Tam's Tall Tales

- Greyfriars Bobby Needs a Nose Job


Greyfriars Bobby in Edinburgh




Greyfriars Bobby's Nose Job

The charming wee statue of Greyfriar's Bobby in Edinburgh is suffering from the shoals of tourists who rub his nose "for luck."

Edinburgh City Council recently commissioned some restoration work but the rubbing continues as does the deterioration of the statue.

A council spokesman said:" If people do feel obliged to rub Bobby's nose could we encourage them to do it gently, as it really does cause damage."

The statue of the cute Skye terrier dates back to 1873. It commemorates the story of a faithful dog who stood guard over its master's grave for fourteen years.

Debate about the veracity of the story continues. The story first came to prominence in the 1890s when Eleanor Atkinson, an American, first wrote the story which became a first reading book for a generation of many Americans. It formed the basis of a charming if sentimental 1961 Disney film: 'Greyfriars Bobby - the true story of a dog."

I know the identity of one of the mischievous students who stole the statue in the early 1960s. The prank went awry as outrage reached quite a pitch and the police were invited to investigate. The boys returned Bobby and got a stern wigging from the Sheriff for their trouble.

Please give me whatever feedback comes to mind via tamfromrampant@gmail.com.

Tam O'Ranter
May 2014

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