Change of kickoff time.

[jack.h...@gmail.com]

No, not football, but our planned few days' break.  Stella and I are going to Ullapool on Sunday, returning on Thursday.  Nobody goes on holiday to Ullapool for sunshine, but it's a splendid area for classic Scottish dreich weather. Monday's forecast is for rain and lots of it!!!.

Unfortunately, we can't change our own kick-off time.  Deposits paid, Bertie the cat booked into his hotel.

I have to say that the World Cup has finally sparked my interest, not the actual play, but the flip-flopping over timings due to forecasts of thunderstorms in Mexico City.

Jack

[Graham Easterling]

I visited Ullapool back in 1972, for a geography field trip. We were actually staying in Inchnadamph, basically a hotel with a bar where we were trusted(?!) to stay up into the early hours & put the money in an honesty box! Hitched back from Ullapool to London, took about 30 hours, which I thought was quite good. Amazing how much energy you have late teens early 20s.

Ullapool as it was then, I took the photo. Couple of fellow students (and flat mates).

The one fine day if I remember rightly.  Beautiful that part of Scotland

Lots of cloud today, bursts of sunshine & muggy. Maximum around 21C. Break in the cloud at Porthleven at the moment

Graham

Penzance

[jack.h...@gmail.com]

We had been planning to go to Stella's native Ireland in the spring, but she had a minor illness.  Now she is OK again, we found an Ullapool B&B (actually, Ardmair, a few miles to the north) was free.  We have stayed at that particular B&B before.

The weather forecast is firming up on rain, rain and yet more rain. Dreich to the power N.

Graham.  I don't think you would find Ullapool has changed much since 1972.  Except today, there are no Soviet / Russian spy ships masquerading as trawlers.  It was an open secret, and I cottoned on when I saw Russian-language Scrabble for sale in an Ullapool shop!

Jack

[jack.h...@gmail.com]

Well, the Ullpool weather forecast had been spot on.  This is the ferry to leave for Stornoway.

CalMac's distinctive funnel.

File image on a hypothetical sunny day:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/MV_Isle_of_Lewis%2C_30_May_2021.jpg

My holiday had to be curtailed for bizarre reasons.  At 87 years old, my mobility is very poor due to some type of rheumatics.  I was aware that the Bed & Breakfast had stairs, but hadn't thought about the toilet or shower.  No grab or assistance rails, and when I had done my 'biz', I struggled to get up from the seat, which was in splendid isolation in the middle of the bathroom (out of reach of any helping aids).  "Oh shoot!" (or something like that).  So next time I go away, I'm going to make sure I have a room suitable for the disabled.

This is not my first experience with a hotel toilet seat problem.  In Edinburgh (back in my fitter working days), when I sat down, the toilet seat cracked with a resounding bang.  I went to reception.  "Don't worry Sir.  That's happened before!".

An ongoing problem nowadays is my poor hearing.  I explain to someone that I am deaf and can't hear clearly what is being said.  "No problem!" is the inevitable reply (which I am able to understand with what little hearing I do have).  To which I respond: "Well, it is for me!"  And what about hearing aids?  Designed by people who think "being practically invisible" is more important than functionality.

Old age isn't always a lot of fun.  But I guess the alternative would be more boring.

Jack