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"

A Puppy Adventure

After a week in Wales the two of them are now inseparable. 

A first meeting with Finlay

All set for the train journey and he was well behaved most of the time.

It's 10 weeks old and very cute

It is certainly going to a good home and will be a companion for their elderly Labrador Finlay

Just over a week ago we got a call from our friends Norman and Doreen in Wales. They had been searching on line for a Parsons Jack Russell puppy and they had come up with a litter in Hawick. Could we help them to get it to Wales. The only way was for Doreen to come up on the train to Carlisle last Sunday and I would meet her and the following morning would take her to Hawick to collect the puppy and then back to Carlisle for the journey by train to Bridgend. In actual fact the lady who bred it delivered the puppy to us on Monday morning. Doreen meeting Bruce for the first time. 

 

A Visit to Gosforth Nature Reserve

 

On Sunday morning Mario took me to Gosforth Nature Reserve. This is a members reserve and the fees are £3 per month with access through coded gates. There are several bird hides on the reserve and it is very well looked after. We had only been there for 5 minutes when we saw this Roe Deer

Mario among the Reed Beds

Plenty of ponds

We saw an Otter at the far side of this pond


We visited 4 hides and enjoyed a very pleasant 2 hour visit with plenty wildlife to see

Gaye's 80th Birthday Treat in Newcastle (4 days early)

Newcastle City Centre on Saturday morning near the Theatre Royal. Very few people about as there was a huge police presence due to the impending problems that have been occurring in cities over the last week. It was in actual fact not a problem thanks to the police. 

Near the front of the Theatre for Come From Away a musical about 9/11 and the 38 planes that diverted to Gander in Newfoundland as a result of the hijacking of planes that were flown into The World Trade Centre and the Pentagon. There were 7000 passengers to accommodate in a town with only 6000 population. The show was fantastic and full of humour as well as emotion. 

The Birthday girl waiting for the start of the show with Granddaughter Hannah

Grandson Leo looking after Granny prior to the show

Lunch in the Jesmond Dene House Hotel with Leo and Mario

Hannah with Granny Gaye waiting for lunch. Hannah heads off to Nijmegen University in The Netherlands as soon as she has got her required grades in her A Levels. The results are out on Thursday and they all head for a 2 weeks holiday in The Netherlands on Saturday. Hopefully Hannah will stay and they will all leave her there to start her studies in Biology.

Enjoying a seat in the grounds of the hotel

Granny Gaye with our grandchildren Hannah and Leo

The only way to dress in Newcastle for a Birthday Party

Gaye about to blow out her candles and then cut the Birthday Cake