Stonewalls , Sailing Ships & Sunburn

About 150 years after it was first built, a section of our back stone wall had started to collapse. This wall will be a real feature as we're installing a window that looks out onto it and the old area of the Lamby Shed.

Enter Alan our stonemason who's spent just over a week carefully dismantling it, laid a new foundation and then rebuilt it using the same techniques as when first built. I know you all must think its a bit sad loving stonewalls but , well, we just do. Here's the result of his hardwork which will still be standing in another 150 years.

Actually, the guys a bit of star ...

In 2008 Sue Hayward created a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show to raise awareness of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, and she wanted it to include an authentic Shetland crofthouse.

So, 1000 miles later, a crofthouse ruin was identified, dismantled, shipped from Yell to London, and rebuilt by Alan at Chelsea to create the "Shetland Croft House Garden for Motor Neurone Disease"

http://www.suehayward.co.uk/chelsea2008.htm

If we could grow a garden just a fraction as beautiful & natural ... well, come back in 10 years and see how we're progressing !

It won a Gold Medal (no mean feat) and the BBC Award for Best Small Garden.

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The hustle & bustle of Lerwick Harbour is growing in anticipation of the upcoming Tall Ships Race, when hundreds of sailing ships begin arriving into Shetland from all over the world. They start arriving next week bringing around 3000 people alone that make up the sailing crews let alone other visitors.

They're really going for it here and are organising hundreds of free events over the time they're here. As well as being able to board and look around the ships there are music events with world class acts. Boy ... did we pick the right year to move up here!

If you can't make it up here, don't worry, just click on one of the live Webcam links below to view to see whats going on in Lerwick town and in the harbour. And who knows, we may call YOU when we're down there and will wave to you!

http://visit.shetland.org/lerwick-town-centre-webcam

http://visit.shetland.org/lerwick-harbour-webcam

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Finally, we've been seeing more of this fella than we ever expected ...

Now, as my Ozzie buddy told me on more than one occaision you can never be too careful so slap it on ...

Unfortunately, none of us thought we'd need it up here so have been caught out and had a few burny bits recently - even Max posed in sympathy for the picture !!

MMMM .... what that I can smell ? Fish Pie - made with mackerel given to us this morning by Elsbeth our neighbour. Time to depart and tuck in ....

xxx