In the stars

OUR story of the girl telling the astrophysicist that she was a Gemini reminded Archibald Crichton: "I was in Northern Ireland at a party once and was introduced to a young lady from New Zealand who told me she was a Libra. I went on to meet her husband who said he was a builder and that his wife worked for him on site. New Zealand accents!"

Nailed it

OUR stories of lunches in workplace fridges helped Russel Martin in Bearsden recall: "When I was an apprentice in a Clydeside marine engineering works, refrigerated storage facilities for lunchtime food were not a concept. Lunchtime 'pieces' or 'chits' as they were known, were often taken to work in a small tin. It was unwise to leave these lying around unattended. The more mischievous of the apprentices would remove the contents and drive a six-inch nail through the bottom and into the wooden work bench, before replacing everything. Attempting to remove one’s 'chit boax' at lunchtime, to sit in a quiet corner, might lead to sprained wrists trying to lift it."

Cracking

AND our mention of firefighters cooking meals for their crew reminded one retired fireman: "Assisting the cook, I dropped an egg. which broke under the kitchen table. Apologising to him, I said I'd put it in the bin, but he said he could still use it. I pointed out that the egg was now actually full of small bits of dirt and grit but he said it'll be ok as they'll just think it's pepper. We used the egg without any complaints."

What a tail

USING Airbnb to stay in someone's spare room is a great way to travel, but it can lead to misunderstandings. One woman traveller who had booked a room received the text message before she arrived stating: "I apologise in advance. But Kevin may try to sleep with you. Just keep your door shut." Her worried reply asking for an explanation received the message: "Kevin is my dog." A good example, she says, of why you shouldn't give your dog human names.

Minister's calling

WE hear from reader Sandy Lyall, who recalls: "My late father, a Church of Scotland minister in a country parish, annoyingly, when telephoning parishioners, would not immediately say who he was. This went on until he phoned one extremely attractive lady parishioner, and when she asked who was calling, he replied that he had visited her, dined with her and even danced with her. Not having a clue who he was she asked, 'Have you slept with me?' After that scenario he changed his telephone approach."

Flight of fancy

GREAT to see all the brides in their vintage cars just now, although we didn't realise how complicated some weddings have become. As wedding planner Katie Miller from The Gailes luxury hotel in Ayrshire explained in this month's Hotel Scotland magazine: "One wedding I will never forget was when the bride walked into the ceremony and the groom wasn't there. The groom and ushers had made a video which was playing of him waking up, rushing around and going out into the street where a helicopter was waiting to take him to the hotel. It then flashed to a live video and the groom arrived in the helicopter. It was some entrance and thankfully the bride found it funny." Any other wedding tales out there?

Read more: 1954: Pre-Christmas gales bring havoc to Scotland