Far North - February 2006

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!!

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!!

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.

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)

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!!