Sir Sean Connery s heart never really left his native Scotland and, in particular, Edinburgh, the city of his birth and of his life before Bond and stardom.
And now a hitherto unseen collection of private letters is being auctioned which will leave his admirers shaken, if not stirred, as they reveal how much Auld Reekie meant to the actor, who died last year aged 90.
The correspondence, which comes up for sale in two weeks time, is with one of Connery s oldest friends whom he had known for 80 years. They were childhood friends who grew up together in Edinburgh, Cathy Marsden, of auctioneers Lyon & Turnbull, tells me.
Toasting the Lassies from afar at virtual Burns Night By Contributor Published: 14:55, 27 January 2021
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Robert Burns
It was while I was mashing the tatties that I suddenly remembered. I turned to my better half to confess as she took the haggis out of the oven. This Burns Night was going to be bigger than she had expected. What I had forgotten was I was now shortly due to Toast the Lassies at a virtual event in Edinburgh.
Luckily, she took my announcement in her stride: âOh well, perhaps youâve got some new jokes this yearâ¦â
Scottish insults quiz - Do you know your rockets from your bampots?
With lockdown meaning the return of Zoom quizzes why not have a bit of fun with our Scottish insult quiz.
Updated
How well do you know your Scottish insults? (Image: Getty)
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1 THE wonderful Pollock House in Glasgow is a feast for history buffs, kids and walkers. This Christmas the museum staff are playing a blinder and offering a special treat – Christmas by Candlelight tours of the house. Pretend you’re Lady Sybil (the cool suffragette one) in Downton Abbey, dress up and make a night of it safe in the knowledge that a full refund will be offered if Covid safety measures require cancellation. Thursday 17th December at 6pm.
2 IF ever there was a Christmas to shop local and support your community, this is it. Get yourself to the up and coming hipster central hive that is Thornwood, home to the marvellous Thornwood Bar and lots of quirky independent sellers, One of those is Trove a brand new design and vintage shop that is opening its doors for the first time this weekend at 557 Dumbarton Road. They’re open from 10:30-6pm every day for mid-century finds and quirky little crafts.