I miss Janus.
In particular, I miss his posts on his particular hobby horse, the House of Windsor. Whilst I respect his right to have a bee in his bonnet about said Royal Family, I do not usually agree with a word of his superbly crafted diatribes on the subject. I personally believe that the Windsors are, in the main and on the whole, a Good Thing.
But, there does come a point when my worm has to turn and agree with our Viking Republican. Last week here in Jockland, we were subjected to wall to wall coverage of the fact that the Heir Presumptive and his Bride Pending had spent a day swanning around some small and insignificant pimple of a jumped-up village on the coastal backside of the Kingdom of Fife to celebrate 600 years of the University of St Andrews.
As the Heir Apparent, His Grace the Duke of Rothesay, would undoubtedly say, this really is appalling! Not only is the municipal golf course of said pimple not as good as it is cracked up to be, but the local Technical College is pretty average as well, in my opinion.
The pimple keeps giving itself airs and graces just because ‘Pope Benedict XIII’ gave it a papal bull in 1413 so that it could call itself a University. In truth and for decades now, it’s just been a place where the Upper Classes could foregather to toy with each other in a desultory fashion until their dynastic requirements had been determined. Intellectual rigour, my left buttock! For a start, the boy Benedict was an Antipope from Avignon and not a ‘Real Pope’ in the opinion of the Roman Catholic Church as presently constituted. This does not, of course, make him a Bad Person and might even be held to be a positive attribute in certain quarters.
Not that I’m biased or bitter, in any way, It’s just that I had the great good fortune to go to the Slightly Less than Ancient University of Embra. We are, however, still the best if only the fifth oldest University in Jockland. And we used to have a major one-up in our Chancellor.Not any more! This year our Chancellor, Phil the Bubble, consort of HM and Chookie Embra, is chucking it in, just because he is going to be 90. This is a worry.
The main reason that it is a worry is because the very first time that I almost met him was on 13th October 1967. I had just come to Embra for my First Year and he was doing a Tour of Duty as Chancellor.
So, I was a newly-minted 18 year old that very day and he had been having lunch with the Union Committee. At about 2.15 pm they brought him down to the Beer Bar as part of his Tour. I had been there with my chums from 11 am that morning and felt that it would only be polite to offer him a drink to celebrate my birthday at the top of my admittedly drunken voice.
Body-slammed against the nearest dartboard by three Committee Members and threatened with Perpetual Expulsion. I still feel the pain but, these days, a lot of that pain involves the fact that he was 47 when we first almost met and I am now 61.
Where did all those years vanish? I demand a recount.
Just for the avoidance of doubt, Long Live the future King William V/Arthur I/Philip I/Louis I or whatever he chooses to choose and, if she does get the gig, his consort Queen Catherine.
Boadicea's Chariot 
I am a little concerned about Janus’ non-reappearance; I hope he and Backside are recuperating well.
– and there I was, John, thinking it was a golfing Mecca: They have a University? :->
Crikey, as Pseu would say. So can we take it that St. Andrews isn’t your favourite place then?
OZ
On my first day at university I went to get ID carded and listen to a welcoome speech from the Head of Department, found the bar and then the next thing I remember I graduated!
As for the royal family, especially the son of Ms Spencer of Althorpe and his Brood Mare Katie, who cares? They went to Anglesey to launch a lifeboat last week and all the red tops were beside themselves. Yawn. Bring on the Republic!
I wish to play a round of 18 holes at St Andrews before I comment on its quality though! I’d rather play Wentworth, Augusta and Carnoustie first though!
I sent Janus an e-mail a few days ago – but I’m not sure that he checks that account very often.
Thoroughly enjoyed this. I’m somewhat surprised that any institution in a country which produced John Knox would be proud of a Papal foundation… 🙂
I’m just about to break one of my own rules and mention things from ‘elsewhere’. But I’m not sure that you would read my comment were I to post it where you wrote yours. I am absolutely certain that TB would second and approve of what you said! As did I!
I hope you understand what I’m talking about 🙂
JM, you’re letting the side down, son! I speak as a graduate of the third oldest university in Scotland. We may all have our own opinions of the ancient Scottish universities, but I think they should be kept “entre nous” and not spoken about in front of the sassenachs. Eldest son is a graduate of St Andrew’s and quite partial to a round on the ancient links too. As I understand, you are originally from Perth. Why, oh why, did you turn to the dark side and not head for the fourth oldest of our universities?
Off blog- My congratulations to you on your comments to a certain ‘feathered flouncer’ elsewhere. Tb would have liked it I’m quite sure!!
Very amusing.
I agree with Christina and Boadicea, JM – TB would have been proud. 😎
Other matters first.
Boa, CO and Bearsy, good evening and well met. Thank you for your comments.
As regards my flounce critique in another place, it had been a long day. Either something just snapped or the spirit of TB really did possess me.
I went back the next day to see if there had been a reply but that particular blogger’s tent seemed to have been firmly folded, so I thought that my comment had vanished into the ether. I see tonight, however, that it remains visible in my own comments log. That is, I suppose, an improvement on the MyT of the Oklahoman years.
Just re-read my comment and stand by it. I am glad that you think that TB would have approved.
cwj and Cuprum in re the golf course. Just joshing, of course.
The Old Course is a magic place and a totally unforgettable experience to play. First walked it in 1960, aged 10, when Arnie played Gary in an exhibition match, just after Kel Nagle became the second Australian to win the Open. The first one is a very distant relative, by the way.
I have only played the Old Course four times but each round was utterly memorable. Remind me to tell you, in great and lengthy detail, about the time that I almost got a par at the Road Hole?
But, it is a municipal course, and the first time that I played it was as a student. We drove through from Embra, paid our 50p each and were on the first tee within 45 minutes of arriving and without booking.
Cuprum, I will, to my regret, never know Augusta and am not that bothered about Wentworth, but Carnoustie is a joy, in my opinion. Almost as good as Royal Dornoch.
I see, by the way, that your academic University ‘experience’ from matriculation to graduation appears to have mirrored my own. I feel sure that we must have acquitted ourselves adequately, even if we can not now remember the exact details.
cwj and Sheona, on the marriage bureau for the Upper Classes that affects to call itself the University of St Andrews. That’ll just be the joshing again.
I’m half-Fife and both Mum and Big Sis were born in the pimple. BS then went to University there because it was, at the time, acknowledged to offer the best degree course in the UK in her chosen subject.
Just not my kind of place socially with all their very weird Kate Kennedy Club and Raisin Sunday nonsense. Feel free to google, if you’re not familiar. I just hope that said nonsense has not warped our future monarch and his ‘spice’, as his Dad would call her, beyond repair.
Right then, Sheona, moving on to discuss my choice of Alma Mater, aka Jock Uni Number 5, in ageist terms.
1. was not an option because the Law School was elsewhere, of which more in due course.
2. was not an option because it was in Weegieland and I have never been anything less than consistent in my belief that Glesca is a fine place to visit but I that would not like to live or get mugged there.
Confused at this point because 3. and 4. were both in Granite City and combined in 1860. As I read your comment, you went to one of them and you think that I should have gone to the other.
Mayhaps, of course, you are suggesting that I should have strolled the 19 miles along the road to Dundee which was a college of the pimple Uni and home of their Law Faculty when I had to make my choice. It could be argued to be Number 4, I suppose. In which case, may you be forgiven!
Dundee is known to native Perthians as ‘The Armpit of the Universe’. As I have written before, the only good things ever to have come out of Dundee are the Tay Bridges and James Wolfe.
“Dundee is known to native Perthians as ‘The Armpit of the Universe’. As I have written before, the only good things ever to have come out of Dundee are the Tay Bridges and James Wolfe.”
And Derek Johnstone.
JW, good evening.
‘And Derek Johnstone’.
I used to know that and it hurts even more now that you made me remember.
1976 Cup Final and DJ, the Dundonian tosser, knocked the ball into the net before the game could ever have started officially. I should have been there to see us lose us 3-1 but it was 1-0 by the time that the inept Hampden staff managed to get us pitch-viewing side. I still feel violated.
What on earth are you two on about? Talk English, FFS!!
OZ