All countries join in the “blame game”

“JUST LIKE Billy McKenzie, I too purchased a motor cycle from George McLean,” emails Iain McDonald.

“The motor cycle was a Triumph 200cc 4-stroke Tiger Club (an outstanding small motor bike).

“I can remember clearly the showroom was located at the south-east end of Craig Street. A s mentioned, Jack Gow worked there while serving his time and was also a friend of mine from school.” “THE SCENE of Mount Battock illustrating a recent feature brought to mind the last coal-fired coaster to visit Perth,” emails shipping columnist John A itken.

“Built at the John Lewis & Sons Ltd. shipyard at Torry and completed in 1939 for the Dodds Steam Fishing Co. Ltd., she was the last steamfired collier to work out of A berdeen.

“She had carried out her duties for almost 30 years in peace and war to and from a range of ports along the east coast.

“The 396-ton ship, usually “KEN BA LFOUR of Perth wrote that Dupuytren’s contracture, which curls fingers inwards towards the palm, is reputed to be a Viking legacy,” notes a Perth pensioner.

“It is revealing how each race blames other races for any ailments or shortcomings,” he adds.

“English is full of such allusions, for example, Chinese torture, Russian rou- painted in drab colours as her trade dictated, proved a reliable seagoing workhorse.

“In 1958 she was sold to North-Eastern Fisheries Ltd., but a few years later the demand for bunker coal was dropping rapidly as A berdeen steam trawling vessel numbers were steadily being reduced.

“Replacements were being introduced fromA berdeen and Montrose shipyards. Coincidentally, on one occasion the Mount Battock was diverted to Montrose to tow the new diesel fishing vessel Gilmar north for fitting out at the parent company’s Torry shipyard.

“In 1963 the Mount Battock suffered a broken propeller shaft and was towed north by another vessel.”

“From 1965

until

early lette, French leave, old Spanish custom, German measles, Dutch courage, that’s an Irish one, jerry-built.

“When a woman came into our shop with a black eye given her by her husband, my mother used to say it was ‘Scotch love’!

“Foreigners retaliate by blaming things on us. The French speak about ‘filer a l’anglaise’ (‘to run in the English fash- 1967 she was engaged in the coastal bulk lime trade between Seaham and Perth. She looked from another age while berthed in the midst of the armada of diesel-powered motor coasters then trading to the upper reaches of the ion’) when they want to express taking off without permission.

“The Germans call rickets ‘die englische Krankheit’(‘the English sickness), no doubt because the disease was rife in 19th century industrial Britain.

“There are bound to be other expressions in other languages decrying the British and other English words miscalling foreigners or have I covered them all?” Tay with what are termed agribulks. In 1968 the death knell sounded and her final task was to tow the elderly Peterhead line-fishing boat Victoria to the breakers’ yard at Montrose where they were both dismembered.” THE ROYA L Scottish Geographical Society, which has run the Fair Maid’s House as a visitor and education centre since 2011, will be holding an information afternoon on March 30 for those interested in volunteering as a guide.

The informal session at the Society’s office in Lord John Murray House from 2pm provides an opportunity to meet staff and volunteers and to receive an introduction to the visitor centre and some of the Society’s map collection.

Please register your interest by contacting Fiona Parker on 01738 455 050 or fiona. parker@rsgs.org