IT’S official – wool carpets are good for you. Especially those woven from Blackface wool!

New research has shown that wool absorbs harmful chemicals in homes produced by the likes of paint thinners, cleaning products and furniture glue.

Scientists at Bangor University said wool absorbed all of the chemicals thrown at it, some of them harmful, and bound them to the fibres thus protecting inhabitants from their effects.

The report concluded that the more wool you have in the house, the better it will be in combatting what is known as ‘sick building syndrome.’ Who would have thought it ... another use for Blackie wool!

RHS arrival in reverse

IT WAS an eventful Royal Highland for many and news is still filtering through about some of the mishaps.

Alex Hyslop, from Black Glen Highland Cattle, near Biggar, was taking some stock into the show – a pen of Highlanders, for his son Grant – and took a wrong turning. Unfortunately, this meant that he ended up in the airport, with a parking/pay on exit ticket to boot.

The red-faced Alex had to get a Polis escort back out ... in reverse, which must have tested his Class 1 licence! No Highlanders were harmed in the making of this trip.

Flight fright

ALSO in airport chaos was Harry Emslie, from Kinknockie, Mintlaw, arrived at the show thanks to a flight from Belfast. Only, he nearly didn’t.

A fault in one engine meant that it had to land on just one and it was a bumpy flight to boot. Harry’s suitable response: “I think I had the tap o’ a neep up the crack o’ ma erse!” Indeed.

Some Brut

And yet another airport odyssey came about because Ian McKerrell, from Islay, had left his ‘washbag’ at home.

This necessitated an urgent despatch to Margaret at home at Island Farm, and the upshot was that the washbag arrived at the show after a flight from Islay. You never know the lengths to which some people will go to get their trusted Brut 33, with which to keep themselves spruce at the show.

Two smackers are quite enough

We hear there was an incident during the presentation of trophies by Eleanor Muir in the the sheep section at Stirling Show.

Robert Bryce, who won the Suffolk championship, was duly given a smacking kiss by his ‘Auntie’ Eleanor.

When he won another award and his wife Lynn came forward to receive the trophy, the bold Eleanor proceeded to knock her aside to give yet another kiss to Robert.

Raymond Kennedy on the microphone announced that Eleanor and Robert needed to be careful as three kisses means a relationship.

Jimmy (Muir) and Lynn were relieved that Robert did not win a third prize.