Stromness Day 21

It’s amazing how a shaft of sunlight striking my pillow as I heard the engine throb of the ferry backing out from its overnight berth , energised me enough to get up and go for an early morning walk round the Ness.

It was a beautiful morning and I had it all to myself other than two others early morning walkers, one of whom I wondered as I passed might be blipper Happy Valley. I was too late in asking but when I saw her horses in a field further on, I realised it had been an opportunity missed. I recognised the horses because they were the ones on my blip 2 days ago.

I was down at the pier later in to wave goodbye to my school friend et al as they left Orkney after their 4 days of intense sight seeing. The weather was kind to them and they saw a lot, but not Stromness which is disappointing. I have given them instructions to read some of George Mackay Brown and listen to ‘Farewell to Stromness ‘by Peter Maxwell Davies. I thought the fact that GMB’s muse was Stella Cartwright who was a few years above us at school. Who would have thought of that as a career- certainly not Miss Jennings!

After lunch I visited a very old friend in Kirkwall and spent a very pleasant hour and a half with her. It is she whose daughter my #2 daughter stayed with on her flying visit to check on my wellbeing a fortnight ago.

Now I have my glad rags on , such as they are, as I entertain Kittenhips and CMC to dinner in the Hamnavoe Restaurant in Stromness. I hope it doesn’t let me down.