Tuesday 18 September 2012

The Scottish Trip part three

The view from the toilet block of the sea wall
Day 4. Tuesday 10th July 1979. Fine but windy.

Got up at 7.45hrs, all except Wilmott who was up at 7.30hrs to cook breakfast. Upsticks (or tent poles) and away by 10.15am. Arrived Scourie 13.30hrs All sitting down relaxing with coffee by 15.00hrs.
Wilmott Nastase played a match in front of the tent and then they gave the first public performance of THE WILMOTT. This is the dance devised and choreographed by the side of the A9 when we were waiting for the AA man. It involves the gripping of clothing and shaking of legs - oh and falling about laughing. There is cine film of this*.
looking out to sea
Walk to the shop for grub and then Selwyn and Hotlips went to the beach and wrote rude words in the sand. They saw several imaginary sharks and one real - deceased - jellyfish. Back to the palace for chips and beans, then we went for a walk. Kelly found a "sharks tooth" and gave it to Radar. Kelly asked a serious question:
"If the female stones are called Granite are the male ones called Grandadit?" Wilmott refused to answer.
A game of "chicken on the slipway ends with Selwyn getting wet feet. On the way back another game of chicken ended with Selwyn wet all over and having to drip and squelch all the way back to the palace. Note from eclesiastical Wilmott: Selwyn's Jesus impression did not work, she couldn't walk on water.
Kelly washed Wilmott's knickers and the grand unveiling was at 4.30pm. The real highlight of the day was listening to the piper playing his pipes down on the sea wall.
looking north
A discussion during scrabble about whether to allow Wilmott to have essence of snow, spelled S-N-O-T. Decidedly NOT.

The full Story about the second game of chicken is as follows.
View from the headland
Wilmott could sell sand in the sahara, he is a really good salesman so when he told the children that they could cross the dip in the pebbles by waiting and counting the waves they believed him. He said that the seventh wave was the biggest and the next one would be small so they waited and counted. the seventh wave came and the three of them started down the slope to cross what was actually the stream flowing outwards. Selwyn headed straight across, Radar was slow to start and then chickened out. Hotlips started down the slope but kept his eye on the waves so he saw that the eighth wave was even bigger and he stopped and ran back. He got wet to his knees but Selwyn saw the huge wave, stepped on a wobbly pebble and stumbled as the wave went over her. She was so angry she couldn't speak. she stormed up the lane and into the campsite and hissed at the lovely Danish lady who looked at the water dripping from everywhere and said "Oh, you are werry wet!"
looking towards the village.
Selwyn went straigh into the shower block while I rushed to the tent and grabbed a ten pence piece for the hot water. When I got into the showers there was a very surprised woman standing by the basins waiting for whoever was in the other shower cubicle. Selwyn heard me call her and opened the door of her cubicle just enough to drop all her clothes out and to receive the towel and soap. I put the money into the slot, picked up the clothes and took them outside to the washup where I rinsed them with cold water and then took them back in and shoved them into the spin dryer. All the time the woman is boggle-eyed because Mrs B and I are laughing so much. Selwyn exited the cubicle and the shower block with her nose in the air, she swept out like a duchess. We trotted along behind her carrying the damp clothes and trainers. She didn't speak to any of us until the next day.

* I haven't yet managed to find out how to put the film onto the computer. I did have it put onto DVD but the man put all the films in blocks of four so there are three unrelated films connected to it. I will get Hotlips to try and separate it and then see what I can do.


1 comment:

Sian said...

Again, laugh out loud funny!

This is going to sound mad - but I will admit to peering in the backgrounds of your photos in case any of my in laws appear. Their photos, locations and camping holidays look very similar. If you ever came across a Rectory family in a battered landrover, do let me know!