The Mantis

I think Johndo was in the same year at the IRA as Billy Urquhart and Davie Milroy. There are plenty of pics of the school team floating around, and I think he later played for the Caley youth team or the reserves. I suppose there's no harm in outing him now he's gone, so here's a photo which popped up this morning on my FB memories, with Johndo in the Glengarry. 9 years ago today. "When I die and they lay me to rest, gonna go on the piss in Bucharest"

Didn't expect to be back in Shetland so soon as we were there last year, but we got an invite to a Golden Wedding. Made a week of it including a couple of days in Orkney. Managed to get a day off on my own to visit Fetlar again but the bird life was well down on last July. Kirkwall was heaving with cruise ship tourists, and next day there were 2 ships due in. Luckily we had been in St Magnus Cathedral a couple of times before, we only spent 10 mins there as we were tripping over the c***s, or they were walking straight into us. In the first shot is the Queens Hotel in Lerwick at 7am, then the beach left of that, then Jimmy Perez's hoose... the last shot is passing west of Fair Isle on the way to Orkney.

Orkney 'A' League, 9/7/24. Hotpurs 1 Rendall 1. At KGS playing fields, Kirkwall. We had a Golden Wedding to attend in Shetland and had a couple of days in Orkney on the way back. Managed to find this fixture on Tuesday night although the big game of the night was at St Margaret's Hope. But that would be cutting it fine as I would have had to ditch Mrs Mantis after eating, then drive and find the park which I couldn't see on Google Maps. So just a short hop along the road from our digs it was. Rendall were pretty pleased with the point after being more or less pummelled for over an hour before going behind to a goal from Graham Shearer. In one of their rare attacks they equalised from a good strike by Kalle Shearer (I think). Not the end of the drama as I began to get severe pains at 10pm and eventually went in to Balfour Hospital A&E at 2am. Kidney stones. Finally got to bed at 4 and up again about 7.30. No more pain thankfully but had to waste a day in wet Kirkwall as the ferry home wasn't till midnight. Passed the stone this morning, relief beyond belief.

I’ve had a major computer malfunction or I would post the other side of that Loanhead banner. It lists clubs that were in Loanheid. Amongst them: Polton Vale. Sold home advantage to Rangers in 1897-8 in the Scottish Cup and lost 8-0 at Ibrox. Loanhead Mayflower. Junior club which folded in 1965. Loanhead United. Won the Scottish Juvenile Cup in 1968. Sadly there doesn’t appear to be even an amateur side these days. Can’t find any sign that Loanhead Miners Welfare are still on the go.

Rough areas in Polton You must mean the wids (and that’s trees not wimmen) Far as I can remember the Naysmiths were from Traprain Terrace which is off Polton Road although that might have been the earlier generation. Sandy Naysmith was in my year but I think he was Gary’s uncle. Boomtown can claim Gary Locke and Sandy Burrell and a few others I can’t remember.

Loanhead Gala Day yesterday so snapped this banner:

Cheers, I caught that one.

Aye, you’re right of course. Brain fart. As a matter of interest I got the photos from Billy Urk, he lent me 3 scrapbooks and I scanned a load of stuff.

You’ll find out when the club releases a statement.

Caley v Rangers, Scottish Cup, 1984. Billy Urquhart, Bobby Williamson, Davie Cooper, Bob Summers, Hamish MacDonald, Ian Redford. This is probably Williamson scoring no 4. The crowd going up Telford Street at the end

Went to school in Loanhead with Jim Steele's wee brother, and delivered his paper as well... I could swear Ally Donaldson was from out our way as well but it just says Edinburgh on his Wiki.

Guys: it's Funicular, not Finucular. As the intellectual of the two, Stuart speaks with authority even when he's wrong and it's never checked. Tam: there's a difference between 'implied' and 'inferred'. Still fills a handy slot in the day though.

Bonnyrigg is £210/£140/£70. Early bird is a tenner off and it looks like it cuts off on Saturday afternoon. PATG is £15/£10/£5, U-12s go free with a paying adult.

Costs a fortune to visit that chapel now. Da Vinci code b*****ds! Had our wedding in the Royal.

Station Hotel is a bonus for us. Great pub. Hey, it’s all positive this seaside league.