A beautifully calm and bright or sunny day, although not warm at 11C. Went for an amble to view progress on the demolition of the old buildings of the Nicolson Institute, which is nearing completion. The machines were continuing to gnaw and grind their way through what remains of the last edifice.
I was not surprised to read that former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has denied the charges of genocide that have been levelled against him at the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague. Karadzic, with his general, Ratko Mladic, is alleged to have heaped unspeakable horrors on the people of Bosnia-Hercegovina between 1992 and 1995, with the nadir being Srebrenica.
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
A walk in the moor
Overcast skies threatening rain
The long line of water dully reflects
the little hamlet on the far bank
Vehicles turn the distant corner
out of sight
The paved roadway dips then rises
Passes the gateway to lose its tarmac
The first lake looms up below
Rocks and debris litter the track
Floodwater impedes progress
Where's the road, where is the moor
Spaghnum between the wheelruts
A deep channel fails to drain from the edge
A fleece and some horns, a skull
In front of a second gate, abandon all hope
The rise ahead reveals a lake, another lake, another lake
Where can we pass - it's a narrow causeway
Distant hills reflect in the water
Doom-laden skies glower to the south
Battleship grey is the surface
A final gate, and now find your own way
Watch you step observe the plantlife
Here you can stand, there is a bottomless lake
Shrouded by virulently green watercress
Beware of the peathags, do not be hasty
One wrong move and you may not be found
Until the next spring - or next century
Feel safe on the heather, hug the contourline
Skirt the bulrushes, circle the lochan
The valley opens out, to the left lies the township
The mountains now close, blocking out the light
Guarding the homesteads, three dozen empty
Lining the shores, now home to the deer
The crossroads is reached, the light starts to fade
The fjord looms ahead, leading out to the sea
Complete, soundless silence
But in safety, back on the road
The long line of water dully reflects
the little hamlet on the far bank
Vehicles turn the distant corner
out of sight
The paved roadway dips then rises
Passes the gateway to lose its tarmac
The first lake looms up below
Rocks and debris litter the track
Floodwater impedes progress
Where's the road, where is the moor
Spaghnum between the wheelruts
A deep channel fails to drain from the edge
A fleece and some horns, a skull
In front of a second gate, abandon all hope
The rise ahead reveals a lake, another lake, another lake
Where can we pass - it's a narrow causeway
Distant hills reflect in the water
Doom-laden skies glower to the south
Battleship grey is the surface
A final gate, and now find your own way
Watch you step observe the plantlife
Here you can stand, there is a bottomless lake
Shrouded by virulently green watercress
Beware of the peathags, do not be hasty
One wrong move and you may not be found
Until the next spring - or next century
Feel safe on the heather, hug the contourline
Skirt the bulrushes, circle the lochan
The valley opens out, to the left lies the township
The mountains now close, blocking out the light
Guarding the homesteads, three dozen empty
Lining the shores, now home to the deer
The crossroads is reached, the light starts to fade
The fjord looms ahead, leading out to the sea
Complete, soundless silence
But in safety, back on the road
Monday, 15 October 2012
Hurricane update - 15 October
Hurricane PAUL has blown up into a major hurricane southwest of Baja California, with maximum sustained windspeeds of 105 knots, that's 120 mph. The storm is headed for the west coast of the peninsula, where the following warnings and watches are in force.
For the west coast of the Baja peninsula:
A HURRICANE WARNING is in force from Santa Fe to Puerto San Andresito, Mexico
A tropical storm WARNING is in force from Puerto San Andresito to Punta Abreojos as well as from Agua Blanca to south of Santa Fe.
NHC is issuing advisories every three hours. If you know anyone in Baja, please advise them of the situation; the hurricane warnings were only issued within the last few minutes.
For the west coast of the Baja peninsula:
A HURRICANE WARNING is in force from Santa Fe to Puerto San Andresito, Mexico
A tropical storm WARNING is in force from Puerto San Andresito to Punta Abreojos as well as from Agua Blanca to south of Santa Fe.
NHC is issuing advisories every three hours. If you know anyone in Baja, please advise them of the situation; the hurricane warnings were only issued within the last few minutes.
The far north
Looking out to sea, distant mountains looming
Rolling in from far away, long dark swells
Born of distant winds and currents
Immutable yet ever changing
A demure chapel, long since out of use
A place of devotion, for those no longer there
Once in summer, they would flock there
With their flock of beasts to tend
Rows of lowly houses strung out side by side
Strips of narrow land beyond
Stretching for a mile towards the shore
Where all ends on a precipitate cliff
Sand swirls on the currents
whether in the air or in the sea
Changing coastlines that impercetably crumble
Only the brick tower remains, a tall beacon
The ancient rocks, dating back to earth's beginning
Root the soil, thin and meagre
Where little grows, worthy of mention
Only a sea of flowers, next to the ever-moving sea
Journey's end's beyond the gate
A rock is all that will remain
As tangible reminder of
Those whose footsteps have long faded
Rolling in from far away, long dark swells
Born of distant winds and currents
Immutable yet ever changing
A demure chapel, long since out of use
A place of devotion, for those no longer there
Once in summer, they would flock there
With their flock of beasts to tend
Rows of lowly houses strung out side by side
Strips of narrow land beyond
Stretching for a mile towards the shore
Where all ends on a precipitate cliff
Sand swirls on the currents
whether in the air or in the sea
Changing coastlines that impercetably crumble
Only the brick tower remains, a tall beacon
The ancient rocks, dating back to earth's beginning
Root the soil, thin and meagre
Where little grows, worthy of mention
Only a sea of flowers, next to the ever-moving sea
Journey's end's beyond the gate
A rock is all that will remain
As tangible reminder of
Those whose footsteps have long faded
Monday 15 October - an island funeral
A bright and sunny day, with the odd light shower about.
This afternoon, I attended the funeral of an acquaintance, who died last Thursday of cancer. It may interest readers though to hear of the procedures that are adhered to at a funeral in this island.
The service was conducted at the Free Church (Continuing) in Sandwick. This split off from the main Free Church of Scotland a number of years ago. In common with the Free Church, no musical instruments were present in that place of worship, which was also totally unadorned. I was 20 minutes early, but the carpark was already full - and carparks at churches here tend to be very spacious. Virtually all the men were wearing black or dark long coats, particularly the elderly. Some of the ladies wore a hat. Once all the mourners were inside, the chief mourners (the relatives) filed in and the service commenced, at the exact time advertised. Those who know Stornoway will be familiar with the little death notices in the windows of certain shops. The notices intimate the time of the funeral, and the time of the service - in this case the service commenced half an hour before the funeral.
The service started with the singing of part of Psalm 98, where the tune was precented a capella by the precentor, with the congregation joining in, at their own pitch and at times their own tempo. One minister offered up prayers for the family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances of the deceased. A church elder then read from Isaiah 40 and Matthew 11, before Psalm 23 was sung in Gaelic. On that occasion, I hummed the tune, as the words are beyond me. Following a final prayer by another minister, the chief mourners filed out of the church with the rest of the congregation standing up, following on behind.
Once outside, a unique ritual began to unfold. The menfolk, myself included, filed up in two lines, standing next to each other. In between, the coffin stood on a bier, and men took turns to carry the bier a longer or shorter distance. The road was closed to traffic, and in this instance it was Sandwick Road, the main road linking Stornoway with the airport. There were about 200 people present, and the carrying of the coffin carried on to the junction with North Street, and up North Street. Once people had done their stint of carrying, they would stand aside and cast their gaze aside as well. Those who had not yet done a stint continued to follow the coffin, until they had their chance.
Once the procession had passed me, after I had done my bit of carrying, I left proceedings. A bus was ready to take the chief mourners to the cemetery at Gress for interment. I walked back to town.
Angus, RIP.
This afternoon, I attended the funeral of an acquaintance, who died last Thursday of cancer. It may interest readers though to hear of the procedures that are adhered to at a funeral in this island.
The service was conducted at the Free Church (Continuing) in Sandwick. This split off from the main Free Church of Scotland a number of years ago. In common with the Free Church, no musical instruments were present in that place of worship, which was also totally unadorned. I was 20 minutes early, but the carpark was already full - and carparks at churches here tend to be very spacious. Virtually all the men were wearing black or dark long coats, particularly the elderly. Some of the ladies wore a hat. Once all the mourners were inside, the chief mourners (the relatives) filed in and the service commenced, at the exact time advertised. Those who know Stornoway will be familiar with the little death notices in the windows of certain shops. The notices intimate the time of the funeral, and the time of the service - in this case the service commenced half an hour before the funeral.
The service started with the singing of part of Psalm 98, where the tune was precented a capella by the precentor, with the congregation joining in, at their own pitch and at times their own tempo. One minister offered up prayers for the family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances of the deceased. A church elder then read from Isaiah 40 and Matthew 11, before Psalm 23 was sung in Gaelic. On that occasion, I hummed the tune, as the words are beyond me. Following a final prayer by another minister, the chief mourners filed out of the church with the rest of the congregation standing up, following on behind.
Once outside, a unique ritual began to unfold. The menfolk, myself included, filed up in two lines, standing next to each other. In between, the coffin stood on a bier, and men took turns to carry the bier a longer or shorter distance. The road was closed to traffic, and in this instance it was Sandwick Road, the main road linking Stornoway with the airport. There were about 200 people present, and the carrying of the coffin carried on to the junction with North Street, and up North Street. Once people had done their stint of carrying, they would stand aside and cast their gaze aside as well. Those who had not yet done a stint continued to follow the coffin, until they had their chance.
Once the procession had passed me, after I had done my bit of carrying, I left proceedings. A bus was ready to take the chief mourners to the cemetery at Gress for interment. I walked back to town.
Angus, RIP.
Sunday, 14 October 2012
Sunday 14 October
A bright and sunny day, with only a few drops of rain. As indicated in previous post, it was autumnal in a quiet sense. Sundays are always quiet in this neck of the woods, and this week's was no exception. The ferry slipped out without any fuss, on the last Sunday sailing of the summer timetable. The winter schedule commences next Sunday, without changes on our route. The route between Harris and Skye will see an appreciable reduction in service, and the Sound of Harris ferry will start its tightrope walk between high tide and daylight.
Felix Baumgartner jumped from 128,000 feet down to earth in a matter of about 7 minutes. It took him more than 2 hours to float up to the altitude. I don't have a head for heights, and get giddy standing on a ladder. However, it all has to do with having points of reference. Nonetheless, plummeting to earth at 700 mph in just a spacesuit is a bit hairy for me. Well done Felix.
I have now started a Facebook page for my writings after receiving positive feedback, thanks all.
Felix Baumgartner jumped from 128,000 feet down to earth in a matter of about 7 minutes. It took him more than 2 hours to float up to the altitude. I don't have a head for heights, and get giddy standing on a ladder. However, it all has to do with having points of reference. Nonetheless, plummeting to earth at 700 mph in just a spacesuit is a bit hairy for me. Well done Felix.
I have now started a Facebook page for my writings after receiving positive feedback, thanks all.
Autumn
The golden light of autumn
streams in from the west
puffballs of clouds
sometimes drops of rain
The lanterns of red fuchsia
gently sway in the cool breeze
cripsed leaves float from the sycamore
as autumn closes summer away
The watchers stand reflected
in the mirror of the sea
A beacon to the east
looking out for those seeking guidance
Soon the evenings will have no sun
Orion marching up the nighttime sky
Fierce winds blowing in the winter
Gentle snowflakes on cold solstice air
streams in from the west
puffballs of clouds
sometimes drops of rain
The lanterns of red fuchsia
gently sway in the cool breeze
cripsed leaves float from the sycamore
as autumn closes summer away
The watchers stand reflected
in the mirror of the sea
A beacon to the east
looking out for those seeking guidance
Soon the evenings will have no sun
Orion marching up the nighttime sky
Fierce winds blowing in the winter
Gentle snowflakes on cold solstice air
Hurricane update - 14 October
Five active tropical cyclones around the world, on both sides of the equator.
Tropical storm Rafael is moving north out of the Lesser Antilles, leaving squally winds behind. The system will strengthen to a hurricane en-route towards Bermuda, but is expected to weaken upon passing the island (at some distance).
Tropical storm Paul is 660 miles south of Cabo San Lucas, the southern tip of Baja California in northwestern Mexico. This system will also attain hurricane force, but is expected to weaken considerably before approaching the peninsula.
Typhoon Prapiroon is moving slowly north and will strengthen a little before being swept away northeast to the south of Japan.
Tropical depression 23W is downwind from Prapiroon far south of Japan, and will not strengthen very much due to the relative proximity to that typhoon.
Tropical cyclone Anais is in the southern Indian Ocean, heading west southwest in the general direction of Madagascar. Anais is a category II hurricane, with winds of 85 knots, but will not threaten any land. Upon approaching Madagascar, Anais will have weakened substantially, and will only bring rain to that island.
Tropical storm Rafael is moving north out of the Lesser Antilles, leaving squally winds behind. The system will strengthen to a hurricane en-route towards Bermuda, but is expected to weaken upon passing the island (at some distance).
Tropical storm Paul is 660 miles south of Cabo San Lucas, the southern tip of Baja California in northwestern Mexico. This system will also attain hurricane force, but is expected to weaken considerably before approaching the peninsula.
Typhoon Prapiroon is moving slowly north and will strengthen a little before being swept away northeast to the south of Japan.
Tropical depression 23W is downwind from Prapiroon far south of Japan, and will not strengthen very much due to the relative proximity to that typhoon.
Tropical cyclone Anais is in the southern Indian Ocean, heading west southwest in the general direction of Madagascar. Anais is a category II hurricane, with winds of 85 knots, but will not threaten any land. Upon approaching Madagascar, Anais will have weakened substantially, and will only bring rain to that island.
Saturday, 13 October 2012
Saturday 13 October
An overcast and slightly chilly day, with no sun visible. Nonetheless, we did not have rain, which made a change from the past two days which were sopping wet. Received the news that an acquaintance of mine had passed away recently after suffering from cancer for a number of months. Will be paying my respects over the next couple of days.
Seem to have gotten onto a roll with this 'poetry' business, if you like. After the Iolaire, the Norge and the 1953 Dutch stormflood I wrote something earlier about the First World War, see previous entry. There is some strong language, but it is written from a serviceman's perspective and (being a former serviceman myself) I happen to know that they are not averse to a touch of swearing. It's one way of coping with the knowledge that the occupational hazard of a soldier is death.
There are some misgivings about the publicity surrounding the alleged misdeeds of the late Sir Jimmy Savile. I believe this publicity is quite justified. Jim fixed it for himself, but has suffered posthumous disgrace. He was so well known and well loved that, when alive, nobody dared speak out about the abuse he is alleged to have committed. For the sake of the victims, I think no stone should be left unturned. It is another expression of some pretty loathsome attitudes that existed in this country in the 1980s; I am referring to the Hillsborough cover-up in this instance.
Seem to have gotten onto a roll with this 'poetry' business, if you like. After the Iolaire, the Norge and the 1953 Dutch stormflood I wrote something earlier about the First World War, see previous entry. There is some strong language, but it is written from a serviceman's perspective and (being a former serviceman myself) I happen to know that they are not averse to a touch of swearing. It's one way of coping with the knowledge that the occupational hazard of a soldier is death.
There are some misgivings about the publicity surrounding the alleged misdeeds of the late Sir Jimmy Savile. I believe this publicity is quite justified. Jim fixed it for himself, but has suffered posthumous disgrace. He was so well known and well loved that, when alive, nobody dared speak out about the abuse he is alleged to have committed. For the sake of the victims, I think no stone should be left unturned. It is another expression of some pretty loathsome attitudes that existed in this country in the 1980s; I am referring to the Hillsborough cover-up in this instance.
Your country needs YOU
Come and join us, your country needs you
The old country needs you, come on and go
The Hun is afoot, he'll crush us all
Don't, and you're a coward, here's your white feather
Jump on the train, here is a corner
Have a fag, we'll be in France soon
March down the cobbled roads, the guns are calling
Here is your trench and here is your mud
Go on your ship and join the navy
Oh, you're now a soldier and not a sailor
Missed the train out of Antwerp
Missed the rest of the war interned in Holland
Sailing the seven seas, curse those U-boats
Dodge the torpedoes, strafe the subs
Lest they strafe you or leave you to drown
Better still Jutland, and knock Jerry for six
No volunteers left, not wanting, or all dead?
Draft them in, the dodgers, the malingerers
Push them to Haig's mincers, never mind they be ill
Never mind the trauma, won't go? Shot at dawn.
Givency, Somme, Passchendaele, add some more names
The glory is mud, the terror, the death
Torn to pieces, ripped to smithereens
Over the top, boys, hang in the barbed wire
What's the point, nothing is shifting
Jerry's bled white and so are we
Strategy's to pot, what's that, intelligence?
Throw out some chlorine, damn the wind's turned right round
November eleventh, the eleventh hour
Guns fall silent, the shooting has stopped
The point of it all?
You tell me, I don't goddamn know
The old country needs you, come on and go
The Hun is afoot, he'll crush us all
Don't, and you're a coward, here's your white feather
Jump on the train, here is a corner
Have a fag, we'll be in France soon
March down the cobbled roads, the guns are calling
Here is your trench and here is your mud
Go on your ship and join the navy
Oh, you're now a soldier and not a sailor
Missed the train out of Antwerp
Missed the rest of the war interned in Holland
Sailing the seven seas, curse those U-boats
Dodge the torpedoes, strafe the subs
Lest they strafe you or leave you to drown
Better still Jutland, and knock Jerry for six
No volunteers left, not wanting, or all dead?
Draft them in, the dodgers, the malingerers
Push them to Haig's mincers, never mind they be ill
Never mind the trauma, won't go? Shot at dawn.
Givency, Somme, Passchendaele, add some more names
The glory is mud, the terror, the death
Torn to pieces, ripped to smithereens
Over the top, boys, hang in the barbed wire
What's the point, nothing is shifting
Jerry's bled white and so are we
Strategy's to pot, what's that, intelligence?
Throw out some chlorine, damn the wind's turned right round
November eleventh, the eleventh hour
Guns fall silent, the shooting has stopped
The point of it all?
You tell me, I don't goddamn know
Friday, 12 October 2012
The bell tolls
The bell tolls
Hauntingly over the dark moving plain
Fast moving currents of air
and of water
Smash through the doors, flooding
The bell tolls
Its call answered from all corners, echoed
Driven ashore, the boat is stuck fast
The men taken off, on the edge
Taken to safety - the wind still howls
The bell tolls
An alarm call to all
The low tide at high tide level
The barriers stand, but what will hold
Force 12 at springtide flood
The bell tolls
Over torrents of water, flooding
Crumbling barriers, sweeping away all
Islands retaken, the sea reconquers
Lost for centuries, it reclaims within hours
The bell tolls
As dawn breaks, over a sea of death
Houses afloat, byres adrift
Roads washed away, the railway torn up
The tide has turned, but the water remains
The bells ring out their peal, joyously so
The barriers gleam white
Blocking river from the sea, deprived of its spoils
Peace for our time
Can we withstand?
Hauntingly over the dark moving plain
Fast moving currents of air
and of water
Smash through the doors, flooding
The bell tolls
Its call answered from all corners, echoed
Driven ashore, the boat is stuck fast
The men taken off, on the edge
Taken to safety - the wind still howls
The bell tolls
An alarm call to all
The low tide at high tide level
The barriers stand, but what will hold
Force 12 at springtide flood
The bell tolls
Over torrents of water, flooding
Crumbling barriers, sweeping away all
Islands retaken, the sea reconquers
Lost for centuries, it reclaims within hours
The bell tolls
As dawn breaks, over a sea of death
Houses afloat, byres adrift
Roads washed away, the railway torn up
The tide has turned, but the water remains
The bells ring out their peal, joyously so
The barriers gleam white
Blocking river from the sea, deprived of its spoils
Peace for our time
Can we withstand?
Friday 12 October
After an inch and a half of rain since yesterday, it has finally dried up this evening. There has been much more rain in northeastern Scotland, where a house was partly washed away in dramatic flooding.
Image courtesy BBC.
The first tropical cyclone of the southern hemisphere season (01S) has formed in the Indian Ocean near Diego Garcia, and will move westsouthwest across empty waters far to the north of Mauritius. The northern hemisphere season is by no means over, with typhoon Prapiroon south of Japan and minor tropical storm Patty off the Bahamas. Another storm could be forming near the Lesser Antilles, although 98L is only a very active tropical wave at present.
I have taken delivery of a book "World War One - A Chronological Narrative", which offers an overview of events between 1914 and 1918 / 19. I have a tenuous grasp of the subject, and it's useful to have the greater picture.
Image courtesy BBC.
The first tropical cyclone of the southern hemisphere season (01S) has formed in the Indian Ocean near Diego Garcia, and will move westsouthwest across empty waters far to the north of Mauritius. The northern hemisphere season is by no means over, with typhoon Prapiroon south of Japan and minor tropical storm Patty off the Bahamas. Another storm could be forming near the Lesser Antilles, although 98L is only a very active tropical wave at present.
I have taken delivery of a book "World War One - A Chronological Narrative", which offers an overview of events between 1914 and 1918 / 19. I have a tenuous grasp of the subject, and it's useful to have the greater picture.
The emigrant ship
Wide open ocean, headed southwest
Morning is breaking, all is set fair
Compass is pointing, but not the right way
From points in the east they have all come
Breakfast time comes, but the water is salt
A rock in the bottom, now a bottomless ship
Going back makes a right-angled turn
From east - now down
A new beginning from a stifling stranglehold
Young, old, and all, for reasons too old
A man and a cross, an onion-domed palace
Flocked to the northland, to now make the west
What's left is in boats, drifting northeast
Away from the new life, but for now still in life
Not all will reach salvation
As their coracles drift on the currents
A fishing boat here, another one there
Help is at hand, and terra firma beckons
An island and town, and a gravestone by a wall
All went for the new life, some do yet gain it
One boats drifts northeast, past the isle of the sheep
past the line of long sun, into the great cold
Never seen again in this life
Lessons were taught, but were they learned?
TITANIC
Describing the sinking of the emigrant ship Norge at Rockall in June 1904
Morning is breaking, all is set fair
Compass is pointing, but not the right way
From points in the east they have all come
Breakfast time comes, but the water is salt
A rock in the bottom, now a bottomless ship
Going back makes a right-angled turn
From east - now down
A new beginning from a stifling stranglehold
Young, old, and all, for reasons too old
A man and a cross, an onion-domed palace
Flocked to the northland, to now make the west
What's left is in boats, drifting northeast
Away from the new life, but for now still in life
Not all will reach salvation
As their coracles drift on the currents
A fishing boat here, another one there
Help is at hand, and terra firma beckons
An island and town, and a gravestone by a wall
All went for the new life, some do yet gain it
One boats drifts northeast, past the isle of the sheep
past the line of long sun, into the great cold
Never seen again in this life
Lessons were taught, but were they learned?
TITANIC
Describing the sinking of the emigrant ship Norge at Rockall in June 1904
Thursday, 11 October 2012
Thursday 11 October
An early morning flash of inspiration brought about the sixteen lines in the previous entry. It is inspired by the Iolaire Disaster of 1919, a seminal event in the history of the Isle of Lewis, and one that continues to haunt the islanders - and me. The day was wet and grey, in local parlance it was 'dreich'. I don't know how much rain fell, but it was at any rate not really warm - 10C / 50F. More rain is forecast, and particularly the western mainland is very wet today.
In two years time, it will be 100 years since the First World War broke out. The UK government has allocated £50 million to commemorate the event, including a major upgrade to the Imperial War Museum. I hope that the money will also go towards refurbishing things like war memorials (there are several in Lewis that need some TLC). Wargraves are in the continuous care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. In my own way, I'm trying to make a small contribution - have a look here Lewismen lost in the Great War.
In two years time, it will be 100 years since the First World War broke out. The UK government has allocated £50 million to commemorate the event, including a major upgrade to the Imperial War Museum. I hope that the money will also go towards refurbishing things like war memorials (there are several in Lewis that need some TLC). Wargraves are in the continuous care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. In my own way, I'm trying to make a small contribution - have a look here Lewismen lost in the Great War.
Eagle
Frantic beat the hooves down the road to the coast
Low sweeps the beam of the lighthouse over the waves
High rises the swell to crash on the beasts
Not lit, not shown up, lurking under sea
High fly the rockets but two hours past midnight
Hidden from view, beyond the glance of the prism
Mistaken for feasting, but no less the opposite
There's only one rope and too many waves
Boyling on the rocks, beyond the reach of succour
Carried ashore, but bereft of all life
Spared years of carnage, taken at the step of the year
Dawn breaks cold and cruel, one up the mast
Lived at the shore, returned on the strand
Returned in death to the isle of their birth
The teapot stands cold, the bed unslept in
Two hundred and five, sixty not found.
First published on my Facebook account
Low sweeps the beam of the lighthouse over the waves
High rises the swell to crash on the beasts
Not lit, not shown up, lurking under sea
High fly the rockets but two hours past midnight
Hidden from view, beyond the glance of the prism
Mistaken for feasting, but no less the opposite
There's only one rope and too many waves
Boyling on the rocks, beyond the reach of succour
Carried ashore, but bereft of all life
Spared years of carnage, taken at the step of the year
Dawn breaks cold and cruel, one up the mast
Lived at the shore, returned on the strand
Returned in death to the isle of their birth
The teapot stands cold, the bed unslept in
Two hundred and five, sixty not found.
First published on my Facebook account
Wednesday, 10 October 2012
Wednesday 10 October
A nice if nippy day in Stornoway with good spells of sunshine and a daytime max of 12C / 54F. Went into town for a number of items in the shops, and also to take a look at this boat which has sunk at its moorings. The Monaco has laid tied up alongside the Cromwell Street Quay in Stornoway since 2002, and has visibly deteriorated over all those years. Last weekend, I was surprised to find her moored right at the end of the quay, off Kenneth Street, and yesterday I was even more surprised to read that she had sunk.
As you can read in the linked article, the former pleasure craft has been the subject of a legal dispute, and is now likely to be declared a wreck.
Forty miles by road to the south, the community of Tarbert (and Harris as a whole) appears to be up in arms about the name of the newbuilt school there. Until this summer, it was known as the Sir E Scott School, after a former benevolent landowner. The local council has now named the school "Tarbert School" (translated from the Gaelic "Sgoil An Tairbeart"), and people don't like the dropping of the reference to Sir Edward.
As you can read in the linked article, the former pleasure craft has been the subject of a legal dispute, and is now likely to be declared a wreck.
Forty miles by road to the south, the community of Tarbert (and Harris as a whole) appears to be up in arms about the name of the newbuilt school there. Until this summer, it was known as the Sir E Scott School, after a former benevolent landowner. The local council has now named the school "Tarbert School" (translated from the Gaelic "Sgoil An Tairbeart"), and people don't like the dropping of the reference to Sir Edward.
Tuesday, 9 October 2012
Tuesday 9 October
Fairly bright day, not much wind but not very warm - we barely managed double figures. I resumed my look-up on WW1 casualties, a project I suspended last month at (nearly) the half-way mark. It is intended to bring all the information I hold onto one website. Another concatenation exercise, purely for my own benefit, is the Blog of Years. Each entry, for every day of the year, will have sections for the years 2004 - 2012, with a diary entry for each year under each heading. So far, I have progressed to January 4th.
Sir Jimmy Savile was a TV personality for 40 years on the BBC, with famous programs like Jim'll Fix It, making things happen for young people. It now appears that this knight of the realm is facing posthumous allegations of being a sexual predator on at least 30 women and young girls. His family will dismantle his gravestone in Scarborough (which consists of three huge panels) out of respect to the victims and those buried in the graveyard. The community at Glencoe (south of Fort William), where Savile spent his final years, is in shock, and the cottage where he used to live is not likely to be sold soon.
Sir Jimmy Savile was a TV personality for 40 years on the BBC, with famous programs like Jim'll Fix It, making things happen for young people. It now appears that this knight of the realm is facing posthumous allegations of being a sexual predator on at least 30 women and young girls. His family will dismantle his gravestone in Scarborough (which consists of three huge panels) out of respect to the victims and those buried in the graveyard. The community at Glencoe (south of Fort William), where Savile spent his final years, is in shock, and the cottage where he used to live is not likely to be sold soon.
Monday, 8 October 2012
Monday 8 October
Today is the 8th anniversary of my blogging activities. It started in 2004 from the computer in the youth hostel at Kyleakin, Isle of Skye, where I tapped out a description of the day's walk on a blog called Northern Trip. That blog remained in existence for 4 years, until AOL pulled the plug on all its blogs in October 2008. This blog, Atlantic Lines, was its successor and I marked its 4th anniversary last Monday, October 1st. Since starting in 2004, my blogging activity has mushroomed. I became involved with the community of bloggers on AOL who were known as J-land. It fell apart in 2008, but regrouped on Blogger and Facebook. A number of those friends are no longer with us, and I shall mark their passing at the start of November. Others have joined us, or merged with J-land from Blogger and Facebook. I have always found this a unique community, which remains as strong as ever, irrespective of its location on the WWW. In the years after 2008, I have embraced Twitter and Facebook as a means of sharing information with people who hold like-minded interests, such as local history and news in the Outer Hebrides.
Today was a nice day in Stornoway, with occasional sunshine and light winds. Temperatures remain low, with the daytime max at 11C / 52F, and a low of 2C / 36F a few hours ago. Locally, the Office of Fair Trading was in Stornoway to take evidence in the on-going row about fuel prices. An independent wholesaler of fuel (Highland Fuels) has started to supply a garage in Back, 7 miles north of Stornoway, and that garage now retails fuel at 9p a litre less than those supplied by the main supplier, Scottish Fuels.
Today was a nice day in Stornoway, with occasional sunshine and light winds. Temperatures remain low, with the daytime max at 11C / 52F, and a low of 2C / 36F a few hours ago. Locally, the Office of Fair Trading was in Stornoway to take evidence in the on-going row about fuel prices. An independent wholesaler of fuel (Highland Fuels) has started to supply a garage in Back, 7 miles north of Stornoway, and that garage now retails fuel at 9p a litre less than those supplied by the main supplier, Scottish Fuels.
Sunday, 7 October 2012
Sunday 7 October
After a cold night (3C) we managed 14C as an all-day high, but it felt far from warm when I walked the one mile to Sandwick Cemetery. Since returning from Holland on Thursday, a number of queries have wafted my way about local military history and one of these required me to look for a grave in aforementioned cemetery. I was not the only one there; a steady flow of cars through the cemetery indicated that a number of people took the opportunity to pay their respects to those that had gone on ahead. I was looking for the grave of Angus Mackenzie who had died of illness in 1919 after serving with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces during WW1. Unfortunately, it was not there. Angus originated from Braighe na h-Aoidhe, about 2 miles away near the present-day airport, and it is more likely that his last resting place is at the Eye Cemetery on the Braighe. I need to take a bus there, which obviously does not go on Sunday. As I completed my walk through the graveyard, ominous grey clouds were massing on the western horizon and I was treated to some light rain from Millar Road onwards. No, I did not really look in the Old Cemetery at Sandwick. I have access to two books which list each and every grave in that cemetery, which spares me the bother of going to look for it. The Old Sandwick Cemetery is ancient and the graves are scattered hither and thither, completely unlike the new cemetery, which is laid out in neat rows. As I finish this post, the smell of a curry dinner is wafting my way.
Saturday, 6 October 2012
Saturday 6 October
Fairly bright today, but feeling cold, with the mercury only just into double figures. However, we did get some nice spells of sunshine which made up for the lack of warmth. Went for an amble about town to see if anything had changed, but this was not the case. The only exception was at the site of the old Nicolson Institute, which is rapidly disappearing from the face of the earth, as the demolition nears completion. The main tourism season is now over, and the final whistle will go at the end of the half-term holiday, in a fortnight's time, and certainly when the clocks go back. The trees, like in Holland earlier this week, are beginning to turn as well. It's October, and we'll know about it. Tonight, a widespread frost is forecast.
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