Fletcher Saga 13 July 2004

This is the first Fletcher Saga from my website's new location. I moved from its original GeoCities location because it had become so unreliable. Fortunately the new host is owned and maintained by someone who lives a few doors away from me on Stronsay so support, which is unlikely to be needed, should be rather more accessible than it ever was on GeoCities. In fact, the day after I asked about using the new host he popped around to our house and I was "up and running" in under 30 minutes. When I asked about the invoice he said that the finance department would issue it "just as soon as she gets back from the shopping". All that I had to do then was to post my website files up to the new host. My new host even gave me a new email address which I have passed on to most people who need to know it. If you have not got it and really want to know what it is, please post a note in my GuestBook.

Before I commence my usual ramblings can I ask if anyone reading this knows whether there are any qualified doctors who are experienced General Practitioners and who would like to enjoy an idyllic lifestyle whilst caring for the medical needs of about 400 people on the island of Stronsay? If you do know of anyone then please let me know by leaving a note in my GuestBook.

One correction to my last Fletcher Saga (01 July 2004) - an authoritative source has pointed out that the rite of passage is called "blackening" and not "blacking". And the same source tells me that the Stronsay Regatta was cancelled because the Kirkwall Sailing Club had received a forecast of Force 6 winds on the Saturday. In fact the day itself was fine on Stronsay although it may well have been a different story in Kirkwall even though it is only a relatively short distance away.

Maureen and I visited Kirkwall at the end of June. This time Maureen had no option but to accompany me on the ferry time because the whole point of the trip was for Maureen to attend an appointment with a specialist at the Balfour Hospital in Kirkwall. Despite all the bad things that we read about the NHS we have nothing but the highest praise for all the elements of the NHS with which we have come into contact on Stronsay and in Kirkwall. Much to Maureen's surprise the ferry did not sink as soon as it left the island and both the outward and return trip were relatively uneventful. In fact, Maureen forgot all about the perils of the deep as soon as she realised that the two monks (from Papa Stronsay) on the ferry were accompanied by their one year-old Newfoundland puppy. You can read about the puppy and see some photographs of him on the monk's website.

Of course, whilst we were in Kirkwall we did some shopping although there is little need for it as the two shops on Stronsay supply most of the everyday basics and can order anything out of the ordinary. If the shops cannot obtain the item there are other ways and means. For example, we decided that wanted a new double bed for the spare room (after we had returned from Kirkwall, of course!) so I looked in the two local papers (The Orcadian and Orkney Today) and telephoned a few shops to get an idea of prices. Eventually we decided on one shop in Kirkwall, ordered the bed and within 3 days the local haulier had brought it over on the ferry and helped me carry it through to the spare room. The only drawback with this system is that you cannot actually see or touch what you are buying. Fortunately the principle of trust is still very much alive in these islands and if someone tells me that the bed is of good quality and the mattress is very firm then I believe them.

On Sunday 4 July about 25 members of the cathedral choir from St. Magnus, Kirkwall and some of their friends came over on the ferry and took the service in the kirk. The acoustics in the kirk are good and the singing sounded wonderful. On the same day the Kirkwall lifeboat visited the island as part of a Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) fund-raising event. There was a short service on the pier at lunchtime after which the islanders put on their usual gargantuan buffet in the community centre (just pay £5 and eat all you can) and held a sale and auction. On the day over £2,000 was raised for the RNLI which is pretty good given that the population of the island is under 400. Maureen was extremely brave and went on board the Kirkwall lifeboat - whilst it was safely tied up at the Stronsay pier - for a good look around.

Maureen had a new cause for concern early in July - for a few days two sparrows began to think she was their mum and took to following her around in the yard as she hung out or brought in the washing. I think the birds eventually realised that their real mum is a bit smaller than Maureen and feeds them by pushing food into their gaping beaks instead of putting it down on the ground in front of them. But you cannot blame the young birds because Maureen is continually waging war by waving a feather duster at the seagulls who swoop down and try to steal the food that has been put out in our back yard for the sparrows, starlings, wagtails and blackbirds. The seagulls have now begun to fear Maureen's feather duster every bit as much as the cockerel and hens, neither of which have been seen for some time, feared the mop.

The weather this summer has been mixed. Fortunately the weather changes quickly so even if it is a bit dull for an hour or two the sun soon comes out and the rain soon stops. The locals tell us that this is a bad year in terms of weather and that the last few years were much, much better. Even so the grass has shot up and in some fields it is so long that the sheep are barely visible and the lambs are only noticed because the grass is moving as they chomp their way through it. I have noticed several "traditional" meadows where instead of just a plain swathe of wall-to-wall grass the owner has let the field grow relatively "wild" and there are several types of grass interspersed with buttercups and other meadow flowers. They must be some of the last fields of this type anywhere in the country. It is a pleasure to see the meadows and the cattle as they graze thereon.

Last updated 13 July 2004