18th July 2019
@RebelGD is heading to the Glamis Country Fair Horse Trials for the first time at the start of August and this has set me thinking about the synergy and karma that has brought me to this point.
Way back in July 1980, Nana and Grandad Willie loaded me into their wee Austin motor car and headed away from Dundee for Glamis Castle, guest of honour at the Glamis Extravaganza that day was none other than the famous Red Rum. Yes, he of Grand National winning fame, most notably his third win, the 1977 triumph in Queen Elizabeth the seconds Silver Jubilee year. (I have another story about that for another day).
Well here we are in the Austin with my lovely grandparents, the ever so nice and proper Helen and the perennial joker Willie. I can hear a squeak as the wheels turn and voice this to grandad.
“ Dinnae fash Pamela, it's just the budgie telling us he is happy”.
How long went by before I realised it wisnae the budgie???? I loved my grandad Willie so much that I would have believed anything.
We arrive at Glamis, there were ice creams, a pony ride, maybe a wee hurl on a roundabout, lots of classic cars, then…..I get to actually meet Red Rum, I actually get to touch him. I swore I was never going to wash my hand again. A wee pat from this wee girl must have felt like a fly to this giant of the race track, to this legend of the turf, to me it was magical, it planted a seed in me that blossomed into riding, ownership, and working with horses. I can still visualise his coat, shining and sweaty in the hot July sun, with all his veins standing out, I was awe struck. He stood there all day, and didn’t move a muscle, whilst everyone from tiny tot, to OAP lavished all this adulation on him. The memory is so tangible to me, that it moves me to tears writing this. My life, as a small girl was, changed forever.
I have written before of the effect that Helen and Willie's daughter, Lesley, my mum, had on my creative path, the love of the needle and the machine. Add in that both of my grandads fed my love of the horse with their exposure of me to these wonderful beasts, then my own dad driving me to work with horses as a teenage weekend job and we have the threads of this synergy being woven.
Move forward 39 years to 2019 and we have @RebelGD and the author heading to Glamis Castle Country Fair and Horse Trails to display my creative talents (for sale of course). Sadly, Red Rum, Willie, Helen, Lesley (and the budgie) will not be there. I’m sure I will feel the brush and whisper of history pass by at some stage in the weekend. Thankfully this synergy is being stoked by the presence of my own daughter the Mini-Rebel at Glamis along with the love of my family near and far.
So, remember to always love your dear ones, load them into your old Austin with a squeaky wheel and come along to Glamis, look up Rebel GD and ask me about Red Rum. I can’t promise not to get emotional.
Photo with kind permission of Strathmore Estates/Glamis Castle.