Sunday 30 November 2014

Shine bright like a diamond...

It’s not everyone who has a day named after them. I don’t see any Tom, Dick, or Harry’s days around and Trevor is never going to get his own 24 hours of fame. Despite this, I hate my name. It’s so average, just why my procreating creators labelled me with such blandness leaves me shaking my head in despair; such a lack of imagination, such boring conformity. But I’ve said all of this before.

Anyway, it’s Saint Andrew’s Day today – Huzzah!

Saint Andrew is the patron saint of not only Scotland, but also Greece, Romania, Russia, Poland, Ukraine (for as long as it is Ukraine), the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (that’s a mouthful) and Saint Andrew parish, Barbados - one of the eleven parishes of that Caribbean paradise.

I’ve been to Saint Andrew; it’s situated at the northern end of the island, past Bathsheba. It’s one of the more unspoiled parts with green rolling hills, dense vegetation, and Atlantic Sea views; some might even call it remote, if it’s possible to be remote on such a tiny island.

It’s been a while, but I’ll never forget getting lost and the road that we were meandering along suddenly going up and up until we came to a village that seemed to be perched on the top of a mountain in the clouds. Visitors must have been rare, because the older locals waved and the children danced along besides our jeep all smiles and braided pigtails. Barking mangy dogs ran along behind us and women in floral dresses passed bananas to us as we drove past their houses. I guess that they must have known my name was Andrew.

Shine bright like a diamond.



6 comments:

  1. Tim Preston on FB
    I remember Will Self talking about Tim Henman and how he was destined never to win Wimbledon because of his name "You'll never get a Tim the Conqueror" --- you think your name's shite? I was relatively safe until Sorry! and when Harry Enfield came up with Tim Nicebutdim then Tim was definitely a naff name!

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  2. Kevin Parrott on FB
    ........... and then there's Kevin......... I did try to fight back.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCRYp3rk0Xs

    St Kevin's Tower Glendalough Wicklow Ireland
    When I was about five, I saw a picture in a book of St...
    YOUTUBE.COM|BY SECRET GARDEN

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    1. Andrew Height
      Kevin is my middle name. So I am double sainted.

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    2. Kevin Parrott
      I never knew that Andy, your middle name...... Kevin is my middle name too. My first name is Jeffrey....!!

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  3. Kevin Parrot on Youtube
    When I was about five, I saw a picture in a book of St Kevin's tower in Ireland. I was thrilled that there was a saint named Kevin.
    However, my teacher Miss Heathcote told me there was no such saint when she asked everyone in class to stand up if they were named after a saint.

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    Replies
    1. Great video Kevin and a bittersweet tale...

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