Big Tam fae Fountainbridge

Edinburgh born Movie Star Sean Connery’s first job was as a milkman with St. Cuthbert's Co-operative Society. He then joined the Royal Navy during which time he got two tattoos, one tattoo is a tribute to his parents and reads "Mum and Dad," and the other is self explanatory, "Scotland Forever. After the navy, he returned to the co-op, then worked as, among other things, a lorry driver, a lifeguard at Portobello swimming baths, a labourer, an artist's model for the Edinburgh College of Art, after a suggestion by former Mr. Scotland, Archie Brennan and a coffin polisher. The modelling earned him 15 shillings an hour, Student artist Richard De Marco who painted several notable early pictures of Connery described the young Connery as "very straight, slightly shy, too, too beautiful for words, a virtual Adonis.”

While in Edinburgh, Connery was targeted by the notorious Valdor gang, one of the most ruthless gangs in the city. He was first approached by them in a billiard hall on Lothian Street where he prevented them from stealing from his jacket and was later followed by six gang members to a 15 ft high balcony at the Palais. There Connery launched an attack single-handedly against the gang members, grabbing one by the throat and another by a biceps and cracked their heads together. From then on he was treated with great respect by the gang and gained a reputation as a "hard man".

Sean Connery is a member of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and has supported the party financially and through personal appearances. His funding of the SNP ceased in 2001, when the UK Parliament passed legislation that prohibited overseas funding of political activities in the UK.

Question  - Should an exile living in the Bahamas be telling those who are living in Scotland how they should vote ? 

 Are Sean Connery & Alex Salmond trading notes on the Man who would be King?

Evening Visit to Register House Edinburgh 8 May 2012

Scotland'sPeople Centre Event

There are still places available on this evening visit to New Register House, 18.15 - 21.00. To book please phone 0131 220 3677 during opening hours.

Start Date/Time:08 May 2012 18:15

End Date/Time:08 May 2012 21:00

One time event

A Popular event for those who work when the centre is open during the day. The cost is £10 pp

Bank of Scotland Imaginate Festival 7-14 May 2012

An arts organisation that promotes and develops the performing arts for children and young people in Scotland. The Bank of Scotland Imaginate Festival celebrates its 23rd year in 2012. What's on

The Auld Alliance

Dating back to 1295, the Auld Alliance was built upon Scotland and France’s shared interests in controlling England’s aggressive expansion plans. Drawn up by John Balliol of Scotland and Philip IV of France, it was first and foremost a military and diplomatic alliance, but for most ordinary Scots it brought more obvious benefits through jobs as mercenaries in France’s armies and of course, a steady supply of fine French wines.

Henry V’s victory at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 was one of England’s greatest military achievements, but for the French it was a disaster on such a scale that it led to the near collapse of the country. In desperation the French Dauphin turned to the Scots, England’s traditional enemy, for help. As always, anxious for a fight with the Auld Enemy, more than 12,000 Scots boarded ships bound for France. And they didn’t have to wait too long: in 1421 at the Battle of Bauge they defeated the English army, killing the Duke of Clarence.

The Battle of Agincourt

The Scottish army was well rewarded by their French allies with honours, titles and as much fine food and drink as they could consume. All this cosseting and good living appears to have taken its toll, as at Vernuil in 1424 a Scots army totalling 4,000 men was completely wiped out. As hired mercenaries they could have expected no mercy and they received none: those captured were later put to the sword.

Despite this defeat, the military intervention of the Scots had bought valuable breathing space, and the delay ultimately saved France from English domination.

Many Scots remained in France with some joining Joan of Arc in her famous relief of Orleans. Others formed the Garde Écossais, the fiercely loyal bodyguard of the French Kings. As permitted by terms of the alliance, many of the mercenaries eventually settled in France, although then just as now, as immigrants they would always think of themselves as Scots first.

As previously mentioned, the Auld Alliance wasn’t simply a military alliance, a commercial alliance also developed which was founded on the Scots love of wine ….French wine in particular!

It was due to this special relationship that Scottish merchants had the privilege of selecting the finest wines for themselves, much to the annoyance of wine drinkers south of the border. Wine that was landed in barrels at ports like Leith was mostly for consumption by the elite of Scottish society, with most commoners seemingly content with drinking whisky or beer.

The Auld Alliance was however rocked by the Reformation, and trade between Protestant Scotland and Catholic France would obviously no longer be feasible …or would it?

It does appear that the Reformation did significantly affect trade between the two nations with the one exception of claret. The Scots seemingly could not exist without it.

Records indicate that Scottish merchants were still going to Bordeaux in order to bring back their favourite choice wine as late as 1670. Even after the Union of Parliaments with England in 1707, claret continued to be smuggled into Scotland thus avoiding taxes. It appears that Scots through the ages have sought to demonstrate their affinity with their French friends by toasting ‘the King over the water’ with a fine drop of claret.

The original alliance that granted dual citizenship in both countries was eventually revoked by the French government in 1903.

The French have had a great deal of influence in Scotland for many years. This had its beginnings with a treaty between Scotland and France signed by William the Lion in 1165. Among other things, this "Auld Alliance" granted duel citizenship in both countries. This convenience made for easy travel between them, and by its very nature, made the exchange of social/cultural customs a natural occurrence. These influences are still very much in evidence in today’s Scotland from architecture, to law, vocabulary, philosophy, and the subject of this article---the cuisine of Scotland. 

In 1538, Marie de Guise Lorraine married James V of Scotland. She brought with her, from France to the court of Scotland, the delights of French cuisine. Some of the cooking methods and names of dishes, still popular in Scotland today, come from this time period. Of course, Marie de Guise Lorraine’s major contributions to Scotland were her daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, and grandson, James VI.

Fascinating Mummies in Edinburgh

The National Museum of Scotland showcases ancient Egyptian treasures dating as far as 4000BC in this exhibition bringing together two of the world's great collections.

Fascinating Mummies (11 February - 27 May

 

Saints & Sinners goes Dutch

3 Dutch groups over the weekend experienced Edinburgh via an S&S tour !! One of the groups is Marne College, this is their fifth year of using S&S. They were all tall and had difficulty entering a crypt in Greyfriars Kirkyard, in our search for tales about graverobbers!!!

Story of the week from Neil Conn (Saints & Sinners guide)

‘Indian Peter’ is a story of abduction, war, revenge and courtroom drama that takes place in Scotland and the USA. It is an inspiring true story of courage fortitude and one man’s determination to survive against seemingly insurmountable odds and his fight to expose the vial Scottish trade of child abduction and white slavery.

This is the remarkable true story of Peter Williamson, a Scottish man, who in 1743 at the age of 13, was kidnapped from an Aberdeen quay side and transported to the American colonies to be sold into indentured servitude. He was one of the ‘surplus poor’ that fell into the hands of a group of unscrupulous magistrates, town clerks, merchants and ships masters. Peter adventures began when he was taken to America on a sailing vessel that foundered and was wrecked off the Delaware coast. Peter was saved and ended up in Philadelphia where he was sold as an indentured slave. Peter was fortunate to be bought by a humane Scottish man who left him money when he died. Peter later married the daughter of a landowner and was gifted a farm. 

 
In 1754, during the French-Indian wars, Peter’s farm was attacked and burned by Lenape Indians and his wife was brutally murdered. He was captured by the Indians who tortured him, and forced him to travel with them as a slave. After escaping he joined the British Army to fight the French and their savage Indian allies, and avenged the murder of his wife by killing the Lenape Indian Chief who had tortured him. At the later battle of Oswego, his regiment was forced to surrender to the French and he was taken to Canada as a prisoner of war. 

 
He was taken to England on a French ship and exchanged for French prisoners of war. After he was freed he made his way back to Scotland and tracked down the men who were responsible for his initial abduction. He took them to court in a landmark case accusing them publicly and exposed the scandal of child abduction and white Scottish slave trading. Peter settled in Edinburgh and became a publican, writer, publisher and entrepreneur. He developed Edinburgh’s first Penny Post system and launched a weekly magazine, and shamelessly exploited his fame as an American Indian fighter for profit.