Monday 20 October

Lovely forecast for tonight and tomorrow. Force 9, peaking possibly force 10 in the morning, with gusts to 80 mph. Ferries? What ferries. Just as well I don't need to travel. Today is overcast, wet and windy.

I am privileged to be included in the customs surrounding death and funerals in the island of Lewis. The house of the deceased will be deluged by gifts. Flowers, roasts, bread - so those in mourning need not worry about food. None of the gifts carry a nametag. It conveys the feeling that the whole of the community is supporting the bereaved. Not just individuals. It also explains the columns of acknowledgements in the Stornoway Gazette. Lewis isn't about the Wee Frees, the Callanish Stones, or blackhouses. Oh, that's the reputation. What I described above shows the REAL spirit of the place.