Is This the Sort of Thing You’re Looking For?

The BBC ran the Island Blogging project in northern Scotland from 2003 to 2010. One blogger, calumannabel, posted a challenge for more contributions of news and everyday life in 2005, asking the question Is there life on Harris? He got a lost of wonderful responses. Here is a small sampling.

"We are in Rodil today with a new bacon slicer aboard. It is a good drying day. Is this the sort of stuff you're after? Yours in hope Woolie Jumper MacDonald MA RAC"

WJ MacDonald from Chop till you Drop Mobile Butchers

"One of the Christmas lights has gone off on the tree. We are wondering if it is the generator that's failing? Is this the sort of stuff you're looking for. Oh and the cat's had three kittens in the loom house so no weaving today."

Donnie Gaul from Amminnuisparetyre

"We have two wheelie bins in our kitchen, one in our living room,and mum and dad use one each as beside cabinets upstairs. We have flap and a hen flap in our front door and lots of earwigs in the airing cupboard. The butcher has a new bacon slicer. It is faster than his last one. Before that he used to cut it with a knife. His wife is called Maggie Mary Is this the sort of thing you're looking for?"

Forrest Gunn from Tractor park Toys r Us Rodil

"My mother has gone to town today shopping. The batteries in my torch are flat as I left it on all night. The dog is scratching a lot. Mum is bringing some stuff back from Stornoway. That will be the dog's Christmas box my dad says. It cannot be fun being a border collie. My dad says it's got the fleas from the cat and he wants to know if this is the sort of thing you're looking for?"

The Macadams Family from 3bTir Na Nog Terrace Tarbert

"Dear Mrs Chipperfield, We wouls be happy to help you with your canine problem and furnish you with some trimmings for the Christmas dinner at the same time. You may have hear my husband has a fancy new bacon slicer which can in fact cope with many different meats. Is this the sort of thing you're looking for?"

Mrs WJ Mac Donald from The Butchers Wife

After a while, the stories get ever more ridiculous in a game of one-upmanship.

"My mum has been trying to make some exceedingly good biscuits to take to the Dating Festival at Ness. She is going to trade my dad in for something newer. She says the way to a man's heart is through his stomach though it didn't work with Dad. She has made some oaty biscuuits with jam in them. She calls them An T'Ob Nobs. Is this the sort of biscuit you're looking for?"

allan john kipling from Leverburgh

"My mother is next door cooking breakfast for Maggie Mhor whose fingers are bandaged after she cut them opening a can of sardines. That's the beauty of local produce - no one ever cut themselves on a can of porridge or a tin of lamb. My dad syas its a pity that it wasn't Maggie Mhor's throat that was cut. He's fed up of her watching him with her binoculars as he staggers back from the bochan. Is this the sort of local tittle tattle you are searching for?"

Richard Harris from Macarthur Park Rodil

There’s over a hundred more comments, and they just get better as they go. Harris is part of one of the Outer Hebrides. You can read more about the Island Blogging project and find more delightful blog posts linked at Metafilter.

(Image credit: Andrewrpalmer/Orionist)


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