Fletcher saga 01 Apr 2004

We left Orkney mainland at 4:35 pm yesterday (Wednesday) and arrived on Stronsay at 6:40 pm. The previous owners had arranged for someone to meet us, hand over the keys and show us where the fusebox etc were located. They also showed us how the oil-fired boiler had to be lit by dropping a piece of lighted paper into it because the automatic ignition requires attention - which it will receive as soon as I contact the local chap who deals with these sort of things. The previous owners had kindly left us a “who does what” list of contacts; for example the coalman calls every two weeks and delivers whatever you have telephoned and requested, the money is left in a plastic envelope in the coal shed so you never actually meet the chap. Almost everything seems to operate on trust – a most civilised system.
Because our effects do not arrive until tomorrow (Friday) lunchtime we spent last night and will spend tonight in one of the spare bedrooms – the previous owners left ample beds, sheets, pillows etc as well as one or two items of furniture. We were quite snug & warm but we do miss our own comfy bed and duvet and cannot wait until they arrive tomorrow.
This morning (Thursday) dawned bright and clear but it was very cold and windy. It was just as well that we rose bright and early because we had 3 visitors before lunchtime. One was the lady from across the road who brought us a glass vase containing water and a bunch of daffodils from her garden and invited us to go round for dinner tonight if we had not yet arranged anything. We thanked her but decided that we would rather continue trying to sort out the house before the removal men arrive tomorrow lunchtime. Another caller was the mother of the lady who runs the local sub post office; she just popped in to welcome us to the island. Our third caller was the chap who runs a local Stronsay website, a link to which I put on my own website. He was a mine of information on local contacts – a useful adjunct to the list left by the previous owners. After our callers had left we continued trying to unpack what few bits we had brought with us so that we could have some lunch. Everyone is so friendly and helpful but apart from one of the shopkeepers everyone that we have met so far is an English “incomer”.
The previous owners had a pet ram - Rocky - who lives in the garden next door. He is still here because the previous owners have not yet found anywhere to keep him near their new house. We looked over the wall to greet him after we arrived last night and received a baleful glare - I think he realises that he has been left on his own for a bit. Rocky thinks he is a human being not a sheep and loves company, bleating pitifully whenever anyone walks near him. The previous owners assure us that he loves crisps, particularly smoky bacon, but refuses to eat cheese & onion crisps.
It is now 8:30 pm and we have just finished the unpacking and storing the last items that we brought with us in the car. Tomorrow the local removal company arrive on the lunchtime ferry and will unload our effects before returning on the last ferry at 5:30 pm. I think that by this time tomorrow night we will be just about able to make up our own bed and crawl in there.

Last updated 15 May 2004