retiredmartin

9th September 2022. We’d ticked three of the Kirkwall Five,

and our research confirmed the Auld Motor Hoose wasn’t closing any time soon, so let’s Do the Ola (a popular dance move in 1950s Orkney).

The beer in St Ola wasn’t the best of the night (but still a cool NBSS 3), but I’ve rarely had such a joyous half hour in a pub.

Perhaps it was the collection of charity boxes,

perhaps it was the sighting of Orinoco (Flow, named after the nearby water currents),which brought to mind the warning in Haverfordwest to “Remember You’re A Womble“.

But really it was the sense of calm before the storm; with Kirkwall in the bag tomorrow would bring GBG completion, if not closure.

The Ola is my sort of pub. With the dining confined to a back room we booked for later that night, the public bar was packed with drunks life at 6pm.

The relentless 20-something banter seemed to involve taking the piss out of Stromness.

“WHY did you go to Stromness ? That is the question”

“He was seen with a young lass, about 20“

“That was ME !”. As so often, you really had to be there.

The jukebox was under the control of a young lad with a Jamiroquai hat, but we were in no danger of Jamiroquai.

“Do you like country music ?” he asked us. Well, that’s a personal question.

“I like Dolly Parton” said Mrs RM.

That seemed to be the wrong answer, and we got this, which I confess I’d never heard of.

Mrs RM was enjoying the buzz, and her Ban Yan keg, as much as I was, and a less professional ticker might have stayed for a second pint of Scapa Special.

But then someone put on Garth Brooks* and we made our escape.

*I apologise for the Garth Crooks confusion in the earlier post.