Farewell Faerdie-maet

A fine cloudy morning, a breeze picked up and brought showers.  A better afternoon and evening, but remained fairly cloudy. 

Another early shift in the airport.  I started on the check-in desk again, moving to meeting and boarding flights.  Back to the check-in desk in the afternoon.  Popped by Madeline's and walkies with Sammy.  Met friend Julie for walkies this evening.  We headed to town for a walk and errands.  Quiet night on the sofa now.

Another blow to Da Street, our small high street, as Faerdie-maet closes it's doors for the final time today.  Shetland's longest running café, which opened it's doors in 1900, by Alexander Solotti and the tearoom opening in 1905.  Alexander's father was Peter, he was Italian and a confectioner and named the company P. Solotti & Son.  Their ice-cream was apparently "corrupting" the youth at the time, said the Evangelicals, who apposed the Sunday trade.  The company sold to Walter Robertson, keeping the name and café, also selling the ice-cream from a tricycle around the town.  It sold again in the 1980s to the present owner(s), Brenda Westmoreland, who later changed the name to Faerdie-maet, but always remained as Solotti's to locals.  At the time of the name change, they closed the sit in café, takeaway only, Faerdie-maet means in local dialect, food for a journey.  Happy memories of the place, we would visit every Saturday to pick our weighed sweeties, a milkshake and toasties.  For the past 30 odd years, the consistency and best rolls in town, especially a bacon roll.  I hope it sells soon, and any new owner can keep up the quality and service  maybe even open the sit in café again.  Today's social media feeds have been filled with people getting one last favourite, with queues out the door and over two hour waits.  Sadly I couldn't make it, and no longer working in town, I've missed out on one last bite.  Happy retirement lasses.  Faerdie-maet, Commercial Street, Lerwick.