Friday - Barnstorming

A short post today. A quiet day, no workshops and a social evening, no blogging time. 

Run back into Lerwick to visit two museums and do some last minute shopping.

Museums.

Firstly the tiny Textiles Museum in the Bod (small fishing store/house) of Gremista (coastal part of Lerwick), formerly the home of Arthur Anderson, co-founder of P&O. The building is small but packs a lot into it's two floors including demonstrations. There's one of the last Shetland tweed looms (last that is until the recent revival), there's a replica of a lace shawl that HRH Elizabeth II commissioned as a gift for the Empress of Japan. A lady teaches me a trick to get started with drop-spindle spinning (I fancy weaving with a small amount of self-spun yarn included). The museum is small and busy so not conducive to photos. I'd apologise for the lack but doubt anyone is overly bothered! 

Now on to the main Museum of Shetland. We've been in and out of the building all week as it hosts the Wool Week hub but not had the opportunity to explore. What a cracking museum this is, right up there amongst the best we've visited. Geology and tectonic evolution of the islands, a great display on bronze age, and then the Vikings before moving on through to last century and also the islands' maritime culture. To be honest we didn't see it all, there was so much that we were 'museumed-out' after the marine section so didn't venture up to the first floor where it may have modern history and possibly the oil boom (but we don't know, we didn't go, remember) 

Lovely to see this 150 year old band loom

and braces that may well have been woven on it

Sorry it's my area of interest! 

As well as the museum there was a photographic exhibition  of 1970's Fair Isle fashion by Chris Morphet (who got the idea after seeing The Who's Pete Townshend perform at the Marquee Club in a Fair Isle tank top). Some cracking photos but here's two I particularly liked

Shopping. 

Liz got caught as the wind blew the rear door shut yesterday and has a nasty gash on her forearm. The van has some dressings but Boots provide extra. 

But the real shopping was to find some reestit mutton - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reestit_mutton

A small piece will now be heading south with us.

We've been putting up photos of our evening views. Here's tonight's

We've never parked in a barn before but we're staying with radio ham friends Tony and Nicky and the barn will keep the chill wind off. 

They've dined us and entertained us, including a fascinating film about an aging Shetland crofter 

https://clavelthefilm.wordpress.com/

But back in the van now, a quick blog and then hopefully 30 mins read before bedtime

Today's 40 miles

Thursday - things that go bump in the day

That beautiful wild camping spot overlooking the tombolo was because we both have classes in the neighbouring village community hall. This morning Liz is learning about Makkin' Belts and Reapin' Strings whilst this afternoon I'm going to have a go at whittling a shawl pin. Fun stuff eh. 

Even the view from the hall is nice

Makkin' Belts are, I think, unique to Shetland. They are a leather belt with like a small closed leather cushion with holes in on it. One long knitting needle is firmly held in place inside the cushion so it frees one arm up a bit when knitting whilst walking out working. Shetland has long been dependent on its knitted garment trade so knitting was and still is very much part of everyday life (for some men as well as the women). Liz doesn't think a belt would be useful for her but she might as well give one a try. Reapin' string just turns out to be a bog standard bit of string used to help with tension and taking the weight of the knitting whilst walking.

There is WiFi in the hall but it doesn't seem to permeate the building. In the car park by the van there is no internet connection but we did notice a spot further up the car park where 4g peeked through. Talk about patchy, because the 4g connection is both reliable and fast.

Anyway I move the van into an empty bay of parking spaces with a huge turning area behind me. Yes, you can guess what's coming, I'm sitting in the front seat enjoying the luxury of reliable internet and bang! the van shakes as someone runs into me. Since he drove into a space 3 away from me I have no idea why he happend to be reversing at that point. Fortunately it was a low speed coming together of bumpers so no real damage done but I will have the tedious task of removing his light grey paint from the deep scuffs in my black bumper. Life, eh?

The community have put on a community lunch and a good spread too. Pretty much everything homemade, 4 different soups, bread, bannocks, cakes, sandwiches, drinks - yeah nice simple fare but excellent and good to be able to pay a little to help the community.

After lunch I went to view some of the samples of local craft

My whittlng class was fun, we drew our own designs and they were roughly cut out before we whittled away at the details. Everyone's turned out well, most better than mine. Oh, and like yesterday's crochet class I was the only bloke ) except for today's tutor)

Mine's the small lighter coloured one, top of the middle row. No accidents either although we did all wear a steel reinforced glove on the non- cutting hand.

Tonight we decided on a campsite; we can get a shower (with some luck and people standing upwind of us we can make it home before the next one). We can also empty the loo and fully charge the leisure battery. We have had a problem in the past and this battery is poor at holding charge. It loses so much over a couple of days sometimes even the solar panel can't top it up. I suspected that might be the case, now it has been confirmed, time for as new one when we get home. 

The Cunningsburgh campsite has all the facilities (except WiFi!) and £20 a night is reasonable. Views are OK too 

But no 4g again and no WiFi. Not a problem, apart for those trying to publish their blogs! Or plan the next three days! Still we know vaguely what we are doing tomorrow. 

Just the 14 miles back up towards Lerwick today