The blog of photographer Kim Ayres

Backendish

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“It’s gey backendish,” said Maggie recently.

“?” I enquired.

“Very backendish: the back end of Summer.”

“Not the back end of a pantomime horse?”

“Pfft,” she replied, and wandered off.

But she was right. And everyone else knows it too. Everyone who’s local, that is.

If you walk down Castle Douglas high street at the moment, you can tell the tourists by the fact they are wearing shorts, t-shirts, flimsy cagoules, and shivering like mad; clearly wondering why it can be so cold in August.

Locals, on the other hand are all wrapped up with several layers of clothing and their winter coats. Mind you, they won’t put the heating on until November, even if it freezes.

Despite living in Scotland for 20 years now, I have never got used to the idea of the 2nd half of August being the onset of Autumn. I was brought up in milder climes, some 400 miles to the south where it is still considered the height of Summer and the next season won’t appear for many weeks to come.

But up here my Southern upbringing betrayed me this morning as I left the house wearing a coat, but no fleece underneath it; I was chilled by the time I got home.

’t will Soon be time for Bramble Crumbles.
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16 comments

Anna van Schurman said...

So long as every summer ends with bramble crumble, it has to be worth wearing fleece in August. Or summat.

The Birdwatcher said...

Sounds just like Buxton High Street, only all the tourists have bemused "how the hell did we end up here?" looks on their faces.

Unknown said...

When I first read the title of this post, I got my pen and paper out to write down another delicious recipe of Maggie's. The Backen Dish. I am glad you translated right off the bat. At least you ended with the bramble crumble so all was not lost.

Eryl Shields said...

Backendish implies a middleish and a frontendish, but where were they?

debra said...

it's been chilly here in NE Ohio, but probably not as cool as it is where you are. We put extra blankets on the bed last night, but still keep the windows open.

savannah said...

and here we are, sugar, with the ac still running and wearing half a'nuthin when we go out! xoxxo

Kim Ayres said...

Anna - I could cope with summer ending a lot easier if summer had actually begun...

Birdwatcher - they came for the bottled water ;)

Carole - I'll check with Maggie if there are any Backen plants to harvest nearby...

Eryl - I know, we've be swizzed

Debra - I don't quite know how to respond to that one...

Savannah - it's a tough life, but given the fact I'm sitting here wrapped in my thickest fleece and wearing glves to type, I'm afraid my sympathy is limited...

Mary Witzl said...

I swear, it is different out here! I don't know why it is, but all the kids in this town insist on wearing the skimpiest shorts and shirts right up through September. I know they're locals too. Even the tourists are more warmly dressed and stare at them in amazement, as do I.

Tell Rogan I've got some tins for him when he's ready for them! If you can't come and get them, I can always leave them with Dina.

Pat said...

Now here - in West Somerset - its warm but definitely back end(we had in in Lancashire too). All the flowers and tubs are past their sell by date and the nights are drawing in. You can mention bramble but Puleeze not the dreaded C!

Kanani said...

We're entering into the hottest time of the year --autumn. This is the time when I dread the certainty of fires, of really bad air, and those evenings when it won't cool down!

Glad you liked the postcards. I have a collection of them, and it's fun to send them off!

xxoo K

Unknown said...

Yup, here too. The north side of the old maple is beginning to colour for the 'fall'.

Kim Ayres said...

Mary - ah, but kids is different. Young women are known to wander in and out of pubs in the middle of winter wearing nothing but short skirts and a skimpy top, even if it's snowing. Rogan insists he rarely feels the cold either - different metabolism with teenagers.

Pat - we were out today and the bushes were covered in brambles. Weather permitted we'll be out with tubs this weekend or next

Kanani - ok, fires. You win. I wouldn't want them threatening my house. The postcards have been brilliant - many thanks :)

Conan Drum - the chestnuts are definitely on their way out. Far more advanced than the rest.

Anonymous said...

Your summer-ending-post fit perfectly linked-into mine today. Barbara

Kim Ayres said...

Barbara - I can't imagine it ever getting warm enough to get INTO an open air swimming pool :)

Anonymous said...

"Despite living in Scotland for 20 years now, I have never got used to the idea of the 2nd half of August being the onset of Autumn."

Your affinity for southern clim's must be hardwired within ye, O' Bearded One. 20 repeats should be enough to make a dent in the neurons that fire disgruntled with the precipitous drop but insufficiently different drop in temperature.

You adapt appropriately 2 posts later - with 2 fleeces. May your winter end early with significant temperature rises - if insufficient for open air swimming. Barbara

Kim Ayres said...

You're absolutely right, Barbara. It's the 21 years previous to living in Scotland which set up the expectations of Autumn starting in late September or early October (rather than August), and the first signs of Spring appearing in late Febrauary (rather than late April)

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