аЯрЁБс>ўџ ўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ§џџџўџџџўџџџ   !"#$ўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџRoot EntryџџџџџџџџВZЄ žбЄРOЙ2К€BЬсŠЦ%€CONTENTSџџџџ DCompObjџџџџџџџџџџџџVSPELLINGџџџџџџџџџџџџрўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ hour crossing and as driving further down through England it was quite a visual shock seeing all those people, cars and smell the pollution when we are used to looking out over the sea at  Peekaboo Island and experiencing general tranquility. It was nice to catch on friends and family and do essential shopping (Have you seen the price of balsalmic vinegar and olives in Shetland? No of course not but they are b***** pricey). It was great to see family in Ewell and cousins plus nieces and nephews who are all growing up so fast. We also caught up with some old musical friends who, whilst busy with their work, extended their generosity either by giving us accommodation (thanks Derek) or letting us see their performance in Canterbury (it was great to see you again Bobby, Tony and Ian plus others). We managed to get to Mr Ali s in Chatham for a curry, which was superb as usual! The Man of Kent had some excellent beer on, Dominator brewed by Hopdaemon and my favourite; Dogbolter from Gadd s, a Ramsgate brewery. Needless to say a fair few pints were consumed. It was nice to see old Chatham friends also; Wendy, Fern, Annabelle and Paul who was working  we will cook that curry sometime - (you are all welcome to visit here). Bob, Rob and Heather, Jane, Jill and Mark, Stuart, sorry this is so long Liz!! and Teresa and Derek. Mel and family, Kay, Matt, Andrew and Julie, plus a very hospitable Doctor Who fan who allowed us to stay in his Tardis. Thank you JP. The ferry trip back on Saturday night was horrible by the way. It is quite a gut wrenching experience lying prone in a cabin feeling the boat rise, crash through the next wave and again, then slide from side to side for twelve hours! I felt sorry for the two lovely black Labradors who were confined to kennels for the CHNKWKS DјџџџџTEXTTEXT20FDPPFDPP4FDPCFDPC6FDPCFDPC8FDPCFDPC:STSHSTSH<STSHSTSH<2SYIDSYIDP<SGP SGP d<INK INK h<BTEPPLC l<BTECPLC „<(FONTFONTЌ<jSTRSPLC =:PRNTWNPRP=FFRAMFRAM–AˆTITLTITLBDOP DOP 0B"Shetland Diary The early black lamb, which is one of a many multi various strains of Shetland sheep, has grown quite big now and is bouncing Tigger-like all over the paddock with its mother bleating anxiously when it goes racing off. We have had some funny old weather. British Summer time started a week ago but for Shetland that extra hour does not matter too much because we are heading into the long summer nights of Simmer Dim. Valhalla Brewery in Unst has been inspired to make a brew by this name, and very nice it is too (See my link for the brewery). As you only get an hour or so of true darkness eventually we have to get black out curtains prepared for those light months. We have had some very thick sea fog, which hung around our roof ridge lingering for a couple of days. I had to work at the Lerwick Town Hall last night for the Rotary Club Wine and Cheese evening, which was a thoroughly nice event. The people attending were very friendly and the staff was given a bottle of wine each and a plate of food, which I thought was very decent of them. It was nice to see everyone dressed up and enjoying themselves& well I say that but there was one individual who turned up looking like he had borrowed half of Coco the Clown s suit and his expression reminded me of Eyeore out of Winnie the Pooh. He really looked like he had lost more than just his tail. I got home rather late but it was easy driving home on deserted roads not like it will be down South. On Thursday, 30th March, we took the overnight ferry to Aberdeen to drive down South. This was the first time off the island for six months, for a graduation ceremony, see my OU friend Perry and family at The Barbican and Trevor who is fond of the gee-gees like me, plus some retail therapy for my wife. It was a twelvewhole trip but I saw them in the morning with their owner Peter, a new resident in Shetland along with his wife, and they  the Labradors that is - were happily bouncing around the car dock. So what is happening here in April? The Shetland Folk Festival occurs over a long weekend at the end of April. This is where musicians from all over the world descend on our archipelago for what is perhaps the biggest knees up 60 degrees north! Needless to say it is sold out almost straight away. Perhaps with the brand spanking new Music/cinema complex being built this will provide opportunity for not only more tickets and performances but big acts like Jools Holland and his Orchestra, even The Hollies coming to Shetland, too much to hope that REM or The Stones but we can dream can t we?& .Mr Music Man! Da Voar Redd Up is happening soon. This is when most of Shetland puts on their Marigolds and go to the beach and other natural beauty spots to fill black plastic bags with rubbish before sunbathing and putting on the barbeque. Last year 90 tonnes was collected of stuff like old net, rubber gloves, plastic jerry cans, boots and other junk washed off ships and deposited on our beaches. I think most homes here have at least one fishing net float as decoration. We have several including one enormous thing that is obviously off one very big fishing net! Good news for us is that Bigton Cafщ aka St Ninian s Cafщ has been bought by a local person who is going to have it opening very soon for than just Sundays with local and other Shetland artists hopefully able to exhibit some work in it. I hope to put more news about this in future diary updates. It is nice to have comments from people about this website by the way; and I welcome the one from John about  Peekaboo Island . Thanks for your response John and I will endeavour to put more photos on the site. It is just a matter of getting out there and taking them as the weather has been a bit non photo friendly lately and you can only take so many snow photos! The Bonhoga Gallery has the preview of its Open Exhibition on this Friday, which I have a piece in so I will be popping up to that with my neighbour Paul Bloomer (see his link on my home page). It is nice to be home again. My sinuses gave up life shortly after leaving Aberdeen because of the pollution and cleared up almost instantly when we got off the ferry Sunday morning in Lerwick in heavy snow blizzard! Hey but that is the weather in Shetland for you. You love it or hate it. Onnyway the next issue of this diary will be sometime in May. 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