A trip to Dundee

The boat was out of the water last week to have it’s bottom blacked at Debdale Marina in Leicestershire, so we spent a week visiting my sister in Dundee and were blessed with gorgeous weather. 

The highlight of the week was going with Samantha to Edinburgh Zoo. All the family had clubbed together for her special birthday in May so she could have a ‘zoo keeper for the day’ experience. We were able to tag along too and be her photographers, plus, we chatted to the keepers as well. I was rather interested in the reproductive cycle of the chimps as the zoo are taking part in a selective breeding programme to be able to reintroduce some of the rare sub species. Their latest baby, whose now 5 yeas old is one of these pure bred chimps. The keeper had to find out some of my more complicated obstetric questions!!!!! To aid the breeding program the females have contraceptive implants and the males have reversible vasectomies. 

My stomach did turn, watching the small penguins gulping down whole rather large fish.

 

Samantha’s highlight was feeding the juvenile rhinos. The 2 rare, Greater One Horned rhinos were 2 and 4 years old and are living there until they are old enough to be ‘married off’. They could be sent anywhere in the world for breeding. The keeper told us about the work being done with the local people in their native habitat to try to prevent poaching.

 

She ended the day by meeting a Souther Three-banded armadillo. We were able to look at this beauty close up. Her shell had a lovely pattern on it and when the keeper put her on the floor she was scratching around looking for grubs. I though she didn’t look real, almost like computer generated animal.

 

We strolled down from Samantha’s village to the River Tay via Balgarthno standing stones, which are now in the middle of a housing estate, but would have had commanding views over the Firth of Tay when it was built.

 

We met a chap who takes his macaw out with him, he doesn’t clip the birds wings. He’s pretty loud, but I just loved having him sit on my shoulder.

Dundee has a V&A Museum now, we saw it under construction last time we visited. It is a rather modern structure which represents a ship and the welcome leaflet describes the rather small exhibition space as a ‘living room for Dundee’!!!! It rather overshadows RRS Discovery in it’s dry dock. 

 

 

I was interested in the small textile exhibits.

 

There was an electronic arm blowing huge bubbles, which was rather relaxing to watch.

We had a wonderful walk along beach and also I visited Samantha’s friends that breeds the rare Cleaveland Bay horses.

 

 

Before we snuggled the boat up at Debdale Marina we spent a weekend at Union Wharf, Market Harborough. 

 

I think our youngest daughter has a secret business!!!!

 

The Arts Fresco event was on. We thought it was an art exhibition and were surprised when we attended, it was a much smaller version of the Edinburgh Festival, with street performers. 

HMS Punafore, a “butchered and blended” version of a Gilbert & Sullivan opera blended with modern nautical tunes.

The Allotmen, vegetable nannies relocated their baby fruit & vegetables and garden to the town centre and had the kids feeding them!!!

 

Gran Turismo, grannies riding their shopping trollies.

King Brasstards, New Orleans style band which covered an array of music genres.

 

Anyone For Tennis? Which had us in tears of laughter, a moble tennis court with umpire & Russian little known tennis star Chesti Coff. They recurited members of the crowd to be ball boys & a member of the roay family to present the award to the little lad dressed as 

Andy Murry.

B Boys were stilt walkers.

Hope and Joy, brought the Austerity Party to town with their up cycled clothes & fun games for all!!

 

Flux Dance youngsters performed a very moving story of a boy who could fly.

 

The Great Fiasco seaside theatre.