A New World coming soon

Its like being in a dream or more like a nightmare at the moment. With 11 cases of Corona virus confirmed in Shetland at present, I can only see this getting worse

                                                                   Channerwick

Friday was the real start of the Cruise liner season and although everyone coming ashore should be tested I wonder if this is being done. Someone I know who was in a Lerwick cafe when a couple off the cruise liner came in coughing and sneezing, the place cleared quickly.

                                                                      Quendale

Its difficult to keep your self away from others especially if you have to go out to work or shopping. Although I do know a couple of folk on Yell and Fetlar who have said they are just self isolating even though they don't have any symptoms. What are you doing?

                                                                            Quendale

So as we started the holiday season some cruise liners have now said they will not be calling off anywhere, Norway and America have stopped anyone from entering and with increasing numbers of infected people in the UK this may well end up  being the same story here. Logan air have reduced the number of flights to Shetland as booking drop. Lots of smaller businesses will be forced to close down and staff may not get paid for time off, its going to have a big knock on effect.

                                                                      Scatness

Panic buying is going on everywhere, Toilet rolls are being cleared off the shelves very quickly as is Pasta, rice and hand sanitizer. We did notice less people shopping and a couple had masks on, the town deserted.

                                                                    Islesburgh in Lerwick

                                                                            Hayfield House

Its estimated that a large number of people could die that's the most worrying thing

We have booked a trip south in a couple of months and  are not sure what will happen, with many saying this will be the worst period.

So for the time being, I am still going to work and on Friday completed a 1:1 photography course with the best days weather this year. We are still having lots of gales and heavy rain or hail so it was good to have a still dry at time sunny day photographing.

The sea was still rough on the west side and provided many photo opportunities (as posted)

Just found out that filming for the BBC Shetland drama has been postponed

Jimmy Perez is not at home

Counting the cost

Interesting to see e-bay selling a 750 ml jar of Shetland fresh air for £40 - I will be back in a minute.............. I now can offer 100 750 ml jars of Shetland fresh air - job lot  for £1000 (what a bargain)

We all take fresh air for granted, back in Sheffield certain areas - around Meadowhall, have warning signs about air pollution and this will only get worse with the go ahead for Meadowhall extension and a new IKEA

No such problems in Shetland, clean air is one thing most people don't even think about unless you have some sort of breathing problems.

Space for one car bin please 

                                                                 Shetland Bus memorial service on Norwegian day

                                                                                      Bigger than your average insect

The Shetland Times has just published an article about the Conservatives pledge support for the bigger Wind farm projects including those on remote Scottish islands including Shetland. as far as i am concerned this is bad news for Shetland

Dr Wills said `` Some folk will not be pleased, of course, but when they consider the potential income to the charitable trust perhaps they will cheer up''

Alot of folk have said that the the oil money that the Charitable Trust was looking after for the Shetland people has been wasted, why should this be any different

Cute Perrie Shetland ponies

What cost the Shetland Landscape and wildlife ???,

Once the interconnector is in place it is not just the 103 Viking turbines that will blot our landscape but Peel projects will also start their Wind farms including a further 21 turbines near Lerwick and 17 in Yell, others will follow.

Currently Shetland has 5 large turbines at Burradale, construction of these completed in 2003 and a further 5 smaller ones in Yell

Also remember that on Offshore windfarm project may get the go ahead, a map sometime ago showed Shetland surrounded by  deep sea wind turbines

Back in 2014 eighteen companies expressed an interest in building a large wind farm in Unst and Yell, with a small cable connecting to the interconnector at Kergord.

If you are up in Shetland or any part of Scotland this autumn be warned, The Police have announced that they are axing the speeding thresholds. Scottish drivers even going fractionally over the limit will receive a formal warning letter. If they are stopped a second time they will receive a £100 penalty and three points.

Today i wish the police could have caught a 4x4 driver who decided to overtake three cars on Cunningsburgh hill going at least 80 mph, while just missing an oncoming car. If they had crashed it would have also involved another three of us.

Anyway the rants over for a while, it is still a great place to live,  we have been here for over 3 years and never regretted the move. Things do change but sometimes you just need to stand by what you believe.

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http://www.amazingshetland.co.uk (Canvas prints)