The news that they will pour away 70m pints of spoiled beer down the drain would merely have been an invitation to The Sesh.
Our drinking fraternity at Aberdeen University have scattered to the four corners of the world – funny when many couldn’t be raised from their scratchers.
My Best Man Andy is in Singapore https://www.visitsingapore.com/en/, Jevan is back home in the West Indies https://www.visittrinidad.co.tt, https://www.visittobago.gov.tt. My kiss with Rihanna, Let’s rumba in Barbados and Ready, steady GOAT… racing in Tobago/.
While some of my English pals, Wee Jon and Micky, and Gaelic emigrees Alan and Anna went to the bright lights of London https://www.visitlondon.com and The London life.
And those flatmates that were foisted on us such as Grumpy Vangelis (no, seriously) My Greek odyssey and the cheery Ibohal Singh (song) https://www.incredibleindia.org/content/incredible-india-v2/en.html are doubtless back where they belong.
It’ll be 40 years in a couple of years since we first bowled up in Aberdeen so I feel a reunion in the making.
And we’ll need more than 70m beers for that… https://www.visitabdn.com and Aberdeen – a light in the north.
Sláinte
Aberdeen University’s other great gift to the world, after me, is of course Blair Bowman.
Blair Whoman? Yes, Blair Bowman, who only gave us World Whisky Day.
Surprisingly this celebration of uisce beatha has only been running since 2012.
The organisers say that 250,000 people participated in registered events in 2014.
I don’t know the figures for the last few years – I guess they’d overdone the golden liquid!
To the pantheon of greats who graduated from Aberdeen Uni, Alex Kapranos, Alistair Darling and Nicky Campbell add Jevan Jutagir.
A proud half-Scots, half-West Indian who is one-third of the Barbados Whisky Mafia.
And who if you’ve got an in will crack out the good stuff before Foreday Morning at Crop Over in Barbados https://www.visitbarbados.org, My kiss with Rihanna and Turtle recall.
Free Ireland
Kudos to Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar whose example some across on this side of the Irish Sea would do well to emulate.
You don’t have to be a doctor like Leo to have known that testing and tracing is key but it doesn’t do any harm.
Leo has been outlining how the nation will come out of lockdown.
Which means that the Office of Public Works has opened up certain outdoor sites within social distancing rules.
And that oft-forgotten section of our society, the Cocooners, are being prioritised;
Emo Court, Co. Laois
Grounds
Fota Arboretum, Co. Cork
Pleasure Garden & Walled Garden
Irish National War Memorial Gardens, Islandbridge, Dublin
Rose Garden.
Iveagh Gardens, Dublin
Full Garden
Kilkenny Castle, Co. Kilkenny
Rose Garden
Nenagh Castle, Co. Tipperary
Grounds
Portumna Castle, Co. Galway
Walled Garden.
Phoenix Park, Dublin
Visitor Centre Walled Garden
Roscrea Heritage, Co. Tipperary
Grounds & Walled garden
And Ryanair are flying high
Few things say summer quite like a fleet of blue and yellow Ryanair planes taking to the skies.
Which is why the news coming out from Michael O’Leary Towers that July 1 is the start-up date for us to get flying again.
With 1,000 flights across Europe from €23.99. And new health measures.
Faro, the gateway to the Algarve comes in at that starting price… https://www.visitalgarve.pt/en/Default.aspx and https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/secret-portugal-classy-centro/.
London https://www.visitlondon.com The London life and Amsterdam Pictures of Amsterdam comes in at the same price.
For the full range visit www.ryanair.com.
MEET YOU ON THE ROAD
