Today on this day during the First World War, this man from the Isle of Lewis lost his life in the service of King and Country. RIP.
Seaman ALEX MACRAE
Last address in Lewis: 10 Aignish
Son of Evander and Christina MacRae, of 10, Aignish, Stornoway, Ross-shire.
Regiment / service: HMT Calliope II, Royal Naval Reserve
Service number: 7255DA
Date of death: 3 March 1916 at the age of 25
Drowned at sea in collision with SS Dane off Butt of Lewis
Memorial / cemetery: Chatham Naval Memorial, panel 19
Local memorial: Point (Garrabost)
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Remembering Today - 2 March
On this day during the First World War, these men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King and Country. RIP.
Leading Deckhand JOHN MACAULAY
Last address in Lewis: 7 Islivig,
Regiment or division: Merchant Marine, SS Kenmore
Date of death: 2 March 1918 at the age of 37
Ship sunk by U-boat
Lewis Memorial: Uig, Timsgarry
Private DONALD MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 39B Ranish,
Son of Catherine MacLeod, of 39, Ranish, Lochs, Stornoway, Lewis.
Regiment or division: 1st Gordon Highlanders
Service number: 3/6210
Date of death: 2 March 1916 at the age of 18
Killed in action in France
Memorial: Ypres, Menin Gate
Memorial reference: Panel 38
Local memorial: North Lochs, Crossbost
Private NORMAN MACKAY
Last address in Lewis: 1 Upper Bayble,
Regiment or division: 1st Gordon Highlanders
Service number: 3/5614
Date of death: 2 March 1916 at the age of 25
Killed in action
Memorial: Ypres (Menin Gate), panel 38
Lewis Memorial: Point (Garrabost)
Leading Deckhand JOHN MACAULAY
Last address in Lewis: 7 Islivig,
Regiment or division: Merchant Marine, SS Kenmore
Date of death: 2 March 1918 at the age of 37
Ship sunk by U-boat
Lewis Memorial: Uig, Timsgarry
Private DONALD MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 39B Ranish,
Son of Catherine MacLeod, of 39, Ranish, Lochs, Stornoway, Lewis.
Regiment or division: 1st Gordon Highlanders
Service number: 3/6210
Date of death: 2 March 1916 at the age of 18
Killed in action in France
Memorial: Ypres, Menin Gate
Memorial reference: Panel 38
Local memorial: North Lochs, Crossbost
Private NORMAN MACKAY
Last address in Lewis: 1 Upper Bayble,
Regiment or division: 1st Gordon Highlanders
Service number: 3/5614
Date of death: 2 March 1916 at the age of 25
Killed in action
Memorial: Ypres (Menin Gate), panel 38
Lewis Memorial: Point (Garrabost)
Wednesday 4 March
Overcast today, but with glimpses of a glorious, bright red sunset at around 6pm. Feeling cold, with occasional showers. Only 5C today.
Last week's crash at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport appears to be attributable to a faulty altimeter. This misled the crew to believe they were about to touch down, whereas in fact they were still several hundred feet up in the air. When they realised their mistake, it was too late for the plane to be able to regain height. Nine people died in the crash.
The Italian bishop for Modena has asked people to give up texting, social networking and computer games for Lent. Don't think that's gonna happen in a hurry. The Italians are the second-most prolific texters behind the British.
Last week's crash at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport appears to be attributable to a faulty altimeter. This misled the crew to believe they were about to touch down, whereas in fact they were still several hundred feet up in the air. When they realised their mistake, it was too late for the plane to be able to regain height. Nine people died in the crash.
The Italian bishop for Modena has asked people to give up texting, social networking and computer games for Lent. Don't think that's gonna happen in a hurry. The Italians are the second-most prolific texters behind the British.
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Tuesday 3 March
Overcast and bitterly cold, with a stiff breeze and temperatures below 5C. An overnight fall of snow, leaving only a light dusting on the hills, had melted by midday.
The world of cricket had a rude awakening when a coach carrying Sri Lankan players was attacked by a dozen gunmen in Lahore, Pakistan, this morning. They thought they were immune from the harsh reality of the world today: unfortunately, not. Fortunately, none of the players were seriously injured, although half a dozen policemen were killed in the line of fire. The Sri Lankan players are on their way home. An extensive security review is in progress, whilst the hunt for the gunmen goes on. It's just not cricket. Sorry for the sarcasm.
Radovan Karadzic, former leader of the Bosnian Serbs, has refused to enter a plea at his trial on indictment of war crimes in the Bosnian war in the early 1990s. He says the International Court in The Hague does not have the authority to try him, and that the former envoy Richard Holbrooke had promised him immunity from prosecution, something denied by Mr Holbrooke.
Would you go into hospital to visit a friend or relative, and drink the handgel officially there to disinfect your hands? Granted, it contains 70% alcohol, but it also contains toxic chemicals. People have died doing this.
The world of cricket had a rude awakening when a coach carrying Sri Lankan players was attacked by a dozen gunmen in Lahore, Pakistan, this morning. They thought they were immune from the harsh reality of the world today: unfortunately, not. Fortunately, none of the players were seriously injured, although half a dozen policemen were killed in the line of fire. The Sri Lankan players are on their way home. An extensive security review is in progress, whilst the hunt for the gunmen goes on. It's just not cricket. Sorry for the sarcasm.
Radovan Karadzic, former leader of the Bosnian Serbs, has refused to enter a plea at his trial on indictment of war crimes in the Bosnian war in the early 1990s. He says the International Court in The Hague does not have the authority to try him, and that the former envoy Richard Holbrooke had promised him immunity from prosecution, something denied by Mr Holbrooke.
Would you go into hospital to visit a friend or relative, and drink the handgel officially there to disinfect your hands? Granted, it contains 70% alcohol, but it also contains toxic chemicals. People have died doing this.
Midnight notes
Bit late for me to still be on here, but there you go. It has turned very cold here tonight, with the mercury at freezing point and hail, sleet and snow showers coming down. The windchill is at -5C, so not very pleasant. Warning for all points south: this has your name on it.
Quite a few of you are on Facebook (as am I myself). A warning has gone out that there are rogue apps about which carry viruses, malware, you name it. Be watchful - have posted this on Facebook as well.
Off to bed with a cup of tea. More tomorrow.
Quite a few of you are on Facebook (as am I myself). A warning has gone out that there are rogue apps about which carry viruses, malware, you name it. Be watchful - have posted this on Facebook as well.
Off to bed with a cup of tea. More tomorrow.
Monday, 2 March 2009
Monday 2 March
Pretty dismal day, with frequent showers, a stiff breeze and lowering temperatures. The sun tries to put in an appearance, but that doesn't really help.
Some good news this morning, in that the Scottish Government has announced it will act against the availability of cut-price alcohol. Alcohol mis-use is a major problem in Scotland, causing costs at least £4oo million a year for the NHS alone, not to mention the misery and death associated with it. In some shops, alcohol costs less than mineral water. The Scottish Government now seeks to introduce a minimum unit price and encourages a minimum age for purchasing alcohol of 21 - for local authorities to decide. A social responsibility fee will be levied on supermarkets. Of course, not everybody is happy about that. In certain quarters, getting drunk out of your mind is a rite of passage, and having that postponed to 21, tut.
Some good news this morning, in that the Scottish Government has announced it will act against the availability of cut-price alcohol. Alcohol mis-use is a major problem in Scotland, causing costs at least £4oo million a year for the NHS alone, not to mention the misery and death associated with it. In some shops, alcohol costs less than mineral water. The Scottish Government now seeks to introduce a minimum unit price and encourages a minimum age for purchasing alcohol of 21 - for local authorities to decide. A social responsibility fee will be levied on supermarkets. Of course, not everybody is happy about that. In certain quarters, getting drunk out of your mind is a rite of passage, and having that postponed to 21, tut.
Sunday, 1 March 2009
Remembering Today - 1 March
On this day in the First World War, these men from the Isle of Lewis laid down their lives in the service of King and Country. RIP.
Seaman DONALD MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 4 Garenin,
Son of Donald and Mary Macleod, of 4A, Garenin, Carloway, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: Royal Naval Division, Benbow Bttn.
Service number: PO/3409/A
Date of death: 1 March 1916 at the age of 24
Died in internment camp at Groningen, Holland
Interred: Groningen Southern Cemetery
Memorial reference: Northwest part, Class 4, Row 37
Lewis Memorial: Carloway
Private MALCOLM MACDONALD
"Callum Dhol"
Last address in Lewis: 11 Kirkibost, Great Bernera
Son of Donald and Mary Ann Macdonald, of 11, Kirkibert, Bernera, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 2nd Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/6993
Date of death: 1 March 1915 at the age of 23
Killed in action in France
Had been employed in tramway department of Glasgow Corporation before the outbreak of war
Interred: Bailleul Communal Cemetery (Nord)
Memorial reference: J. 14
Lewis Memorial: Great Bernera
Seaman DONALD MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 4 Garenin,
Son of Donald and Mary Macleod, of 4A, Garenin, Carloway, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: Royal Naval Division, Benbow Bttn.
Service number: PO/3409/A
Date of death: 1 March 1916 at the age of 24
Died in internment camp at Groningen, Holland
Interred: Groningen Southern Cemetery
Memorial reference: Northwest part, Class 4, Row 37
Lewis Memorial: Carloway
Private MALCOLM MACDONALD
"Callum Dhol"
Last address in Lewis: 11 Kirkibost, Great Bernera
Son of Donald and Mary Ann Macdonald, of 11, Kirkibert, Bernera, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 2nd Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/6993
Date of death: 1 March 1915 at the age of 23
Killed in action in France
Had been employed in tramway department of Glasgow Corporation before the outbreak of war
Interred: Bailleul Communal Cemetery (Nord)
Memorial reference: J. 14
Lewis Memorial: Great Bernera
Remembering Today - 28 February
On this day during the First World War, these men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King and Country. RIP.
Seaman DONALD MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 14 Borrowston,
Regiment or division: Royal Naval Reserve, HMS Piscatorial
Date of death: 28 February 1917 at the age of 18
Ship sunk by mine
Lewis Memorial: Carloway
Private JOHN NICOLSON
Last address in Lewis: 9 North Tolsta,
Regiment or division: 1st Gordon Highlanders
Service number: S/5957
Date of death: 28 February 1915 at the age of 19
Died of wounds
Interred: Wytschaete Military Cemetery
Memorial reference: III. B. 10
Local memorial: North Tolsta
Private JOSEPH JAMES MAIR
Last address in Lewis: 2 Shell Street, Stornoway
Regiment or division: Australians
Date of death: 28 February 1919 at the age of 32
Died in Melbourne
View War Record
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial
Seaman R MACKENZIE
Last address in Lewis: unknown
Service, unit: Royal Naval Reserve, HMS Excellent
Service number: 4160/B
Date of death: 28 February 1919 at the age of 33
Interred: Crossbost Cemetery
Seaman DONALD MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 14 Borrowston,
Regiment or division: Royal Naval Reserve, HMS Piscatorial
Date of death: 28 February 1917 at the age of 18
Ship sunk by mine
Lewis Memorial: Carloway
Private JOHN NICOLSON
Last address in Lewis: 9 North Tolsta,
Regiment or division: 1st Gordon Highlanders
Service number: S/5957
Date of death: 28 February 1915 at the age of 19
Died of wounds
Interred: Wytschaete Military Cemetery
Memorial reference: III. B. 10
Local memorial: North Tolsta
Private JOSEPH JAMES MAIR
Last address in Lewis: 2 Shell Street, Stornoway
Regiment or division: Australians
Date of death: 28 February 1919 at the age of 32
Died in Melbourne
View War Record
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial
Seaman R MACKENZIE
Last address in Lewis: unknown
Service, unit: Royal Naval Reserve, HMS Excellent
Service number: 4160/B
Date of death: 28 February 1919 at the age of 33
Interred: Crossbost Cemetery
Sunday 1 March
Good afternoon from a bright Stornoway, which is plagued by beefy downpours. Today is St David's Day, so leeks and daffs galore west of Offa's Dyke. For those who wonder what on earth I'm talking about: it's the national day for Wales today.
Found an interesting article on the phenomenon of the trillion, which has hit the headlines in the wake of the advent of that economic crisis. Being of continental provenance, I am more confussed than ever. You see, where I'm from, the term 'billion' is used for the number 1012 , or 1,000,000,000,000 - or 1,000 times what is termed a billion in Anglo-Saxon / American terms. What comes beyond that is a totally different ballgame: a 'billiard' - yep, that's a game with two white and one red ball, a cue-stick and green baize tables - is 1015 , or 1,000,000,000,000,000. You are lost? So am I. Wish they'd all stick to the same blinking terms. And did I say I'm fed up to the back teeth with all this talk of money, the greedy bankers, still wishing to pocket nearly three-quarters of a million pounds a year for a pension at the age of 50 for achieving an absolute and abject failure of their business.
Found an interesting article on the phenomenon of the trillion, which has hit the headlines in the wake of the advent of that economic crisis. Being of continental provenance, I am more confussed than ever. You see, where I'm from, the term 'billion' is used for the number 10
Saturday, 28 February 2009
Evening notes
Pouring with rain this evening. Tomorrow should be bright but showery and blustery, typical March weather. Do you feed your small children cold remedies? Well, don't bother. Their efficacy is rather doubtful; don't worry though, neither are they harmful.
I've continued putting my Flickr pictures into sets, and that is now finished. So, on to the next bit: placing them on a map. Number of pictures not on map: 6,300. Right. I am also making a note if a picture was taken in any of the 100 villages in Lewis, perhaps with a view of making a book? I don't know yet.
Mugabe. Where is my anti-emetic. Now the man has ordered the seizure of more white-owned farms, not realising that they are the only ones still supplying the country with food. The ones he seized before are producing nowt. Oh dear, when is this lunacy going to end. I'm relieved to hear that Morgan Tsvangirai excused himself from Comrade Mugabe's birthday bash.
I've continued putting my Flickr pictures into sets, and that is now finished. So, on to the next bit: placing them on a map. Number of pictures not on map: 6,300. Right. I am also making a note if a picture was taken in any of the 100 villages in Lewis, perhaps with a view of making a book? I don't know yet.
Mugabe. Where is my anti-emetic. Now the man has ordered the seizure of more white-owned farms, not realising that they are the only ones still supplying the country with food. The ones he seized before are producing nowt. Oh dear, when is this lunacy going to end. I'm relieved to hear that Morgan Tsvangirai excused himself from Comrade Mugabe's birthday bash.
Saturday 28 February
The last day of the month is wet, grey and dreich. Temperature 8C, so nothing remarkable.
Five tons of cocaine were impounded on a Venezuelan vessel off the coast of Spain. Good news, but probably just the tip of the iceberg. Over the past five years, the amount of cocaine smuggled out of Venezuela has increased fivefold between 2002 and 2007. Sends you wondering what the wonderful policies of President Chavez have anything to do with that.
President Robert Mugabe is celebrating his 85th birthday today, a week after the actual date. He is throwing a little party, a low-key affair only costing $250,000. < / sarcasm >. It is obscene and at best insensitive that he is allowing himself this do. It is even more incomprehensible bearing in mind the state of total collapse that Zimbabwe's economy and state is finding itself in, requiring between 2 and 5 billion dollars to get back on its feet. I hope the leader of the MDC isn't going to turn up, otherwise I'll be really sick.
Five tons of cocaine were impounded on a Venezuelan vessel off the coast of Spain. Good news, but probably just the tip of the iceberg. Over the past five years, the amount of cocaine smuggled out of Venezuela has increased fivefold between 2002 and 2007. Sends you wondering what the wonderful policies of President Chavez have anything to do with that.
President Robert Mugabe is celebrating his 85th birthday today, a week after the actual date. He is throwing a little party, a low-key affair only costing $250,000. < / sarcasm >. It is obscene and at best insensitive that he is allowing himself this do. It is even more incomprehensible bearing in mind the state of total collapse that Zimbabwe's economy and state is finding itself in, requiring between 2 and 5 billion dollars to get back on its feet. I hope the leader of the MDC isn't going to turn up, otherwise I'll be really sick.
Friday, 27 February 2009
Sunset notes
The sun is going down on a day that finishes a lot brighter than it started. About an hour or so ago, the sun finally came out, brightening up a day that was dismally wet and grey.
I am very pleased that the Vatican is taking a dim view of the ambiguous apology, issued by Bishop Williamson over the matter of denying the Holocaust. Apparently, the bishop has not retracted his views that there were no gas chambers used to kill millions of Jews, and that there were "only" 200-300 thousand Jews killed at the hands of the Nazis. At the moment, the declaration features on the front page of the Society St Pius X. Read for yourself.
Ryanair is considering charging for the usage of toilets on their planes. I've never liked Ryanair, and that little snippet of news sent them down the pan for me. Yep, awful pun, but totally intentional.
I am very pleased that the Vatican is taking a dim view of the ambiguous apology, issued by Bishop Williamson over the matter of denying the Holocaust. Apparently, the bishop has not retracted his views that there were no gas chambers used to kill millions of Jews, and that there were "only" 200-300 thousand Jews killed at the hands of the Nazis. At the moment, the declaration features on the front page of the Society St Pius X. Read for yourself.
Ryanair is considering charging for the usage of toilets on their planes. I've never liked Ryanair, and that little snippet of news sent them down the pan for me. Yep, awful pun, but totally intentional.
Remembering Today - 27 February
Today on this day in the First World War, this man lost his life in the service of King and Country. RIP.
Gunner JOHN A MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 12 North Beach Street, Stornoway
Regiment or division: 2nd/1st (Ross) Mountain Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery
Service number: 301378
Date of death: 27 February 1917 at the age of 23
Killed in action
Interred: Salonika (Lembet Road) Military Cemetery
Memorial reference: 841
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial
Gunner JOHN A MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 12 North Beach Street, Stornoway
Regiment or division: 2nd/1st (Ross) Mountain Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery
Service number: 301378
Date of death: 27 February 1917 at the age of 23
Killed in action
Interred: Salonika (Lembet Road) Military Cemetery
Memorial reference: 841
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial
Remembering Today - 26 February
Today on this day during the First World War, these men lost their lives in the service of King and Country. RIP.
Sergeant GEORGE MACDONALD
Last address in Lewis: 52 Bayhead Street, Stornoway
Regiment or division: 1st Royal Fusiliers
Date of death: 26 February 1915 at the age of 20
Killed in action in La Bassee
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial
Seaman GEORGE MACAULAY
Last address in Lewis: 3 Keith Street, Stornoway
Son of Murdo and Annie Macaulay, of 3, Keith St., Stornoway.
Regiment or division: Merchant Marine, HMHS Glenart Castle
Date of death: 26 February 1918 at the age of 24
Ship sunk by U-boat in Bristol Channel
Memorial: Tower Hill
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial
Sergeant GEORGE MACDONALD
Last address in Lewis: 52 Bayhead Street, Stornoway
Regiment or division: 1st Royal Fusiliers
Date of death: 26 February 1915 at the age of 20
Killed in action in La Bassee
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial
Seaman GEORGE MACAULAY
Last address in Lewis: 3 Keith Street, Stornoway
Son of Murdo and Annie Macaulay, of 3, Keith St., Stornoway.
Regiment or division: Merchant Marine, HMHS Glenart Castle
Date of death: 26 February 1918 at the age of 24
Ship sunk by U-boat in Bristol Channel
Memorial: Tower Hill
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial
WARNING - Bank charge phonescam (UK only)
Yesterday, a judge ruled that it was lawful for people to recoup their excessive bankcharges. Only the Office of Fair Trading has to make a final decision before the process can start for ordinary people.
Scammers targeting the Highlands and Islands have been cold-calling people on the phone, saying they will recoup those charges (which may amount to thousands of pounds in some cases). They ask for your personal and bank details - and you may find your bank account plundered as a result.
If you want to recoup your charges, you have to write to your bank - it applies to charges from 2001 to today.
Scammers targeting the Highlands and Islands have been cold-calling people on the phone, saying they will recoup those charges (which may amount to thousands of pounds in some cases). They ask for your personal and bank details - and you may find your bank account plundered as a result.
If you want to recoup your charges, you have to write to your bank - it applies to charges from 2001 to today.
Friday 27 February
You may remember my epic journey from Holland back to Stornoway, which took 55 hours rather than 12 on February 2nd (3rd and 4th as it turned out). Well, I am being reimbursed by the airline for part of my expenses - the ones I incurred because of the booking error.
Meanwhile, I'm looking out at a very wet day here in the islands, not much wind, but it is raining steadily.
If you don't like your job, don't mention it on Facebook, or anywhere else on the open Internet. It can get you fired.
Meanwhile, I'm looking out at a very wet day here in the islands, not much wind, but it is raining steadily.
If you don't like your job, don't mention it on Facebook, or anywhere else on the open Internet. It can get you fired.
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Wanted: readers
The BBC say the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books on their list. How many have you read?
Instructions:
1) Look at the list and put an ‘x’ before those you have read.
2) Tally your total at the bottom.
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
x The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
x Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
x Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
x To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
x The Bible - some of it. Had no choice :-/
x Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
x Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
x Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
x Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
Complete Works of Shakespeare
Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
x The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Middlemarch - George Eliot
x Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
Bleak House - Charles Dickens
War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
x David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
Emma - Jane Austen
Persuasion - Jane Austen
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
x Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
x Animal Farm - George Orwell
The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Atonement - Ian McEwan
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
Dune - Frank Herbert
Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
x A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
The Secret History - Donna Tartt
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
On The Road - Jack Kerouac
x Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
x Moby Dick - Herman Melville
x Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
Dracula - Bram Stoker
The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
x Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
x Ulysses - James Joyce
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
Germinal - Emile Zola
x Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
Possession - AS Byatt
x A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
The Color Purple - Alice Walker
The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
Charlotte’s Web - EB White
The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
x Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
x The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
x Watership Down - Richard Adams
A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
Hamlet - William Shakespeare
x Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
26 out of a hundred.
I wonder what other books should be added to this “top books” list though?
Instructions:
1) Look at the list and put an ‘x’ before those you have read.
2) Tally your total at the bottom.
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
x The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
x Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
x Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
x To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
x The Bible - some of it. Had no choice :-/
x Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
x Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
x Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
x Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
Complete Works of Shakespeare
Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
x The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Middlemarch - George Eliot
x Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
Bleak House - Charles Dickens
War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
x David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
Emma - Jane Austen
Persuasion - Jane Austen
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
x Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
x Animal Farm - George Orwell
The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Atonement - Ian McEwan
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
Dune - Frank Herbert
Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
x A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
The Secret History - Donna Tartt
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
On The Road - Jack Kerouac
x Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
x Moby Dick - Herman Melville
x Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
Dracula - Bram Stoker
The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
x Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
x Ulysses - James Joyce
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
Germinal - Emile Zola
x Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
Possession - AS Byatt
x A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
The Color Purple - Alice Walker
The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
Charlotte’s Web - EB White
The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
x Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
x The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
x Watership Down - Richard Adams
A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
Hamlet - William Shakespeare
x Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
26 out of a hundred.
I wonder what other books should be added to this “top books” list though?
Visit to Ness
Went to Ness (North Lewis) this afternoon, and took the opportunity to engage in more snapping. It was a grey and very chilly afternoon, although the temperature was not that low (8C). The moorlands look very brown/yellow, and the houses appeared to meld in with their surroundings. Nothing much moved, it was very quiet in the area. Ness consists of more than a dozen hamlets, which are contiguous with each other. Total population is about 2,000.
Port of Ness
Port and beach at Port of Ness
Herding sheep by car
Port of Ness
Port and beach at Port of Ness
Herding sheep by car
Thursday 26 February
Overcast, grey and drizzly, with visibility barely at 1 mile. Not much wind. The overnight gales never materialised; the strongest winds occurred late yesterday afternoon.
Investigators have started their work in piecing together the cause for yesterday's aircrash at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport in which 9 people died. Three of the dead were crewmembers. The wreckage will be removed once the on-site work is complete; a specialist lab in Paris is analysing the cockpit-voice and flight-data recorders.
Locally, the revolving door scenario at the Arnish Fabrication Yard continues. Later this year, the industrial site will reopen to manufacture windturbines for the better part of 2009. The machines are destined for a marine windpark off the coast of Cumbria, northwest England. The Arnish Fabrication Yard has had a number of operators in the past few years, none lasting much longer than a year at a time. At one point, the site was closed down whilst turbine towers were still being made. As a result, the intermediate product was shipped to Denmark for completion - and one of the towers was lost overboard in a force 9 gale on return. It presently provides a habitat for marine life at the bottom of the North Sea somewhere between Denmark and Orkney.
Investigators have started their work in piecing together the cause for yesterday's aircrash at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport in which 9 people died. Three of the dead were crewmembers. The wreckage will be removed once the on-site work is complete; a specialist lab in Paris is analysing the cockpit-voice and flight-data recorders.
Locally, the revolving door scenario at the Arnish Fabrication Yard continues. Later this year, the industrial site will reopen to manufacture windturbines for the better part of 2009. The machines are destined for a marine windpark off the coast of Cumbria, northwest England. The Arnish Fabrication Yard has had a number of operators in the past few years, none lasting much longer than a year at a time. At one point, the site was closed down whilst turbine towers were still being made. As a result, the intermediate product was shipped to Denmark for completion - and one of the towers was lost overboard in a force 9 gale on return. It presently provides a habitat for marine life at the bottom of the North Sea somewhere between Denmark and Orkney.
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