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A pdf version of this newsletter can be downloaded at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/newsletter/131025.pdf
CONTENTS
Electric Scotland News
Electric Canadian
Memoir of the Right Reverend John Strachan
Words to the Last Post
Royal Canadian Navy
Conrad Black
Nanook of the North (1922)
Hunter Dickinson Inc. (HDI)
The Canadian Curler's Manual
The Flag in the Wind
Electric Scotland
The Scottish Historical Review
Songs Of Scotland, Prior To Burns
Thomas Dykes
Enigma Machine
Leaves from the Journal
Merchant's Guide to Stirling & District
Lord Charles Neaves
Grant of Rothiemurchus
Scotland, Picturesque: Historical: Descriptive
David Herschell Edwards - Modern Poets
Robert Louis Stevenson
Songs by John Henderson
Robert Burns Lives!
Henry Dundas, Scots Guards, a Memoir (New Book)
Roll of Honour of The Commercial Bank of Scotland Limited, 1914-1918
Book hails Scot behind cancer vaccine breakthrough
Ed Means Column
History of Scandinavia
History of the County of Ayr
The Life of William Thomson, Baron Kelvin of Largs
Wars of Scotland
and finally
Electric Scotland News
I got an interesting email in and thought I'd share it with you in the hope someone can help with this...
Hello!
I am Wendy Mair writing from Sikkim, India. My father's mother was married to Ivan Wilbur Mair from Scotland who was a manager in a tea plantation in Darjeeling/Kalimpong, India. They had a child born unto them Arthur Mair (my father). During the Indian struggle for Independence, my grandfather along with other Scottish men left for their country. My grandfather wanted to take along my grandmother with him but since it was still a rare happening for the young girls here to settle abroad, my grandma's family feared the worst and didn't allow her to go. They wanted her to remarry after he went so even hid all the letters he sent to her. She, unaware of all that, kept waiting.... never knowing he had been waiting for her reply so he could take her. My father grew up without a father; as per my grandfather's instructions, the people in Dr. Grahams Homes, Kalimpong came to take him to put him to school there when he was in Std X, he got an opportunity to go to Scotland with a group of other students. He searched for his father but his name was in the dead people's list. Disappointed he returned... my granma never married and even until death, she wished that somehow we could get in touch with some extended part of his family! With that last wish of hers in mind, I hereby write to you with prayers that if God wills, we may find someone who could tell us about our grandfather.
My address is: ann.wong08@gmail.com
Thanks
Wendy Mair Lepcha
-----
We hope to do a full upgrade of our Electric Scotland Community by this weekend. We are moving from version 4.x of our software to version 5.x so it will be a significant upgrade. I talked to Steve on Thursday evening and he'd cleaned up the code and downloaded all the apps that need to be added after we complete the upgrade. In other words he seems to be ready to rock n roll.
Our YouTube video display in messages will be disabled as this is a feature now build into the core software so no longer required. As with any major upgrade there may be things that we're not familiar with and of course there might be the odd problem due to them changing something so there may be some issues after the upgrade but if there are hopefully these can be resolved very quickly.
Version 5 has enhanced security which is also something worth having seeing as we got hacked a few weeks ago.
-----
I'm wondering if any of you work in the IT departments of any companies or do programming for a living? I'd like to move the main Electric Scotland site to a Content Management System (CMS) but due to the sheer size of our site I can see no easy way of doing that. So I am looking to get some advice on what CMS system we might consider and also if anyone out there could help with the moving of our content to the CMS system? So if you don't know anything about this personally but know someone who does I'd appreciate you asking them to help by getting in touch with us.
Part of the reason for looking at this is that a few people would like to collaborate with us but we'd need to allow them to add pages themselves and that is not really possible under our current system.
And so if you or someone you know could help I'd appreciate hearing from you or them.
Electric Canadian
Memoir of the Right Reverend John Strachan
First Bishop of Toronto by A. N. Bethune, his successor in the See (1870)
Now completed the appendix entries which now completes this book. You can read these at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/Reli...chan/index.htm
Words to the Last Post
If any of you have ever been to a military funeral in which The Last Post was played; this brings out a new meaning of it.
You can read this article at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/ktjtemp.htm
Royal Canadian Navy
A WW2 personal documentary by Gilbert O S Davis.
You can view this at http://www.electriccanadian.com/forces/rcn.htm
Conrad Black
Media Mogul and Historian.
Did an article about him which you can read at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/makers/black_conrad.htm
Nanook of the North (1922)
Classic Documentary, silent movie.
Despite this being a silent movie I did enjoy watching it and so thought I'd share this with you.
You can view this at:http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...rst/nanook.htm
Hunter Dickinson Inc. (HDI)
A Diversified Global Mining Company.
This is part of my work exploring the industrial and commercial sectors in Canada. It includes a video where the owners were entered into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame.
You can read and view this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/transport/mines/hdi.htm
The Canadian Curler's Manual
or an account of curling as practised in Canada with remarks on the history of the game by James Bickett (1840).
I also placed a link to our history of Curling from this page if you want to learn more about the game. You can get to this at:http://www.electriccanadian.com/life...ling/index.htm
The Flag in the Wind
This weeks issue was compiled by Grant Thoms. There is no Synopsis in this issue which I found puzzling as there must have been plenty of comments given the SNP had their annual conference.
And so just to add some information for you I have a video documentary about Alex Salmond which you can see at:http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...lmond_alex.htm
At the same time I also have a video of his conference speech in October 2013 at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/inde...echoct2013.htm
I was also somewhat amazed at there being little intelligent discussion about the Grangemouth Chemical Plant and Refinery strike. The dwindling ethane component of North Sea oil, a strident union's preoccupation with one of Scotland's last final-salary pension schemes and global energy markets all played their role. In short the company said that changes needed to be made to reduce costs as they were currently losing some £10 million a month. However if the workers agreed to accept their new terms they would all keep their jobs at their current salary and that would allow the company to invest some £300 million in the plant to make it more profitable. What happened was that the admin staff pretty well all accepted the deal but pretty well all the Union workers, at the instigation of their Union, refused. As a result the Chemical Plant is to be closed at a cost of some 800 jobs. Absolutely incredible.
You can read more about this at:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentis...outh-oil-shock
You can read this issue at http://www.scotsindependent.org
Electric Scotland
The Scottish Historical Review
We are on Volume 12 and have now added the July 1915 issue. You can get to this at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...w/volume12.htm
There is an interesting article on The Preservation of the Tolbooth Steeple of Glasgow in which there is also an interesting wee map.
You can read the previous issues at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/review/
Songs Of Scotland, Prior To Burns
This book is by Robert Chambers who is famous for collecting old Scottish Songs.
Added another three songs...
Pinkie House
Tarry Woo
My Sheep I Neglected
You can get to this book at the foot of the page at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ers_robert.htm
Thomas Dykes
(1850, Dundonald, Ayrshire - 1916, London, England) Journalist and Author
Added the concluding articles to his "All Round Sport" book.
The Polly Hann Mariar
In the Land of the Campbells
A Mixed Bag on the Moorlands
The Launching of the Yacht
You can read these at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...kes_thomas.htm
Enigma Machine
This is where we are publishing this set of puzzles created by Doug Ross which can now be found in Doctor's Surgeries, Old Folks Homes, etc.
Added Enigma Machine 37 puzzle which you can get to at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/life.../enigma037.htm
The other puzzles we've already published can be found at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/life...igma/index.htm
I might add that if you follow the Enigma Machine thread in our Community you can work with others on figuring out each puzzle. You can get to these messages at:
http://www.electricscotland.org/foru...le-amp-Whistle
Hugh posts each new puzzle in there and then by the end of the week will provide the answers and then add the next one. He also gives the odd hint to help you solve the puzzle.
Leaves from the Journal
From our life in the Highlands from 1848 to 1861 (1868)
We're now on her second book and this week added chapters on...
Halloween 31 Oct 1866
Visit to Floors and the Scotch Border Country 20 Aug 1867
Visit to Glenfiddich 24 Sept 1867
Unveiling of the Prince’s Statue at Balmoral 15 Oct 1867
A House-warming at the Glassalt Shiel 1 Oct 1868
“Juicing the Sheep” 21 Oct 1868
A Highland “Kirstnin” (Christening) 24 Oct 1868
As Halloween is almost upon us I thought I'd share the Halloween entry with you...
While we were at Mrs. Grant’s we saw the commencement of the keeping of Halloween. All the children came out with burning torches, shouting and jumping. The Protestants generally keep Halloween on the old day, November 12, and the Catholics on this day; but hearing I had wished to see it two years ago, they all decided to keep it to-day. When we drove home we saw all the gillies coming along with burning torches, and torches and bonfires appeared also on the opposite side of the water. We went upstairs to look at it from the windows, from whence it had a very pretty effect.
On the same day in the following year, viz., Thursday, October 31, 1867, we had an opportunity of again seeing the celebration of Halloween, and even of taking part in it. We had been out driving, but we hurried back to be in time for the celebration. Close to Donald Stewart’s house we were met by two gillies bearing torches. Louise got out and took one, walking by the side of the carriage, and looking like one of the witches in “Macbeth.” As we approached Balmoral, the keepers and their wives and children; the gillies and other people met us, all with torches; Brown also carrying one. We got out at the house, where Leopold joined us, and a torch was given to him. We walked round the whole house, preceded by Ross playing the pipes, going down the steps of the terrace. Louise and Leopold went first, then came Janie Ely and I, followed by every one carrying torches, which had a very pretty effect. After this a bonfire was made of all the torches, close to the house, and they danced reels whilst Ross played the pipes.
You can read these at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/leaves/
Merchant's Guide to Stirling & District
You can find this book towards the foot of our History of Stirlingshire page.
This week I added the chapters on...
The Bruce Statue
King Street
Murray Place
You can get to this book which we'll be adding to over the next few weeks at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/stirlingshire
Lord Charles Neaves
Added three more of his poems...
The Sheriff's Life at Sea
Let Us All Be Unhappy on Sunday
The Three Moderators
You can view these at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...es_charles.htm
Grant of Rothiemurchus
A Memoir of the Services of Sir John Peter Grant, G.C.M.G., K.C.B.
We've completed this book now with the final chapters.
You can read this book at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/grant
Scotland, Picturesque: Historical: Descriptive
This is a book we're serialising from the author of Historical Tales of the Wars of Scotland And of the Border Raids, Forays and Conflicts by John Parker Lawson (1839)
You need to scroll down the page to get to this book where we've now added...
Edinburgh: The Old City
There are some great illustrations in this book.
You can get to this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/wars/
David Herschell Edwards
His 16 volumes of modern Scottish Poets is probably the most massive collection of poetry by anyone in the world and it's all about Scots poets which makes it all the more amazing.
Added volume 8 this week.
You can get to this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ards_david.htm
Robert Louis Stevenson
A weekly serialisation of this intimate two volume biography of Robert Louis Stevenson by his cousin Graham Balfour.
We now have up...
Preface
Chapter I. His Ancestors
Chapter II. His Parents
Chapter III. Infancy and Childhood 1850 - 59
Chapter IV. Boyhood 1859 - 67
Chapter V. Student Days 1867 - 79
You can read these towards the foot of the page at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...lstevenson.htm
Songs by John Henderson
John sent in a new song, Scavenging Autumn Ants which you can read at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/poetry/doggerel518.htm
Robert Burns Lives!
Eileen Bremner's The English Poetry of Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
A few months ago I moved an article from A Highlander and His Books to Robert Burns Lives! and, in an attempt to put articles about Burns in the right place, here we go again! There are a dozen or so various articles and “chats” about Burns that remain under A Highlander and His Books that will eventually be moved over to our Burns website. The article below is one of my favorites and explains how Eileen Bremner took it upon herself to publish The English Poetry of Robert Burns (1759-1796). Her article first appeared in my “Highlander” section of book reviews on December 22, 2006, but it is time to “come home” to Robert Burns Lives!. This wee booklet would make a great stocking suffer for a family member you may think has everything or who is too proud to admit he or she does not! Hats off to Eileen for a superb job when publishing this little gem in 2006 and our thanks go out to her for still making it available today. (FRS: 10.23.13)
You can read this article and you'll find a link at the foot of it to a chat Frank Shaw had with her at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/fami...s_lives183.htm
Henry Dundas, Scots Guards, a Memoir
A new book we're starting.
This record of the life of a dearly-loved son I dedicate to his Mother. Only those who have known them can realise to the full the wonderful relationship that was theirs. He knew well the extent of his debt to her; and the intensity of his love for her is the measure of her loss.
I wish here to express her grateful thanks and mine to Mr Henry Marten and Captain Oliver Lyttelton for the chapters on Eton life and life in France which enrich this book. We are proud to feel that it was our son who inspired these narratives. Also for Mr Horatio Brown’s beautiful and scholarly Preface we are under a further debt of gratitude to our friend.
R N. DUNDAS.
You can read this book at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ndas/index.htm
Roll of Honour of The Commercial Bank of Scotland Limited, 1914-1918
I discovered this document and decided to add it to our Scottish Regiments section.
When I came across this book I thought it would be good to add to our Scottish Regiments page.
You can find this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ercialbank.htm
Book hails Scot behind cancer vaccine breakthrough
HE MAY be little known in his homeland, but a Scottish scientist has been dubbed an Australian national treasure and the man who saved a million lives.
You can read this article at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...frazer_ian.htm
Ed Means Column
This is a new column we're starting which is intended to explore how Independence would benefit Scots. I've added a page which introduces Ed Means and we hope the first column will come next week. He is also going to expand his introduction as time permits so you can learn more about his background.
You can get to this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/independence/means
History of Scandinavia
I added a page for the Vikings so I could bring you a 4 part TV series about them. I've now added this book for you to read to give you more background information.
You can get to this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/vikings/
History of the County of Ayr
I added a 2 volume publication on the History of Ayr which includes genealogy of local families. You can get to this on our Council page at:http://www.electricscotland.com/coun...t_ayrshire.htm
The Life of William Thomson, Baron Kelvin of Largs
Found this 2 volume publication about him so have added this to our page about him. The volumes are in pdf format and can be found at the foot of the page.
You can get to this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...am_thomson.htm
Wars of Scotland
Found a wee collection of videos on battles in Scotland so have added a link to them from our Wars of Scotland page. Against the battle I've added a (see video) link. The battles include, Prestonpans, Dunbar, Carberry Hill, Pinkie Cleugh and Athelstaneford.
You can get to these at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/wars/
And finally...
Gaining Pounds By Walking
"I had terrible financial problems during the credit crunch, but I'm getting back on my feet now," said the chap in the pub.
"My car's been repossessed."
-----
Morning Ablutions
My wife banged on the bathroom door the other morning asking why I was in there so long.
"I told her that the balder I get, the longer it takes me to wash my face."
-----
And so that's it for now and hope you all have a great weekend and the kids enjoy their Halloween and mind that the clocks go back 1 hour on October 27th, 2013 so you get an extra hour in bed!
Alastair
http://www.electricscotland.com/newsletter/131025.pdf
CONTENTS
Electric Scotland News
Electric Canadian
Memoir of the Right Reverend John Strachan
Words to the Last Post
Royal Canadian Navy
Conrad Black
Nanook of the North (1922)
Hunter Dickinson Inc. (HDI)
The Canadian Curler's Manual
The Flag in the Wind
Electric Scotland
The Scottish Historical Review
Songs Of Scotland, Prior To Burns
Thomas Dykes
Enigma Machine
Leaves from the Journal
Merchant's Guide to Stirling & District
Lord Charles Neaves
Grant of Rothiemurchus
Scotland, Picturesque: Historical: Descriptive
David Herschell Edwards - Modern Poets
Robert Louis Stevenson
Songs by John Henderson
Robert Burns Lives!
Henry Dundas, Scots Guards, a Memoir (New Book)
Roll of Honour of The Commercial Bank of Scotland Limited, 1914-1918
Book hails Scot behind cancer vaccine breakthrough
Ed Means Column
History of Scandinavia
History of the County of Ayr
The Life of William Thomson, Baron Kelvin of Largs
Wars of Scotland
and finally
Electric Scotland News
I got an interesting email in and thought I'd share it with you in the hope someone can help with this...
Hello!
I am Wendy Mair writing from Sikkim, India. My father's mother was married to Ivan Wilbur Mair from Scotland who was a manager in a tea plantation in Darjeeling/Kalimpong, India. They had a child born unto them Arthur Mair (my father). During the Indian struggle for Independence, my grandfather along with other Scottish men left for their country. My grandfather wanted to take along my grandmother with him but since it was still a rare happening for the young girls here to settle abroad, my grandma's family feared the worst and didn't allow her to go. They wanted her to remarry after he went so even hid all the letters he sent to her. She, unaware of all that, kept waiting.... never knowing he had been waiting for her reply so he could take her. My father grew up without a father; as per my grandfather's instructions, the people in Dr. Grahams Homes, Kalimpong came to take him to put him to school there when he was in Std X, he got an opportunity to go to Scotland with a group of other students. He searched for his father but his name was in the dead people's list. Disappointed he returned... my granma never married and even until death, she wished that somehow we could get in touch with some extended part of his family! With that last wish of hers in mind, I hereby write to you with prayers that if God wills, we may find someone who could tell us about our grandfather.
My address is: ann.wong08@gmail.com
Thanks
Wendy Mair Lepcha
-----
We hope to do a full upgrade of our Electric Scotland Community by this weekend. We are moving from version 4.x of our software to version 5.x so it will be a significant upgrade. I talked to Steve on Thursday evening and he'd cleaned up the code and downloaded all the apps that need to be added after we complete the upgrade. In other words he seems to be ready to rock n roll.
Our YouTube video display in messages will be disabled as this is a feature now build into the core software so no longer required. As with any major upgrade there may be things that we're not familiar with and of course there might be the odd problem due to them changing something so there may be some issues after the upgrade but if there are hopefully these can be resolved very quickly.
Version 5 has enhanced security which is also something worth having seeing as we got hacked a few weeks ago.
-----
I'm wondering if any of you work in the IT departments of any companies or do programming for a living? I'd like to move the main Electric Scotland site to a Content Management System (CMS) but due to the sheer size of our site I can see no easy way of doing that. So I am looking to get some advice on what CMS system we might consider and also if anyone out there could help with the moving of our content to the CMS system? So if you don't know anything about this personally but know someone who does I'd appreciate you asking them to help by getting in touch with us.
Part of the reason for looking at this is that a few people would like to collaborate with us but we'd need to allow them to add pages themselves and that is not really possible under our current system.
And so if you or someone you know could help I'd appreciate hearing from you or them.
Electric Canadian
Memoir of the Right Reverend John Strachan
First Bishop of Toronto by A. N. Bethune, his successor in the See (1870)
Now completed the appendix entries which now completes this book. You can read these at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/Reli...chan/index.htm
Words to the Last Post
If any of you have ever been to a military funeral in which The Last Post was played; this brings out a new meaning of it.
You can read this article at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/ktjtemp.htm
Royal Canadian Navy
A WW2 personal documentary by Gilbert O S Davis.
You can view this at http://www.electriccanadian.com/forces/rcn.htm
Conrad Black
Media Mogul and Historian.
Did an article about him which you can read at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/makers/black_conrad.htm
Nanook of the North (1922)
Classic Documentary, silent movie.
Despite this being a silent movie I did enjoy watching it and so thought I'd share this with you.
You can view this at:http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...rst/nanook.htm
Hunter Dickinson Inc. (HDI)
A Diversified Global Mining Company.
This is part of my work exploring the industrial and commercial sectors in Canada. It includes a video where the owners were entered into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame.
You can read and view this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/transport/mines/hdi.htm
The Canadian Curler's Manual
or an account of curling as practised in Canada with remarks on the history of the game by James Bickett (1840).
I also placed a link to our history of Curling from this page if you want to learn more about the game. You can get to this at:http://www.electriccanadian.com/life...ling/index.htm
The Flag in the Wind
This weeks issue was compiled by Grant Thoms. There is no Synopsis in this issue which I found puzzling as there must have been plenty of comments given the SNP had their annual conference.
And so just to add some information for you I have a video documentary about Alex Salmond which you can see at:http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...lmond_alex.htm
At the same time I also have a video of his conference speech in October 2013 at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/inde...echoct2013.htm
I was also somewhat amazed at there being little intelligent discussion about the Grangemouth Chemical Plant and Refinery strike. The dwindling ethane component of North Sea oil, a strident union's preoccupation with one of Scotland's last final-salary pension schemes and global energy markets all played their role. In short the company said that changes needed to be made to reduce costs as they were currently losing some £10 million a month. However if the workers agreed to accept their new terms they would all keep their jobs at their current salary and that would allow the company to invest some £300 million in the plant to make it more profitable. What happened was that the admin staff pretty well all accepted the deal but pretty well all the Union workers, at the instigation of their Union, refused. As a result the Chemical Plant is to be closed at a cost of some 800 jobs. Absolutely incredible.
You can read more about this at:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentis...outh-oil-shock
You can read this issue at http://www.scotsindependent.org
Electric Scotland
The Scottish Historical Review
We are on Volume 12 and have now added the July 1915 issue. You can get to this at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...w/volume12.htm
There is an interesting article on The Preservation of the Tolbooth Steeple of Glasgow in which there is also an interesting wee map.
You can read the previous issues at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/review/
Songs Of Scotland, Prior To Burns
This book is by Robert Chambers who is famous for collecting old Scottish Songs.
Added another three songs...
Pinkie House
Tarry Woo
My Sheep I Neglected
You can get to this book at the foot of the page at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ers_robert.htm
Thomas Dykes
(1850, Dundonald, Ayrshire - 1916, London, England) Journalist and Author
Added the concluding articles to his "All Round Sport" book.
The Polly Hann Mariar
In the Land of the Campbells
A Mixed Bag on the Moorlands
The Launching of the Yacht
You can read these at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...kes_thomas.htm
Enigma Machine
This is where we are publishing this set of puzzles created by Doug Ross which can now be found in Doctor's Surgeries, Old Folks Homes, etc.
Added Enigma Machine 37 puzzle which you can get to at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/life.../enigma037.htm
The other puzzles we've already published can be found at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/life...igma/index.htm
I might add that if you follow the Enigma Machine thread in our Community you can work with others on figuring out each puzzle. You can get to these messages at:
http://www.electricscotland.org/foru...le-amp-Whistle
Hugh posts each new puzzle in there and then by the end of the week will provide the answers and then add the next one. He also gives the odd hint to help you solve the puzzle.
Leaves from the Journal
From our life in the Highlands from 1848 to 1861 (1868)
We're now on her second book and this week added chapters on...
Halloween 31 Oct 1866
Visit to Floors and the Scotch Border Country 20 Aug 1867
Visit to Glenfiddich 24 Sept 1867
Unveiling of the Prince’s Statue at Balmoral 15 Oct 1867
A House-warming at the Glassalt Shiel 1 Oct 1868
“Juicing the Sheep” 21 Oct 1868
A Highland “Kirstnin” (Christening) 24 Oct 1868
As Halloween is almost upon us I thought I'd share the Halloween entry with you...
While we were at Mrs. Grant’s we saw the commencement of the keeping of Halloween. All the children came out with burning torches, shouting and jumping. The Protestants generally keep Halloween on the old day, November 12, and the Catholics on this day; but hearing I had wished to see it two years ago, they all decided to keep it to-day. When we drove home we saw all the gillies coming along with burning torches, and torches and bonfires appeared also on the opposite side of the water. We went upstairs to look at it from the windows, from whence it had a very pretty effect.
On the same day in the following year, viz., Thursday, October 31, 1867, we had an opportunity of again seeing the celebration of Halloween, and even of taking part in it. We had been out driving, but we hurried back to be in time for the celebration. Close to Donald Stewart’s house we were met by two gillies bearing torches. Louise got out and took one, walking by the side of the carriage, and looking like one of the witches in “Macbeth.” As we approached Balmoral, the keepers and their wives and children; the gillies and other people met us, all with torches; Brown also carrying one. We got out at the house, where Leopold joined us, and a torch was given to him. We walked round the whole house, preceded by Ross playing the pipes, going down the steps of the terrace. Louise and Leopold went first, then came Janie Ely and I, followed by every one carrying torches, which had a very pretty effect. After this a bonfire was made of all the torches, close to the house, and they danced reels whilst Ross played the pipes.
You can read these at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/leaves/
Merchant's Guide to Stirling & District
You can find this book towards the foot of our History of Stirlingshire page.
This week I added the chapters on...
The Bruce Statue
King Street
Murray Place
You can get to this book which we'll be adding to over the next few weeks at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/stirlingshire
Lord Charles Neaves
Added three more of his poems...
The Sheriff's Life at Sea
Let Us All Be Unhappy on Sunday
The Three Moderators
You can view these at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...es_charles.htm
Grant of Rothiemurchus
A Memoir of the Services of Sir John Peter Grant, G.C.M.G., K.C.B.
We've completed this book now with the final chapters.
You can read this book at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/grant
Scotland, Picturesque: Historical: Descriptive
This is a book we're serialising from the author of Historical Tales of the Wars of Scotland And of the Border Raids, Forays and Conflicts by John Parker Lawson (1839)
You need to scroll down the page to get to this book where we've now added...
Edinburgh: The Old City
There are some great illustrations in this book.
You can get to this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/wars/
David Herschell Edwards
His 16 volumes of modern Scottish Poets is probably the most massive collection of poetry by anyone in the world and it's all about Scots poets which makes it all the more amazing.
Added volume 8 this week.
You can get to this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ards_david.htm
Robert Louis Stevenson
A weekly serialisation of this intimate two volume biography of Robert Louis Stevenson by his cousin Graham Balfour.
We now have up...
Preface
Chapter I. His Ancestors
Chapter II. His Parents
Chapter III. Infancy and Childhood 1850 - 59
Chapter IV. Boyhood 1859 - 67
Chapter V. Student Days 1867 - 79
You can read these towards the foot of the page at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...lstevenson.htm
Songs by John Henderson
John sent in a new song, Scavenging Autumn Ants which you can read at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/poetry/doggerel518.htm
Robert Burns Lives!
Eileen Bremner's The English Poetry of Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
A few months ago I moved an article from A Highlander and His Books to Robert Burns Lives! and, in an attempt to put articles about Burns in the right place, here we go again! There are a dozen or so various articles and “chats” about Burns that remain under A Highlander and His Books that will eventually be moved over to our Burns website. The article below is one of my favorites and explains how Eileen Bremner took it upon herself to publish The English Poetry of Robert Burns (1759-1796). Her article first appeared in my “Highlander” section of book reviews on December 22, 2006, but it is time to “come home” to Robert Burns Lives!. This wee booklet would make a great stocking suffer for a family member you may think has everything or who is too proud to admit he or she does not! Hats off to Eileen for a superb job when publishing this little gem in 2006 and our thanks go out to her for still making it available today. (FRS: 10.23.13)
You can read this article and you'll find a link at the foot of it to a chat Frank Shaw had with her at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/fami...s_lives183.htm
Henry Dundas, Scots Guards, a Memoir
A new book we're starting.
This record of the life of a dearly-loved son I dedicate to his Mother. Only those who have known them can realise to the full the wonderful relationship that was theirs. He knew well the extent of his debt to her; and the intensity of his love for her is the measure of her loss.
I wish here to express her grateful thanks and mine to Mr Henry Marten and Captain Oliver Lyttelton for the chapters on Eton life and life in France which enrich this book. We are proud to feel that it was our son who inspired these narratives. Also for Mr Horatio Brown’s beautiful and scholarly Preface we are under a further debt of gratitude to our friend.
R N. DUNDAS.
You can read this book at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ndas/index.htm
Roll of Honour of The Commercial Bank of Scotland Limited, 1914-1918
I discovered this document and decided to add it to our Scottish Regiments section.
When I came across this book I thought it would be good to add to our Scottish Regiments page.
You can find this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ercialbank.htm
Book hails Scot behind cancer vaccine breakthrough
HE MAY be little known in his homeland, but a Scottish scientist has been dubbed an Australian national treasure and the man who saved a million lives.
You can read this article at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...frazer_ian.htm
Ed Means Column
This is a new column we're starting which is intended to explore how Independence would benefit Scots. I've added a page which introduces Ed Means and we hope the first column will come next week. He is also going to expand his introduction as time permits so you can learn more about his background.
You can get to this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/independence/means
History of Scandinavia
I added a page for the Vikings so I could bring you a 4 part TV series about them. I've now added this book for you to read to give you more background information.
You can get to this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/vikings/
History of the County of Ayr
I added a 2 volume publication on the History of Ayr which includes genealogy of local families. You can get to this on our Council page at:http://www.electricscotland.com/coun...t_ayrshire.htm
The Life of William Thomson, Baron Kelvin of Largs
Found this 2 volume publication about him so have added this to our page about him. The volumes are in pdf format and can be found at the foot of the page.
You can get to this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...am_thomson.htm
Wars of Scotland
Found a wee collection of videos on battles in Scotland so have added a link to them from our Wars of Scotland page. Against the battle I've added a (see video) link. The battles include, Prestonpans, Dunbar, Carberry Hill, Pinkie Cleugh and Athelstaneford.
You can get to these at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/wars/
And finally...
Gaining Pounds By Walking
"I had terrible financial problems during the credit crunch, but I'm getting back on my feet now," said the chap in the pub.
"My car's been repossessed."
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Morning Ablutions
My wife banged on the bathroom door the other morning asking why I was in there so long.
"I told her that the balder I get, the longer it takes me to wash my face."
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And so that's it for now and hope you all have a great weekend and the kids enjoy their Halloween and mind that the clocks go back 1 hour on October 27th, 2013 so you get an extra hour in bed!
Alastair