St Pat

Happy St Patrick's Day! St Patrick was, of course, a Cumbrian meaning 'fellow-countryman' or Briton. All Brits to this day still share 80 per cent of their DNA, from Kirkwall to Cornwall. He was born just down the road from Moffat in a village a mere 45 miles away. In those days, in 4th/5th century, there was no country called England or Scotland therefore no border. According to today's BBCR4 Today show, the man we now know as Patrick escaped from his father's royal court to Ireland to avoid a career choice - tax collector - being forced on him, rather than (as was formerly believed) being captured by pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. Whichever it was, in Ireland, after trading in slaves, or being one for a while, Patrick returned to Britain and decided to go off to train for the church, in Rome. Wikipedia says his colour was originally blue but now it is green to match the shamrock whose three -part leaf on one stalk he used to explain the Christian concept of the Trinity. It's a lovely clear blue sky and sunny day for our Moffat Book Events coffee morning in one and a half hour's time starting at 10.30am at Moffat Town Hall. There will be a freshly-brewed batch of spruce beer from our forest and lots of delicious home baking, books (of course) a raffle and much else besides.