Tuesday 14 October

Morning all, it's quite a bright morning here in Stornoway, with a bit of an easterly breeze. Mercury at 11C / 52F, which is not bad for mid October.

I'm pleased to note that the MV Loch Seaforth will not become a bargaining chip in the negotiations to save the FSG shipyard where she has been built. So, in the next few weeks, our new ferry will arrive. Without having a suitable pier to dock at. Instead of berthing trials, she'll have anchoring trials. Very necessary, as the construction company at the new ferry terminal can't drill piles into the seafloor - maybe a new seam of diamonds has been found there?

It is 75 years ago today since HMS Royal Oak was sunk in Scapa Flow, Orkney, south of the islands' main town of Kirkwall. 834 sailors, many of them just boys, were lost in the sinking. Royal Oak was torpedoed by U-47, captained by Günther Priem, which had sneaked into Scapa Flow, past the blockships. Earlier today, HMS Bangor, in Orkney for the commemorations, lay a wreath at the site where the wreck of the Royal Oak now rests at the bottom of the sea.

Monday 13 October

Bright day in Stornoway after a chilly night. It didn't get colder than the 3C / 37F I mentioned late last night, but it was nippy. The mercury has bounced back up to 11C / 52F, so no complaints here. I was concerned to hear of a gas explosion in North Bragar yesterday, which left a pensioner with burns in hospital. It would appear his cooker had a gas leak. Without casting aspersions on the gentleman concerned, it should serve as a reminder to have gas appliances checked on a regular basis. Certainly at this time of the year, when we start to use our gas- or oil-fired central heating boilers again.

Can somebody explain the discrepancies in the news on the MV Loch Seaforth? News reports from Germany in late September announce the deal between the Flensburger Shipyard Ltd (FSG) and Siem Shipyards of Norway, to stave off bankruptcy for FSG. The BBC, ten days later, announces that the deal is not a certainty. If it falls through after all, the MV Loch Seaforth (according to STV News) might never come to Stornoway.

Sunday 12 October

Lovely five mile walk in the Castle Grounds this afternoon. It was quite calm today, hardly any wind. That made the 10C on the mercury feel slightly less cold than it was. Walked the length of the Creed River, almost as far as the main road - I do realise the river itself stretches another 7 miles or so into the centre of the island. The most remarkable aspect of the walk were the autumn colours, almost at their best.

I am thoroughly disgusted with those people who are not prepared to accept the outcome of the Scottish independence referendum of 18 September. The rules were plain - a majority would suffice, and clause 30 of the Edinburgh agreement (which enabled the referendum) says that the outcome would be accepted by all parties. Hope over Fear? The fear is that Scotland is going to waste another two years talking about independence, followed by another two years of campaigning. It's been called the Neverendum.

What is that strange, unpleasant sensation that is pervading the house through cracks and crevices this evening? It prompts you to turn up the heating, don more clothes, crouch in front of the fire and shiver uncontrollably. Let's check the outside thermometer (at Stornoway Airport). 3C / 37F? OMG that's cold. Ah, so that's what it is. It's cold tonight Strange thing is, though, that Flesherin records 8C / 46F - because that weather station sits high up on top of a cliff. Cold air sinks. I'm on the seafront in Stornoway, at the lowest point in the town. The airport too sits very low down, nearly at sea-level.

Saturday 11 October

Took the bus to Uig at midday, which delivered us promptly to Valtos, 34 miles west of Stornoway, after 50 minutes. Had lunch with an acquaintance, then went round the district by car, visiting Aird Uig (ugliest place in the island), Crowlista (made up for Aird), Timsgarry and the villages of Uigen, Reef, Kneep and back round to Valtos. The bus, which you have to book the day before, returned us back to Stornoway by 7.20pm. It got dark on the way back, and it's not often that I'm out by bus after dark. Pics on this link.

Friday 10 October

A calm day with changing cloudscapes all the time. Not much wind, and what wind we have comes from the east, barely force 2. The odd shower about, but even that doesn't amount to very much. Slightly milder than yesterday, 13C / 55F is not bad for mid October.

The Royal National Mod is starting over in Inverness. This is the prime venue for showcasing and competing in Gaelic culture. The focus is on music, but recitation and sports also feature. There is heavy involvement from children, from the age of 5 to adults; it has never ceased to amaze me when a youngster of 6 stands on a podium in front of 500 people to sing or recite their piece. Adults compete later in the week, focused more strongly on music. They perform individually, in groups and/or in choirs. The event starts in earnest next Monday, and will end on Saturday morning.

The Mod is held every year during the mid-term holiday for the children; next year it will be staged in Oban, and in 2016 it will return to Stornoway.

There is considerable uncertainty over the delivery of the new ferry, MV Loch Seaforth. It was reported that the German shipyard was in financial difficulties, but that a take-over bid was in progress. It finally transpires that the ship has been bought out by operators CMAL, in order that it does not become a pawn in the aftermath of any collapse of the shipyard.  The Loch Seaforth will come to Scotland in the next few weeks - the pier at Stornoway is nowhere near ready.

Thursday 9 October

I have been watching the programme about HMS Timbertown, the internment camp in Groningen, Holland, where 1,500 British sailors were kept during most of the First World War. The programme focused on the 102 Lewismen among them. I felt it was very nicely done, and want to give credit to all involved. My contribution was the reading of the newspaper article, describing the funeral procession for one of the island internees through the streets of Groningen.

In brief, although these men were in a 'cushy' camp during the war, they did make a contribution, however brief, at Antwerp, and therefore deserve all the recognition. Like the remaining 6,100 islanders who fought in WW1.

Wednesday 8 October

Grey and wet sums up today, and the other keyword is cold. 10C / 50F is not a daytime high I have seen for a long time.

Stop press. Urgent, breaking news from the Isle of Lewis.

A cow got stuck in a bog in Galson in north Lewis on Tuesday morning.
Fire crews were called out to rescue the animal shortly after 9am.
They managed to pull it out safely.

* Ends *

Well, if that's all the news from this part of the world, we can't complain. At least somebody pulled.

Tuesday 7 October

The storm has subsided, but there was quite a bit of damage and disruption, also on the mainland.

Broadband speeds have recovered from 0.15 to 6.76 Mbps, after a fault over the weekend.

Following the fire in a building on Cromwell Street, three teenagers aged 13 have been arrested on suspicion of arson.

Monday 6 October

Although the sun is currently peeping through the clouds, the weather is quite unfriendly today. A strong to near-gale force wind is whipping up a swell in the Minch, and causing further delays to our ferry service. For some obscure reason, our ferry went to Ullapool last night, and is now stuck there.

Now, this is more like it. If on-shore windturbines lead to cheaper electricity for local consumers, then I'd be a little less unhappy about them. And we don't need all that many of them.

That story about the twitter troll who tweeted horrible things at Kate & Gerry McCann. Who never look on-line at anything to do with their daughter who disappeared in Portugal some years ago. The woman was confronted about her behaviour by Sky News, and was found dead the next day. Trolling is something I do not see the point of, and it was even more pointless in this case. Why waste your life away doing something as empty as that? Anyway, too late now. RIP.

Australia and its ethnic minorities

I've had to think about this for a little while before reposting.
I disagree with what Ms Gillard says.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard - Australia

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.

Separately, Gillard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying she supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote:
'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT... Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.

'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.

'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language!

'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'

'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.

'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.

'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country that accepted you.

My appraisal:

Australia, as we know it, did not exist 250 years ago. It came into being when the landmass was used as a dumping ground for criminals. Australia has always been a country people emigrated to, from all over the world. I agree that it has a primarily Christian background, and the first language today is English. However, people coming in from other backgrounds, whether they be Muslim, Hindi or whatever, should be able to worship as they see fit. They should be able to speak their own language as they see fit, whilst adopting English as a second language. The way Ms Gillard has expressed herself is hostile and racist. She claims to be Christian, well, her attitude is far from Christian. The only way to deal with the issues that she seeks to address is to talk with the relevant groups. Not encourage them to leave. Maybe the Aborigines should encourage the white settlers to leave.

Sunday 5 October

It's all go on the typhoon front. Phanfone is headed for Tokyo, which it is set to pommel at category 1 strength during rush hour tomorrow morning; and Vongfong is making a beeline for Guam and surrounding islands as a category 3 typhoon - winds of about 100 knots. After that, it will strengthen further to 130 knots before heading north, for Japan.

In the eastern Pacific, Simon was a major hurricane (> 100 knots), but is now weakening, en route for Baja California. Its attendant rains will reach Arizona and New Mexico next weekend. That's the third tropical system to soak the desert southwest of the USA.

The heavy rains of Phanfone may well have contributed to an accident at the Japanese Formula 1 Grand Prix, where one driver ploughed into a support vehicle on the track, leaving him critically ill in hospital with brain injuries.

Was watching a cormorant drying its wings at lunchtime, until the tide flooded his perch.



The weather today was filthy, with plenty of wind and rain. The ferry company decided to retime its sailings to and from Ullapool, putting them forward by three and a half hours. Then, not as scheduled, the boat went back to Ullapool at 6pm, where it will remain until tomorrow.

Saturday 4 October

So you think the day starts so nice, innocent and calm.



Except these ominous anvil clouds start to develop



Very ominous!



The lifeboat went out at 3.54pm



only to come straight back in at 4.05pm



A RIB had overturned at the Tarbert ferry terminal, and the three occupants were in the water. Another boat rescued them, so the lifeboat could return to station.

We went out for supper in An Lanntair, where one other diner laughed continually and very, very loudly. It's a miracle the glasses didn't shatter. Anyway, the sticky toffee pudding was delish, after the fish & chips.

Friday 3 October

A fire in a tenement on Cromwell Street in Stornoway chased people out of their beds and virtually destroyed a beauty salon on the first floor. Apparently, there was a fire at the same location some 8 hours before, and police are treating the incidents as linked and suspicious.

The Inn Between, between Shawbost and Bragar, has been sold off to the Horshader Development Trust, and will be converted into offices.

Thursday 2 October

Southerly winds, just over 30 mph this morning, which are set to rise steadily through the day to galeforce, 40 mph. Gusts will increase to 60 mph, and I have my doubts about the ferry services around the west coast of Scotland. They are on amber alert for disruption. Force 7 will make for rough crossings - force 8 is borderline.

The developer who was going to build the £200m Eishken windfarm, GDF Suez, has pulled out of the project. This makes it very unlikely that (a) the interconnector will be built across the Minch and as a result (b) another developer will be found.

By mid-afternoon, the winds increased to gale-force, 40 mph, with gusts to 52 mph. The ferry between Uig and Tarbert and the Sound of Harris ferry are both cancelled. The Ullapool ferry has left Stornoway, but may not return this evening. It is blowing a good force 8, gusting to 65 mph at the Butt of Lewis - a very exposed location. Apart from Saturday, it is going to stay windy right into next week.

Seafront Stornoway: spindrift blown up from the water, difficult to proceed on foot. Very wild - 7.20 report suggests wind has increased to force 9 (47 mph), gusting at 63 mph over at the airport.

By 10pm, there are a few flickers on the electricity network - not surprising with tonight's strong winds. The automatic weatherstation at the Eoropie Tearoom records windspeeds between 50 and 70 mph at the moment. The airport here at Stornoway keeps it at between 35 and 55 mph, less exposed and low-lying.

Tragedy does not come alone, as a cursory glance at a death certificate showed tonight. Yesterday, I mentioned a North Uist man, Ewen Macdougall, who might be eligible for War Dead Status. On checking the death certificate, I find that the following entry mentions his sister, Annie, aged 17, who died the day after his brother, having suffered from pneumonia and typhoid fever. The registrar who had to record the death of these two was in fact their father.

Wednesday 1 October

Bright morning here with variable cloud and a good breeze, force 5, from the west. Tomorrow, winds will steadily rise to gale force 8, possibly severe gale force 9 down in the southern isles. By the end of the afternoon, there was a downpour in Stornoway, with gusty winds at 5.35pm. Rainfall radar showing a number of heavy showers moving in off the Atlantic.

I am initiating proceedings to have Ewen Macdougall, late of Bayhead Post Office, placed on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission registers. He contracted TB whilst serving with the British Expeditionary Force in France in May 1915. Ewen was declared unfit for war service the following September, and died at home in August 1916, aged 21. If the CE has documentary evidence regarding the location of his burial (most likely the Kilmuir cemetery), I will be pleased to forward that to the researcher who will deal with his case.

Typhoon ‪#‎Phanfone‬ is getting its act together in the empty Pacific Ocean south of ‪#‎Japan‬. The storm will reach a maximum of 125 knots, before turning northeast and making a close approach to southern Japan. This will be towards the end of the 5-day forecasting period, and the forecasting of tropical cyclones carries a 300 mile margin of error at that time.