Auld Fitba'

Seemed quite appropriate, being the day of the Scottish Cup Final, to have a football themed blip today.

And this isn't just any old football; no, this is the actual football that was used the last time the two Edinburgh teams met in a cup final, way back in 1896.

Ok, that's a lie (not the 1896 final bit, that's true). The fact is it's much older. The World's Oldest even. Pre 1540 possibly. And it may have even been kicked around Stirling Castle by Mary Queen of Scots herself (it was found behind panelling in the Queen's Chambers and she was apparently a keen kicker of the pig's bladder).

The Smith Art Gallery & Museum in Stirling have organised some 'handling' sessions over this weekend where you can go and get hands-on with some of the artefacts normally locked behind glass. The place was mobbed today, which was really nice to see, as there was also a Dr. Who themed exhibition and talk going on.

It takes a lot to get Euan enthused about history sometimes, but this seemed to have done the trick. On the pre-entry survey that the staff insisted must be completed by all taking part his score of 8 on how excited he was before handling the ball went up to a 9 afterwards. You can see that 9 all over his face there. On the same survey there was a question asking; if there was one other thing in the world you could handle, what would it be? I resisted my first juvenile and smutty instincts and put down the Olympic Torch.