LL-L "Review" 2009.01.02 (04) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 02 January 2009 - Volume 04
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From: Thomas Mc Rae <t.mcrae at uq.net.au>
Subject: LL-L Book Review Being A Scot by Sean Connery

BOOK REVIEW

"Being a Scot"

by Sean Connery and Murray Grigor

(Weidenfeld & Nicolson 2008 ISBN 978 0 297 855556 9)

  Both Sean Connery and British Prime Minister Tony Blair went to
Edinburgh's very exclusive Fettes College. The only difference was that,
while Blair attended as a pupil, Connery turned up very early each morning
with his horse drawn delivery cart deliver ing the day's  milk.  This
youngster who illegally quit school at thirteen was knighted by Queen
Elizabeth in 2000.

  Readers expecting a wealth of information on James Bond and other aspects
of his long movie career are in for a disappointment. The book is devoted to
Scots and Scotland, History, Arts, Culture, Industry, and even Humour among
many other things including the smashing of some of the many myths
surrounding my great wee country.

  Scots raconteurs tend to wander off subjects regularly, diverting to other
aspects, then finally getting back to the main point. This probably arises
from the ancient vocal Bardic tradition of the Celts and still confuses and
amuses non Scots. Connery also wanders around but stimulates our intellects
as he does so while teaching us some valuable lessons. He recounts this
minor country's very major contributions to world development, contributions
now largely ignored even in Scotland.

  Despite the accepted idea that the 18th Century Enlightenment arose in
France he reminds us that Scotland was the place from which this new
liberated culture spread around the world, including to our Gallic
neighbour.  He details the influence of Scottish architects such as Robert
and William Adam and James Gibbs; an architecture which influenced not only
England but also America and Russia. This self educated man shows greater
knowledge of the subject, and puts his messages over, more clearly than
many's an academic of my acquaintance. Like all chapters of the book this
section is profusely illustrated with photographs, plans, and paintings.

  Similar treatment is given to Painting, Sculpture, Literature, and aspects
of the Sciences while Philosophers are far from neglected. His dispelling of
myths accepted as truth even by Scots gives me the hope I can shake him by
the hand some day. The Rosslyn Chapel and Knight Templar garbage get very
unsympathetic treatment and excellent mention is made of the work of Bro
Robert Cooper, Grand Librarian of the Grand Lodge of Scotland. Particular
attention is given to his "The Rosslyn Hoax ?" From hints given here and
elsewhere in the book methinks that handshake would be far from a normal
one.

  Like a traditional Celtic Bard I now diverge back to the book's beginning
where we learn of Connery's formative years growing up in an Edinburgh slum
tenement, no hot water, one communal toilet three levels down, and onstantly
assailed by stenches from local breweries, rubber mill, and toffee factory.
We learn of his two grandfathers, one a foreman stonemason the other a
pedlar, with a horse driven cart, driving around buying rags, empty bottles,
and similar junk for sale at a collection depot.

2.

  A well known local character in those days was a carter who sold tripe, a
cheap food for poorer people that tasted like boiled toweling. He would
drive around wearing a glengarry and yelling "Cum awa. cum awa, sheeps'
bags...shite an' aw." I wonder if this was Sir Sean's maternal grandfather ?
After all the abattoir was not far away.

  We learn of his joining the Royal Navy but being invalided out, working as
a life model at the Edinburgh Art College, as a coffin polisher, semi pro
footballer, and finally a dancer in "South Pacific". Here fellow Thespians
recognised his potential, helped him lose his very thick Scots accent, and
set him on a path of self education that ended with him as a top class actor
with an excellent grounding in literature.

  Moving on to other aspects of Scottishness; to detail all of which would
take innumerable pages, let me just mention his history of the Scottish film
industry and the role Scots have played in movie making in other countries.
There is a large chapter on Sport, something I avoid like the Plague but
even here he is a fascinating raconteur. He tells of Scotland's all
essential role in world wide soccer but laments the poor showing Scots make
in Internationals despite the country being fitbaw daft.

  He recounts archery being promoted and how the Royal Company of Archers,
was set up by Sir Walter Scott and appointed the Sovereign's bodyguard when
in Scotland by the moronic Geoge IV. Thank God for MI5,6,7, 8 etc, Police
Special Branch, and SAS as that mob are hopeless! At their Annual Shoot the
safest place to stand is before the target, arrows fly everywhere else and
the winner is the man whose arrow gets nearest to that target.

  Golf gets great coverage and he is now a fanatic but it was the movie
"Goldfinger" in which Bond played against Auric Goldfinger that got him
interested. This eventually lead to him marrying a delightful French world
class lady golfer. We learn of Sir Thomas Lipton's futile attempts to gain
the America's Cup and the disgusting snobbishness of the British Upper
Classes who refused him entry to Britain's premier yacht club as he was a
mere grocer. Class distinction remains the Pox of the British Isles even
now!

  Another Celtic Bardish deviation occurs in this chapter as he tells of
Scotland's Stone of Destiny. How it was stolen by Edward 1st and placed in
Westminster Abbey, how four young Scots "acquired' it from there and
returned it home at last. Returned to England years later Prime Minister
John Major tried to curry favour with the Scots by returning it permanently
just prior to losing an Election. The Scots were not taken in.

  There is a wonderful chapter on Scottish humour in this comprehensive
volume, starting with Sir Thomas Urqhart of Cromarty's brilliant  17th
century translations of Rabelais' "Gargantua and Pantagruel" I love this
stanza...

When Yolande saw her spouse all armed for fight,

And, save the codpiece, all in armour dight

My Dear, she cried, why of all the rest

Is that unarmed that I love the best ?

3.

 Urquhart was far from the first promoting ribaldry in Scotland. In 1962
renovation at Preston Grange revealed a naughty ceiling painting from 1581
called 'Drollerie' a picture of this glorious work is shown in which a Mr
Punchlike man wearing a gigantic codpiece proudly struts his stuff. Examples
of the innumerable jokes about mean Scots are included, most created in
Scotland.

  Great music hall comedians of Bygone Days such as Sir Harry Lauder and
Will Fyffe are well covered as are contemporary performers such as Billy
Connolly and the legendary Chic Murray. I was delighted to see that my
Victorian hero William Mc Gonagall, the world's best bad poet, was not left
out.

  Sir Sean ends on a very serious note deploring the new wave of ghastly
buildings in disharmony with surrounding historical sites and describing his
unsuccessful efforts to   have this stupid policy reversed. If only those in
power would take notice !

  In a grand finale his friend Murray Grigor tells how prominent Scots were
invited to donate something they considered meaningful to a special gallery
at the New Museum of Scotland. Sir Sean offered his facsimile of The
Declaration of Arbroath, the 1320 Declaration of Scottish Independence. When
it arrived at the Museum it was rolled up and stuffed into an empty milk
bottle !

  I have no hesitation in recommending this superb book to anyone with even
the slightest interest in Scotland and it crazy creative people.



Tom Mc Rae



Regards

Tom Mc Rae

•

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