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I thought these snippets might interest that likeable vagabond from the outer darkness.

· As an example of just how wild the area is (made worse since the arrival of the Brigand of Burdiehoose), J. Ballantyne, The Hill, Balerno wrote in 1919 (and I remember it well) -----

"perhaps it would interest some of your readers to know that on Saturday night at Balerno I shot a fine specimen of a wild cat. It measured from nose to tip of tail 3 feet 5 inches and weighed a little over 60 lbs."

· At the children's sports in the early 18th century some of the prizes were ---

1st A ribboned bonnet
2nd Garters
3rd A knife

------------------------- a KNIFE for God's sake! And that was just for the girls!

· I've heard it said that Penicuik was the first place to introduce the moral-sapping football pools, but guess what! Right, Balerno beat them to it with the infamous Water of Leith Pools.

· Some of the inhabitants were decent enough (probably immigrants from Penicuik) because this little item reminded me of a point that Dingle made a wee while back. This is by Robert McNeill writing about life in the local paper mill in the early 1900's ------

'--- in the mill, when we had any of our mates off work sick --- we all joined in and worked his time between us, maybe 16 hours instead of 12, and his time was kept full and he got his wage while he was off. After all, he probably needed it more then. There was no palaver, and in fact it was never mentioned among us except to get it under way. That would be someone saying at shifting time, "I was round seeing Tam, he'll no' be oot for a fortnight, the doctor was in this morning." Automatically the game was set in motion for Tam to get his full pay just like that ---'

· Soup mentioned somewhere the origin of the name Balerno. I cannae mind if this is what he said an' I'm too lazy to look it up, but here's what I've found

"Balerno ---- Ballernogh or Ballernoch . Gaelic for sloe-tree stead."

All this stuff (including the comments about Soup?) was taken from "Our District" by John Tweedie and Cyril Jones.
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Ah, but what about those Balerno Nights?

I'm sure I used to have a bottle of perfume named after them . . .

I lived in Southhouse not Burdiehouse and I have never shot any living thing let alone a giant cat.
I am too much of a "white settler" (only been here 11 years) to figure in any Balerno history.

Its name derives from the Scottish Gaelic Baile Airneach, meaning "hawthorn farm".

Hawthorn farm (probably) = Sloe tree stead (translation is not an exact science)
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'S riogal mo dhream
Ciamar À Thà Sibh

www.cheesesoup.myby.co.uk

Wonder if that story about the wild cat is a load of cobblers. I take it he meant the Scottish wild cat and I wouldn't have thought they were around the Pentlands area as recently as 1919.
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Anona.Mouse wrote:

Ah, but what about those Balerno Nights?

I'm sure I used to have a bottle of perfume named after them . . .

Balerno nights in the Honky Tonk and the Grey Horse!! Ah, that was LIVING!
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Of course, I have heard rumours of the Pentland Sabre-toothed Sheep . . .

Perhaps it was one of those that got in the way of the gun?

(My feline accomplice is very tall, and measures at least a yard when stretched out end to end. But 60 lbs??? He wouldn't be able to move!)

Oh No! Its happening downunder too!!
Big cat remains elusive
MAN EATER: Reports of a 'big cat' in Kaiwaka remained unconfirmed.

Despite national media reports of a Kaiwaka firefighter claiming he saw a "big cat" when he and his son were out on a search and rescue exercise, Northland’s Zion Wildlife Gardens insists that its 42 lions, tigers, cheetahs and a leopard are secured at the park.

One report in the Sunday News and another on TVNZ on Monday, says Kaiwaka fire fighter Alan Swanson claimed he was about 30 metres away from the beast when he saw it on the ridge of the Parker Lime Company Quarry, on May 29.
Mr Swanson says other locals have also seen the cat.
The reports claimed Mr Swanson is convinced the animal was a lion, and a local minister also saw a lion on the same road while he was duck shooting a few years back.
Mr Swanson told the newspaper he thought it "a bit strange no half-eaten sheep or other animals have been found".

Ill keep you posted on latest developments..... Maybe he was just lyin' to get attention??
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Keep Youth in your heart and you'll never grow old

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