Stromness Shopping Week

Last week was Stromness Shopping Week, the 70th anniversary in fact.  It's an annual event and the whole town seems to take part ~ proper community spirit!  The week is crammed full of activities, exhibitions, music and just plain old fun 😊

Sarah over at Norq From Orq has written a lovely post which explains all about the tradition, far better than I could, so do pop over to her blog for a read 😊

The weather was glorious and from what I've heard Stromness was full of folk all week.  I took myself off down the road for a mooch around on Thursday, and boy was it hot!  I took a couple of photos of the harbour as I trundled by ~ just look at that beautiful blue sky!

Those are the Hills of Hoy in the distance.  Ward Hill is the highest point in Orkney.

This statue is of Dr John Rae, one of Stromness' (and Orkney's) "famous sons", who did not receive the recognition he so greatly deserved during his lifetime.  He was a very interesting man, and I recommend that you follow the link to read of his exploits 😊

I went down the road primarily to have a look at the Scottish Women's Institutes handicrafts exhibition.  There were lots of lovely items on display that the ladies had made, all kinds of crafts including crochet, knitting, quilting, painting and more besides.  I had quite a chat with the two ladies who were manning the door.  They were both so friendly and urged me to give the SWI a go ~ as one of them pointed out, I would meet more folk LOL 

 The other lady also told me that they are always looking for "younger" women to join.  I pointed out that I am hardly a young woman, at the ripe old age of 57 (as the recent photo above clearly shows 😉) but apparently that is considered "young" for the local SWI!  I am seriously considering the idea, and perhaps will amble along to the September meeting, after my folks have gone back home after their holiday up here for Mum's 80th birthday at the end of August.

I thought you might like to see our pretty little "day boarder".  Bonnie comes to us two days a week whilst her Dad does his long work shifts.  She is a nine year old labrador/spaniel cross and is a delightful little girl.  She is very well behaved and happily made herself at home straightaway.  Matty likes her very much and gets very excited when she first arrives ~ as you can see, though, he soon relaxes back into his default position of "greyhound couch potato" 😃  

Little words of wisdom

Almost there

Well, things are moving along here at St Abbs and most of the work to the exterior of the house is now finished.

Do you remember this rather large concrete water tank base?

Well, Chris got stuck in to its demolition...

...and now it has gone!  Of course it was very damp all around it (Chris disturbed a toad!) which was most likely the cause of the damp patch at the bottom of the dining room wall ~ that's the wall which sticks out between the kitchen and bathroom extensions in the photo above.  Hopefully this area won't get so damp now.

Buried in the concrete base were some lovely lumps of granite!  I guess whoever built it just used whatever they had to hand, although to my mind it seems a sacrilege!  Still, I have a nice pile of granite lumps now for a future rockery project 😉

This is the view along the side of the bathroom extension.  The guys have replaced the roof but the bathroom is still a work-in-progress.  They will be coming back in a few weeks to sort this out.  At some point in the dim and distant past someone thought it would be a good idea to concrete from the house to the garden boundary wall ~ goodness knows why!  We suspect that the void between the two walls has been filled with rubble or stones, which is creating a damp trap ~ plus this appears to be where the dreaded rats have been getting into the house.

Chris and George are going to open the area up and take out whatever has been used as infill.  I'm sort of hoping it might be more lumps of granite but I doubt if we shall be so lucky LOL  The garden wall may have to be temporarily dismantled whilst the guys sort out the damp issues and make the wall rat-proof.

This is a little bit of the wood which was removed from under the slates on the bathroom extension.  The whole lot was rotten and all had to be replaced.  George said it was like cardboard!  There had been a lot of water getting through from the leaking chimney, coupled with no ventilation in the roof space.  Well, that's not technically correct actually.  There are air vents but they were covered by the insulation, so about as much good as a chocolate teaspoon really!

The old kitchen asbestos slate tiles have now been replaced.  They were not in a good condition and were leaking in places *sigh*

The guys carefully removed the tiles and put down a new layer of plywood sheeting...

...followed by a layer of Kingspan insulation and topped with a second layer of new plywood.

The two sides were then built up...

...a Velux window was installed, and the roof was prepped ready for the fibreglass coating.

My word, that fibreglass sure did smell awful!  I felt so sorry for the guys who were applying it, as it was a very hot day and they were both all kitted out in protective suits, latex gloves and face masks!

The plumber came back out once again to fit the lead flashing on both the kitchen and bathroom extensions.

Shug finished off the kitchen roof with uPVC fascias and Chris finished the guttering.

Don't you think that St Abbs is looking so much better now!  The painting and guttering is all finished, apart from the side wall of the bathroom which will be completed once that area has been sorted out.  We have also now had the middle window replaced upstairs, ready for the boxroom-to-bathroom conversion in a couple of months time.

The only windows outstanding are those in the porch (which will also need a new roof ~ again, it will be fibreglass) and the one in the bathroom.  We haven't had the latter window replaced yet, as we don't know whether we will have to have the lath and plaster stripped from the walls because of the damp/mould issues in there.  Those two jobs won't be done until sometime next year.

Adrian and I are both really pleased with how much progress has been made in the six months or so since we moved in.  The work we were most concerned about getting done before winter have now been done.  The next job coming up on the agenda is my new craft shed, so watch this space for updates 😊

Peace...

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014)

Little words of wisdom

Peace...

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014)

Tired pooch!

This was Matty a couple of Sundays back, lazing in the sunshine in our back garden.  He could hardly keep his eyes open!

Going.....

going.....

gone!

'Tis a hard life being a pampered pooch 😉

Little words of wisdom

Peace...

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014)

Little words of wisdom

Peace...

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014)

Little words of wisdom