The calm before the storm today. It was not warm, only 6 degrees C once more. Went for a few errands around town before lunchtime, then spent the afternoon on more transcriptions of the Napier Report, as shown in previous entry. Tomorrow afternoon, we shall see rising winds as the first proper autumn storm strikes the United Kingdom. Winds could reach 55 mph during the evening and night.
Yesterday, a freak accident saw a cement-mixer running off a bridge in southern England and land on top of a moving train. Several people on the train were injured, as was the driver. Investigations are continuing into the cause of this strange accident.
And in football, the high scoring continues. Celtic beat Aberdeen 9-0, which led to much shedding of tears in the Granite City, whilst Celtic fans were complaining that their side could have scored 22 goals. Some people are never pleased. Did I say it was a slow news day my end? Maybe I should leave you with a link to this video of a nest of kittens playfighting. Better than that awful vid of the poor kittens that kept collapsing due to "fainting goat syndrome".
Saturday, 6 November 2010
Clearances: Assynt
I copy part of the evidence given to the Napier Commission at Lochinver, on the west coast of northern Scotland, in July 1883. Assynt, the area surrounding Lochinver, was owned by the Duke of Sutherland, and his name continues to be cursed by many. I am not in a position to give a balanced view of the issue - but the actions perpetrated in his name do not do the Duchy of Sutherland any favours whatsoever.
John Mackenzie, Clashmore, was accused of being a ring-leader in a case of preventing what was regarded as an encroachment of the rights of the neighbourhood by Mr David Humphrey, and in face of every evidence to his innocence, he was sentenced to lose his croft, and he is now a pauper invalid and a burden to his neighbours. Donald Macleod, Clashmore, came in for the vengeance of the same power in connection remotely with the resistance offered to Mr Humphrey, when cutting off part of the Baffin pasture, when some boys went to obstruct the work. On this, Mr M'Iver ran to catch two boys assumed to have been obstructing the work, reaching a house, the boys got out of Mr M'Iver's sight, and he rushed into the house, supposing they had entered. There was a very sick woman who had been taken out of bed and placed on a shake-down at the fireside, Mr M' Iver went on, however, searching for the boys, and tossing things about, and so frightened the woman that her death shortly afterwards took place. The boys not being there, were not found, and Mr M'Iver, as soon as he came out, dashed at two small boys at play. The boys who were about nine years of age, and knowing of no offence, did not think of running from the factor, remained to be caught. Mr M'Iver, seized one of them by the throat, and kneeling down held his captive to the ground, insisting that he should tell the names of the persons engaged in the obstruction. Hugh Macleod, the boy's brother, seeing this, remonstrated with the factor, who now persisted, demanding the father's name. Hugh took hold of the factor's hand and told him to let go, but as Mr M'Iver held on, and the boy being in great danger, Hugh now took hold of the hand that was throttling the boy. On this, the factor's two sons and Mackay came. The factor said Hugh had struck him, but so little evidence was there for this, that an attempt was made to get Hugh to criminate himself. After this one of them came with a paper for Hugh to sign, which paper proved to be a declaration that he was guilty of striking the factor. He was told if he would sign this declaration, the factor would be his friend, and he would get anything he wanted ever after. But Hugh refused, saying he would have the factor prosecuted. The result was, that the father Donald had to emigrate with all his family, excepting Hugh, who had a little shop in which he carried on some business. The avenger did not rest satisfied with what he had done to the father. Hugh was about as offensive to him as Mordecai was to Haman. Taking advantage of Hugh's absence, his shop and his groceries, which he left carefully in boxes, were attacked by order of the factor, and when he returned he found the house broken into, and the boxes of goods smashed and damaged to a ruinous degree, and the house, which was built at the family's expense, except the roofing, was levelled to the ground shortly afterwards, and the timber handed to another man. John Mackenzie, son of Donald, an old, respectable man of 70, equally without foundation accused of the same offence, and deprived of his croft, which had come down to him from his forefathers. He went all the way to Lairg, then to Dunrobin, and not finding the Duke there, he went to Tarbert; but after travelling in all 160 miles, his efforts were in vain. The belief was, that the persistent hostility on the part of some of the officials was at the root of this. Humphrey said to John one day
—"You are bending to the grave,"
—"Yes," said John, "but see you are not bending with the weight of the evil you are doing to the widow and orphan."
John Mackenzie, Clashmore, was accused of being a ring-leader in a case of preventing what was regarded as an encroachment of the rights of the neighbourhood by Mr David Humphrey, and in face of every evidence to his innocence, he was sentenced to lose his croft, and he is now a pauper invalid and a burden to his neighbours. Donald Macleod, Clashmore, came in for the vengeance of the same power in connection remotely with the resistance offered to Mr Humphrey, when cutting off part of the Baffin pasture, when some boys went to obstruct the work. On this, Mr M'Iver ran to catch two boys assumed to have been obstructing the work, reaching a house, the boys got out of Mr M'Iver's sight, and he rushed into the house, supposing they had entered. There was a very sick woman who had been taken out of bed and placed on a shake-down at the fireside, Mr M' Iver went on, however, searching for the boys, and tossing things about, and so frightened the woman that her death shortly afterwards took place. The boys not being there, were not found, and Mr M'Iver, as soon as he came out, dashed at two small boys at play. The boys who were about nine years of age, and knowing of no offence, did not think of running from the factor, remained to be caught. Mr M'Iver, seized one of them by the throat, and kneeling down held his captive to the ground, insisting that he should tell the names of the persons engaged in the obstruction. Hugh Macleod, the boy's brother, seeing this, remonstrated with the factor, who now persisted, demanding the father's name. Hugh took hold of the factor's hand and told him to let go, but as Mr M'Iver held on, and the boy being in great danger, Hugh now took hold of the hand that was throttling the boy. On this, the factor's two sons and Mackay came. The factor said Hugh had struck him, but so little evidence was there for this, that an attempt was made to get Hugh to criminate himself. After this one of them came with a paper for Hugh to sign, which paper proved to be a declaration that he was guilty of striking the factor. He was told if he would sign this declaration, the factor would be his friend, and he would get anything he wanted ever after. But Hugh refused, saying he would have the factor prosecuted. The result was, that the father Donald had to emigrate with all his family, excepting Hugh, who had a little shop in which he carried on some business. The avenger did not rest satisfied with what he had done to the father. Hugh was about as offensive to him as Mordecai was to Haman. Taking advantage of Hugh's absence, his shop and his groceries, which he left carefully in boxes, were attacked by order of the factor, and when he returned he found the house broken into, and the boxes of goods smashed and damaged to a ruinous degree, and the house, which was built at the family's expense, except the roofing, was levelled to the ground shortly afterwards, and the timber handed to another man. John Mackenzie, son of Donald, an old, respectable man of 70, equally without foundation accused of the same offence, and deprived of his croft, which had come down to him from his forefathers. He went all the way to Lairg, then to Dunrobin, and not finding the Duke there, he went to Tarbert; but after travelling in all 160 miles, his efforts were in vain. The belief was, that the persistent hostility on the part of some of the officials was at the root of this. Humphrey said to John one day
—"You are bending to the grave,"
—"Yes," said John, "but see you are not bending with the weight of the evil you are doing to the widow and orphan."
Friday, 5 November 2010
Friday 5 November
Beautiful Friday sunshine - with a few treacherous little showers that annoy more than make you wet. Went for an 80-minute amble in the Castle Grounds to look for autumn colours. There is a severe gale in the forecast for Sunday and Monday, so I thought better to make the most of it. Plenty of colours around, and the low sun made for some very autumnal pictures.
Hurricane Tomas is lashing Haiti with rain, another disaster that that nation can do without. After the quake, the disease there is now flooding. Do not be surprised to hear similar tales of woe from India, which is bracing itself for the arrival of Jal, which will be at a similar strength as Tomas is at present when it makes landfall near Chennai on Sunday.
Journalists at the BBC are on strike, depriving us of Radio Scotland for two days. I am not bothering with the output from 5Live which is put on in its stead. Neither am I too enamoured with the output from Sky News, which has this tendency to be a tad sensationalist. Talking of news, I am sick to the back teeth of the saga that has been doing the rounds in Scotland over the past 3 weeks. Former Scottish Socialist Party leader Tommy Sheridan had sued the News of the World newspaper for defamation, after the rag alleged that he had visited a sex-club in Manchester. After being awarded damages, Mr Sheridan is now on trial for alleged perjury at the defamation trial. Well, we have been subjected to lengthy explanations who has been having sex with who, heads being popped round doors before going upstairs, into secluded rooms and what not. Please, just give us the outcome and spare us the details.
Hurricane Tomas is lashing Haiti with rain, another disaster that that nation can do without. After the quake, the disease there is now flooding. Do not be surprised to hear similar tales of woe from India, which is bracing itself for the arrival of Jal, which will be at a similar strength as Tomas is at present when it makes landfall near Chennai on Sunday.
Journalists at the BBC are on strike, depriving us of Radio Scotland for two days. I am not bothering with the output from 5Live which is put on in its stead. Neither am I too enamoured with the output from Sky News, which has this tendency to be a tad sensationalist. Talking of news, I am sick to the back teeth of the saga that has been doing the rounds in Scotland over the past 3 weeks. Former Scottish Socialist Party leader Tommy Sheridan had sued the News of the World newspaper for defamation, after the rag alleged that he had visited a sex-club in Manchester. After being awarded damages, Mr Sheridan is now on trial for alleged perjury at the defamation trial. Well, we have been subjected to lengthy explanations who has been having sex with who, heads being popped round doors before going upstairs, into secluded rooms and what not. Please, just give us the outcome and spare us the details.
Hurricane update - 5 November
INDIA
Tropical cyclone Jal is approaching from the Bay of Bengal and will intensify to hurricane strength, with winds near 90 mph. I copy the advice from the India Met Department.
Winds
Squally winds speed reaching 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph would commence along and off North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coast from morning of 6th November 2010. It may increase upto 120-130 kmph gusting to 140 kmph at the time of landfall. Sea conditions will be very rough to high, along and off these coasts becoming phenomenal at the time of landfall.
Damage expected:
Extensive damage to thatched roofs and huts. Minor damage to power and communication lines due to uprooting of large avenue trees. Flooding of escape routes.
Action suggested:
Total suspension of fishing operations. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea. Coastal hutment dwellers to be moved to safer places. People in affected areas to remain indoors.
CARIBBEAN
Hurricane Tomas is passing between Haiti and Cuba, bringing heavy rainfall to both nations. Predicted totals are 5 to 10 inches, locally up to 15 inches, with the danger of mudslides and flashfloods. Beyond that, the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands will also see hurricane-force winds and torrential rain.
Tropical cyclone Jal is approaching from the Bay of Bengal and will intensify to hurricane strength, with winds near 90 mph. I copy the advice from the India Met Department.
Winds
Squally winds speed reaching 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph would commence along and off North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coast from morning of 6th November 2010. It may increase upto 120-130 kmph gusting to 140 kmph at the time of landfall. Sea conditions will be very rough to high, along and off these coasts becoming phenomenal at the time of landfall.
Damage expected:
Extensive damage to thatched roofs and huts. Minor damage to power and communication lines due to uprooting of large avenue trees. Flooding of escape routes.
Action suggested:
Total suspension of fishing operations. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea. Coastal hutment dwellers to be moved to safer places. People in affected areas to remain indoors.
CARIBBEAN
Hurricane Tomas is passing between Haiti and Cuba, bringing heavy rainfall to both nations. Predicted totals are 5 to 10 inches, locally up to 15 inches, with the danger of mudslides and flashfloods. Beyond that, the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands will also see hurricane-force winds and torrential rain.
Thursday, 4 November 2010
Donald Maciver, another WW1 casualty not listed as such
Private DONALD MACIVER
Last address in Lewis: 17 Knock, Point
Son of Murdo and Mary Mciver, of 17 Knock, Point
Service unit: 179th Canadian Infantry
Service number: 859994
Date of death: 24 May 1920 at the age of 28
Was gassed; quoted as severely wounded
Interred: Winnipeg (Brookside) Military Cemetery, grave Mil. 246
He does not feature on the local war memorial in Garrabost, and is not listed as deceased in the Roll of Honour, presumably because he died 18 months after the end of the First World War. However, Donald still qualifies for inclusion as he passed away before 1922 (the CWGC cut-off point) and he was born in Lewis.
Last address in Lewis: 17 Knock, Point
Son of Murdo and Mary Mciver, of 17 Knock, Point
Service unit: 179th Canadian Infantry
Service number: 859994
Date of death: 24 May 1920 at the age of 28
Was gassed; quoted as severely wounded
Interred: Winnipeg (Brookside) Military Cemetery, grave Mil. 246
He does not feature on the local war memorial in Garrabost, and is not listed as deceased in the Roll of Honour, presumably because he died 18 months after the end of the First World War. However, Donald still qualifies for inclusion as he passed away before 1922 (the CWGC cut-off point) and he was born in Lewis.
Hurricane update - 4 November
Tropical storm Tomas is approaching Haiti, and although its attendant winds are not particularly high (equivalent to force 9 or 10 on the Beaufort scale), the rainfall from this system could prove devastating. Maximum amounts range from 5 to 10 inches, up to 15 inches in mountainous terrain.
Tropical cyclone 05B has formed in the Bay of Bengal and is headed west towards the coasts of the states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in India. The storm will be at hurricane force by the time it makes landfall late on Sunday.
Tropical cyclone 05B has formed in the Bay of Bengal and is headed west towards the coasts of the states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in India. The storm will be at hurricane force by the time it makes landfall late on Sunday.
Daniel Mciver, Coll
Daniel was a sergeant-major in the 5th battalion Canadian Infantry (Saskatchewan Regiment), the Fighting Fifth, when he was killed in action on 28 April 1917, aged 41. His link to the Isle of Lewis did not become clear to me until I was going through tributes in the Stornoway Gazette for 1917. The article, which sourced its information from a Canadian newspaper, the Yorkton Enterprise (Saskatchewan), gave quite a bit of information, but there was no reference to him from local files.
Let me quote the article first.
An on-line study group into the Canadian Expeditionary Force was most helpful in eliciting the information I was after, and another on-line contact here in Scotland will hopefully ascertain the claim to the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM).
I have access to birth, death and marriage records in Scotland, but Daniel does not feature on them. This can easily be explained by a fire in Stornoway Town Hall in March 1918, which destroyed some of the island's civic records. However, the other documentation clearly states that he was born in Coll, Isle of Lewis, although the year of birth on his WW1 attestation paper is clearly wrong: if he was born in 1888, he would not have been aged 41 in 1917. It is more likely that Daniel was born in the late 1870s.
His parents emigrated to Canada in 1889, as the article says, and he joined up for the Boer War of 1899-1901. He gained the Queen's Medal with four clasps (Paardeberg, Driefontein, Cape Colony and Transvaal) before being discharged on Christmas Day 1900.
Fourteen years later, the spectre of war once more descended over Europe and Daniel immediately responded. He enlisted at the Valcartier barracks in Quebec on 17 September 1914, 6 weeks after the outbreak of war. On his attestation paper he was quoted as a Real-Estate Agent, with his father Kenneth Mcivor (sic) living in Saltcoats, SK, although elsewhere Mciver senior is listed at Barvas. This hamlet is located a dozen miles north of Saltcoats. On enlistment, Daniel is described as 5 ft 10 (1.77 m) tall, of fair complexion with brown eyes and brown hair. A mole was seen at the centre of his back. He professes to be of the Presbyterian faith.
During the First World War, Daniel is mentioned in despatches twice; being mentioned in despatches is a distinction in itself. However, Daniel was sadly lost in the aftermath of the battle for Vimy Ridge in April 1917 and is only mentioned on the Vimy Memorial; the location of his grave is unknown.
I have entered Daniel's details on Faces from the Lewis War Memorial under the heading of Coll.
Let me quote the article first.
From the "Yorkton Enterpise" (Sask, Canada) to hand we cull the following:-
"Word was received by Mr Maciver, Saltcoats, on 19th May, that his son, Sergt Major Dan Maciver, D.C.M. ofo the Fighting Fifth battalion, had been killed in action. Dan, who was well known and a prime favourite throughout the district, was born at Coll, Lewis, Scotland, and came to Canada with his parents in 1889, settling in the Lothian Colony. Whilst still in his teens, Dan, along with Malcolm Docherty (now Major Docherty, DSO) journeyed to Winnipeg and joined the Canadian Dragoons. When the South African War broke out, he was one of the first to volunteer for active service, taking part in no less than twenty-three campaigns. At the outbreak of the present conflict Dan again showed his military spirit by enlisting and went overseas with the first contingent. After reaching France, he gave a splendid account of himself, and was promoted on the field to the rank of Sergt.-Major, being also frequently mentioned in despatches for bravery and coolness in action. Some time he was offered the chance to return to Canada for promotion, but preferred to stay with the game. His death is the fourth that has occurred in the family within the last five years, and he is survived by his parents and two brothers and two sisters out of a family of twelve."
A year last Christmas, Sergt.-Major Maciver paid a visit to the haunts of his youth at Coll, and needless to say had a very cordial welcome.
An on-line study group into the Canadian Expeditionary Force was most helpful in eliciting the information I was after, and another on-line contact here in Scotland will hopefully ascertain the claim to the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM).
I have access to birth, death and marriage records in Scotland, but Daniel does not feature on them. This can easily be explained by a fire in Stornoway Town Hall in March 1918, which destroyed some of the island's civic records. However, the other documentation clearly states that he was born in Coll, Isle of Lewis, although the year of birth on his WW1 attestation paper is clearly wrong: if he was born in 1888, he would not have been aged 41 in 1917. It is more likely that Daniel was born in the late 1870s.
His parents emigrated to Canada in 1889, as the article says, and he joined up for the Boer War of 1899-1901. He gained the Queen's Medal with four clasps (Paardeberg, Driefontein, Cape Colony and Transvaal) before being discharged on Christmas Day 1900.
Fourteen years later, the spectre of war once more descended over Europe and Daniel immediately responded. He enlisted at the Valcartier barracks in Quebec on 17 September 1914, 6 weeks after the outbreak of war. On his attestation paper he was quoted as a Real-Estate Agent, with his father Kenneth Mcivor (sic) living in Saltcoats, SK, although elsewhere Mciver senior is listed at Barvas. This hamlet is located a dozen miles north of Saltcoats. On enlistment, Daniel is described as 5 ft 10 (1.77 m) tall, of fair complexion with brown eyes and brown hair. A mole was seen at the centre of his back. He professes to be of the Presbyterian faith.
During the First World War, Daniel is mentioned in despatches twice; being mentioned in despatches is a distinction in itself. However, Daniel was sadly lost in the aftermath of the battle for Vimy Ridge in April 1917 and is only mentioned on the Vimy Memorial; the location of his grave is unknown.
I have entered Daniel's details on Faces from the Lewis War Memorial under the heading of Coll.
Thursday 4 November
Not a terribly inspiring day, overcast, wet and cold. Only 5 or 6 degrees above freezing. Would you believe that 550 miles away at Heathrow Airport, the mercury reached 18.3C this afternoon?? Fortunately, there is justice in this world, and they will come crashing down to 9C by the time the weekend is over.
Once more, I have traced a soldier from the First World War who is not mentioned in any of my files, although he is recognised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. As soon as I have completed the research, I'll post the results on here.
The saga of the grounded sub, HMS Astute, took another twist when it became known that the craft collided with the tug that was pulling it off its shinglebank. This prang damaged a starboard foreplane on the submarine, but it was able to proceed back to base without problems. The investigation into this incident is continuing, whilst the Western Isles MP, Angus Macneil, has now called for a parliamentary debate on the emergency tugs.
Once more, I have traced a soldier from the First World War who is not mentioned in any of my files, although he is recognised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. As soon as I have completed the research, I'll post the results on here.
The saga of the grounded sub, HMS Astute, took another twist when it became known that the craft collided with the tug that was pulling it off its shinglebank. This prang damaged a starboard foreplane on the submarine, but it was able to proceed back to base without problems. The investigation into this incident is continuing, whilst the Western Isles MP, Angus Macneil, has now called for a parliamentary debate on the emergency tugs.
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Wednesday 3 November
A very cold day, with the mercury at only 6C / 43F. Heathrow Airport, west of London, recorded 16C / 61F this afternoon, highlighting the large temperature differential across the country. Went into town to buy some storage 'solutions' (read: folders, box-file &c), then paid a visit to Sandwick Cemetery. It was there that I noticed how cold it got, and even more so later in the afternoon.
After 4pm, the Red Duchess hove into view, towed by the Anglian Prince. The Duchess had suffered engine failure yesterday, and it had taken 24 hours for the Prince to tow her the 100 miles from the Isle of Rum, where the breakdown had occurred. I was a bit annoyed that nightfall overtook me when the boats came in, meaning I could only see a few lights as they headed for what I took to be pier no 1. Once the Duchess's engine is fixed, her cargo of coal will be discharged.
After 4pm, the Red Duchess hove into view, towed by the Anglian Prince. The Duchess had suffered engine failure yesterday, and it had taken 24 hours for the Prince to tow her the 100 miles from the Isle of Rum, where the breakdown had occurred. I was a bit annoyed that nightfall overtook me when the boats came in, meaning I could only see a few lights as they headed for what I took to be pier no 1. Once the Duchess's engine is fixed, her cargo of coal will be discharged.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Tuesday 2 November
Fairly bright day with strong winds and very heavy showers. It did allow for some nice cloudscapes, but it would not have been nice to be caught out in the downpours, which were accompanied by strong squalls.
Here in the Western Isles, a committee of the local council has voted to close 11 out of the islands' 24 primary schools, and abolish the rural secondaries (where pupils are taught for the first two years before going to a large secondary in Stornoway or Lionacleit (Uist)). The full council will debate the plans on Thursday, but I do not have high hopes of any of the small schools being reprieved. There are just not enough children to justify keeping some of the schools open - Stoneybridge in South Uist has no pupils in it at all at present.
America has gone to the polls today, and it would appear that President Obama could well lose control of both houses of Congress. I am not very well acquainted with the Teaparty movement and neither do I want that to change. If Obama does lose control of the American parliament, it is simply due to the fact that people do not see the benefit of the policies he has implemented - some of which may take up to 2014 to show up.
And finally, a cargo ship, the Red Duchess, which was bound for Stornoway with a cargo of coal got into difficulty this morning when it suffered engine failure. This happened southwest of the Isle of Rum, 70 miles south of Stornoway. High winds were threatening to blow the vessel into Harris Bay on Rum, but the Mallaig lifeboat managed to keep her safe. The Coastguard helicopter went across to check if anyone needed airlifting, and the Coastguard tug Anglian Prince has also sailed to Rum to tow the Red Duchess to safety. The ship is a regular visitor to Stornoway - shown here on a picture from last November.
Here in the Western Isles, a committee of the local council has voted to close 11 out of the islands' 24 primary schools, and abolish the rural secondaries (where pupils are taught for the first two years before going to a large secondary in Stornoway or Lionacleit (Uist)). The full council will debate the plans on Thursday, but I do not have high hopes of any of the small schools being reprieved. There are just not enough children to justify keeping some of the schools open - Stoneybridge in South Uist has no pupils in it at all at present.
America has gone to the polls today, and it would appear that President Obama could well lose control of both houses of Congress. I am not very well acquainted with the Teaparty movement and neither do I want that to change. If Obama does lose control of the American parliament, it is simply due to the fact that people do not see the benefit of the policies he has implemented - some of which may take up to 2014 to show up.
And finally, a cargo ship, the Red Duchess, which was bound for Stornoway with a cargo of coal got into difficulty this morning when it suffered engine failure. This happened southwest of the Isle of Rum, 70 miles south of Stornoway. High winds were threatening to blow the vessel into Harris Bay on Rum, but the Mallaig lifeboat managed to keep her safe. The Coastguard helicopter went across to check if anyone needed airlifting, and the Coastguard tug Anglian Prince has also sailed to Rum to tow the Red Duchess to safety. The ship is a regular visitor to Stornoway - shown here on a picture from last November.
Picture post - 1 November
Baking cookies
Dusk, 1 November
The last leaves clinging to the branches...
High winds
Sunset
Monday, 1 November 2010
Monday 1 November
November has kicked off true to form with a (severe) gale as of lunchtime today. The forecast suggests the wind will not die down until at least Wednesday. Looking at the live weather reports from Eoropie (about a mile from the Butt of Lewis), the wind is blowing at 60 mph, with gusts to 73 mph, nearly hurricane force. The ferry is off; the 5.30 sailing from Ullapool is under review, but likely to be cancelled. The crossing between Leverburgh (Harris) and Berneray (for North Uist) has been taken off as well due to the conditions.
An autistic pupil at the Nicolson Institute here in Stornoway has had a dedicated play area constructed for him. It looked like this (image courtesy BBC)
After protests from his parents and charities involved with the care of people suffering from autism, the 'cage' has now been removed. Bit disappointed at the ignorant attitudes in certain quarters.
I'll have another post later today.
An autistic pupil at the Nicolson Institute here in Stornoway has had a dedicated play area constructed for him. It looked like this (image courtesy BBC)
After protests from his parents and charities involved with the care of people suffering from autism, the 'cage' has now been removed. Bit disappointed at the ignorant attitudes in certain quarters.
I'll have another post later today.
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Sunday 31 October
The clocks went back an hour overnight, and we now have sunrise just after half past seven, and the sun setting around a quarter to five. Yep, winter is not far away now. Hallowe'en today, but as I indicated last night, I'm not feeling like it. I would like to wish everybody else a happy Hallowe'en though.
Today was a bright and sunny day, with not much wind. The ferry did its customary single crossing back-and-forth this afternoon and evening, returning on schedule at 9pm. November looks like making a similar start, but then is going to give us a nice present in the shape of a late afternoon gale. However, if it doesn't get worse than a force 8, I won't be complaining. It's that time of the year after all.
Later this week, on Friday 5 November, we'll have Guy Fawkes night. Fawkes was intent on blowing up the Houses of Parliament in 1605, but his plot failed and he was hung, drawn and quartered for all his bother on 31 January 1606. Four hundred and five years later, they are still burning effigies of Fawkes and letting off fireworks on 5 November. As is customary, the media are full of gruesome pictures of burned and torn limbs belonging to people who didn't observe the normal precautions in letting off fireworks.
Today was a bright and sunny day, with not much wind. The ferry did its customary single crossing back-and-forth this afternoon and evening, returning on schedule at 9pm. November looks like making a similar start, but then is going to give us a nice present in the shape of a late afternoon gale. However, if it doesn't get worse than a force 8, I won't be complaining. It's that time of the year after all.
Later this week, on Friday 5 November, we'll have Guy Fawkes night. Fawkes was intent on blowing up the Houses of Parliament in 1605, but his plot failed and he was hung, drawn and quartered for all his bother on 31 January 1606. Four hundred and five years later, they are still burning effigies of Fawkes and letting off fireworks on 5 November. As is customary, the media are full of gruesome pictures of burned and torn limbs belonging to people who didn't observe the normal precautions in letting off fireworks.
Hurricane update - 31 October
Hurricane Tomas is moving west into the Caribbean, having wreaked destruction in the Windward and Leeward Islands. The storm, currently a category 2 hurricane, will strengthen a bit more before settling at around 95 knots whilst making headway across the Caribbean towards Jamaica.
Tropical cyclone Anggrek is located south of Indonesia, a few hundred miles north of the Cocos Islands near 9S 95E. The storm has an Indonesian name as it first formed north of latitude 10S. The system will move south to pass close to Cocos Island with winds up to 75 knots near the centre. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology are issuing warnings for the islands.
Tropical cyclone Anggrek is located south of Indonesia, a few hundred miles north of the Cocos Islands near 9S 95E. The storm has an Indonesian name as it first formed north of latitude 10S. The system will move south to pass close to Cocos Island with winds up to 75 knots near the centre. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology are issuing warnings for the islands.
Hallowe'en 2010
Hallowe'en is not a tradition I grew up with, and I've only grown more familiar with it since I came to the UK, 13 years ago this month. It is a relatively inoccuous event, although I resent, like the gentleman in the pic above, the abuse of black cats just because they have black fur.
I'll just stick to the black cat as depicted in this graphic. My family had a black tomcat for 15 years in the 1970s and 1980s, and he was the friendliest creature you could care to find. Other cats, around at the time, would agree or disagree with that vehemently; other toms would get a sound thrashing out of him, whilst the females of the species got all they ever wanted out of him and more.
Donna provided me with this graphic 3 years ago, and I'm glad to see she's slowly getting back in the habit. She was also behind this graphic
which had us trick-or-treating through J-land, meaning this image is at least 3 years old. I had two Hallowe'ens in J-land (2006 and 2007); J-land was closed on Hallowe'en 2008. I was sitting in an airport lounge at Aberdeen when news came through that our blogs had gone. I've never understood why they had to be deleted, rather than being kept in an archived status. It caused a lot of upset, and I've not forgiven AOL for it.Hallowe'en has a serious side to it. Its full name is All Hallows' Eve, the day before All Hallows, when we remember those that have passed away. 1 November will be the day, 2½ years ago, that my mother passed away, and I'll bear that in mind on Monday. Others who have recently lost loved ones or friends will be kept in mind on that day. November is also the month that I post the links to journals whose bloggers have gone before, and I'm closing this admittedly sombre post with that.
In remembering those that went before us, we will gain strength from their memory and the fortitude they showed in adversity.
Lahoma's Laments - Lahoma, RIP 25 December 2007
The Diatom Project - Walt, RIP 27 April 2007
My Reason for Reasoning - Barbara, RIP 20 November 2007
Dribble by Chuck Ferris - Chuck, RIP 1 July 2008
There are no Sundays - Jim, RIP April 2007
I shaved my legs for this??? - Kim, RIP 26 December 2007
One Girl's Head Noise (UK) - Pam, RIP 16 April 2006
Pennie's Pieces of Ohio - Penny, RIP 1 October 2007
Saturday, 30 October 2010
Summer time / Winter time
Summer left us long months ago, but tonight at 2 am, the clocks will be turned back one hour to revert the UK back to Greenwich Mean Time. There is once more talk of bringing the country into line with the rest of Europe, meaning that British Summer Time would become British Standard Time.
Image courtesy inquisitr.com
Here in northern Scotland we are not in favour of that. Daylight hours are at a premium in winter, with sunrise at 9.15 am on 21 December and sunset at 3.35 pm. It doesn't require a mathematical genius to work out that this leaves us with a paltry 6 hours and 20 minutes of potential solar visibility. So, if the clocks go forward 1 hour and stay like that all year, we'll have sunrise at 10.15, leaving the kids to go to school in total darkness, and sunset at 4.35pm. A trial of 'double summertime' was conducted in 1968, but was abandoned. I just see it as sheer laziness from people who, when dealing with continental Europe, cannot be bothered to add an hour to calculate the time at their European counterpart's office.
Image courtesy inquisitr.com
Here in northern Scotland we are not in favour of that. Daylight hours are at a premium in winter, with sunrise at 9.15 am on 21 December and sunset at 3.35 pm. It doesn't require a mathematical genius to work out that this leaves us with a paltry 6 hours and 20 minutes of potential solar visibility. So, if the clocks go forward 1 hour and stay like that all year, we'll have sunrise at 10.15, leaving the kids to go to school in total darkness, and sunset at 4.35pm. A trial of 'double summertime' was conducted in 1968, but was abandoned. I just see it as sheer laziness from people who, when dealing with continental Europe, cannot be bothered to add an hour to calculate the time at their European counterpart's office.
Saturday 30 October
Another windy day with occasional showers. The ferry is sailing, but the captain is reported as advising passengers to secure personal belongings as well as themselves. I am looking forward to seeing the boat coming in, wreathed in a green cloud.
For what it's worth, my blogposts indicate that last night's broadband outage has been resolved. Apparently, a fault in a telephone exchange in Edinburgh caused the failure, which affected large parts of the United Kingdom. My emergency dial-up service had ceased to operate, meaning I was reduced to mobile phone messages to Facebook and Twitter. Oh, what would we do without the Internet?
Well, it gave me the opportunity to make good progress with this year's Armistice Tribute. It will be a significantly pared down version of Faces from the Lewis War Memorial.
For what it's worth, my blogposts indicate that last night's broadband outage has been resolved. Apparently, a fault in a telephone exchange in Edinburgh caused the failure, which affected large parts of the United Kingdom. My emergency dial-up service had ceased to operate, meaning I was reduced to mobile phone messages to Facebook and Twitter. Oh, what would we do without the Internet?
Well, it gave me the opportunity to make good progress with this year's Armistice Tribute. It will be a significantly pared down version of Faces from the Lewis War Memorial.
Hurricane update - 30 October
Tropical storm Tomas is headed for the Windward and southern Leeward Islands in the eastern Caribbean, strengthening rapidly. The system will pick up more strength as it ploughs through the Caribbean, approaching Jamaica after the weekend with winds of 100 knots (125 mph) if not higher.It is worth monitoring this storm closely, particularly after the weekend, when its future track (which is expected to be towards Cuba) becomes clearer.
A tropical disturbance has formed in the southern hemisphere, which is making ominous noises towards the Cocos or Keeling Islands. 92L is expected to develop into tropical cyclone Tasha, with winds of 85 knots by the time it reaches the Cocos Islands. This is equivalent to a category II hurricane in the Atlantic.
A tropical disturbance has formed in the southern hemisphere, which is making ominous noises towards the Cocos or Keeling Islands. 92L is expected to develop into tropical cyclone Tasha, with winds of 85 knots by the time it reaches the Cocos Islands. This is equivalent to a category II hurricane in the Atlantic.
Friday 29 October
Friday ended with a broadband outage across Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland, which affected me as well, hence this post on Saturday morning.
Friday began with galeforce winds, which prompted the cancellation of the first sailing of the ferry to Ullapool. The 1.50pm sailing did go ahead, but I cannot imagine that it would have been a pleasurable experience. Although the wind abated, the weather remained cold and grey.
The parents of Lewis aid worker Linda Norgrove, who was killed in Afghanistan 3 weeks ago, have spoken on TV about their experiences with regards to the kidnap and death of their daughter. Although they tried to dissuade her from going back to Afghanistan, Mr and Mrs Norgrove acknowledged that it was not right to deter her from persuing what she wanted to do. A charitable fund has been set up in Linda's name, which aims continue her work in Afghanistan.
When I went out to the shop, I came across a flock of waxwings, small berry-eating birds, which were feasting on the contoneaster bushes outside Tesco. They flew off to nearby TV aerials and rooftops, but there were about a hundred of the birds there. I could not get a good photograph of them, as the light conditions were poor.
Friday began with galeforce winds, which prompted the cancellation of the first sailing of the ferry to Ullapool. The 1.50pm sailing did go ahead, but I cannot imagine that it would have been a pleasurable experience. Although the wind abated, the weather remained cold and grey.
The parents of Lewis aid worker Linda Norgrove, who was killed in Afghanistan 3 weeks ago, have spoken on TV about their experiences with regards to the kidnap and death of their daughter. Although they tried to dissuade her from going back to Afghanistan, Mr and Mrs Norgrove acknowledged that it was not right to deter her from persuing what she wanted to do. A charitable fund has been set up in Linda's name, which aims continue her work in Afghanistan.
When I went out to the shop, I came across a flock of waxwings, small berry-eating birds, which were feasting on the contoneaster bushes outside Tesco. They flew off to nearby TV aerials and rooftops, but there were about a hundred of the birds there. I could not get a good photograph of them, as the light conditions were poor.
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Thursday 28 October
One of those non-descript autumn days. It was cold and increasingly wet. The wind is also picking up as I write this (11.10pm). It has already caused the cancellation of the overnight freight ferry to the mainland, and MV Muirneag was moved from its customary berth along pier no 1 to pier no 3, as the latter is undergoing maintenance work at present. The ferry is docked alongside pier no 1, meaning that passengers have to shuttle courtesy taxis paid for by Calmac.
On the hurricane front, typhoon Chaba is beginning to weaken south of Japan, and will not affect that country as a tropical system. In the Atlantic, there are three disturbances which could develop into a tropical depression or storm, but will have to wait for the morning to see further developments.
Watched a recorded episode of a Poirot mystery, which I taped last night. Two hours of Hallowe'en horror. Aaaagh! Will I sleep...
On the hurricane front, typhoon Chaba is beginning to weaken south of Japan, and will not affect that country as a tropical system. In the Atlantic, there are three disturbances which could develop into a tropical depression or storm, but will have to wait for the morning to see further developments.
Watched a recorded episode of a Poirot mystery, which I taped last night. Two hours of Hallowe'en horror. Aaaagh! Will I sleep...
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