Orkney forum 49 room

Orkney Trip

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Oh aye - I was up that way with my Liverpudlian husband and the intimidating stares were directed half at him and half at the kareoke machine no one wanted in their pub. My husband decided to go with it - and got up and SANG. Now - he's tone deaf, AND they hated him for being english AND for firing up the kareoke. He continued on regardless through an american song (even worse) in tone deaf fashion - as the audience yelled at him to shut the feck up and various other comments. I thought they were gonna kill him. The song finished amid more catcalls and thank fecks its over - at which point my husband put another one on. By the end of the second song they were laughing and we had drinks bought for us, though not without lot of joking about stealing "their women" and suchlike.

My husband said he didnt understand a word they were saying later, and was too busy watching the kareoke machine to see the gestures... poor sod came close to a kicking many times while we were married without knowing it....

Branwen wrote:
Oh aye - I was up that way with my Liverpudlian husband and the intimidating stares were directed half at him and half at the kareoke machine no one wanted in their pub. My husband decided to go with it - and got up and SANG. Now - he's tone deaf, AND they hated him for being english AND for firing up the kareoke. He continued on regardless through an american song (even worse) in tone deaf fashion - as the audience yelled at him to shut the feck up and various other comments. I thought they were gonna kill him. The song finished amid more catcalls and thank fecks its over - at which point my husband put another one on. By the end of the second song they were laughing and we had drinks bought for us, though not without lot of joking about stealing "their women" and suchlike.

My husband said he didnt understand a word they were saying later, and was too busy watching the kareoke machine to see the gestures... poor sod came close to a kicking many times while we were married without knowing it....

Branwen we've found the 'cure' for midges and ticks, but why (I know this is a foolish historical question) why do they (the islanders) hate the english? I know some TMaers may not necessarily be up to standard when they visit ;) but do the people of the Orkneys value their heritage as much as the tourists do?

Branwen wrote:
..while we were married without knowing it....
How did you end up married without knowing it? :S

I'm sorely tempted to do Orkney next year.

Sounds like THurso hasn't changed much.

My dad is from Orkney & my mum is Irish. I was born in Kettering Northants but we moved to Thurso when I was nine...yes I got bullied for being English and Thurso is a tuff little Town with no work and nowt going for it. When I was about 17 which was 1986 or was it 1985? after a few pints with my pals some Thurso buck (John Budge) picked a fight with me cus he thought I was English ... hence he broke my nose, put me through a shop window with a head butt and knocked one of my teeth out.

Nice place Thurso. My folks still live there but I haven't been back since 2001, which was only a visit. I left Thurso when I was 17 ... They give the Scots a bad name ... It's just the townies really a sad bunch of morons ... tiz the same in most small towns round the UK I spose.

(((charLie)))

Sounds like the old Torn Dog, you have to pick your pubs well - though on the other hand they almost all do meals