russell@aimmi.UUCP (Russell Ritchie) (02/21/86)
Just in case anyone missed it, here's the important bit : > From: stratton@brl-smoke.UUCP > Subject: Electric Brae > A friend of mine was in Scotland visiting relatives in December, on > an island called Ayr. They took her around sightseeing, and one of > the interesting places they visited was what the locals referred to > as "the Electric Brae". Here's what she writes: > Sue Stratton > <stratton@amsaa.arpa> The island of Ayr was unfortunately scuttled on the infamous "Irvine Barrier Reef" many centuries ago when a careless lighthousekeeper named Robert Burns forgot to light the lamp. Burns had earlier received notoriety as a pioneer of Alpine-style skiing - the electric brae is still popular with locals as a training slope because of it's natural advantages viz not having to walk back up. It is rumoured that abroad he is better remembered for his poetry, which is little known on his native island since the inhabitants resist efforts to convert them from their dialect and care little for the coarse vulgarities of the mainland tongue, which Burns was forced to adopt once exiled for his incompetence. Here at the MMI Unit we are only too pleased to aid our colonial cousins in minor matters of a geographical and historical nature, Russell Ritchie, Glasgow, Colorado.
dgary@ecsvax.UUCP (D Gary Grady) (02/25/86)
In article <729@aimmi.UUCP> russell@aimmi.UUCP (Russell Ritchie) writes: >The island of Ayr was unfortunately scuttled on the infamous "Irvine Barrier >Reef" many centuries ago when a careless lighthousekeeper named Robert Burns >forgot to light the lamp. [followed by more science fiction about Bobbie Burns] Burns' house in Edinburgh has an interesting Scottish (i.e., free of operational and maintenance costs) burglar alarm. It was a stairs with step of unequal height. Residents of the house quickly became accustomed to them and could zip up and down with nary a second thought, but a nocturnal stranger would most likely trip, causing Burns to awaken and giggle, "Ach, lassie, we got anoother!" "Woof!" Ow! Ooh! 'Eck! Right DM, this isn't physics!... I won't do't again! -- D Gary Grady Duke U Comp Center, Durham, NC 27706 (919) 684-3695 USENET: {seismo,decvax,ihnp4,akgua,etc.}!mcnc!ecsvax!dgary