Beastie Family – Page 23

So, Where Are Paddy and Plunkett This Week?

Posted on September 18, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

We left them here last week… but what on earth is that in the background?

(If anyone guessed correctly, I’ll be super impressed!)

This unusal-looking bridge is part of the newly revamped and reopened Gobbins Cliff Path, which is about half an hour’s journey outside Belfast, on the County Antrim coast! The original Gobbins path opened in 1902, as the expansion of Northern Ireland’s railways helped to open up parts of the province which had been difficult to reach before. The Gobbins was a genuine old-school tourist attraction, purpose-built by the Chief Engineer of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway Company to encourage people to visit this part of the country, and to show off the area’s spectacular coastline!

However, the Depression in the 1930s and the growing popularity of cars meant that the railway company could no longer afford to maintain the system of bridges and walkways that made up the path. And when the Second World War broke out, finding people to look after The Gobbins was hardly a priority! It started to fall into disrepair, and a partial reopening of the path in the early 1950s was scuppered by a landfall shortly afterwards. The Gobbins closed in 1954, and was fully abandoned seven years later. Since then, there have been a couple of attempts to reopen the attraction, but nothing came of them… until now! Thanks to a combined effort (and some all-important funds) from the local council, the EU and the Ulster Garden Villages charity, a full restoration started in 2014… And now it’s open for business!

Hey, it looks like the boys are ready to start the tour!
Here we go! It was a bit breezy, so they had to hitch a ride with some of the human visitors…

…But not the whole way! Here’s Plunkett posing with the restored Tubular Bridge, the most distinctive part of the path.

And again, at Sandy Cave. Apparently, this spot was popular with Victorian picnic parties… and smugglers! My Secret Seven-reading 8-year-old self would have loved this place!

The path carries on for nearly a mile and a half, and includes five bridges and a narrow cave tunnel! Check out some of the highlights…
https://me.sh/vhdbvd4

But even walking on little short Beastie legs, the tour was over all too soon… Time to get the train home, lads!

We’ll see Paddy and Plunkett again soon, I’m sure… And if you’re in the neighbourhood, why not take a trip to The Gobbins yourself? You can find out more about booking here.

See you next time!

Paddy and Plunkett's Gift From Scotland - CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett Come Home…

Posted on September 11, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

… And look, they brought me back a present!

As some of you already know, I am a little bit Scottish – the “Craw” in “CrawCrafts” is taken from my family name, Crawford, a legacy from my Glaswegian grandfather. UK residents will probably also associate the name with a popular brand of Scottish shortbread… although unfortunately I haven’t been able to find a family connection there!

Anyway, it turns out that the Crawfords have their own family tartan… and the boys were able to scavenge me a piece! I’m already plotting ways to use it – and I love the fact that it’s red and green, two of my favourite colours!

However, these restless Beasties barely had time to hand over their gift before they hit the road again…

Or rather, the rails. Here they are taking the train north, to get a sneak preview of a rather special new vistor attraction in Northern Ireland. They’ve promised to share the full story next week, but in the meantime, here’s a peek at where they’re off to…

Does anyone know where they’ve gone?

Paddy at the Kelpies - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Wild Horses, Country Residences and Little Woolly Monsters!

Posted on September 4, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

After an enjoyable trip to the Orkneys, Paddy and Plunkett have finally decided to head back to the Scottish mainland! The next stop on their journey was to visit the giant Kelpies sculptures in The Helix parkland, just outside the town of Falkirk in central Scotland.

These two massive horses stand guard over the eastern entrance to the newly extended Forth and Clyde canal, and they’re fast becoming one of Scotland’s most recognisable landmarks! Kelpies are mythological water creatures that feature heavily in Scottish folklore – pretty much every major stretch of water in the country has a resident kelpie. They usually take the form of a large and powerful horse, and their rather spooky modus operandi is to tempt humans to hop aboard, before plunging back underwater and having them for dinner! However, though the Kelpies statues may take their name from these otherworldly aquatic beasts, they are intended to represent the hardworking horses who pulled the barges along the canals back in the day… a fitting tribute, I think! The boys had lots of fun posing with the sculptures, despite the photography challenges posed by the breezy weather…
https://me.sh/3bk69gt

They also watched a barge full of visitors passing through the lock gate on the canal!

They resisted the urge to join them though… They had an appointment with royalty!

This rather lovely place is Dumfries House. Back in the mid 2000s, its future was looking a little uncertain… the house was due to be sold, and its original Chippendale furniture (including some custom-made pieces) auctioned off. At the eleventh hour, the house, the estate in which it stands and its entire contents were purchased by a consortium headed up by Prince Charles, so that it could be preserved intact, and used to bring revenue to the surrounding area.

The house was opened to visitors in 2008, and since then other parts of the estate have been repurposed and put to use as well, providing education, employment and income to keep the project running. And there really is a lot going on there… for starters, you can stay on the estate! Paddy and Plunkett snuck into this beautiful, cosy room in the old stable block, now converted into a pretty spiffy guesthouse…

…And then took a tour of the Walled Garden, to check out the conservatory and herb garden!

Although the boys were also tempted by a tour of the house or a visit to the Arboretum, they realised that the date on their ferry ticket was…
Today.

Uh-oh… RUN!!

Phew! Made it, with seconds to spare!

Have a safe trip home, boys!

More From Orkney!

Posted on August 28, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

I have to say, I’m incredibly impressed by the amount of interesting things Paddy and Plunkett have found to see and do on Orkney! For some relatively small islands, there’s a lot going on!

After their visit to Skara Brae, they decided to pop down the road to visit Skaill House, which is the “big house” of the Breckness estate, where Skara Brae is located. In fact, it was the 7th laird of the estate who first started excavations at Skara Brae back in 1850. According to this article I found, he used the house’s dining room table to display his finds from the site! Skaill House has been open to visitors since 1997, and it is just full of treasures, including this rather fearsome tigerskin rug…

Hey Plunkett, watch out for those teeth!

The boys also got to see the actual dinner service from Captain Cook’s ship! These well-travelled plates made it back from the famous explorer’s ill-fated final trip to Hawaii, and ended up here because Orkney was the ships’ first port of call in Britain on their return journey.

Am I the only one who’s having a hard time imagining intrepid explorers and salty sea dogs eating their dinner from one of these pretty floral plates? It certainly looks like the Beasties are bemused by them too!

After a spot of lunch, the lads thought they’d check out the Ring of Brodgar, which is part of the same UNESCO World Heritage site as Skara Brae.

This stone circle (officially described as a “Neolithic henge and stone circle) is the third largest in the British Isles, and the most northerly. It’s quite a mysterious place – its age is still uncertain, and although an archaelogical excavation took place in the summer of 2008, many questions about the site, such who built it and why, remain unanswered.

Unfazed by unsolved historical riddles, Paddy and Plunkett were at least able to establish a purpose for one of the stones now – as a handy viewing platform!

Then they rounded off their day with a visit to the working blacksmith’s workshop in St Margaret’s Hope…

… And a wee dram*!

Uh-oh… Too much, perhaps?

Let’s hope this doesn’t spoil their holiday! I wouldn’t like to be in their woolly little shoes tomorrow morning…

* “A wee dram” = “A spot of light liquid refreshment”

Plunkett Investigates Skara Brae - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

This Is What Happens…

Posted on August 21, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

…When you let a pair of adventurous Beasties out into the world, and then forget to check up on them regularly. With so much else going on last week, Paddy and Plunkett’s ongoing Scottish adventures kiiiinda slipped through the net… Sorry lads!

To try and get my attention, they decided to abandon the Scottish mainland and visit the Orkney Islands – an archipelago of around 70 islands that lie 10 or so miles north of the northernmost point of Great Britain. Having put their hiking boots on (with debatable success), it was time to head out and explore!

Their adventure started in Kirkwall, the capital of the Orkneys! It’s a town and port on the largest of the islands, and about 9000 people live there. It’s also got history – the first mention of it was in the Orkneyinga saga, a part-fiction, part historical account of the lives and times of the earls of Orkney, written by an unknown Icelandic author in around 1230. According to the saga, Kirkwall (or “Kirkjuvagr”, as it was then) existed as far back as 1046… That means that in a few years’ time, the people of Kirkwall can legitimately celebrate the 1000th birthday of their home town!

However, Paddy was apparently more interested in checking out this creepy grinning skull on one of the tombstones in St Magnus Cathedral!

Mind you, it looks like Plunkett was too afraid to even venture inside! Oh no, wait… he’s just getting himself some lunch.

Probably a good idea, since their next move was to cut across the middle of Mainland Orkney to Stromness…

…And from there, make their way over to the west coast to see Skara Brae!

Skara Brae is a Neolithic village, sometimes called “the Scottish Pompeii” because it’s so incredibly well preserved. However, it’s much, much older than Pompeii – it’s estimated that the eight houses here were occupied between 3180-2500 BCE (thanks for the numbers, Wikipedia!), meaning that Skara Brae predates both the Pyramids and Stonehenge!

The story of how Skara Brae came to be rediscovered is also pretty interesting… It seems that no-one was aware that there had been a settlement here until the winter of 1850, when a severe storm lifted the topsoil covering a lumpy hill known as Skerrabra. Once the storm clouds had dispersed, locals were intrigued to find the outlines of a number of small houses, complete apart from their roofs! The site fell victim to a number of well-intentioned (mostly) amateur archaeological excavations in the years that followed, until another storm in 1924 swept away one of the unearthed houses. It became clear that this important find could be completely lost if it wasn’t properly cared for, so a professor from the University of Edinburgh, who revelled in the glorious name Vere Gordon Childe, was put in charge of all further efforts to make the site secure and investigate its history. His work started in 1927, and today Skara Brae enjoys UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Plunkett was certainly interested to see these ancient underground houses!

Meanwhile, Paddy was getting up close and personal with the Neolithic furniture – it was full of Beastie hiding places!

I wonder if there were Beasties back then?

More Paddy and Plunkett adventures next week – I’ll definitely be keeping a closer eye on them in future!

Paddy and Plunkett at the Glasgow Mausoleum - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Bonny Beastie Scotland!

Posted on August 7, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Knitted Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett are back!

Or, more correctly, they’ve gone on holiday again and sent me more tales of their adventures to use on the BeastieBlog. This time, they’re exploring the delights of Scotland!

Their journey begins in Glasgow, which is almost a homecoming for them – I’m a quarter Glaswegian myself, so there should be a teeny bit of Scottishness knitted into the genetic material of these otherwise Irish little monsters!

Their first photocall was at the Glasgow Necropolis…

…What is it with Beasties and graveyards at the minute?!

They also visited the Transport Museum – Paddy has a bit of a thing for classic cars.

I think he’s going to have to find someone a little taller than him to help with the driving, though. Meanwhile, architecture buff Plunkett had stumbled on this incredible staircase at the Central Hotel, in the railway station!

Since they were in the station anyway, the two of them decided to hop on a train and head to Aberdeen on the north east coast… And look what they found when they arrived!

How nice of the locals to knit up a cosy Beastie hotel for them to stay in!
“We think we’ll stay here for a while… Check back with us in a week or so!”

About Paddy and Plunkett
Paddy and Plunkett are a special sub-species of Beastie called “Barróg Beasties”. “Barróg” is the Irish word for “hug”, which neatly sums up how friendly these little monsters are! They’re also special because they’re made from 100% Irish wool, which is spun and dyed in a family-owned mill in Co. Kilkenny.

Super-observant regular readers may also notice that further changes have been afoot on the BeastieBlog – after nearly two years with the same look, I was encouraged by Blogging 101 to consider overhauling my theme. I’d love to know what you think of our makeover… let me know in the comments!

Goth Beastie in Glasnevin Cemetery, by CrawCrafts Beasties

Glasnevin Cemetery, With Goth Beastie

Posted on July 31, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Knitted Beasties

Call me macabre, but there’s nothing I like better than wandering around cemeteries. They’re peaceful, interesting and a little creepy at the same time. And Dublin’s Glasnevin Cemetery is one of my favourites! Luckily it’s just across the river and up the road, in the inner suburbs on the north side of the city. Opened in 1832, it now covers an area of around 124 acres, and is the final resting place of 1.5 million of Dublin’s departed. On my most recent visit, I was accompanied by Goth Beastie. She looked strangely at home among the gravestones…

If you’re interested in Irish history, Glasnevin is a must-see. Many of the significant figures from our recent past are buried here, including Daniel O’Connell, whose campaign to allow Catholics to be offered the same right to a dignified funeral as Protestants led to the establishment of this very graveyard! An early-mediaeval style round tower stands on his tomb, and it can be seen from pretty much anywhere in the cemetery – it’s in the background of this photo…

Glasnevin is also home to some beautiful old trees, which line the pathways between the graves…

And there’s such a huge variety of styles in the monuments here, too! There are underground crypts…
…Traditional crosses…

…And some more understated ones. Goth Beastie was particularly taken with this one.

But it wasn’t long before the sun got too high in the sky for certain pale-faced Beastie ladies! There was just time for Goth Beastie to seek out a little cool shade before we headed for home…

How do you feel about graveyards? An interesting place to spend an afternoon, or too spooky for words?

Mia Beastie in the Mountains!

Posted on July 17, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Hooray! I always love to catch up with Beasties after they’ve left Beastie Towers for their new homes. This week, I’m happy to share some photos of Mia Beastie, taken just after her move to Poland a couple of months ago! Of course, she had to get there first… Passports at the ready!

And don’t forget to check the size of your cabin baggage…

I think Mia Beastie was really excited to see planes for the first time!

Once she touched down in her new home, Mia Beastie started exploring pretty much immediately! Her first big adventure was a visit to Zakopane, a town in the very south of Poland, near the Slovakian border. Zakopane lies at the foot of the Tatra Mountains, and is a popular destination for skiers and climbers. Mia Beastie decided to tackle Kasprowy Wierch first… it’s one of the most popular ski peaks in Poland, and it marks the border with Slovakia, so you can literally be in two places at once.

You can also take a cable car to the top, which makes the climb a lot easier. Well, Mia Beastie didn’t want to ruin her pretty dress!

Look at that view! And there was more to come…

It was certainly a bit nippy at the top of the mountain, but the scenery made it totally worthwhile! Mia Beastie was also tempted to try her hand at skiing, but unfortunately they didn’t have any skis in her size…
Let's go skiing! Mia Beastie at Kasprowy Wierch - A Szymura/CrawCraftsBeasties
Soon it was time to come down again… the prospect of tasty pierogi for dinner meant that Mia Beastie wasn’t going to hang around in the mountains all day! Better head back to that cable car…
And apart from one hair-raising moment, when someone suggested Mia Beastie might like to recreate some of the action scenes from “Where Eagles Dare”…

…She made it safely back down to earth!

Let’s hope Mia Beastie has lots more adventures with her new Polish family! Thanks to Anna for sending me the photos 🙂

Submarines and Seascapes… Paddy and Plunkett in Portsmouth, Part 3

Posted on July 10, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Last week, we left adventurous Irish Beasties Paddy and Plunkett in something of a sticky situation… captured by an irate security guard who objected strenuously to Paddy’s attempts to take HMS Warrior for a test drive!

However, this week I’ve received another round of photos in which the pair of them appear to have eluded their captor… How can this be?
“A good escape artist never reveals his secrets,” says Plunkett. “And anyway, we had to go and have a look around the Alliance submarine.”

Fair enough.

Although it seems like Plunkett was really only interested in hanging out in the bar…

Apparently when Alliance was in use, food was stored just about anywhere they could find space. So yes, those beers are indeed being stashed in a torpedo tube! Fortunately, it’s a long time since any torpedoes were launched from this submarine – Alliance has been a museum since 1981, so Plunkett can enjoy his tinnies in peace.

Suitably refreshed, the two lads set off for the Figurehead Museum…

…Where they met some pretty unusual ladies!
Yikes! Imagine if you saw those faces leering at you from the front of a battleship! But look what was waiting for the boys around the corner…

…A whole knitted underwater scene! Look closely and you’ll see turtles, starfish and mermaids as well as hundreds of multicoloured fish! Paddy and Plunkett could have stayed here for hours, but then they saw this…

“Is that the Giant’s Causeway? We really have been away for quite a while… maybe it’s time to head home. Hope you’ve enjoyed following us around Portsmouth, see you soon for more monster adventures!”

Paddy and Plunkett’s Portsmouth – Part 2

Posted on July 3, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

The last time we checked in with Paddy and Plunkett, they’d got carried away exploring the Isle of Wight and missed the last boat back to the mainland! Fortunately, it seems they eventually managed to make their return journey by stowing away on a passing ship … the cable pattern on Paddy’s jumper is perfect camouflage in among the rigging ropes!

Even though they’re now back on dry land, they couldn’t resist going to visit one of the city’s most famous attractions – the Mary Rose!
The Mary Rose sank in 1545 just north of the Isle of Wight, after 33 years of service in Henry VIII’s navy. Her wreckage was rediscovered in 1971 (although Wikipedia mentions an earlier rediscovery in 1863, after which some enterprising gentlemen tried to meet market demand for salvaged artefacts by blowing up parts of the ship with condemned bomb shells filled with gunpowder) and so began a decade of intense underwater archaelogy, legal wranglings and preparations to extract what remained of the ship’s hull from the sticky clay on the seabed. Finally, on the 11th of October 1982, the Mary Rose saw daylight for the first time in more than 4 centuries! Conservation work has been ongoing ever since… the ship is now in the process of drying out after 25 years of being sprayed with preserving wax.

Unfortunately, photo opportunities were few and far between in the museum itself – with so many visitors around, a Beastie could easily get trampled underfoot! The lads were happy to soak up the sights, and leave the happy snaps until they stopped for coffee at the end of the tour. Hey look – Paddy’s got his own personalised mug!

Then there was just time to pose with this scurvy sea dog outside…

…Before going to seek more nautical adventures on board HMS Warrior. Warrior was Britain’s first iron-clad battleship, built in 1860. Her wrought-iron armour was a huge technological leap forward, and this development made the ship faster, stronger and harder to hit than anything else afloat at the time. Apparently, most rivals didn’t even bother to engage her – one look and they just slunk off into the sunset! She didn’t scare Paddy and Plunkett though – they were too busy hanging out in the rigging!

They also had a look around below decks…

And then… oh no! Who let Paddy drive?

These mischievous monsters have gone too far this time – they’d better leave before someone calls security…

Too late! Still, it’s not every day that you get forcibly ejected from a vintage battleship by a former film star… Super-observant readers may have seen this monster from the deep before, in the Bond film “For Your Eyes Only”!

Now it only remains to be seen if Paddy and Plunkett can wriggle free of the iron grip of the law! Stay tuned…

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