Dumbarton Rock and Castle in sunshine. It's been a while since I've been down to Gourock, Greenock and Port Glasgow so this is a weekend away with Anne, visiting friends who stay in this area. Although essential for maintenance in old buildings it's nice to see the scaffolding mostly removed from the castle as it does detract from photography. An adventure in itself as it's fairly steep to explore Dumbarton Castle and the surrounding rock, is good value and cheaper than most castles at £6:00- Adults- 4:80 cons- 3:60 children under 16.
For anyone bored indoors during the corona virus and the soon to arrive UK lockdown.... I discovered recently that French You Tube equivalent Dailymotion has the full set ( in English of course) of Back in time for Dinner 60 minute episodes. A few Back in time for School Episodes and one Back in time for the Corner Shop. 1950s/1960s. All are worth a watch going back to the 1950s, 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s in music, fashion, gadgets, and food advances. Nostalgic, funny, and interesting. Once you are in the Dailymotion site type in Back in time for Dinner into the DM search box at top of page and you'll see them.
For instance I only discovered watching this why I became a latch key kid at 12 when my mum went out to work and I suddenly came back to an empty house lunch-times and at night for several hours before my parents returned. As I said to my dog at the time while feeding us both, somewhat disgruntled by our new situation. " She's abandoned us Kim. We're on our own now boy!"
The reason was the invention of the fridge freezer, frozen ready meals, and a wider selection of tinned goods which freed folk up so women could go out to work during the day instead of buying, cooking, and serving up meals daily with foodstuffs on the marble larder shelf that went off if not used right away. Being thick I never properly realized at the time why these three things were connected so firmly to my predicament. I just assumed we wasn't loved anymore. Sniff, sniff, Wah! :o)
What on earth was the herring-barrel sniffing about?
ReplyDeleteHi Carol,
ReplyDeleteJust looked like someone sniffing a herring barrel in the mural. And why not.
I am pleased that eventually you came to realise that you were not abandoned - is your fridge/freezer full now. With this lock down I don't think that mine is anywhere big enough to keep us sustained.
ReplyDeleteI am disappointed now that I never got around to visiting Dumbarton Rock and Castle.
Hi Rosemary, Yep, freezer full and a months worth of everything else. As soon as the virus started to spread outside China, long before panic buying set in, I got myself ready. Just as well now with shops shut, restricted opening hours for chemists and spaced queuing at food shops coming in. Thought I'd avoid all that if possible. Think Dumbarton Castle was the longest continuously inhabited fortress in the world dating back before Cleopatra's time to the modern era. Very undervalued due to not being in a tourist city or tourist town.
ReplyDeleteMy freezer is 50% full of my wife's Vegan slops - no room for healthy frozen options like Fish Fingers, burgers, sausages :)
ReplyDeleteDid you ever go climbing on Dumbarton Rock, my mate reckons there is some seriously hard stuff there.
Trouble is getting the fresh stuff in. I have a banana and grapes in yogurt every day and so couldn't get a mass supply of those in. Luckily, the farmer's wife down the road has offered to get my fresh stuff for me or I'd be beggared!
ReplyDeleteI've only got a smallish freezer section on my fridge so that's stuffed with loaves...
Hi Andy,
ReplyDeleteAlthough I always liked the spectacular setting and we went there a few times every summer as it was handy- rock climbing at Dumbarton Rock is scary. Smooth black vertical basalt with a natural polish and small holds or crack lines that start at HVS to E11. Some of the hardest climbs in Scotland/and or the world. I liked the long low level traverse at V.Diff climbing just above the waves at high tide but other than that it was/is desperate stuff unless you are really good. Not a place for V.Diff to VS climbers to flourish. Might even be up to E13 by now- I'm out of touch with the E grades.
Hi Carol,
ReplyDeleteI'll be shopping as little as possible now as it's one in one out and long 2 metre gap queues at supermarkets now and when you do get in half the stuff you wanted is gone unless you are very early. Feel sorry for the very old, isolated, and vulnerable who have to take a bus to get there, can't carry much when they arrive, then leave with only half the messages they tried to get. Sitting ducks for the virus. Not seen a toilet roll, pasta, or hand sanitizer for two weeks now, all disappearing by the trolley load into cars and vans, boxes at a time in some cases. Luckily, I guessed in advance what would happen so I stocked up while it was confined to China.