Lewis Lines 2007

Lewis Lines introduction

2009-03-14T15:31:00.002Z

Lewis Lines contains all the diary entries from the former AOL Northern Trip blog. This edition shows the entries for 2006. Northern Trip was discontinued on AOL in October 2008, and moved to this site on Blogger.

The diary is presented in reverse chronological order, but the first entry can be found here.

Saturday 19/05/07

2009-03-14T15:31:00.001Z

Wind dropped away late last night and the day dawns reasonably bright. Showers commence around midday. It is actually very windy, as I find out when I go out for the papers at 2 o’clock. There is one cyclone around, typhoon Yutu, which is blowing winds of about 110 mph. Speak to old Tom about his travels down to the metropolis of Tarbert, Harris. Share some pics of Ness. He didn’t go there because it’s very windy today. Ness is sadly lacking in amenities and shelter. After supper, we wait for sunset at 10pm, before admiring the conjunction between the Moon and planet Venus. A rainshower at midnight blocks the later stages of the phenomenon. Andrew brings a pal for a sleepover – on the floor.

Friday 18/05/07

2009-03-14T15:30:00.002Z

A very windy day, with strong winds which gradually increase to galeforce. Heavy rain through the morning, which gives way to sunshine and very heavy showers. It is not very cold, about 12C. Our Australian guest is very worried at the prospect of crossing the Minch in a force 7. Our other guest, a man of 78, is off on the bus for a tour of the Westside. D calls in for a chat, and we have some salmon for lunch. It needs eating. I go into town at 1.50, as I booked the library scanner for 2pm. As I walk up the road, the ferry leaves its berth with its bowdoor not fully closed. The library very kindly allows me 2½ hours, which permits me to scan more than 600 portraits. By evening, some very heavy showers come barrelling through, and the wind reaches a crescendo. During a clearance, just after 8pm, I venture out to the Coastguard Station to take pictures of waves. It’s actually a great sight, but on leaving the seawall I do get a dousing from a playful wave. F’s kids are here to stay until Monday evening, whilst he himself travels down to Norwich to collect a new car.

Thursday 17/05/07

2009-03-14T15:30:00.001Z

The two horrible women bog off and the 5-nighter goes to Uig on the postbus. By the time his bus is due, 12 noon, the rain starts. Another guest turns up from Australia. He has been round the Westside, determined to take a better look than in 1989, when he had one look at Stornoway and hopped on the ferry. Finish the transcription project in the library, but book time for the scanner tomorrow, when I hope to have some pictures in. There is a steady drizzle when I leave the library at 4pm. Tonight’s supper is sweet and sour. Although there is a clearance around 7pm, it clouds over and the drizzle starts again at 9pm. Two tropical cyclones around: Yutu in the western Pacific and Pierre in the South Pacific, off Papua New Guinea.

Wednesday 16/05/07

2009-03-14T15:29:00.002Z

Arose a bit earlier than normal, at 9 am. Had a panick when I tried to take a picture of the Alexander von Humboldt cruiseliner. I could not focus the camera. Went through the entire rigmarole of finding out repairs, arranging for it to go back to the shop where it was bought – only to discover that it was on a setting which did not allow me to zoom. Weather pretty wet and awful. One guest arrived on the midday ferry. Two others were already in the island and behaved as if they left their wits at home. How do you open a sliding door? Sit outside in your car, ring the house and ask for it to be opened. Next thing, I play the keyboard at 8.45pm, and they come down in their pyjamas to complain they cannot sleep. Cripes. Anyway, went to the library to process more of the 1,200 names. It is very busy there with people wanting to use the internet for free to research their genealogy. Trying to pinpoint a Donald Mcleod from Stornoway is a very tall order though. Mrs B prepares a very nice lamb roast for supper.

Tuesday 15/05/07

2009-03-14T15:29:00.001Z

Quiet day, but overcast and quite cool. Drop into a Radio Scotland news bulletin, which mentions a school where exams were disrupted by an infestation of ants. When I go into town, I find Russian cruiseliner Professor Multanovskiy tied up. This ship cruises the Arctic, and is due to leave for Iceland. Continue my mission of cross-referencing the plaques at the War Memorial with the Roll of honour. I do two hours a day at the library. A lady asks the librarian to act as a doctor, by asking her to put her symptoms into the computer. You get all sorts in there. Pop into Somerfields on the way back for the usual. We’re having a ready meal for supper.

Monday 14/05/07

2009-03-14T15:28:00.002Z

The weather takes a turn for the worse, with heavy showers after midday. I find out that the 1886 Napier Commission Report is available on the Web. This historical document lay at the foundation of major landreforms from 1886 onwards. It encompasses 4,000 pages, interviews with hundreds of people from all parts of the north and west of Scotland. After Mrs B goes out for shopping, 3 new guests arrive – one is fast becoming a regular. He is a music tutor. Having printed out the transcript from the War Memorial, I sit in the library for two hours to match it with the Roll of Honour to find addresses. Manage a success rate of 70% for Point. Dinner is some of Saturday’s lasagne. Heard of a man whose plans to build a house in Lewis are in the bin, once he discovers what the view with windturbines looks like. The evening turns out sunny with cumulus clouds. Another tropical cyclone forms in the Bay of Bengal, to make straight for Bangladesh. The Regional centre in Delhi issues a warning over Akash, which will strike land as a category 1 hurricane. Spend the evening watching a performance of the Barber of Seville, a famous opera by Rossini, lasting nearly 3 hours.

Sunday 13/05/07

2009-03-14T15:28:00.001Z

A late start, after which I continue to upload pictures. I also carry on transcribing the plaques at the War Memorial – strenuous on the eyes. Weather is sunny but not warm. Temperatures have risen slightly. Madeleine McCann, now aged 4, remains missing in the Portuguese Algarve, for the 10th day running. She was left alone in her parents’ holiday apartment, with two twin baby brothers. Her mum and dad went out for the night – to find her gone upon their return. An award of £2.5m has been sponsored by several public figures in the UK. No word of Madeleine. Neither of BBC man Alan Johnston, who was kidnapped in Gaza 8 weeks ago by an Al Qa’eda affiliated group. Supper is a very nice stew with rice. An American guest arrives, who has spent a few days in the islands. She knows the Scottish islands, and will leave on the early ferry to make for Dornie, near Kyle, to explore Kintail on foot.

Saturday 12/05/07

2009-03-14T15:27:00.004Z

Fairly sunny start to the day. What also started early in the morning was the cruiseliner season. The Arielle, built in 1971, lies anchored off the lighthouse. Our Dutch guests consult me on their onward journey, which will take them through Skye to Kyle. There, they will pick up a train to Inverness, expected time of arrival there 7.20pm. Advised them to arrange their accommodation at Kyle, as the TIC in Inverness closes at 6pm. A daytrip to Orkney is not possible until June 2nd. I go into town after 10 o’clock to take pictures of the Arielle and the second liner, the Explorer. This lies tied up along the side of pier no 3, with no discernible activity on board. The Arielle ferries many of her 900 passengers ashore in tenders. No coaches are ready for them, so Stornoway is jampacked with anoraks. Several light showers com by, but on the whole, it’s a reasonably nice day. Upload all the picture of last week’s journeys which takes quite some time. Supper is lasagne. The Arielle departs for Tobermory at 8.10pm. Sun sets 90 minutes later, but there is still light in the north at 11pm.

Friday 11/05/07

2009-03-14T15:27:00.003Z

One guest goes off on the 7.15 am ferry, after being out for pictures around Harris yesterday. The Dutch folk head off on the 10.30 bus to Ness to return late in the afternoon. It is bitterly cold today, although the mercury reaches 9C, actually warmer than yesterday. The sun does come out, which takes the edge off the cold. Nip out to Somerfields for some goodies on behalf of mrs B. Dinner is a medium curry with rice. Spend several hours transcribing pictures of the plaques at the Lewis War Memorial to an Excel file. More than 1,500 names of those fallen for King and Country between 1914 and 1919, and between 1939 and 1945. Have to enhance some of the pictures to render them legible on the screen, and transcription is not easy. The sun sets in a blaze of gold at 9.30, so I can’t resist nipping over the Coastguard Station to take some pictures.

Thursday 10/05/07

2009-03-14T15:27:00.001Z

Today starts wet, initially windy, and cold. Tony Blair finally announces he will quit as prime minister on June 27th. A couple from Holland arrive on the ferry at lunchtime, with some fiendishly heavy luggage. They are disappointed in the weather, as they had expected sunshine. Send them to Callanish on the bus at 2.30, whilst the rain continues. Nip down to the shop for food and papers. A new edition of Back in the Day has come out, with another collection of old news from decades gone by. The Dutch couple return in early evening, and come to ask me for advice which I’m only too happy to give. They’ll probably be walking around Ness tomorrow. Bus service here is pretty good, but combining Ness and Westside is too much to ask. Continue to catch up with Internet activities, such as the uploading of pictures. Subtropical depression Andrea, the first of the Atlantic season, is stuttering around Florida.

Wednesday 09/05/07

2009-03-14T15:26:00.001Z

Bit of a funny day in terms of weather. Dark clouds loom to the north, and west , but there is no rain. A subtropical storm lashes the Atlantic, east of Floriday. Rise at 11, and get up to date with Internet activities. The PC needs updates on all major programs, such as Windows XP, Java, Quicktime and AVG. Mrs B’s bookings by email get sorted, and by evening everything seems to be back to normal. High winds over the weekend have burned the young leaves on the trees. F’s boys and their mates found themselves in the caravan at Reef, bothered by gales on Saturday. Ten people were in that caravan at one point. The shop is empty at 5pm. Come across D on return, and hear his latest tale of woe at the organisational incompetence of the local NHS. Dinner was a prawn, pasta and tomatosauce dish. Sunset tonight at 9.30pm. No winnings on the lottery.

Tuesday 08/05/07

2009-03-14T15:25:00.000Z

Today, our visit to Glasgow comes to an end. We take the subway to Queen Street station, and buy papers, sweets and water. The train leaves at 10.10. Although the cloud persists over Glasgow, the sun comes out over Stirling. Mrs B is trying out the mobile phone she bought at Rothesay yesterday – what is that noise in my bag? – as we reach Perth at 11.15. The Highlands close in after Dunkeld, and we traverse the lonely hills up to Drummochter beyond Blair Atholl. The railway is close to the A9, the 110 mile highway between Perth and Inverness. The train calls at Dalwhinnie, which is a tiny hamlet at the northern end of Loch Ericht, a 13 mile body of water, stretching southwest past the foot of Ben Alder. We pass Newtonmore station to stop at Kingussie. There are still flecks of snow on the mountains, particularly on the Cairngorms at Aviemore. Unfortunately, the battery on my camera runs down after Carrbridge, so I’m very limited in the number of pictures I can take. Arrive at Inverness just after 1.30pm. Mrs B goes to M&S whilst I wait at the bus station. The bus to Ullapool is due to depart at 2.35, but the double-decker coach does not pull in until shortly beforehand. It also departs from a different stance from the one on the board. Once on the coach, it duly leaves and has a struggle to leave Inverness. Showers start as we join the A835 towards Ullapool. A gentleman who appears to reside somewhere in Ness, but sounds quite English, pontificates to an American tourist, and gets it all wrong. He calls Loch Glascarnoch Loch Broom, and expects to pass a dam when we have already passed said dam. One passengers jumps off half a mile past Aultguish. We arrive into sunny Ullapool at 3.50, which leaves us some time to explore. I go to a Woollen Mill to buy a new fleece. Embark the ferry at 4.45, which leaves for Stornoway at 5.12. The first part of the journey goes down Loch Broom. We appear to hold pretty far south, and as we issue into the Minch proper, after 6pm, the northernly swell kicks in – a good 5 to 7 feet. The west coast slowly recedes as we make our way west amidst sheerwaters and minke whales. The captain asks for a doctor or a nurse on board to come forward. The islands of Lewis and Harris are wreathed in cloud and mist. Only the Shiants stand out, far south. Arrive past Point and Arnish, to dock at Stornoway at the usual time of 8pm. It is very cold, and there is evidence of recent rain. After our baggage is offloaded, Linda gives us a lift home. It is very cold in the house, as the central heating has been off all week. Have a late supper and an early night.

Monday 07/05/07

2009-03-14T15:24:00.000Z

Mayday Bank Holiday, and day 1,000 of Northern Trip.

The weather has taken a turn for the worse, and we hurriedly hare down the M8 towards Wemyss Bay to catch the 11 am ferry to Rothesay. We make it in the nick of time. The journey down the M8/A8 is uninteresting, apart from the views across the River Clyde. The brand new Rothesay ferry, MV Argyle, takes us to Bute in 35 minutes. On the way over, it starts to rain. The Argyle sails past Toward Lighthouse, with views down the Ayrshire coast – adorned with wind turbines. Heavy showers obscure the views to Loch Striven in the north and Arran in the west. We dock at Rothesay at 11.40. We drive up to Rothesay Castle, where we visit an art gallery. Right. After that, we head down to Kilchattan in pouring rain. Lunch is taken at the hotel, but it charges exorbitant prices, such as £3.50 for a bowl of soup or a cheese sandwich, or £7 for fish and chips. By 2.45, the clouds break and the sun comes out. Alison takes us round some of the sights in the south of Bute, but it’s not as impressive as Arran, some miles to the west. Return to Rothesay at 4.20, where we’re left to our own devices for 40 minutes. Mrs B buys a new mobile. We rejoin A at the Discovery Centre (Tourist Information Office). She takes us to her flat on the outskirts of Rothesay to meet her mum, aged 87. A’s flat is adorned by severely paled furniture, scratched by a cat. Have some fun playing the piano and accompanying our hostess as she sings. Leave for the ferry at 6.30, a bit shocked at the pokey wee rooms. Sad. The ferry, MV Isle of Bute, departs at 7pm, leaving behind a town that used to be a well-known holiday haunt for Glaswegians in days gone by. Rothesay boasts of its glorious past, but only has a pallid reflection of that past left. Return to Wemyss Bay at 7.40, race for the train (£5 single to Glasgow) which takes us back to the city in an hour. Train stops at every post. Weather remains wet. A very sickly looking sun sets over the Clyde at 8.45. We have dinner at an Indian restaurant on Park Road. I have a huge korma. Upon reemerging into the street, a vile stench fills the street. We nip into the pub, but I have to decline any drinks – I’m stuffed. Meet some more of Mrs B’s grandsons.

Sunday 06/05/07

2009-03-14T15:23:00.000Z

The weather has now broken, and the day starts with hail clattering against the windows. Sunny intervals also occur, but it has turned markedly cooler. We go for a walk along the River Kelvin to Kibble Palace and the Botanical Gardens. It is very green along the river banks. We pass the remains of a flintworks, which was used for making glass and china. A duck swims upriver with no fewer than 10 ducklings in tow. At the pedestrian bridge by Queen Margaret Drive, two squirrels approach, looking as if they might climb up our legs. Visit the Kibble Palace, which houses a variety of subtropical plants, as well as some carnivorous specimens. There are also marble statues. It was all restored last year, 2006. Also nip into the Botanical Gardens, with an exhibition of orchids. Stunning. After an icecream, it’s off back to Bank Street. We end up in a hefty rainshower. Some members of the island rugby team call round. At 7pm, we drive down the M8 motorway to Renfrew, to have dinner with K’s boss, SR and a few others. Starters are some fine mussels, followed by halibut, vegs and mashed potatoes. Very good. We return home at 11.30pm.

Saturday 05/05/07

2009-03-14T15:22:00.000Z

The last few days were universally sunny, but today is cloudier. M and 4 of his 6 kids come to visit. T follows in their wake, and he is very excited at the prospect of a return to Stornoway. After a lunch of cheese on toast, K, mrs B and myself go in A’s wee car to return T to his flat in Drumchapel; not a nice area. He is very fond of gardening. We then make our way to Yoker to watch a shinty match. One of the teams is a Lewis 12, who play Glasgow Mid Argyll. The islanders are thrashed 6-0, but earn a useful encounter. M and partner plus his two youngest are also there. Planes fly low overhead to land at Glasgow airport across the river. We depart for the West End. Papers are bought in Byres Road, and some shopping is done in a huge Morrison’s store in Anniesland. The sun slowly disappears behind clouds and a cold wind blows. I buy batteries for K’s clocks as a birthday present. Supper, by 9.30pm, consists of a salmon starter, followed by pasta boscagnola. I download 62 Windows updates for K’s computer through the night, which takes 9 hours on a 46 kbps connection.

Friday 04/05/07

2009-03-14T15:21:00.000Z

The news is dominated by the spoiled ballots scandal. The election results show a narrow victory for the SNP – by 1 seat. Return to the city with mrs B on the tourbus. We walk to the University, where we wait for 20 minutes before the bus arrives. Cold wind blows. Tourguide is faithfully reciting all the stops. I jump off at George Square to visit the Tourist Information Centre. Then look into the City Chambers, which is done out in magnificent marble. Have a look at Glasgow Cathedral and the People’s Palace. The latter has an exhibition on Glasgow life that I can’t do credit as I run out of time. The wintergardens are a large glasshouse containing (sub) tropical plants. The tourbus takes me back through the city, which is very busy with rush hour traffic. Tonight, we are invited for supper by one of K’s friends, S, in the Oran Mor on Great Western Road. The Oran Mor is a converted church, standing at the corner of Byres Road, which now operates as a pub and restaurant. It is very busy, and the sound of hundreds of talking people is deafening. Have soup, chilli con carne and banoffee pie. Also at the table are K’s girlfriend A, who hails from Rothesay in Bute; and S’s girlfriend, and mrs B. We leave at midnight.

Thursday 03/05/07

2009-03-14T15:20:00.002Z

There are elections to the Scottish Parliament today. K is due to assist at a polling station from 8 am onwards. Mrs B and myself rise at 11.30, when Kenneth brings us T, who stayed with us last September. He was very pleased with some picture prints. Went out into the city centre to buy a new pair of walking boots and a waterproof coat. The latter was reduced in price by 50%, so the financial damage was not too severe. Returned to Bank Street by subway. A little later on, mrs B and myself went to George Square, in the heart of the city to join a city tourbus. For £9 you can hop on and off at 21 stops for 2 days. As we’re on the last bus of the day, leaving at 4.30pm, we can’t visit anything. Tourguide Claire talks us round the 85 minute tour. Points visited: Cathedral, Merchant City, the Barras, People’s Palace, Whistlin’ Kirk, back to George Square and onto the West End via Central Station. We pass the Squinty Bridge, the Hammerhead Crane, the Armadillo (SECC) and Kelvingrove Park. We return to the city centre via the University and Sauchiehall Street. It grows a bit chilly by the end of the tour, which finishes at 6pm. We jump off at Hillhead subway to buy some fish & chips in Byres Road. The polls in the Scots Parliament and local elections close at 10pm, but the results are extremely slow in coming forth. The ballotbox for Arran is taken to the mainland by a boat which breaks down. The count in the Western Isles can’t take place, because the helicopter which is due to fly the Barra ballotbox to Stornoway is fogbound. It will now be taken north by ferry and road. The dominating feature is that 5% of the ballot papers are spoiled – across Scotland. That is 10 times more than normal, and due to a mixture of voting systems. It means that 100,000 people’s votes are discounted. Watch the results programme until 3 am.

Wednesday 02/05/07

2009-03-14T15:20:00.001Z

Get up at 5.45 am to be at the ferry an hour later. It is a windless morning with the low, rising sun in the east. Depart at 7.15 sharp, and pass all the familiar landmarks as far as Point. Muirneag passes us in the opposite direction heading into port. Can see right down the east coast of Lewis, and Skye is discernible on the southern horizon. It is very hazy indeed. Have bacon and eggs for breakfast. We reach the entrance to Loch Broom at 9 am, to dock at Ullapool by 10. The bus to Inverness is ready to board, and it leaves at 10.10. Drive up the glen to Corrieshalloch and Glascarnoch. There are still patches of snow high up some of the mountains. Wisps of low cloud hover in the east, and upon descending past Aultguish, these become a closed blanket of cloud. It is overcast at Inverness, which we reach at 11.25; the Moray Firth is full of mist and fog. My bag comes off the bus first; Mrs B’s is last. We buy a return ticket for the journey to Glasgow, which comes in at £20.05. We buy sandwiches in Marks & Spencer’s. An amble to the River Ness closes proceedings in Inverness. The train departs at 12.40, and takes us south through the sunny Highlands over Culloden, the Slochd summit to Carrbridge and Aviemore, our first stop. Quite a lot of snow on the tops of the Cairngorms. Continue south to Kingussie, which is the second stop. Beyond that it’s on past Dalwhinnie, near Loch Ericht, and over the Drummochter Pass. We come to a halt by a red signal. Notice a dead deer at the trackside, surrounded by a swarm of flies. We proceed south past Blair Atholl to Pitlochry and Dunkeld, where we leave the Highlands behind. A change of trains at Perth, where we arrive 10 minutes late. The connecting train departs from platform 1; we arrive on platform 7, in other words a bit of a walk on the overpass. Fairly busy on the service, which has come in from Aberdeen. In the lowlands, cornseed rape fields glow bright yellow in amongst the many shades of green – the leaves on the trees are yet young. A hideous windfarm scars the hillsides near Stirling. Stop taking pictures when hundreds of electricity pylons scar the skyline all the way into Glasgow. We pull into Queen Street station on time at 4.15pm. K picks us up, and we pile into a taxi to go to his house on Bank Street. It is rush hour, and the traffic is a nightmare. Arrive at the flat at 4.40pm, and am introduced to a myriad of rooms in the 2nd floor. The tenement was built in 1841. We go to an M&S food hall on Byres Road, by taking the subway (underground train), one stop to Hillhead Station, from Kelvin Bridge station, which is nearest to Kenneth’s home. A return costs 80p. The Glasgow subway is a circular route, with trains running frequently in both directions. We return to consume the goodies: lasagna and garlic bread.

Tuesday 01/05/07

2009-03-14T15:19:00.001Z

More sunny weather. It gets light at 4 am, and the sun rises at 5.30 am. The last guests depart on the first ferry. Mrs B is travelling to Glasgow tomorrow, and I am joining her for the journey. Go down to Laxay in the afternoon to have a look in the local cemetery for graves associated with the Iolaire disaster of 1919. Travel on the 4pm bus to Tarbert, which doubles as a schoolbus. It pulls into Sgoil nan Loch at Cameron Terrace (Leurbost) to pick up more youngstgers, before heading south. Get off outside the Historical Society building at Laxay, and walk a quarter of a mile down the road, as I am uncertain about the location of the graveyard. Most sheep now have lambs at foot. Go up the steep access road to the cemetery, which lies draped over a hilltop, overlooking Loch Erisort, half a mile to the south. It’s a brilliantly sunny day, with the Lochs hills standing out bright and clear to the south. Find 3 more graves in the Old Laxay cemetery. I then go to the nearby fishfarm on the Laxay River to wait for the bus. I flag down a minibus – which is NOT the servicebus. The driver offers me a lift to Stornoway. During the evening, mrs B and myself prepare for the 10 hour trip to Glasgow tomorrow. Nip back into town at 8pm for an errand, with the air full of smoke.

Monday 30/04/07

2009-03-14T15:18:00.002Z

The sunny weather continues unabated. It is not very warm, but you don’t really need that. Lorries rumble up and down to the Kielder, the coalboat, to discharge her cargo. She leaves during the evening. Jim, our guest, departs for Harris and points south. One new guest calls round to apologise for not being able to take up his booking due to a strike in the office. Two other guys do materialise after finishing their jobs. At 2.40 we go on the bus to the hospital to visit David, who is still awaiting a VQ-scan. It is warm in the ward. Meet up with David’s parents before I go forth on a walk round Laxdale. First to the monument to a Royal Visit in 1902, then up Laxdale Lane and round to the Cearns and the War Memorial. Sheep and their lambs quietly graze. I photograph the 23 plaques, which show the names of the Fallen in two World Wars. Finally, I make my way to the Waterwheel, the Golf Course and the town centre. No, I don’t need a coat today. Supper is a cook-in Spanish sauce with chicken.

Sunday 29/04/07

2009-03-14T15:18:00.001Z

Another sunny day. A Metcheck reporter tells us that temperatures in Dunvegan, Skye, have reached 20C. Here in Stornoway we’re at 15C. We have lunch in the sun outside, with a cool, easterly breeze off the Minch. I clear up round the backyard after which I siphon a winter’s worth of rainfall out of one of the canoes. It does get warm in the sun, bees are buzzing, starlings and sparrows chatter in the bushes. Mrs B daydreams about a garden paradise. Go round to Goat Island to find a cargoship tied up along pier no 3, the ferry pier. MV Kielder is registered in Douglas, Isle of Man, presumably with a cargo of coal. Went to the Goat Island jetty across a foul-smelling slipway. The Inner Harbour is full of boats today. Mrs B's 3rd son and his wife organise a barbeque for their kids in the backyard, for their children and associated pals. They once again go into the Newton Basin with their canoes. Supper is a ready meal, after which we light a fire with cut-offs from one of the bushes.

Saturday 28/04/07

2009-03-14T15:17:00.003Z

Weather remains sunny and bright. Get up rather later than Jim, who is taking my suggestion to go to Ness and back again – by return of service. He manages to get his camera fixed. How? He gets new batteries for it. I go to the shop for the essentials. An earthquake is reported from Kent, where the town of Folkestone is worst hit. Chimneys came crashing down and people ran into the road. Epicentre was in the sea off New Romney. The quake was felt as far away as Deal, but also in London, Surrey, East Sussex and Suffolk. It measured 4.3 on the Richter scale. Largest quakes in the area happened in 1382 and 1580, with a magnitude of 5.8. I apply the pressure hose to the backyard, but first we rescue 20 or 30 worms which had taken up residence under tarpaulins. Mud and moss quickly give way to high pressure water and things brighten up considerably. Frank and Linda are clearing out their caravan, which has been taking up residence in the backyard since the autumn. David is reported to be in hospital with a suspected pulmonary embolism. We go to see him after supper (clam salad). Last night, Dixie brought a bag with snapping shells along. David is even more out of breath than usual. A VQ-scan is not possible until Monday – bit dicey in my mind.

Friday 27/04/07

2009-03-14T15:17:00.001Z

Brilliant morning, and I decide for a jaunt over to Ness, at 1 o’clock. Bus is full of folk from up and down the Westside. After reaching Barvas, we stop at regular intervals to drop people and their shopping off outside their homes along the road. I get off outside the shop at Swainbost, and walk down the road into the machair. Pass fields, but only past Swainbost Farm do sheep and lambs pop up. It’s a very pastoral scene. Reach the dunes to enter Old Ness cemetery. This is heavily overgrown, and affected by sandblow. Snails sit on the stones. Birds and bees flit about, whilst the Atlantic surf roars continuously in the background. Find 14 graves of Iolaire victims, then head north to Eoropie across the machair, high above the cliffs. People are surfboarding at Eoropie beach, a bit too cold for my liking. Have some tea sitting in the dunes, before carrying on to Eoropie village. I walk past the tearoom to St Moluag’s chapel – which is locked. Peep through the windows and take some pics of its interior. Walk back to the junction, where I chat to a chap from Worcestershire, who is on holiday to the islands. Bus arrives at 3.40pm full of kiddies from Lionel primary school. As we wind our way through the townships, they are all dropped outside their homes. We return to Lionel school to pick up some more teenagers. Proceed back to Stornoway through sunsplashed countryside. Arrive in town at 4.40pm. Buy some papers then return to mrs B’s. Dinner is a stew, which is also ready for our guest, who arrives by 7.30. He is hard going. Go out for an amble at 11.30pm with him and mrs B.

Thursday 26/04/07

2008-02-29T22:39:00.002Z

Mrs B serves breakfast for her three guests, then heads for town. It's a bright and sunny day, but with a chilly wind. The wind keeps going through the afternoon. I go into town myself in the afternoon to buy a computer magazine. The regional papers were bought by mrs B. These are the last editions before next week's Scots Parliament elections, and the party-political slanging is at fever-pitch. Birds of prey across the Highlands suffer breeding mishaps. Chicks fall out of nests, and an osprey kicks its rival's eggs out of the nest. Our guest is a jolly chap, going on bustours without getting off the bus.

Click on the below photo to see pictures taken today

Wednesday 25/04/07

2008-02-29T22:38:00.001Z

The day starts with dense fog. Can't see the Coastguard Station access road at 8.10, but within half an hour, the fog has lifted. Mrs B gets numerous calls for accommodation. She takes one couple, who will be coming in from Drumnadrochit (south of Inverness) on the late ferry. Another chap is due on the early ferry at 1.15. Rain sets in at around 11 am, and it continues to pour until 2pm. The first guest, a retired railwayman, arrives at 1.40. A little later, the sun comes out. Two men appear at the door, also looking for a place for the night. Mrs B's BIL, down the road, can help out. The surfing championships at Thurso run into a spot of bother with calm conditions. We have a cook-in sauce (Classic Chasseur) with chicken and rice as well as green beans and courgettes. At 8pm, our second set of guests appear. The first man joins us for a chat, but he appears to like what comes from the inside of a bottle.

Tuesday 24/04/07

2008-02-29T22:37:00.002Z

It's still windy, but conditions improve through the day. After lunch, the sun comes out, a welcome change. Mrs B locates a high-pressure waterhose, which I use for blasting her frontsteps. Moss and dirt fly up to 7 feet high, which means I'm covered in it as well. A couple of buckets of water work miracles. Mrs B on her part is potting plants and running out of pots. Her next project will be the backyard, private now that the fence is finally up. Leaves are sprouting on the trees. Dinner is cooked by me: carrots, potatoes, onions and beefburgers. The sun sets at 9pm in a blaze of colour. Fishingboats continue to potter about the Outer Harbour. Temperatures today: 14C.

Monday 23/04/07

2008-02-29T22:37:00.001Z

The new week started with 4 call-outs for the Coastguard yesterday. A camper had falled down a cliff on the mainland at 2 in the morning, and the helicopter had to fly across to Achiltibuie north of Ullapool to pluck him off and take him to the hospital in Stornoway. Two ships appeared to emit distress signals, but their emergency equipment was throwing a wobbly. They were not in need. That walker in the Skye Cuillins was in need, and had to be rescued from his position high up. Police in Stornoway were kept busy with car-crime: one vandalised car and one botched car-theft. Two cars collided on Oliver's Brae, along the road to Sandwick, with occupants taken to hospital. Can't believe the celebrity who wants to save the environment by cutting back on the use of loopaper. Spend quite some time uploading ships' photo's to the Shipspotting.com website. The weather today is wet and horrible. Go out for papers, but that's all as far as I was concerned. Had a ready meal for supper, and watched some television. Am getting a wee bit fed up with all the election hype, but there is another 10 days left of it.

Sunday 22/04/07

2008-02-29T22:36:00.001Z

The couple who arrived yesterday leave for Harris after breakfast. The weather isn't very nice. The clouds are down to 60 m / 200 ft, and the rain starts during the afternoon. Temperatures aren't low, but don't outweight the wet conditions. The London Marathon is on today, being run in tempeartures of 21C, which is apparently too warm to run 26 miles. One person unfortunately died on the course. Not much doing during the afternoon. Dinner was spaghetti bolognese. Rain continues unabated into the evening. Read a chapter from the new book, which is an extension of Tolkien's Silmarillion.

Saturday 21/04/07

2008-02-29T22:35:00.002Z

The Italian guests leave on the early ferry, and the music tutor starts work at 8.15. A couple ring in from a campsite at Shawbost, but take their bonny time turning up. It's 12.30 before they do. Tomorrow, they're going to Tarbert, where a camping session is planned. The weather today is less than pleasant, with quite heavy rain. Temperature is about the only reasonable feature - 11C. When I go into town, I see a ship tied up alongside the ferrypier: it's navyship A229 Colonel Templar. She was here before. Found a contrasting picture of the ship when she was laid up at Hull in 1991. Do not venture out again today, apart from that visit to the ship. Received my copy of "The Children of Hurin" in the mail. This is the latest Tolkien book.

Friday 20/04/07

2008-02-29T22:35:00.001Z

Cloudy day, with some sunny glimpses. Feeling cold, with the mercury barely into double figures. Not showing my face out of doors before 6pm. Mrs B has to be in town by 11.30, but just as she is about to set forth at 11.15, a knock on the door announces the arrival of an Italian couple from the northern town of Bolzano. They haggle over the price, which is not nice and not customary here. They only want a bed, no breakfast, which is not done either. They buzz off to the West Side, and mrs B has to call a cab to be on time. Later on, she goes to buy some bedding plants. The tulips by the front door were killed off by frost. Another guest turns up, this time by arrangement. He is a musical tutor. TV is gloomy and uninteresting. Supper is a ready meal, always good. Went to Goat Island at 6pm, to take pictures of Aqua Boy, pictured below, which is on the slipway. A cormorant dives beside the causeway. Rain falls later in the evening.

Thursday 19/04/07

2008-02-29T22:34:00.001Z

Day dawns fairly bright but breezy. Mrs B's BIL is taking his boat out of the boathouse and is away for a testrun before 10 o'clock. A couple of gulls float in the Basin. Out the back, starlings are sitting on an empty feeder, until they discover some other delicacies. The massacre at Virginia Tech continues to reverberate, with footage of the gunman rambling incoherently before embarking on his killing spree. NBC are seriously criticised for airing this; heaven knows how the families of the victims feel. Go into town for some shopping, papers, batteries, and the like. It stays bright, but cold. No hurricanes at present - the northern hemisphere season starts in 4 weeks' time.

Wednesday 18/04/07

2008-02-29T22:33:00.001Z

The weather was on a downward slope this morning. Fairly bright at 5.15, cloudy at 8 and rain at 11 am. Notice a bustle of boats on AIS, with the tanker at anchor down the coast, a couple of fishing boats, the Anglian Prince and Hordafur II all in by late afternoon. Go into town for papers, and to take pictures. A Dutch couple arrive with the man wearing a Scottish National Party kilt. We have a force 6 to 7 blowing this afternoon, but he is not fazed by that. He lays into mrs B over £1, and ends up not staying. A man appeared in court yesterday after he brandished a gun at police outside his home in Matheson Road over the weekend; abusing his wife and breaking a window. Proposals are revealed to build a bridge across Loch Erisort between Lacasaigh and Cearsiadar (South Lochs; see map below). This would knock 10 miles off the 22 mile journey. The rock will come from the proposed windfarm in Eishken, 5 miles to the south. Sigh. Drizzle nearly obscures Arnish by nightfall. The news continues to be dominated by the VT shootings.

Tuesday 17/04/07

2008-02-29T22:32:00.000Z

Fairly bright day with a few light showers. Did I see hail or sleet? It's 10C at midday. A nice yacht, the Hull-registered Wetton, lies in the Basin, aground at low tide. When the tide comes back in, the owner can be seen stirring on board. When I go over to Goat Island, I run into mrs B's brother in law who'll be putting his boat in the water tomorrow morning. There will be a springtide at 8.45 am, which comes in at 5.3 metres. The forecast is unfortunately poor, with strong winds in the morning, but improving as the day goes on. The shootings in Virginia continue to dominate the news. The American bloggers have been left speechless. I add the VT-logo to my sidebar as a sign of solidarity. It would appear that the culprit was emotionally disturbed. Sunset at 8.40pm.

Monday 16/04/07

2008-02-29T22:31:00.000Z

Isles FM brightens up the day, but not if you're due on a plane in and out of the airport after 3.20pm. The airport is closing at that time, as no airtraffic controllers are available. Last night, Matheson Road was closed because a man was wielding a gun at police. Radio Scotland now offers an additional 4 bulletins through the day for regional news. A man is seen wading across Newton Basin in boots. Later on, I go out for an amble to Goat Island where 3 boats sit on the slipway. A bit of traffic (by SY standards) to and fro. It's very cold in the wind. On return, I buy papers and a computer magazine at Engebret's. A couple of showers roll by during the afternoon and evening. A neighbour even mentioned a snow flurry. A severe storm lashes the east coast of the USA. News comes through of a shooting at a university campus in Virginia - 32 students died when a gunman opened fire. He then proceeded to kill himself. The worst mass killing in US history, reviving calls to review gunlaws.

Sunday 15/04/07

2008-02-29T19:58:00.001Z

One very grey and wet afternoon. It rains steadily, whilst further south, temperatures rocket to 26C. Was offered a lift to Ness cemetery, but decline politely because of the weather. Will go later in the week. Catch up with diary entries, which now number 977. The sun comes out after 5 pm. A remembrance service was held for the 8 men who lost their lives in the capsizing of the Bourbon Dolphin near Shetland. The boat itself was released from the Trans Ocean Rather rig last night, only to sink in 1,000 m or 3,300 feet of water. Mrs B's eldest son leaves on the plane at 5.30pm. It only gets dark after 9 o'clock, which shows the lengthening of the days. The east coast of the US is threatened by a deep low pressure system, which has a central pressure of 975 mbar. M'dears, we get them down to 915 mbar up here.

Saturday 14/04/07

2008-02-29T19:53:00.001Z

Our guests return home at 2.30 am. Breakfast for them at 9.30. At midday, Mrs B, her son and myself head off to Dalmore. It is a sunny but hazy morning in Stornoway, but ominous dark clouds loom over the West Side. Drizzle spits at Dalmore and Carloway. Sheep are a nuisance on the roads. Find 8 Iolaire graves, which adds nicely to yesterday’s harvest of 4 at Gress. Children are playing in the waves – bit too cold for my liking. We have sandwiches from Somerfields, before we return to town via Shawbost and Barvas. The sun shines on Back as we descend from the Barvas Moor, but a cloudy haze rests on the rest of the island. The afternoon stays quiet, and the sun returns – very hazily.

Friday 13/04/07

2008-02-29T19:52:00.002Z

Brilliantly sunny morning. Following a hearty breakfast, our 4 guests pile into a taxi to go to the piping competition. The program on Isles FM, which was cancelled 2 days ago, will now be aired this afternoon. Temperatures 16C. Dandelions and daisies are out to greet the sun, and very large bumblebees are buzzing around, looking for a nesting site. The fence is being put up across the backyard, at last affording some privacy. Mrs B and myself head off on the bus to Gress at 2.50. I locate some more Iolaire graves, whilst Mrs B locates several graves of relatives and friends. Two neighbours from down the street give us a lift back. Catch up with our guests: one is from Inverness, the other from Harris and an older couple from Elgin. They are all quite musical, with a mouth organ and an electronic chanter in evidence. I bring out my Ceol nam Feis book, which contains many tunes as well. One of the 4 does not go out to attend the late evening ceilidh, and I entertain her until midnight.

Thursday 12/04/07

2008-02-29T19:52:00.001Z

The chap from Northern Ireland had a nice time round Timsgarry yesterday. He left for home on the Tarbert to Uig (Skye) ferry. A second guest left on the 7.15 ferry. I rose rather later than that, but decided to make the most of the weather. After lunch, I took the 2.30 bus to Barvas. I alighted at Morven some 20 minutes later, but found myself floundering through bogs behind the gallery. Found 4 Iolaire graves at the cemetery. Decided not to run the gauntlet of a herd of suckling cows to the north of the graveyard, so made my way through the dunes to the south. Arrived at the cliffs on the coast at 4 pm. Had a cup of tea, which the strong winds blew out of the cup. The swell and surf were quite spectacular. A couple had driven up in their car. Walked down the coast into the strong wind – reported to be between force 5 and 8. Reached a stretch of sandy beach, before going inland at the firing range. Came to the end of Loch Street at 4.45. The waterlevel in the loch is very low at the moment. Found lambs along the way. Waited for the 5.25 bus at the junction, and chatted to a regular bus user until that time. Returned to town at 5.40. Tonight, 4 guests arrive on the ferry who will attend the PM Donald MacLeod Memorial competition in the Caberfeidh Hotel. Canvassing has started for the local and Scottish Parliamentary elections on May 3rd. In the evening, an anchor handling tug capsizes west of Shetland, leaving 5 crewmembers trapped in the upturned hull. A small Danish vessel is alongside at Arnish.

Wednesday 11/04/07

2008-02-29T19:51:00.001Z

Overcast but dry, with some chinks in the clouds. Muirneag comes in at 8 am. Our guest is off to Uig on the first bus of the day – at midday. Mrs B’s eldest son turns up unexpectedly. Was going to relay Isles FM through the webcam, but the announced program item was cancelled. Went to the shop to get the food for tonight, a chicken curry. A plane is reported crashed near Oban, which appears to have happened on Monday. The wreckage was not located until yesterday. Those on board, an Essex councillor and his family, have all died. Fairly mild today, with temperatures of about 14C. Tomorrow’s maxima on the mainland will reach 18C. Supper: chicken balti.

Tuesday 10/04/07

2008-02-29T19:50:00.003Z

A grey morning, with more scandal and counter-accusations regarding our MP and his romp. As the morning progresses, a Belfast man comes to stay, who is all into beaches. He is off to Gearrannan and may visit Dalmore. The drizzle is never far away. A boat goes up the slipway, and is followed by another vessel. Weather deteriorates and it’s very wet when I go out for a hairtrim at 2.30pm. Temperatures about 11C form one of the redeeming features of the weather today. Have to walk round every papershop in town to find a Press and Journal. Supper: spag bol.

Monday 09/04/07

2008-02-29T19:50:00.001Z

A very quiet day, as it’s a Bank Holiday. Ferry is running and the shops are open. The scandal surrounding our MP continues to rumble. The leader of his party, the SNP, is due in the islands today. Went into town for the papers, and to view the yacht “Challenger” which I found at Crossbost on Thursday. No boats at Lazy Corner, plenty of gulls though. Posters for the elections adorn every available lamppost in the town. The weather today is not too bad, some pale sunshine and some wind. Temperatures 12C. A fish salad is our supper, and we finish off the Cava with orange juice during the evening.

Sunday 08/04/07

2008-02-29T19:49:00.001Z

The wind picked up overnight, and it is overcast by morning. Drizzle starts after midday, and it’s decidedly unpleasant. News surfaces about the MP for the Western Isles, Angus MacNeil, who has admitted to having a “three-in-a-bed” session with two teenage girls. The young ladies, both from Lewis, were chatted up and plied with booze by MacNeil in Lerwick in 2005, and things got steamy but apparently not sexual. Angus MacNeil has initiated the cash-for-honours inquiry, that has been lapping at the heels of Prime Minister Tony Blair. The girls were daughters of prominent members of society in Lewis. Easter supper is roast lamb with vegetables.

Saturday 07/04/07

2008-02-29T19:48:00.002Z

Our latest guest, a tutor for musical instruments, came in at 1.20 am. He went out again at 9.30 to teach a few more students. It’s a very sunny day, but the wind is on the increase. Temperatures reach a very acceptable 12C. No cyclones, although the remnant of Jaya may revert back to form. This system is slowly moving down the Mozambique Channel between Mozambique and Madagascar. . Nip down to the shop, where I find paper prices (for Saturday editions) have gone up. A teenage boy has hanged himself in North Uist, which has left the community stunned. At 15, he appeared to have a great career ahead of him as a sportsman. Lyrics, copied onto his website, gave a hint of the underlying reasons for his suicide.

Friday 06/04/07

2008-02-29T19:48:00.001Z

Rose after the Germans left for Tarbert. Mrs B’s nephew calls round for lunch, then takes his aunt shopping in Somerfields. I head into town to buy stamps, which have gone up in price. The town and his wife are at the supermarket. It is cloudy and chilly today. The 15 British sailors, held by Iran for two weeks, were released yesterday and are flying home today. Allegations surface of maltreatment at the hands of the Iranian authorities. At least they’re home safe and sound. That cannot be said of the 4 service personnel who died in Basra, when an Iranian-supplied bomb blew up their vehicle. The weather clears up through the evening.

Thursday 05/04/07

2008-02-29T19:47:00.003Z

Our German guests head off for Gearrannan on the 10.10am bus. This means they have to walk the last 1½ miles from Carloway. Discovered a nice recording of my favourite Easter music – the St Matthew’s Passion by Bach. Mrs B’s granddaughter calls round at lunchtime. She is off for the Easter break. I go to Crossbost on the 2.40 bus, not taking wet weather gear with me. Well, a mistake. During the 2½ hours that I was away, four showers (of drizzle) passed by. Arrived at Crossbost cemetery at 3pm, and went round to the jetty and the church after a call at the War Memorial. Found 14 Iolaire graves in the lower cemetery. Have finished there at 3.20, I have more than an hour to spare. Walked up the road into Crossbost proper, then headed north to the neighbouring village of Ranish. The sun comes out, contrasting the black patches of muirburn. Reach the shoreline of Loch Grimshader at Ranish, where two boats are pulled on the shore. Amble up the road to discover Teampuill Ranais, not properly signposted from the main road. Return to Crossbost through a shower of drizzle. It cools down markedly during the rain. Sheep wander the crofts, no lambs in sight. Nice view over Lochs Leurbost, Erisort and Grimshader. As I wait for the bus, back at Crossbost, an old sheepdog ambles by. The busdriver asked me if I’d had a nice time – yes, I found what I was looking for. Returned to town at 5pm, to buy the regional papers. Spoke to our guests, who had had a nice day over on the West Side. Tomorrow, they are going to Skye and on to Glasgow.

Wednesday 04/04/07

2008-02-29T19:47:00.001Z

Another bright and sunny day, which saw temperatures rise to 16C, the warmest so far this year. In fact the day did start cloudy, but the sun came out after 11 am. A German man and his young son arrive at 2.30 to stay for 1, possibly 2 nights. They had spent more than an hour finding accommodation. They dashed off on the 4pm bus to see the Callanish Stones – they had 40 minutes there. Go out for an amble round the Battery in the afternoon myself. Mrs B serves me another great supper at night.

Tuesday 03/04/07

2008-02-29T19:46:00.001Z

Nice bright morning, so we decide on an afternoon out. My Iolaire project still requires me to visit a number of graveyards, and I decide on Bragar. With some rolls and a flask of tea, we take the 1.50pm bus to the West Side. The early April sun makes it very warm, particularly on board the bus behind glass. As per usual, it clouds over the moment we leave town. A man flagged down the bus in the middle of the moor. He would have been at work on his peatbank. The bus goes down Loch Street, Barvas, then heads west to Brue, Arnol and finally our destination, Bragar. It’s a walk of a mile to the seashore. The grass is still very brown/yellow. Sheep graze the machair behind the loch. We have the rolls and tea in the enclosed picnic area after which we go into the cemetery. I locate 14 graves of Iolaire victims, but lichen has made the lettering difficult to decipher on some of them. I notice that the stile outside the cemetery, which was broken in 2005, has been fixed. Within the graveyard stands the ruin of a temple, Teampuill nan Eoin, Temple of the Winds. Mrs B discovers gravestones for several people she used to know. The victims of the crash outside Barvas, Boxing Day 2005, lie buried there. We slowly amble back up the hill, discovering giant rhubarb flowers. An old friend of mrs B’s gave us a low-speed lift back to the crossroads, only a quarter mile away. We walk down the road to Labost, to discover lambs, cats, and chickens along the way. The wind is cold, and was chilly right the way through our visit this afternoon. The bus arrives at 5.10 to return us to town.

Monday 02/04/07

2008-02-29T19:45:00.002Z

It’s a wee bit dreich to start the day, and it drizzles through the afternoon. Our regular man from Skye comes to stay for a day or two. I go out for shopping at around 2.30pm. First port of call is the filling station to pick up some tourist information leaflets. Then it’s down Sandwick Road, Lewis Street, Church Street to Kenneth Street where I see the opticians about a repair to my glasses. Came back via Somerfields. The Ronja Commander is in port. Later on, a yacht trundles into the basin, ready for summer frolics on the high seas. An earthquake in the Pacific generated a tsunami, which killed about 34 in the Solomon Islands.

Sunday 01/04/07

2008-02-29T19:45:00.001Z

Cloudy day, but fairly bright. Not too cold, about 10C in the afternoon. Overnight lows have been near freezing. Read about high temperatures in Moscow, 17C. Over in Siberia, the cold spot Oimyakon will see temperatures rise to the dizzying heights of -4C this week. I took 464 pictures last month. The tanker Clipper Highlander comes in at 4.30, after spending the afternoon at anchor off the Braighe, waiting for the pilot. Google’s April Fool related to a broadband system, which operates through your plumbing and out of your toilet. Supper was very good. Go out at 8 o’clock for a sunset amble to the Coastguard Station and Goat Island. The moon rises over Lower Sandwick as I make my way there.

Saturday 31/03/07

2008-02-29T19:43:00.003Z

Nice bright day, not too cold. It’s generally mild across the country. Go into town to pick up a wad of new timetables for buses and ferries. Nip into An Lanntair to view an exhibition of artworks, made by users of a daycare centre in Culregrein – Gaelic for Back of the Sun. That’s also the name of the exhibition. Draw up a tourist’s timetable, which would allow them to view the 6 sites on the West Side within one day. Chicken korma for supper, after which we sit through that unsufferable Jamie Theakston and his witless People’s Quiz that wraps around the lottery draws. Eugh. The moon is out late at night. Two cyclones: Jaya near Madagascar and Kong-rey, a nascent typhoon in the Pacific.

Friday 30/03/07

2008-02-29T19:43:00.001Z

This week, we had two guests in, who are both leaving tomorrow morning. One is an educationalist, who went round the island’s primary schools, introducing the youngsters to the art of radio making. He used sat-nav to get around Lewis. I found that hard to believe. The other was a birdwatcher. Mrs B gets a steady stream of requests for accommodation. She has kept a B&B for nearly 4 years, during which she has had more than 500 guest, staying more than 900 nights. Two thirds came from the UK, of whom 2/3 came from Scotland and the majority of those from the area in and around Glasgow.

Thursday 29/03/07

2008-02-29T19:42:00.001Z

Cloudy and quiet day, which sees the National Trust coming out with an appeal to preserve peatbogs. That’s interesting, because the building of the windfarm would see the removal of huge amounts of peat. The Health Board reached the news for the right reasons, because they opened the Renal Dialysis unit at the hospital here in Stornoway, after years of campaigning. Nip out to get the regional papers, which come out on Thursday. The crisis surrounding the British sailors captured by Iran continues to rumble. Fingers crossed for a good outcome. The festering sore of Iraq is more than enough in that region. TC Becky dissipates before reaching New Caledonia. Continue the battle against the spyware.

Wednesday 28/03/07

2008-02-29T19:41:00.002Z

No sun this morning, and by lunchtime we have a period of rainfall. Mrs B’s nephew calls round to proudly show off his new wheels. He takes us out for a spin across the moors to Barvas, 11 miles away. The rain moves away east upon our return. Traffic measures have been announced for several streets in the town centre. Keith Street and Lewis Street will become one-way and restrictions on parking will be implemented elsewhere. It turns markedly colder following the passage of the front earlier. New Caledonia, in the South Pacific, is bracing itself for the arrival of tropical cyclone Becky, which passed the northern islands of Vanuatu yesterday. After 6 o’clock, the sun comes out, and the day ends on a nice note. News came out that the Arnish Fabrication Yard will reopen next week, with 10 new jobs immediately, and another 40 later on. Whether local people will chance their luck after two previous tenants went bust remains to be seen.

Tuesday 27/03/07

2008-02-29T19:41:00.001Z

Another sunny day, but this time it’s very hazy. Mrs B and myself go out for lunch at the Woodlands Centre. We set out at 1.15pm and reach there down Kenneth Street at 1.40. It’s a beautiful spring day. The meal, a coronation chicken baguette for me and a salmon dish for mrs B, fills us both up. By nightfall, smoke can be seen rising from the Arnish hills behind the Fabrication Yard. After dark falls, the flames show up like red spots on the moors. Still battling with the spyware infection.

Sunday 26/03/07

2008-02-29T19:40:00.002Z

Another brilliantly sunny day, which I start late. Local news is dominated by political scandal. Went out for a walk along a sun-splashed South Beach. It’s quite mild out in the sun, with only a little wind. Gulls sit on the quayside behind Amity House. Return via Somerfields. It’s very quiet along the streets and in the shops. Our guest went to Tolsta Beach first thing before departing on the ferry. Another guest will take his place later in the day. The weather forecast for tomorrow will be more of the same. Beautiful sunset, during which we enjoy my hotchpotch meal. Am annoyed to find the spyware still prancing around the PC, so out come the big guns.

Sunday 25/03/07

2008-02-29T19:40:00.001Z

Absolutely gorgeous day, with not a cloud in the sky. Our guest heads out for a walk to Gallows Hills, a viewpoint across the harbour from our position. I go out to Goat Island for an amble, which is very pleasant. Go right out to the end of the jetty. The boat that was blown onto its side on Goat Island has now been righted. Spend the afternoon cleaning the PC of spyware and find a handful of nasties. Earthquakes shake Japan, leaving 1 person dead and 170 injured. Supper is pork chops with vegetables and mashed potatoes. Sunset at 7.50pm, after the clocks went forward 1 hour overnight. A new tropical cyclone has formed off northwestern Australia.

Saturday 24/03/07

2008-02-29T19:39:00.003Z

We had this idea to go to Bragar for the afternoon, but mrs B remembers a guest is due in the afternoon. Bearing in mind that the bus back does not return until 5pm, we decide to cancel. Just as well, as the chappy turns up at 3.15pm. Our Swiss guest has had 3 days spoiled on his holiday by food poisoning down in Mallaig and Skye. He walked from Tarbert to Balallan, 20 miles. The only problem was that mountain (the pass over the Clisham). Oh aye, you climb 600 feet up the hillside and it’s steep. It’s a nice day today, but with a very cold easterly wind. A fire is lit after nightfall. We win nothing on the lottery. Our guest joins us for a wee while during the evening.

Friday 23/03/07

2008-02-29T19:39:00.001Z

Stories begin to circulate that there is a fuel shortage in Stornoway. Our tanker had technical difficulties, only to be further delayed by the bad weather. Non-leaded is not to be had for love nor money. The captain to the Pakistani cricket team, in the West Indies for the world cup, has been found murdered in his hotel room. It’s just not cricket. Mrs B gets increasing numbers of bookings for the coming weeks. In the afternoon, I go for a walk out to the Waterwheel, along the Golf Course. Trying to get that perfect pic of the building sees me landing knees-first into the mud. As I try to wash the mud off my trousers, the hankey I’m using falls into the millrace and gets carried away at 3mph. Have to fish it out of the millpond using a stick of gorse. Return across the Golfcourse to the Trading Post to purchase lottery tickets. Then return to base along Matheson Road. It’s just past 3.30pm, and school children are all over the town. It’s feeling quite chilly in the breeze now. Sunset at 6.45pm, which does keep it light until 7.15. Supper was a very spicy Thai curry.

Thursday 22/03/07

2008-02-29T19:38:00.001Z

Nice sunny start to the day, with some mid-level cloud around. It’s good to see the sun again, even though it’s not very warm. Remove a lot of rubbish from the backyard that’s blown in on the wind. Sends you wondering why people can’t dump their crisp bags in a bin. Mrs B gets a Rug Doctor, a carpet cleaner. It is a back-breaking chore, but after refilling the machine with 9 litres of detergent the carpets look a lot brighter. The regional papers don’t have a lot to report today, apart from political stories related to the forthcoming elections to the Scottish Parliament, which will take place on May 3rd. Beautiful sunset, not a cloud in the sky.

Wednesday 21/03/07

2008-02-29T19:32:00.002Z

The frost has lifted by morning, leaving an overcast and increasingly wet morning. Although it is a little less cold than of late, there is a very strong wind which offsets that benefit. After a little housekeeping, such as applying a hoover and watering plants, I get the papers at 2.30pm. This is once again low tide time, but the water is more than a foot higher, and the scallops are under water - if any there be. Two guests arrive to stay the night, from South Uist. A steady trickle of telephone bookings fill Mrs B's diary for spring and summer. A story pops up that the location for the interconnector could be Gravir, South Lochs. Fancy a large electricity sub station plus dozens of pylons across Lochs. Don't think they thought about that. Supper is chicken karai, a very nice curry.

Tuesday 20/03/07

2008-02-29T19:30:00.002Z

Brilliantly sunny morning, interspersed with the odd flake of snow. Some snow continues to lie in the shade. Temperatures hover between 3 and 5C. Am surprised to find the Isle of Lewis ferry still alongside - it never sailed at 7.15 am. It does go at 1.45. I go out myself to the basin to see if I can cross to Goat Island. Answer NO. A deep channel runs from the main body of water into the harbour, some 6 feet below. Collect 8 scallop clams, which lie about snapping in mrs B's kitchen, until she turns them into a nice starter. Scallops taste sweet, and only need 3 or 4 minutes in the frying pan. The orange "coral" is not commonly used; it contains the scallop's organs and can be very rich. Main course is chili con carne, but it leaves me pretty full up. Sunset 6.40pm.

Monday 19/03/07

2008-02-29T19:30:00.001Z

Today is a litany of hail and snow showers. The hail does not lie, but it is very cold, particularly in the wind. Nonetheless, I take it upon myself to wash the salt off the windows. This was left there by the seaspray in the gales over the last few days. Today is the 4th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. Nip down the shop for some bits and pieces, but can’t wait to get back inside. As the afternoon progresses, the hail turns to snow. Major disruption is caused to traffic in the Highlands, and our ferries are off.

Sunday 18/03/07

2008-02-29T19:29:00.002Z

Ferry returned from Ullapool at 2.45, after the overnight storm abated. Winds reached 75 mph on North Rona, and the Eoropie weatherstation is out of action. Through the afternoon, heavy hail- and snow showers pass. Temperatures are actually well above freezing (4C), so the snowflakes are large. Snow lies on the tops of the Arnish hills, which are 60 m / 200 ft high. Supper is spaghetti Bolognese. I continue to process my pictures on YouTube. Only June, July, October and November left to do. That’s still about 1,500 images.

Saturday 17/03/07

2008-02-29T19:29:00.001Z

After a reasonable start, the weather turns quite unpleasant. Go out for some shopping, and it’s mild and calmish. Leave the Baltic Bookshop and find that the wind has picked up to a near-gale, and hail and snow is strafing the streets. Curtains of hail sweep Cromwell Street, hunching shoppers into submission. Buy two new T-shirts at Mackays, and trawl the stationers’ shops for record cards of a size that nobody appears to stock. Pick up lottery tickets in Woolies, then leave the town centre. My hanky flies down an alleyway beside a restaurant (which I won’t name). I have to retrieve it from the edge of a puddle that shows a foam of food remains. Eugh!! The wind is very cold. Four ships are sheltering in Broad Bay. The ferry is cancelling its 5.15 sailing out of Ullapool this evening. Some say it may not return until Tuesday. Supper tonight is roast lamb with vegetables, very nice. No winnings on the lottery. The BBC wasts hours of its time on a selection for that tired old chestnut, the Eurovision Song Contest. It is hosted by that tired old fart Terry Wogan, who gets the name of the winning group wrong. Had more fun watching Comic Relief, where Prime Minister Tony Blair took on Lauren Cooper, officially known as comedienne Catherine Tate. Am I bovvered? Dozens of versions turn up on YouTube.

Friday 16/03/07

2008-02-29T19:28:00.003Z

Very poor weather to start with, heavy rain and strong winds. It’s pretty cold. The wind causes disruptions on the ferry, with the afternoon sailings an hour late. The rain changes into heavy squalls and the sun comes out every now and again. Sunday will see a late return to wintry conditions. Indlala is dissipating over Madagascar. Its impact is the 6th hammerblow to the island nation this season. Go to Somerfields for the weekend shop. Going there on Saturdays is sheer hell. Spend quite some time processing my pictures on Flickr.com, mapping about 3,000 of them. Yes, I’ve taken well over 6,000 pictures.

Thursday 15/03/07

2008-02-29T19:28:00.001Z

Very bright morning, but with some bright wintry showers. The oilrig has departed for Ireland. Its tugs changed crew and called ashore for Stornoway black pudding. The showers contrast sharply with the sunny intervals. Go into town after 3pm to buy the papers, and a CD with Runrig music. Hop into the Castle Grounds and walk round to the Castle and down to Cuddy Point before retracing my steps. Flowers are coming out and plants are reawakening from a long wintersleep. Return to town via Kenneth Street, where the Catholic Church is nearly completely rebuilt following a destructive fire in December 2004. Calmac announces that Muirneag will not sail for Ullapool tonight due to bad weather. Next week will see significant falls of snow. Cyclone Indlala has made landfall over northern Madagascar with winds of 125 knots. These are now decreasing rapidly.

Wednesday 14/03/07

2008-02-29T19:27:00.003Z

Although the day starts fairly bright, it clouds over later. The pigeons are definitely an item (aww) but I do hope they won’t nest on the house. Nesting pigeons are horrendously messy. I make it to Somerfields and back in 14 minutes flat. Parliament votes in favour of an upgrade to the British nuclear deterrent, Trident. Interesting piece of politics at work. Supper was a blazing hot madras. The Ocean Viscount ventures into port as far as Glumag Harbour. I scoot out at 6pm to take some piccies. This boat is one of the auxiliary vessels with the oilrig that is still at anchor off Lochs. No winnings on the lottery tonight. Winds are strong today, and rain follows later in the evening. Two guests arrive at 10pm, who were out delivering a piano to a house in Tolstachaolais.

Tuesday 13/03/07

2008-02-29T19:27:00.001Z

Heavy rain overnight gives way to a bright sunny morning. A tropical cyclone heads for northern Madagascar, threatening winds in excess of 125 mph. Hope they get the warning. A pair of doves is cooing in the backyard as we replenish the bird feeders. Do some shopping for mrs B, who leaves the heavier items for me to pick up. The wind is cold, and I’m glad to get back indoors. Tonight’s supper is pork fillets with macaroni and ratatouille.

Monday 12/03/07

2008-02-29T19:26:00.003Z

You think it’s going to be a nice day when you wake up at 8 am, and the sun is out. Not an hour later, it pours down with rain. Later showers even contain show, and mrs B is very cold on return from a mission to town. The live-fish carrier Aqua Boy leaves port as the oilrig remains in situ. Its tug Far Forsna comes into port. The showers are quite intense and have a great cloudscape. Find confirmation in the papers that the fisherman who was unwell off Eigg last week was in fact based on the island. He lost 3 fingers in a winch. I have met him personally years ago. During the afternoon, I venture out for an amble round the Battery as far as Sandwick Cottage, just before you reach the beach. A shower moves in and blows up, but at the worst of it, I’m in the lee of the houses in Builnacreig Road, on the Battery. A nice rainbow follows. Mrs B prepares a very nice stew for supper.

Sunday 11/03/07

2008-02-29T19:26:00.001Z

A very wild night with wind and rain. After a final downpour, the weather settles down to a pale, sunny afternoon. TC Jacob is reduced to a tropical storm, which will bring gales to Western Australia but nothing more. The stream from ABC Northwestern is not working. Attend the Journals Tournament chat on AOL. Mrs B’s son plus family call round for their showers. Dinner is savoy cabbage special. A bit of sunshine through the afternoon, until the sun sets at 6.15pm. The rig remains on the horizon, illuminated at night.

Saturday 10/03/07

2008-02-29T19:25:00.001Z

The oilrig is just visible, but frequent drizzle and rain often obscure it from sight. It’s milder than of late, about 11C, and it stays that mild until midnight. However, it’s not to last. TC Jacob is bearing down on Karratha, Western Australia, but appears to be weakening. Workers express their disgust at being housed in prefabs, in the face of 170 mph winds. Rain is pretty persistent here through the afternoon, and is quite heavy as I go down the shop for papers and a savoy cabbage. Tonight’s supper is a curry and rice. Win £10 on the lottery!

Friday 09/03/07

2008-02-29T19:24:00.000Z

Clear start to the morning, when an oil drilling rig can be seen on the southeastern horizon at 6.30 am. It is moving slowly south, and comes to a standstill just to the left of Arnish. AIS reveals its position as between Ranish and Marvig. The rig is the Sedco 711, a semi-submersible platform. It is towed by tugs Far Sky and Far Forsna. These boats are anchor-handling vessels, capable of dealing with anchors up to 22 tons. The rig is destined for the Corrib gasfield off Killybegs, Co Donegal, Ireland. The ensemble of boats, which also includes the safety vessel Ocean Viscount, could be seen off Tolsta Head late last night. Weather worsens through the morning as short, sharp, wintry showers move across. TC George has claimed 3 lives in Western Australia and caused a lot of damage. It is still packing winds of 90 knots, 105 mph, in the interior. TC Jacob is heading for the same area, due this weekend. The Far Forsna comes in for a bit, to swap places with the Far Sky later in the day. Rain starts after dark and the wind picks up to force 6. Dinner was a creditable cheese, tomato and macaroni dish, which left me full up. Rain and wind continue through the evening.

Thursday 08/03/07

2008-02-29T19:22:00.001Z

Today is grey and increasingly windy. Even more windy is the town of Port Hedland, Western Australia, which gets a late evening visit from TC George. Winds screech up to 275 kph. I am able to listen to the local radio station on-line, and keep up to date with the hurricane warnings. The weather station at Port Hedland gets knocked out by the extreme conditions. Winds here touch galeforce. In New York, 8 children die in a house fire. Rain commences at 3.30pm, and it’s pouring down. Went out for some shopping at 4 o’clock, and found the wind more of a problem than the rain. At Eoropie, gusts reach 78 mph. At 7pm, the winds drop away to force 3, 10 mph. The ferry sailed through all of that, to return on time at 8pm. Over in Australia, TC George has left a trail of devastation, injuries and at least one death.

Wednesday 07/03/07

2008-02-29T19:21:00.002Z

Nice and sunny morning, with cumulus clouds slowly increasing, as does the wind. A dog plays in the water at Goat Island, and I mistakenly think it’s a seal hauling out. A clump of rocks completes the illusion. Elections take place in Northern Ireland today, for a renewed attempt at devolution. Northwestern Australia is bracing itself for Tropical Cyclone George, which appears to be heading for the Pilbara region, east of Exmouth. Mrs B went to the shops this morning, leaving me to get the papers in later in the day. Papers are not available until after 10.30. A guest calls in to stay the night, who will go on the 7.15 am ferry. Our long stay guest, who has been on an engineering course at Lews Castle College since December, will be leaving for the final time on Friday. Mrs B cooks him a nice stew.

Tuesday 06/03/07

2008-02-29T19:21:00.001Z

A very wild night with torrential rain and high winds. Out at Eoropie, winds go up to 85 mph. Down here, we keep it at 48 mph. At 5 am, waves crash over the Goat Island causeway. When the ferry returns from its overnight stay at Ullapool, she has to go for shelter along the Lochs coast, further south. Some 15 miles to the south, the Isle of Lewis turns back and manages to make the port at 2.45pm. Rain is torrential by that time. I go to Engebret’s filling station to get the papers, and have to go to Somerfields for the second one. The sun comes out by that time and the winds drop away. Swells crash onto Holm Point, almost overtopping the 60 ft high cliffs. Ferry leaves at 3.30, nearly 2 hours late. Can’t be nice crossing the Minch today. Supper is chilli con carne and peaches, which we have at 6.30, when it’s still a little light.

Monday 05/03/07

2008-02-29T19:20:00.001Z

Winds reach 48 mph at Stornoway overnight, which is force 9, severe gale force. Eoropie saw winds of 56 mph, gusting to 77 mph. A near-gale, force 7, persists through the day. The Braighe road, linking Point to mainland Lewis, was closed because of flying debris on the roadway. Today, the First Minister for Scotland, Jack McConnell, visits Lewis. He will open the Creed Park recycling facility. The afternoon ferry from Ullapool is cancelled due to the high winds. A large fishing boat, the Libas, is docked alongside no 3 pier. Have trouble understanding the newsreader on Isles FM who cannot pronounce the word ‘protection’. The wind makes it feel very cold outside.

Sunday 04/03/07

2008-02-29T19:19:00.000Z

An overcast and breezy day, a sharp contrast to last night’s glorious eclipse. Apparently, many people stayed up late across the country to watch the spectacle. The mountains have seen lucky escapes. A Russian woman broke her leg on Ben Nevis and spent 18 hours in temperatures of -5C / 23F. She had sent a text to her boyfriend in Northern Ireland, but language difficulties left the message unclear. Another climber became unwell on the mountain, whereas a third got caught in an avalanche. The day ends with a fantastic sunset, which augurs very poor. The wind picks up through the evening, to touch galeforce by midnight. Supper is a very nice steak in cream and whisky sauce, with vegetables and fried chips.

Saturday 03/03/07

2008-02-29T19:18:00.000Z

Bright morning but with some ominous skies. The showers skirt us for the most part. Fortunately, they die out after nightfall, leaving us with mainly clear skies for the eclipse. News today mentions that the inquest into the death of princess Diana 10 years ago will be attended by a jury. And a celebrity marriage which was brought forward by a day to thwart the paparazzi. Dinner consists of a ready meal. Then, at 9.30pm, the eclipse commences. It is very cold outside, but I pop in and out until 10 o’clock. Head over to the Coastguard Station and Goat Island. At 10.40 I return to Mrs B’s and the eclipse reaches totality, which lasts until midnight. A passing shower at 11.30 limits visibility. As I’m sitting out on the wall, with the camera on a tripod, passers-by are bemused by the spectacle.

Friday 02/03/07

2008-02-29T19:17:00.000Z

Sunny morning after the mercury dropped to -2C / 28F overnight. High level cloud slowly increases as a weatherfront is due in later today. Hope it passes in time to leave us clear skies for tomorrow’s eclipse. Rain starts later in the afternoon, after I’ve been into town for papers and the lottery. The Gazette and other regional rags only came today for some obscure reason. The AIS website now gives a detailed view of Stornoway Harbour as well as other ports around the north of Scotland. Sunset now at 6pm, and it's not even fully dark by 7 o'clock.

Thursday 01/03/07

2008-01-29T22:26:00.001Z

Started to make diary entries in book 11 today at page 1507.
Nice sunny start to the day, but there is a threat of showers. Mrs B receives the filters for her cookerhood, so that is fully functioning. Providing the things don’t fall out – one of them got bashed in transit. The ferry is late getting in at lunchtime. The delay may have been due to the articulated lorry carrying hay, which comes every week. The lorry always comes up the back street. I’ve been asked to write a summary of my findings in HMS Timbertown for a book that the webmaster is writing about the English Camp in Groningen, Holland. Go to Somerfields for some shopping and the Thursday papers – which have not yet arrived. The shelves are also a bit bare, but then the lorry for the supermarket still needed to be unloaded. Sunset times are now close on 6pm as we move into the month of Spring. TC Gamede is on its way out, although one ship still reported 57 mph winds nearby.

Wednesday 28/02/07

2008-01-29T22:25:00.003Z

Better day than yesterday, with good sunny intervals and scattered showers. A pipeband has been told to wear earplugs, because the pipes produce 108 dB of noise, and the snaredrums 122 dB. A baby aged 6 weeks has had to be airlifted from her home in Barra to Glasgow, after her twin brother died of an unidentified illness. A fisherman became unwell off Eigg. His crew sailed the Kestrel to the island, where dr Weldon administered first-aid, until the Stornoway Coastguard helicopter took him to Glasgow. Gamede is receding south from Madagascar, after battering La Reunion for 4 days. The showers here intensify through the afternoon as the weather glass sinks to 960 mabar. During a clearance, I head into town to look up the bibliography for my HMS Timbertown project. The Roll of Honour was published twice, in 1915 and in 1920. It is a sad document to read. I make supper tonight, which is Hotch Potch with beefburgers.

Tuesday 27/02/07

2008-01-29T22:25:00.001Z

Quite a contrast to yesterday: pouring rain until about 3.30pm, followed by showers and rising wind. Temperatures jumped from 5 to 10C between 2 and 3pm. Gamede is finally on the move again, as the authorities over in La Reunion are blessing their luck. If their island had lain but 200 km to the northwest, they would have had 110 mph winds for 4 days. Don’t think that would have left much standing. Australia needs to watch something nasty bubbling up south of Papua New Guinea. Head out at 2.30pm to see a presentation in the Town Hall. The idea is to create one-way streets, which would free up parking spaces. Kenneth Street as a major thorough-fare? What a disaster. Lewis Street and Keith Street are residential streets as well, and their junctions with James Street are awkward. Watch an episode of Forensic Detectives with mrs B. A boy of 8 weighs 90 kg and he won’t eat anything but junk food. Not good. If his mum can’t stand up to him, well, there’s a problem. Supper was a nice madras with chicken, bit spicey. Quiet evening with nothing worth watching on TV.

Monday 26/02/07

2008-01-29T22:24:00.001Z

Brilliantly sunny morning, but cloud bubbles up towards lunchtime. This gives rise to an odd shower over Arnish. Lunch was a portion of yesterday’s lasagne, after which I go to the sorting office on Sandwick Road to post a late letter for mrs B. I then take an amble around the older buildings of the Nicolson Institute across the road. The clocktower carries a commemorative plaque above the door, shown in piccies. I walk around the site for pics of other prominent buildings. Continue down Francis Street, where the Western Isles Museum stands, formerly part of the Nicolson as well. Get papers in the Baltic Bookshop (also known as Roddy Smith’s). Report into the Cumbrian railcrash states that a points failure is the most likely cause of the crash – a failure caused by poor maintenance. Smacks of the 2002 Potters Bar crash. The afternoon is cold but fairly bright. Mrs B and I refill the birdfeeders. Later on, temperatures fall to freezing after supper – which was soup and rolls.

Sunday 25/02/07

2008-01-29T22:23:00.003Z

Grey weather today with occasional rain. Mrs B has a spot of bother when a rubbish sack turns out to be bottomless. The Landward programme on BBC 1 is quite gory and gruesome, talking about docking puppies’ tails and showing a man who collects dead lambs in fields to stuff them. Oh yuk. Gamede is slowly moving away from Mauritius and La Reunion, although the winds only drop down slowly. Rainfall totals exceed 1,000 mm, 40 inches. Folk in Mozambique want to know if Gamede will come their way – no it won’t. The sun comes out a few times, but a cold northerly wind drives down temperatures. Rain also falls now and again. Supper is lasagne. And during the first year, I took 5,700 pics with my camera.

Saturday 24/02/07

2008-01-29T22:23:00.001Z

The Cumbria traincrash has sadly claimed one life, a lady aged 84. Rescue services had quite a job reaching the stricken train. Helicopters had to fly in to floodlight the scene, local farmers used their tractors to tow fire-engines and ambulances to the crash-site. Passengers were taken to local farms and given cups of tea amidst the cows. Initial reports say that the train appeared to hit something at 95 mph, then it swayed violently before toppling over. Up here, it’s a quiet morning with little wind. A powercut occurred at 3 am. The weather is cloudy with a little drizzle around lunchtime. Mrs B selects 20 out of my 6,300 pictures. I have picked 37 which I have printed off at the photographer’s. Mrs B goes for a flutter on the horses; I stick to the lottery. On La Reunion, an orange and later red alert is declared as cyclone Gamede approaches. Winds up to 125 mph are expected. The stream of viewers on the TC blog continues, and I relay warnings for both Mauritius and La Reunion. Head out for papers and the April edition of a computer magazine – full of Windows Vista. Mrs B entertains a relative this evening.

Friday 23/02/07

2008-01-29T22:22:00.003Z

Fairly bright if overcast morning. A local engineering business collapsed on Monday, leaving 60 odd people out of work. Outstanding contracts were still being finished. There will be an open day at the Town Hall on Tuesday to view plans for the town centre’s future. There is talk of a one-way system and an increase in parking places. The Health Board has a meeting on the same day about plans for its future services. Now that Favio has gone inland and dissipated in Mozambique, attention shifts to Gamede, bearing down on La Reunion and Mauritius. I spend about an hour collating the info, and notice about 12 hits an hour on the TC blog. Go into the shop to buy the heavier items for mrs B, including lottery tickets for Saturday. Supper is a Spanish omelette, with a sherry trifle after. The ferry comes in at a canter at 7.45pm. My Walking World walks have netted me a small amount of money – apparently, 69 people have downloaded one of my 4 walks on there. The walk to the Iolaire Memorial was the most popular, with 23 downloads. Reports come through at 10 o’clock of a serious derailment in Cumbria. The 1715 train from Euston to Glasgow came off the tracks just north of Kendal. Out of 180 passengers, 48 were hurt, 6 seriously.

Thursday 22/02/07

2008-01-29T22:22:00.001Z

Rainy and grey to start with. Isles FM announce that a cat, black-and-white with a red collar is missing from Seaview Terrace. Found in Bells Road, two streets away, is a black-and-white cat with a red collar. Oh? To counteract that, they did invite Tomacz Schafernaker for interview, after he cracked the wrong joke, calling the Western Isles “Nowheresville”, which our MP didn’t like. The BBC would not let the poor weatherman speak to our radiostation. Favio makes landfall in Mozambique with winds up to 120 mph. Flooding and damage result. Local officials say that Gamede is due tomorrow morning. That’s incorrect, and I advise the BBC. Threy promptly change the report, which carried this wrong information. Head into town for the papers, and after that the rain ceases and it brightens up. Chili con carne for supper, not much on TV as per usual.

Wednesday 21/02/07

2008-01-29T22:21:00.004Z

Brilliantly sunny day, with hardly a cloud in the sky. I’m late getting up; the tide is high again. I was told over the weekend that a 9 foot Severn Bore was expected in the Severn Estuary. This is a tidal wave, generated by the rapidly narrowing river and the incoming tide. This was taken from Wikipedia.org: The Severn bore forms somewhat upstream of the Port of Sharpness. The river's estuary has the second largest tidal range in the world — about 15 metres / 50 feet, exceeded only by the Bay of Fundy in Canada. At spring tides, the rising water is funnelled up the estuary into a wave that travels rapidly upstream against the river current; enthusiasts even attempt to surf along on the wave, which can be 2 m high. In 2006, a world record surf was achieved, for the longest-ever 'surf'. Note that the Gloucester Harbour Trustees, as competent harbour authority for this part of the river, explicitly advise against this pastime. Being the onset of the flood tide it is accompanied by a rapid rise in water level which continues for about one and a half hours after the bore has passed. The Severn Bore is a natural example of a self-reinforcing solitary wave or soliton. Mrs B took a phonecall from the wife of a guest who came here twice in the period I’ve been here. He is in his mid 80s and unfortunately suffering from Alzheimers. It would seem that they’ll come over to his native Lewis one final time this spring. He originates from Portvoller in Point. In the afternoon, I go for a walk round to Goat Island. Low tide is at 3.40pm, and seaweed peeps above the water at Goat Island. It’s not possible to cross to Newton Street, as the stream is too deep and strong. I find a scallop clam, and a man is looking for cockles. A plaque has now been placed at Goat Island, commemorating the fact that it was used as a fortress during the occupation by forces loyal to Oliver Cromwell in 1638. The Indian Ocean has spawned its third cyclone – we now have Favio, Gamede and Humba. Favio is moving ashore between Maputo and Beira. Tonight’s supper is a creditable stirfry. Cloud has gradually crept across the sky, and it comes down to rain later.

Tuesday 20/02/07

2008-01-29T22:21:00.003Z

Fairly overcast day, with another exceptionally high tide in the morning. Found out that TC Favio has done the nasty and turned into a category 4 hurricane. Hope the warnings get through to Mozambique. The freezer went off accidentally, leaving things a bit defrosted. A lot has to be thrown out and the opportunity is taken to defrost the freezer. We decide on the menu for the week, which commences with a stroganoff for tonight. As the afternoon progresses, the weather brightens up and a new moon pops out high in the southwest. My efforts to capture it on camera fail dismally, It is perishingly cold and breezy as I take the pictures outside. It’s still light by 6pm, so we’re now flying in terms of sunset times. In the morning, the sun rises at 7.45.

Monday 19/02/07

2008-01-29T22:21:00.001Z

A cloudy day dawns, which sees the return of the Isle of Lewis ferry from refit. She comes into port just before 9 am. I go to the shop rather earlier than usual. At midday it was quiet in Somerfields, but the shelves looked a wee bit bare. The Clansman ferry continues to run the Ullapool service for today. It’s cloudy, but not cold. 8C is quite acceptable for February. Favio has now turned into a hurricane, 700 miles east of Maputo. It will pack winds of 85 mph when it strikes land on Thursday. Mrs B’s long-stay guest returns from an absence of 2 weeks, to join us for a bowl of minestrone soup. Also in attendance is one of mrs B’s grandsons with a friend. They have the day off because of the communions. These also occur in November and May. Filming the sparrows, starlings, greenfinches and pigeon doves. Rain and wind is on its way in from the Atlantic. Darkness falls by about 6pm, and a quiet evening follows. Find out on the Net that there are plans afoot to build a tunnel from Stornoway to Ullapool. Really? I think that story got garbled in transit. It should have referred to possible links between Harris and Skye or North Uist and Skye. Found a few interesting blogs which told people’s experiences in Lewis. One was by a German blogger over in Uig, the other by a guy who decided to sleep in his car at Cameron Terrace, using the road verge as his private loo. He kept driving up and down between Carloway and Stornoway, waffling incessantly about the Callanish Stones and for all I know he might still be there, beating the nocturnal trail and weeing in the verges at Leurbost.

Sunday 18/02/07

2008-01-29T22:19:00.003Z

Quiet day, fairly sunny, but cloud gradually increases. Favio is still about, passing to the south of Madagascar and likely to strike Mozambique with floods, that it is already suffering from. The storm is slowly strengthening, and a category 1 hurricane is not impossible by landfall on Thursday. The MV Isle of Lewis, our regular ferryboat, shows up on AIS off the Calf of Man by 4pm, and off the Mull of Kintyre 5 hours later. She has come out of refit and is haring home at a whopping 20 knots. Anticipated ETA 12.00 tomorrow. She'll probably lay up at Islay or some such place for the night. Supper tonight is the courgette pastabake. Mrs B's son calls round with his family for showers, as his own has not yet been completed. A nice fire keeps us all warm.

Saturday 17/02/07

2008-01-29T22:19:00.001Z

Nice sunny day, which I start quite late. Hover off into town to buy papers and lottery. Woolies has an unusually long queue, caused by customers checking out awkward goods. With regards to the windfarm, the RSPB say that the windfarm application did not conform to European legislation. Oh dear. The environmental impact study did not refer to the EU Habitat Directive, which applies to large sections of the island. Lewis sports a unique environment in the shape of a 20 ft thick layer of peat which covers the bedrock. Mrs B's nephew calls round late afternoon for a cuppa. Evening meal is a steak with chips and onions which goes down rather well. Lottery? Waste of money.

Friday 16/02/07

2008-01-29T22:18:00.004Z

Very rough night with gales and rain. The bins are flying down the street in the morning. I nip out between showers to retrieve them. After midday, MV Clansman appears on AIS just off Rubha Reidh lighthouse, on the far side of the Minch, before heading across to Stornoway. The wind drops away to force 6 after lunch, but occasional heavy showers continue to strafe the harbour. Compile another photo video, this time from two walks in Glen Langadale in April 2005. Get some of this weekend's shopping in whilst mrs B gets her own bits & pieces. Supper is lemon chicken and rice.

Thursday 15/02/07

2008-01-29T22:18:00.003Z

After a very windy night, the gale is blowing through the morning. The ferry is off during the morning, but sails for Ullapool at 4pm. Nip out to the Coastguard Station to have a look at the sea - which is not all that impressive, because the tide is out. Western Isles Council is debating the proposed windfarm and is likely to give consent. Which it does by 18 votes to 8. The wind dies down a little through the afternoon as I go to the shop for papers. It picks up again during the evening and MV Clansman is not coming back tonight.

Wednesday 14/02/07

2008-01-29T22:18:00.001Z

Valentine's Day starts off on Isles FM with the question: "What special day is today, February 14th? Phone in the answer". Followed by a dedication to a lady in Laxdale who is being wished a happy Valentine's Day. Yeehaa!! It's a brilliantly sunny morning, which mrs B's BIL uses to hang the cookerhood, see result above. It was 4 hours of hard graft getting through the pebbles in the wall's cement. Microsoft issues 20 security patches, none of which apply to Vista. Get papers and food in, including a 2 months' edition of Events. Supper is a very nice stew, with cabbage and potatoes. As the evening wears on, the wind starts to pick up in anticipation of tomorrow's gales. Tropical Cyclone Fabio is bearing down on Mauritius, but with nothing more than tropical storm force.

Tuesday 13/02/07

2008-01-29T22:17:00.002Z

Another quiet day, although a gale is forecast for Thursday. Tonight, a program will be screened about the Molly Campbell saga, giving the inside story. The Aasheim departed for Glensanda, near Oban, for a cargo of aggregate. Mrs B's BIL called round and he will hang the cookerhood, which has been languishing in a box since arriving last September. Although the sun was out this morning, a shower passes through at 1pm. Places in New York state are buried under 12 feet of snow. A quick nip into the shop for the chilli we'll be having for supper. The documentary I mentioned earlier in this post just showed a sorry family break up, which actually made very bad television. Closure.

Monday 12/02/07

2008-01-29T22:17:00.001Z

Today dawns quiet with no wind to speak of. The barometer has gone down to 981 mbar, indicating we have a low pressure system sitting overhead. Gales howl down the English Channel, 600 miles to the south. They raged over the Scottish mountain tops over the weekend. This led to 5 rescue missions, which saved 7 people, although 1 did not survive. A sad and mainly avoidable deathtoll. The bulk carrier Aasheim is alongside no 3 pier to deliver a cargo of roadsalt. Go to the supermarket for some bits and pieces and rearrange the birdfeeders, to place one within the line of sight of the kitchenwindow. Tonight's meal is sweet & sour, whilst mrs B has spam on toast.

Sunday 11/02/07

2007-12-13T00:15:00.002Z

A very late start to the day, but at least the wind has dropped. Watch the Landward program on BBC1 at 11.30 a.m., which is full of bull. Indeed, the bull sales are on at the auction mart in Perth. Some of them fetch 17,000 guineas, that's £17,850. One guinea = £1.05. The ferry comes in at 2.45pm, unusually for a Sunday, after it had to stay overnight in Ullapool. The website for HMS Timbertown has now been updated, and I'd recommend it for review. It is cloudy today with a bit of sunshine. Supper tonight is spaghetti bolognese. During the evening, I host the J-land chat, which was an absolute hoot.

Saturday 10/02/07

2007-12-13T00:15:00.001Z

The day started with the Coastguard helicopter flying slowly over Goat Island at low level. It is very windy, an easterly wind force 6 to 8, which makes the 4C feel even colder. Big hoohah about turkeys from the farm in Suffolk, where birdflu was found, entering the food chain. The sea looks very choppy, bearing in mind it's an on-shore wind. Head for the shop to get a few bits and pieces, but the wind is absolutely freezing cold. Dinner tonight is a microwaveable chicken tikki massala. Watch some TV and win nothing on the lottery. David Cameron, the Conservative Party leader, is criticised for not denying or admitting to taking cannabis whilst a teenage student at Eton. He says it's a private matter. Up to a point.