An unexpected visitor

The weather forecast had warned us that Sunday was going to have a lot of wind and rain, but that didn’t stop the intrepid James, Heather and Ewan from climbing Ullapool Hill in the morning, before the heaviest rain arrived. I walked down to the village and met them coming back along Shore Street, and Heather and I popped into the bookshop and the delicatessen. It had already been very windy for them at the top of the hill and sure enough the rain was soon lashing against the windows of the cottage. So after lunch James lit the fire and we read magazines and books and chatted. We even played a couple of games of Maponimoes before dinner; Heather and Ewan hadn’t played it before and I had forgotten the minutiae of the rules but we soon got up to speed and it was great fun. 

We walked along to the Ceilidh Place for a lovely dinner; their menu has improved immeasurably since their cut down menu during Covid times. Then we popped into the Argyll Hotel to see Shrew and the Loveland Frogmen, a folk and bluegrass group who I thought were very good, and it’s nice to find out about the local music scene. We just stayed for the first part of the gig because after our big dinner we were looking forward to getting back to the wood fire at the cottage, which we managed without getting too wet in the on / off rain. 

However little did we know that a final adventure of the evening lay ahead of us. As we walked up the north road back towards the cottage, we noticed that a kitten of about four or five months was following us; it would run ahead of us, then fall behind, then run ahead of us again. It was an attractive wee thing; grey with a white bib and paws. Alarmingly, it also kept veering off the pavement and into the road, which luckily was very quiet, but it is the main road and we were concerned that it might get hit by a car. We kept encouraging it to turn back but it was very persistent and followed us over the bridge and along into Morefield. By this time we realised that it must be quite far from home, and as it was clearly so young I wasn’t sure whether it would find its way back, so I picked it up and carried it into the cottage. It squeaked and wriggled at this indignity but allowed itself to be carried inside and I put it into the study with a small saucer of cat food and the spare litter tray. It immediately scoffed the food and did a big and rather smelly poo in the litter tray. I shut the door because I knew that Tom and Flora would not be pleased, but they heard its little cries and were very curious! 

I’m not normally a fan of social media for many reasons which I think I have documented in the past, although I do use it occasionally, but it certainly came into its own on Sunday evening. I took a photo of the kitten (a rather unflattering picture of it sitting in the litter tray, but I was in a hurry to find its owners!) and quickly posted it on the Ullapool Facebook page. In less than five minutes I started getting responses from people who recognised it - or as I now found out, HER, and I was put in touch with her owner, who was very pleasant and grateful and sent her husband round in his van to collect her. Heather very kindly came outside with me and hailed the cat owner when he arrived at the end of the lane. The kitten is called Flores (she is named after a beach) and has a reputation as a bit of a wanderer although she has never wandered so far before! Her family live next to the Argyll Hotel so Flores had followed us all the way from there! She was very cute but I was very relieved that she was claimed so quickly. 

Loch of the Beautiful Tresses

Heather and Ewan arrived to visit us on Friday. It was great to see them and we were especially impressed that they had driven north straight from the airport after their holiday in Rome! Naturally, I was keen to show them a good time after their fabulous time in the eternal city, so I had done a bit of research into fun things to do. So on Saturday morning we headed to Kylescu and went on a boat trip along Glencoul and Loch Beag to Scotland’s highest waterfall, Eas a’ Chual Aluinn (which is also Great Britain’s highest waterfall!) which has a 200 metre sheer drop. Its name means Loch of the Beautiful Tresses. The weather was pleasant and sunny and we saw a sea eagle as well as plenty of seals on the little islands in the loch. It was all very beautiful with mountains and rocks around the loch, including part of the Moine Thrust where you can clearly see that the much older rocks have moved on top of the newer rocks, not that they are all that new of course! The waterfall can best be seen from the head of the loch, otherwise you have to walk for a boggy six miles to reach it! It did look impressive, although it’s not right beside the loch, I would love to see it closer up. On the way back to the slipway, the boat was heading into the breeze to it was a bit cooler, but still not too cold. 

We then had an delicious lunch at the Kylescu hotel, really excellent food, sitting at a table with marvellous views over the water. On the way back to Ullapool we stopped at Knockan Crag, another geological marvel, where we clambered on a scarily (to me!) exposed path right up to the top of the crags. I think that I have been up there a long time ago but oh boy I had forgotten how amazing the views are of the lochs way below and the mountains behind them. Luckily the way back down seemed less rough and steep, and soon we were back in the cottage for pasta puttanesca (my old Delia Smith recipe and highly complimented by our guests!) and a convivial evening. 

Catching Up

We have had a lovely week in Ullapool. Last Tuesday Alison & Hugh came through to visit us and have lunch, and we went for a walk around the village to look at the new building works at the front. The road at the front (Shore Street) is being widened. I have my doubts about this because I feel that the current narrow road, although inconvenient at busy times, limits the speed of the traffic because the cars have to negotiate around each other. I hope that this new wider road does not encourage speeding, but all the local people seem very happy about it so what do I know? It was great to see Alison and Hugh; we haven’t seen them since Hugh and Lucy’s wedding so we had lots to talk about. 

On Wednesday afternoon I drove back down to Cambuslang and stayed there overnight because I was meeting Libby, Maggie, Wendy and Helen in Ardrossan on Thursday lunchtime. A long way to go for a lunch, but it had been arranged before our trip to Ullapool was definite, and I don’t mind a drive. And indeed we had a convivial and delightful lunch at Cecchini’s, and it was absolutely great to catch up with the girls. I set off for the five hour drive back north to Ullapool at about half past three and was pleased to find that it was an easy, pleasant journey with no hold-ups. I listened to an audiobook during the drive and stopped at Perth Marks & Spencer’s to do a small grocery shopping and have a bite to eat in the café. I stopped again at Inverness Tesco to pick up a few items that I had forgotten, and it was a good opportunity to stretch my legs. I arrived back in (Ullapool) in the dark just before 10 pm. The roads had been fairly quiet on my drive but it was interesting to see various large vehicles carrying diggers and other building equipment, and wide loads of building supplies all being moved around the Highland roads in the twilight and darkness. I presume that it’s a quieter and better time to transport them, but it was strange to see; I didn’t realise that all of this goes on in the evenings. 

A Visit and the Funeral

This week has been a run up to the Queen’s funeral, but it hasn’t been all about the Queen at Casa Anderson! In fact the main event of our week was Margaret’s visit from America. It was absolutely lovely to see her, and the first night of her visit coincided with Cat spending the night on her way to Rosa’s wedding, so we all had a pleasant chat. The next morning Margaret and I went for a swim and a spa at David Lloyd; we had a proper chat about everything under the sun since we haven’t seen each other since last year. Later we went out for a walk in the west end with James and the three of us had dinner at Brel in Ashton Lane and then churros at Loop and Scoop on Great Western Road. It was an excellent evening. 

In the morning Margaret and I went for a walk around Cambuslang, revisiting many old familiar places from our childhood including Margaret’s former home in Brownside Road, and then had a coffee at Costa. I was very sad to say goodbye to her but it was a really lovely visit.

Last night we had a pleasant dinner with Marjory and Forrest at Luciano’s in Burnside, and then set off northwards to Ullapool at about half past eight. The reason for this was that we were keen to be in Ullapool when the royal funeral commenced this morning. The cats were amazed to be loaded into the car, they had not anticipated an evening journey. The roads were nice and quiet and we made good time. 

So it was rather nice to wake up in the morning with the journey behind us. It was a historic occasion; the first State funeral since that of Winston Churchill in 1965 (which I definitely remember seeing on our black and white television even though I was only two years old!) We had the television on for the funeral coverage all day but although we watched the services at Westminster Abbey and St George’s Chapel at Windsor, I didn’t watch the whole procession going through the countryside to Windsor Castle. It was still a long time to watch television though, and when it was over James and I went for a refreshing walk around the village before dinner time. 

The images which will stay with me from today:

The sailors pulling the coffin along on its gun carriage.

The Queen’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren walking along behind her coffin and attending the service.

So many world leaders turning out to pat their respects to our Queen; Biden, Macron, Trudeau, Ardern and many more. 

The eight young men of 1st Battalion of the Grenadier Guards doing a stalwart job of carrying the heavy lead-lined coffin up and down the steps at Westminster and Windsor.

Emma the pony and two of her beloved corgis being brought out as the cortège arrived at Windsor.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte being so very well-behaved at St George’s Chapel. 

And the piper’s lament fading into the distance at the end of the service. Rest in Peace. 

The Queue

This last week has been very much about saying goodbye to the Queen. Of course we have also done plenty of other things, but the knowledge that she has been lying in state has always been in the background. Even more so because not one but TWO of our boys joined that massive queue to pay their respects to the Queen. Needless to say Jamie, having the valid excuse of being in New Zealand, was not one of them!

Alasdair was first; he joined it in Bermondsey and queued for eight hours from 6 p.m. on Thursday until just after 2 a.m. on Friday morning, messaging us all the way with updates on his progress. The route went along the riverside then crossed the river at Lambeth Bridge before going into a set of zigzags as it approached Westminster Hall. He let us know that he needed to switch his phone off as he was about to go through security. I was watching the live feed on television but was nervous that I wouldn’t spot him, however Cat (who had gone to bed) came back downstairs just as Ally appeared on the steps at the back of Westminster Hall and pointed him out instantly. He looked so sweet in his grey suit with black tie, with his coat over his arm. We were both excited as we watched him walk past the Queen’s coffin, respectfully bowing his head as he passed, and I took some photos of the screen to send to him.

Later on Friday morning David arrived from Manchester to join the queue. It was much longer by then; he joined it in Southwark Park at 9.45 a.m. which was lucky because it was closed for six hours not long after he joined, to give it a chance to go down a bit. He ended up queueing for fourteen-and-a-half hours! Like Ally, he updated us with his progress, and told us that he was enjoying the friendly atmosphere of the crowd. He had brought his kindle as well as his phone and headphones to help to pass the time but he found that there was so much to look at and people were chatting, so he didn’t need them. I got the message that he was nearly there just before midnight, and at quarter past midnight on Saturday I saw him on the live feed, walking down the steps into the hall. This time the camera, which had been fixed immobile on the whole room when Ally walked through, was zooming around all over the place. Luckily when Davie passed the coffin and bowed his head the camera was recording a close up of the side he was on, so I got some good photos of the screen, but if the camera had homed in on the other side I wouldn’t have seen him at all! 

I was very proud of Ally and Davie for their commitment and respect. 

Queen of the People

The British are extremely good at ceremonies, and the late Queen’s procession today from Buckingham Palace to lie in state at Westminster Hall was no exception. The procession was led by mounted police, the Household Cavalry and the Grenadier and Scots Guards. Seven black horses pulled the open gun carriage bearing her coffin, and she was followed on the forty minute journey by her four children walking behind the gun carriage, with grandsons William and Harry behind them as well as members of her household. The coffin was draped with the Royal Standard and on top of it, sitting on a cushion, was the Imperial State Crown, lined in purple and sparkling with jewels. It was really beautiful and it was sad that she will never wear it again. 

You could hear Big Ben tolling mournfully and guns being fired from Hyde Park every 60 seconds. I was very proud that Cat was one of the many people who were lining the streets to watch the Queen go by. On arrival at Westminster Hall the Queen’s coffin was carried inside by six young soldiers, and placed carefully on a plinth, where she will lie in state for four days until her funeral on Monday. And after a short service, members of the public, some of whom had started queueing days ago, were allowed into the hall and started filing past the coffin. This was the part that moved me most. The people walked past quietly and solemnly, pausing to bow their heads towards her, some making the sign of the cross. It made me realise that the Queen didn’t just head up the Royals or the Armed Forces, she was the Queen of the people of the country, and many of these people were standing in miles long queues, just to pay their respects and to say farewell. Of course I’m aware that many people are not keen on the monarchy, and I respect their opinions, but now is not the time for debate. It’s the time, for those who wish to do so, to reflect on the long and dedicated reign of the Queen. 

Manchester sunshine

We have had another excellent day in Manchester. We met Davie and Chanel at Salford Quays for a coffee sitting outside The Alchemist. Our table overlooked the canal and it was rather idyllic sitting in the sunshine. We had booked some tickets for a musical boat trip as part of a celebratory event called “We invented the Weekend.” (Apparently the two day weekend was indeed first established in Manchester.) However the event was cancelled due to the Queen’s death. This reminded me of a story my Mum told; she and her mother and younger siblings had saved up for a special weekend at the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle, County Down in February 1952. It was their favourite hotel and their first visit there since her father had died in 1946. However King George VI died on the Wednesday before they went. As a result the hotel was draped in black, the atmosphere was sombre, and the dinner dance, to which they had been looking forward, was cancelled. They were so disappointed. 

Our cancellation today was much less serious, although it must have been very disappointing for the organisers. And in fact the Sunday Roast lunch that we had booked was not cancelled because the food had already been purchased. Also its aim was to raise money for Manchester’s Eat Well organisation, who provide meals for people who are living in poverty, so they didn’t want to let them down. So at 12 noon we strolled across to Media City Open Centre and had a huge and delicious roast with all the trimmings. James, Davie and Chanel had roast beef and I had nut roast. Then we all had sticky toffee pudding; we felt so full! 

The only solution was to go for a walk, so we switched from the Ship Canal to the Bridgewater Canal and walked along the towpath all the way to Castlefield, about five-and-a-half km. Castlefield is another very smart example of Manchester’s urban regeneration, with some lovely flats with balconies overlooking the canal, and nice bars and restaurants. We had drinks outside a pub called The Wharf, busy on this sunny Sunday afternoon, and then took a tram back to Salford. What an excellent day! 

King Charles III

The news is currently dominated by the Queen’s death and also the accession of the new Charles III. The former Prince of Wales has never been a favourite of mine (not that he knows or would care!) I won’t hash over all the well known details but I feel that he was careless and foolish when he was a younger man, and his poor decisions hurt others. But he has got older and has settled down with Camilla, and I am not in the business of judging anybody. So I suppose I’m ok with him becoming King at the age of 73, although it feels strange to have a King. And Camilla is his Queen consort. I’m not really ok with that, especially as Charles promised that she would remain Duchess of Cornwall when he became King. However they have now been married a long time, and (no doubt after much persuasion by Charles) the Queen stated at the Jubilee that it was her wish for Camilla to become Queen consort, so it was bound to happen. 

Queen Elizabeth’s funeral will be on Monday 19th September, which would have been my Mum’s 91st birthday. The Royals are the main news story just now and I expect that will continue until after the funeral. There has been news footage of various Royal personages greeting the crowds at various Royal residences; notably Princes William and Harry and their wives temporarily put aside their differences this evening to do a walkabout outside Windsor Castle. King Charles has made a broadcast to the nation, and has been confirmed as King by the government, although he became King the moment that his mother died. 

The Queen herself is still at Balmoral and will be taken by car to Edinburgh tomorrow. 

Meanwhile we are in Manchester visiting Davie and Chanel. The weather is mild and sunny and we have been having a lovely time. We have been for a pleasant walk along a canal at Bridgewater, and this evening we had dinner at Zizzi’s in the Trafford Centre and then went to see a film, See How They Run. I thoroughly enjoyed it; it was funny and witty and quirky. It was stuffed with well-known luvvies, and Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan were particularly good. 

Queen Elizabeth II has died

The Queen died yesterday afternoon, September 8th 2022. It was a surprise and yet not a surprise. A surprise because I really had thought that she might live to be 100; after all her mother lived until she was 101. On the other hand she was 96 years old, at which age I think you can decline very quickly, and I get the impression that Prince Philip’s death last year affected her deeply; she had certainly lost weight and looked much more frail over the last year. 

I felt very sad about the news and as well as feeling sorry for her family, there is a sense of history about her death; like everyone else under 70, I have only had one monarch in my lifetime. She was still working only two days before she died, standing to greet the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss. She had a big smile and was dressed very smartly but the backs of her hands were all bruised in the way of old age. As she promised when she was a young woman, she dedicated her whole life to the service of the country. It seemed as if she would always be there.

The memories of yesterday that will stay with me:

The announcement from the Queen’s doctors at lunchtime that they were “concerned for Her Majesty’s health, and the news that the Queen’s children were all heading to Balmoral. 

The television footage from shortly before the public announcement of a note about the Queen’s health being passed around the front benches of the House of Commons, the looks of concern on the faces of the MPs as they realised the gravity of the situation and the Speaker expressing his best wishes to the Queen and her family.

The announcement of the Queen’s death at on BBC1 at 6.30 p.m. by Huw Edwards, wearing his black tie. By this time I sort of expected it, but it still felt like a bit of a shock. 

And then today when I was in Glasgow, all of the electronic billboards had pictures of the Queen instead of the usual advertising and the Bowling Club flag was flying at half mast. Heather and I were at the much postponed (because of Covid) David Essex concert, and when he paid tribute to the Queen everybody applauded him. It truly is the end of an era. 

Health - mine and the Queen’s

In my ongoing but futile attempts to find an exercise that I enjoy in addition to swimming, I have tried a couple of classes at David Lloyd this week. First was yoga, which I have enjoyed in the past, but I found it to be very strenuous, I clearly need to work on being more flexible. Some of the girls in the class were extremely bendy and I was quite jealous. Then I went to “Spirit” which is a mix of yoga and Pilates. It was still hard work but somehow more flowing and enjoyable, with nice music, so I think I will go back to it. And finally I tried Aqua. Most of the other participants were noticeably older than me, but I really enjoyed it because the water kept me cool; I usually overheat during exercise. Also I did work hard, so I felt that I benefited from the class. I will definitely go back to that one. 

I have also done a good bit of swimming in the outdoor pool so it has been a good fitness week. 

We are going to meet Heather and Ewan for a meal tomorrow at Ask Italian, and I offered to book it. So yesterday I went to book it online and after confirming date and number of people and typing in all my details, all I got was the dreaded “spinning wheel!” So like Robert the Bruce’s spider, I tried and tried again. Finally my booking was completed and I received an email to confirm it. However this morning I got a phone call from the restaurant to say that I had booked EIGHT tables for four people! Luckily the member of staff noticed and phoned me to check, so all was sorted. 

Meanwhile in other news, the Queen has been taken ill at Balmoral Castle, where she spends the summer months. She has become increasingly frail since Prince Philip died last year, and has mobility problems that have forced her to pull out of some public engagements recently. However the announcement at lunchtime today by her doctors was that they are “concerned for Her Majesty’s health” and her children are all on their way to Balmoral, which gives the impression that it’s very serious. 

Apple and blackberry crumble

I woke in the middle of last night to hear torrential rain absolutely hammering against the skylight and the windows. But when I woke again in the morning, it was bright and sunny as if it had never happened. I knew that it hadn’t been a dream though, because the grass and soil in the garden were very wet, as I found out to my cost when I was picking blackberries later. My sandals became covered with mud and I had to wash them. James picked some apples from the Reids’ tree that overhangs our garden (with their ongoing permission!) We made an apple and blackberry crumble which was delicious after dinner with home made vanilla ice cream. 

It continued warm and sunny all day. I went to an Aqua class at David Lloyd and then had a swim outdoors. We spent a lot of the afternoon in the garden, because who knows how long this great weather will last? Needless to say the cats loved this and joined us on the patio. I saw Flora eyeing up the cushion that I was sitting on so I fetched one for her, and sure enough she had a long nap lying on her cushion in the sunshine. Tom preferred to lie on the warm slabs so that he could roll around freely, which he enjoys.

On a topical note, we have a new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, or at least we will have when she is sworn in tomorrow. This will take place at Balmoral because of the Queen’s mobility problems. Liz Truss seems to be a strong character; she will need to be! 

The Rings of Power

And so a rather lovely week in Ullapool has come to an end. All we need to to is a quick tidy, clean and hoover around the cottage ready for our next visit. Unfortunately Tom and Flora have noticed us packing up and are sitting around, alert and (rightfully) suspicious that we are about to take them on a four hour car journey.

I burst out laughing yesterday when I saw Ewan’s blog title “Better Call Sauron.” This is a very apt and funny reference to Better Call Saul (the recently concluded and excellent prequel to Breaking Bad) and to the newly released, huge budget, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which is also a sort of prequel set thousands of years before The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Amazon, who have bought the television rights to Lord of the Rings, will be hoping that it is very successful because apparently they have invested 1 billion US dollars to make it! I mean a billion dollars! I can’t even imagine that much money. 

When James and I watched the first episode we joked that they had blown the whole budget on elf ears, but it quickly became apparent that this is top quality stuff. The special effects have made it visually stunning, very reminiscent of the film series. The details are lovely too; for example James pointed out a gorgeous ladder made from one piece of carved wood. The actors, who are pleasingly diverse in colour and gender, are not all that well known; probably the only big name is Lennie Henry as a Harfoot (these are proto-hobbits with inexplicable Irish accents.) It remains to be seen whether the acting and above all the plot live up to the high standards expected of it by the audience. James and I both enjoyed the first episode but as Ewan also said in his blog, the jury’s still out. 

Now I come to think about it, we are currently watching another prequel; House of the Dragon, set a couple of hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones. Prequels must be in fashion. 

Idlewild at Ullapool Village Hall

We were excited to see Idlewild perform this evening at Ullapool Village Hall, but I was horrified on arrival to find that the gig was standing only. I like dancing at concerts but I prefer to have a seat in case I want a wee rest. Oh well, we were among the first to arrive, so we stood at the barrier right at the front, which gave me something to lean against. The support act was Iona Zajac, who has a lovely voice and went down very well with the audience. By the time Idlewild arrived the hall was full to capacity and very hot. From our vantage point right at the front it was interesting to observe the band getting hotter and hotter as they sang and leaped about the stage; soon they were dripping with sweat and their hair was plastered to their heads. Idlewild is an indie rock band, and although I only knew a few of their songs I really enjoyed their music. Quite a few of their lyrics have literary references, particularly the song “Scottish Fiction” which includes a poem written for the song by Edwin Morgan. 

The reason that the band wanted to play in Ullapool is that it’s twenty years since they wrote their most successful album, “The Remote Part” in a cottage in Inchnadamph, so they wanted to play the album in full as close as possible to where they wrote it. When the concert was over we emerged into the delightfully cool air of the evening only to find ourselves partially deaf, with our ears ringing. Let’s hope that our hearing returns to normal soon! 

Geology at Clachtoll

Today we went to Clachtoll because I wanted to visit its sandy beach and perhaps swim there. Also, I have read that there are many very interesting geological features there that I thought James would be interested in. In the end, I didn’t swim because we ran out of time after our geological walk, but the several beaches look absolutely beautiful and hopefully I will swim there before too long. The beaches have lovely dunes and machair behind them with the iconic Split Rock to the south but today we walked north around the coast to the bay of Stoer. The sea was a spectacular turquoise colour and there were amazing sandstone ridges leading down into the sea. 

The remains of a 2000 year old Iron Age broch has recently been cleared of fallen stones to reveal an interior staircase, a hearth, and cavities in the walls which may have been used for sleeping or storage. It’s a good size in circumference and although only one storey remains, it was apparently once eight storeys high. 

We continued North to another beach, which had amazing large stripy stones and some sand at the shore. At the far end of it we could see layers of rock running diagonally from the hill into the sea. James went to investigate a small but famous rock, called Stac Fada. 

This band of sandstone has a dark green rock mixed through it. And that means that it is the ejecta from a meteor strike millions of years ago. It has not been established whether the meteor struck inland or out in the Minch, but it was exciting to see the evidence.

Back in Lochinver we had a late lunch sitting outdoors at the pie shop, James had the Cullen Skink which he said was delicious and I had a chocolate and pear pie. It was very warm and we were happy in just shorts and t shirts. 

Sunny September (so far)

It has been a good start to September, with the weather here in Ullapool continuing to be sunny and mild. According to the weather forecast, tomorrow will be the last good day before the weather breaks and becomes more autumnal. We have stayed mainly close to home, relaxing out in the garden in the hammock while James has repaired the old bench which we inherited with the cottage. The cats have delighted in our company, observing James’ work, or following me down the lane while I was taking end of summer photos. I had a long phone chat with Jackie; the cancer has woken up again (her words) but she and her team of doctors have a plan for new treatments.

Meanwhile James continued his quest to climb all of the Scottish Corbetts by walking up Ben Arkle at Laxford Bridge. He arrived home tired but happy and we had Lochinver pies for dinner.