Friday 11/11/05 - The big storm

At 12.30 the sun puts in an unexpected appearance. Wind increases appreciably, now gusting to force 10. Barometer going down like a lead weight: 983 mbar at 12.00. Ferry is not sailing once it's back from Ullapool. The road across the Braighe is closed due to a high tide at 3 pm. Although the rain has now turned into showers, it's still very wild. During one squall, we lose sight of Arnish, and a wild frenzy of spray is blown over the causeway. This is force 11. Several more showers come barrelling through, with a similar effect. Malin Head reports 65 knots, which is force 12; Benbecula at 1pm is on 57, force 11. The ferry was expected in between 1.30 and 2.00, but there is sight nor sound of her. She is reported to be sheltering in Loch Erisort. An accident is reported on board Muirneag, also still out there in the Minch. Lorries have crashed into each other and she is now sheltering off Tolsta. I went out for some shopping at 3.15, which was a disconcerting experience. The force of the wind made walking difficult. After getting food, a paper and a roll of ilm, I went out again for some pictures. Don't know how they're going to come out. Took the camera to the coastguard station, and snapped away. I abandoned any idea of crossing over to Goat Island. The causeway is awash with massive seas going over, and the wind is so powerful that they blow the water clean out of puddles at the corner of the CG station. Back to town, where big seas are running into the seawall on South Beach Street. Water is flying over Newton Street, Shell Street, the busstation (buses are parked up against the shrimp factory, rather than in the bays). Walking very difficult, as I have to hold on to whatever comes to hand. Railings, bins, cars. A gale blows up Cromwell Street. All the fishing boats are tied up in the Inner Harbour. Return soaked, in spite of wearing waterproofs. Wonder where the ferry is - still up Loch Erisort. As darkness falls, winds continue to increase. Tiree and Benbecula now ratcheting up windspeeds of 75 and 73 knots, full hurricane force gusts. Sustained winds there of 55 knots, force 11. Gusts in Stornoway at 4pm reached 65 knots, also hurricane force, so that explains my problems in getting about. Sustained windspeeds up to 45 knots, force 9. The ferry finally comes in at 5.45, 4½ hours late. Suddenly, the winds decrease to sustained force 7, gusting to force 10. Still very strong. The really severe weather transfers east. The heaviest gusts occurat Loch Glascarnoch, between Ullapool and Garve, at 62 knots, nearly force 12. Tulloch Bridge and Skye are both going strong with gusts of 50 knots, force 10. Wick is now topping the bill at 65 knots at 9pm. Even Kirkwall and Lerwick are now affected, with 56 knots, force 11. In spite of all the strong winds, there do not appear to have been major problems. Electrical engineers were on standby at the substation in Dunvegan, Skye, which serves the Western Isles. Although we had a few dips in power, it never went off. Mrs B's son and his wife turn up to lash down their caravan, which is parked in the backyard. The wind is expected to veer northwest overnight, which puts it at risk of being blown away.

Ferry cancellations - 11/11/05

BERNERAY TO LEVERBURGH
Due to adverse weather 1355ex Berneray + 1505ex Leverburgh have been cancelled. Next sailing 0830ex Berneray 12/11, weather permitting.

LARGS CUMBRAE SERVICE
DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS THE LARGS CUMBRAE SERVICE HAS BEEN CANCELLED UNTILL FURTHER NOTICE.LAST SAILING WAS THE 10.15 DEPARTING LARGS.

Rothesay/Wemyss Bay Service
Due to adverse weather conditions the following sailings have been cancelled 1100 & 1145 ex Rothesay & 1015 1100 & 1215 Ex Wemyss Bay. MV Bute will depart Gourock @ 1200 sailing to Rothesay. Intending passengers are advised to check prior to travelling.

Brodick/Ardrossan Service
Due to adverse weather conditions passengers are advised that the 1105 ex Brodick will be going to Gourock. ETA 1310hours. There will be a bus service from Ardrossan to Gourock at 1230hours. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Uig / Lochmaddy Service Disruption 11/11/05
Due to adverse weather conditions the 1245 ex Lochmaddy and the 1500 ex Uig sailings are cancelled. Subject to an improvement in weather conditions, MV Hebrides hopes to take up the 0730 sailing ex Lochmaddy on Saturday 12/11/05.

Services to Colonsay, Barra, Uist and Mull
Due to adverse weather conditions the following sailings have been affected:---- 0930 sailing to Barra & Uist cancelled. Next sailing 1500 Sunday 13th as per timetable.---- 1000 sailing to Colonsay cancelled. Next sailing 1430 Saturday 12th weather permitting.--- 1600, 1700 and 2130 Oban/Craignure/Oban sailings currently looking uncertain due to weather. A final decision will be made at 1500. MV Isle of Mull will however operate an extra Oban - Craignure sailing today at 1200 weather permitting.

Sound of Barra Service
The 09:25hrs ex Ardmhor and the return 10:30hrs ex Eriskay have now been cancelled. Due to the weather forecast the remaining sailings for today are very doubtful.

Mallaig-Small Isles service
The service to the Small Isles today of Eigg and Muck has been cancelled due to adverse weather.

Mallaig - Armadale Service
The 0840 ex Mallaig and the 0925 ex Armadale have been cancelled due to adverse weather. We will update later with regard to this afternoons sailings.

Fionnphort-Iona service
Due to adverse weatherconditions this service is off at present. We will update as and when we get further information. This service has been CANCELLED for the rest of the day.

Tayinloan - Gigha Service
Due to adverse weather conditions the Gigha Service has been suspended until further notice.

SOUND of BARRA SERVICE
CHARGEHAND HAS NOW CANCELLED THE 12:30hrs EX ARDMHOR AND THE RETURN 14:10hrs EX ERISKAY. ALSO THE 17:10hrs AND THE RETURN 18:15hrs EX ERISKAY HAVE BEEN CANCELLED. THUS THERE HAVE BEEN NO SAILINGS ONB THIS SERVICE TODAY

Armistice Day, Friday 11/11/05

Armistice Day today, with some quite appalling weather. Gales and rain. Many ferry services are off - I've copied the list of cancellations at midday into a separate entry. The Stornoway ferry is on its way across (rather them than me). Irish weatherstations on the west coast report gusts up to 60 knots (force 11). Stornoway is on 45 knots, force 9. A rare gull was blown across on the winds of Hurricane Wilma and is now attracting twitchers to Bragar. If they can get across at all.

Further updates in a separate entries.

Thursday 10/11/05

Fairly bright morning, but with short, sharp showers. Another gale is in the offing for tomorrow, which will be followed by a drop in temperature. Ferry is cancelled, because it broke down at Ullapool.. Calmac advise travellers to go to Uig in Skye. Nice one, that is a trip of about 200 miles via Inverness and Kyle. Jerry is sorting out the purchase of his cottage in Sheshader. When I go out to get the Thursday papers, they have not come in. Apparently, the lorry missed the Muirneag, which itself was an hour late coming into port this morning. Weatherforecast for tomorrow pretty awful. The evening is quiet, and we enjoy a logfire. Jerry takes his bouzouki to O'Neills and plays there till 1.30 a.m..

Wednesday 09/11/05

Brilliantly sunny morning, not a cloud in the sky. Colossal hangover. Own fault. Have a nice chat with Geoff and Jerry (try not to think "Tom and Jerry"). Jerry will be viewing houses today. The weather gets interesting as the day wears on. It clouds over at lunchtime, and the temperature drops. At 3 pm, a Norwegian submarine pulls into port. It leaves not long after, first going round behind the lighthouse, then going east. She had a flashing light on the conning tower. Submarines do not rise high above the waves, so they are easily overlooked. Crew stood to attention on deck as she came in. As evening falls, the wind picks up, until there is a full gale going with gusts up to force 10, 50 knots. Very strange, at 9.45 the wind drops back to force 5 and the rain stops. Jerry tells stories of the three properties he has viewed. At Garyvard, the house had been unoccupied for 14 years, with the personal effects of the deceased occupier still untouched. Newspapers, going back 70 years, hats, caps, it was all exactly as the man had left them the day he died. The house needed a lot of work, due to the effects of worms and damp. In Hacklete, Bernera, the house had proved difficult to find. The property had been unoccupied for 3 years, after the French couple that owned it had left. Apparently, the lady had died and the husband had never returned. Again, things had been left as if the owners would come back any day. But damp and rot had taken their toll here as well. The third property, in Sheshader, Point, was an incomplete conversion. Just walls, with windows and a cement floor. No interior walls or facilities connected. Jerry will be putting in a bid for this property. He currently lives on a boat, which costs about £100-150 in monthly harbour dues.

Just found this graphic, liked it

Tuesday 08/11/05

The wind has dropped by morning, although there is still a good breeze going. Nice bright morning but cloud is bubbling up. Twenty minute powercut at 11 a.m., when the roadworkers in Inaclete Road cut the cable. Mrs B's brother-in-law calls in with stories from the hill, which I cannot relate here. He knows Stulabhal better than I do. Ferry services were disrupted last night; the 5.15 out of Ullapool never sailed. Extensive powercuts in Northern Scotland. Two trimarans in trouble in the Atlantic, because they overturned. Another lost her mast. Helicopter and RAF Nimrod in attendance. A few wind gust readings from last night's storm:

Stornoway 68 kn (120 km/h)
Tiree 74 kn (135 km/h)
Malin Head 77 kn (138 km/h)
Lerwick 78 kn (140 km/h)
South Uist 86 kn (155 km/h)

At midday today, the wind is still sustained at 35 kn (force 8) with gusts up to 51 kn (force 10). Irrelevant information: finished another pen in 11 days. The ferry is an hour late leaving for Ullapool, with quite a few showerclouds around. About 6 in sight at 3.30 pm. We're having two guests in. One is an elderly gent who is very quickly out of breath. Mrs B spares him the ordeal of having to walk the 10 minutes into town for his meal and gives him a meal in his room. This chap, Geoff, lives in Benbecula but hails from the Home Counties of England. He is in Stornoway to attend hospital. The other is a jolly fellow from East Anglia, who is here on a house-hunting mission. A little while ago, the house by the pier at Garyvard, South Lochs, was advertised for sale. Jerry plays the bouzouki

which is what they call an 'octave mandolin'. Each string is actually double-strung, with the two strings tuned an octave apart. It sounds sharper than a guitar. We have a music session, comparing various types of music. Me on the keyboard and the Runrig and Salm CDs. Jerry plays a CD on which he and his partner perform. Very pleasant.

Monday 07/11/05

Bright morning with showers. Isles FM gives the customary post-weekend rundown of drunken loutishness around town. There was a crash two streets up Island Road, outside the Lewis Crofters store, where one of the cars ended up on its side. Dire warnings in the forecast for tonight's storm, gusts in excess of 100 mph over Shetland and here. Otherwise not a lot happening. Go into town to do some shopping, like getting new pens from Woolworths. The lady behind the counter is suffering with laryngitis and can only whisper. Went into the library to double check some facts about project Timbertown. There was a reunion in the Caledonian Hotel in 1959, but it is not mentioned in the pages of the Gazette for that year. Await the arrival of the gale with bated breath, and it duly arrives after 10pm. Gusts of 77 mph at Malin Head, Ireland; 74 mph in Tiree. Tales from Northern Ireland about people being blown off roads. Lights start to flicker, but we keep the power. Gusts in Stornoway of 55 mph. I hear that South Uist had 97 mph. Go out for a walk at 1 a.m. to record the sound of the wind. The wind is howling, the rain lashing and the waves crashing. Get soaked by a wave that crashes over the seawall by the CG station.

Sunday 06/11/05

Reasonable day weatherwise. Check out the Vivi Awards (see earlier entry), which were given out between 2 and 4 a.m.. Sent messages to all the winners, but I wasn't one of them. Although it's sunny, it is very windy. This gale was not forecast. What was forecast (by Metcheck) fortunately did not happen; a daytime temperature of minus 174C. Rogue data apparently. We're having a southwesterly gale. Watch the gulls juggle the air currents around the seawall in Newton Street. Also the white riders on the basin. Very rough. Wind slowly abates as the day wears on. Once again supper courtesy of mrs B; pepper goulash. Like last night, it left me well filled-up. Forecast for Monday mentions a force 10 wind.

Saturday 05/11/05 - Bonfire Night

Today starts sunny, but it clouds over very rapidly, and the wind picks up just as quickly. Rain starts at 10.40. It doesn't last very long, and recedes into showers around lunchtime. Head into town after 4.45 to get a paper and a lottery ticket. There was a long queue at the lottery counter in Somerfields. Someone bought £45 worth of tickets. Guy Fawkes night in Stornoway was a damp squib; hardly anything went off. Weather not fantastic, but I heard that plenty of fireworks had been sold. Very nice supper with mrs B, who is spoiling me rotten. Lottery yielded nothing, but mrs B won £10.

Friday 04/11/05

So, I went to Barvas on the 10.30 Ness bus. At the Loch Street junction, I changed ino another bus, which took me right to the end of the street. This bus was packed full of people from the West Side who were coming into town for shopping. Got off at the end of the street, and found my address staring in my face. After knocking on the wrong door, I was let in by Margaret Joan MacLeod (who I'll refer to as MJ after this, for brevity's sake). I had been advised that she would have more information and names for project Timbertown. MJ used to be a teacher, but had to give it up to look after her mother. She is very elderly and frail following a major operation. Although not a lot of info is forthcoming, MJ goes out of her way to ring around the area to try to find folk whose ancestors were in the internment camp. The internees are now all deceased, and their descendants elderly themselves. It's beginning to sound like the experiences from HMS Timbertown (click here to go to website)  have been taken into the grave by those that were there. MJ got her neighbour in, Donald Morrison, and tries another relative, who unfortunately is off to town for the day. I'm plied with tea and cakes. House is warm, but quite modest. A peatfire is lit for me. It appears MJ has gone out on walks with the Barvas & Brue Historical Society, to the Barvas Hills, 6 miles to the south. Next year they want to walk to Muirneag, a fair old distance. She also tells the story of a circular walk from Maraig to Reinigeadal and Urgha, return by Lacasdal Lochs. The ascent from Loch Trollamaraig is brutal, and none the better in pouring rain. I take my leave at 2.15, when the bus comes up Loch Street. At the junction with the main road through the village, I change into a bus, bound for Stornoway. I was back in town some 20 minutes later, at 2.40 pm. After a late lunch I ensconsed myself in the library for 2 hours, trawling through the Roll of Honour 1914-1919. I found at least 105 names of people that were interned at Groningen during the Great War. Some of them had been awarded the 1914 Star or Mons Star medal, although officially all that had fought at Antwerp should have been awarded this decoration.

When I leave the library at 5.45, it's dark - small wonder, the sun sets at 4.30 pm. Mrs B is making mashedturnip and separately mashed potatoes with onion rings. Mind you, the turnip was fully organically grown, fertilised with seaweed. And mince balls, which I'm in charge of. I made them a bit too big.

Thursday 03/11/05

Cloudy morning, but a lot better than the gales and rain they're having down in England. Decide to visit Barvas tomorrow, in order to put a limit on the duration of my visit. The lady in question will only be in during the morning. Not an awful lot doing today. Go out to get all the Thursday papers, which don't have a lot to report. Apart from that horrendous story of the OAP who killed a cat, only two streets away. Why? He had been visiting a friend, who complained that the animal had given her a rash. He promised that he'd "sort" the cat. By kicking it and putting it in a pillow case to whack it against a wall a few times. The poor dumb animal didn't survive this. The police were called by neighbours who were woken by the disturbance at 5 a.m.. They found the body of the cat and tell-tale signs of what had happened. The man, aged 66, was arrested and is now serving a 4 months' jail sentence. He has also been banned for 10 years from keeping animals. Very unpleasant.
After updating the website, I heard of a rescue going on 200 miles west of Benbecula. A man had been crushed by a 2 tonne door. The coastguard yanked a local GP off a scheduled flight and took him on the helicopter. This had to refuel at Benbecula before setting off into the Atlantic. Bought a microwave meal for mrs B and myself, which went down a treat.

Pictures

Have added entries to another entry from earlier in the year: 25 March, when I walked from Tolsta to Muirneag.

http://journals.aol.co.uk/pharmolo/NorthernTrip/entries/1460

Vivi Awards

No, I didn't make it, but I'm very pleased that this came along. It's given me a fantastic opportunity to read other people's journals. Congratulations to all the winners, listed below. Have a look at what goes in AOL J-land.


JOURNAL OF THE YEAR 2005:
Just One Girls Head Noise - his1desire


LORD OF THE BLOG:
The StupidSheet Guy - stupidsheetguy


LADY OF THE BLOG:
Judith Heartsong - judithheartsong


DUKE OF THE BLOG:
Dave Cryer, Cave Dryer - davobarbus


DUCHESS OF THE BLOG:
Adventures of a desperately fat housewife - tillysweetchops


MARQUIS/MARQUISSE OF THE BLOG:
Aurora Walking Vacation - plittle


BEST INTERNATIONAL BLOG:
My Journey to Life - grassriver


BEST USE OF GRAPHICS:
Judith Heartsong - judithheartsong


BEST USE OF ANIMATION:
This and that, and hockey - nightmaremom


BEST USE OF PHOTOGRAPHY:
WonderGirl - cneinhorn


MOST HUMOROUS JOURNAL:
Adventures of a desperately fat housewife - tillysweetchops


MOST EMOTIONAL JOURNAL:
Watching My Sister...Disappear - mlrhjeh


MOST THOUGHT-PROVOKING JOURNAL:
Just One Girl's Head Noise - his1desire


MOST EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL:
Inane thoughts and insane ramblings - swibirun


MOST INSPIRATIONAL JOURNAL:
A Pennies Worth - blondepennierae


BEST POLITICAL JOURNAL:
the wizard of ahs - anarchitek


BEST SPORTS JOURNAL:
High Above Courtside - monponsett


BEST TRAVEL JOURNAL:
Alphawoman's Blog - alphawoman1


BEST ENTERTAINMENT JOURNAL:
Albert's World of Artsy Fun - lamove04


BEST FAMILY JOURNAL:
DUST BUNNY CLUB OF NORTH AMERICA - dornbrau


BEST PETS JOURNAL:
Random Ramblings - xzasporated1


MOST OUTSPOKEN JOURNAL (TIE!):
Mrs. Linklater's Guide to the Universe - jevanslink
Screamin' Remo - screaminremo303


BEST USE OF ATTITUDE (TIE!):
Freely Floralilia,the official journal of pointless posting - floralilia
Mortimer's Café - luvmort


MOST WELL-WRITTEN JOURNAL:
In The Shadow Of The Iris - justaname4me2


BEST FICTION/POETRY JOURNAL (TIE!):
Musings from Mâvarin - mavarin
TO GROW IS TO BE ANXIOUS - deabvt


BEST ENTRY OR SERIES OF ENTRIES:
"The Wedding From Hell"
        Adventures of a desperately fat housewife - tillysweetchops


BEST THEME-BASED JOURNAL:
Stories From My Ambulance - sekirley


BEST YOUNG-PERSON'S JOURNAL:
I Have a Life, This is It - animaquarius2500


BEST TEEN JOURNAL:
Holding On & Letting Go - rickysbunnie


BEST COLLEGIATE JOURNAL:
Life Or Something Like It ~ LIVE from the U! - luckyaugustgirl


BEST NEW JOURNAL:
Fresh Cup...Move Down - schnozbeary


BEST AIM JOURNAL (TIE!):
The Daily Snooze II - hewasolddog299
The Light's On...But No One's Home - krspkrmmom


BEST-KEPT SECRET JOURNAL  (TIE!):
From Here to There - firestormkids04
Lotus Martinis - txguinan


MOST-MISSED JOURNAL:
Life With Linny - lindainspokane


MOST CREATIVE/ORIGINAL JOURNAL:
Adventures of the 2-Faced Baseball - upseted

The Iolaire Disaster

(Article from the Scotsman, 18 January 1919)

The Iolaire disaster, where 200 men died yards from shore

DIANE MACLEAN

31 December 1918

THE ISLE of Lewis had a hard war. Some 6,200 men joined up and nearly 1,000 had died. Every family on the island had lost fathers, sons, brothers or uncles. So, the night of 31 December 1918 was tense with expectation. The war was finally over, the world was at peace and after four long years the men who had served king and country were on their way home.

The Kyle of Lochalsh was alive. Hundreds of laughing, boisterous servicemen were crowded onto the quay. The regular steam-ferry, the SS Sheila, was soon packed so the Royal Navy ordered the Iolaire across the Minch from her berth in Stornoway to carry the extra men left behind.

The Iolaire had been a luxury yacht before the war, sailing under the name of the Amalthaea. She was used by the navy in anti-submarine and patrol work when she was renamed the Iolaire – Gaelic for "Sea Eagle".

When she arrived in Kyle there was some discussion between the Master, Commander Mason and Commander Walsh, in charge at Kyle. Commander Mason was worried about the paucity of life-saving equipment onboard. She was kitted out with only two lifeboats and lifejackets for 80. Even more worrying she had never sailed into Stornoway harbour at night, a tricky manoeuvre in daylight.

Discussions were brought up short when two more trains arrived at the quay spilling out more demobbed men. The master ordered the 284 servicemen, predominately navy reserves, up the gangplank and onto the ship.

She left at 9:30pm, sailing out of the darkness of the new year. But 12 miles out of Stornoway Harbour the weather turned. As a gale took hold the crew of a local fishing boat watched in confusion as the Iolaire failed to change course to make harbour. Instead she carried on full steam ahead into the pitch-black night.

Biastan Thuilm - the Beasts of Holm - is a rocky outcrop just short of the harbour entrance. A small light attached to the rock warns mariners of the approaching danger. When the Iolaire failed to turn, the flickering light was useless. The momentum of the ship kept pushing her forward.

Visibility was poor. Sleet was falling and the seas were wild. When the ship collided with the "Beasts" she went over almost immediately. Nobody on board knew where they were. The boat was lying only about 20 feet from land, but between the ship and the rocks was a boiling, raging sea. Fifty men jumped into the water and made for shore. They all drowned in the freezing water. The two lifeboats were launched, but were swamped immediately as too many men battled for too few seats.

At three o’clock in the morning the ship’s back broke and she went under.

As the men onboard slowly drowned one man, John Macleod, swam for his life hauling a rope behind him. When he reached shore he set up another stronger rope, and 25 men escaped along this safety line. John Macleod was awarded the highest peacetime aware for heroism for his incredible courage and strength.

Donald Morrison climbed the mast as the ship went down and clung on as she submerged. He was picked up alive the next morning at 10 o’clock, having spent eight hours in the water.

His brother was not so lucky. He drowned alongside 205 men who had seen off enemy fire only to die within shouting distance of their own homes.

The Lewis Roll of Honour records the poignant loss of Kenneth Macphail whose death epitomises the tragedy: "He was the sole survivor of a ship torpedoed in the Mediterranean in October 1917. He had a terrible experience before he was rescued having been nearly 36 hours in the sea until washed ashore in Algeria. Pathetic in the extreme it is to think that this powerful seaman after so miraculous an escape in the Mediterranean, perished within a few feet of his native soil."

Aerial photograph of Stornoway

As New Year’s Day broke across the islands, families waiting for the arrival of their loved ones heard rumours of a terrible disaster. Men walked miles from villages to Stornoway searching for news. What they found was devastating. The Scotsman of 6 January reported the tragedy, soberly noting: "The villages of Lewis are like places of the dead. The homes of the island are full of lamentation – grief that cannot be comforted. Scarcely a family has escaped the loss of a near blood relative. Many have had sorrow heaped upon sorrow."

Days went by and still all the men were not recovered. Boats left the harbour in search of bodies to return as night fell to a silent crowd waiting at the harbour. In 1959 Donald Macphail, speaking on Gaelic radio, recalled the moment his friend found the body of his son.

‘The man’s son was there, and I remember he was so handsome that I could have said he was not dead at all. His father went on his knees beside him and began to take letters from his son’s pockets. And the tears were splashing on the body of his son. And I think it is the most heart-rending sight I have ever seen.’

Two investigations were ordered. With the crew dead no conclusion was reached, other than to rule out drink as being the cause. A public enquiry held later found that the deciding factor in the tragedy was the lack of lifebelts and life craft in the vessel.

How traumatically the Iolaire disaster affected the islands is unknown. Roddy Murray director of An Lanntair museum in Stornoway thinks that it cannot be underestimated. "We can speculate on its contribution to the mass emigrations of the twenties, its effect on the Lewis character, the rebirth of an inherent fatalism. Its effect was like the Passover of the Old Testament."

Snaking through the whole story, like a spectral ribbon are tales of supernatural occurrences. John Macleod later told his son that he saw his mother standing before him as he jumped into the sea. Deer, portents of death, were seen in a number of villages that night.

Strangest of all was the story of a man from Breascleit who was tormented with visions of a body floating in the sea. He walked to Stornoway and directed the recovery boats to the area he had seen in his dream. Sure enough a body was recovered in exactly the place he had described. It was no surprise to anyone when the body turned out to be the old man’s son.

Wednesday 02/11/05

Brilliantly sunny morning after an overnight low of 4C. Awoke to the sound of migrating geese passing overhead. Rain elsewhere in the UK, but not here. Around 10 a.m., they announce that David Blunkett has had to resign from the UK government again. It's a long story, but it boils down to poor judgment. At 12.30, I set off with mrs B and her nephew to the Castle Grounds. After calling into the Bayhead P.O., we carry on to the Woodlands Centre where we enjoy lunch. I have a baguette BLT (bacon, lettuce & tomato), while my companions enjoy a smoked salmon with a colossal salad each. That was a filler all-round, so a walk was in order. After a brief run round to the northern edge of the Castle Groudns, we went to see the new watermill. This is a reconstruction of the old mill which burned down in 1890. It's very cleverly done. A run off from the Willowglen burn goes to a millpond, which supplies the water that goes over the big wheel. When this turns, electricity is generated to power lighting along the walkway to Cuddy Point. The mill was officially opened on October 21st (see picture)

The wheel is not operating right now as fencing still needs to be erected for safety's sake. Return to town at 3pm. Cloud has increased gradually, and it's feeling cold. Feel very full after the lunch, so contend with a bowl of soup. Watch some TV during the evening, such as All Creatures Great and Small.

Tuesday 01/11/05

Found this very interesting link on the customs surrounding Hallowe'en, All Hallows and All Souls. Hallowe'en being All Hallows' eve, and on 31st October. All Hallows, when all the saints are commemorated is on 1st November; All Souls, when all the departed are remembered, is on November 2nd. This has a strong Roman Catholic background!
http://www.kensmen.com/catholic/customstimeafterpentecost12aa.html

November started with a bang at 4 in the morning, on account of two flashes of lightning and two claps of thunder. Heavy rain accompanied this shower. More follow through the morning. Three workmen are staying with mrs B, but their gear has not arrived on the good old Muirneag. Have a good old yarn with mrs B about the church and all the splits that continually occur in the Free Church here in Lewis. The weather turns pretty changeable, with heavy showers alternating sunny intervals. The ferry is about 15 minutes late getting in at lunchtime. I'm writing descriptions for hidden places in Lewis, such as Steimreway, 4 miles west of Lemreway. Others include the Iolaire Monument outside Sandwick and the sheilings at Cuidhsiadar and Filiscleitir in Ness. Also discover a very interesting article on the net from Views of Scotland about sheilings and the proposed windfarm. A bulletin board on VisitHebrides.com features Angus Nicolson, a local councillor, who has some vociferous exchanges with a German photographer and frequent visitor. By nightfall, at 5pm, the showers fade away.

Monday 31/10/05

Bright blustery morning. Isles FM gives us the usual rundown of misdemeanours. The worst of these is the counterfeit ring that was uncovered. People were arrested, including children. Apart from that, only the drunken loutishness. The presenter drops his weather on the floor. Like you do. This coming Saturday, 5th, there will be a guided walk around Seaforth Head. I'll probably go if the weather is half decent. The brightness is replaced with some pretty threatening looking clouds as the afternoon wears on. By 2pm, the rain starts, and it only gets worse. The clouds break a little by 4pm, and the sun shines very brightly through a gap in the clouds to the southwest. Sunset at 4.40, which becomes noticeable when I go out for shopping at 5.15. It's raining heavily, and when I'm in Somerfields, there is only blackness outside the windows. On return, I notice lit-up Santa's in the windows at Edmundsons. Noooooo!

Hallowe'en 2005

Sunday 30/10/05

Clocks went back last night so the sun shone at 8 in the morning. Nice bright morning but hazy. Banks of cloud move up from the south, looking threatening, but dissipating all the while. Met Office has issued a severe weather warning with severe gales in the offing. After midday, the rain starts and it gets quite gloomy. Find a report on the Coastguard website that a Spanish fisherman was lost overboard 145 miles NW of the Butt of Lewis. Stornoway Coastguard were alerted by Falmouth CG, who in turn had been alerted by an Irish coastguard at Malin Head. He spoke Spanish, and happened to be monitoring traffic on 2182 kHz. Communications were going via Madrid because "none of the fishermen spoke Spanish". What? Stornoway Coastguard is very concerned, because the man washed overboard in full oiskins in southeasterly gales, with no lifejacket. Search is called off after 6 hours. Sun is back after 2pm, but the wind picks up through the afternoon. Learn that the planet Mars can be seen above the eastern horizon in the evening. At sunset, now at 4.45, a small yacht can be seen sailing into the harbour. Its progress is only slow, and it vanishes into the darkness once past Arnish. Sheets of water slam over the causeway. At 5.30, it's fully dark. Dinner tonight is sweet and sour chiecken with rice, a glass of wine and sticky-toffee-pudding from a tin. The latter is OK, but not like the real article. Finally manage to put the Mod music on the net, and it's available on http://modmusic.bravehost.com.