Apart from the Carron Restaurant – see previous post – Stonehaven, via the medium of the Carron Fish Bar, formerly The Haven, is the birthplace of that Scottish culinary delicacy, the deep fried Mars Bar.

Weather phenomena can be very strange indeed.

I found this photograph on Astronomy Picture of the Day for 25/2/19 – which sprinkles the odd meteorological image amongst its astronomical ones.

The photograph shows red sprites – a form of lightning that was only recognised as such 30 years ago.

More information about atmospheric sprites can be found here.

Also on that page is an illustration of different atmospheric electrical phenomena which I reproduce below. These appear to take place at different heights abobe the ground. (Image credited to Abestrobi.)

Yesterday I spotted in a charity shop in Kirkcaldy the legend, “Theives will be prosecuted.”

My immediate thought was, “So do thieves get away scot-free, then?”

On Monday I saw in the Guardian that for the first time there would be an episode of Doctor Who on New Year’s Day this year.

No. That would already have happened. The clue is in the name. New year.

The episode will actually be broadcast next year.

I came across this on Astronomy Picture of the Day, for 26/11/18. I missed it on the day as I was away.

It’s a view of the launch of a rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome as seen from the International Space Station and the video compresses 15 minutes into 90 seconds.

It’s not strictly speaking astronomy so I haven’t categorised it as such.

The friends we were visiting in Lancashire last year took us to Blackpool. We went on a tram trip (all the way to Fleetwood) and on the way passed these daleks, and a TARDIS; part of the Illuminations. Photo is a bit blurred due to being taken through the tram window:-

This isn’t really a linguistic annoyance but I’ve not used that category for a while.

Anyway I was tickled by the title of this recent listing on eBay. (PHOTO DUMBARTON CENTRAL RAILWAY STATION VIEW IN THE 1960`S WITH AN EMU IN VIEW.)

“An emu?” I thought.

Then after a second I realised it must be train-buff speak for electrical multiple unit.

On the way out from IJmuiden as well as the windsurfers (see previous posts) we passed a fortified island, which is named Fortress Island.

I assume the fortifications were built by the Germans during World War 2 as part of their Atlantic Wall.

Industrial IJmuiden in the background:-

A bit further on. I can’t decide if the rectangular array is a set of solar panels. I think it must be, so obviously a much later addition:-

Are the serrated things in this view tank traps?

More from our trip to The Netherlands last year.

Canalside (former?) warehouse. Roof under repair:-

Closer view. Note circular company information:-

Old building. Looks like 1641!

Modern Fountain:-

Hanging garden. Wisteria:-

Boat in a courtyard:-

In a Dutch town you’re never far from a load of bikes:-

A few buildings in Drachten I missed first time round.

Art Deco style brickwork on this:-

Typical old Dutch style:-

Modern bungalow type house but flat-roofed:-

Another more modern style house:-

I also spotted this neat multi-child trolley being trundlied across the town square:-

Scotland win by 6 runs.

Over England. In a form of cricket, a game which England invented, at which England are at present the best in the world.

(Well, not now. Now Scotland are surely unofficial World Number 1 in One Day International cricket.)

This is a stunning result, as far as I know the first win Scotland has had over England in any form of cricket.

It shouldn’t be a surprise. Cricket is not really alien to Scotland. There are many practitioners of the art throughout the country. (I was one myself once, playing not only for my school but also for Dumbarton Cricket Club way back in the day. Not in any great capacity; I was only really there to make up the numbers. My proud boast though is that I never scored a duck when batting for the club.)

But back in the nineteenth century Scottish cricket matches used to attract crowds in the 10,000s. J M Barrie (of Peter Pan fame) used to be a member of a travelling cricket side known as the Allahakberries. (Possibly not a name you could get away with these days.)

It’ll be a heady day or two until normal service is resumed.