Largs - The Aftermath
Posted: Saturday, 10 September 2005 |
Largs Viking Festival was an outstandingly great time had by all! We decided to tow the Longship over during the week in case the weather worsened. We needn鈥檛 have bothered, as Saturday was a scorcher. A few of us went over by ferry on Saturday morning so we could have a look around the Viking Village, relax and enjoy the festival. Those who were working on Saturday came over by RIB taking all of 20 minutes to get over. I some how ended up volunteering to make new costumes as the old ones were old blankets that had been lying in the boathouse all year so had turned manky (although probably more authentic). Needless to say I got carried away as usual and painted golden eagles on the tunics with 鈥淪varte Orna鈥 on the front and 鈥淎rran鈥 on the back in Ye Olde Worlde lettering. 鈥淪varte Orna鈥 is Norse for 鈥淏lack Eagle鈥, which is the name of our Longship. As usual I left everything till the last minute so Peter and Julie ended up having to help sew fur onto the cossies on the ferry.
We all met up at the Marina for dinner (burger and chips as the restaurant wasn鈥檛 serving meals that early) then off we went to row. It was a gorgeous evening with the sun bouncing off the water. The team rowed magnificently, full concentration and we went really fast! IN TIME!!! We were going so fast I was asked more than once, when we got back, where the motor was! We couldn鈥檛 land as the tide was too far out but we did lots of shouting and there was plenty of hilarity. Finally we rowed back to the Marina and repaired to the yacht club bar to watch the spectacular fireworks from the balcony and general carousing.
Fireworks over we decided to head for the town before we were thrown out. The team song didn鈥檛 endear us to the genteel club patrons (it would need so many modifications it鈥檚 not worth trying to print). We headed into town in full costume, more cartoon Vikings than historically correct, the plastic horns on our helmets didn鈥檛 phase the local children though, they were shouting, 鈥淟ook, it鈥檚 the REAL Vikings!鈥 This didn鈥檛 go down overwhelmingly well with the Re-enactment Vikings who were sweltering in their carefully researched, hand stitched, 鈥渁uthentic鈥 costumes.
We went for the best fish & chips I鈥檝e ever had (might be because we were all ravenous after strenuous rowing), then off to the nearest hostelry which is named after a type of drinking jug. The music was great and we danced and got chatting with some of the Re-enactment Vikings who we invited to go rowing the next morning. Then off back to the house the Viking Society had kindly arranged for us all, for more partying till I crashed about 4ish.
Four hours later the one person who had gone straight to bed when we got in was mythering us to get up. Finally dragged myself out of my pit about 9:30, packed up and hit the marina for essential full breakfast and reading of Sunday Papers then we rowed to Millport, Great Cumbrae. This was where it all got a bit surreal. The re-enactment Vikings from the night before came with us in full costume complete with Mead served in a horn鈥. They really should鈥檝e told people when they swapped the Mead for Whiskey. There was a bit of cholking. The alcahol definitely didn鈥檛 help their rowing, naturally the Arran Vikings were too busy concentrating to quaff.
When we arrived at Millport the place was swarming with Cowboys! Turned out there was a Country & Western festival on. All the shops had put up Old Western style signs and there were confederate flags everywhere. The whole town had really thrown themselves into it, complete with line dancing in the pub. Us 12th Century Vikings felt mildly out of place. So after a quick sojourn to the local saloon (soft drinkie for me) we made our farewells with the 鈥渁uthentic Vikings鈥 and headed home but it still wasn鈥檛 over! The other Vikings had given us a crate of beer so obviously once the Longship was safely tied up at Corrie Port the beer had to be consumed apparently in the Longship, well it was another hot sunny evening. I went home. Must be getting old!
There's no photos posted because I still can't remember how to download them from my camera and I've lost the book. PANTS!
Thanks to the whole of Largs and the Viking Society for inviting us over and making the evening so special, we all had the very best time. Skol!
We all met up at the Marina for dinner (burger and chips as the restaurant wasn鈥檛 serving meals that early) then off we went to row. It was a gorgeous evening with the sun bouncing off the water. The team rowed magnificently, full concentration and we went really fast! IN TIME!!! We were going so fast I was asked more than once, when we got back, where the motor was! We couldn鈥檛 land as the tide was too far out but we did lots of shouting and there was plenty of hilarity. Finally we rowed back to the Marina and repaired to the yacht club bar to watch the spectacular fireworks from the balcony and general carousing.
Fireworks over we decided to head for the town before we were thrown out. The team song didn鈥檛 endear us to the genteel club patrons (it would need so many modifications it鈥檚 not worth trying to print). We headed into town in full costume, more cartoon Vikings than historically correct, the plastic horns on our helmets didn鈥檛 phase the local children though, they were shouting, 鈥淟ook, it鈥檚 the REAL Vikings!鈥 This didn鈥檛 go down overwhelmingly well with the Re-enactment Vikings who were sweltering in their carefully researched, hand stitched, 鈥渁uthentic鈥 costumes.
We went for the best fish & chips I鈥檝e ever had (might be because we were all ravenous after strenuous rowing), then off to the nearest hostelry which is named after a type of drinking jug. The music was great and we danced and got chatting with some of the Re-enactment Vikings who we invited to go rowing the next morning. Then off back to the house the Viking Society had kindly arranged for us all, for more partying till I crashed about 4ish.
Four hours later the one person who had gone straight to bed when we got in was mythering us to get up. Finally dragged myself out of my pit about 9:30, packed up and hit the marina for essential full breakfast and reading of Sunday Papers then we rowed to Millport, Great Cumbrae. This was where it all got a bit surreal. The re-enactment Vikings from the night before came with us in full costume complete with Mead served in a horn鈥. They really should鈥檝e told people when they swapped the Mead for Whiskey. There was a bit of cholking. The alcahol definitely didn鈥檛 help their rowing, naturally the Arran Vikings were too busy concentrating to quaff.
When we arrived at Millport the place was swarming with Cowboys! Turned out there was a Country & Western festival on. All the shops had put up Old Western style signs and there were confederate flags everywhere. The whole town had really thrown themselves into it, complete with line dancing in the pub. Us 12th Century Vikings felt mildly out of place. So after a quick sojourn to the local saloon (soft drinkie for me) we made our farewells with the 鈥渁uthentic Vikings鈥 and headed home but it still wasn鈥檛 over! The other Vikings had given us a crate of beer so obviously once the Longship was safely tied up at Corrie Port the beer had to be consumed apparently in the Longship, well it was another hot sunny evening. I went home. Must be getting old!
There's no photos posted because I still can't remember how to download them from my camera and I've lost the book. PANTS!
Thanks to the whole of Largs and the Viking Society for inviting us over and making the evening so special, we all had the very best time. Skol!
Posted on Sunny at 11:11
Arran ExPat wandering the world, residing in Cyprus for now with the odd visit home.
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