endlessrarities | (no subject)

Good old BBC! They aired The Tudors so late that I had time to watch The Name of The Rose first. Thanks, Aunty Beeb.

I'm still in a state of chronological confusion over The Tudors. I'd thought we'd got to c. 1542, but they were still talking about King James V of Scots yesterday, so I'm assuming the Battle of Solway Firth hasn't happened yet. Either that, or they haven't bothered to find out that he's dead...

Last night's episode J and I enjoyed the Scots audience participation version, which went somewhere along the lines of:-

"I'm delighted to inform you, my dear Lord Surrey, that you've been appointed to my noble and gracious order, the Knights of the Garter."

"Er, that's pure deid brilliant, by the way, big yin!"

I'm sorry. The Scots Earl of Surrey just sticks in my craw. Maybe he's a cheapskate version of Brian Cox - NB Brian Cox can do a convincing English accent when he tries. I thought actors were supposed to be able to ACT!!!!

And now, some pretty pictures. I tour the country looking out picturesque walks and scenery, but I'm often guilty of neglecting the treasures that lie closer to home. Yesterday, we took a walk along the valley of the River Calder which flows into the town of Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire. For centuries, The Calder's flow has been harnessed for use by a number of local mills. Here's a view of the river where a weir has been built across it:-

And nearby, a little bit of industrial archaeology. An old mill lade, now dried out and overgrown. You can see the line of the wall to the right of the picture, highlighted by a dense growth of moss:-

It was a splendid short walk, which took us to a cemetery where the Dumb Proctor now stands. And I'll introduce you to the Dumb Proctor on Tuesday, because tomorrow's the Writers' Group and I'll be rushed off my feet undergoing decontamination measures after work...