Fair Fa' Yer Honest Soncie Face

Aye weel, ah thocht he was talkin’ aboot me, and then he goes “great chieftan o’ the puddin’ race”.  Weel, ah am a chieftan (McLeod of Gladstone no less) but “pudding” that’s goan a wee bit far.  OK ah’m short an’ stoutly built but a pudding, weel that’s a bit below the belt (no’ that there’s far tae go).  Anywise, it turned oot he wis talkin’ tae the haggis.  Mind you he’ll talk tae anyone and anything, I sometimes worry about him.  Just as weel it was the haggis as later oan he stabbed it and gave it a right goin’ over “see its gushing entrails bright”.  Oh aye, nae bother, nae mercy eether.  Glad it wis no me efter a’.

The piping of the haggis and Rabbie Burns’s Address wis all part of “An Offally Scottish Affair” the café held for ‘Wellington on a Plate’.  The place was fu’ of folk who like to eat “the gushing entrails bright”.  They had haggis, neeps and tatties, lambs fry, kidneys, beef cheeks – you name it, it was offal.  And there was a wee glass o’ wine or three, oh aye an’ a wee snifter wi’ the haggis.  Ah’m no a drinkin’ man mysel.  Ah mean ma legs are short enough as they are – imagine me legless!

Ah wis oan duty right frae the word go with my rendition of how to play petanque wi’yer nose to greet punters as they arrived.  I then duly followed the piper around havin’ a wee jig and a birl as the occasion demanded.  And, of course, there wis the odd wee scrap to be had if you looked at the punters pitiful like.  Ah’m getting’ quite guid at that.  Ah tell ye, have ye tried diced paua and black puddin’ mixed thegither.  It’s rerr, talk about tasty.

Aye, it was a great day.  Of course, James our chef is a Scot tae so he’s easy tae unnerstaun.  He done a great joab.  And Paul Turner has been appointed Gladstone Vineyard Clan Piper.  Weel, he deserves it.  He’s a dab hand on the pipes and he’s a mean fiddler.

Me, happy paddlin' at Hatepe



Afore ah go, ah should just mention that ah wis left tae ma own devices, yet again, the week afore last.  They wis aff galavanting again, this time to Sydney.  But, full credit, they came back wi’ a wee trophy frae the Australian Boutique Wine Awards fur the Gladstone Vineyard Pinot Noir 2010.  So, ye cannae be too huffy – mind you don’t let them hear ah said that.  Otherwise they’ll cut ma rations – wouldn’t that be offal??

And, they're takin' me tae Hatepe this week for a wee break.  It's rerr there an' ah get to walk by the river and have a wee paddle in the Lake.