Sunday 10th August 2008

Salisbury

I am at my mum's watching Britain from the Air. Tomorrow I hope to head off on my travels once more and see Britain from the ground. I want to go to the Outer Hebrides and then travel back south through Wales and the West Country.

The weather forecast is not good. I hope to be able to dodge some of the worst of the weather, but who knows. Last time I was in the Hebrides I could only see a few yards ahead as storms rolled in. I really hope for better weather but have packed socks and warm clothes, just in case.

I have emergency snacks and a duvet as well as my sleeping bag. Trusty Ka is already almost fully packed. I have to buy more gas for my camping stove and a supply of water (just in case either Ka or I need it).

posted at 21:59 in /where (permanent link)

Monday 30th June

London

Back home and Shetland feels slightly like a dream world. Lots of time and space compared with the seemingly constant busyness of city life.

I started the day in Lerwick. Here there are shops but still few familiar brands. Boots is here and the banks. Otherwise it seems to be mainly small shops - some for the tourists and some for the people who live here. Most of the shops are along commercial road (makes sense). There is a new Tesco being built on the edge of town and will open in a couple of weeks. Roads and roundabouts are being built for the traffic it will bring. This supports my theory that the real problem with Tesco is the impact it has on the traffic. There is always a Tesco roundabout and the traffic jams it brings seem to be a factor in stopping people going into the high street.

Shetland is largely a place without retail brands. Brands are stocked by the shops but the shops are shops and not named and logoed. I have to re-fill the car before returning it. This proves challenging - how do I find a petrol station when they are unsigned and unbranded. In Lerwick there are a few National garages but outside just a man and a couple of pumps. lerwick is too far away to be able to give the car back with a full tank. The lady at the car rental told me there is a garage two or three miles away on an industrial estate. Nothing looks like an industrial estate up here. Refineries and docks, but no estates. Eventually I find the place a garage, a small supermarket and a post office.

Time for one last visit to Sumburgh Head and the puffins. As I arrive it seems as if the puffins are up and about and enjoying the day. It is very windy and they, and all the other birds, seem to be enjoying catching the breeze, wings outstretched and letting the wind decide where to take them. I have to go and start the journey back to London and back to work. I want to come here again I feel I have seen more of the wildlife than the people.

I wonder how Shetland will look in 10 or 20 years time. There seems to be money, I assume a consequence of the oil. But it must be a tough place to live in the winter. The dark and the gales must make it feel a different place. Even in midsummer I'm glad I bought a warm coat with me. And is everything as calm as it looks? Are the young here immune from the problems in the rest of Britain. From my travels I have seen that drugs get everywhere, the dealers appear to have read and learned from the marketing textbooks. I check out the figures and find that recently the dealers from London and Liverpool have seen the 'opportunity' for heroin in Shetland. This makes sense of the signs at the airport warning about bringing in drugs. It all seems so at odds with the experience of being here.

posted at 21:59 in /where (permanent link)