John Mackie

Remember Bannockburn!

Well obviously I do. It comes with my ethnic origin.

In Easter 1314, Edward Bruce, brother of our King, the boy Robert, laid siege to Stirling Castle. Getting nowhere, he agreed a deal with the Governor, Sir Philip Mowbray, that the castle would be surrendered if the English did not relieve the siege by Midsummer Day.

This seriously hacked off Robert whose fighting style was of the flitting and elusive persuasion. He was a guerilla warrior who never wanted to be committed to a pitched battle. The tactic had served him well. Continue reading “Remember Bannockburn!”

At Long Last It’s All Over Down Under

Well played Australia.

What Do You Mean ‘We’?

You’ll know the joke for which my title is the punchline. The Lone Ranger, surrounded by hordes of hostile Red Indians, turns to his trusty Native American companion and says -‘Looks like we’re in trouble, Tonto.’

I will not play the Tonto card tonight. Continue reading “What Do You Mean ‘We’?”

Scots Wha Did

I hope you will forgive this one. I know it’s pure maudlin self indulgence but it’s written in honour of the day that’s in it.

My Dad was the youngest of eight children and the son of a baker. Born in a tenement flat in Leith, home of the accursed Hibees. Luckily, the family moved back to Easter Ross and Grandad’s home town of Invergordon before there was any chance of infection.
Continue reading “Scots Wha Did”

Repolissez votre français

I have a book which my Auntie Jean gave to my Mum for her birthday. There has to be a good chance that it was her 17th as the book was first published in February 1930 and was in its 4th impression by April of the same year. Mum was born in June 1913.

The book was written by WG Hartog, MA (London), Docteur de l’Université de Paris, Officier d’Académie and Senior French Master of St Paul’s School. His little masterpiece’ Brush Up Your French’ is a compilation of the 75 conversations which he wrote for the ‘Daily Mail’ together with invaluable ‘hints and vocabularies’ which he added so that’those who go to France will seldom be at a loss for a word or phrase’. Continue reading “Repolissez votre français”

Dear Green Place

A respectful offering for JW’s epic.

And then did bold Magellan cry,
‘Marvin let’s straitways Westward hie.
The sinking sun we’ll there espy,
With sights to sadden any eye. Continue reading “Dear Green Place”

An Answer to FEEG

‘Just finished watching the BBC coverage of the Edinburgh Tattoo. It was as entertaining as it was when Mrs FEEG and I were there in person 10 years ago. Absolutely stunning.

There is still one question that arises from it, though. When you are in Auld Reekie, the atmosphere around Festival time is great except for all the “bagpipe buskers”.

So, my question for Mr Mackie is, “Why is it that bagpipe solos sound like a particularly sadistic version of cat strangulation, whereas a massed pipe and drum band is one of the greatest sounds on Earth?” ‘

A very fair question, FEEG and one which I have often pondered of a summer evening as my homeward bus sits at the junction of Waverley Bridge and Princes Street snarled up in the interminable Embran pre-tram delays. That spot is one of the mercifully very few where licensed bagpipe playing by a succession of inept pipers clothed in many and varied versions of what they fondly believe to be ‘The Garb of Old Gaul’ as in the regimental march of Her Majesty’s Scots Guards is allowed. Continue reading “An Answer to FEEG”

Please bear with me on this one or feel free to skip it and cut straight to the chase as you so wish. Tonight, I’m feeling just a tad backward-facing, as in the sinister profile of Janus. It does seem only yesterday when I was a student sitting in a caravan in deepest Colinton, straining every sinew to secure a Conservative win in the sincere certainty of thereby saving my country from the scourge of socialism. Continue reading “‘si monumentum requiris, circumspice’ – Photo Competition (the longer way)”