. [laugh]//
[inhale]
But we didn't see one called Willy. [?]There was Ron[/?]. |
| F122 |
Now, I think my hips have probably knackered by a horse called Willy. |
| F010 |
Not big Willy who's nineteen two? |
| F122 |
No he wasn't that big. |
| F010 |
There's one of them at the farm. |
| F122 |
Ah
No this one eh had problems landing on all four feet after a jump. [inaudible] ended up sidieways and I was still sitting on it. |
| F606 |
Mm |
| F122 |
//And you know you're lying there with one// |
| F010 |
//Did it fall on you?// |
| F122 |
It only fell on one leg.
//[laugh]// |
| F010 |
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
[laugh] You're lying there with one leg under the
//horse and on leg over the horse,// |
| F010 |
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
And your shoulder on the ground, thinkin, there's only one way this horse is going to get up and you know it's going to roll |
| F010 |
[laugh] |
| F122 |
up, before it rolls back again. Ah!
Wasn't too bad, actually.
Er, one of the the staff at the stables had broken her ankle doing exactly the same thing the week before.
So I got off quite lightly. |
| F010 |
You didn't break
//anything? Mm// |
| F122 |
//Didn't break anything.//
//Just walked funny for a wee while. [laugh]// |
| F010 |
//[laugh]//
[laugh] |
| F122 |
[laugh]
//[laugh] Like you've wet your knickers. [laugh]// |
| F010 |
//[laugh]//
//[laugh] Oh dear.// |
| F122 |
//[inaudible] I could walk.// |
| F010 |
[laugh]
//At least you could// |
| F122 |
//[laugh]// |
| F010 |
walk. Have to be thankful for small mercies.
//[laugh]// |
| F122 |
//[inhale] Aye, aye.//
Mm |
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