Ah ... happy, carefree days

Although this photo is dated 1953, it was actually taken in 1956.

Nigel had drawn my attention to a website for Merchant Navy training, on which was the Dolphin Training Ship at Leith. I had glanced at it but saw that none of the dates for the photographs coincided with my training on the Dolphin, so did not look at them closely.

At Beth and Nick's wedding, if you remember, we took a flat in the old bonded warehouses at Leith, and I told you that it was right next to where the Dolphin use to lie.

Anyway, I looked more closely at two of the photos the other day and suddenly realised that I recognised some of the boys ... and gradually, I found that I could recognise them all and remember their characters. Especially the one at the desk nearest the camera ... me!
I was a very young 16 over 50 years ago!

In another photo on the Dolphin looking up the basin to a little bridge, is Nigel (in 1953/54). he is at the back to the immediate left (as we look) of the flagpole. I think I was better looking than him at 16!

Looking at these two photos brought back a little story to mind. Every morning we used to race two lumbering old lifeboats (3 oars a side and a coxswain at the helm) to the end of the dock and back ... through that little opening under the bridge where there was not room for two lifeboats abreast. Oh what fun we all had (when it was our turn to be coxswain) trying to get our nose in that opening first and the fights that erupted when we got jammed side by side in the middle! The man in charge of the Dolphin was Captain Tait (who is the older man standing at the front in Nigel's photo) and sometimes he used to watch us out of a porthole where he thought we could not see him.

You can imagine that when we were rowing we did not always obey whoever was the coxswain. One day, when I was coxswain, the guy at the desk beside me in the photo ... who was much bigger than he looks there ... started playing up. I saw Captain Tait at the porthole out of the corner of my eye and made just enough of a gesture to this guy to let him know that the Captain was watching (without letting the Captain know I saw him). Then I shouted at the guy in my best 'commanding' voice, to sit down and row. With much muttering and threats under his breath he just had to sit down and apparently obey me.

He beat me up later but I got 'good at taking command' on my end of year report ... and it was worth it.

On another occasion I got knocked out by an oar, and on another I fell into the dock from the top of the steps down to the boats ... just missing them as I hit the water!

Ah, happy, carefree days!

By a strange coincidence the guy who is supposed to have taken the photo (with me in it) is a guy called Derek Blair. We recently emailed each other (as I wanted a photo of the Dolphin for the emigrant book ... so many Shetlanders were there before going to sea and moving away from Shetland) and discovered that he had relieved me on a ship in 1958 (I was going in leave and he was joining the ship). We can't remember each other (what does that say!) but we must have met and chatted: he's now in Tasmania.

Just a bit of fun.

Mum, evening and heather

Mum really enjoyed Alice's music therapy this week. I only took her back into the wheelroom once, otherwise she stayed with Alice for 45 minutes. She listened, talked, danced and watched and laughed with Alice, who was very good with Mum. It was lovely to see her having some quiet moments and enjoyment (of some sort).

Once I brought her in I cut up an apple so she would sit down for a moment and then I left and just watched through the door. Mum didn't want to play any instrument but she clearly enjoyed Alice's company and her music. She'll do another one next week and weekly thereafter all going well.

Wonderful sunset over Little Bousta these cloudy evenings.

The flowering heather, ling this time rather than the usual bell heather, has been fantastic this year. I have never seen it this way in Shetland, must have been all the sunny weather.

Mum in good form

Sorley took a few photos of Mum before he left yesterday. She was in good form.
'I wasn't going to smile, but ...' 'What are you up to?' Definitely a 'No'

Listening

Trying to ignore me

Wiping a smile off my face

A laugh

Considering

It was tea time and Marianne (whom we knew years ago when we were at Little Bousta) came in. Mum went off, Sorley said 'goodbye' and Mum muttered something ... might have been 'goodbye' too.

She is very settled at the moment and Anne-Marie (Manager) thought she was actually communicating more, recently.

Music therapy tomorrow.

Garden wall finished

28th June ... Going 2nd July ... going

15th July ... gone!

At last I cannot see the new house from the sitting room. I put the last stone in place with the help of Sorley last week, photographed by Ben. Today I put some dwams in the wall and cemented them in. Tomorrow, weather permitting, I'll put in the uprights for a gate.

View from the Little Bousta side. I/we still have to complete the wall to join the yard wall. This will run in front (north) of Sorley's house.

It has been a still, warm day with the fog slowly creeping in.

This was at teatime. Now, 8pm, and I cannot see the skerry in front of the house. Sorley rang me at 11am from the top of Collafirth Hill as he set off for the Lang Ayre on the other side of Ronas Hill where he is going to camp tonight ... hope he finds his way! Tomorrow should be misty and sunny. Hope it lifts for Sorley.

Summer

I don't remember a better June in Shetland. We have had a month of sunshine and warmth after a pretty good May too. Today, it's 22 apparently, too hot to be working outside in the afternoon. Judd told me that a neighbour of his could not face clipping his sheep in the heat of the day, so started at 10pm and finished at 5am!
All the little boats are tied up at the jetty and people are buzzing in and out in the evenings and at the weekends. The evenings have been brilliant with the sun setting at around 10.30pm, wonderful sunsets, mauve horizons and limpid sea.

The good weather seems to have suited the birds. There's a baby (rather gangly) oystercatcher at the front ... whose parents always remind me if I decide to have a stroll that way. The arctic terns have chicks too and the swans have cygnets on the lochs. Even Polly is finding it a bit hot!

The flags are flying at Bousta for Maya's birthday on Thursday!

I am on the last piece of the garden wall. Begun building up the end (with the good stones) where I will put a gate. When I am finished I won't be able to see the new house from the sitting room ... that's the plan.

Late the other night (around 11pm), a lone yachtsman passed through the Sound of Papa Stour.

The weather is set to stay for the week and I hope it lasts until Sorley and Ben come on Sunday.

Took an ice cream into Mum's this afternoon and we sat outside (in the central bit) while she took great bites of a Magnum and I tried to intercept the drips and flakes of chocolate. I think nshe enjoyed it.

It's the wall again

The weather continues fine, sun setting at 10.30 pm. Much delight yesterday, leaving Bousta a little overcast, going through low cloud and rain to Lerwick and back again, to enter Sandness and the sun is shining!

Now finished the north wall of the new garden, put down a lot more topsoil (from a great heap I had collected during the excavations for the extension) and sown grass. I have now laid the N-S base and started building ... two thirds to go. Halfway along I am dropping down a level and making a wee sheltered bit facing south (see picture) where one day I will sit ... might have to lie down ... under the shade of an aspen tree (from the local native supply, now growing in a pot and which I will plant next spring).

When this bit of wall is done I'll go back to finish the north wall in front of Sorley's patch.


The view from the terrace is getting positively suburban. I plan to grow lots of foxgloves and lupins against the wall facing south (like Mum had at Forneth) ... again, next year.

It seems the good weather is being reflected in the sea. Lots of terns nesting for the first time in years. Several on the beach and Skerry and one has chosen the track by the gate into Little Bousta. It is luckily not on the wheel track but right in the middle, which means that, to its great annoyance, it has to get up each time a car (and Cass) passes over. So it takes it out on the car and the driver when the latter has to get out to open and close the gate. I didn't know this at first and when working on the wall one day saw Cass waving some envelopes at me from the Little Bousta gate. I waved back but she ignored me. She was trying to fend off the tern!

Walls and walking

This was where I was at 29th May. The point where I start the dividing line between Muckle Bousta and Sorley's (eventual) house. A lot of debris and topsoil to shift, but not the monster stones which were laid on the old east-west boundary. By the time Sorley arrived I had just started the north-south boundary.

Sorley dug out the rest of the boundary foundation for me - which I will turn to after finishing the north-south wall between us, maybe later this summer. He also rolled some of the very large stones out of the heap for me (for the base). The ground is higher on the Muckle Bousta side.

I forgot - when Sorley asked me if I wanted to go walking anywhere - that I wanted to have a look at one of the Viking Energy (wind farm of circa 150 giant turbines) sites, which has just gone to the Scottish Office. The decision on Planning should come later this year. So I went to the easiest site at the top of Weisdale (the dale where Bonhoga is).

A lovely day again, met a birdwatcher and we listened to the whimbrel and skylarks. The hill is peat-covered, but on the summit there is much (deep - six feet plus) erosion ... from the weather and grazing.

Tomorrow is the last sunny day for the present. We've had a great spell ... I have been neglecting the book! So out on the wall again.

Spring Pleasures

The primroses are still out, the bluebells in full bloom and the trees are rather tentative of unfolding their leaves.The ewes are back with their lambs so early awakenings these light mornings.

But at last I can get out and resume work on the wall which has been at this stage for more than a year.A week of good weather and I have doubled what I had. Now at the point of a right-angled turn to come back across (north to south) to the old garden wall. Then go back - and continue at the right-angle - to the yard wall (and in front of Sorley's house to be). Very satisfying and delightful on the very still days when I can hear the young seals playing ... slapping the water surface with their flippers ... and the terns calling. I'm going to have to leave moving some of the very big stones until the boys are here.

The mornings are bright early and evening sun goes on until 9pm now, brilliant skies over the Voe and Little Bousta, the sitting room doors open to cool it down!

Children's Stories

This is the cover of the latest New Shetlander. The picture is by Meilo So, a Chinese lady (from Hong Kong) who lives in Yell and works for Doubleday. Thought you would like the image, it's entitled 'How to be safe at sea'. Jonathan tells me that she might illustrate his next children's book.

This time of year again! Monday was dry and sunny and mild, so made a start on my peats. Did a couple of hours on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday ... by which time it was distinctly cool, though dry. I'm ahead of the game ... first one to finish this year!! Most people haven't started. In fact most years I have not started until the first week of May. But it feels good to have it done ... and just a wee bit smug. I was going to wait until Sorley and Jamie were here (in a week) but if the weather is there you just have to grab it. But if anyone is desperate, then there is a wee bit more we could do.

I'm having problems loading more than one image so the next part will have to be ona different post.

Miscellany

There is a really good exhibition at the Bonhoga gallery just now by a Jennifer Talbot. It is an interpretation of landscape in woven, felted wool, but looks very fine, almost like silk. She really gets the colours and textures of Shetland just right. Unfortunately, these hangings are over 1000 quid ... I bought a very, very wee one! I have been looking at the old Shetland Trader sign in the shed where it has been since I took it off the coldwatertank in Little Bousta (when the Pedleys left last autumn) where it had served as a door (at the top of the stairs) when we were there. It used to stand propped-up in the 'Street' at the foot of Burns Lane in Lerwick when Mum had the shop. I was worried that it was going to get damaged in the shed and could not think what to do with it. Then had a brainwave and have hung it is the glass porch. Maybe attract some trade from the Papa Stour ferry passengers or passing lobsterboat men.

Out of the blue had a phone call re the Shetland Trader. To cut a long story short ... the Burra (island connected by bridge near Scalloway) History Group have just restored an old, thatched croft house and want to put in an exhibition of Shetland knitwear (not garments but text, photos etc). Someone had come across the first leaflet Betty had drawn for the ST. They were intrigued, so I took Mum's folder of photos etc to Burra last Friday. A Fair Isle knitter there was overwhelmed by Mum's designs and colours and wants to use some for the exhibition ... and I think some herself(!). Anyway, when it is up I will take some photos.

Another historical tale from that era. When I was working for the Nature Conservancy around 1969 I became very interested in the remnants of Shetland's native trees (actually found new sites for several species and enjoyed myself hugely) and identified a little ravine that held native rowan, rose, honeysuckle etc. Very few people in Shetland were (are) aware of what the land looked like before we came along with sheep and cattle and pigs and goats and geese and ponies, circa 5000 years ago and grazed the trees and shrubs out of existence. I thought this little ravine would be an ideal place to plant up one day with native trees to recreate some Shetland woodland ... for education, science and fun. So I scheduled it as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. A decade ago, the Shetland Amenity Trust folowed up my idea, fenced part of the ravine off from sheep and have been planting 'native' trees. Since we have been back at Bousta I have grown several aspens taken from suckers on the crags nearby. On Monday I took one and planted it in the Burn of Valayre - overseen by an official from the Trust. Curious to be in the position of doing this almost 40 years after I first thought about it!

Okay ... so it's very small ... but you wait!

Spring!

Spring! Well maybe. Lunch in the conservatory (I know I don't call it that). Took me a day of washing the winter mould off the glass, woodwork and floor. But worth it. Primroses out, and a daisy ... got to start somewhere.

The daffodils nearly there ... just waiting to make sure another gale won't come along and flatten them.

Good to sit back in the porch and admire the view (and sheep) in comfort. This year's geraniums have arrived and are all potted up.

It's raining now of course ... and there are warnings of gales!!

Mum at home

Mum home this afternoon ... won't take her elegant long coat off ... yet.
Having her chocolate and looking at the pictures.

A warning look

I kept trying to take her while she was smiling, but by the time the digital camera flashed she had changed expression again. So I just pressed the button and then tried to make her laugh ... got that look!

She's thin but eating well and not losing anymore weight now.