GALLERY
PAGE 145

 

Dryburgh reunion, September 2003 (continued)



Robbie Dempsey writes :
"This compass plate was erected in 1926 "In memory of Sir Walter Scott from this spot he was wont to view and point the glories of the BORDERLAND"

This is the view directly eastwards from the top of the middleEildon hill at 1385 ft.
You can make out St. Boswell's at one o'clock, and - (with binoculars in my case, and magnifying glass in yours) just to the left of it you can see the college, or Tweed Horizons — as it's now called.

The Big Eildon hill lies at 10 o'clock, while the little one is directly south. Edinburgh lies 32 miles away at 8 o'clock.Smailholm Tower lies 5 1/4 miles away at 11 o'clock.

Melrose lies immediately to the north, where I found cinnamon scones, muffins and shortcake, and a large pot of tea, having climbed all 3 Eildons."

(photo source and commentary : Robbie Dempsey)


(source : Robbie Dempsey)

Front : Danny O'Hagan (left) and Tommy Kelly, followed by
Mick Creechan, Bernard Melling, Paul West, Vinnie Callaghan,
Chris Benton and one other


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(source : Paul West, taken from the 'new St Columba's')

One of two framed photographs from St Columba's WF past, hanging on the wall
at the entrance to the old Chapel.

Who donated the originals ?

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(source : Paul West, taken from the 'new St Columba's')

(L-R): Paul Goodstadt, Paul McGarraghy, ——

The other photo. Can you identify the other individual, please ?

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(source : John & Margaret Morton)

Dryburgh reunion, September 2003

Nightime view of the Dryburgh Abbey Hotel, where many people stayed over the weekend.

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(source : Paul West)

This is hanging in the old St Columba's Chapel, at the back

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(source : Paul West)

And here is the Latin version, permanently positioned in the alcove above.

Ian Scott writes (February 2010) : when I visited St Columba’s last summer with Mike Ellis et al I was surprised to see that the translation of the plaque at the back of the chapel was wrong and does not capture the spirit of the original, the idea of the stone expressing its feelings.  So, I also attach [the following] which
summarises the situation.

(My Latin is purely Classical, so someone with a deep  knowledge of Church Latin might suggest improvements) :

I heard the chants of the monks over four centuries at Melrose, and for the same number of years I saw the gloomy darkness of night.

The White Fathers restored me to the praise of the divine majesty.

Among them always the one Christ remains everywhere.

“ . .That chapel was added after the war in the time of Fr Andrew Murphy, who was to become Provincial and later the founder of our houses in Australia. It contains a stone kindly donated by the authorities at Melrose Abbey and is placed at the back of the chapel with an inscription recalling that it had re-echoed to the chanting of the medieval monks and now to the voices of our students.  “ 

(from “A History of the White Fathers in Scotland” attributed to Father Leonard Marchant WF)

1146 – 1560     Abbey  “in song” !!

1560 – 1946    no song  =  blind darkness.

1946 -               White Fathers bring song back


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(source : Paul West)

Can you believe that this is where the Chapel altar used to be ?
Probably seems a lot smaller than you remember, too.