Author: John Mackie

Long ago and far away on the Dark Side, I wrote a series of blogs about our 2008 summer holiday. It was a trip around the MyT land and personalities of that era . I never found the time to finish it, not being a hasty sort of person. Part 4 was inspired by CO.

Despite my protestations at the time, we were knocked out by the place. Last September, we acquired a hound to celebrate Mrs M’s retirement and this year Dougal, Mrs M and I decided on a dog-friendly holiday. Pembrokeshire leapt to mind immediately and I booked up.
Continue reading “Pembrokeshire Revisited”

I am afraid that this might turn out be a rant, possibly a ramble and maybe a non-event. I don’t know where I might end up but I feel the need to set off on the journey anyway.

On 19th May 2012, Embra’s big team, the mighty Heart of Midlothian gave the wee Embran team a thorough skelping in the final of the Scottish Cup. The following day, there were, by common consent, 100,000 Jambos on the streets of Auld Reekie celebrating that result. My chosen vantage point was at the foot of the Castle Rock.
Continue reading “You Read it Here First”

As I might have mentioned before, I am a British Army brat. Born in West Germany, due to my Dad being there at the time occupying. Luckily for me, existence-wise, Mum had been allowed to trail along with him and it all turned out all right. In my opinion.

So, pure Jock but totally British is what I was born and is what I remain. And one of the British Olympians in the first Paralympic games in 1948 was one of Dad’s fellow officers who carried on despite having had various bits blown off him in the service of our country. I will always be proud of the fact that I had the privilege to meet him.

It follows that today was a bit special. I really do care about the fact that the Olympic Games are taking place in my country and Capital this year and I really don’t care if anybody else wants to get torn-faced about that, for any reason whatsoever. Continue reading “Bread and Alleged Circuses”

This alleged masculine ineptitude at the multi-tasking thing for which we regularly receive grief is, in my opinion, a total pile of ordure.

Knocked my pan out today. Family celebration and I was designated cook. An Italian theme. Per cominciare, bruschetta. My twist was to use cold-pressed Scottish rape seed oil and French bread. In retrospect, probably not the best twist ever but my Jock blood demands that I push the boundaries. The toppings which I prepared were, in my opinion, topping. Continue reading “A New Man Shares ( in a very real and caring sense)”

I was absolutely delighted to have the day off work today to be able to watch the climax to a weekend of celebrations live.

Despite the dreadful weather, the whole thing passed off really well. I was delighted to see that my nation rose to the occasion and did what we always used to do so well. Concentrated on our strengths. Continue reading “A Great End to the Jubilee Weekend”

Please don’t press Read More until you’ve read this

You all know me. On the Jock half full/half empty glass spectrum, I am off the scale at the opposite end to Private Fraser of ‘Dad’s Army’ fame. I just can’t do being doomed convincingly. Had Doctor Pangloss ever had the chance to impregnate Pollyanna, their issue might have got close to my usual state of mind.

But sometimes even I despair. At work today, I had occasion to view papers relating to a small Embran child. It was her first name that caught my eye.

LA-A.

I am sure that my erudite fellow Charioteers got this right away but it caught me out. I did manage to work it out eventually. Continue reading “Probably the End of Civilisation as we knew it”

For the avoidance of doubt, it it would seem that there really is only one team in Embra. I do not care if any other Charioteer cares about that. I do. 

More later once I limp back from naked and primitive triumphalism on Gorgie Road. Gave my ticket away because of the limping. Probably won’t do the naked but will definitely be doing the primitive triumphalism.

Question: When did Hibs last win the Scottish  Cup?

Answer: Ten years before ‘Titanic’ hit that iceberg.   

Well, since the Chariot is a Broad Church and many of us are now of an age when our icons are dropping off the twig at a depressing rate, I thought that I should record the passing of the boy Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.

I was fortunate enough to hear him live several times with both Schubert’s  ‘Winterreise’ and ‘Die Schöne Müllern’ cycles more than once. Pure magic every time. 

But, it’s his interpretation of a Strauss song that is my particular favourite

For those of you who missed my previous apology, I am sorry that I am arriving so tardily with news of the winner. I was in Puglia on holiday last week and had intended to do some desultory judging. lazing by the side of the pool and sipping a substantial G&T. No pool because the owner of the villa had not filled it yet, the temperature being only a spartan 27C. More and, as it happens, better, no wifi which had been promised as part of the hire of the villa. The G&T’s were indeed substantial (Bombay Sapphire, Schweppes, lime and ice, for the avoidance of doubt). I regret to say that I felt little regret in leaving you all in suspense about the result.
Continue reading “Poetry Result (at last!)”

The problem, of course, is that I do not know enough about poetry. 

I do have a 45 year old ‘A’ Higher pass in English but we State school Jocks never got the chance or time to do both Literature and Language seperatim so I’m a bit challenged when it comes to metre and form. I can anapaest onwards from time to time and I have never been averse to the odd spondee but I do know my limitations. Continue reading “New Poetry Competition”