Pics 1-3 are by John Patton
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
“River Tay is the longest in Scotland and one of the biggest on the UK mainland. It rises in the Western Highlands at Ben Lu, flows through Perth and is tidal to its emergence on the Firth of Tay, south of the City Of Dundee. It is an area of high scientific interest, particularly for its much-prized Atlantic salmon.
The pictures, (Pic 1 & 2), show kayaking at Grandtully where the rapids attract many canoeists all year round and white water rafting is also a popular sport. Perthshire ‘s gentle rolling landscape (Pic – 3) illustrates the high quality of agriculture land here. In east Perthshire there is an abundance of soft fruit development which is heavily dependent on a migrant labour force.”
Pics 4 – 7 are by Perkin Warbeck
Pic 4
Pic 5
Pic 6
Pic 7
“TWIN TOWERS
(fraternal rather than identical).
.THE WIGNACOURT TOWER
(Pics 4 and 5)
One of the chain of signal coastal towers that linked Malta and its sister island, Gozo, this tower was built for Grand Master Wignacourt in 1601. It overlooks St. Paul’s Bay.
A Frenchman, Wignacourt was the 54th Grand Master of the Knights of Malta. He was unusual in so far as he was popular with the Maltese.
In 1609 Malta’s most famous OTR (ever) came ashore from Naples. That would have been Caravaggio. Wignacourt became his patron and Caravaggio painted his portrait. A sort of ‘you illusrate me and I’ll post-date you’ sorta deal obviously went down here.
Though Caravaggio rhymes with di Maggio, there the similarities end: whereas Joltin’ Joe was fond (very) of the dolls, and whacking balls, the Italian artist was (extremely) into the guys.
THE RED TOWER
(Pics 6 and 7)
This distinctive tower is located about five miles north of THE WIGNACOURT TOWER on the east coast. It was built for the 57th Grand Master Lascaris of the Knights of Malta in 1649.
THE RED TOWER stands atop a hill on the barren ridge of limesteone known as the Marfa Peninsula and keeps watch over Melieha Bay in the north eastern part of Malta.
Ten years earlier, in 1639, Lascaris, an Italian, had banned women from wearing masks and also, from attending balls during carnivale. The Maltese, of both sexes, were not best pleased.
(1649 was also , of course, the year when O’Cromwell and his derivative yet red-hot rockband, The Wart Hogs, undertook The Unforgettable Fire tour of Hibernia, murdering music and slaughering songs along the way. Coincidentally, Bono and Edward de Bono are the two most world renowned celebs of Hibernia and Malta respectively. The latter is the philosopher who originated the phrase ‘lateral thinking’ while the former of course did ditto with ‘prateral thinking’ ).
(‘CÉAD MÍLE MALTA’ by Perkin Warbeck).
Pic 3 ……. And one of the biggest on the UK mainland …. I think it goes without saying that all the big British rivers are on the UK “mainland”
I felt a shiver go up my spine when you mentioned the UK mainland Jude. Any chance you might let me know where it is? I won’t sleep tonight until I find out!
On further reflection, perhaps I should have addressed the question to John.
Indeed. Brain engaged first, then…
When writing the accomp accompanying text, my focus was more on the content of the images than on the chosen words. It did occur to me , however, that the term ‘UK mainland ‘ might irk some. political pendants . Is seinne mé…….the old sow remains.
I am afraid it does not go without saying that all the big rivers are on the British mainland,; depending on the terms of quantification, there are sizeable rivers on IOS, the Hebrides and Northern Isles.
Those pendants I mentioned must hang around with pedants !
At least you didn’t include the Shannon or talk about the British Isles 🙂
The word ‘seinne’ that you use is not in my lexicon, John. From whence does it come?