Fletcher Saga 02 August 2006
Posted: Wednesday, 02 August 2006 |
On Sunday 02 July the mid-morning ferry brought people from Sanday and Eday to Stronsay. A United Service for the Eday & Stronsay congregations was held in Stronsay Kirk at 12:15 and at 3 pm the Sanday Fiddle Club gave a concert in Stronsay Kirk. Mike Newman lead the Sanday Fiddle Club which played pieces by Bach, Sir Peter Maxwell Davis (Master of the Queen's Music and a resident of Sanday), Gustav Holst, one of Mike's own compositions and finished with a piece based on a composition by The Beatles. The kirk has been quite busy with concerts this year. On the evening of Friday 14 July there was a Summer Clarinet Recital, a fundraiser (donations, no admission charge) for Stronsay Playground, arranged by Julia from Clifton. The well-attended concert was given by Sue Bishop & Ian Noonan. Sue is a clarinet teacher at St Paul's Cathedral School, London and Ian is a clarinet & bass clarinet player with the Salomon Orchestra, London's leading non-professional symphony orchestra. They form the clarinet sections of I Maestri, a unique organisation that helps talented young conductors hone their skills, and Waterloo Winds.
Stronsay Gala was held on Saturday 08 July. Although the weather was somewhat cool the rain held off. The entertainments included the pipe band and the South Ronaldsay ploughboys with their miniature ploughs & the ploughgirls dressed as horses. The pet show was very popular and comprised dogs, cats, ducks, hens and ferrets. There were just two floats this year - a kitchen scene and a Wild West scene (Jack, the Shetland pony, and a miniature Conestoga wagon). The Clydesdales from Fernside were there along with several horses and ponies. Unfortunately when we came to leave we found that the car's batttery was flat and we had to rely on two "good samaritans" with a camper van and a set of jump leads who helped get the car started. There are some o my photographs of the Gala here
Peggy Bain, a visitor from West Virginia, USA paid Stronsay a visit on Tuesday 11 July. Apparently this is Peggy's eighth visit to Orkney and her first visit to Stronsay. Peggy had sent me an email announcing her intention to visit Stronsay and expressing a wish to meet the author of the "Fletcher Saga" - fame at last! Peggy arrived on the Tuesday evening ferry stayed at the Stronsay Hotel for two nights and departed on the Thursday morning ferry. Christina and her daughter Linda, two old friends from Kent, England arrived for a short visit on the same Tuesday evening ferry as Peggy. So on Wednesday afternoon the kitchen was quite full when Peggy called in to see us.
We had quite a few hot, sunny days in July but August has seen a return to dull, cool and damp weather. I played the organ for a wedding on Sat 22 July when the weather was foggy but this did not deter the large congregation from enjoying the wedding ceremony, held in the kirk, and the dance, held in the Community Centre. People often remark on the fact that dances on Stronsay do not start until 9:30 pm, this is to allow local farmers to make the most of the long daylight hours to complete their summer-time tasks such as silage cutting, ploughing, rolling, drilling etc
We cannot help but shake our heads when we read in the the national press and hear on the radio that folk "down south" are concerned because petrol and diesel fuel may soon cost one pound per litre. We've been paying over a pound a litre in Orkney for at least a year!
(All previous Sagas are on my website at )
Stronsay Gala was held on Saturday 08 July. Although the weather was somewhat cool the rain held off. The entertainments included the pipe band and the South Ronaldsay ploughboys with their miniature ploughs & the ploughgirls dressed as horses. The pet show was very popular and comprised dogs, cats, ducks, hens and ferrets. There were just two floats this year - a kitchen scene and a Wild West scene (Jack, the Shetland pony, and a miniature Conestoga wagon). The Clydesdales from Fernside were there along with several horses and ponies. Unfortunately when we came to leave we found that the car's batttery was flat and we had to rely on two "good samaritans" with a camper van and a set of jump leads who helped get the car started. There are some o my photographs of the Gala here
Peggy Bain, a visitor from West Virginia, USA paid Stronsay a visit on Tuesday 11 July. Apparently this is Peggy's eighth visit to Orkney and her first visit to Stronsay. Peggy had sent me an email announcing her intention to visit Stronsay and expressing a wish to meet the author of the "Fletcher Saga" - fame at last! Peggy arrived on the Tuesday evening ferry stayed at the Stronsay Hotel for two nights and departed on the Thursday morning ferry. Christina and her daughter Linda, two old friends from Kent, England arrived for a short visit on the same Tuesday evening ferry as Peggy. So on Wednesday afternoon the kitchen was quite full when Peggy called in to see us.
We had quite a few hot, sunny days in July but August has seen a return to dull, cool and damp weather. I played the organ for a wedding on Sat 22 July when the weather was foggy but this did not deter the large congregation from enjoying the wedding ceremony, held in the kirk, and the dance, held in the Community Centre. People often remark on the fact that dances on Stronsay do not start until 9:30 pm, this is to allow local farmers to make the most of the long daylight hours to complete their summer-time tasks such as silage cutting, ploughing, rolling, drilling etc
We cannot help but shake our heads when we read in the the national press and hear on the radio that folk "down south" are concerned because petrol and diesel fuel may soon cost one pound per litre. We've been paying over a pound a litre in Orkney for at least a year!
(All previous Sagas are on my website at )
Posted on Claremont at 20:59
Blog now appears at http://claremont.island-blogging.co.uk
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