Bud the Wiser

Approaching six months on the island now. Summer has arrived together with the tourists, the place has opened up with events large and small taking place all over the Island. Slightly more congestion than in the winter but nothing too bad, though we still have the school summer holiday period to look forward to.!!
Had a little touch of island fever a few weeks back., but this was quickly resolved by a trip to London to take in a couple of shows. A two day break and I was looking forward to getting back to the island. We decided to do the trip by public transport, bus to the Shanklin train station, train to the ferry, ferry to Portsmouth harbour station and on into London by train. All for around £30 return. The island bus service is excellent, the train not so good. The trains are old underground trains and I wouldn't advise anyone to go on them if you have a bad back. It was a bit like being on a rickety old wooden roller coaster. Buying a cup of coffee for the journey was not my wisest decision.
All in all life is good. Starting to get out and about a bit more, though we haven't joined any clubs or groups yet, partly because we've been entertaining family and friends who've come over for a visit, I'm sure that will wear off with the passage of time. Grand kids from the states arrive this week and are staying for the summer so we've stocked up on valium, increased the overdraft facility and bought a large roll of duct tape. Can't wait to see them.
As I've said before, the island isn't for everyone, I think it would be great place to bring up a young family and a place to retire to as life is generally slower and more laid back, sometimes too slow and too laid back but you start to unravel, relax and get used to it. I can understand why young adults would want to leave the island to seek opportunities and adventures further afield ( doesn't that happen everywhere? ) but I've also met a few who have returned once they have got the wanderlust years out of their system. There's no 'one size fits all' in life.
One more thing, not related to just the IOW, but to the whole of the UK. The NHS is the heartbeat of our nation preserve it at all costs.

Bud the Wiser

Yesterday on the IOW.

BEVS

Oo. A moody sky.

Rains?

Pulaski

You don't see it? .... It's a funnel cloud. They are more common in the UK than people realize, and about 35 of them every year reach the ground, and therefore becoming a tornado.

BristolUK

A few days ago I'd never heard of one. I don't recall where I saw it but the picture illustrating it looked like any other cloudy grey sky.
This picture does look different but so do many funny shaped clouds. I wouldn't think anything untoward if I saw this...unless it picked me up and spat me out.

Marblesthecat

scot47

Here on the isle of Bute there is little hostility between newcomers and locals ("Brandanes"" The locals are aware of who is an incomer but outsiders are accepted , if considered to be not fully human. A knowledge of local kinship links can be useful Much discussion among locals is tied in to the question of who is who.

Brandane comes from St Brendan ("The navigator" who was here at the beginning of The Christian era.

scot47

Summer but the weather is not improving. Rain and then more rain.

Pulaski

I thought that was summer in your neck of the woods. .... Meaning potentially anywhere in the UK.

I have a picture I took of Mrs P, wearing a thick parka, hood up, under threatening dark skys, when it was cold and blowing a gale, on the beach at Hastings, ...... on July 4th, 2001.

scot47

"If you do not like rain, go and live in The Sahara !" said Billy Connolly, who emigrated to California. I am slowly learning to cope with the high rainfall here on the West Coast oif Scotland. I am even learning to understand some of the locals.

scot47

The Chancellor of the Exchequer paid a short visit to Bute today. The locals were hostile and I was too busy to see him.

Pulaski

That has long been the case "north of the border".

scot47

Hanoverians and their agents not generally welcome.

Nand

I can understand the weather is like that. How is the internet speed up there?

scot47

In town it is fine. Not sure about out in the boondocks. I never go there.