Playing in a big space
A photo-shoot with Chris from the band Ippykak at our nearest beach. It’s a glorious Westray day and the Bay of Tafts is calm and blue. Perfect for a quick kayak.
The sun shines out of his guitar
There’s just time on a glorious day to see my friend Chris and record a video for one of the songs from his album with his band Ippykak.
Grace and poise
Cycling past the Skello shop I see a vision in white, a stunningly beautiful, windswept and magnificent white horse. She has grace …
Middle of the road
Middle of the road; that’s something you could never accuse Westray of being.
The truth at last about Westray tourists
So this is what happens to visitors? Spotted in a glass cabinet of curiosities at the Museum in Kirkwall.
For Want of a Nail, the Ship Was Lost
In dazzling sunshine I step off the grassy bank and onto the beach, ending sock-deep in something black and congealed. It’s the …
Leaving my keys
It’s time to cross from the Mainland (and that’s the name for the main island of Orkney, not the UK mainland) to …
School in again all this week. As usual, lessons given in usual order but progress not so satisfactory. Seemingly the scholars are longing for the vacation.
Remembering schooldays and a bucket with a wooden lid
Nancy remembers the Hall as it used to be; a school. So does Catherine. “It’s the first time I’ve been in here …
The Saltire and the burning bush
The Church of Scotland Kirk has a wonderful sign of the Saltire and the burning bush painted on a Westray stone flag …
Curly Kale at Dead Man’s Nose
Tommy is very kind. He’s decided I should have some of his green and some of his purple Curly Kale. Tommy’s garden …
Competitive Cabbages
The Westray Industrial Show is nearly upon us. It’s when folks here get competitive over cabbages, but not Tommy. He says more …
With the grain
Orkney has precious few trees. And I mean precious. Perhaps I should say Orkney has a few precious trees. Windswept, almost barren …
Rough grazing
Wind and weather conspire together to make Westray’s grass rough and tough. That’s essential for the ponies in my field. When the …
Westray is an Island with a sense of community. Large extended families live here, with a high possibility of seeing distant relations on a daily basis. That’s one of the factors that leads to a low … → 8 September, 2010
Pierowall is the name of the only village on the Orkney island of Westray. The problem I had was how to pronounce it. The Westray accent is beautiful and soft and difficult to understand without extreme … → 29 August, 2010
Urban Dictionary: dreek
It means bad weather. The kind of weather which makes you miserable: dull, grey and wet. If it rains hard and water runs down your neck it’s dreek.
Competition Cabbage
Today is an important day in the social calendar of Westray. It’s the day of the 75th Annual Westray Industrial Show. Entries …
