View across the Outer Harbour of Stornoway

Sunday 26 October 2008

Evening notes

All the competitors in the fell race in Cumbria have been traced and are safe and well. The organisers deserve a clip round the ear for not heeding advice regarding the weather. Yes, everybody coped supremely well, and I am not surprised they did. But some of the participants, speaking on BBC TV tonight, mentioned the impossible conditions.

I'm falling behind with journals updates, do forgive me. Once again, the tally is approaching 200, and it's not going to get better. By the end of this week, I'm popping over to Holland for a few days for a commemorative service for the deceased in my home village. My mother will be mentioned., following her death on May 1st. More practical details as matters progress.

No, I'm not happy with the move away from AOL onto Blogger, but that's the way it's gonna be. Big money does not care about little people like us. Let us make an effort to stay together (see Krissy's journals directory).

Sunday 26 October

Weather is much better today than yesterday, although it's still sunshine and showers. Hope everybody has had a nice lie in this morning (in Europe), with the extra hour. America can follow suit next Sunday.

I was horrified this morning to turn on the radio and hear that 1,700 fell runners were missing in the English Lake District. A mountain marathon had started on Saturday, in which 2,500 people were going to run across the Cumbrian hills. That is no mean feat, as the Lakeland fells rise up to 2,500 feet above sealevel, and are considered serious mountains. I reported on our stormforce winds and lashing rains - well, they also hit Cumbria.

The event was called off at midday yesterday, but the vast majority of runners had to go under cover. Nobody knew how many were actually still out there, but at midday (to my relief) the total number of missing had been slashed to 44. Others had turned up, or had gone home without informing anyone. The organisers did not come up with a list of names until this morning, which is extremely bad.

The participants were hardened mountain walkers, well used and equipped for conditions, precisely like yesterday. However, a combination of high winds, flash flooding and heavy rain made conditions practically untenable.

Put your clocks back


Yes, it's that time of the year again. At 2 a.m. British Summer Time, the clocks will go back 1 hour to 1 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time.

The USA, as I understand it, holds on to Daylight Savings Time for another week, but will join the rest of the Northern Hemisphere in Standard Time on November 2nd.