At my wife's Masters Graduation 25 July 8

[Riverkilt]

Certainly a time to celebrate cousin, you wear the kilt proud.

And I'm adding the tartan to my list too. Have it in weathered hunting, but not "original." Really like the colors.

Ron

[An t-Ileach]

Riverkilt:
Thanks. I spotted it on the STA website, and my friends at The Highland Store offered to get a kilt made in it for me - it came out rather well.

Beedee, and Standard:
Her MSc was in Voluntary Action Management, which I understand has to do with fund-raising for charities. She did it at Southlands College, Roehampton, which was then part of the University of Surrey (Roehampton is now a university of its own). Movie buffs may like to know that the graduation ceremony took place in Guildford Cathedral, which featured in the film The Omen.

Coinneach:
Of course, the sporran was one of my own. The brogues were ex-Army: known to Quartermasters as “shoes, black, highland pattern”.

Galician:
Multiple kilt pins are an affectation, though not entirely just mine. I thought the nappy pin thing was a bit staid, and that getting decorative by sticking whatever took one’s fancy fitted the Gaelic tradition. I’ve actually toned it down a bit.

Ranald:
Thanks, Richard. It’s nice to be appreciated. Glad I didn’t eclipse my wife, though.

Macman, and everybody:
My prolonged absence has been largely a function of my wife’s studies. I haven’t been able to get near the computer except to do my emails (and BT has singularly failed to come up to scratch on the wifi thing, so my iBook hasn’t been much help – I have taken it to a couple of cafes in Chiswick where they have wifi access for customers but that’s a huge chunk out of the day – and expensive [all those coffees, teas, and pannetones to help one think…]).

Now I have to re-establish X-Marks in its proper place on my computer routine.

Thanks to everyone from my wife for the congratulations and kind wishes.