Framedlight

A couple of weeks ago we went to the Manifold Agricultural Show which takes place near the village of Ilam in Derbyshire. It was quite a fun afternoon despite the weather. We managed to find a seat in the beer tent during the worst of the showers! We were with a friend who was surprised that anyone could possibly be trying to sell cattle grids and was even more astonished at the slow tractor race, not the most interesting of spectator sports.  

We spent a few days in Scotland before we went on our big trip to St Kilda this June. We have relatives who live in Newport on Tay, the other side of the bridge from Dundee, and we had spent a very pleasant evening with them, so the next day thought we would visit the V&A in the city. The whole of the riverside in Dundee has become very run down and is now being gradually gentrified. The riverside already plays host to the Discovery, Scott's Antarctic vessel, and next door is the modernistic building that houses the Scottish Victoria and Albert Museum. It was a very hot day when we visited and the cool of the building was welcome. The exhibits in the museum naturally show the evolution of Scottish crafts and there was a big temporary exhibition on tartan which we did not visit. The inside of the building is arranged around a very large central atrium and an enormous shop area on the ground floor! I found the exterior of the building to be more impressive than the interior. We h...

  Last week we went to stay with a friend, Jenny, who lives in Wrabness in Essex. This village is situated next to the River Stour which here is quite wide and tidal. The banks are muddy and the birdlife is varied, also  humans use the area for recreation, boating or sunbathing. 'A house for Essex' designed by Grayson Perry 

 After breakfast we set out for our last voyage in Zuza, from Lochaline to Oban. We had only been ten days on board but we had a wonderful trip with good company and it was a very sad parting. We left Lochaline and motored past the Eileen Musdile lighthouse and Duart Castle. All too soon we saw the houses of Oban stretching up the hill behind the town. The weather had taken a small turn for the worse and the sky was overcast. We all stood on board as Neil brought Zuza in to berth at one of the jetties. And then there was time for a team photograph before the all set out for our different destinations. From the lefthandside starting at the back and going anticlockwise Alan, Sue, Jen, Grosia the chef, Laura, Erin the first mate, Neil the Captain, Coll, Caroline, Richard and Giles Thanks must go to Neil, Erin and Grosia for making this such a delightful trip.