A bright morning, but with a layer of high-level cloud. The Barbara has left, but the G.O. Sars is as yet moored alongside pier no 3. I am not at all sure whether the Health Board meeting today is going ahead. It was announced as such in the Gazette last week, but equally announced as cancelled in the P&J, to allow the current problems to be sorted out with the unions. Caledonian MacBrayne's have decided to start Sunday sailings between Berneray and Harris as from April 9th. 
This leads to a South Harris councillor spitting fire on the radio. Apparently, 2 out of every 3 adults in her ward had voted against Sunday sailings. Morag Munro had just presented her petition to CalMac when the company decided for Sunday sailings. Listening to Isles FM, it would appear that the majority of people phoning to express their opinion are opposed. Nonetheless, the benefits lie with the people of the Uists, who can now visit relatives in hospital at Stornoway over the weekend. And any school events in either Stornoway or Lionacleit [Benbecula High School] can now take place over the weekend, with competitors home in time for school or work on Monday. The Lord's Day Observance Society is bitterly opposed, stating that a culture stands to be lost. Unfortunately, there are already Sunday sailings from Uist to Skye, from within the Western Isles area, so it would be inconsistent not to institute the Sound of Harris ferry on Sundays. There is a fierce debate in the wake of this announcement. I go to Somerfields in the afternoon to buy the Thursday papers. The local NHS announces it intends to tackle a £3m deficit through a vacancy stop. Meanwhile, the consultants at the hospital have demanded that the practice of discharging patients by the manager (who is not a doctor but a nurse) is to stop. At 7pm, mrs B and myself go up the road to the Nicolson Institute to attend a Kaleidoscope Concert. Pupils perform music varying from hard rock to Chopin, jazz to Haydn, big band to ceilidh band. The Scottish junior piping champion starts proceedings. Never heard anything like it. Although only 150 attended, it was well supported. It finished an hour late at 10.30 pm.
Monday, 3 April 2006
Thursday 30/03/06
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I've never agreed to shops opening on sunday. All over Brighton where I live everywhere is open and the city centre is crowded every sunday. I liked it in the old days when sunday was a special day. We used to wear our best clothes and weren't allowed to play outside. Times have changed so much. Jeannette.
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