Ceiling and rooflights
Windows at rear of hall - now visible
The Hall from the back
The Hall in 2006
Friday, 21 October 2011
Stornoway Town Hall
Following the controversy over the refurbishment of the interior of Stornoway Town Hall, I would like to share the images I took inside the Hall today, whilst attending a competition of the Royal National Mod (see next post).
Ceiling and rooflights
Windows at rear of hall - now visible
The Hall from the back
The Hall in 2006
Ceiling and rooflights
Windows at rear of hall - now visible
The Hall from the back
The Hall in 2006
Thursday, 20 October 2011
Gaddafi is dead
After nearly 42 years in power, Col Muammar Gaddafi is reported to have died of wounds, sustained in a gunfight at Sirte earlier today. It brings to a conclusion a revolution that has lasted for eight months.
It also brings to an end the life of a man who has the blood of thousands on his hands. Images are being relayed on television at present of Gaddafi's bloodied remains being dragged through the streets of Sirte, a gruesome sight. However, those completely pale into insignificance when compared to the atrocities meted out to the people of Libya by its leader, when they rose up against him.
I derive no joy from Gaddafi's death. My thoughts are with the families of his victims, in Libya and outside that country.
It also brings to an end the life of a man who has the blood of thousands on his hands. Images are being relayed on television at present of Gaddafi's bloodied remains being dragged through the streets of Sirte, a gruesome sight. However, those completely pale into insignificance when compared to the atrocities meted out to the people of Libya by its leader, when they rose up against him.
I derive no joy from Gaddafi's death. My thoughts are with the families of his victims, in Libya and outside that country.
Wednesday 19 October
A bitterly cold day, starting with a shower of snow. Temperatures lifted through the day, but 6C is well below the mark for mid October. Went to the Gaelic Showcase at the Nicolson Institute and picked up a copy of a book that shows photographs from the Southern Isles [Scarp to Mingulay] from the first half of the 20th century. Although the landscape is recognisable, the conditions for the people have changed beyond recognition. Scarp and Mingulay were abandoned in 1971 and 1912 respectively. The Gaelic language organisation Bord na Gaidhlig was giving out free copies of a Scots Gaelic thesaurus, a hefty 500 page tome, quite invaluable for any student and / or speaker of the language. I don't speak nor understand Gaelic, except for a few words and phrases.
At an event in the evening, a man from Nova Scotia was crowned Bard, an ambassadorial position that he will hold for 3 years. It is for the first time in history that a non-Scot was awarded the title. I refer to the link for further information.
At an event in the evening, a man from Nova Scotia was crowned Bard, an ambassadorial position that he will hold for 3 years. It is for the first time in history that a non-Scot was awarded the title. I refer to the link for further information.
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Tuesday 18 October
A very wild day, with galeforce winds from the northwest, making it a bitingly cold day. The mercury was stuck down at 7C / 45F. The ferry service is disrupted as the Isle of Lewis is not coming back to Stornoway until tomorrow lunchtime, at 1pm. This means a fair amount of disruption for the participants in the Royal National Mod, which is rolling on across town. I was just told that a large number of competitors were booked to come across this evening. A small tragedy has cast a shadow over the Children's Mod: one youngster's toy bunny was lost at St Columba's Church Hall on Lewis Street during the 5-7 year olds' solo singing competition on Monday. Anyone who has found Bunny is asked to call the number displayed on the link. The Mod will run until this coming Saturday.
Monday, 17 October 2011
Monday 17 October
Well, that was some day and no mistake. In terms of weather. It is cold (only 5C / 41F) and that has shown itself in the form of precipitation: hail and thunder. You may find that an odd combination, but in this part of the world, thunderstorms only occur in winter, when very cold air flows over the top of slightly warmer air at the surface. So, these were the gardenchairs:
It is Mod week, but I don't have much opportunity to attend the competitions or final concerts. I'll be tuning into Isles FM for live coverage. TV viewers in the UK can watch a summary on BBC Alba - which carries English subtitles. I hope.
It is Mod week, but I don't have much opportunity to attend the competitions or final concerts. I'll be tuning into Isles FM for live coverage. TV viewers in the UK can watch a summary on BBC Alba - which carries English subtitles. I hope.
Saturday, 15 October 2011
Saturday 15 October
After the heavy rain that started the day, it cleared up to a fairly sunny but very windy day. The wind made it feel cold, at times bitingly so. Nonetheless, no rain is the only thing I would wish, so no real complaints. It will get colder over the next few months, so I'll get used to it yet.
Yesterday, the first legal single malt whisky produced in Lewis was launched at an event in Stornoway. The Abhainn Dearg distillery set up production in 2008, and now that three years have passed, its product can be described as whisky. At an earlier stage, it marketed an precursor product that boasted of 65% v/v alcohol, which is mind-blowingly strong - no, I didn't try it! The article I'm linking to is from the Am Paipear [The Paper], the local newspaper for the Uists.
The tropical cyclone season for the northern hemisphere has quietened down; the only system I am monitoring at present is called Irwin, a system that has been meandering in the Eastern Pacific Ocean between 105 and 120 degrees longitude West. Early on in its career (it has been on the go for nearly 10 days), it reached hurricane strength, but it got strangulated by its little sister Jova, which left cold seawater and a stirred-up atmosphere behind.
Yesterday, the first legal single malt whisky produced in Lewis was launched at an event in Stornoway. The Abhainn Dearg distillery set up production in 2008, and now that three years have passed, its product can be described as whisky. At an earlier stage, it marketed an precursor product that boasted of 65% v/v alcohol, which is mind-blowingly strong - no, I didn't try it! The article I'm linking to is from the Am Paipear [The Paper], the local newspaper for the Uists.
The tropical cyclone season for the northern hemisphere has quietened down; the only system I am monitoring at present is called Irwin, a system that has been meandering in the Eastern Pacific Ocean between 105 and 120 degrees longitude West. Early on in its career (it has been on the go for nearly 10 days), it reached hurricane strength, but it got strangulated by its little sister Jova, which left cold seawater and a stirred-up atmosphere behind.
People of the Book
I have obtained a copy of the Qur'an, the Muslim Holy Book, for the purposes of study. Islam is one of the major religions of the world, and has a high profile in news events. Not always for the most positive reasons, but neither has its older brother, Christianity. The Qur'an is a slow read, as you have to read each verse and each chapter with full attention. The translator (for I have an English-language copy) warns of the dangers of misinterpretation, giving several examples of how the texts of the Qur'an have been warped to suit people's intentions.
Having gone through the first major sura [chapter], the parallel with the Old Testament is unmistakeable. Moses, Aaron, Abraham, David, Goliath, Saul, Solomon, Mary, Jesus (to give but a few examples) are all referred to by name. The differences between the Bible and the Qu'ran are also patently obvious. The Qu'ran directly refers to the Christians and the Judeans as People of the Book (hence the title of this post).
It is a fascinating read, as it grants an insight into Islamic culture, and by virtue of that, an insight into some of the events of the last few decades in the world.
I think it is highly deplorable that Islam has been given such a bad name by a tiny minority who abused the religion for political motives. It should not be forgotten that it was Arabic culture, where Islam is rooted, that granted us the phenomenon of the zero, without which we would not all be sitting by our computers, doing all these marvellous things on the WWW. In order to understand what goes on in a major religion of the world, it is imperative to read its holy text and do so with an open mind, which is what I am trying to do.
Having gone through the first major sura [chapter], the parallel with the Old Testament is unmistakeable. Moses, Aaron, Abraham, David, Goliath, Saul, Solomon, Mary, Jesus (to give but a few examples) are all referred to by name. The differences between the Bible and the Qu'ran are also patently obvious. The Qu'ran directly refers to the Christians and the Judeans as People of the Book (hence the title of this post).
It is a fascinating read, as it grants an insight into Islamic culture, and by virtue of that, an insight into some of the events of the last few decades in the world.
I think it is highly deplorable that Islam has been given such a bad name by a tiny minority who abused the religion for political motives. It should not be forgotten that it was Arabic culture, where Islam is rooted, that granted us the phenomenon of the zero, without which we would not all be sitting by our computers, doing all these marvellous things on the WWW. In order to understand what goes on in a major religion of the world, it is imperative to read its holy text and do so with an open mind, which is what I am trying to do.
Friday, 14 October 2011
Friday 14 October
An overcast and at times wet day. It wasn't really cold, although the strong wind served to mask the 13C temperatures. The force 6 winds caused a 30 minute delay on the ferry today.
The news is headlined by the resignation of the UK Defence Secretary, Liam Fox. Mr Fox had allowed a personal friend to assume a role within the MOD that the man had no right or clearance to assume. As a result, his position became untenable, and he resigned earlier today.
Here in Stornoway, the Royal National Mod has kicked off, although the main competitions do not start until Monday. The children (aged 5 to 17) are first, with the adults competitors lining up from Wednesday onwards. Those within the UK can see coverage of the Mod on the BBC Alba channel on Freeview.
The news is headlined by the resignation of the UK Defence Secretary, Liam Fox. Mr Fox had allowed a personal friend to assume a role within the MOD that the man had no right or clearance to assume. As a result, his position became untenable, and he resigned earlier today.
Here in Stornoway, the Royal National Mod has kicked off, although the main competitions do not start until Monday. The children (aged 5 to 17) are first, with the adults competitors lining up from Wednesday onwards. Those within the UK can see coverage of the Mod on the BBC Alba channel on Freeview.
Thursday, 13 October 2011
Thursday 13 October
An overcast and breezy day today, feeling cold in the wind. The mercury stayed at 12C through most of the day, which isn't bad for mid-October.
I just spotted an article on local news website Hebrides News, which claims it has overtaken the local weekly paper Stornoway Gazette in terms of readership. The article goes on to state that people are gradually switching from printed newspapers to on-line news sources - a trend that is perfectly understandable, as sites like Heb News, however imperfect at times, are updated continually, whereas newspapers only come out once a day or (as in the case of the Gazette) once a week. It is a trend that is not only shown in the Hebrides, but worldwide.
Tomorrow will see the start of the Royal National Mod, which is held in Stornoway for the first time since 2005. I intend to attend some of the competitions, in spite of the fact that I do not speak or understand Gaelic. The Mod is a showcase for Gaelic culture, not only comprising of music, but also of theatre and sports. Its competitors can be as young as age 5. The event will run until Saturday 22 October.
I just spotted an article on local news website Hebrides News, which claims it has overtaken the local weekly paper Stornoway Gazette in terms of readership. The article goes on to state that people are gradually switching from printed newspapers to on-line news sources - a trend that is perfectly understandable, as sites like Heb News, however imperfect at times, are updated continually, whereas newspapers only come out once a day or (as in the case of the Gazette) once a week. It is a trend that is not only shown in the Hebrides, but worldwide.
Tomorrow will see the start of the Royal National Mod, which is held in Stornoway for the first time since 2005. I intend to attend some of the competitions, in spite of the fact that I do not speak or understand Gaelic. The Mod is a showcase for Gaelic culture, not only comprising of music, but also of theatre and sports. Its competitors can be as young as age 5. The event will run until Saturday 22 October.
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Wednesday 12 October
A bright and sunny, if not very warm day. Hardly a cloud in the sky. The mercury just about managed 13C, but is presently on its way down to last night's low of +2C / 36F. Chilly. Went to the post office this morning to dispatch a cubic foot of wool to someone, which weighed 1.63 kg (about 3.5 pounds in old money). And you wouldn't believe the smell. As a relative of mine once famously said: "Everything smells of sheeeeeep!"
I am not known in these islands as a protagonist of renewable energy schemes, certainly not of windfarms. However, wavefarms (which generate power from the action of waves) is something I do look on favourably. The Pelamis sea-snake is an unobtrusive set of cylinders, linked together, which float on the surface of the sea. The waves move the joints between the cylinders, which powers a generator. A proposed wavefarm off Great Bernera could generate enough power for 7000 homes.
And then there is this almost ridiculous row that I chanced upon when browsing the BBC news website for a link for the above story. Two women in Stornoway both laying claim to the same cat, which wanders from house to house. Tut.
I am not known in these islands as a protagonist of renewable energy schemes, certainly not of windfarms. However, wavefarms (which generate power from the action of waves) is something I do look on favourably. The Pelamis sea-snake is an unobtrusive set of cylinders, linked together, which float on the surface of the sea. The waves move the joints between the cylinders, which powers a generator. A proposed wavefarm off Great Bernera could generate enough power for 7000 homes.
And then there is this almost ridiculous row that I chanced upon when browsing the BBC news website for a link for the above story. Two women in Stornoway both laying claim to the same cat, which wanders from house to house. Tut.
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Tuesday 11 October
A bright and fairly sunny day, interspersed with occasional downpours. It was cold, with the mercury barely making it into double figures. I went into town in the morning to obtain further tributes from the 1944 editions of the Stornoway Gazette, related to the Second World War. I shall transcribe these and link them to the WW2 tribute site for this island.
Locally, about 100 job losses have been announced at two major employers: the main Co-op superstore on Macaulay Road and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (the council). The Co-op is shedding 24 full-time equivalent posts, meaning that 50 people will be paid off. The Comhairle is getting rid of 50 staff. This is devastating for a small community like Lewis; the town of Stornoway has a population of about 9,000, to put it into perspective. The Co-op staff to be laid off are mainly part-time workers.
Locally, about 100 job losses have been announced at two major employers: the main Co-op superstore on Macaulay Road and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (the council). The Co-op is shedding 24 full-time equivalent posts, meaning that 50 people will be paid off. The Comhairle is getting rid of 50 staff. This is devastating for a small community like Lewis; the town of Stornoway has a population of about 9,000, to put it into perspective. The Co-op staff to be laid off are mainly part-time workers.
Monday, 10 October 2011
Monday 10 October
The day started bright and sunny, but by midday, the showers started. Looking at one passing to the south of us at the moment (5.40pm), there could be hail in amongst the precipitation. With the mercury at a cold 9C, that is certainly not to be ruled out.
There was a controversy locally today due to a major NATO exercise in the Minch and around Cape Wrath. GPS signals were being jammed by the Ministry of Defense as part of the exercise, but there were complaints from fishermen and ferry operators. GPS allows mariners to pinpoint their location accurately, helping them to avoid underwater hazards such as reefs and wrecks. The MOD has now suspended the jamming of the GPS signals. Local contacts also tell me that satellite TV reception was affected, as was radio-link Internet access.
There was a controversy locally today due to a major NATO exercise in the Minch and around Cape Wrath. GPS signals were being jammed by the Ministry of Defense as part of the exercise, but there were complaints from fishermen and ferry operators. GPS allows mariners to pinpoint their location accurately, helping them to avoid underwater hazards such as reefs and wrecks. The MOD has now suspended the jamming of the GPS signals. Local contacts also tell me that satellite TV reception was affected, as was radio-link Internet access.
Report illegal migrants
Prime Minister David Cameron has moved down the dangerous road of urging people to report illegal migrants. I am not in favour of law-breaking, and am not in favour of people gaining entry to the country when they are not entitled to do so. However, Mr Cameron's idea could play into the hands of the xenophobic elements within society, and lead to a witchhunt. It smacks to me of events in Germany and Nazi-occupied territories of the 1930s and early 1940s, when people were rounded up and carted away for their religion or under other pretexts. Yes, I am overreacting, but this appeal really leaves a filthy taste in my mouth.
Hurricane update - 10 October
Hurricane Jova is threatening the Pacific coastline of Mexico. The latest forecast shows the storm blowing ashore on Tuesday afternoon local time as a category IV hurricane, with winds of 115 knots if not higher. At the moment, a hurricane warning is in force from Punta San Telmo to Cabo Corrientes and a tropical storm warning from Lazaro Cardenas to Punta San Telmo. Apart from the high winds, Jova will also come with up to 15 inches of rain, which could unleash flashfloods and mudslides, as well as a substantial storm surge.
Jova is the 10th storm of the East Pacific season, and the 5th major hurricane in that basin this year. Irwin is following in its wake, but is a weak tropical storm, beaten down by the outflow from Jova which is not far away to its east.
Hurricanes are Nature's safety valve, serving to funnel excess heat from the ocean in the tropics away to higher latitudes. Whilst the cloud tops may be as cold as -85C (-65F) at 10 miles above the surface, the temperature in the eye at the same altitude can be as high as +19C (66F). A hurricane (typhoon or tropical cyclone, all the same thing) requires water temperatures of at least 26C / 80F and an absence of windshear (winds blowing at different speeds and/or directions at different levels of the atmosphere). Once ashore, a tropical cyclone will rapidly weaken and dissipate.
Jova is the 10th storm of the East Pacific season, and the 5th major hurricane in that basin this year. Irwin is following in its wake, but is a weak tropical storm, beaten down by the outflow from Jova which is not far away to its east.
Hurricanes are Nature's safety valve, serving to funnel excess heat from the ocean in the tropics away to higher latitudes. Whilst the cloud tops may be as cold as -85C (-65F) at 10 miles above the surface, the temperature in the eye at the same altitude can be as high as +19C (66F). A hurricane (typhoon or tropical cyclone, all the same thing) requires water temperatures of at least 26C / 80F and an absence of windshear (winds blowing at different speeds and/or directions at different levels of the atmosphere). Once ashore, a tropical cyclone will rapidly weaken and dissipate.
Sunday 9 October
A slightly less chilly day than Saturday, if only because there was less wind. Kept myself occupied transcribing a number of 19th century newspaper articles which referred to the Hebrides. One was a detailed description of the aftermath of the clipper Maju foundering off the coast at Barvas, here in Lewis. The items washed ashore included several corpses, or parts thereof; ship's papers and sundry bits and pieces, including a sailor's hat. The Maju had been en route to Rangoon, but was caught out in an autumnal gale, which proved its undoing.
A containership has run aground off New Zealand and has dumped tons of its fuel oil in the sea. A gale is forecast for the area for Monday, which could break the ship up. It could also help to disperse any oil, we hope.
A containership has run aground off New Zealand and has dumped tons of its fuel oil in the sea. A gale is forecast for the area for Monday, which could break the ship up. It could also help to disperse any oil, we hope.
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Saturday 8 October
Good morning all from a wet, grey and dismal Stornoway.
It is 7 years ago today that I started to write a blog, called Northern Trip. This link will take you to that first entry. Northern Trip was hosted on AOL, which pulled its blogging service three years ago this month. A lot of bloggers stopped blogging at that time, and others moved to Blogger or other providers. Facebook has allowed us to re-establish contact, fortunately.
I may put up another entry later today, but will close this post with some of the pictures I took on 8 October 2004.
The Cuillin mountains in Skye
Camus Fhionnairigh [Camusunary]
It is 7 years ago today that I started to write a blog, called Northern Trip. This link will take you to that first entry. Northern Trip was hosted on AOL, which pulled its blogging service three years ago this month. A lot of bloggers stopped blogging at that time, and others moved to Blogger or other providers. Facebook has allowed us to re-establish contact, fortunately.
I may put up another entry later today, but will close this post with some of the pictures I took on 8 October 2004.
The Cuillin mountains in Skye
Camus Fhionnairigh [Camusunary]
Friday 7 October
Over the last two days, the weather has turned noticeably colder. Yesterday saw some hail showers, with the mercury barely into double figures, and today was no better.
At the moment, there is a large naval exercise on-going around Cape Wrath, 60 miles northeast of Stornoway. A German frigate is cruising up and down the Minch, and Polish and Estonian naval vessels are holed up in Loch Ewe (on the west coast of the Scottish mainland).
Today, there was an angry demonstration outside the offices of Western Isles Council, as a senior executive of a fuel supplier paid a visit. The fuel prices in these islands are incredible, some 20 to 30 pence per liter higher than in Inverness. Everybody is affected by this, not just people with cars. Bus fares have increased by a third in recent years, as have taxi fares. Accusations of profiteering have been leveled against the company involved. For reference, a litre of fuel in Inverness costs £1.30 per litre, but in South Uist, they charge £1.60 per litre. American readers: that equates to between $7.60 and $9.50 a gallon.
At the moment, there is a large naval exercise on-going around Cape Wrath, 60 miles northeast of Stornoway. A German frigate is cruising up and down the Minch, and Polish and Estonian naval vessels are holed up in Loch Ewe (on the west coast of the Scottish mainland).
Today, there was an angry demonstration outside the offices of Western Isles Council, as a senior executive of a fuel supplier paid a visit. The fuel prices in these islands are incredible, some 20 to 30 pence per liter higher than in Inverness. Everybody is affected by this, not just people with cars. Bus fares have increased by a third in recent years, as have taxi fares. Accusations of profiteering have been leveled against the company involved. For reference, a litre of fuel in Inverness costs £1.30 per litre, but in South Uist, they charge £1.60 per litre. American readers: that equates to between $7.60 and $9.50 a gallon.
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
Wednesday 5 October
Another autumnal day, with heavy downpours and quite breezy. The red-hot pokers that used to liven up late September and early October in recent years have been blown and broken by last Monday's gale, and the stalk propping up the eucalyptus tree was snapped by the high winds. Anyone got any green twine going spare? The roll in this house must have been used up or summat.
Good news as this day draws to a close: Sarah Palin has decided not to run for president of the USA. With all due respect to the former governor of AK, she has made the dropping of clangers a trademark, and one that a US president should only flaunt after (s)he has come into office and become endeared to the populace. See George Dubya and Ronald Reagan. Wasn't it Sarah Palin who said that the US needed a president who had balls? Well, that ruled her out by default, and I'm pleased she has acted on that. With apologies to my American friends.
I am just finding out that the water supply in parts of North Uist is contaminated with aluminium. It applies to the area from Scolpaig west and south to Grimsay; Lochmaddy and Benbecula's supplies are unaffected. People have been supplied with bottled water, left on their doorsteps, with the instruction only to use tapwater for flushing toilets or washing laundry. The article contains a list of places affected, and a contact telephone number.
Good news as this day draws to a close: Sarah Palin has decided not to run for president of the USA. With all due respect to the former governor of AK, she has made the dropping of clangers a trademark, and one that a US president should only flaunt after (s)he has come into office and become endeared to the populace. See George Dubya and Ronald Reagan. Wasn't it Sarah Palin who said that the US needed a president who had balls? Well, that ruled her out by default, and I'm pleased she has acted on that. With apologies to my American friends.
I am just finding out that the water supply in parts of North Uist is contaminated with aluminium. It applies to the area from Scolpaig west and south to Grimsay; Lochmaddy and Benbecula's supplies are unaffected. People have been supplied with bottled water, left on their doorsteps, with the instruction only to use tapwater for flushing toilets or washing laundry. The article contains a list of places affected, and a contact telephone number.
Tuesday 4 October
Not a terribly attractive day in terms of weather, with intermittent showers and strong winds. Yesterday's gales led to mountainous waves off the west coast of Lewis, some up to 50 feet (15 metres) tall. The highest gusts reached 66 mph / 106 km/h in places. It led to disruption, which appeared to continue, judging by the output on the Calmac website. Fortunately, that was all wrong, due to a website error.
There was good news in that the Emergency Towing Vessels will be retained along the Scottish coast for a limited period of time. The ETVs were introduced following the 1993 Braer disaster. The Braer foundered at Shetland and shed its cargo of crude oil. Disaster was averted because of stormforce winds, which served to turn the sea into a big mixing cauldron, dispersing the oil through wave action. The tug in the Minch has proved its worth; last year, it pulled the nuclear submarine HMS Astute from a shingle-bank at Kyleakin.
There was good news in that the Emergency Towing Vessels will be retained along the Scottish coast for a limited period of time. The ETVs were introduced following the 1993 Braer disaster. The Braer foundered at Shetland and shed its cargo of crude oil. Disaster was averted because of stormforce winds, which served to turn the sea into a big mixing cauldron, dispersing the oil through wave action. The tug in the Minch has proved its worth; last year, it pulled the nuclear submarine HMS Astute from a shingle-bank at Kyleakin.
Monday, 3 October 2011
Monday 3 October
Very windy today, with a full gale in the morning, which abated only slowly through the day. Gusts at the Butt of Lewis reached nearly 70 mph at midday. Ferry services up and down the west coast were severely disrupted, but our ferry ploughed its way across the Minch, if rather delayed. In the afternoon, the sun even came out from time to time.
My friend who was in hospital returned home today, much to everyone's relief. The next couple of months will hopefully see a slow recovery, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
My friend who was in hospital returned home today, much to everyone's relief. The next couple of months will hopefully see a slow recovery, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Sunday 2 October
Beautiful sunny day, feeling and smelling autumnal. The trees are beginning to turn and there is that smell in the air of fallen leaves. Tomorrow, the first serious autumnal gale is due, with another one on the calendar for Wednesday. The latter one is the remnant of hurricane Ophelia, which will batter Newfoundland tomorrow.
My friend in the hospital is coming home tomorrow, ending a 9-day period of uncertainty. It was a long road from Ballantrushal...
I promised some pictures, and I'm going to fill the rest of this post with a selection of them.
Waiting for the bus from the hospital back into town, this view of Laxdale and Newmarket has become only too familiar to me...
My friend in the hospital is coming home tomorrow, ending a 9-day period of uncertainty. It was a long road from Ballantrushal...
I promised some pictures, and I'm going to fill the rest of this post with a selection of them.
Waiting for the bus from the hospital back into town, this view of Laxdale and Newmarket has become only too familiar to me...
Saturday, 1 October 2011
Saturday 1 October
Very unusual for me to start leaving gaps in my updates on this blog, but I find myself going back and forth to the local hospital twice a day to attend a good friend, who broke their ankle last Saturday. I am on a promise not to divulge further details on the WWW, but in amongst the rest of the daily activities, I don't seem to get down to blogging. With my 7th blogoversary coming up next Saturday, I promise to do better in the days to come. Perhaps if I spend less time watching Ice Road Truckers, or all the 26 episodes of the World at War...
The local hospital is about a mile and a half from my position, on the other side of Stornoway, and although I could walk it, I don't fancy four walks of 45 minutes each through the day. So, I hop on the bus. The fares were raised today - fair (sic) enough, but I am less than pleased with the timetabling on the town routes, and the way these routes are presented on paper (or the WWW). However, I suppose those that draw up these routes aren't the ones using it. The worst aspect is the buses that have not turned up since the timetables changed 7 weeks ago. Oh well, there's always something to gripe about, I suppose.Tomorrow, I'll be walking to the hospital, as there is no Sunday service. I'm not complaining about that, by the way. And I hope that my trips to the hospital will come to an end very soon.
Yesterday, Friday, we had a stupendous sunset. The sky was on fire, and there was an amazing gamut of colour on display in the west. To the east, a huge rainbow spanned the skies, appearing (from my standpoint) to emanate from the chimneys of the local powerstation, up the road. I'll post pictures tomorrow.
Did I mention the typhoon that is pommeling the Philippines? Nalgae is the second typhoon within a week to lash Luzon Island with high winds and heavy rain. Vietnam is next in line to see this system, in about 4 days' time. A hurricane in the Atlantic, Ophelia, could do something nasty to Newfoundland on Monday.
The local hospital is about a mile and a half from my position, on the other side of Stornoway, and although I could walk it, I don't fancy four walks of 45 minutes each through the day. So, I hop on the bus. The fares were raised today - fair (sic) enough, but I am less than pleased with the timetabling on the town routes, and the way these routes are presented on paper (or the WWW). However, I suppose those that draw up these routes aren't the ones using it. The worst aspect is the buses that have not turned up since the timetables changed 7 weeks ago. Oh well, there's always something to gripe about, I suppose.Tomorrow, I'll be walking to the hospital, as there is no Sunday service. I'm not complaining about that, by the way. And I hope that my trips to the hospital will come to an end very soon.
Yesterday, Friday, we had a stupendous sunset. The sky was on fire, and there was an amazing gamut of colour on display in the west. To the east, a huge rainbow spanned the skies, appearing (from my standpoint) to emanate from the chimneys of the local powerstation, up the road. I'll post pictures tomorrow.
Did I mention the typhoon that is pommeling the Philippines? Nalgae is the second typhoon within a week to lash Luzon Island with high winds and heavy rain. Vietnam is next in line to see this system, in about 4 days' time. A hurricane in the Atlantic, Ophelia, could do something nasty to Newfoundland on Monday.
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Wednesday 28 September
A very strange day in terms of weather. After the initial clouds had rolled away, the temperature shot up to an unusually high 20C / 68F. That sort of 'heat' is usually confined to July or August; late September should see our temps down to 14C / 57F. However, it was quite welcome to have a spot of summer weather.
I was equally pleased to note that Scottish National Heritage is objecting to a large windfarm, which has been proposed for an area about 4 miles west of Stornoway. It would sit between the Pentland Road, Lochs Road and Cleascro Road, with the village of Achmore at its western apex (see this Google Map). SNH is insisting that a third of the turbines be removed. This would make the windfarm economically unviable, as its output would be too low to justify the construction of the subsea electricity cable (the interconnector). Similarly, the RSPB is insisting that the scheme be scaled back.
As a perceived result of the Arab Spring, women in Saudi Arabia have taken to going behind the wheel of a car (unaccompanied). That is illegal in that country, and one woman has been apprehended, tried and sentenced to ten lashes. King Abdullah (presumably as a result of the international outcry) has overturned the sentence, according to the BBC's Frank Gardner.
I was equally pleased to note that Scottish National Heritage is objecting to a large windfarm, which has been proposed for an area about 4 miles west of Stornoway. It would sit between the Pentland Road, Lochs Road and Cleascro Road, with the village of Achmore at its western apex (see this Google Map). SNH is insisting that a third of the turbines be removed. This would make the windfarm economically unviable, as its output would be too low to justify the construction of the subsea electricity cable (the interconnector). Similarly, the RSPB is insisting that the scheme be scaled back.
As a perceived result of the Arab Spring, women in Saudi Arabia have taken to going behind the wheel of a car (unaccompanied). That is illegal in that country, and one woman has been apprehended, tried and sentenced to ten lashes. King Abdullah (presumably as a result of the international outcry) has overturned the sentence, according to the BBC's Frank Gardner.
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Tuesday 27 September
Busy at the moment assisting the friend currently in hospital with a broken ankle. The stay there looks like being rather longer than initially hoped. I am not prepared to go into further detail on an open Internet site.
Monday was gloriously sunny albeit breezy, making a nice break from the dismally grey weather we've been having of late. The wet stuff put in a day-long appearance today (Tuesday), making it eminently forgettable. Elsewhere in the UK, the mercury is shooting up to the mid 20s celsius, but we're in the mid teens. Well, someone's got to have it bad, so why not us.
The row surrounding Sunday ferries out of Tarbert (Harris) continues apace, but although the Lord's Day Observance Society claims (perhaps correctly) that no community consultation has taken place, I don't feel they have a leg to stand on. There is a Sunday ferry out of Stornoway, Leverburgh, Lochmaddy, Lochboisdale and Castlebay - all ports in the area of the Western Isles Council. Furthermore, someone in Harris must have been asking for it. In addition, a ferry already leaves Tarbert on Sunday morning, to return the same evening - so why not allow passengers and vehicles on it, to make it pay for itself? I'm sorry, but I am glad that the times are over when the church dictated what you could do on a certain day, even if you are not a member of said church.
Monday was gloriously sunny albeit breezy, making a nice break from the dismally grey weather we've been having of late. The wet stuff put in a day-long appearance today (Tuesday), making it eminently forgettable. Elsewhere in the UK, the mercury is shooting up to the mid 20s celsius, but we're in the mid teens. Well, someone's got to have it bad, so why not us.
The row surrounding Sunday ferries out of Tarbert (Harris) continues apace, but although the Lord's Day Observance Society claims (perhaps correctly) that no community consultation has taken place, I don't feel they have a leg to stand on. There is a Sunday ferry out of Stornoway, Leverburgh, Lochmaddy, Lochboisdale and Castlebay - all ports in the area of the Western Isles Council. Furthermore, someone in Harris must have been asking for it. In addition, a ferry already leaves Tarbert on Sunday morning, to return the same evening - so why not allow passengers and vehicles on it, to make it pay for itself? I'm sorry, but I am glad that the times are over when the church dictated what you could do on a certain day, even if you are not a member of said church.
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Sunday 25 September
Our autumnal weather continues, with frequent downpours and very strong winds this afternoon. Highest winds were 30 mph, gusting to 43 mph at the airport. There were some angry white horses rippling the Basin outside my position at one point. Visited the casualty from yesterday's accident at Ballantrushal in hospital twice today. There is hope of a discharge tomorrow, pending assessment of the use of crutches.
I have copied the 1943 tributes to the Internet, and now just need to link them into the various pages of the WW2 tribute site. Alongside that, I am currently working to make the Excel files available for viewing on Google Docs, including an all-islands file. I made separate tribute sites for Harris and the Uists (Berneray to Vatersay). The WW1 tribute site for Lewis remains as well.
I have copied the 1943 tributes to the Internet, and now just need to link them into the various pages of the WW2 tribute site. Alongside that, I am currently working to make the Excel files available for viewing on Google Docs, including an all-islands file. I made separate tribute sites for Harris and the Uists (Berneray to Vatersay). The WW1 tribute site for Lewis remains as well.
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Hurricane update 24 September
Ophelia is a strange tropical storm, waxing and waning in intensity. It is not a threat to land, as it sits 400 miles east of the Leeward Islands, and forecast to move northwest.
Philippe is the latest tropical storm in the Atlantic, south of the Cape Verde Islands. This system too is not threatening land, but is worth watching once it veers north. It is not often that we see a hurricane in the eastern troipcal Atlantic.
Hilary is a category IV hurricane in the eastern Pacific, and is a tiny but intense system, carrying winds of 140 mph near its centre. Winds of galeforce stop beyond 85 miles from the centre.
Nesat is a tropical storm in the Pacific, which is going to do very nasty things to Luzon Island in the Philippines, which can expect winds of 130 knots (160 mph) in a few days' time. After passing over land, the storm will regenerate in the South China Sea and could hit Hong Kong with winds of 115 mph by Wednesday or Thursday.
21W is a tropical depression off the coast of Vietnam, which won't get much stronger than the current 30 knots (force 7 on the Beaufort scale) before it comes ashore in Vietnam.
91L is a tropical disturbance off Cape Canaveral and over the northwestern Bahamas, which looks like getting its act together. Will be interesting to see what it does when I next check the tropical cyclones after 9 am GMT tomorrow!
Philippe is the latest tropical storm in the Atlantic, south of the Cape Verde Islands. This system too is not threatening land, but is worth watching once it veers north. It is not often that we see a hurricane in the eastern troipcal Atlantic.
Hilary is a category IV hurricane in the eastern Pacific, and is a tiny but intense system, carrying winds of 140 mph near its centre. Winds of galeforce stop beyond 85 miles from the centre.
Nesat is a tropical storm in the Pacific, which is going to do very nasty things to Luzon Island in the Philippines, which can expect winds of 130 knots (160 mph) in a few days' time. After passing over land, the storm will regenerate in the South China Sea and could hit Hong Kong with winds of 115 mph by Wednesday or Thursday.
21W is a tropical depression off the coast of Vietnam, which won't get much stronger than the current 30 knots (force 7 on the Beaufort scale) before it comes ashore in Vietnam.
91L is a tropical disturbance off Cape Canaveral and over the northwestern Bahamas, which looks like getting its act together. Will be interesting to see what it does when I next check the tropical cyclones after 9 am GMT tomorrow!
Saturday 24 September
A day of heavy showers, interspersed with bright sunshine. The Norwegian cruiseliner Fram was in port. She is a regular occurrence at the end of the season. Went out in a car, aiming to show someone round Ness, but our expedition had to be aborted at Ballantrushal, after one of the company broke their ankle due to slipping on wet and muddy ground. Person concerned has undergone surgery and is doing fine. Western Isles Hospital A&E was full of people who had suffered injuries, resulting from the wet conditions.
Friday, 23 September 2011
Friday 23 September
Didn't do an entry yesterday, but I'll catch up today. Both yesterday and today, I transcribed the tributes from the local paper for island servicemen who fell during World War II in the year 1943. Over the weekend, I'll plant those on the internet and link them into the tribute site for WW2. Next week, I'll make a start on the year 1944.
The weather is autumnal. That's very much appropriate, as the astronomical autumn started at 09.04 GMT this morning. There are frequent heavy showers, and this afternoon, the rain was pretty much continuous. As I type this, late on Friday evening, the wind has picked up to force 5 or 6 and is rumbling about the house. Not complaining about temperatures, which currently stand at 14C / 57F - at 11pm at night.
Our MP has received an apology from the government in London over an e-petition which called for the removal of rioters to the Outer Hebrides for a period of 5 years - by way of punishment for the violence that gripped cities south of the border in August. The petition contained some derogatory remarks about the islanders and the way of life here, which suggested we were still stuck in the 19th century. We're not. The fact I'm posting this on the internet using a broadband connection says enough.
And did I tell you all about the price hike of 4p/litre of fuel this week, in some rural petrol stations? That appears to be in response to a reduction in fuel prices of 5p/litre, which has been proposed by the UK government. The suppliers here are now accused of abusing their near-monopoly to push petrol prices to £1.62 per litre in South Uist - for my American readers, that equates to $9.50 per gallon.
The weather is autumnal. That's very much appropriate, as the astronomical autumn started at 09.04 GMT this morning. There are frequent heavy showers, and this afternoon, the rain was pretty much continuous. As I type this, late on Friday evening, the wind has picked up to force 5 or 6 and is rumbling about the house. Not complaining about temperatures, which currently stand at 14C / 57F - at 11pm at night.
Our MP has received an apology from the government in London over an e-petition which called for the removal of rioters to the Outer Hebrides for a period of 5 years - by way of punishment for the violence that gripped cities south of the border in August. The petition contained some derogatory remarks about the islanders and the way of life here, which suggested we were still stuck in the 19th century. We're not. The fact I'm posting this on the internet using a broadband connection says enough.
And did I tell you all about the price hike of 4p/litre of fuel this week, in some rural petrol stations? That appears to be in response to a reduction in fuel prices of 5p/litre, which has been proposed by the UK government. The suppliers here are now accused of abusing their near-monopoly to push petrol prices to £1.62 per litre in South Uist - for my American readers, that equates to $9.50 per gallon.
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Wednesday 21 September
A cold, autumnal day, with rain in the morning and heavy, blustery showers in the afternoon. The mercury has gone down to barely double figures, 11C at the moment and wind at force 6 from the southwest. That's of course nothing in comparison to central Japan, where typhoon Roke blasted through earlier today, with winds of 90 mph and 600 mm of rain. The remnant of the storm is headed for Fukushima on the northeast coast, where the copious amounts of rain will cause problems at the wrecked nuclear facility there.
Facebook has made a few changes too many, and the site is trying to be like Twitter, with fast-moving updates; like Google Plus with new-fangled groups and whatever. They'll be their own undoing.
Facebook has made a few changes too many, and the site is trying to be like Twitter, with fast-moving updates; like Google Plus with new-fangled groups and whatever. They'll be their own undoing.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
The Highest Apple
Lyrics copied from Where Mountains meet the Sea
Performed by Runrig
An Ubhal as Airde
Comhla rium
A tha thu an drasd
Mo shuilean duinte, mo chuimhne dan
Nam sheasamh a' coimhead
Gach cnoc is gach traigh
Is an siol a dh'fhag thu ann a 'fas
Tha an garradh lan
Le craobhan treun
Le meas a' fas dhuinn ann ri bhuain
Ubhlan abaich
Milis geur
Ach tha aon ubhal nach ruig sinn idir air
Seididh gaoth is dearrsaidh grian
Tro mheas nan craobhan lin gu lin
Ach thig an la is thig an t-am
Airson an ubhal as airde
Air a' chraobh a bhuain
Is co 'nar measg
A mhaireas la
Seachad air am is air oidhche fhein
A liuthad uair
A shreap mi suas
Airson an ubhal as airde chur gu beul
Seididh gaoth is dearrsaidh grian
Tro mheas nan craobhan lin gu lin
Ach thig an la is thig an t-am
Airson an ubhal as airde
Air a' chraobh a bhuain
The Highest Apple
At present
All you were is with me
My eyes closed, my memory confident
Standing here watching
Each hill and shoreline
With the seed you left
Still growing
The garden is well stocked
With mighty trees
With fruit growing for the whole world
Ripe, sweet
And bitter apples
And the one apple
That is beyond reach
The winds will blow
And the sun will shine
From generation to generation
Through the trees of the garden
But the day and the hour
Will surely come
To take the highest apple
From the knowledge tree
Who amongst us
Can exist a single day
Beyond our own time and our own limits
Countless and futile
Are times I've climbed
To reach and taste
The forbidden fruit
The winds will blow
And the sun will shine
From generation to generation
Through the trees of the garden
But the day and the hour
Will surely come
To take the highest apple
From the knowledge tree
Monday, 19 September 2011
Monday 19 September
Typhoon Roke has strengthened from 70 to 100 knots in a period of 6 hours. The storm will weaken a little as it approaches the Japanese island of Honshu from the southwest over the next 24 hours. However, the unpredictability that this system has shown over its lifetime of more than 8 days could yet herald more surprises. Another typhoon, Sonca, will veer away into the open Pacific; furthermore, it is slowly turning into a normal depression.
I have transcribed and linked the 1942 tributes from the Stornoway Gazette to the WW2 tribute site. This has yielded four names of people not previously known [to me] to be connected to the Isle of Lewis who fought and died in the Second World War. This is a large task, with about 100 tributes per year coming out; some just consisting of a portrait photograph with a few identifying lines. However, tomorrow, I shall continue with the images of tributes from 1943.
I have transcribed and linked the 1942 tributes from the Stornoway Gazette to the WW2 tribute site. This has yielded four names of people not previously known [to me] to be connected to the Isle of Lewis who fought and died in the Second World War. This is a large task, with about 100 tributes per year coming out; some just consisting of a portrait photograph with a few identifying lines. However, tomorrow, I shall continue with the images of tributes from 1943.
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Sunday 18 September
A man who caught burglars red-handed in his home in Cheshire killed one of them by repeatedly stabbing him with a knife last night. There has been an on-going discussion in the UK whether a home owner or occupant is allowed to use force to defend himself against intruders. I can imagine that this could have fatal consequences, but whether murder or manslaughter is condoned in such circumstances is an extremely difficult call to make.
I have been watching a series of programmes on BBC TV highlighting the on-going discrimination of Australia's indigenous population. The circumstances under which those "Aborigines" are living defies all description. A British GP, Dr Mary Fortune, spent 11 weeks at Kununurra, Western Australia, last year, with a camera team in tow. It painted a bleak picture of a community slowly succumbing to alcohol abuse, inadequate or non-existent housing, and systemic government neglect. It made the apology by former Australian PM Kevin Rudd, made three years ago to the Aborigines, sound rather hollow.
However, that all meant nothing to the family who had travelled 600 km (370 miles) to their nearest clinic, with sick children. One, a kiddie of about 3, had pus pouring out of his ears. Number 2, aged about 6 or 7, just wanted to lie down all the time, and was found to be thirsty, hungry and suffering from a chest infection. How can a nation like Australia, which is very like Western Europe in many respects, treat its own citizens like that?
I have been watching a series of programmes on BBC TV highlighting the on-going discrimination of Australia's indigenous population. The circumstances under which those "Aborigines" are living defies all description. A British GP, Dr Mary Fortune, spent 11 weeks at Kununurra, Western Australia, last year, with a camera team in tow. It painted a bleak picture of a community slowly succumbing to alcohol abuse, inadequate or non-existent housing, and systemic government neglect. It made the apology by former Australian PM Kevin Rudd, made three years ago to the Aborigines, sound rather hollow.
However, that all meant nothing to the family who had travelled 600 km (370 miles) to their nearest clinic, with sick children. One, a kiddie of about 3, had pus pouring out of his ears. Number 2, aged about 6 or 7, just wanted to lie down all the time, and was found to be thirsty, hungry and suffering from a chest infection. How can a nation like Australia, which is very like Western Europe in many respects, treat its own citizens like that?
Saturday, 17 September 2011
Saturday 17 September
A cool autumn day, with some sunshine and the odd shower of rain. I went to the library to gather more material from the Stornoway Gazette, year 1943, and processed the tributes for the preceding year. Tomorrow, I shall link them from the site with all the personal and military information. I find it striking that the number of tributes decreased markedly as the year 1942 progressed.
Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fatal accident in the Gleision mine in South Wales, which claimed the lives of four miners. I copy a little poem I found on Facebook:
A Welshman stood at the golden gate, his head was bent and low.
He meekly asked the man of fate, The way that he should go.
'What have you done' St. Peter said 'To gain admission here?'
'I merely mined for coal' he said, 'for many and many a year.'
St. Peter opened wide the gate, And softly tolled the bell.
'Come and choose your harp' he said 'You've had your share of hell.'
Remembering the miners of Gleision ..... may you all Rest in Peace Boys.
Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fatal accident in the Gleision mine in South Wales, which claimed the lives of four miners. I copy a little poem I found on Facebook:
A Welshman stood at the golden gate, his head was bent and low.
He meekly asked the man of fate, The way that he should go.
'What have you done' St. Peter said 'To gain admission here?'
'I merely mined for coal' he said, 'for many and many a year.'
St. Peter opened wide the gate, And softly tolled the bell.
'Come and choose your harp' he said 'You've had your share of hell.'
Remembering the miners of Gleision ..... may you all Rest in Peace Boys.
Friday, 16 September 2011
Friday 16 September
. ... .(,)
. . _.-ﺜ-._
. . |. . . . |
. . |. . . . |..A candle burns in memory for the Welsh Miners in Swansea.
. . |. . . . |
. . [♥ღღ♥]..Please keep the candle burning
Yesterday, a group of four miners became trapped in a small coalmine north of Swansea, South Wales. A fall occurred in one of the mine shafts and the exit routes became flooded. A search and rescue operation was mounted, requiring the use of divers and the pumping out of large volumes of water. As the day progressed, the missing miners were all located - deceased.
Mining in the UK took a huge tumble in the wake of the 1984/85 miners' strike, and very few collieries remain open today. One reason is the imports of cheap coal from places like Poland and South Africa; the other is geological conditions which make mining in this country a hugely expensive operation. Being a mineworker is one of the most dangerous occupations, as is demonstrated again in Wales this week.
. . _.-ﺜ-._
. . |. . . . |
. . |. . . . |..A candle burns in memory for the Welsh Miners in Swansea.
. . |. . . . |
. . [♥ღღ♥]..Please keep the candle burning
Yesterday, a group of four miners became trapped in a small coalmine north of Swansea, South Wales. A fall occurred in one of the mine shafts and the exit routes became flooded. A search and rescue operation was mounted, requiring the use of divers and the pumping out of large volumes of water. As the day progressed, the missing miners were all located - deceased.
Mining in the UK took a huge tumble in the wake of the 1984/85 miners' strike, and very few collieries remain open today. One reason is the imports of cheap coal from places like Poland and South Africa; the other is geological conditions which make mining in this country a hugely expensive operation. Being a mineworker is one of the most dangerous occupations, as is demonstrated again in Wales this week.
Thursday, 15 September 2011
Thursday 15 September
Another sunny autumn day, but noticeably cooler than earlier in the week. The sun still keeps it nice and warm, but in the shade, you do notice it's not much above 14C.
I transcribed more 1942 tributes today, some of which threw up some interesting queries. During 1942, HMS Curacao was sliced in two by the Queen Mary, leaving many sailors dead. Their bodies washed up all over the Hebrides. One at Kilmory, on the northern shores of the Isle of Rum.
However, when I checked my files, it appears that the casualty actually lies buried in Sandwick Cemetery, here in Lewis. Donald Maciver came from Newvalley, just outside Stornoway. I am chasing it up (hopefully) with local history people in the Small Isles, to check if there is a record of such a burial on Rum. At the time, the island was still privately owned by the Bullough family of Accrington.
Fifteen years later, Lady Monica Bullough was taken to her last resting place at Harris (sic), Isle of Rum, along that hard, hard track from Kinloch.
She was to be laid to rest at the family mausoleum. The first mausoleum was constructed, but subsequently destroyed at the orders of Sir George, as he was not pleased with it. The Greek-style mausoleum you see below now stands over the last of the Bulloughs.
I transcribed more 1942 tributes today, some of which threw up some interesting queries. During 1942, HMS Curacao was sliced in two by the Queen Mary, leaving many sailors dead. Their bodies washed up all over the Hebrides. One at Kilmory, on the northern shores of the Isle of Rum.
However, when I checked my files, it appears that the casualty actually lies buried in Sandwick Cemetery, here in Lewis. Donald Maciver came from Newvalley, just outside Stornoway. I am chasing it up (hopefully) with local history people in the Small Isles, to check if there is a record of such a burial on Rum. At the time, the island was still privately owned by the Bullough family of Accrington.
Fifteen years later, Lady Monica Bullough was taken to her last resting place at Harris (sic), Isle of Rum, along that hard, hard track from Kinloch.
She was to be laid to rest at the family mausoleum. The first mausoleum was constructed, but subsequently destroyed at the orders of Sir George, as he was not pleased with it. The Greek-style mausoleum you see below now stands over the last of the Bulloughs.
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Wednesday 14 September
A day of sunshine and showers, although the latter receded during the latter part of the afternoon. I have spent the better part of the afternoon transcribing more 1942 tributes, and am now on the last 30. Some of the articles consist of a photograph and a few lines; some are a whole newspaper column long, and the columns in those days were more than 2 feet long. As I have come to recognise the limitations of the photographs, I end up splitting up lengthy tributes into more than one picture.
There has been a lot of gentle ribbing in this island's internet output about all the dire warnings regarding last Monday's storm. However, reading the reports in the Press and Journal newspaper, it appears to have been a lot worse elsewhere in Scotland. Sometimes it is better to be a lot further north than everybody else.
I was stunned to read that the British Transport Secretary feels that train travel is a rich man's plaything. Well, Mr Hammond, you'd better get your finger out to make it transport for everybody. Trains are public transport. Rail travel in the UK was privatised in the 1990s, and there are now two dozen different train companies providing services. These are more interested in generating profit, it would seem, than in providing a decent service. Worse than that, next January fares are set to rise by 8%. The current rate of inflation in the UK is 4.5%. There are a lot of people who rely on trains to go to work, and have no alternative.
One other gripe is the idiosyncratic fare structure. Two years ago, I was travelling from Inverness to Darlington, a town in northern England. The distance is about 320 miles. The fare I got out of Scotrail was £96 single; splitting up the journey into a Scotrail and an East Coast Trains segment reduced it to £56. The dearest fare ever found was a single from Penzance to Kyle of Lochalsh - an eye-watering £1,000. The distance is approximately 700 miles.
The above complaints are longstanding, and no political party has the bottle to put the train companies down to a decent fare structure. End of moan.
There has been a lot of gentle ribbing in this island's internet output about all the dire warnings regarding last Monday's storm. However, reading the reports in the Press and Journal newspaper, it appears to have been a lot worse elsewhere in Scotland. Sometimes it is better to be a lot further north than everybody else.
I was stunned to read that the British Transport Secretary feels that train travel is a rich man's plaything. Well, Mr Hammond, you'd better get your finger out to make it transport for everybody. Trains are public transport. Rail travel in the UK was privatised in the 1990s, and there are now two dozen different train companies providing services. These are more interested in generating profit, it would seem, than in providing a decent service. Worse than that, next January fares are set to rise by 8%. The current rate of inflation in the UK is 4.5%. There are a lot of people who rely on trains to go to work, and have no alternative.
One other gripe is the idiosyncratic fare structure. Two years ago, I was travelling from Inverness to Darlington, a town in northern England. The distance is about 320 miles. The fare I got out of Scotrail was £96 single; splitting up the journey into a Scotrail and an East Coast Trains segment reduced it to £56. The dearest fare ever found was a single from Penzance to Kyle of Lochalsh - an eye-watering £1,000. The distance is approximately 700 miles.
The above complaints are longstanding, and no political party has the bottle to put the train companies down to a decent fare structure. End of moan.
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Tuesday 13 September
The day after the storm that never was. It continued to be a quiet day, but with less sun than yesterday. I spent the day transcribing tributes from the local paper for the year 1942; the total number stands at about 90, I guess. I am halfway through the 110 articles, some of which carry photographs.
The Lewis Chessmen came "home" today; 6 of the figurines were taken across to Uig Museum in Timsgarry for five hours. The museum stands about a mile from the site where the Chessmen were first found in 1831. The event was accompanied by story telling, people dressing up as Vikings and an opportunity to share tales. I viewed the Chessmen myself shortly after they came to Stornoway, but did not attend the event in Uig. It is hoped that the 91 Chessmen can come to the island as a permanent fixture.
The Lewis Chessmen came "home" today; 6 of the figurines were taken across to Uig Museum in Timsgarry for five hours. The museum stands about a mile from the site where the Chessmen were first found in 1831. The event was accompanied by story telling, people dressing up as Vikings and an opportunity to share tales. I viewed the Chessmen myself shortly after they came to Stornoway, but did not attend the event in Uig. It is hoped that the 91 Chessmen can come to the island as a permanent fixture.
Monday, 12 September 2011
Day of wind
Well, it's not blowing here, that's for sure. We never had more than 15 mph, that's force 4 on the Beaufort scale. After my lunchtime update, the weather just got quite summerlike for a few hours. By 3pm, I was sorely tempted to go and sit outside in the sunshine, with the mercury at a most creditable 17C. The only thing that spoiled it was the midges. By 4pm, the cloud returned and we had a shower of rain.
I am just hearing that a driver was killed on a road in county Durham, when a tree was blown onto his vehicle. A boy of 11 was injured when he was struck by a roof, blown off a garage in the same area of England. The winds appear to be subsiding on the western side of the British Isles, but may pick up again - but we remain in the eye of the causative depression.
I am just hearing that a driver was killed on a road in county Durham, when a tree was blown onto his vehicle. A boy of 11 was injured when he was struck by a roof, blown off a garage in the same area of England. The winds appear to be subsiding on the western side of the British Isles, but may pick up again - but we remain in the eye of the causative depression.
Monday 12 September
It is 1.20pm as I type this entry, and it is brightly sunny with a mild breeze. Not what you might have expected from me, after all the dire warnings I have been pumping out all through last week. An indication of Katia's presence is the low barometric reading (974 mbar) and winds of 50 to 75 mph over Northern Ireland, southwestern Scotland as well as west Wales. The depression is directly overhead - we're in the eye of the storm. I'll update later if conditions change markedly.
Sunday, 11 September 2011
9/11 - a decade on
This tribute is published on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania on 11 September 2001, under the auspices of Project 2996.
Jeffrey Dwayne Collman
Image: Family photograph, via http://guy-at-judson.blogspot.com.
Source: Aurora Beacon News, Aurora IL 9-23-2001
Jeffrey Dwayne Collman, age 41, of Novato, California, formerly of Yorkville, IL, a flight attendant for American Airlines, died in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City at 8:45a.m. on Tuesday, September 11, 2001.
Jeffrey was a 1977 graduate of Yorkville High School in Yorkville, IL. Jeff was formerly employed, for over 10 years, at All-Steel in Montgomery, IL. He had then worked, for a brief time, at Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California before attaining his dream of being a flight attendant with American Airlines. Jeffrey loved his job and traveling to other countries around the world. He also loved to play and watch tennis. Jeff was a true people person who enjoyed visiting with and getting to know others. He became a flight attendant in 1997. Two years later, Jeff received the American Professional Flight Attendant Award and was considered a spirited and dedicated flight attendant. He liked to entertain children on his flights, and he was fond of playing tennis and traveling, friends said.
He is survived by his parents, Dwayne and Kay Collman of Yorkville, IL and Beverly Sutton of North Aurora, IL; his close companion, Keith Bradkowski of Novato, Ca; his brothers, Charles Collman of Fort Meyers, FL and Brian Collman of Las Vegas, NV; his sister, Brenda Sorenson of Aurora, IL; his step-brothers, Steve (Linda) Gengler of Yorkville, IL and Chuck (Lakshmi) Gengler of South Orange, NJ; his step-sister, Susan Bohan of California; a god-child, Marlene Wakelin; his half-sisters, Laura Kries of Brooklyn Park, MN, Caroline Sutton of Joliet, IL and Vickie Michel of Aurora, IL; several nieces and nephews, many loving aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Jeffrey will also be missed by 100 other flight attendants.
He is preceded in death by his grandparents and his brother, Mark Allen Collman.
A memorial service was held on Monday, October 1, 2001 at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Yorkville, IL with Pastor John Leaf officiating.
Father’s thoughts
Dwayne Collman's imagination gets the best of him when he thinks about the final minutes of his son's life on American Airlines Flight 11. He's filled with horror thinking about what the 41-year-old flight attendant from Yorkville went through as terrorists with knives steered the plane into the first World Trade Center tower. Collman knows his son received safety training in flight school, but he doubts it ever could have prepared him for the challenges he would face on the morning of Sept. 11. The grieving father is sure of one thing about his son, though, even if the details about his death are not certain:
"He would have fought like hell."
Jeffrey Collman, an American Airlines flight attendant for five years who grew up in Yorkville, died Tuesday morning when his hijacked plane, destined for Los Angeles, crashed into New York's famous landmark at 8:45 a.m. Though his body has not been recovered, his parents knew he was gone when he didn't call within a few hours after the tragedy. He had sent his stepmother, Kay, an e-mail the night before, telling her he would be flying from Boston to Los Angeles the next morning.
"I knew he was in that accident because every time there was something going on with airplanes, he would call and say, 'Hey, I'm all right,' " said Kay Collman. "So I knew that, when he didn't call, he was on that plane."
His parents [...] say Jeffrey Collman wanted to be a flight attendant because he loved to travel and meet people around the world. After working for years at Allsteel in Montgomery, he moved to California about five years ago to pursue that dream. Lifelong friend Dolores Humphrey, who went to school with Jeffrey Collman at all grade levels in Yorkville, said she feared he was killed when she heard the news because he often flew early-week flights from Boston to Los Angeles.
She said Collman never lost contact with his friends, even though his job took him around the world.
"Every time he got into town, he would call anyone he knew to meet for breakfast," said Humphrey, who last talked to Collman [5 days before 9/11]. "He would talk for a couple hours, then have to go fly somewhere else."
His stepmother said Jeffrey was the type of person who could "sit down next to someone on a plane and walk away knowing their life story." His father said Jeffrey loved tennis and flew around the world to watch professionals play. Kay Collman says her stepson never went anywhere meekly, and he loved his job so much that she's sure he didn't back down in the face of terror. "He took it seriously," she said, "and he would not have let anyone walk on him."
Humphrey said Jeffrey talked of flying even when he was a child, and his dream came true when American Airlines gave him a job. He was never afraid to fly, she said, always asserting that he was safer in the air than anyone on the ground. Collman's parents have begun to realize how their son died, and that he will always be remembered as a victim on one of the saddest days ever in the United States.
"It's completely different than just someone dying," Kay Collman said. "We'll have the pictures forever. We'll always see where he died. It's part of history."
Seattle Times, 17 September 2001
His partner, Keith Bradkowski, said Collman was courageous and safety-conscious. "He was so focused on safety," Bradkowski said. "If there was a threat, he would have done anything in his power to prevent it." He didn't normally work the Boston-to-Los Angeles route but made an exception to get vacation time at the end of the month. Collman grew up in Yorkville, Ill., and besides Bradkowski left behind four brothers and a sister. (Seattle Times)
Further information: the fate of Flight 11.
Memorial to flight crew
Source: www.maritimequest.com
Postscript
Blogger Nathanael V. found out 5 years after 9/11, that Jeffrey Collman was a neighbour's grandson.
Sources
http://www.afacwa.org/memoriam/jeffreycollman.htm
http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=jeffrey_collman_1
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=5767989
and as attributed above.
9/11 - a decade on
When this post is published, it will be exactly ten years to the minute that the first aircraft hit the World Trade Center in New York. The events of what is now referred to as 9/11 are only too well known.
My thoughts are with all victims, whether identified afterwards, or not. In New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
My thoughts are with the passengers and crew on the four flights destroyed. My thoughts are with the victims killed in the World Trade Center. My thoughts are with those emergency workers who lost their lives trying to save others'.
My thoughts today are with the families of those who perpetrated these atrocities, for they lost too. Even before the events of September 2001, they lost their loved ones to a delusion of hate that is not of the religion they claimed to be faithful to. Hatred leads to destruction - as shown seven years ago. Forgiveness is a pillar of Christian faith, as it is one of the Islamic faith. Whether those that lost a loved one in 9/11 can find it in themselves to forgive is beyond my scope.
But first and foremost, my thoughts are with Norberto Hernandez, whose tribute I first filed on Northern Trip, the predecessor to Atlantic Lines, in 2006. The searches for Norberto on Google are contaminated with references to the Falling Man, who was in fact another victim, Jonathan Briley. This confusion has led to much anger and anguish, something the families of both men could do well without.
Norberto, rest in peace.
This entry, as stated above is dedicated to the memory of
Norberto was a pastry chef from Elmhurst, working in the restaurant Windows on the World on the 106th and 107th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York. After the attacks, he was reported missing for a week until parts of a torso and an arm were found in a collapsed stairwell. DNA testing and finger printing reveiled that these were the remains of Norberto. It also invalidated claims that the image of the Falling Man was that of Norberto; this was another victim of 9/11 who will be the subject of a different tribute.
At the time of the attacks on the WTC, Norberto was aged 42 and had been married for 25 years. He was the fourth of ten children by his parents’ marriage, and also had six half-siblings through his father. His parents separated when he was young. Norberto himself had three daughters, three grandchildren and 37 nephews. He was a man of Puerto Rican origins, and had hoped to spend his final days there. Instead, after 9/11, a funeral service was held and his remains cremated in Puerto Rico.
His sister Luz described Norberto. “He was quiet, kind”, she said. “He was a handsome man. Everybody loved him, you know. Everybody.” Norberto’s nickname was Bible, as he was very dependable. Together Forever was his motto.
Norberto started work in Windows on the World at the age of 17, washing dishes. He was interested in cooking, so a manager paid for his tuition at cooking school. Norberto became pastry chef and worked up to 10 hours a day. His sister Luz said that he made cakes, desserts, cookies and bread. His cakes were fabulous.
Outside work, Norberto loved sports, and was a fan of a Puerto Rican boxer, Felix Trinidad Jr. Four days before the attacks, he rang his mother and asked her to play “I would cry but I have no more tears” four times.
In the immediate aftermath of the plane striking the North Tower, Norberto called his sister Luz. “He said: ‘Yeah, don’t worry, I’m OK”.They were disconnected, and when Luz tried to call back she could not get through. Other accounts from Windows on the World tell that smoke and dust filled the restaurant after the strike, and that people lay on the floor to escape the worst of it. Air was beginning to run out at the time of the last contact.
These are the facts that I have managed to pull together from the Internet.
From the little that I have learned of Norberto, he came through as a gentle giant. Although 6’2” (1.84m) tall, he was always listening, and talked later. His family suffered a double loss, as Claribel Hernandez (his sister-in-law), a secretary working elsewhere in the North Tower, was also killed in the attacks. Norberto was close in the family and responsible, which earned him the nickname Bible. He loved his work, and by the look of one of the images, loved to impart that knowledge to others around him.
September 11th, 2001, dawned as a brilliantly sunny morning in New York. Two planes were flown into the two towers of the World Trade Center, leading to their collapse within 2 hours. The destruction of so many lives was brought about by mindless hatred and madness, fuelled by religious zealotry which was not based on any writing in any scriptures in any religion.
Norberto may have heard of that on news reports, but it was probably quite far from him. He was a man that lived for his family, always there for them. A diligent worker, putting in up to 10 hours a day, loving his creations from the oven. Travelling to the WTC on the Subway every morning, his thoughts were probably far from what was to happen not that much later on that fateful Tuesday.
Two thousand nine hundred and ninety-six are known to have died that day, or in its immediate aftermath. Norberto’s ashes were scattered in his homeland of Puerto Rico. His memory lives on in his family, and in the memory of those that read this. He is deeply missed by those close to him.
To Norberto Hernandez
Rest In Peace
Links
http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/studentwork/terror/sep19/three_lives.asp
This link is no longer operational
I have attempted to contact the University of Columbia to use the material in this link, but have not received a reply. As it is central to the tribute, I have used it, and acknowledge the writer, Sarah Clemence.
http://www.poetrykit.org/pkl/tw6/pg05.htm
This is a poem by Barbara Phillips, from which I have used some factual references to Norberto. It refers to him being the Falling Man though.
http://www.unitedinmemory.net/gallery.php
I have been granted permission by UIM to reproduce the commemorative quilt for Norberto.
http://www.queenspress.com/archives/coverstories/2001/issue38/coverstory.htm
The poster, pictured above, proclaiming Norberto as missing after the attacks, hung on a walkway of Manhattan for more than a week
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Katia
Having monitored tropical cyclones for 5 years from the northwest of Scotland, it is a strange feeling to be the subject of a direct warning from the National Hurricane Center over in Miami. Hurricane Katia is no longer a tropical system, but a very strong depression, currently just under 2000 miles west southwest of Glasgow, to quote the NHC. The dangerous surf conditions, which the eastern USA have experienced during the past week will now affect these shores, and the stormforce winds are expected to cause damage to trees and disruption to transport networks in the UK. Ex-Katia, with a central pressure of 954 mbar, is scooting east at 46 knots, that's 52 mph, with winds of 70 knots, 80 mph. The contrast between a cold airmass to the north and a warm, tropical airmass to its south, will maintain Katia's strength - it is temperature contrasts that fuel mid latitude depressions, rather than the venting of oceanic warmth through condensation as shown in tropical cyclones.
Katia will sit over the Western Isles at midday on Monday, as I already reported in my previous post. This is part of public advisory #50 from NHC, published at 4pm local time.
WIND...GALE- TO STORM-FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT MUCH OF THE BRITISH ISLES ON MONDAY...AND COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO TREES AND DISRUPT TRANSPORTATION AND OTHER PUBLIC SERVICES. INTERESTS IN AND AROUND THE BRITISH ISLES AND NORTHERN EUROPE SHOULD MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY THE UK MET OFFICE AT WWW.METOFFICE.GOV.UK/
SURF...LARGE SWELLS GENERATED BY KATIA WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT U.S. NEW ENGLAND AREAS...ATLANTIC CANADA...AND BERMUDA TODAY....AND SPREAD EASTWARD INTO THE BRITISH ISLES SUNDAY AND MONDAY. THESE SWELLS ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING SURF AND RIP CURRENT CONDITIONS. PLEASE CONSULT PRODUCTS FROM YOUR LOCAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
RAINFALL...TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 50 TO 100 MILLIMETERS... 2 TO 4 INCHES...ARE EXPECTED OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS OF SCOTLAND THROUGH MONDAY.
Katia will sit over the Western Isles at midday on Monday, as I already reported in my previous post. This is part of public advisory #50 from NHC, published at 4pm local time.
WIND...GALE- TO STORM-FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT MUCH OF THE BRITISH ISLES ON MONDAY...AND COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO TREES AND DISRUPT TRANSPORTATION AND OTHER PUBLIC SERVICES. INTERESTS IN AND AROUND THE BRITISH ISLES AND NORTHERN EUROPE SHOULD MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY THE UK MET OFFICE AT WWW.METOFFICE.GOV.UK/
SURF...LARGE SWELLS GENERATED BY KATIA WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT U.S. NEW ENGLAND AREAS...ATLANTIC CANADA...AND BERMUDA TODAY....AND SPREAD EASTWARD INTO THE BRITISH ISLES SUNDAY AND MONDAY. THESE SWELLS ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING SURF AND RIP CURRENT CONDITIONS. PLEASE CONSULT PRODUCTS FROM YOUR LOCAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
RAINFALL...TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 50 TO 100 MILLIMETERS... 2 TO 4 INCHES...ARE EXPECTED OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS OF SCOTLAND THROUGH MONDAY.
Saturday 10 September
My eldest nephew is 21 today, so he'll be having a whale of a time this weekend. My youngest niece is 13 on Tuesday of next week, meaning she'll be a teen well and truly. Trust a good time will be had in her house as well.
Here in Stornoway, it is a calm if slightly damp Saturday morning. The news is full of dire headlines about the approaching hurricane, which will be carrying winds of force 9 to 11 to Scotland on Monday. We shall see. According to the latest weather charts, its centre will be right over Lewis at midday on Monday, meaning we'll be seeing the eye of the storm, and some very low barometric pressures. The charts suggest 960 mbar. Not a record; the 2005 hurricane carried a central pressure of 944 mbar.
Tomorrow will see the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and I shall not be posting a normal blogpost on here. What you will see are two tributes dedicated to the memory Norberto Hernandez and Dwayne Coleman, who lost their lives in the atrocities at New York ten years ago. These tributes will be posted at the exact time that the first plane struck the WTC in 2001.
If there is anything else I can think of to post today, you will see that, else I'll be resuming normal service on Monday.
Here in Stornoway, it is a calm if slightly damp Saturday morning. The news is full of dire headlines about the approaching hurricane, which will be carrying winds of force 9 to 11 to Scotland on Monday. We shall see. According to the latest weather charts, its centre will be right over Lewis at midday on Monday, meaning we'll be seeing the eye of the storm, and some very low barometric pressures. The charts suggest 960 mbar. Not a record; the 2005 hurricane carried a central pressure of 944 mbar.
Tomorrow will see the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and I shall not be posting a normal blogpost on here. What you will see are two tributes dedicated to the memory Norberto Hernandez and Dwayne Coleman, who lost their lives in the atrocities at New York ten years ago. These tributes will be posted at the exact time that the first plane struck the WTC in 2001.
If there is anything else I can think of to post today, you will see that, else I'll be resuming normal service on Monday.
Friday, 9 September 2011
Friday 9 September
Overcast and wet, but no wind to speak of. Quite a few boats in port today. The Froyhav and Roy Kristian are well-boats, used to transport young salmon to fish farms.
The yacht is the Cary Ali, registered in the Marshall Islands, in the middle of the Pacific.
And we even had a tall-ship in, the Soerlandet, a Norwegian training vessel.
This was, as I said, a calm day. Over the next few days, things are going to get progressively worse. Monday shows winds of force 9 to 11 on the forecast - as Katia comes to gives us an old-fashioned "winter storm", to quote the National Hurricane Center in Miami. We in Scotland get warnings from the NHC? Oh my goodness, I'd better batten down those hatches!
The yacht is the Cary Ali, registered in the Marshall Islands, in the middle of the Pacific.
And we even had a tall-ship in, the Soerlandet, a Norwegian training vessel.
This was, as I said, a calm day. Over the next few days, things are going to get progressively worse. Monday shows winds of force 9 to 11 on the forecast - as Katia comes to gives us an old-fashioned "winter storm", to quote the National Hurricane Center in Miami. We in Scotland get warnings from the NHC? Oh my goodness, I'd better batten down those hatches!
Thursday 8 September
Quite a reasonable day in terms of weather. Still busy monitoring no fewer than four tropical cyclones - Katia, Maria, Nate and Kulap. Dire warnings are appearing about Katia, which has the British Isles in its crosshairs for early next week. The Metcheck website had a gremlin in its forecast, warning us of 220 mph winds. Well, we do get high winds here, for sure, but not that bad.
I have started transcribing WW2 tributes from the Stornoway Gazette, which should appear on the Internet in the next week or so.It is noticeable that the rate of tributes falls off sharply as the year 1942 progresses, which shows that the RAF has won the battle of the skies, and that the U-boats are losing the battle of the seas. I have more than 100 articles to transcribe.
I have started transcribing WW2 tributes from the Stornoway Gazette, which should appear on the Internet in the next week or so.It is noticeable that the rate of tributes falls off sharply as the year 1942 progresses, which shows that the RAF has won the battle of the skies, and that the U-boats are losing the battle of the seas. I have more than 100 articles to transcribe.
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
Hurricane update - 7 September
Approaching the apex of the hurricane season, and boy, it is heaving with tropical cyclones tonight. The Atlantic has no few than three of them.
Katia is a hurricane that is not bothering anyone at the moment, apart from some high swells on the east coast of the USA. The British Isles will see a slightly weaker version on Monday of next week; 60 knots equates to a force 11 storm.
Maria is a tropical storm with winds of 45 knots (force 9-10) in the middle of the Atlantic. She will head west and may pass over the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico by the weekend.
Nate formed in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, in the Bay of Campeche. A track map is not yet available, but this chap will drift north and intensify to hurricane force. Northeastern Mexico appears to be in the firing line.
Kulap is a tropical storm in the northwestern Pacific, but the forecasters are at daggers drawn over its future course. Will it head north into Korea, or west into China?
Katia is a hurricane that is not bothering anyone at the moment, apart from some high swells on the east coast of the USA. The British Isles will see a slightly weaker version on Monday of next week; 60 knots equates to a force 11 storm.
Maria is a tropical storm with winds of 45 knots (force 9-10) in the middle of the Atlantic. She will head west and may pass over the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico by the weekend.
Nate formed in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, in the Bay of Campeche. A track map is not yet available, but this chap will drift north and intensify to hurricane force. Northeastern Mexico appears to be in the firing line.
Kulap is a tropical storm in the northwestern Pacific, but the forecasters are at daggers drawn over its future course. Will it head north into Korea, or west into China?
Wednesday 7 September
Another day of sunshine and showers, the latter being of the beafy variety. Later in the day, as the showers move away east, they leave behind a legacy of rainbows. This island is famous for its rainbows in spring and autumn. Talking of autumnal weather, we are on warning for some very severe weather. The long range forecasts give us winds of 65 mph, gusting to 85 mph, on Monday afternoon. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says that the remnant of Hurricane Katia will scoot just north of the Hebrides after the weekend, carrying hurricane force winds near its centre. The weekend is not going to be good, but Monday and Tuesday will be extremely bad. I am not given to refer to the weather here as either extreme or bad, but this is going to be one of those events.
I have completed my researches (as much as possible) into the witnesses who gave evidence to the Napier Commission during its sessions in the Outer Hebrides in May and June 1883. The information shows the make-up of their families, names of spouses and children, and if possible the date and circumstances of their death. I know of at least one person whose great-grandfather was a witness, 128 years ago.
If anyone wants to publish a tribute to one of the victims of 9/11, please visit the website of Project 2996. There are more than 2,100 names left without a tribute - many of them used to have one, but they were lost when people closed down their blogs. You can easily research any of those people, and even just a mention of their name would already be sufficient.
Where was I at 8.46 EDT on 11 September 2001? I was at my last place of work when the storekeeper emerged from his office with this strange look on his face. He said that planes had flown into the World Trade Center in New York. Four hours later, replays on the television brought home the horror of that day.
I have completed my researches (as much as possible) into the witnesses who gave evidence to the Napier Commission during its sessions in the Outer Hebrides in May and June 1883. The information shows the make-up of their families, names of spouses and children, and if possible the date and circumstances of their death. I know of at least one person whose great-grandfather was a witness, 128 years ago.
If anyone wants to publish a tribute to one of the victims of 9/11, please visit the website of Project 2996. There are more than 2,100 names left without a tribute - many of them used to have one, but they were lost when people closed down their blogs. You can easily research any of those people, and even just a mention of their name would already be sufficient.
Where was I at 8.46 EDT on 11 September 2001? I was at my last place of work when the storekeeper emerged from his office with this strange look on his face. He said that planes had flown into the World Trade Center in New York. Four hours later, replays on the television brought home the horror of that day.
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Tuesday 6 September
The day started very unfriendly, with lashing rain and strong winds. The gales that we were warned against did not materialise, as we were in the eye of the storm. At midday, the barometer bottomed out at 975 mbar, the rain stopped and the sun came out. As I type this, at 6pm, pressure has risen to 981 mbar as the causative low pressure system moves away east across the North Sea.
Hurricane Katia is moving steadily northwest and will pass between the USA and Bermuda over the next few days. She is not directly threatening land (apart from gales on Bermuda and an inch or two of rain there), but Katia could well threaten the British Isles in a week's time. Having transformed into an "ordinary" low pressure system, it will still be packing winds of up to 60 knots - and hurricane force is only a notch up on that, at 65 knots. I'll monitor the situation over the next few days.
I spent two hours in the library, photographing articles from the Stornoway Gazette containing tributes to servicemen from the Isle of Lewis who were lost during 1942. Towards the end of that year, the rate of the losses decreases noticeably. Although I took 109 images, I reckon it boils down to about 80 or 90 tributes. Once I have completed my current task of researching the witnesses to the Napier Commission from North Uist - 6 down, 7 to go at the moment.
Hurricane Katia is moving steadily northwest and will pass between the USA and Bermuda over the next few days. She is not directly threatening land (apart from gales on Bermuda and an inch or two of rain there), but Katia could well threaten the British Isles in a week's time. Having transformed into an "ordinary" low pressure system, it will still be packing winds of up to 60 knots - and hurricane force is only a notch up on that, at 65 knots. I'll monitor the situation over the next few days.
I spent two hours in the library, photographing articles from the Stornoway Gazette containing tributes to servicemen from the Isle of Lewis who were lost during 1942. Towards the end of that year, the rate of the losses decreases noticeably. Although I took 109 images, I reckon it boils down to about 80 or 90 tributes. Once I have completed my current task of researching the witnesses to the Napier Commission from North Uist - 6 down, 7 to go at the moment.
Monday, 5 September 2011
Monday 5 September
Quite a boisterous day, in that there were beafy downpours and twisters reportedly trying to come down from shower clouds over the centre of the island. There was not much wind at groundlevel, which brought out the midges (scratch, scratch).
Next week, the Lewis Chessmen [Facebook link] will be back near the location where they were found back in 1831. It is their first revisit in 11 years, and there will only be a small selection of the figurines that will make it to Timsgarry, across the bay from Ardroil. The debate as to the provenance of their makers continues to rage.
Next week, the Lewis Chessmen [Facebook link] will be back near the location where they were found back in 1831. It is their first revisit in 11 years, and there will only be a small selection of the figurines that will make it to Timsgarry, across the bay from Ardroil. The debate as to the provenance of their makers continues to rage.
Community Photo Challenge - Reflections
Sunday, 4 September 2011
Sunday 4 September
Quite a nice, sunny day, ended by a spectacular sunset just after 8pm. Sigh, we've lost 2½ hours of daylight (on the sunset side), and the equinox is only just over a fortnight away. Had an easy Sunday, reading more of the Count of Monte Cristo, a book you really need to focus on in order to keep track of all the intrigue and machinations. Quote of the day: "Disgust is even more repugnant than hatred", and that coming from a man that is all about revenge.
A campaign is underway to map the blackspots in mobile phone coverage in the islands. Said he, barely suppressing a snort of derision. When I came to Lewis, I devised this rhyme No Eitsal no signal, as the mobile phone transmitters stand on the top of Eitsal, a hill backing onto the village of Achmore.
When I was in Switzerland, I always had mobile phone coverage. Whether on top of mountains, in valleys or even in the middle of a 22 mile tunnel. The cell information even changed as the train passed underneath different villages in the mountains above. Switzerland thrives on tourism. The Western Isles are heavily dependent on tourism, yet mobile phone coverage is poor. Yes, you can get a signal in town - don't try it at the junction of Kenneth Street and Bayhead. I realise that the number of residents and tourists in the islands are nowhere near the numbers that the Swiss Alps see. But there is no excuse for this appalling state of affairs.
A campaign is underway to map the blackspots in mobile phone coverage in the islands. Said he, barely suppressing a snort of derision. When I came to Lewis, I devised this rhyme No Eitsal no signal, as the mobile phone transmitters stand on the top of Eitsal, a hill backing onto the village of Achmore.
When I was in Switzerland, I always had mobile phone coverage. Whether on top of mountains, in valleys or even in the middle of a 22 mile tunnel. The cell information even changed as the train passed underneath different villages in the mountains above. Switzerland thrives on tourism. The Western Isles are heavily dependent on tourism, yet mobile phone coverage is poor. Yes, you can get a signal in town - don't try it at the junction of Kenneth Street and Bayhead. I realise that the number of residents and tourists in the islands are nowhere near the numbers that the Swiss Alps see. But there is no excuse for this appalling state of affairs.
Saturday, 3 September 2011
Saturday 3 September
Three systems keeping me busy with the tropical cyclones blog: hurricane Katia is in the Atlantic, not strengthening much because the atmosphere is not cooperating; tropical storm Lee is soaking Louisiana; and tropical storm Talas is crossing mainland Japan. Strange as though it may seem, Talas is likely to impact the future course of Katia, although the two systems are 150 degrees in longitude apart.
Here in Stornoway, it is a typical Hebridean day, with periods of rain interspersed with periods of sunshine. This morning, I met with fellow researcher Direcleit, and we spent a pleasant half hour or so comparing notes over a coffee in the An Lanntair cafe. Later on, I completed the links in my Napier Witnesses blog. I only have to look at the witnesses for North Uist and Benbecula.
I am closing this post with some pictures I took in recent days.
Sunshine and showers, 3 September
Cruiseliners Vistamar (L) and Marco Polo (R)
Cruiseliner Vistamar in Glumag Harbour
Here in Stornoway, it is a typical Hebridean day, with periods of rain interspersed with periods of sunshine. This morning, I met with fellow researcher Direcleit, and we spent a pleasant half hour or so comparing notes over a coffee in the An Lanntair cafe. Later on, I completed the links in my Napier Witnesses blog. I only have to look at the witnesses for North Uist and Benbecula.
I am closing this post with some pictures I took in recent days.
Sunshine and showers, 3 September
Cruiseliners Vistamar (L) and Marco Polo (R)
Cruiseliner Vistamar in Glumag Harbour
Friday, 2 September 2011
Scriptural interpretation
A minister in the Free Church of Scotland has written to his
Presbytery to resign as a minister and to be deleted from the register
of retired ministers. Why? Because the Free Church recently proposed to
introduce hymns into the service. Until recently, hymns and musical
instruments were not permitted. The Reverend Macdonald is seriously
upset that, after 47 years, he feels he is forced to this move.
Introducing hymns is, in his view, unscriptural and sinful. More on this link.
I respect everybody's religious convictions, and am also prepared to acknowledge that different people have different forms of worship, and that some forms may be repugnant to other people, for quite genuine reasons.
I resent, however, the fact that people are condemning each other because of differing interpretations of the Bible, which is what happens a lot. Don't forget that the Bible has been translated several times, has come down over literally thousands of years. More to the point, who on Earth does anyone think they are when they claim know exactly what was meant by our Deity when He commanded whoever to write down His Word? It is the job of a Minister of the Church to interpret the Scriptures to the best of his ability and conscience, in order that his congregation can best be helped in dealing with the major (and minor) issues of life. The form of worship, with all respect to the Reverend Macdonald, is a minor side issue to that.
The Protestant Church is infamous for its multitudes of splits and schisms, brought about by differing interpretations, and each faction defending to the hilt the notion that they have it right, and when someone doesn't agree, they are wrong. I am all for a healthy discussion. I am strongly opposed to rigidly imposed dogma - something that both Protestant and Catholic Churches are very good at.
Some 30 years ago, I was invited to a meeting, hosted by the Opus Dei organisation. They were trying to convert young students to the Roman Catholic faith, and possibly recruit them into their organisation. They did a good job at convincing me that I could not do so. I do not accept certain tenets of the RC faith (that's a personal opinion), but I have a great respect for that Church nonetheless. Some of my best friends over the years have been Orthodox Roman Catholics. But it would appear to me that the rigid dogma of the RC Church has been copied by certain sections of the Free Church of Scotland - a comparison that will not sit very well with certain members of that Church.
I respect everybody's religious convictions, and am also prepared to acknowledge that different people have different forms of worship, and that some forms may be repugnant to other people, for quite genuine reasons.
I resent, however, the fact that people are condemning each other because of differing interpretations of the Bible, which is what happens a lot. Don't forget that the Bible has been translated several times, has come down over literally thousands of years. More to the point, who on Earth does anyone think they are when they claim know exactly what was meant by our Deity when He commanded whoever to write down His Word? It is the job of a Minister of the Church to interpret the Scriptures to the best of his ability and conscience, in order that his congregation can best be helped in dealing with the major (and minor) issues of life. The form of worship, with all respect to the Reverend Macdonald, is a minor side issue to that.
The Protestant Church is infamous for its multitudes of splits and schisms, brought about by differing interpretations, and each faction defending to the hilt the notion that they have it right, and when someone doesn't agree, they are wrong. I am all for a healthy discussion. I am strongly opposed to rigidly imposed dogma - something that both Protestant and Catholic Churches are very good at.
Some 30 years ago, I was invited to a meeting, hosted by the Opus Dei organisation. They were trying to convert young students to the Roman Catholic faith, and possibly recruit them into their organisation. They did a good job at convincing me that I could not do so. I do not accept certain tenets of the RC faith (that's a personal opinion), but I have a great respect for that Church nonetheless. Some of my best friends over the years have been Orthodox Roman Catholics. But it would appear to me that the rigid dogma of the RC Church has been copied by certain sections of the Free Church of Scotland - a comparison that will not sit very well with certain members of that Church.
Friday 2 September
I just had a look at the sidebar for my blog, and everything points towards autumn. My blogoversary will be on October 8th, the Royal National Mod is on from October 15th and my "seasonal" image is from October 2007.
It shows a derelict cottage along the shores of Loch Seaforth at Airidh a'Bhruaich. The russet browns of the dying bracken are much in evidence. The weather is quite autumnal as well, with dark clouds, a little sunshine and showers. The mercury now only just manages 60F, and that will very soon be a thing of the past for this part of the world. There were two cruiseliners in, the Marco Polo (a regular visitor here, on its 3rd call this season) and the Vistamar, which felt its way into Glumag Harbour this morning. The ferry had to squeeze past both vessels at 2 o'clock this afternoon.
Earlier this year, a lady driving a car just north of Tarbert was signalled by police officers to stop. Local rumour has it that she allegedly gave them "the finger". She did not stop. The driver continued over the Clisham, into Lewis, through Balallan, Laxay, Leurbost into Stornoway, where she turned left. Traversing the Barvas Moor, then turning right at Barvas, finally pulling up at Dell. For 60 (yes, sixty) miles, she had been ignoring blue flashing lights in her rear-view mirror. The woman is due in court next month on charges of failing to stop for police, and she has pled not guilty.
It shows a derelict cottage along the shores of Loch Seaforth at Airidh a'Bhruaich. The russet browns of the dying bracken are much in evidence. The weather is quite autumnal as well, with dark clouds, a little sunshine and showers. The mercury now only just manages 60F, and that will very soon be a thing of the past for this part of the world. There were two cruiseliners in, the Marco Polo (a regular visitor here, on its 3rd call this season) and the Vistamar, which felt its way into Glumag Harbour this morning. The ferry had to squeeze past both vessels at 2 o'clock this afternoon.
Earlier this year, a lady driving a car just north of Tarbert was signalled by police officers to stop. Local rumour has it that she allegedly gave them "the finger". She did not stop. The driver continued over the Clisham, into Lewis, through Balallan, Laxay, Leurbost into Stornoway, where she turned left. Traversing the Barvas Moor, then turning right at Barvas, finally pulling up at Dell. For 60 (yes, sixty) miles, she had been ignoring blue flashing lights in her rear-view mirror. The woman is due in court next month on charges of failing to stop for police, and she has pled not guilty.
Thursday, 1 September 2011
Thursday 1 September
The weather today changed from bright and sunny in the morning to wet and windy just now, just after 6pm. Autumn has definitely arrived. I spent the afternoon salvaging a blog that was hosted on the website of a Dutch national newspaper. They axed their blogging service last week, and promised that a transfer to another service would be provided as of August 23rd. We are now 9 days down the line and nothing has happened. I was supposed to open a new account with the other providers - but the transfer has run into difficulties. So I've taken matters into my own hand and reconstructed the blog from Google's cache. I managed to retrieve virtually all the posts (yay!), but did get a deja-vu sensation - remember AOHell, 3 years ago?
In a few days' time, I shall meet fellow researcher Direcleit in person, after his move to Berneray this summer. He has secured a position as researcher for that island's historical society, with an extended remit to the Sound and Island of Harris. I am quite happy to continue my activities free-lance and on a voluntary basis, and am looking forward to comparing notes over a cuppa.
In a few days' time, I shall meet fellow researcher Direcleit in person, after his move to Berneray this summer. He has secured a position as researcher for that island's historical society, with an extended remit to the Sound and Island of Harris. I am quite happy to continue my activities free-lance and on a voluntary basis, and am looking forward to comparing notes over a cuppa.
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Wednesday 31 August
The last day of the meteorological summer, and apart from the odd afternoon shower, it wasn't a bad day. Neither was it a particularly brilliant day, as we had to do without the sun.
We have a large gas storage tank which would flatten large areas of the town if it decided to explode. So, if there is ever any real trouble, they set off an alarm. Yesterday, they tried it out. We knew it would be trialled between 10 and 11 in the morning. Did I hear it? Nope. Had to open the window to make sure I could hear it. Oh well, if ever I suddenly have a clear view of the ruins of Stornoway, I know what has happened.
I spent the afternoon completing the transcriptions of WW2 tributes from 1941, sticking them on the Tribute blog and linking everything together. Next stop: 1942.
We have a large gas storage tank which would flatten large areas of the town if it decided to explode. So, if there is ever any real trouble, they set off an alarm. Yesterday, they tried it out. We knew it would be trialled between 10 and 11 in the morning. Did I hear it? Nope. Had to open the window to make sure I could hear it. Oh well, if ever I suddenly have a clear view of the ruins of Stornoway, I know what has happened.
I spent the afternoon completing the transcriptions of WW2 tributes from 1941, sticking them on the Tribute blog and linking everything together. Next stop: 1942.
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
Tuesday 30 August
An overcast day, but no rain or high winds. Summer is slowly drawing to a close here. I got myself more stamps for the Postcrossing project today, and 6 cards are winging their way to various parts of the globe.
I also visited the library to revisit the Stornoway Gazette of 1941. I take pictures of articles that I then transcribe; but the resulting pics are not always in focus. Some of the articles are quite interesting, although always very sad - bearing in mind it is tributes to the dead of the Second World War that I am interested in. One man died when his tugboat was blown up by a bomb. That happened a lot, but this occurred in a dock in Glasgow. During the Clydeside blitz of 1941, a bomb had plunged into a dock, but not exploded. It decided to detonate just when a tugboat was over it. This was literally blown out of the water. One man saved himself by shinning up the mast as quickly as the boat went down, and he was saved the moment he reached the top of the mast. Instrumental in the rescue of many crewmen were "coloured seamen" from a nearby merchant ship.
I think that the name Irene will be withdrawn by the WMO (World Meteorological Organisation) from the lists of Atlantic tropical cyclones. Although Irene did not carry extreme winds, she did carry extreme amounts of rain. After being downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm, the water that had powered the cyclone came down to earth with a vengeance. The imagery from New England is breathtaking - in the negative sense of the word.
I also visited the library to revisit the Stornoway Gazette of 1941. I take pictures of articles that I then transcribe; but the resulting pics are not always in focus. Some of the articles are quite interesting, although always very sad - bearing in mind it is tributes to the dead of the Second World War that I am interested in. One man died when his tugboat was blown up by a bomb. That happened a lot, but this occurred in a dock in Glasgow. During the Clydeside blitz of 1941, a bomb had plunged into a dock, but not exploded. It decided to detonate just when a tugboat was over it. This was literally blown out of the water. One man saved himself by shinning up the mast as quickly as the boat went down, and he was saved the moment he reached the top of the mast. Instrumental in the rescue of many crewmen were "coloured seamen" from a nearby merchant ship.
I think that the name Irene will be withdrawn by the WMO (World Meteorological Organisation) from the lists of Atlantic tropical cyclones. Although Irene did not carry extreme winds, she did carry extreme amounts of rain. After being downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm, the water that had powered the cyclone came down to earth with a vengeance. The imagery from New England is breathtaking - in the negative sense of the word.
Monday, 29 August 2011
Monday 29 August
Although the day started fairly bright, we were plagued by showers through the afternoon. And we have lost our "summer warmth": only 13C today. The ferry had to cancel its return crossing from Ullapool yesterday, and did not return until lunchtime today. There was a large amount of traffic to catch up on, and this evening it was an hour late coming back to Stornoway.
I have recorded all 26 episodes of The World at War, but I can only watch one episode at a time - too depressing. However, it is the best documentary on the Second World War, a topic I take an active interest in. Today, I transcribed more of the tributes from the Stornoway Gazette from 1941 to islanders who fell in that conflict.
I have recorded all 26 episodes of The World at War, but I can only watch one episode at a time - too depressing. However, it is the best documentary on the Second World War, a topic I take an active interest in. Today, I transcribed more of the tributes from the Stornoway Gazette from 1941 to islanders who fell in that conflict.
St Kilda
It is 81 years ago today that the last inhabitants of St Kilda were evacuated from their isle, situated 40 miles west of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides. Life had become untenable, when supplies could only be landed during the summer months. The islanders were also susceptible to illnesses, brought ashore by visitors. Until the late 19th century, there was a very high infant mortality rate, attributed to poor hygiene practices around newborns.
On 29 August 1930, the islanders of Hiort were taken to Lochaline, in the Morvern peninsula, and then on to Glasgow. Some stayed on at Lochaline, to work in forestry - an irony, coming as they did from a treeless island. The island has remained without permanent habitation. Some of the houses were left with a pile of grain on the table and the family Bible open at the book of Exodus.
I have only seen St Kilda from North Uist, on a clear day in summer. It is supposed to be visible from Mangersta, but the distance is 60 miles. The culture of the island was taken away by its people in 1930, and has been recorded assiduously. This may now be congregated at the St Kilda Centre, pencilled for a location between Mangersta and Islivig. It has been argued that a more sympathetic approach from central government in the early 20th century could have saved St Kilda for habitation. Maybe so. But it would have destroyed the unique culture, which came about through its sheer isolation.
Today, my thoughts lie 90 miles to the westsouthwest of Stornoway. The Hiorteachs have gone - their island remains.
Image courtesy Flickr-user iancowe
On 29 August 1930, the islanders of Hiort were taken to Lochaline, in the Morvern peninsula, and then on to Glasgow. Some stayed on at Lochaline, to work in forestry - an irony, coming as they did from a treeless island. The island has remained without permanent habitation. Some of the houses were left with a pile of grain on the table and the family Bible open at the book of Exodus.
I have only seen St Kilda from North Uist, on a clear day in summer. It is supposed to be visible from Mangersta, but the distance is 60 miles. The culture of the island was taken away by its people in 1930, and has been recorded assiduously. This may now be congregated at the St Kilda Centre, pencilled for a location between Mangersta and Islivig. It has been argued that a more sympathetic approach from central government in the early 20th century could have saved St Kilda for habitation. Maybe so. But it would have destroyed the unique culture, which came about through its sheer isolation.
Today, my thoughts lie 90 miles to the westsouthwest of Stornoway. The Hiorteachs have gone - their island remains.
Image courtesy Flickr-user iancowe
Sunday, 28 August 2011
Libya and Lockerbie
Libya's ousted dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, has indicated to the rebels that he wants to talk about forming a new government. I don't think he's quite grasping the state of affairs in his country. He is out, and will never be able to come back in any capacity. This evening's film footage of charred corpses at various locations across Tripoli would be enough reason in itself. Not to mention the 50,000 prisoners that are unaccounted for. These were people that were arrested following the start of the uprising on 17 February this year.
The transitional government of Libya (TNC), which has now taken over from Gaddafi, has refused point-blank to even consider extraditing Abdelbaset al-Megrahi. He is the sole man ever convicted over the bombing of PanAm flight 103 over Lockerbie on 21 December 1988. Al-Megrahi was jailed in Scotland, but released on compassionate grounds two years ago. He was suffering from terminal cancer, and given only three months to live. To the embarrassment of the Scottish Government, Al-Megrahi is still alive - although looking very gaunt. This weekend, the TNC announced that it would never extradite the Lockerbie bomber to either the UK or USA. And why should they? Al-Megrahi has been tried, found guilty and sentenced. He has been released on license, sent home to die. By law, you cannot be tried twice for the same offence, unless new evidence comes to light. The Americans agreed to have Al-Megrahi put to trial the way he was, a decade ago. So I agree with the TNC that Al-Megrahi can stay in Libya. To die.
The transitional government of Libya (TNC), which has now taken over from Gaddafi, has refused point-blank to even consider extraditing Abdelbaset al-Megrahi. He is the sole man ever convicted over the bombing of PanAm flight 103 over Lockerbie on 21 December 1988. Al-Megrahi was jailed in Scotland, but released on compassionate grounds two years ago. He was suffering from terminal cancer, and given only three months to live. To the embarrassment of the Scottish Government, Al-Megrahi is still alive - although looking very gaunt. This weekend, the TNC announced that it would never extradite the Lockerbie bomber to either the UK or USA. And why should they? Al-Megrahi has been tried, found guilty and sentenced. He has been released on license, sent home to die. By law, you cannot be tried twice for the same offence, unless new evidence comes to light. The Americans agreed to have Al-Megrahi put to trial the way he was, a decade ago. So I agree with the TNC that Al-Megrahi can stay in Libya. To die.
Sunday 28 August
A cold, grey and initially wet day. We did not get above 11C / 52F all day, with a cold and strong northwesterly wind blowing. The ferry sailed to Ullapool this afternoon, but is not coming back tonight, meaning that the 7 am sailing from Stornoway is off as well.
Tropical cyclone Irene passed over Times Square in New York at 9 am (local time) this morning, turning the barometer down to 966 mbar. It was below hurricane strength, although it was still packing some nasty winds on its eastern flank. Storm surge flooding did occur in the centre of the city, but all in all, Irene's impact appears to have been not as severe as initially feared. As I type (just after midday EDT), the circulation around the cyclone shows up quite nicely on the windmapper site. The highest winds, on Mount Washington, are "only" 53 mph - that's still a force 10 in my book. Elsewhere, the storm appears to be spinning down at severe gale force. Irene will be turning into an extra-tropical depression as it scoots away northeast over Labrador and out towards Greenland and Iceland.
Tropical cyclone Irene passed over Times Square in New York at 9 am (local time) this morning, turning the barometer down to 966 mbar. It was below hurricane strength, although it was still packing some nasty winds on its eastern flank. Storm surge flooding did occur in the centre of the city, but all in all, Irene's impact appears to have been not as severe as initially feared. As I type (just after midday EDT), the circulation around the cyclone shows up quite nicely on the windmapper site. The highest winds, on Mount Washington, are "only" 53 mph - that's still a force 10 in my book. Elsewhere, the storm appears to be spinning down at severe gale force. Irene will be turning into an extra-tropical depression as it scoots away northeast over Labrador and out towards Greenland and Iceland.
Saturday 27 August
A fairly bright day, but the wind rose steadily through the day. Sitting outside was therefore no longer an option. We are on warning for high winds tomorrow, but the worst of it appears to be making for the mainland and the Northern Isles.
We once more have a cruiseliner in port, the Ocean Countess. Her passengers flock ashore, but wise to the extortionate coachtours they head for the service bus. However, local people and other tourists also want to go to Callanish, so it's handbags at lunchtime for a place on W2.
I'm monitoring the progression of Hurricane Irene up the East Coast of the US, and the main problem appears to be rain. The NHC is forecasting up to 20 inches, which is not an amount anyone wants to have within 24 hours. Another two tropical systems: typhoon Nanmadol is battering the north of the Philippines, and tropical storm Talas is creeping north - with Japan in its crosshairs.
We once more have a cruiseliner in port, the Ocean Countess. Her passengers flock ashore, but wise to the extortionate coachtours they head for the service bus. However, local people and other tourists also want to go to Callanish, so it's handbags at lunchtime for a place on W2.
I'm monitoring the progression of Hurricane Irene up the East Coast of the US, and the main problem appears to be rain. The NHC is forecasting up to 20 inches, which is not an amount anyone wants to have within 24 hours. Another two tropical systems: typhoon Nanmadol is battering the north of the Philippines, and tropical storm Talas is creeping north - with Japan in its crosshairs.
Saturday, 27 August 2011
Friday 26 August
A very nice day, with plenty of sunshine in the afternoon. It was quite warm in the sun, and lunch was had outside. The birds too took full advantage of the sunny weather, for you never know how long it is going to last round here. Fortunately, we have had quite a reasonable spell of weather here this month, and I'm not one to complain about temperatures in the upper teens (celsius) in the islands.
This week, we shall see three different cruiseliners in port. The Saga Ruby was in yesterday, today it is the Athena. Tomorrow, we'll have the Ocean Countess. It's all good business, and I hope the Visitor Centre at Callanish will have its water supply on - in recent times, they have had frequent outages on their water supply, and as the manager said on local news: "It's impossible to serve coffee and tea without water". Yep, I'd second that.
Athena
This week, we shall see three different cruiseliners in port. The Saga Ruby was in yesterday, today it is the Athena. Tomorrow, we'll have the Ocean Countess. It's all good business, and I hope the Visitor Centre at Callanish will have its water supply on - in recent times, they have had frequent outages on their water supply, and as the manager said on local news: "It's impossible to serve coffee and tea without water". Yep, I'd second that.
Athena
Thursday, 25 August 2011
Thursday 25 August
Libya: when will people stop selling the hide before the bear has been shot? Gaddafi is still at large, and until he is apprehended or killed, this mayhem will continue.
It's been a nice sunny day here in Stornoway, but it started rather cold: 6C at sunrise. We quickly made it up to 17C by lunchtime, which has been the norm this week. Over the weekend, we are on warning for a four-letter word. You know: a gale. Autumn is only just around the corner.
Got two more postcards from Postcrossing users, this time from Germany and Holland. Can thoroughly recommend it, doesn't need to cost you an arm and a leg.
It's been a nice sunny day here in Stornoway, but it started rather cold: 6C at sunrise. We quickly made it up to 17C by lunchtime, which has been the norm this week. Over the weekend, we are on warning for a four-letter word. You know: a gale. Autumn is only just around the corner.
Got two more postcards from Postcrossing users, this time from Germany and Holland. Can thoroughly recommend it, doesn't need to cost you an arm and a leg.
Hurricane update - 25 August
Hurricane Irene is presently moving through the northwestern Bahamas, en route for the Carolinas. Beyond that, the storm will parallel the east coast of the USA towards New York and New England. Although it is expected to be weakening at that point, Irene's impacts will be felt over a wide area. At the moment, winds of 40 mph or higher occur within 290 miles of the centre of the hurricane.
Wednesday 24 August
Spent today monitoring hurricane Irene, which is passing through the Bahamas with winds of 110 mph, and the situation in Libya. Gadaffi has been kicked out of his compound, but fighting continues in Tripoli and elsewhere. Next Thursday, 1 September, would have been the 42nd anniversary of his coup, back in 1969. Let's hope he takes it as a cue to formally relinquish power. Sigh, was that me dodging a flying pig?
I have also added more information on a tribute blog that I have set up for one casualty of the First World War, who perished in the sinking of the SS Kenmare off Holyhead in March 1918. His body was washed up north of Dublin, Ireland, a few days later. I am working with a man from the area to find out as much as possible about this incident, and the results will go on this blog. John Macaulay hailed from the village of Islivig, 40 miles west of Stornoway. This image, taken two years ago, shows the village road.
I have also added more information on a tribute blog that I have set up for one casualty of the First World War, who perished in the sinking of the SS Kenmare off Holyhead in March 1918. His body was washed up north of Dublin, Ireland, a few days later. I am working with a man from the area to find out as much as possible about this incident, and the results will go on this blog. John Macaulay hailed from the village of Islivig, 40 miles west of Stornoway. This image, taken two years ago, shows the village road.
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