Susie is recovering at an incredible pace for someone who suffered a massive stroke, all because Sherry saw Susie stumble - - that is the key that isn't mentioned below - - and then she asked Susie 3 questions. So simple - - these 3 questions literally saved Susie's life. Susie failed all three so 999 / 112 was called. Even though she had normal blood pressure readings and did not appear to be having a stroke, as she could converse to some extent with the Paramedics. They took her to the hospital right away.
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify.
Unfortunately, lack of public awareness can spell disaster.
The stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
* Ask the individual to SMILE.
* Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
* Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(eg. "It is sunny out today")
If he or she has trouble with ANY of these tasks, call 999 / 112 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher. After discovering that a group of non-medical volunteers could identify facial weakness, arm weakness and speech problems, researchers urged the general public to learn the three questions. They presented their conclusions at the American Stroke Association's annual meeting last February. Widespread use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis and treatment of the stroke and prevent brain damage.
Thursday, 8 April 2010
Thursday 8 April
Reasonably bright day today, with a little wind and some sunny intervals.
Here in Stornoway, the Golf Club is applying for a license to serve alcohol on Sundays. The Club says this is separate from the vexed issue of playing golf on the Sabbath. Actually, it runs a nice parallel to the current controversy over opening the Stornoway Sports Centre on Sundays. At the moment, it is closed - but you can drink yourself legless in any of the town's hostelries. So, we can look forward to having a fantastic booze-up at the Nineteenth Hole at the Golf Club, without having to tire ourselves out chopping our way around the 18 holes first.
I am already heartily fed up with the General Election campaign, even if we still have 4 weeks to go. Here in Stornoway, the election posters went up within hours of the election being called. The party faithful did not always check carefully enough where they stuck their posters - as shown in this article on Hebrides News.
A few days ago, I highlighted (on Facebook) the fact that our friends at AOHell were planning to ditch another piece of their service: Bebo. They acquired that social networking site two years ago, but it is failing badly in the States. So, AOL is going to shut something down again (provided they are not able to find a buyer - which is pretty likely in the face of competition from Facebook and the like).
Here in Stornoway, the Golf Club is applying for a license to serve alcohol on Sundays. The Club says this is separate from the vexed issue of playing golf on the Sabbath. Actually, it runs a nice parallel to the current controversy over opening the Stornoway Sports Centre on Sundays. At the moment, it is closed - but you can drink yourself legless in any of the town's hostelries. So, we can look forward to having a fantastic booze-up at the Nineteenth Hole at the Golf Club, without having to tire ourselves out chopping our way around the 18 holes first.
I am already heartily fed up with the General Election campaign, even if we still have 4 weeks to go. Here in Stornoway, the election posters went up within hours of the election being called. The party faithful did not always check carefully enough where they stuck their posters - as shown in this article on Hebrides News.
A few days ago, I highlighted (on Facebook) the fact that our friends at AOHell were planning to ditch another piece of their service: Bebo. They acquired that social networking site two years ago, but it is failing badly in the States. So, AOL is going to shut something down again (provided they are not able to find a buyer - which is pretty likely in the face of competition from Facebook and the like).
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
Wednesday pics
Harris Hotel (left) and First Fruits Tearoom, Tarbert
Tarbert
What on earth is this?
On the beach at Horgabost
Taransay from Horgabost
Wednesday 7 April
The weather today has seen a slow, steady and inexorable slide towards the rain and wind we are experiencing at present. Went on the bus to Harris at 9.35 am when the sun was out, albeit accompanied by a cold wind. Reached the beach at Horgabost just after 11, a trip of 50 miles which costs £7.05 return on the bus. The tourism season has taken off, with the A859 relatively full of cyclists, and two tourists (each way) alighting at the Luskentyre road-end. Luskentyre [Losgaintir] lies 8 miles southwest of Harris's main village, Tarbert, and has a beautiful beach. What the tourists usually don't realise is that the beach is 3 miles from the main road, and the bus doesn't go into the village.
Horgabost has a nice beach too, a minute's walk from the road and adorned (ahem) by a campsite. Fortunately, the toiletblock lies out of sight of the beach. A prohibition on campfires is blatantly flouted, with nearly half a dozen charred holes on the top of the dunes. As per usual, I was the one to spot the dead sheep: what looked like a lamb that had fallen down a cliff and collided with a rock at the bottom. The Harris hills looked beautiful, with the range from the Clisham west to Tirga Mor in sight.
The return bus pulled up at 12 o'clock and took us back to the metropolis of Tarbert. The name of that village means portage, where the Vikings would carry their longboats across the 400 yards of land that separate East Loch Tarbert from West Loch Tarbert. We had lunch in a small tearoom and rejoined the northbound bus at 1.30pm. By the time we returned to Stornoway, the clouds were beginning to cover the sky from the west and a very cold wind was blowing.
I took some 40 pictures, a selection of which I'll post in the next entry.
Horgabost has a nice beach too, a minute's walk from the road and adorned (ahem) by a campsite. Fortunately, the toiletblock lies out of sight of the beach. A prohibition on campfires is blatantly flouted, with nearly half a dozen charred holes on the top of the dunes. As per usual, I was the one to spot the dead sheep: what looked like a lamb that had fallen down a cliff and collided with a rock at the bottom. The Harris hills looked beautiful, with the range from the Clisham west to Tirga Mor in sight.
The return bus pulled up at 12 o'clock and took us back to the metropolis of Tarbert. The name of that village means portage, where the Vikings would carry their longboats across the 400 yards of land that separate East Loch Tarbert from West Loch Tarbert. We had lunch in a small tearoom and rejoined the northbound bus at 1.30pm. By the time we returned to Stornoway, the clouds were beginning to cover the sky from the west and a very cold wind was blowing.
I took some 40 pictures, a selection of which I'll post in the next entry.
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
Tuesday 6 April
A day with varying fortunes in terms of weather. Although it is not really cold, there are showers about. Varying fortunes is also the order of the day down in London, where the Prime Minister has called a General Election for Thursday 6 May. The politicking that's been going on for a few months now will reach fever pitch, and I'll be heartily fed up by the end of today.
I am very pleased to be able to report that Scottish Natural Heritage, who own and manage the nature reserve of the Isle of Rum in the Inner Hebrides, has signed over assets worth £257,000 to the island's community association. Rum has a checkered history, and it is a good thing that the island's residents, after 190 years, get control of their homes and village.
Rum's indigenous Hebrideans were expelled from the island in 1821, to make way for sheep, later deer. In the late 19th century, the island was bought by a Lancashire family of industrialists, the Bulloughs, who made their fortune in the textile industries. They built a folly-type castle at Kinloch, filled with the most mind-boggling and jaw-dropping artefacts. Some amongst the ugliest pieces I've ever clapped eyes on. After the First World War, the castle began to fall into disuse, and the last member of the Bullough family passed away in 1957. Lady Monica was carried the hard eight miles to Harris, on the island's southwest coast, to be interred in the family mausoleum.
Rum was bequeathed to the nation, and (what is now) SNH took over. The island became a nature reserve, with a colony of red deer being studied. Its only residents were SNH staff. The present take-over clears the way to increase the island's population from 30 to 80.
Rum's indigenous Hebrideans were expelled from the island in 1821, to make way for sheep, later deer. In the late 19th century, the island was bought by a Lancashire family of industrialists, the Bulloughs, who made their fortune in the textile industries. They built a folly-type castle at Kinloch, filled with the most mind-boggling and jaw-dropping artefacts. Some amongst the ugliest pieces I've ever clapped eyes on. After the First World War, the castle began to fall into disuse, and the last member of the Bullough family passed away in 1957. Lady Monica was carried the hard eight miles to Harris, on the island's southwest coast, to be interred in the family mausoleum.
Rum was bequeathed to the nation, and (what is now) SNH took over. The island became a nature reserve, with a colony of red deer being studied. Its only residents were SNH staff. The present take-over clears the way to increase the island's population from 30 to 80.
Monday, 5 April 2010
Monday 5 April
A wild day, with a near gale blowing the ferry back out to sea. It was nearly an hour late this afternoon. White horses ride the waters of the basin across the road and there is widespread disruption on the Calmac ferry network in western Scotland.
I have decided to maintain the website for "Faces from the Lewis War Memorial", but have taken the papercopy version off the Internet. I do not want to get more aggravation than I already have. I have received various expressions of support away from the pages of this public blog, for which I am grateful.
I have decided to maintain the website for "Faces from the Lewis War Memorial", but have taken the papercopy version off the Internet. I do not want to get more aggravation than I already have. I have received various expressions of support away from the pages of this public blog, for which I am grateful.
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Easter Sunday 4 April
Happy Easter to all.
Not a happy Easter for myself - I am deleting my postings of the past two days regarding "Faces from the Lewis War Memorial". The Stornoway Historical Society has declared its disapproval of my work, as it is full of errors that they, nor any of the other historical societies, have any inclination, money, time or manpower, to help me to correct. I am also accused of inappropriately using their research for my own financial gain. It helps if people actually address their concerns at the time (in 2007), rather than three years down the line.
The Faces from the Lewis War Memorial will probably be removed from public viewing in the course of this week, alongside the other local history websites that are under my control.
Not a happy Easter for myself - I am deleting my postings of the past two days regarding "Faces from the Lewis War Memorial". The Stornoway Historical Society has declared its disapproval of my work, as it is full of errors that they, nor any of the other historical societies, have any inclination, money, time or manpower, to help me to correct. I am also accused of inappropriately using their research for my own financial gain. It helps if people actually address their concerns at the time (in 2007), rather than three years down the line.
The Faces from the Lewis War Memorial will probably be removed from public viewing in the course of this week, alongside the other local history websites that are under my control.
Saturday, 3 April 2010
Blog reading
I have not been visiting blogs of late, will rectify that omission over the next few days.
Saturday 3 April
Very late post for today, with not much to report. The weather was changeable, mainly wet. The birds emptied the feeders in the hours of daylight (greedy so-and-so's).
The Archbishop of Canterbury uttered sharp criticism of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, later trying to mollify the situation. But the fact that priests in the Irish Catholic Church have been engaged in widespread abuse of children is an extremely serious matter, that has actually undermined trust in that Church. Making statements like that at Easter, a time when the sacrifice by Jesus Christ is commemorated, is not held to be very tactful.
I am closing for today and wish everybody a happy Easter - don't eat too many eggs.
The Archbishop of Canterbury uttered sharp criticism of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, later trying to mollify the situation. But the fact that priests in the Irish Catholic Church have been engaged in widespread abuse of children is an extremely serious matter, that has actually undermined trust in that Church. Making statements like that at Easter, a time when the sacrifice by Jesus Christ is commemorated, is not held to be very tactful.
I am closing for today and wish everybody a happy Easter - don't eat too many eggs.
Friday, 2 April 2010
Friday 2 April
The day started bright with some wintry showers, but after the wind dropped away those showers became slow-moving. I still prefer our weather to that on the mainland, where snow continues to be a problem. Nonetheless, you have to exercise care and foresight when you go out and about in the hills. Two walkers decided to ascend the Clisham, our highest hill, today, but got lost when the cloud came down. The Coastguard helicopter airlifted them off the mountain. An Clisham is 799 metres high, a respectable height at this latitude.
The Israelis and Palestinians are entering another cycle of mutually assured violence, with deathrates of 1:10 once the weapons open up. The Palestinian group Hamas has been firing rockets into Israel, and the Israelis have bombed a city in Gaza. Yawn.
One of the many April Fools I came across yesterday was related to the Uig Chessmen. The Stornoway Gazette printed a story that the associated chessboard had been found by an American tourist, Dean Hebever. The fact that the story was not featured on the paper's website was a good give-away that it was an April Fool. The other was that the local historical society did not run it until today - as an April Fool.
The Israelis and Palestinians are entering another cycle of mutually assured violence, with deathrates of 1:10 once the weapons open up. The Palestinian group Hamas has been firing rockets into Israel, and the Israelis have bombed a city in Gaza. Yawn.
One of the many April Fools I came across yesterday was related to the Uig Chessmen. The Stornoway Gazette printed a story that the associated chessboard had been found by an American tourist, Dean Hebever. The fact that the story was not featured on the paper's website was a good give-away that it was an April Fool. The other was that the local historical society did not run it until today - as an April Fool.
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Visit to Sandwick
Sandwick, as longstanding readers of this blog (and Lewis afficionados) know, is 15 minutes' walk from my location. I needed to visit the cemetery there once more to photograph some gravestones that had not come out very well on a previous occasion. The weather has improved, with bright sunshine and only the odd light April shower.
Thursday 1 April
April Fools Day, with Google announcing its animal translator. Well, that's all I ever wanted. At least I can now swear at the seagulls as I chase them off the small bird's food.
My broadband service resumed just over an hour ago. A fire and flood at a major BT exchange caused an outage that for some people may last up to next Sunday. I can now proceed with the bits I gathered up offline yesterday.
Here in Stornoway, the weather is very much April showers with everything coming down, including the kitchen sink. More than 100 people incurred a 7 hour delay when their train ploughed into a snowdrift near Carrbridge, south of Inverness, and ground to a halt. A train, sent down from Inverness also got stuck. After a snowplough cleared a track, a third train managed to get through and take everybody to Inverness at 3.15 am.
My broadband service resumed just over an hour ago. A fire and flood at a major BT exchange caused an outage that for some people may last up to next Sunday. I can now proceed with the bits I gathered up offline yesterday.
Here in Stornoway, the weather is very much April showers with everything coming down, including the kitchen sink. More than 100 people incurred a 7 hour delay when their train ploughed into a snowdrift near Carrbridge, south of Inverness, and ground to a halt. A train, sent down from Inverness also got stuck. After a snowplough cleared a track, a third train managed to get through and take everybody to Inverness at 3.15 am.
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Wednesday 31 March
Posting on dial-up, what a nightmare. How did we ever manage on a 45 kbps connection. Anyway, my ISP has been knocked off the wires due to a fire at a telephone exchange hub in London. The water, used for putting out the fire, has wreaked havoc with the machinery at Paddington. They don't know when we'll be back on-line, probably not much before Friday, I'd imagine.
Weather in Scotland: horrendous. The blizzards have claimed one life: a schoolgirl of 17 from Lanark died when the coach that was taking her and 38 schoolmates to the Alton Towers themepark slid off the A73 and onto a shallow riverbed, overturning in the process. Many roads in the Highlands are closed due to drifting snow.
I'll post updates on Facebook and Twitter, as they arrive.
Weather in Scotland: horrendous. The blizzards have claimed one life: a schoolgirl of 17 from Lanark died when the coach that was taking her and 38 schoolmates to the Alton Towers themepark slid off the A73 and onto a shallow riverbed, overturning in the process. Many roads in the Highlands are closed due to drifting snow.
I'll post updates on Facebook and Twitter, as they arrive.
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Tuesday 30 March
A cold, windy and unpleasant day out here. Although the mercury is at 6C, it is icily cold outside. Worse conditions exist on the mainland, where heavy snow is wreaking havoc on the roads in the Highlands. Ten lorries were stuck on main roads overnight, although they have now apparently moved on again. White-out conditions were reported from the A835, Ullapool to Garve, road at 10 o'clock this morning. The webcam just outside Aultguish Inn, near the top of the moor, showed this image a minute ago.
No, don't think for one minute that the end of March means the end of winter. It can still be quite nasty.
My postings on Norman Morrison relate to a project called In from the Cold, which aims to afford the proper remembrance to those servicemen who are not recorded on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's registers. It is not an easy process, as all due information has to be supplied. Quite often, this is just plain not available. Neither do all men qualify who died during the First World War, even if they were on active service.
No, don't think for one minute that the end of March means the end of winter. It can still be quite nasty.
My postings on Norman Morrison relate to a project called In from the Cold, which aims to afford the proper remembrance to those servicemen who are not recorded on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's registers. It is not an easy process, as all due information has to be supplied. Quite often, this is just plain not available. Neither do all men qualify who died during the First World War, even if they were on active service.
Monday, 29 March 2010
Not remembered - continued
Following on from my posting last night on Norman Morrison's non-commemorated status on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, I have today conducted further research to find out where he lies buried. The local council referred me to the Minister of the Church of Scotland in Ness; a Twitter contact told me his mother would also have information. Have pushed out emails and am awaiting the response.
Norman's father, in reporting his son's death, marked the death register with an X - he was illiterate. Norman had 6 siblings and was mentioned in an obituary in the Stornoway Gazette of 23 March 1917 as a well-liked lad in Ness.
Norman's father, in reporting his son's death, marked the death register with an X - he was illiterate. Norman had 6 siblings and was mentioned in an obituary in the Stornoway Gazette of 23 March 1917 as a well-liked lad in Ness.
Monday 29 March
Awoke to a nice sunrise and an inch of snow on the ground. By 10 in the morning, it had all melted. Just as well I got up earlier than usual, as I would have missed it. Will post pictures later today. It is only 3C at the moment; we went down to -1C overnight. I have memories of a 29th March in 1969 when there was 3 inches of snow on the ground in Holland where I was at the time, aged 5.
It has been announced that Lews Castle (not LewIs Castle) at Stornoway will receive funding of £240k towards restauration. Another £2.6m could be released if a restoration plan is submitted within 2 years. Lews Castle has stood derilict for a number of years after it was declared to be structurally unsafe. The building was put up by opium trader and island owner Sir James Matheson in 1847.
Hurricane update - 29 March
Tropical cyclone Paul is a strong tropical storm which is hovering off the west coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria, on the north coast of Australia. The system is carrying winds of 60 knots (70 mph) near its centre, although the radius of strongest winds is only 30 miles. Paul will track inland, but then reemerge over the open waters of the Gulf near Groote Eylandt and regain strength. Bearing in mind that the waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria are warm, it is worth watching very carefully what happens.
There is a large degree of uncertainty over Paul's future track.
There is a large degree of uncertainty over Paul's future track.
Sunday, 28 March 2010
Not remembered
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) keeps records on all British service personnel, killed in the First and Second World Wars. In their files, accessible on the Internet, you can find out about the more than one million servicemen and -women who lost their lives in those conflicts.
Its files are comprehensive, but not complete. This evening, with the aid of a fellow researcher elsewhere in Scotland, I traced the details of:
Private NORMAN MORRISON
Last address in Lewis: 10 South Dell,
Service unit: 3rd Gordon Highlanders
Service number: 3/5645
Date of death: 16 March 1917 at the age of 23
Died of wounds at home
Local memorial: North Lewis, Cross
Private Morrison is not remembered by CWGC. As soon as I have obtained the details of his burial, a case can be submitted to have Norman included on the registers of the CWGC. After 93 years (and a few days), we will finally be able to give him the honour and remembrance on the scale that he deserves. He is mentioned on the local memorial at Cross, only a mile or two up the road from his home.
Its files are comprehensive, but not complete. This evening, with the aid of a fellow researcher elsewhere in Scotland, I traced the details of:
Private NORMAN MORRISON
Last address in Lewis: 10 South Dell,
Service unit: 3rd Gordon Highlanders
Service number: 3/5645
Date of death: 16 March 1917 at the age of 23
Died of wounds at home
Local memorial: North Lewis, Cross
Private Morrison is not remembered by CWGC. As soon as I have obtained the details of his burial, a case can be submitted to have Norman included on the registers of the CWGC. After 93 years (and a few days), we will finally be able to give him the honour and remembrance on the scale that he deserves. He is mentioned on the local memorial at Cross, only a mile or two up the road from his home.
Picture post - 27 March
Sleeping quarters in the Blackhouse - the haze is peatreek
Callanish 
Arnol 
Young and old - the storyteller and his granddaughter, sharing the telling of a story
Sunday 28 March
Overcast and cold, much like yesterday, but without the sunny intervals. Temperature down to 6C at the moment. Awoke this morning to the sight of the Norwegian fish survey vessel GO Sars coming into port. Not seen that one for 4 years. The GO Sars travels the Atlantic in search of shoals of fish, for Norwegian fishing vessels to scoop up.
The other unusual sight was the ferry, docked stern first. She normally docks bow first. I'll check how she is lying when passengers board, by 2pm - an hour from now. Talking of hours, our clocks were put forward by an hour last night, and I'm feeling suitably hung-over - without having overindulged.
I'll be uploading pictures later this afternoon about yesterday's trip to the West Side.
The other unusual sight was the ferry, docked stern first. She normally docks bow first. I'll check how she is lying when passengers board, by 2pm - an hour from now. Talking of hours, our clocks were put forward by an hour last night, and I'm feeling suitably hung-over - without having overindulged.
I'll be uploading pictures later this afternoon about yesterday's trip to the West Side.
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