A Day at The Benty Show

On Saturday we had a day out at Benty Show. Gaye had 6 entries in the Handicrafts and Plant sections.

This was her best entry and it got a First in a class if 9 entries.

Another First for this Tapestry.

Her Crown of Thorns got a Second.

This Crewel work got 3rd prize.

In the morning we had coffee with Gaye’s friend Wilma and her husband George who live in Bentpath. Wilma was invited by the show committee to present the trophies at the end of the day.

The first trophy she had to present was to herself as she won a cup with these flower's

Some of the large crowd gathered for the presentations at the end of the show.

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A Visit to Footdee know as Fittie in Aberdeen

 

This village was mentioned as long ago as the 14th century but most of the houses were built in 1808-09. It is sandwiched between the busy harbour and the beach on a spit of land. I walked to it from Union Square Bus Station which is about 1.5 miles away. It’s like going back in time and an absolutely fabulous place. No cars on the streets and loads of lovely gardens and decorated sheds.

The houses nearly all have benches outside and they compete against each other for the best garden and 

Garden shed.

A lovely place to sit outside the cottages.

No weeds and well kept pavements.

A fancy garden and maybe even a guest bedroom

A garden and shed

For the Fittie King or Queen

More garden sheds

I walked every street in the village and met a few visitors doing the same. Most people don’t know of its existence 

And it’s not really on the tourist trail.

One of the nicest sheds

The sea is only a few yards away from the village and this is the pier giving shelter to the entrance

To Aberdeen Harbour. There were lots of ships coming and going while I was there as it was high tide.

Lovely tubs of flowers.

Not really a cottage but more like a separate guest bedroom and a conservatory.

A tiny cottage. I loved my visit there.

A Day Out To Macduff and Portsoy

I took the Stagecoach Double Decker bus from Newmacher to Macduff and Portsoy today. It’s the best way to travel through rural Aberdeenshire seated upstairs at the front of the bus. There are still loads of Barley fields to harvest so hopefully September will be a good month to enable the harvest to be gathered in. Even on the east coast it’s been a wet summer.

Endless fields of Barley

Also potatoes and they badly need some sun.

We passed through Turriff

This is Macduff a very busy fishing port.

Just approaching Portsoy

Its harbour was first built in 1696 and extended later.

This fisherman was cutting up Mackerel as fishing bait and I tried to start a conversation with him but he never responded. 

I stopped for an hour at Macduff to watch the fishing fleet leaving harbour at high tide. This vessel was from Kirkcudbright and it’s a Scallop boat.

This boat left and then 15 minutes later it returned so maybe it had a problem. I had a most enjoyable day apart from no cafes being open and the Scotch Pie I bought from a bakers in Portsoy was awful and I ended up giving it to a Gull.

Peter's Seat on the Castleholm

When our friend Peter Bart-Smith died in April we were about to go for a month to California to visit Fraser and his family and that meant we would miss his funeral. I was quite upset at that as Peter and I had been friends for over 50 years. I decided that we must commemorate Peter by placing a seat in Langholm for him and the Cricket Club seemed the ideal place. With the help of our walking friends we soon raised all the money required and this was topped up with money from his family and the local Community council who had allocated Langholm Walks Group money for a seat on the Castleholm. This is friends John, Sandria, Martin and Aileen trying out the seat.

Jaqueline Little with her Uncle and Aunt Martin and Aileen Little

The Last of the Summer Wine Walkers with the Bart-Smith family and friends gathered after the seat unveiling

Elizabeth Bart-Smith with daughters Emily and Anna and two granddaughters

The visiting cricket team from Staunton lined up for the unveiling ceremony and giving a one minute round of applause afterwards 

Staunton and Langholm lined up and giving a one minute applause. 

Elizabeth and daughters Anna and Emily unveil the seat

 

The seat with the special plaque which says "In memory of Peter Bart-Smith who loved playing cricket for Langholm. Placed here in August 2024 by his walking friends and his family"