Today's County in the Spotlight:Part 2

[mickthemaverick]

A mystery man question with a difference for Stirlingshire:

"Who are these chaps? What are the connections, specific answers needed!?

[mickthemaverick]

A couple of music clips which give us an idea of what it used to be like in Stirling:





I had never realised that the English held Stirling Castle!!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Do we have to faf around with spoilers?

top of the head

Willie Carson, Billy Bremner, two definite Scots. Carson could have had a connection with Fife because he rode the Queen's horse Dunfermline to win the Oaks at Epsom in 1977 the Queen's silver jubilee year, but I will go with Carson and Bremner being born in Stirlingshire

The other one no idea but has a bit of a Guy Fawkes look about him. Will have to look it up.

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Well done so far, certainly no spoilers needed cos I don't think anyone else will have their fun spoilt!!
In fact both the first two were born in Stirling itself!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Not far out there with the top of the head, right period for the last one too, but his aim was to eliminate our third mystery man who was James V1 of Scotland (Son of Mary Queen of Scots) and James 1st of England.

James was baptised in Stirling and was also brought up in Stirling Castle, after Mary was forced to abdicate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_VI_and_I

The care of James was entrusted to the Earl and Countess of Mar, "to be conserved, nursed, and upbrought"[16] in the security of Stirling Castle. James was anointed King of Scotland at the age of thirteen months at the Church of the Holy Rude in Stirling, by Adam Bothwell, Bishop of Orkney, on 29 July 1567. The sermon at the coronation was preached by John Knox

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Having stayed on campus for my week at Stirling I didn't visit any local pubs, however while working at Grangemouth the lads took me for a buzz up the M9 to a pub in Bridge of Allan which I cannot remember the name of!! However while searching for it I came up with this place which I offer as contender for brewery and pub of the day for Stirlingshire!:

BFTW

Details here.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Plenty variety there to choose from at the Bridge of Allan, but I think I would ask for a 70 80 or 90 bob, whatever they had on, but would have a sample try of some of the others.

On to the Falkirk wheel, plenty videos, including one from Tom Scott, but he no doubt will talk it to death. So relax this video tells the story and only requires a 21st Century attention span of 36 seconds and there are no words...



Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

That is one waterway construction that I have never used. I foresee another narrow boat trip is called for!!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Time to get down and dirty in the historic county of Stirlingshire

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

We are back in Scottish Field's "10 fascinating facts about..." series

Here is what they came up with for Stirling, all 10 of them

https://www.scottishfield.co.uk/travel/ ... -stirling/

The random hand has selected fact number 2 for brining forward into the body of the thread, regardless of where it appears on the unfascinating-fascinating scale.

Fact number 2

The Wallace Monument is 67m tall and has a total of 246 steps.

Now that is fascinating, had the tower been 60 metres tall and had a total of 211 steps I wouldn't have been
interested at all.

Fact 1 is far more interesting...

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

The Wallace Monument is 67m tall and has a total of 246 steps.

Now that is fascinating, had the tower been 60 metres tall and had a total of 211 steps I wouldn't have been
interested at all.

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Remember the Colditz Drama series on the TV in the early 70's, Impressive shots of the Castle....er yes Stirling Castle.

https://www.moviehiker.com/filmlocation ... to%20visit

Regards Neil.

[mickthemaverick]

Remember the Colditz Drama series on the TV in the early 70's?

Regards Neil.

Indeed I do, I was very into that series, lured in originally by the presence of my hero's from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and then enticed by the whole story that emerged. I bought all the books I could find and the board game which was great fun and I have retained a soft spot for Colditz ever since. However I have never looked into the production of the series or the feature film preferring to keep it as a true story in my mind!! When I next visit my daughter I intend to go and visit the castle in Colditz but now I will also have to revisit Stirling Castle with those scenes in mind!!

[NewcastleFalcon]

There are a few episodes in full on youtube now, Series 01 Episode 01 being a case in point.

Dont know Stirling Castle of Colditz castle well enough to pick out which bits are which

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

I read through the fascinating, or maybe not, facts list and found number 8 to hold up quite well to the description:

The first record of attempted flight took place at Stirling Castle. John Damian flung himself off the battlements in 1507, wearing a pair of feathered wings. He landed in a dung heap, breaking his thigh.

Not fascinating just for its reality but also for the tenuous link to the Colditz recordings which featured the famous glider escape attempt. Although the real glider never flew it was shown to in either the TV series or the film, not sure which, and land in the adjacent valley which could well have been filmed in Stirling!!