成人快手

It's been a while but I'm back. A lot of catching up to do. I'll get that done over the Xmas hols.

Muness Views, while passing on news of Fetlar School's blockbusting epic movie, insisted that I get back to blogging. Or was it blogger off, he said??

Did anyone see the spectacular Aurora Borealis last night. Consort was on her way home from choir practice when she phoned me to say to get out of the house. I thought I've not surely done anything that bad. But it was see a stupendous display of the Northern Lights. I've never seen them so bright before. They were so bright that later we could see them from in our lving room with the lights on!!

Sorry I couldn't get any pictures - though I did try.Consort was delighted - they were first time she'd seen them. It was certainly the best showing I'd seen for years.

I'll blog again to catch up with all our enws over the last few months.

There I was, a few weeks ago, flicking through the Independent while having a cup of coffee, when I came upon a phot of Kris Drever, the Orcadian guitarist. "Hang on", I thought, "I've seen that pic before." Yep, it was one I took at the Shetland Folk Festival this year and placed on this blog. Well, well! I'd become a photographer for a national newspaper without knowing it.

See
for the original pic.

Weather up here has been foul recently. We went straight from summer to winter. The other morning Consort & I wondered why it was so quiet. Then we realised it was because there was no wind and no rain battering on the window. There are drought's in some parts of the world. Yeah, we know why. We're getting their rainfall!!!

But we have had some wonderful sunrises - see photo.

Typing up this, I can see out of the window - and yes, the midges are there again. What is happening to our seasons??

Anyway, trying to catch up with the gaps in my blog. After we had a few days before going away. Look at all the fuss about Heathrow and Gatwick being fog-bound recently. Sumburgh was affected for weeks. And we couldn't get on a bus or a train.

To avoid this we decided that we would fly down to Birmingham a couple of days before.

Quite a culture shock going from the serenity of Shetland to the UK's second city!!! I was astounded by the multiculturalism of the city - as well as the throngs. Especially in the street market - and of course, it didn't take me long to find a stall selling second-hand CDs. Meanwhile, Consort seemed to get a lifetime's supply of handbags for about 15p.

Being big kids we went to Cadbury World - and yes we got free chocolate, and no, it didn't last long! You could smell the chocolate in the air as we approached Bournville.

We also visited the National Sea Life Centre which was great. Very well designed to take as much advantage of the space. I was utterly fascinated by a glass tunnel through one huge tank where you could watch turtles and (small) sharks swimming beside above you and underneath you.

Prior to arriving in Birmingham, neither Consort nor I had been aware of the extent of the canal system in the city. More canals than there are Venice apparently. Great for a wee stroll through the city centre - away from the traffic and plenty of wee cafes.

One gut I spoke to on a barge had come all the way up from Gloucestershire on his barge.

For us the Bull Ring Shopping Centre was daunting. Absolutely massive - and, of course, we bumped in to a fellow Shetlander amongst the many 1000's that were there.

Consort was in "shop-till-you-drop" mode. I was content with a quick look in a bookshop then chill-out on a bench overlooking St Martin's Church.

Being in the curry capital of the western world meant that we just had to go for an Indian. But which one? Luckily, Consort had been speaking to a medical student and she recommended one in the Harborne area of the city. We would neve have found it on our own. Down a dark alley and up some steps. But inside the food was marvellous and the service was first class. Would definitely go there again.

But a plane had to be caught in the morning.....