Anyone fancy going to the top of the Forth Bridge?!

[alycidon]

some interesting photos of the construction, taken from a book - you may want to turn down the volume on your computer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlTY2NGDUZ8

is it not the Forth bridge that Hannay escapes on to in The 39 Steps ?

Yes. I keep a clip of it in my recorder.

[gamba]

It has to be the Forth bridge - where else ?

[Richard Tarleton]

is it not the Forth bridge that Hannay escapes on to in The 39 Steps ?

Only in the Hitchcock film - in the book he leaps onto a train at St Pancras and wakes up in Dumfries, just in time to catch the slow Galloway train.

This novel has not been well served by its various dramatisations, IMV.

[gamba]

Then the bridge must have been that across the Solway Firth, a stretch of water that almost claimed the lives of myself
And 5 colleagues. You're certainly right with your version of the story, Richard.

[mangerton]

Only in the Hitchcock film - in the book he leaps onto a train at St Pancras and wakes up in Dumfries, just in time to catch the slow Galloway train.

This novel has not been well served by its various dramatisations, IMV.

No indeed. Further misdemeanours committed by Hitch include (I quote from imdb):

Hannay gets the train from London to Scotland, but the train on that journey is seen bursting out of Box Tunnel near Bath, which is nowhere near the line from London to Scotland. The locomotive changes from a London and North-Eastern one, with a prominent sign "Flying Scotsman" above the smoke-box door, to a Great Western one, with no "Flying Scotsman" sign.

[Vile Consort]

I read about this earlier today. The Forth Bridge has long been a feature in my life. I remember throwing pennies and ha'pennies from the carriage windows and the shouts of delight when one missed all the metalwork and landed in the Firth. The railway workers must have made a mint from children in those days. Another memory from the 50s was moving to Edinburgh from Fife. Bishop's Move were in charge of proceedings on that occasion, and as father and I crossed the bridge in the evening (mother and young sister had gone earlier) I looked down and saw "our" two yellow vans on the ferry.

Sorry to rabbit on.... What I'm saying is, yes, include me in.

I have to admit being perplexed by reports of Scotsmen throwing money away in such a fashion. Are you quite sure this happened in real life and not, for example, as part of a particularly troublesome nightmare?

[mangerton]

I have to admit being perplexed by reports of Scotsmen throwing money away in such a fashion. Are you quite sure this happened in real life and not, for example, as part of a particularly troublesome nightmare?

No, this definitely happened, just as scottycelt and I have said. Some judicious googling will provide more examples.

Anyway, this stereotypical view of "mean Scots" is just a scurrilous rumour started (I believe) by Yorkshiremen, who are of course renowned for their generosity.

[Stillhomewardbound]

Girls, Girls ... Calm yourselves! You're all getting much too excited. (Says me in my Best Miss Jean Brodie accent). What you need to calm you is a lovely wee sunset. Not on the Forth I'm said to say but where finer than the sassenachs' River Thames taken by your truly on my box brownie this very evening.

[jayne lee wilson]

Lovely photosurprise this time of night... cat asleep on lap... thanks shb - OH! Stillness shattered by rogue b/w cat coming in thru flap, Mizz & J fling off chair together to chase him out, much commotion!

(...vertigo looking up at tall ships masts in real life, so ascension into Bridge Heaven not for me...)

[salymap]

Thanks shb, what a lovely picture.

Will calm me to look at that after finding the pesky foxes have once again left the remains of human's thrown away takeaways on my front lawn.

What a brilliant photographer that man is

[Stillhomewardbound]

Aw, gee schucks! Thanks, Salymap!

[alycidon]

Anyway, this stereotypical view of "mean Scots" is just a scurrilous rumour started (I believe) by Yorkshiremen, who are of course renowned for their generosity.

Careful, now! I'm half-Scot, half-Yorkshire. Don't offend me!

[Stillhomewardbound]

The earlier picture features some of the tall ships taking part in the Sail Royal Greenwich 2013 event happening this week. It's been a busy time for me with my camera but there are the odd laughs to be had.

[Anna]

When I switched on at 6am this morning your picture of the sunset really made my morning (if that doesn't sound too Irish!) It's beautiful. Do you have a webpage where we can look at more?

Edit: Re Forth Bridge, when I saw the item on tv I thought 'Yes!' but as I chickened out of the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb I'm afraid it's a 'No!' But it's a beautiful structure.

[Stillhomewardbound]

Anna, thank you very much. I'm in the process of rejigging websites so the 'under construction' sign is up, but I'm more than happy to link you a 'best of Summer 2013' selection:

https://picasaweb.google.com/jhspnw/May172013?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJemwr3k4pKYPQ&feat=directlink