Safe Return Doubtful

The border in question is the strait between Mainland and Yell which I crossed on Wednesday evening, after a calm in some squally weather.

A rainy morning had led to little physical activity other than a journey on foot up to the renovated house that I had admired for two days. No one was there, and no sign of any recent activity. It’s not in as advanced a state as I thought, though the roof has been repaired. It is a superb place to live. To get to it, it is necessary to drive along the beach initially, so at low tide.

On leaving the North Roe peninsula I pulled in at North Collafirth marina to fill up with water. From my experience in Scandinavia last autumn marinas offer useful services, not only for boats, but for campervans as well. Up there, it was necessary to pay to use their facilities on an app, GoMarina, but here it is all done through an honesty box.

There was a shower, and also laundry facilities. Though I didn’t need the latter just yet, with the rain falling, such an opportunity couldn’t be missed. I spent a couple of hours cleaning the interior of the van, and after two hours, emerged refreshed.

Then it was via the Co-Op in Brae to the ferry terminal at Toft for the 20 minute crossing to Yell. Two boats service the crossing, and at this time of year, high season, there’s one every half hour. There’s a charge on the outward journey only, £16 for me, judged as less than 5.5 metres in length, by the crew’s trained eye. I am actually 5.9 metres, and the cost should be £23.

My destination was only 20 minutes from the terminal on Yell, West Sandwick beach, and its carpark, just a few metres from the beach.

We stayed here for two nights, and on the Thursday hiked around the peninsula to the south, the Ness of West Sandwick. This was a 3 hour, 5.5 mile excursion that began on the rugged ocean coast, climbed to the high point of 50 metres, then returned on the leeward side, passing this imposing house that puts me in mind of one of my favourite books, Elspeth Barker’s O Caledonia, in which young Janet suffers a miserable childhood in a strict Scottish Presbyterian household. (In the photo below)

Though I was the only campervan at the parking for two days, a few walkers visited during the days. When I arrived, in heavy rain and wind, there was a couple camped in a tent on the beach. They were from Durham, and in day 27 of a 700 mile hike around Shetland’s coastline. They agreed with me about how much a pain crossing the fences were, but said they had spoken to a few farmers, who had said that it was no problem to cross them, which surprised me. There is access to all of the coastline, but it’s just not very easy walking in a few places.

A couple of very friendly Shetland ponies just next to the beach and my park-up..

A guy originally from Carlisle lived with his terrier in a small house at the top of the road, and was down a few times to chat over the couple of days. There’s a real mix of nationalities amongst the population here, and they are very welcoming. The international feel is enhanced by tourists also; there aren’t very many, but they are from a huge variety of places.

It made this poem even more poignant.. I try not to get political here, but just occasionally something grates..

Paint over Mickey Mouse 
Burn Where the Wild Things Are
Pulverise the lego 
Set fire to the Christmas tree star. 
Seize all the teddies 
Bury every skipping rope
Paint the walls dark brown 
Abolish all hope.

(Michael Rosen)

During one of the periods of rain I read a piece with various recommendations of podcasts, and decided that instead of listening to just whatever next happens to come on the radio, I would try some of these.. at least between test matches.

Here’s a few that I thought looked of interest..

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford (his More or Less show for Radio 4 is very good)

Second Captains (sport)

The Evolution of Horror

70 mm – on movies

Local Anaesthetic – weird and funny news

Blank Check – movies

Chart Music – deconstruction on individual Top of the Pops episodes

The History of Rock in 500 Songs

Song Exploder

The Alexei Sayle Podcast

The Rest is Politics – with Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell (latest episode with Fergal Sharkey instead Stewart)

The News Agents

Mystery Show

Revisionist History with Malcolm Gladwell

Backlisted – giving new life to old books

Ask Any Buddy

Classic Ghost Stories – the story, followed by a deconstruction of it

Slow News

Welcome to Night Vale – a fiction podcast which is a sort of dark humour with a good music soundtrack, I’ve listened to the first three episodes (there are currently about 270) and it’s reeling me in.

Desert Island Dicks – the worst people and the worst things to be stranded on and island with