THE SUN MAY SHINE ON BA

It is December 22nd and the Winter Solstice. If you don't know what that means just think about the shortest "daylight" day in the year. It also means that Spring is on its way, so cheer up.

In many places throughout the world, buildings and structures are built to ensure a benefit from the rising and the setting of the sun. Some of this is based on religion, superstitions or cultural matters and of course, gives the human being an excuse for celebration.

So have a look at this website which refers to Maeshowe, in Orkney, where the sun does wonderful things to an ancient burial mound, built purposefully to make the most of the solar orbit.
http://www.maeshowe.co.uk

On the index you will see that I haven't gone all academic and am never far away from football. The reference to Kirkwall Ba' is a celebration of the island's ancient "mob" game played by the Orcadians. The website leads you to some details about the game, especially the History section and tells you all about the Uppies and Doonies.
http://www.bagame.com/

Like all football games, there is a growth in the popularity of the sport and after the long tradition of just men beating the hell out of one another, boys now play their own game and so do women. The place of your birth on the island no longer determines which team you play for and therefore the "way you go" (Uppie or Doonie), but more likely family allegiances are taken into consideration and if you are an "incomer or "ferrylouper", the route you took on arriving on the island makes a difference!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tIZ8SxemlY

Remember that this is where soccer started (and rugby, and NFL and Gaelic Footy etc etc) nand this even includes a mob game played not a couple of miles away from me in Carlecotes on Bord Hill

The Ba' and the ambulance!!