Jura Too

If a picture paints a thousand words, here's a few images of Jura that should tell a nice story(all midges have been Photshopped out!)

Jura Duty

No blogging last weekend - I was over in Jura for a short break. Jura was known as 'The Island of The Deer' by the Norsemen, and even today the human population - around 200 hardy souls, and I think I may have met half of them - is heavily outnumbered by deer. They believe there are 5 - 6,000 deer on the island, and with vast tracts of Jura only accessible by foot there may be more.
It's a wonderfully unspoilt wilderness; tiny hamlets and crofts sprinkled here and there but in the main it's sea, huge open skies and vast swathes of lush green landscape.
George Orwell wrote 1984 there, and you can see the appeal of Jura for someone who wanted to get right away from people to write in peace. It's not an easy island to get to anyway, and even today the house in which Orwell wrote his classic novel can opnly be accessed by foot after a rough 4X4 track comes to an abrupt end - I think there's a three mile slog after that. Other than tackling that I decided to just re-read the book instead. Not because of the walk itself, which I could have handled - it was the inevitable accompaniment of a million midges that put me off.
Two hundred people, five thousand deer but there must be a billion midges out there - and it seemed that every last single one had an appetite for cosmopolitan flesh and blood! Hotel, bar, restaurant, out walking - they were never far away, loitering with murderous intent ... evil little bastards. I think I can now see why Orwell's novel was so gloomy - I'm sure he too was plagued by them when he ventured out for a stroll.
Anyway, midges aside Jura is a magical place - perfect for peace and solitude, stunning scenery and a walkers delight. I do hope to return one day - but it won't be during midgie season!

Broon's Doon ...

...but he's no' oot yet!
The make-or-break meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party is less than an hour away, but it's becoming far less likely that the much-anticipated revolt will now take place - the revolution has been cancelled.
The expenses scandal, a dire economic outlook, awful local election results, a ham-fisted cabinet reshuffle, more resignations, all followed by the worst Euro election results in living memory (and another resignation today): it could be quite a busy agenda!
The word is that Mandy's 'enforcers' have been been extremely busy over the weekend, issuing dire threats of exposes (sexual, financial, you name it - it'll be leaked to the press)should any malcontent step out of line. Yes, a sizeable number of brave (foolhardy?) footsoldiers have shown their heads above the parapet, but my guess is that the outcome of tonight's meeting will be ... a show of unity and a ringing endorsement of Gordon Brown!
Frankly, it's really not a good time for anyone to take over the job as Labour leader, and no-one - save Charles Clarke maybe? - wants it. That's the real problem for the rebels. And if Brown did decide to go, an election would surely have to follow and that would be armageddon for the Labour Party (and oblivion for scores of Labour MPs). No, let's stick it out - the economy has got to pick up soon, memories of the expenses scandal will fade and a Labour recovery is just possible. 'We'll just get on with doing the job' ...and an extra twelve months salary and expenses might just creep into the thinking here too.
So will it be Flash Gordon (saviour of the economy,saviour of the nation) or Busted Flush Gordon, the worst Prime Minister in living memory and the man who presided over the demise of a once-great political movement?
The Labour MPs will let us know soon ...
As the song said, 'Things Can Only Get Better'!

D Day

I've just voted. A two mile queue and a three hour wait, but it was worth it ...
I jest of course; checking at some of the local Polling Stations earlier today the general consensus was summed up: 'very slow, almost full stop'. Turnout at the last Euro election was poor, but this could be even lower. What that may mean in terms of results is difficult to gauge.
Sometimes there's just too much choice (!). There are no less than thirteen Parties and an Independent on the ballot paper here in Scotland - although no space on the form for 'None of the Above' - and only six seats available.
Given the establishment Parties' current woes over expenses, will we see a massive protest vote? Less so in Scotland I think; traditional Labour supporters are more likely to stay at home other than vote for another party. My guess is that Labour may lose one MEP, and the Greens will be the party to benefit. (This exclusive prediction from the pundit who finished 1567th in Radio Scotland's Predictor competition).
Our friends down south have local elections too, so Labour is braced for a serious 'doing' on two fronts. It doesn't help much when your Communities Minister resigns the day before the election, either. That said, Labour did particularly badly last time round in the local government elections so there can't be an awful lot more to lose - can there? Given the turbulence of the last couple of weeks it seems inevitable that Labour will still lose an awful lot more council seats across the country. UK wide, it's being suggested that Labour could drop to fourth place overall, polling around 20% or even less. Should that happen - and it's far from impossible - Gordon Brown's position, already precarious, would become untenable.
We live in fascinating and very unpredictable political times. Will the BNP gain a Brussels seat? Will UKIP finish second? Will we see a Green resurgence? And, with open revolt surfacing within the Parliamentary Labour Party, (and that's before the election results) will Gordon Brown still be Prime Minister come next Tuesday morning?

Back to work this morning after a long and unusually hot weekend of gardening and some cold lager.
Last week was a pleasantly busy one at work, with a mixed bag of jobs from school art exhibitions and nursery awards to community clean-ups, building work at Silverlea and Boys Brigade presentations. We also met with members of the NEN board to help decide the future direction of the paper - the board meets next week to consider options.
Our community council also held it's AGM - in Drylaw Church this year - my last AGM as secretary (choking back the tears as I write ...!)
It's another mixed bag this week - a local Volunteers' event, a Waterfront Edinburgh update and more schools activities; it's already clear that there will be no shortage of stories for our July paper.
The European elections take place this Thursday, and many polls are predicting that Labour may well finish behind UKIP. If that does happen - and voters are still very angry about expenses - will Gordon go? I still can't see it - a swift reshuffle could see Darling, Blears and Hoon shifted or moved out, though. But not enough to appease the public, I would guess.
Honourable Members are clinging on for dear life - clinging on like a particularly persistent, uncomfortable and sometimes painful case of haemorroids. Some are apparently seeking a shift upstairs to the Lords following their years of selfless public service - that wouldn't go down too well, either!
Compare the speed at which changes are made in Scotland's wee diddy SPL - three managers gone within a week of the season ending! A 25% cull - now there's decisive action for you!
On the expenses theme, I have a dilemma. I found out last week that I was the lucky winner of a hamper following a free raffle at a Forth Neighbourhood Partnership event held recently in Telford College. Should I accept the prize, and incur the wrath of a particularly dodgy local website? And should I be declaring the hamper in my expenses returns. A real test of my moral compass, eh? Oh dear, what to do!?

See you next week (by which time the hamper issue will have been resolved - I will drink the evidence.) Incidentally, following the weekend heatwave I have rethought my nick-name: The Balloon has now become The Lobster!

This week's pic is local youngsters having a splashing time at a Fun Day held to celebrate Ferryhill's fiftieth birthday.