Monday, April 23, 2012

Fled to Wed in Scotland

In 1974, they changed many of the county boundaries in England and Wales. They did the same to Scotland in 1975. Sadly, many county names became defunct.

Alas, poor Westmorland! And alas, poor Cumberland! Both of these fine old English counties became part of a new and larger county named Cumbria. However, the residents of the small town of Appleby did manage to preserve their link with the past by the simple expedient of changing their town name to Appleby-in-Westmorland.

And would you believe it? For a while, all the postal addresses in the small town of Gretna (which is in Scotland) were altered to include the town name Carlisle and the new county name Cumbria (both of which are in England). However, Royal Mail did eventually see sense and removed these English place names from Gretna postal addresses, replacing them with the new Scottish county name Dumfriesshire.

But that small bit of bureaucratic nonsense didn’t stop many English teenagers from running away to get married in Gretna – sometimes with irate parents in hot pursuit. Scottish law permits young people aged 16 or 17 to marry without parental consent, whilst English law sets the bar higher at eighteen years. Gretna still conducts over 5000 marriages each year, and all of them are conducted over a blacksmith’s anvil.

Hoorah for Bonny Scotland..!


“How far, how far to Gretna? ‘Tis years and years away,
And chaise and four will nevermore fling dust across the day;
But as I ride the Carlisle road, where life and love have been,
I hear again the beating hooves go through to Gretna Green.”


:-)

12 comments:

Dolores Doolittle said...

What a merry post, CI! And do those rousing words come with bagpipe?

Canary Islander said...

Argggh!
I got myself muddled in using the new Blogger system and thought this post was in draft. I've just now realised it got published instead, so I've hastily updated it complete with splendid photograph of the blacksmithy shop.

It seem that my trying to write stuff with a Scottish theme for JW has got me out of kilt-er.
:-)

Dolores Doolittle said...

Even merrier now, CI! (Do you have photo of kilts, perchance)?

expat said...

Behind the eight balkl again! CI, did you really elope?

Canary Islander said...

Apologies! I've been unable to access my blog for the past few days due to a problem with the sign-in to the new blogger system. Every time I signed in and made a comment, the comment vanished and I ended up being asked to sign in again!

Let's see if it is working now...

Canary Islander said...

Yippee!
Back soon!
:-)

Canary Islander said...

Nope, I've no photos of kilts Dolores, and nope, I didn't elope, Expat!

But I did come across this article in the DT that might interest you, Dolores:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/houseprices/9244152/France-faces-40pc-house-price-slump.html

And here's something for you tomorrow, Expat:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
:-)

Dolores Doolittle said...

where did my comment just go?

Anyway, glad you've overcome Blogger traumas, CI, (wish I could overcome my bloggING ones).

Thankee for link to French homes losing all value. Its seems George & I sold at a fortunate time (altho we did get a currency splat on the december exchange).

Yes indeed, Expat, have a joyous day tomorrow!

And warmest wishes to JW.

Love to all, in fact xx

Canary Islander said...

I was a Westmorland baby!
:-)

Dolores Doolittle said...

Good heavens, CI! and were you of the Kendal or Westmorland Barony?

Wiki also says they now have a beauteous flag with golden heraldic apple tree http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Westmorland

Canary Islander said...

Yes, I admit it, now that you've found me out. It is true! I was born in Kendal,in Westmorland, in 1943! Which makes me of the Kendal Barony.

And thanks to your excellent research Dolores, I now know why I like bars more than I like apples.

Being jolly-nearly-but-not-quite Scottish is great fun!.
:-)

Canary Islander said...

I hope you are birthdaying jollyfully, Expat!
:-)