Yantan Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 I've heard of Lilian Beckwith but haven't read any of her books. Thank you, I will look out for her! Archie came back filthy so he'd had a great time I met the new DW team member, Bryan, who seems very nice. I got a crick in my neck looking up at him though as he's so tall! Jazz Archie used to be on the Fish4dogs tasting panel. They are indeed lovely people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzeanna Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 One of hers is The Hills Is Lonely...can't remember the others. I looked up your area on Google maps, blackmagic, you certainly are in the middle of nowhere! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owl Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 One of my Facebook friends lives on a Hebridean island, and the minister comes round to tell you off if washing on line on Sabbath. Caithness time sounds like West Wales time only more so. I would very much like to visit Caithness, which I have only seen from the train to Wick on the way to Orkney. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackmagic Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 One of hers is The Hills Is Lonely...can't remember the others. I looked up your area on Google maps, blackmagic, you certainly are in the middle of nowhere! We live 4 miles down the Strath form the junction of the A897 with the A 836. Criagfillan is the house. You can get it on Google street view. No cold callers, no public transport, no street lights, only satellite tv, unreliable mobile reception but good broadband, a subsidised taxi service for going into Thurso, take you to the doctors and wait for you, to the train and pick up at station 9 miles away. You need to book it the day before. When we wrote our car off we used the taxi for our weekly shop. Pick up at the door, drop off in town where you want and pick up where you want, delivered back to the door. We also caught up on all the local gossip as Bert. the driver, knows everything that is happening! Although it is a single track road it is an A road so is gritted twice a day in winter. When we first moved up it was three times a day but it was cut to twice to save money. We do have now loads of potholes which seems to be national problem now. I burst a tyre a three months ago and a neighbour did the same on the same pothole the same week. Two months ago Jim burst two tyres on a pothole. We had to get towed to the garage as we only had one spare, as you do. Fortunately, we have a great local garage who had ordered two tyres before the car was deposited at the garage and gives a free courtesy car when the car is in. He also has very reasonable charges. This winter we have had warmer temperatures and less snow than Edinburgh. We do have our own climate here. The hills around us protect us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz Posted February 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 I always wanted to live in the middle of nowhere, just a few houses around. think its called a hamlet. need to be near a hospital now ok, who wasn't on their knees? I'm in plaster to my armpit for another 4 weeks. not happy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eve Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 Aw, sorry Jazz, my timing must have been all wrong That sounds like a nightmare I thought I'd like to live in the middle of nowhere when we moved to rural France. Had the same - no washing out on a Sunday, couldn't cut your grass or use power tools. Was ok for the hunters to go out shooting though :-( Couldn't actually cope with it in the end though and where we are in Scotland is a good compromise. Small old fashioned town, with lots of hill, beach and glen walks on our doorstep. Civilisation is there if we need it but can ignore it if not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackmagic Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 The Free Church prohibit work etc on a Sunday. Their influence is stronger the further west you go, particularly the islands. There were protests a couple of years ago when a ferry to the Hebrides started and last year a cinema opened on a Sunday to protests. there is one family of Free Church members in the Strath but she just says she likes Sunday to be a day when nothing gets done. Her husband is a crofter so he doesn't have much choice. Sheep still need tended, Sunday or not. I do not like putting out washing early on Sunday but will put it out after 11 or 12. Nobody has said anything. There are more non worshipers than worshippers in the area. All the old community are church goers. We do have a Church of Scotland service in out local community hall once a month. The service rotates round 4 parishes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yantan Posted February 9, 2018 Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 Ah "the wee free". I remember that from our holiday in Sutherland. I would love to live in a house that was remote but I'd have to have good internet connection LOL! I think having been born and bred and living most of my life in a lake district town where we get inundated with tourists just about year round and no chance to get away from them makes me long for peace and quiet. People think that living here must be idyllic but it really isn't it. There are very few decent jobs as tourism is the main industry and it's mostly minimum wage stuff. Parking in town is a nightmare. House prices are astronomical and second homes do nothing to add to the sense of community. We get loads of noisy twerps who have little or no respect, or indeed awareness, that people actually live & work here. They look on the whole place as their own personal playground and treat it as such. Arrgghh, l could go on but will stop there! It's a return to lovely weather here today. Beautiful blue sky and sunny. The DW brought her baby to meet me this morning when she picked Archie up. Little Izzie wasn't impressed with me and kept crying every time she looked at me! Babies usually take to me - Evie for example and she's still my little mate at age 5 - but Isabelle wasn't having anything to do with me this morning. What are you all up to this weekend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzeanna Posted February 9, 2018 Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 I was born and brought up in a very small East Yorks coastal village, moved to an equally small village in Sussex...lived with my aunt in Hull for two years and now live in semi rural Derbyshire. I'd hate to live in a big town, but the dreaded tourists can be a pain round here in the summer when you drive up to the Peaks and they are dawdling along looking at the view! They don't seem to know where the middle of the road is if there aren't any white lines either, rather unsettling. Yantan, The Hills is Lonely is on Kindle on Amazon, I don't actually have the book (think I must have got it from the library) but I do have two others of Lilian Beckwith, A Shine of Rainbows and Bruach Blend. If you did get the first one and like it, I could parcel these two up and send them if you'd like them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eve Posted February 9, 2018 Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 Beautiful here today, clouded over when I was out earlier and the snow came down quite heavily, but the sun is out again and the snow has all melted. Not sure what I'm up to this weekend. I need to get out and tidy up the garden but it's been so cold or wet lately I've wimped out of it. If it stays dry I'll force myself out there. There's an open afternoon at the rescue we adopted Nick from on Sunday to raise some funds so I might pop along to that if I can face a drive to Glasgow. Otherwise it's a weekend watching football on TV. How are you coping Jazz? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yantan Posted February 9, 2018 Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 Yantan, The Hills is Lonely is on Kindle on Amazon, I don't actually have the book (think I must have got it from the library) but I do have two others of Lilian Beckwith, A Shine of Rainbows and Bruach Blend. If you did get the first one and like it, I could parcel these two up and send them if you'd like them? What a lovely offer Suzeanna. Thank you I need to re-register my Kindle as something went wrong but once I get around to that I will get that Beckwith book and then let you know. Those middle of the road drivers must make their way up here after being in your area. I was taught to drive by an ex police driving instructor and he taught me to drive to the left handside kerb. Even though I am a kerb hugger I have had some near misses with vehicles in the middle of the road - the worst is when they look at you like you shouldn't be there and expect you to move to let them through. I can't get any more over to the left than I am and I am sure as sh%t not reversing for them. And don't get me started on those ignorant drivers who fail to acknowledge when you let them through or go ahead of you. Eve you posted as I was writing this. I like the sound of the rescue open day. Would you be in danger of adding to the family? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griff Posted February 9, 2018 Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 Mum had her 60th yesterday...party went well eventually lol, she went to fetch the balloons...not done, went to the venue...tables not set up, i ended up buttering loaves and loaves of bread and french sticks, the house is like a florist Lol and the porch is filled with feckin helium balloons!! great trying to get through with the dogs on their walk Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yantan Posted February 9, 2018 Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 Well I'm glad it went off alright in the end Griff. Was someone being paid to organise it all? Happy 60th birthday to your mum Archie came back from his walk with the DW filthy and tired so he'd had a great time. He's been sleeping on his sofa since I rubbed him down. Oh he managed to eat his lunch before getting on the sofa so he's now warm, cozy and has a full tummy. He'll start his wanting in, wanting out routine in an hour or so which goes on until early evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griff Posted February 9, 2018 Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 Nope Marion...did it all herself... mostly Lol, Molly does the in out thing....drives Steve mental, he opens the door, she goes out...then turns round and comes back in and 15mins later does the exact same thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz Posted February 9, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 honey was always in and out. merlin would go with so hes having trouble going out there now. I have to ell him to go or he will wet everywhere I'm really low, but my friend came, trimmed the dogs and did the housework Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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