Thursday 25/01/07

It's Burns night tonight, and mrs B has invited a number of her relatives round for supper. No we don't get haggis, but mince and tatties, as well as neeps and brussels sprouts. After I get the papers in - we may get a miniature railway in Stornoway, between Cuddy Point, the Waterwheel and Cromwell Street Quay, to tempt drivers out of their cars - then assist mrs B in the preparations. The first two guests arrive at 6.30pm, and the third by 7 o'clock. Some Burns poetry is recited in amongst the food, and a couple of songs do the rounds. A lemon torte and a trifle close proceedings foodwise. Spirits keep spirits high afterwards.

Wednesday 24/01/07

Bright day with sunny spells and temperature of 5C / 41F. A fair number of interesting news items, including the stop being put on looting from the cargo of MSC Napoli in Devon. People who don't report that they have retrieved goods washed up on shore are liable for prosecution and a fine, double the value of the goods taken. In the case of the BMW motorbikes, this could add up. The Health Board is still £3m in the red, our ferry services are up for review.
Go out for a walk round town at 3pm. The MV Sava Hill is discharging its cargo of coal. The lorry carting it away are being weighed at the weigbridge near no 2 pier, and they leave a lot of coalmess around. The quayside behind Muirneag is occupied by four black-backed gulls. One of them has caught a fish, but drops it from its beak nearly on to two passers-by. They throw the fish into the sea. Walk on to the Cromwell Street Quay, where a few fishingboats lie tied up. Cross the bridge outside the new YM, and carry on to the Golf Club. The greens look very - green. Pass through the Porter's Lodge to the Coop, where I get the papers and the lottery tickets. Return along Matheson Road and Sandwick Road.

Tuesday 23/01/07

Another dreich day, with occasional rainshowers. Snow in the Highlands caused a MacAskills lorry to jackknife on the A9 south of Inverness. This snow is now headed for England. The scavenging around the Devon shipwreck has greatly reduced after the authorities threaten arrests and prosecution. One family, who were retiring to South Africa, watched their possessions being looted and strewn along the beach. The Health Board has a new chairman, who is/was chairman of An Lanntair. The Health Board were forced by the people of Scalpay to keep open the health centre on that island. It appeared to have been earmarked for closure, as little had been done about its upkeep. The HB thought people could travel to Tarbert to see a doctor and pick up their medicines. No, said Scalpay. Supper consisted of sweet and sour. A cargoship entered port just before 11pm, lighting its way in with its searchlight.

Monday 22/01/07

Bright morning, but hail and sleet showers bear down from the Arctic. Tropical cyclones are developing in the South Pacific, which I'll be keeping an eye on over the next few days. The ferry is late coming in at lunchtime, don't know why. Hop off into town for papers, post-its and some food. Get a computer magazine, which is full of Windows Vista. Mrs B is doing a wholesale clean of the house, whilst I catch up on diary entries for the preceding week. After sunset, the new moon is out. Yesterday's Indonesian earthquake was feared to have caused a tsunami, but nothing happened. The Christmas lights are being taken down in the town centre. Tried out something new for supper: a Mariner's Pie. Quite acceptable.

Sunday 21/01/07

After a late start we have a brunch of bacon and eggs. Catch up with the news, such as the sad case of Molly Campbell, who will now remain with daddy in Pakistan. Her mother thinks she has been influenced by the family over there, and that she is a sad, confused child. Nonetheless, she is unlikely to visit Misbah (Molly's Islamic name) any time soon, because of death threats uttered against her. Mrs Campbell converted to Islam, and converted back to Christianity on the divorce from Sajed. Louise is now concentrating on her young baby daughter Rachel, 6 months old and her partner. Her relationship with that man broke down under the strain of Molly's abduction; Molly didn't like the man to start with. The containership Napoli now lies grounded off the South Devon coast and is shedding its cargo of containers and its fuel oil under a 30 degree list. Supper tonight is pork fillets with potatoes, ratatouille and home-made apple sauce. A blackberry and apple tart topped with custard leaves us well replete. Hail and snow showers clatter down through the evening - it's very cold outside.

Saturday 20/01/07

Carry out some on-line research into the sinking of the fishery protection cruiser Vaila, the results of which feature on a separate entry. Showers pass through, leaving some great cloudscapes. One person died in the Cairngorms yesterday, the fifth to die on Coire an t-Sneachda [as reported separately]. One chap falls 1,000 feet on a mountain near Loch Treig and survives. Sends you wondering whether people are prepared or equipped for the mountains or the conditions on them at all. Today is cold: 4C. Have a microwaveable meal for supper. The lottery yields no gain.

Friday 19/01/07

Weather has turned grey and drizzly. The big storm is now causing havoc in Poland and the Czech Republic. The Big Brother row leads to its inevitable conclusion, with prime culprit Jade Goody booted out. She was met by a deafening silence, and is now fighting for her career. Davina McCall has grown decidedly gaunt and unattractive, in the 3 years that I did not watch Big Brother. I cannot sit out the program, as Jade Goody's voice and utterances grate on my nerves. The forecast for next week is wintery, with a cold northerly blast. All the weekend's shopping is in now, so I just need to nip out to get the papers and lottery tickets. Hop into town for a haircut and some other bits and pieces. Catch up with the week's puzzles from the papers. A new edition is out of Back in the Day, featuring quite a few interesting historical pictures and stories.