Friday, August 18, 2017

The gift of the gab

I've never had it. The gift of the gab that is. Very shy as a child so my mother sent me to Kate Kolinski for elocution lessons in the hope it would give me confidence. It didn't. All I got was this certificate for passing the exam. 
Then as an adult I tried kissing the blarney stone - at great personal terror, you understand. I had to walk around the castle three times telling myself it was perfectly safe to lie on my back across a hole with my head leaning backwards and down into nothingness.
kissing the blarney stone
That didn't work either.

I had better resign myself to the fact that I'm never going to get it.


5 comments:

Ole Phat Stu said...

I got to kiss the Blarney Stone last year, see
http://www.savory.de/blog_aug_16.htm#20160823

But I haven't noticed any change; if anything, I'm actually quieter. Unbelievable!

Liz Hinds said...

You looked a little braver than I was and leaned back further, stu! Fascinating about the defensive spiral staircase. I never knew. So does an offensive go the other way?

Ole Phat Stu said...

The opposite of a defensive staircase is called a grand stair. Wide and open and all steps are the same size, handrails on both sides, sometimes wider at the bottom than the top.
Sometimes they descend into a wide open hall, so that guests may see the owners descending.
Example? The main oak staircase inside the Miramare castle,Trieste,Italy.
In the UK : Hereford castle and Hampton Court. In Wales, Margham.

You may have one in your house :-)

Liz Hinds said...

Unfortunately no, Stu. We're not that grand!

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

Oh I think the Blarney stone did work a bit , you know !