A country loon’s ninety year adventure

Bit michty me fit div ye pit in and fit div ye leave oot?

Efter a lot o thocht i decided tae leave oot -

Growin’ up at the time o’ the war wi’ a’ the rationin’ and even hae’n tae dodge the jerry’s bombs and bullets on the nicht o’ Aiberdeen’s biggest air raid.

Bein’ picket tae play for scotland’s under 18 fitba’ team against wales at celtic park.

Gettin’ mairret an’ ha’en three o’ a faimly.

Twa years national service in the Gordon Highlanders.

Thirty years in the bobbies (noo that wis an adventure in itsel’) includin’ savin’ a mannie fae droonin’ in the shada’ o’ the Forth brig)

The biggest adventure o’ a’ wis still tae come.

Fin oor lassie an’ her man an’ twa kids left for the far east it wis like the ein o’ the world. Bit na na - losh bi’ here - it wis tae be the start o’ the biggest ever adventure for me an’ sadly now my late wife. We got tae ken gatwick an’ schiphol airports like the back o’ oor hans an’ if truth be tel’t we got gie cocky at it!

And so the adventure began.

Bangkok Thailand. Street vendors, elephants on the streets, hurls on the sky train and in tuk tuks, klong boats, bridge ower the river Kwai, Hellfire pass, Kanchanaburi Commonwealth Cemetery, lady boys and soi cowboy an’ a fair puckle mair!

Next came Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Country heights ~ affa funcie hooses, nae ony like hame, twin towers, Penang, Malacca, Singapore, Raffles hotel.

Almaty Kazakhstan. Next door tae China, beautiful mountains and lakes, Russian steppes (they werna steppes at a’ - mair like the hills at hame!) Beasts o’ a’ kine hinging up at the green market and a rare picnic in a yurt.

Sicily Italy. On leavin’ the far east - oor adventurers - for that is fit they were - bocht a rickety auld ferm hoose in the hills a’been noto in the sooth o’ Sicily. In nae time ata’ it wis transformed intae a tap o’ the range b&b attractin’ fowk fae a’ the world ower wi’ it's five star ratin’. On oor frequent visits this place meant so much to baith o’ us.

I can only say foo lucky i’ve been tae packit sae much inta my ninety years plus! An adventure it most certainly his been.

I canna finish withoot mentionin’ the happy days spent wi’ the rescue doggies that followed us a’ wye on oor traivels - Moira, Doad, Morag, Doris, Ethel, Gladys, Mary Frances, Douglas, Elsie and Betty. They fair added tae this adventure.