Back to the future
It looks like the future lies in the history of the 1930's as CalMac announce permanent Sunday sailings between Stornoway and Ullapool, starting this Sunday.
Inevitable, utterly inevitable, from when the first plane landed on a Sunday, and the papers arrived and (more) pubs and hotels opened.
It is going to radically change life on the islands, and in my view and on balance, for the better. There will be downsides, and some businesses will have to adapt - primarily the hotels seeing guests checking-in on a Sunday.
Now, just what is there for the Tourists to do????
Will the Council act like silly King Cnuts and try to stop the tide??? Or will they accept reality and deal with issues under their control?
(more to follow later)
This is so important it has made the headlines here in the sunny part of the world*
*A fib - thanks to you-know-who for the call.
Inevitable, utterly inevitable, from when the first plane landed on a Sunday, and the papers arrived and (more) pubs and hotels opened.
It is going to radically change life on the islands, and in my view and on balance, for the better. There will be downsides, and some businesses will have to adapt - primarily the hotels seeing guests checking-in on a Sunday.
Now, just what is there for the Tourists to do????
Will the Council act like silly King Cnuts and try to stop the tide??? Or will they accept reality and deal with issues under their control?
(more to follow later)
This is so important it has made the headlines here in the sunny part of the world*
*A fib - thanks to you-know-who for the call.
35 comments:
hope this is true and not before time. As has been said all along no-one needs to use this service, the same as they dont need to use the plane, shop(s) and bars if it is against their beliefs. The same also goes for any other services which start making their services available.
Not looking forward to mr macleods long winded beat surrender.
This should never have been billed as a war as labelled by mr macleod but as a campaign for freedom of choice.
"one mans freedom fighter another mans terrorist"
Hallelujah, Praise The Lord!!
Bout time. Hopefully now the church can actually start concentrating on helping people rather than hitting them over the head with outdated traditions of man.
In all seriousness I'm ecstatic that this issue is finally done with, and I welcome the blessing that this service will be to the island.
Well done CalMac
Regards
"will the council act like silly King Cnuts"
:).
Amusing and amazing to see Comhairle nan Eilean expressing "their dismay at the lack of consultation"!!
Busiest weekend of the year for many and they get the custom off the island a day early. Brilliant!!!
Where is THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN today? Well done CalMac. Great Day for the island.
Is there going to be a party at the dockside with fireworks and ticker tape? Can the family come and join in? Can't afford to go anywhere right now, but would willingly come along and support the first Sunday sailing. What a moment in modern history.
As for 1.44pm, if the organised events live up to their billing, the islands won't have to KEEP everyone here as prisoners for an extra day....they (Tourists & locals alike)will want to stay of their own FREE will and enjoy the local events!!!
NOW can everyone FINALLY move on and put their attention and energy into fixing the other communication and transportation problems that handicap these islands?
- inadequate broadband (speed, cost, reliability) making it difficult or impossible for businesses to operate
- high cost of air fares
- lack of air routes out of Benbecula
- costs, often outrageous, involved with getting goods here from the mainland
- mobile phone coverage on the island
checking out on Sunday rather than checking in. I don't think many folk check in on a Sunday for a weekend trip
1.44 - oh get real. If the only way you can squeeze a bit of business out of customers is by holding them hostage, you shouldn't be in business.
1.08 - indeed. This Comhairle doesn't know the meaning of consult, however. They take decisions on behalf of other organisations (not to mention people) without consulting and they sidestepped Calmac's (probably not very enthusiastic) attempts to speak to them. So it's classic to accuse others of their own failings. Comhairle, we see RIGHT through you.
Oh and hurray for the Sunday sailing, btw.
Brilliant, brilliant news.
I live here- I work in Inverness. This will transform mine an my family's quality of life.
"Astronomers have recorded the creation of a small black hole on the Isle of Lewis.
They believe this was caused by the catalysmic imposion of John Macleod, creating a singuarity of self-righteouness"
anon 1:44
sat night at the festival has never been that busy as the majority have already left. To get back to work etc.
anon 3:54 your bang on We'll hear no more complaints of dissatisfied customers unhappy with their experience leaving first thing monday, they will do it sunday now unless our facilities and those responsible cant up their game.
A truly gob-smacking response from the council leadership. First they decide not to consult the people on their Sunday policies, then they decide not to debate the possibility of Sunday ferries after CalMac announced their consultation 2 months ago. Now they complain about the consultation process!!!
4.23pm
It'll transform my family's life too. I'll have to work now so won't see them. Many thanks to you all
Anon 1.44 said
Busiest weekend of the year for many and they get the custom off the island a day early. Brilliant!!!
And where were they going to spend their money in Stornoway on Sunday? Or would they not have left on the Saturday?
Anon 4:23 - Good for you, fuck decades of the island's culture, history and community eh?
All sing along now.
Can you hear John Macleod & LDOS Sing? no no!!
Well done Calmac for not backing out of it from being scared of upsetting the church people like the council always are, they dont have any balls.
We will see how long it take for them to use the service themselves.
I hope the LDOS had a no win no fee contract with their QC.
I run a tourism business and folk already check in on a Sunday, and for many reasons. They come from other parts of the islands; they come in on the planes; they come from the Uists.
This has been brilliant worldwide publicity for the islands, but I agree with 3.16pm. We now have to fix the other bits of shoddy service that plague the islands, and we really stand a chance of creating a world-class tourism offering.
Finally!!!
Following the Sunday sailing anouncement, BBC Radio 4 scuttled off for a quote from guess who? Yep, got it in one..... John Macleod. As per usual, he uttered a few well considered, sensible sentences before descending into the kind of idiotic drivel for which we know (and love?) him so well.
Why did the BBC head straight for JM? John Macleod has succeeded in setting himself up as the public voice of the Islands. Always good for a quote, guaranteed to raise a chuckle or a groan (sometimes both). The man is an embarassment. A figure of ridicule. The mainland media can't believe there are still people like this around. A slot in Celebrity Big Brother beckons - but only if they agree to turn off the cameras on the Sabbath.
Why do I think this man is a fool? A few examples of his previous outbursts.....
"the troubles which afflict our nation at present, not least of which is the sudden appearance of the virus causing Foot-and-Mouth Disease" were caused by the visit of the Queen and Henry McLeish to the Vatican.
On the Indian Ocean Tsunami, in which 2000,000 people perished: "the wave arrived on the Lord’s Day, the day that God has set apart to be observed the world over by a holy resting from all employments and recreations that are lawful on other days." i.e. it was their own fault!!!
Oh, and don't forget what he had to say about the murder of Holly and Jessica Wells: "Had the parents of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman kept the Lord's Day, their daughters would still be alive."
Now he tells us the Sunday ferry has been instigated by wealthy incomers. The people who will suffer most are the impoverished and undereducated locals. Patronising or what?
Are the residents of the Outer Hebrides happy for this man to continue to represent their views on national radio, TV and in the press? Do we need any more evidence to prove this man should be deprived of the oxygen of publicity?
John Macleod paints a black picture in his latest letter, giving the impression that it was a simple black/white fight, almost good against evil. This is utter nonsense, as is his assertion that either petition is any kind of 'hard evidence' for or against the Sunday ferry. There were too few signatories on both sides to claim that.
His analysis of the LDOS's behaviour is interesting, though personally I believe that he himself was so verbose in the last few weeks, mainly in the letters column of Hebrides News, that the LDOS simply left the job to him. So he may well have shot himself in the foot (no pun intended), though admittedly the LDOS doesn't come out of this smelling of roses. But the people here have long had a history of being cowed into silence. It would be interesting to find out where all that Rally cash went though.
"I do not of course agree with the views of Cllr Donald John MacSween, Labour candidate for the next general election...But he has never made any secret of them; he has conducted himself at all times with integrity; and the issue is in any event now academic...At the dissolution of Parliament, then, I intend not only to vote for Cllr MacSween but to campaign for him. I would urge others to do the same."
What a strange and ill-thought through position to take! Wouldn't it be better for JM to stand as an independent against the present MP rather than back someone with whom he disagrees utterly on such a major subject?
Has Mr Macleod actually asked Mr Macsween if he wants his backing? I wonder who'll be quaking in their shoes now - Macneil or Macsween?!
Just when you think it's safe to listen to Radio 2 at work and they announce that John Macleod is a guest on the Jeremy Vine show.
It's been a long time coming!
Good to see Cal Mac biting the bullet and operating the ferry on a Sunday.
The sailing times are perfect. Folk can even go to church on a Sunday morning before they head off on the ferry in the afternoon - best of both worlds, eh?
For those away on the mainland, you get back home in time for school or work on a Monday, so no need to take extra time off.
has no-one stopped to ask why the billed acts in the tent are not coming?
...Perhaps they like a day off?
a word to the wise: the shop keepers (and this particularly goes for small shop keepers) will not make any more money... the money will be spread over the week with them making perhaps £7.50 extra per hour - but this will go on wages and the keeping open of a shop!
JM campaigning for MacSween at the next election. Does MacSween actually want this, especially after JMs disastrous Healthy Board PR "tenure", his comments about the Soham murders, and how he's wound up so many people? And, using his own twisted logic, he finds it better to campaign for someone who is pro-ferry (what he has railed against at length for the last month) rather than someone who is neutral.
As much as I like MacSween, I think this has just tilted the next election here in favour of the SNP.
Just heard John Macleod on the Jeremy Vine programme on Radio 2.
John Macleod, who described himself as "steaming, frankly" (so early in the day and one hopes not from a pub open on the Sabbath?) was speaking on behalf of "the peasants of the North West, the poor Highlanders, the simple backward Sabbatarian Teuchters"
Aye? I wonder how many Church goers would describe themselves as Mr Macleod portrayed them this afternoon? Not too many, I would imagine.
You can listen for yourself at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00lk1hl/Jeremy_Vine_15_07_2009/
The piece starts at 1 hour 35 mins & 15 seconds into the programme
MacLeod support Labour at next election?
LOL
Thats MacNeill back in with a land slide majority.
How keen is DJ MacSween for Macleods support did he ask him?
LOL
1.03 As a local shopkeeper, I won't be opening on Sunday. Nor I feel will any of the others. This was about the freedom of choice of movement. J.M and Macsween, I think it must be JMs revenge for Macsween getting his own way - At last something I can smile about from JMs rantings at long last!
A fine professional 'link' in the Jeremy Vine Show. Macleod was followed by Dusty Springfield with 'Son of a Preacher Man'. How the hell did Vine know?
"...the peasants of the North West, the poor Highlanders, the simple backward Sabbatarian Teuchters"
Ouch. I realise it was meant as a sardonic comment against CalMac, but still...ouch! I bet that would have made DJ Macsween's toes curl.
Liked Jeremy Vine's sense of humour, playing Dusty Springfield's 'Son of a Preacher Man' immediately after John Macleod's spot.
1.03 Local shopkeeper happy about the Calmac imposition 'will not open on Sunday' Last time I heard this {and read it in his letter to the Gazette}was when Engebretson said it. Enough said.
How much longer will John MacLeod and LDOS (who, in the usual traditional way, have split from each other) et al continue to peddle the lie that the majority of people here uphold Sabbatarian traditions?
We *did* have a clear referendum on "Christian Values", a few years ago. Clearer than the Stornoway Trust election (which was to elect to the Trust board). Clearer than petitions, both online and paper (from either side).
It was the 2005 UK General Election. Here's the result.
Fact. Operation Christian Vote received 7.6% of the vote. That's all. Hardly a majority, is it?
n.b. I am not knocking Christian Values, being agnostic. Some especially are commendable e.g. helping other people, being charitable. What I am knocking is the lie that the majority of residents believe in these and the associated faith.
In answer to your question Angus, 'Now what do the tourists do?'
It's obvious really they get a return ticket on the Sunday Ferry and go on a Booze Cruise. All Calmac have to do to make this even better is get a few musicians to play each Sunday and they will be making the Sunday Booze cruise an essential part of anyones stay on Lewis.
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