Far North

Well, here we are...the end of an era. (Do I hear cheering in the background?) I am leaving the Baltasound School to take up a post in the deep south (of Shetland). My Unst citizenship will have to be revoked. I'll have to pay full fare on the inter-island ferries. One thing I have discovered though, is that the shop near to where I am going stocks Unst bread - yummy. And Unst beers are all over the place.

But, in the words of General MacArthur, "I will return." I will reinvent myself in another part of Shetland, under another name.

Now to get on with the packing. It is amazing (horrifying) how much junk one collects over the years. I'm looking at so much things, thinking that if it's been in a box for over 6 years, it can't be useful.

So, it'll soon be cheerio to ruthodanort, puffinbillyunst, damadcoo & eviltwinny & hello to Consort. Sorry, folks - no contest!!

However, I've been already booked to provide a pub quiz for the Unst Simmer Dim Fishing weekend in June. So the ghost of farnorth will continue to haunt the island.

The last couple of weeks have been hectic - making up for lost snowy days (6 in total). Having to ensure that pupils finish work by next week. That and preparing for the end of my sojourn in Unst.

As damadcoo has already said Unst has being doing astounding work in fund raising - despite the unsure financial future & the laying off of many people from their jobs.

Consort and I went to the curry night for the CAT scanner appeal. Very tasty followed by delicious sweets - we had pavlova (yummy). Ruthodanort & damadcoo waited on us, looking glamorous in their saris. As well as the meal itself there were raffles and rolling money to win a bottle of Highland Park. In the raffle, Consort won some shower gel for me, so I now smell even more exquisite. In the money rolling competition, I did see someone trying to use licorice allsorts - but he didn't win.

The Big Breakfast in aid of Cancer Research was well-supported by staff, pupils and members of the public. So successful that the RAF men still here have continued to use our breakfast club.

Damadcoo has also mentioned the Relay for Life. At times it was a very moving, almost spiritual experience. The Relay was started off by a piper leading 36 survivors, followed by the almost 600 competitors. Candles were lit around the track at the Clickimin Centre. Over 500 candles flickering each represented a life lost to cancer - a life that meant something for someone on the track.

The support from Unst was tremendous!!! A fifth of the Unst population was there!! Everywhere you looked you saw Unst people - all from 1 tiny island with a population of only 500 or 600. The organisers of the event had set out with a target of raising £1500. The amount raised is currently standing at £40,000 and rising!!! Astounding.

Going back to Unst's contribution, with the indomitable spirit there is on the island, I know that, despite its hardships, it will not go under. I urge everyone to come and see for themself.

After all that, it was nice to relax at the cinema on Sat & Sun night - Brokeback Mountain & Memoirs of a Geisha. Shetland doesn't have a purpose built venue so one must grab the opportunity when 1 can.

Winter has returned to us. But not enough to close us, although some pupils were meant to be travelling to Lerwick for a badminton tournament & a music festival. This trip was cancelled because of road conditions. There are some pupils already down there - hopefully they'll get back OK.

Well we're now back to school after our enforced 'holiday'. We were last in school on Mon 27 Feb (it's now Wed 8 March). Despite steady rain since yesterday, some pupils have not been able to get in - a few roads are still impassable. Coming along the main road past my house many drifts were higher than me and more snow makes the road into the school just wide enough for cars. The school buses are unable to get along it, so pupils are being ferried by Land Rover & minibus.

A letter in the Shetland Times copmplained about the Education Dept closing all the schools on the islands. The writer said that all the roads in the south mainland were fine. Not so, I know of people who could not get along their road at all. The letter writer also stated that people he knew were able to get in to work - if they wanted to! This implies that teachers are a bunch of 'softies' that are looking for any day off. Not so! Teachers work far longer than their contracted hours. My pupils are now having to work hard to complete work that MUST be finished by the Easter hols - for their Standard Grades. 6 days off school was regrettable but necessary - for safety's sake.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing - OK so we were often told the day before that the schools would be closed. But this makes it easier for parents to seek alternative arrangements for their children.

All it would have taken would have been 1 child to be hurt when 1 bus slid into a ditch then the proverbial would have hit the fan. No, far better to be safe than sorry.

The letter writer also said that projected in-service days should be cancelled to make up. He does not realise that these days are part of teachers' contract for continuing professional development. They are not a skive for them.

He also states that Shetland is a land of extreme weather. Yes, it is in some respects but we don't get huge amounts of snow - the Scottish mainland gets far more. We're not prepared for such weather - certainly not so late on in the winter.

Ach well, there's always someone who wants to hit out at education.

Not able to get off Unst at weekend - so ended up giving BT a lot of custom using the phone.

Missed the Norwick Up-Helly-Aa at the weekend. Consort & myself went on a wee sojourn to Orkney on a ring quest. We caught the ferry to Kirkwall on Fri night - getting to Kirkwall at 11pm. Herman was there to whisk us away to the newly redecorated Magnolia Towers. A wee catching up with news (over some Baileys) then time to retire to the Royal Suite. Herman still had up his New Auld Christmas decorations from last week (ask him!) so come midnight and the chimes of Big Ben on the radio, we toasted New Auld New Year and wished each other Happy New Auld New Year.

We forgot to take down some Unst beers for Herman - hope he's forgiven us.

The next day was the real reason for our being there. We visited a couple of jewellers to have rings made for us. We saw some absolutely beautiful stuff. We'd had to go to Orkney because we'd been unable to find what we wanted in Shetland. We wanted our own runic inscriptions on the rings but nobody in Shetland seemed to do them.

We were very impressed with what we saw in our chosen jeweller - no hard sell, made to feel valued as a person, not just a source of income, even getting a tour of the workshop. I think Herman enjoyed the day just as much as consort & I. Orkney has a whole lot of excellent craftspeople working in the islands.

We were due to get the ferry back at 11pm on Sat but a phone call from the ferry company informed us that, due to bad weather in Aberdeen, the ferry would be late. Instead we would have to check in at 5.30 on SUNDAY MORNING!!! That's why, as Herman has commented, we were obliged to spend another night (or part of it) at Magnolia Towers.

So no visit to the pub that night. We did have a wonderful meal in a hotel in Stromness, courtesy of Herman. I had locallly caught herring fried in oatmeal, served with tatties. Many islanders will already know just how tasty this is - and for those who have never tried it, do so and soon as you can. It's always been one of my favourites.

We absolutely stuffed ourselves - although we did ask for 1 banoffee pavlova but 3 spoons. As Herman has said we went for a walk through Stromness to let our food go down a bit. Stromness is VERY picturesque - loads of narrow streets & lanes, and houses backing into the sea.

At the moment it's snowing. We can only but wait for that phone call in the morning that says that the school's closed!!

Well, we did actually do it!! We put on our panto on Friday & Saturday. They said that it couldn't be done. Mind you, they said the same about the Titanic.

Astro nebula has already shown what (s)he looks like/ And very fetching too - his/her dance to Queen's "I Want to Break Free" and strip-tease were new highs in entertainment.

The cast consisted of RAF personnel, local teachers & pupils - & even (whisper it) someone from Yell. Evil Twinny & Ruthodanort's daughter were also in the cast. Most of us - including myself - had never been on stage before. It's good to know that the defence of our country & the education of our children are in such safe hands.

It had everything - a jousting tournament, a fire-breathing dragon, ghouls, songs & dances. Who needs the West End or Broadway?

We played to 2 packed houses & the comments afterwards were highly favourable. Even folks who'd come along expecting it to be rubbish came away having thoroughly enjoyed it.

Out came champagne at the end. We wre all high. I for one would do it again (Herman - what do you mean I'm a big ham anyway)

Beautiful day in Unst today, with some snow on the ground. Perfect day for the Uyeasound Up-Helly-Aa. Guess it must be Norwick's turn to have the bad weather. Terry Priest's Guizer Jarl's squad came to the school with their galley, Leirkvi. Always sends the kids high. The galley was pulled into the school playground. Everybody then gathered in the school hall to sing the Up-Helly-Aa song and the Norseman's Home. A photograph of the whole school with the Jarl's Squad was taken. Eventually this photo will be added to the others displayed around the hall.

For those that know me I got a haircut on Friday - and rather more was taken off than I intended!!! Unst bloggers will know that my hair tends to be rather on the long side - but not just now. Joy was most upset and traumatised by it all. I did offer to wear a bag over my head until it grew back. Joy also wants everyone to know that my getting a haircut was absolutely nothing whatever to do with her - nor was my wearing a suit on Saturday and Monday!!

Anyway that disclaimer over, the past few days have been hectic. Thursday night was a panto rehearsal and then I had a 2 and a half journey and 2 ferries to get to Joy's house as I had a meeting in Lerwick the next day. Got to Spiggie at 10.45pm. Rather tired.

The next day, after a 2 hour wait at the dentist's for an 'emergency' appointment, it was to the Garrison Theatre in Lerwick to help set up for the Shetland Schools' Film Festival on Sat. At night, we went to the Spiggie Hotel for an 'American' evening. Huge menu with lots of tasters - cocktails, burgers, succotash, jambalaya, mom's apple pie, pecan pie, Texas caviar, Southern fried chicken, corn bread, chowder, etc, etc. Absolutely stuffed we were. Definite need for loosening one's belt afterwards. It's a small hotel but very nice.

The Film Festival happened on Sat afternoon. This is the 1st event of its kind and involved pupils from schools in Baltasound, Whalsay, Whiteness, Brae, Ollaberry, North Roe, Scalloway, Nesting. The pupils used digital video or stop-frame animation. We were treated to Superhero rabbits, talking pigs, zombies, Shetland's version of Balamory. Each school was presented with a certificate and a Tammie (our equivalent of an Oscar or a Bafta - named after the Tammie Norie, the Shetland name for a puffin). I spent the afternoon in a box providing voice-overs and controlling the lighting. Good fun though. Went off without a hitch.

Monday was another big day. Had a job interview at a school on the Shetland mainland and got the job. So, there'll come a time when I won't be island blogging as Far North but as Far Sooth!! (That's why Herman congratulated me).

Anyway, we're having snow showers today, so here's hoping that we'll waken up tomorrow and have a day off!!

Monday saw our MSP come to our school. He was up visiting the team working to rejuvenate Unst in the event of the impending shut down of RAF Saxa Vord, and to visit the PURE energy project and see the hydrogen powered eco-car. Afterwards he came to have a question and answer session with our secondary pupils. Never ones to shy away from controversy, there were, naturally, questions relating to recent happenings in the Lib Dem party. Handled very well they were also!

Tuesday was Up Helly Aa in Lerwick, with the Wednesday being a public holiday there so that Lerwegians can recover from their hangovers. Unst has its own Up Helly Aas (note the plural) in February. We were business as usual that day. Joy, whose school, in Lerwick, was shut came up to visit. Sound asleep she was when I phoned to say everyone was saying she should come into our staff room for a coffee. We were at work so EVERYONE should be up!! I'm sure she'll get her own back on Monday, when I'm down at hers but don't have to be up until later!!

As puffinbillyunst has already reported, Friday was a busy day in our little school. He mentioned that our nursery department was given a glowing report by the HMI. Well done!

Our secondary department also had a visit from the Dogs against Drugs team - in a strictly non-working capacity, I must add!! The pupils were very taken by the 2 Labrador sniffer dogs. We, too, had a vist from our "high heid yins". Held my breath when pupils working in computers were asked various questions about what they were doing. Phew, when told that they seemed to know their spreadsheets and databases!!

Anyway time to let my hair (which I am not short of) down at night with our community's Burns Supper in the hotel - Joy's first ever. Cock-a-leekie soup & haggis, neeps and tatties - toasted by seemingly unlimited drams. (I declined the whisky after my experiences at Aald Yule.) Speeches and music were both entertaining and (intentionally) hilarious. One person sitting at our table literally had tears streaming down her face. Perhaps next year the musicians will have learned the words to the songs.

Not being a Burns' fan (but any excuse for a night out) I was amazed at how much I knew when it came to the quiz about the Bard. We didn't win but we did come second - with no help whatsoever from the teacher of English at our table!!

Despite what many non-Unst folk may think most of my good nights out in recent years have been on this small island. More entertainment up here than there often is in the Big Smoke - Lerwick, that is.

Just returned from a wee jolly to Glasgow - courtesy of Learning & Teaching Scotland. Baltasound & Whalsay schools are piloting a project where school pupils can access the Scottish Records Office to look at censuses, birth certificates, marriages, etc. So we were away on a little course.

The hotel we were staying in was a few minutes walk from the course venue. The room I had was the size of a small house!! But Esther from Whalsay had a room with a DOUBLE JACUZZI in it - no, we did NOT share it!!!

Walking down Sauchiehall Street on Friday night and, as usually happens, we bumped into folk from Shetland. They were down at Celtic Connections courtesy of Shetland Arts Trust. We Shetlanders get everywhere. There's probably one near you as you read this. Didn't go to any of Celtic Connections but I did buy a case for my bodhran. So that's a bit musical.

But the big difference I noticed compared to life in the isles was coming in from Glasgow Airport on Thurs night. Nose to tail traffic all the way along the motorway at a virtual standstill. And people do that every day!!! I'll never compl;ain about the sheep as I drive freely through Yell again.