Sunday 13 November

It's Remembrance Sunday, and I started the day by watching the National Ceremony of Remembrance at the Cenotaph at 11 o'clock this morning. This afternoon, I walked down to the cemetery at Sandwick, about 15 minutes' walk away, and visited the graves of some of the victims of the Iolaire Disaster (pic below). It strikes me that Remembrance appears to be a growing phenomenon in the UK, probably on account of the sacrifice currently being made in Afghanistan, where nearly 400 service personnel have lost their lives since 2001.



It was a beautiful day, and as I type this, the light is fading on a sunny afternoon. There was no wind, and it felt pleasant in a temperature of just over 10C.

Friday 11 November

This morning, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, thousands of people in the United Kingdom and beyond fell silent. 93 years ago the guns had fallen silent, heralding the start of the Armistice, and eventually the end of the First World War. After the end of the Second World War, November 11th was maintained as a day of remembrance. I am not going to say much else in this post, but will display a number of images, showing the war memorials here in Lewis. The fact that it takes 15 war memorials to remember the war dead of an island, home to 30,000 people in 1914 says enough. 1,350 did not return from the 1914-19 war, 530 were lost in the 1939-45 war.

Thursday 10 November

Sunshine and some cloud about today, as temperatures remain above average at around 12C / 54F. I have spent the day transcribing tributes to the Fallen from the Isle of Lewis who lost their lives in the last two years of the Second World War. I just need to link the transcribed newspaper articles to the listings of the Fallen on the WW2 tribute. The total number of tributes now stands at just shy of 300. I am rushing to complete this ahead of Armistice Day tomorrow. There is also a separate site with transcripts for the Fallen from WW1, from the years 1917 and 1918.

I was profoundly saddened to receive a message from one of my email and Facebook contacts in Texas. The cancer that had been diagnosed in the duodenum had spread to the stomach, and had progressed all the way to stage IV, terminal cancer. The person concerned does not keep a blog, but those of you who are Facebook contacts with me know who I am talking about.

Kristallnacht

9 November 1938 - an organised mob of Nazi forces and sympathisers go on the rampage in towns and cities across Germany, smashing and destroying Jewish-owned property and businesses. It was to be a marker, to what was to come during World War II - the extermination of anyone deemed sub-human by the warped mind of Adolf Hitler and his henchmen. Jews topped their league of the unfit, closely followed by gypsies, the mentally ill and many many others. The Reichskristallnacht was a night of infamy, and not just to Germany.

For Hitler was allowed to get away with literally murder for several years beforehand. In 1936, he occupied the Rhineland which had been ceded to France at the end of the First World War. The League of Nations, a toothless talkingshop, cried wolf but had no bite. In March 1938, Nazi forces marched into Austria to join that country to Germany, an event referred to as the Anschluss. Neville Chamberlain flew to Munich to meet with Adolf Hitler on 30 September 1938, returning with the infamous phrase: "Peace for our time". Six weeks later, the Reichskristallnacht took place, a sign of ill omen. Only a few months later, Germany invaded the Sudetenland area of Czecho-Slovakia, and again, nobody moved a finger to stop. In September 1939, Hitler thought he could get away with the invasion of Poland. But instead, it prompted the outbreak of the Second World War.

The lights have gone out in Europe, it was said at the time. The lights in Europe were extinguished in 1914, and had not been relit, not even at the end of the First World War. The Versailles Peace Treaty of June 1919 contained all the ingredients for another war, which duly materialised.

Wednesday 9 November

Completely overcast today, although the sun did glimpse through the clouds in the morning. Just as I went out the door at 2.30, it started to rain. And it has not stopped yet - and it's 10pm now. Anyway, it's pretty mild, with the mercury at 11C / 52F, even now.

What is it about Big Brother, Strictly Come Dancing, the X-Factor and I'm a Celebrity... that gets everybody so worked up? It is headline news in the papers, on the radio, on the television. I haven't watched Big Brother for 6 years, "Strictly" I translate into Strictly Come Vomiting, the X-Factor tends to be X-rated and "I'm a Celebrity" turns into "I'm no Celebrity".

Reports are coming in of a 5.7 earthquake in eastern Turkey, not far from the epicentre of a quake a few weeks ago. Apparently, a hotel has toppled and several other buildings have collapsed in the city of Van, near the Iranian border.
Talking of natural disasters, tropical storm Sean is set to pass close to Bermuda tomorrow and could well be at hurricane strength. The coast of the USA is being affected by life-threatening surf and rip-currents. The hurricane season closes in 3 weeks' time, but that does not mean that it is all over by then. The 2005 season overran into 2006!

Tuesday 8 November

Another beautifully sunny day, with some clouds looming to the south. That is the northern boundary of a large cloudmass that stretches right across the United Kingdom. Sometimes northwest is best.

Spent a few hours in the library digging out more tributes to the Fallen of the Second World War for the year 1945. War was coming to a close, and I have only looked at papers until 10 August, which was the last edition of the Stornoway Gazette published before the surrender of Japan. In those eight months, there were around fifty tributes, but it has struck me that some of them were published up to a year after the death of the serviceman concerned. Tomorrow, I shall transcribe these tributes and place them on the WWW.

Monday 7 November

A beautifully sunny day, with the mercury cresting at a reasonable 12C in the afternoon. As I type this, at a quarter to eleven at night, we're down at 5C / 40F. It's November, what do you expect?

Michael Jackson's physician, Dr Conrad R. Murray, has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter through the administration of propofol to the singer. Propofol is an agent normally used in the operating theatre, and should be used with life-support machinery as it is a muscle relaxant. Using it outside the OR is at best irresponsible. However, in view of the high profile of Michael Jackson, I have this feeling that Dr Murray is being hung, drawn and quartered even before his guilty verdict. Dr Murray made a grave mistake by giving in to the incessant demands from MJ for something to put him to sleep. Using propofol was crass. Dr Murray should have been dealt with by his professional body, not through the courts. But who am I.

I have completed the transcription of tributes from the local paper for casualties from the Second World War from the year 1944. Only the year 1945 remains, and I hope to complete that in time for Armistice Day, this coming Friday.

Medicane!

In the Mediterranean a depression between Spain and Sardinia, has been classified as a tropical disturbance. 01M (or 99L) is however unlikely to turn into anything substantial. The sea surface temperatures in that area of the Mediterranean (20C / 68F) are way below the threshold (26C / 80F) required for a tropical cyclone. However, the satellite picture does look suspiciously like a tropical system. Medicanes are not unheard of, certainly at this time of year when the waters are at their warmest.

Sunday 6 November

As I type this, the M5-motorway in Somerset has reopened to traffic in both directions. The motorway had been closed following a fatal collision on Friday night, involving 34 vehicles, claiming 7 lives and injuring 51 others. The police is investigating the cause for the crash, for which fog, smoke from a fireworks display or excessive speed have been variously blamed.

It has been overcast in Stornoway today, and the wind has blown at force 6 to 7 all day. Not particularly strong by our standards, but noticeable. Gusts are reaching galeforce. Nonetheless, our ferry has completed its customary Sunday crossing, so all appears to be well.

I was saddened to find out about the death of a family friend in southern England at the age of 79. We had known him (and his family) for 35 years, but ill health in both families meant we had been out of touch for about a decade. Nonetheless, without divulging details, I would like to pay tribute to him, as being one of those good people in the United Kingdom that welcomed us into their midst in the mid-1970s. It ultimately led me to move to Great Britain in 1997.

New Blogger Interface

Blogger has been floating a new user-interface. And I give it a thumbs-down.

There is a serious flaw in the procedure for adding pics to the blogposts: if you do so using a pic on a URL, it does not work. And I just don't like that wishy-washy look. Furthermore, I often write blogposts with several open windows, in order to copy or transcribe information from one window to another. The blogpost in the new interface does not properly wrap; what you type tends to disappear under the sidebar to the right.

Anyone else got any thoughts on this? You can access the new look by clicking on "Try new interface" from the Dashboard (www.blogger.com) after logging in.

Journey to Harris - 5 November

Saturday 5 November

It's Guy Fawkes night again, and a lot of fireworks are set to go off across the United Kingdom. Even in these islands, bonfires have been set up, ready to light. This one I spotted on the football pitch at Laxay, 12 miles south of Stornoway



It was a sunny day today, after a night which saw the mercury dipping close to freezing.We went out in the car to Tarbert, the main village in Harris, 37 miles south of Stornoway. I shall post further pictures in a separate entry. A belt of showers lay over the hills near Arivruaich, and on the way back they had hardly moved. The westerly wind, running up against the Eishken hills, prompted the precipitation. Had lunch at Tarbert, a look in the Tourist Information Office, then returned north. Sunset is at 4.30pm at the moment, and we came back just after 4pm. The 37 miles along the island's main road, the A859, takes an hour in the car.

A journey along the M5 motorway in southwestern England, near Taunton, proved to be the last journey for at least seven people. A motorway crash, involving 34 vehicles, claimed the lives of 7 and injured more than 50. The death toll is likely to rise, as some of the vehicles were burned to the ground - nothing left of them. Aerial pictures show a number of jack-knifed lorries and some very badly burned cars. The weather, foggy and wet, is thought to have been an exacerbating factor. Some of the worst accidents occur in thick fog, particularly if it occurs in patches or banks. Firework displays nearby could have served to worsen the fog as small particles will have acted as condensation points for water.

Friday 4 November

Quite a nice day today, with some good spells of sunshine and moderate temperatures. I'm not grumbling at the low teens (50s F) at this time of year.

The birds found the feeders and we were treated to the familiar scenes of squabbling starlings, flocking sparrows and the collared dove picking the seeds that had fallen down from the feeders. By mid-afternoon, the seed-feeder was empty, but by that time there were some distinctly obese birds fluttering around, so I'm not refilling in a hurry.

I also received three Postcrossing cards - one from Austria, the others from Finland and Holland. I had not previously received a card from Austria. It showed the birthplace of famous composer Franz Liszt. I embed a rendition of part of his first pianoconcerto. Does it surprise you that he also wrote a piece named after Mephisto - the devil?

Thursday 3 November

A nice autumn day, and with the thermometer at 14C / 57F, not feeling at all cold. Washed the salt spray off the windows after yesterday's high winds deposited a fair layer of the stuff. Also swept the leaves away that had come away from the sycamore trees out the back. The red-hot pokers never came to anything at the end of September, after the flower stalks were broken by a gale. The rowan trees have also had their leaves blasted off, but there are large buds promising a continuing fight against the elements in 2012. And, in spite of the mild conditions, I have hung the birdfeeders back on the tree. Assorted birdseeds in one, peanuts in the others. There were no takers, but as soon as conditions become harsh over the next few weeks, I'm sure our little feathered friends will be back. And an advance notice to the local seagulls: any bread that's put out at times of snow is not going down your hatches.

I am continuing to transcribe the tributes from the Stornoway Gazette from the year 1944, copying onto the blogsite, and linking them to the relevant entry on the tribute website.

Tuesday 1 November

November came in with quite reasonable weather. There were some heavy showers in the morning, but they receded as the afternoon went on. Not terribly warm, but then I wouldn't expect much above 11C at this time of year. As I type this, at 10.40pm, the wind is beginning to pick up although the sky is clear. Jupiter is rising in the east - early in the morning, Orion is high in the southwest, followed as ever by his faithful hounds, crowned by their stars Sirius and Procyon. Winter is my favourite time for stargazing, if only because it's impossible in summer at this latitude (58 north).

The RNLI is expected to rubberstamp the establishment of a lifeboat station at Leverburgh in Harris. At present, there are two lifeboat stations in the Outer Hebrides, one at Stornoway and the other at Castlebay. These two locations are 140 miles apart, and Leverburgh sits virtually halfway. The other advantage is that Leverburgh sits on the Sound of Harris, and thereby on a passage into the eastern Atlantic towards St Kilda.

I am continuing to transcribe tributes from the Stornoway Gazette to servicemen from the islands who gave their life during World War II in the year 1944. Once that is complete, probably tomorrow or Thursday, there remain the first eight months of 1945.

Thanks to those of you who accepted my invites on Goodreads. I am not a very assiduous book reader, and have run into difficulties with the Count of Monte Christo. The Qur'an is not easy reading either, but I do have slightly easier reading in a tome on the rise and decline of railways in mainland Britain, from 1819 until the present day.

Monday 31 October

Although it's not cold today, it certainly is very breezy. Had to remove the bulb from an outside light fitting, 10 feet up on a wall, but the force 6 wind nearly carried the stepladder away.

In South Harris, it has been confirmed that the fire that killed an elderly man in Leverburgh was not suspicious. Kenny Mackenzie, who was in his early 80s, was found dead in his home yesterday after the firebrigade was called.

UNESCO has voted to admit Palestine as a full member, prompting the USA to withdraw its funding. UNESCO receives 20% of its funding from the US. Palestine is not a fully fledged state, but exists in an awkward limbo as Palestinian Territories, in Gaza and on the West Bank of the River Jordan. An even more awkward situation exists between the Palestinians and the Israelis following more than 60 years of confrontation. The origins of the conflicts have long been obscured by extremism on both sides, confused by religion and an abuse of historical facts or fiction. The Israelis and Palestinians are condemned to live with each other, and I feel that there is a way to make this happen in such a way that both communities can co-exist if not co-habit. The current sheer bloody-mindedness on both sides is a recipe for continued disaster for the world at large.

Happy Halloween.

Hallowe'en 2011

Reposted from 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, 14 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 4 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 4 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, 3½ years ago, that my mother passed away, and I'll bear that in mind on the day. 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.

One Girl's Head Noise (UK) - Pam, RIP 16 April 2006
There are no Sundays - Jim, RIP April 2007
The Diatom Project - Walt, RIP 27 April 2007
Pennie's Pieces of Ohio - Penny, RIP 1 October 2007
My Reason for Reasoning - Barbara, RIP 20 November 2007
Lahoma's Laments - Lahoma, RIP 25 December 2007
I shaved my legs for this??? - Kim, RIP 26 December 2007
Sylvia Boiling, RIP 2 May 2008
Dribble by Chuck Ferris - Chuck, RIP 1 July 2008
Lori's Love Tribe - Lori, RIP 22 November 2009
Just Plain Bill, Bill, RIP 28 November 2010
A journey of another kind, Jane, RIP 30 May 2010
Daria, RIP 22 January 2011
Angie Marshall, RIP 30 January 2011
Lori Johnson, RIP 16 February 2011
Rebecca Robertson, formerly as Journeyzpath (Summer 2011)
Say it Baldy, Sam Shafer, RIP 29 June 2011
Gypsypaths, Carol Martinez, RIP 28 September 2011

Sunday 30 October

The day after the clock changed, and the weather was so abysmal that we put the lights on at 3.30pm. Wind and rain. The ferry was two hours late leaving Stornoway, due to "technical difficulties". As it stands at present, it won't be back until about 10.30pm, an hour and a half late. Oh, Russia has decided to stay on summertime year-round.

Reports came in a little earlier of a housefire between Leverburgh and Strond in South Harris, which has claimed a life. No further details are known at present, as (presumably) next-of-kin will have to be informed. As everybody knows everybody else, whoever lost their life today will be widely mourned.

Before the weekend, Dutchman Vincent Tabak was found guilty of the murder of landscape artist Joanna Yeates in Bristol in December last year. Tabak strangled his victim, inflicting 43 injuries on her in the process, put her corpse in the boot of his car as he went shopping. He then dumped her remains in a ditch by the roadside outside Bristol and went on his merry way. Initially, his landlord was accused of the murder, but increasing amounts of evidence began to emerge against the Dutch engineer. At his trial, it was not mentioned the depraved nature of some of his internet searches, but Mr Tabak can expect to remain in prison for at least 20 years, having been sentenced to life in prison. As they say where he came from, he'll soon have tobacco of that [meaning, he'll soon be fed up with it].

Saturday 29 October

Not a very nice day in terms of weather, starting with high winds and heavy rain. Although the wind slowly abated, the rain took most of the day to die away. Yesterday's cancellation of the evening ferry from Ullapool led to a delay through today's service, but eventually less than one hour. The MV Isle of Arran is covering for the Muirneag on the freight run.

Tonight, the clocks go back by an hour, bringing the 2011 period of summertime to a close. Our American friends have an extra week of Daylight Savings, but the weather in the eastern USA does not pay heed to such artificialities - a snowstorm (Nor'easter) is blowing through the eastern States. There is another debate about Double Summertime in Great Britain, an idea I am strongly opposed to. Here in Stornoway, it would lead to sunrise at 10.15 am in December; and a ridiculous sunset time of 11.30pm in June. The December sunrise time will leave everybody going to work and school in pitch darkness - in Scotland that is. But in England too, sunrise won't be before 9 am.

Friday 28 October

Although today started reasonably well, in terms of weather, things have turned quite wild since lunchtime. As I type this, the wind has picked up to 30 mph, gusting to 50 mph. The ferry is not coming back this evening, but will instead be delayed at Ullapool for twelve hours, returning to SY at 8 am tomorrow morning. The ferry Isle of Arran just put into port, presumably to relieve the Muirneag, which is on our freight run. The Muirneag is an aging lady of the sea (she was built in 1979) and is due to be scrapped in 2013. I am not aware of any firm decision on her replacement. The Isle of Lewis is also beginning to feel its age (25 years), and there are two options. One big ferry plying continually between Ullapool and Stornoway; or two new ferries.

Thursday 27 October

Quite a reasonable day in terms of weather, with some sunshine. The flowerpots outside the front door no longer have flowers in them, just some matted remnants of pansies and lobelia. So, they have been removed until we get bulbs in them by next month.

Over in Mexico, hurricane Rina is falling apart off Cancun, so the 100 knot hurricane is not going to materialise. Just as well, wouldn't like to see people's holidays spoiled, let alone holidaymakers getting hurt as a result.

The Stornoway Gazette carried a frontpage article about a formal complaint that a patient at the Western Isles Hospital had lodged over her experience as a surgical patient. Apparently, the consultant and his understudy had fallen out in front of the patient over whether a pre-op assessment had been carried out, or was necessary. It is not on to have a row like that, but then the Health Board made matters worse by appearing to water down the apology to the patient. So, a representation is going to the Scottish Ombudsman. Pity it had to be all over the Two Minutes' Silence (as some people call the Gazette; 2 minutes being all the time required to read it - not my words).

Wednesday 26 October

A nice day, in spite of some spots of rain at 2pm, with nice sunset colours at six o'clock this evening. After Saturday, sunset times will be 5pm. Nice one, not.

Tomorrow, the annual book festival Faclan will kick off in Stornoway and elsewhere in the Outer Hebrides. Authors and publishers will showcase their latest creations, and talks will be held by various writers. I am not going to any of these, but am highlighting this to show that there is a lot going on in this island, in spite of it being the down season.

The mailman brought me no fewer than 4 postcrossing cards today, from the USA, Byelorussia, Taiwan and Turkey. I have now received 60 cards, since enrolling with postcrossing in February; I have despatched 65 so far, 6 in tomorrow's mail. Two of those are taking a long time to arrive; one has been in the system since mid-August, winging its way to Taiwan. I hope.

Tuesday 25 October

Another fairly non-descript day in the Outer Hebrides. In fact, it was overcast, cool and with a bit of a breeze. Following the departure of the Mod, the town of Stornoway appears to have settled into a mode of "onset of hibernation". People going about their daily business, shops full of the usual - including Hallowe'en stuff, and autumnal colours in the Castle Grounds.

Autumn is rather more violent down in Ireland, where several inches of rain caused chaos in Dublin and killed two people in flooding. Across the Atlantic, a hurricane is slowly growling its way towards the Mexican resort of Cancun, which could be struck with winds of 110 mph in the next few days. The name of the storm is Rina, as I reported yesterday.

Libya

The greatness of a nation is measured by the way it treats its enemies. Well, Libya does not score too well on that scale, judging by the way its former leader and his cronies were dealt with upon discovery. I'm not saying Gaddafi cum suis deserved any better, but the protestations of the new Libyan leadership that they did not want Gaddafi dead sound a tad hollow.

In civil wars, the first line of this blogpost becomes incredibly difficult to maintain, and the acrimony that has gripped Libya since February is testimony to that. In fact, the pent-up hatred against the totalitarian rule of Gaddafi has come pouring out like from a freshly lanced boil. There will be the inevitable settling of accounts, some going back to 1969, when Gaddafi came to power. I have no illusions that things will stay ugly in Libya for a long time. Some say Sirte, which provided succour to the dictator, should not be reconstructed.

I am not so naive as to expect an instant national reconciliation in Libya. I can only hope for that, given time.

Hurricane update - 24 October

Hurricane Rina formed yesterday evening as a tropical depression, but has exploded to hurricane force within 18 hours. The storm, which is slowly headed for the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, will be at 105 knots (120 mph) by the time it reaches that area. Rina will veer round to the northeast at the end of the forecast period.

The resort of Cancun lies near the path of this hurricane.

Monday 24 October

Quite an acceptable day, with good sunshine at times and relatively high temperatures - we got up to 16C / 60F today. As I type this, the sun is dipping towards the horizon and it's cooling down. Although there is not much wind, the 5.35pm ferry sailing from Ullapool has been delayed for about 12 hours until 5 am tomorrow morning due to adverse weather conditions. The shipping forecast shows a galewarning for our area.

I went into town this afternoon for a few bits in the shops, and could not help but notice how quiet things have become since the Royal National Mod ended on Saturday. Last week, the place was very busy - but not nearly as much so today.

Sunday 23 October

A repeat of the past few days. Wet and windy to start with, followed by a calming of conditions - but remaining dull and grey all day. The last of the Mod-goers disappeared to the mainland on today's TWO Sunday sailings. As well as 6 passengers on the first Sunday sailing out of Tarbert, in Harris, which is proving controversial down there. Ferry company Caledonian MacBrayne say they have decided to put fare-paying passengers on board the MV Hebrides, which leaves Tarbert early on Sunday morning at any rate (to go to Lochmaddy in North Uist), after consultation with local people. Sections of Harris society claim that there has been no such consultation. However, there was already a Sunday ferry in Harris: it goes to Berneray twice on the Sabbath.

The Europeans have launched another part of their Galileo satellite group into space, which, by 2015, will start to form an alternative GPS system. In recent times, NATO exercises in the Minch have jammed GPS signals. I was agog at the storm of protest that blew up, because local mariners proved to be incapable of navigating without GPS. What is wrong with using your eyes and a map? I mean, GPS is not as perfect as it may seem. It still has a margin of error of about 15 feet, which can be rather a lot at times. And I have seen it going wildly off the scale in the mountains - when I was in Switzerland, it put me a full mile away from my actual position. You can't miss being in the middle of a town, can you?

Saturday 22 October

The day started very wet and very windy, causing a 2 hour delay to the first ferry departure to Ullapool. Gradually, the wind abated, the rain stopped, and by 4pm, the sun came out. We had a glorious sunset - briefly.

Gaddafi appears to have been summarily executed, within an hour of being captured. I hope this does not give an indication of what the new Libyan regime is going to be like. The signs are not good; they are already bickering over where Gaddafi will be buried, as well as over who gets which job in government. Gaddafi was a complete bastard - but it would have reflected better on the NTC if they had applied the laws of war.

The Scottish National Party has proposed alternatives to full independence for Scotland - taking more powers from Westminster, leaving foreign affairs and defence to London. It is probably designed to attract more votes in favour of independence at a future referendum, which the SNP government have pledged to hold before 2016.

Mod 2011

Contrary to 2005, I only attended one competition in this year's Royal National Mod, which took place in Stornoway this week. After I post this entry, there will only be the final concert at the Sports Centre tonight, and the massed choirs in Perceval Square on Saturday morning - if the weather is bad, it'll be in the Nicolson Institute. Glancing at the forecast, I'd suggest to head for the Nicolson.

The one competition I attended was competition A302 (Area Choirs), which took place at Stornoway Town Hall earlier today. Five choirs took part, singing one prescribed piece (Tir nam Beann Ard) as well as a piece of their own choice. Click on one of the links below to hear a recording.

The winner was Nairn Gaelic Choir in the competition overall, as well as being awarded highest marks in music. Dundee Gaelic Musical Association was awarded highest marks in Gaelic.

Dundee Gaelic Musical Association
Choice
Prescribed

Largs Gaelic Choir
Choice
Prescribed

Nairn Gaelic Choir
Choice
Prescribed

Ar n’Oran (Ottawa)
Choice:
Prescribed:

Portree Area Gaelic Choir
Choice
Prescribed

Stornoway Town Hall

Following the controversy over the refurbishment of the interior of Stornoway Town Hall, I would like to share the images I took inside the Hall today, whilst attending a competition of the Royal National Mod (see next post).

Ceiling and rooflights


Windows at rear of hall - now visible


The Hall from the back


The Hall in 2006

Gaddafi is dead

After nearly 42 years in power, Col Muammar Gaddafi is reported to have died of wounds, sustained in a gunfight at Sirte earlier today. It brings to a conclusion a revolution that has lasted for eight months.

It also brings to an end the life of a man who has the blood of thousands on his hands. Images are being relayed on television at present of Gaddafi's bloodied remains being dragged through the streets of Sirte, a gruesome sight. However, those completely pale into insignificance when compared to the atrocities meted out to the people of Libya by its leader, when they rose up against him.

I derive no joy from Gaddafi's death. My thoughts are with the families of his victims, in Libya and outside that country.

Wednesday 19 October

A bitterly cold day, starting with a shower of snow. Temperatures lifted through the day, but 6C is well below the mark for mid October. Went to the Gaelic Showcase at the Nicolson Institute and picked up a copy of a book that shows photographs from the Southern Isles [Scarp to Mingulay] from the first half of the 20th century. Although the landscape is recognisable, the conditions for the people have changed beyond recognition. Scarp and Mingulay were abandoned in 1971 and 1912 respectively. The Gaelic language organisation Bord na Gaidhlig was giving out free copies of a Scots Gaelic thesaurus, a hefty 500 page tome, quite invaluable for any student and / or speaker of the language. I don't speak nor understand Gaelic, except for a few words and phrases.

At an event in the evening, a man from Nova Scotia was crowned Bard, an ambassadorial position that he will hold for 3 years. It is for the first time in history that a non-Scot was awarded the title. I refer to the link for further information.

Tuesday 18 October

A very wild day, with galeforce winds from the northwest, making it a bitingly cold day. The mercury was stuck down at 7C / 45F. The ferry service is disrupted as the Isle of Lewis is not coming back to Stornoway until tomorrow lunchtime, at 1pm. This means a fair amount of disruption for the participants in the Royal National Mod, which is rolling on across town. I was just told that a large number of competitors were booked to come across this evening. A small tragedy has cast a shadow over the Children's Mod: one youngster's toy bunny was lost at St Columba's Church Hall on Lewis Street during the 5-7 year olds' solo singing competition on Monday. Anyone who has found Bunny is asked to call the number displayed on the link. The Mod will run until this coming Saturday. 

Monday 17 October

Well, that was some day and no mistake. In terms of weather. It is cold (only 5C / 41F) and that has shown itself in the form of precipitation: hail and thunder. You may find that an odd combination, but in this part of the world, thunderstorms only occur in winter, when very cold air flows over the top of slightly warmer air at the surface. So, these were the gardenchairs:



It is Mod week, but I don't have much opportunity to attend the competitions or final concerts. I'll be tuning into Isles FM for live coverage. TV viewers in the UK can watch a summary on BBC Alba - which carries English subtitles. I hope.

Saturday 15 October

After the heavy rain that started the day, it cleared up to a fairly sunny but very windy day. The wind made it feel cold, at times bitingly so. Nonetheless, no rain is the only thing I would wish, so no real complaints. It will get colder over the next few months, so I'll get used to it yet.

Yesterday, the first legal single malt whisky produced in Lewis was launched at an event in Stornoway. The Abhainn Dearg distillery set up production in 2008, and now that three years have passed, its product can be described as whisky. At an earlier stage, it marketed an precursor product that boasted of 65% v/v alcohol, which is mind-blowingly strong - no, I didn't try it! The article I'm linking to is from the Am Paipear [The Paper], the local newspaper for the Uists.

The tropical cyclone season for the northern hemisphere has quietened down; the only system I am monitoring at present is called Irwin, a system that has been meandering in the Eastern Pacific Ocean between 105 and 120 degrees longitude West. Early on in its career (it has been on the go for nearly 10 days), it reached hurricane strength, but it got strangulated by its little sister Jova, which left cold seawater and a stirred-up atmosphere behind.

People of the Book

I have obtained a copy of the Qur'an, the Muslim Holy Book, for the purposes of study. Islam is one of the major religions of the world, and has a high profile in news events. Not always for the most positive reasons, but neither has its older brother, Christianity. The Qur'an is a slow read, as you have to read each verse and each chapter with full attention. The translator (for I have an English-language copy) warns of the dangers of misinterpretation, giving several examples of how the texts of the Qur'an have been warped to suit people's intentions.

Having gone through the first major sura [chapter], the parallel with the Old Testament is unmistakeable. Moses, Aaron, Abraham, David, Goliath, Saul, Solomon, Mary, Jesus (to give but a few examples) are all referred to by name. The differences between the Bible and the Qu'ran are also patently obvious. The Qu'ran directly refers to the Christians and the Judeans as People of the Book (hence the title of this post).

It is a fascinating read, as it grants an insight into Islamic culture, and by virtue of that, an insight into some of the events of the last few decades in the world.

I think it is highly deplorable that Islam has been given such a bad name by a tiny minority who abused the religion for political motives. It should not be forgotten that it was Arabic culture, where Islam is rooted, that granted us the phenomenon of the zero, without which we would not all be sitting by our computers, doing all these marvellous things on the WWW. In order to understand what goes on in a major religion of the world, it is imperative to read its holy text and do so with an open mind, which is what I am trying to do.

Friday 14 October

An overcast and at times wet day. It wasn't really cold, although the strong wind served to mask the 13C temperatures. The force 6 winds caused a 30 minute delay on the ferry today.

The news is headlined by the resignation of the UK Defence Secretary, Liam Fox. Mr Fox had allowed a personal friend to assume a role within the MOD that the man had no right or clearance to assume. As a result, his position became untenable, and he resigned earlier today.

Here in Stornoway, the Royal National Mod has kicked off, although the main competitions do not start until Monday. The children (aged 5 to 17) are first, with the adults competitors lining up from Wednesday onwards. Those within the UK can see coverage of the Mod on the BBC Alba channel on Freeview.

Thursday 13 October

An overcast and breezy day today, feeling cold in the wind. The mercury stayed at 12C through most of the day, which isn't bad for mid-October.

I just spotted an article on local news website Hebrides News, which claims it has overtaken the local weekly paper Stornoway Gazette in terms of readership. The article goes on to state that people are gradually switching from printed newspapers to on-line news sources - a trend that is perfectly understandable, as sites like Heb News, however imperfect at times, are updated continually, whereas newspapers only come out once a day or (as in the case of the Gazette)  once a week. It is a trend that is not only shown in the Hebrides, but worldwide.

Tomorrow will see the start of the Royal National Mod, which is held in Stornoway for the first time since 2005. I intend to attend some of the competitions, in spite of the fact that I do not speak or understand Gaelic. The Mod is a showcase for Gaelic culture, not only comprising of music, but also of theatre and sports. Its competitors can be as young as age 5. The event will run until Saturday 22 October.

Wednesday 12 October

A bright and sunny, if not very warm day. Hardly a cloud in the sky. The mercury just about managed 13C, but is presently on its way down to last night's low of +2C / 36F. Chilly. Went to the post office this morning to dispatch a cubic foot of wool to someone, which weighed 1.63 kg (about 3.5 pounds in old money). And you wouldn't believe the smell. As a relative of mine once famously said: "Everything smells of sheeeeeep!"

 I am not known in these islands as a protagonist of renewable energy schemes, certainly not of windfarms. However, wavefarms (which generate power from the action of waves) is something I do look on favourably. The Pelamis sea-snake is an unobtrusive set of cylinders, linked together, which float on the surface of the sea. The waves move the joints between the cylinders, which powers a generator. A proposed wavefarm off Great Bernera could generate enough power for 7000 homes.

And then there is this almost ridiculous row that I chanced upon when browsing the BBC news website for a link for the above story. Two women in Stornoway both laying claim to the same cat, which wanders from house to house. Tut.

Tuesday 11 October

A bright and fairly sunny day, interspersed with occasional downpours. It was cold, with the mercury barely making it into double figures. I went into town in the morning to obtain further tributes from the 1944 editions of the Stornoway Gazette, related to the Second World War. I shall transcribe these and link them to the WW2 tribute site for this island.

Locally, about 100 job losses have been announced at two major employers: the main Co-op superstore on Macaulay Road and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (the council). The Co-op is shedding 24 full-time equivalent posts, meaning that 50 people will be paid off. The Comhairle is getting rid of 50 staff. This is devastating for a small community like Lewis; the town of Stornoway has a population of about 9,000, to put it into perspective. The Co-op staff to be laid off are mainly part-time workers.