Friday 25 September 2009

Mark Knopfler and the Border Reivers

I've been listening to the sounds of Mark Knopfler and his new song The Border Reivers with some puzzlement. I'm a Knopfler fan, loved the music but could not make sense of the words. About seven hearings in, I mentioned this to my dh. He rolled over (we're still in bed at this point), listened and said "It's about Albion trucks called Border Reivers. Made in Glasgow. Nothing to do with your Border Reivers."
Aha. Various snatches of song became clear: "heading south from Glasgow...paperwork's all clear...my sleep times good...she's a navvy...in 1969..." Yes, it all fit.

"If you want to know more about Albion trucks," dh says chirpily, "I'll introduce you to Jim Wilkinson. He knows everything there is to know about the Border Reivers. He's got one in his garage."
Groan. My Border Reivers were some of the toughest desperadoes ever to live through history. Living both sides of the border between Scotland and England 1400-1700 they reived (stole) cattle, horses, wives, money from their own nation and from the residents of the opposing one without fear or quarter. They feature in my book TILL THE DAY GO DOWN, about to be published in November.

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