Heraclitus, Fragment 10

• Footnote – A short passageway near the entrance of Melrose Abbey features this ceiling boss ‘The carved Head of Christ’.

An intricate pattern of ribs and bosses adorns the vaulted ceiling of the presbytery.  The central boss positioned directly above the high alter is a representation of the Holy Trinity attended by two angels.  To the west is St Andrew holding the cross and reading clockwise are St Bartholomew holding the flaying knife, St Peter with the keys, St Thomas with the spear, St James the Less grasping the bludgeon, St James the Greater holding his staff and a scrip or costrel, St Paul with a sword, and St Matthias with an axe.  To the south of St Andrew is a saint holding a book.  Another boss has an angel and other bosses are carved with roses and leaves.*

*From the Historic Scotland guidebook to Melrose Abbey.

Melrose Abbey, in the heart of the beautiful Scottish Border country, was founded in the twelfth century by the Cistercian order of monks. They were drawn to this fertile spot beside the River Tweed through its intimate associations with the holy men St Aidan and St Cuthbert. The Abbey grew to be one of the most wealthiest and most majestic medieval monasteries of Scotland, and its abbey church is one of the finest expressions of the order’s ‘architecture of solitude’.*

*From the Historic Scotland guidebook to Melrose Abbey

Over breakfast we decided that we would venture across the border into Scotland to visit Traquair House which had been recommended to us by the guests we had been chatting with in the lounge the previous evening. As we left the breakfast room Toby then Leona followed us out into the porch.  They had mentioned when we first arrived that one evening a lot of guests from a television company would be staying one of the nights.  What they had come to tell us was the Roy (Chubby) Brown was staying that night and they hadn’t realised.  They told us to expect some noise in the residents lounge, which was next to our bedroom as sandwiches were being laid on for the television crew after recording his show that evening.

After this surprising bit of information we set off on what was a wonderfully sunny morning towards Scotland, passing some very beautiful scenery as we drove along.  Traquair House was very interesting and there was a brilliant maze with a twist to the solution.  The tea room was exceptional.  The salad garnish that came with my sandwich was almost a meal in itself and leaf tea was served which is unusual these days.

During our drive back to the Coach House we detoured via Melrose Abbey.  I had been once before, many years ago so I had forgotten how impressive it is.  There was scaffolding on one side of the Abbey causing me to be creative with my photography.  When we arrived back at the Coach House later than usual we were advised by Leona that dinner was to be fifteen minutes early because Chubby Brown had given them tickets for his show in Berwick.

Dinner was even quieter than the previous day, there was only one other couple dining in.  Later, after dinner, we carried on chatting in the residents lounge as usual.  As the couple we were chatting to left, Tony and Leona arrived and sat with us.  We sat up ‘very’ late chatting whilst Roy Brown and the TV crew enjoyed their sandwiches at the other end of the room.