Bringing back memories

Got fed up lying in bed coughing and keeping Mrs. B. awake so i have got up and am sitting in the chair, but it is not really helping . I am out in the conservatory where it is a bit colder and have wrapped up - with hat and coat on . I just got up and caught a sight of myself in the reflection on the glass - "my god" it reminded me of my father, but worse, I am wearing a woollen hat and it was all pointy on the top making me ook like a martian or one of the extras in the old Flash Gordon movies (black and white of course), so not many of the younger readers will remember those of couse - perhaps Lawrence and he will let me know in the morning.

I was thinking back to New Year in the very early 60's when I used to head north with my father and his boss to Raasay. We would leave Edinburgh at tea time in the landrover, canvas back, and me all wrapped up in sleeping bags and blankets to keep warm, then by way of Glasgow, Loch Lomond, Fort William, make it to Kyle of Lochalsh in time to catch the breakfast ferry ( an old minesweeper) over the the island of Raasay which sits between the mainland and Skye.
We were up there one New year when the 1st fell on a Sunday, and were up on the hill at midnight , NOT A SOUND , no movement, nothing - all day Sunday we saw the locals heading to and from the Church ( Wee Free's) for both the morning and evening service. That night , again out on the hill, crystal clear night, bright starlit night where you could see and hear for miles, midnight and all hell broke loose !!! By the time we got back to the village everyone was out partying, stotting up and down and so it went on for a couple of days.

Made a change from later years when I would come home from Durham, go out and about in the Currie area, get hammered, sick , etc., and then be made to get up and eat my lunch - changing colour with every bite. My mother was kind of strict with me !!!! not that it appears to have done me any good.
I think it was the first year I was working in Durham , 1963/64 I stayed with my Uncle Bill in Chester le Street for the New Year break from the training school, I was invited out by his sister and family to a party in the miners club in Sacriston. It was one of those places where when you got up and sang you were given a free pint , then the more you had to drink the more you wanted to sing !! I stayed out all night with them and when I got back in the morning got all hell from him , so I never went back to stay with them again and had to make other arrangements for my weekends off in the future.

Still coughing but now need to try and rest.