A few years back, my (then) lady and I decided to have a day out exploring somewhere new and we decided on the ancient city of Chester. An easy place to get to from where we lived and it promised to give us lots of ancient half-timbered black and white buildings housing interesting shops and places to eat. We came back with a small candle-lantern for her and a pair of cut-glass whisky tumblers for me. Meals were superb by candle light, if a bit hard to see what we ate, and the glasses were perfect for the finishing snifter after dinner.
Regrettably the relationship drifted away along with the candle lamp, but the glasses remained as a pair. I no longer drink alcohol (boring) and to make matters worse, the pair of glasses is now a single as I managed to drop one of them on the hard floor in the hallway last year. This proves that nothing really remains constant, everything changes at some time.
However, I am relieved to say that Westray does not seem to alter much at all. Naturally the population varies over the years as you would expect; last week we sadly had three funerals, but on the other hand we are having births too, which we definitely welcome as we need to keep the school open. I had a lovely upbringing during my childhood with nursery, junior and then grammar schools all gently ramming us full of knowledge without us hardly noticing, apart from exam and homework times, but it certainly did me no harm. My English lessons sank in and only yesterday I found myself writing to a company that had emailed me urging me to remember that “…Your (sic) not forgetting you have goods in your shopping cart.” That was like a red rag to a bull. Or just a bit pathetic? I don’t know.
What has all this to do with Westray? I have been writing this Substack for nearly a year now because I want everybody to know that Westray has safe and welcoming places to visit; admittedly we’re somewhat remote, but there is a whole island of wonders to discover. This Substack goes out to readers all over the British Isles and it also wanders over the ocean to the Americas and down under to New Zealand and Australia, Africa and of course Europe, so you will forgive me for being a bit pushy and saying that we welcome visitors especially in the summer months; winter can be a bit iffy, like it was last year but we can put up with that, the lack of visitors then gives us some time to gather our wits again and pretty up the place for the coming year.
I said I would make an effort to highlight something about the Heritage Centre in each posting. Well this first one goes back to when the Centre first opened to great acclaim from the good and the great in Orkney. Its standards have certainly not slipped but indeed improved, having gained museum accreditation, and it will be open every day from mid-May onwards.
Designed by Lizza and Jenna Hume this panel was also used on the cover of the first Annual Report of the Westray Development Trust. The artwork I would say is a collage and it is set in a frame designed and made by Edwin Rendall of The Wheeling Steen Gallery. The pockets and drawers contain natural materials gathered from the land and shores of the island. I am tempted to write a separate Substack page about all three of these panels, watch this space please while I make some enquiries.
The Poem of the week
In Orknay
by William Fowler
Upon the utmost corners of the warld,
and on the borders of this massive round,
quhaire fates and fortoune hes me harld,
I doe deplore my greiffs upon this ground;
and seing roring seis from roks rebound
by ebbs and streames of contrair routing tyds,
and phebus chariot in their wawes ly dround,
quha equallye now night and day divyds,
I cal to mynde the storms my thoughts abyde,
which ever wax and never dois decress,
for nights of dole dayes joys ay ever hyds,
and in their vayle doith al my weill suppress:
so this I see, quhaire ever I remove,
I change bot sees, bot can not chainge my love.
William Fowler (c. 1560 – 1612) was a Scottish poet, writer, courtier, and translator, active from 1581 to 1612.
As I have said previously, I endeavour to stick to the facts that I know. If I have caused any offence or stated incorrect information I apologise, it was not intended.
Another lightsome read Peter :-)