JANUARY, SICK AND TIRED, YOU'VE BEEN HANGING ON ME1
January is full of events that vary from the well-known to the absolutely
absurd, and even may be dangerous for your health, from the Loony Dook to
Up Helly Aa.
The middle of the month finds us all trying to remember a great poem or
song learnt while at school and written by Robert (Rabbie) Burns (25
January 1759- 21 July 1796), the Bard of Ayrshire and national poet of
Scotland who is rightly celebrated worldwide.
Sometimes bawdy and often melancholic, Burns’ works span the range of
human emotions as in this, one of his lesser known poems:
The Winter it is Past
The winter it is past, and the summer comes at last
And the small birds, they sing on ev’ry tree;
Now ev’ry thing is glad, while I am very sad,
Since my true love is parted from me.
The rose upon the breer, by the waters running clear,
May have charms for the linnet or the bee;
Their little loves are blest, and their little hearts at rest,
But my true love is parted from me.
Rutherglen: A Glimpse Into the Past!
Do you take the No 7 bus to Rutherglen and realise you pass through the 8th
District of South Lanarkshire before you enter the Royal Burgh?
Rutherglen was granted its charter in 1126, only two years after David I
ascended to the throne of Scotland, making it one of Scotland's oldest Royal
Burghs. The accolade helped make Rutherglen an important centre for
trade.
The derivation of the name of the town is unclear but one theory is that the
area was once a settlement of Reuther, an ancient king of the Scots, who
ruled between 213 and 187 BC.
Rutherglen Castle, one of the countries great fortresses, was built in the 13th
century. With several towers and five-foot thick walls it became an important
stronghold during the Wars of Independence.
1
Lyrics by David Paton and performed by Scottish rock band: Pilot.
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