Apr022009
“and when was all this decided?”
Filed under Uncategorized by morrolesssocks at 11:00 pm on Apr 02 2009
Och what another flyby kind of a week this has turned out to be…
This time last week I was coming home from the Community Council meeting with mirlinlass. We both decided after the last one that we should make a regular thing of it. Bressay is an island much in need of a rejuvenation of community spirit. fifteen/twenty years ago the community was thriving - always something on at the hall, always a good crowd out in the pub, always a craic to be had in most quarters and always a real interest in doing things for the sake of “community”. But there is a real apathy now I think. For a community to survive it needs a real injection of young, or young-er, people to kick things into shape.
Bressay is, sloowly, becoming a younger community again and I do see some little groups of shape-kickers and shades of how the community could be in those people. but still only me, mirlin and mirlin’s dad turned up the the last two community council meetings. I find that a real shame when the people in the community get on their soapbox about “community matters” and then not utilise the council when they are there to deal with such matters…for instance mirlin and I went to the meeting last month to hear about the proposed plans to make major changes to our water supply. Lots of members of the community had their two-penneth worth to add when it was discussed in the ferry or in the shop “somebody must do something about this!”, “We want to keep our water!”, but they didn’t turn up to the meeting. As it happens, the water dudes said that what the community want will be taken into consideration and they will be having a consultation evening, but if no-one turns up to that we’ll get tinny old Lerwick water and folk will complain that nobody did anything!
Ok, I maybe generalising a little bit…because there was a few who turned-out to the public transport meeting the night before, but it really crumbles my oatcakes to hear folk waste all their energy on sounding off when they could save some to attend the odd community council meeting and learn how they can play a part in making significant changes to their own community…………and breathe!
Anyhoo, a lot of interesting things were raised at the meeting including the possibility of a turbine for the island - fab idea…mind you…months from now, after its been discussed at, virtually, unattended meetings, all the forms have been filled out and the work is about to begin, some smart alecs will see the turbines coming over on the ferry and say…”and when was all this decided?!”
Friday was a quiet one as I fully intended it to be. I was let slip home alone at the weekend as mamajama went to Aberdeen for a shopping and a show jaunt…it sounds silly to say “let slip”, but just to flatch out on the sofa with the remote all to myself, for an entire weekend…such bliss! I sat and knitted a camera sock for my sister and watched season three and four of Coupling on DVD.
On Saturday there was a jumble sale and coffee morning at the local heritage centre (a mini-community of potential shape-kickers helping out at it) and my friend Jam and her two wee ones came over for it. Unfortunately mirlin wasn’t able for it. Every time Jam attends a social function in Bressay it’s like the prodigal daughter has returned, although, as she says herself, most of the folk who seem to flock to her, wouldn’t have so much as said hello to her when she lived on the island years ago lol. We ended up enjoying some sumptuous homebakes in the 1960s ben-end mock up, watching plastic budgies fly up the wall and admiring the obligatory waally dugs! I went home with far too many books, having only been resolved to but no more second-hand books just the week before!
Sunday was another knitting day, but I ended up with a migraine, which is usually what happens after a weekend of clicking wires, unfortunately it kept me off my work on Monday and I spent the day in bed with the curtains closed.
Mind you having the curtains closed does very little now that the light mornings are upon us once more. I wasn’t thankful of that fact on Monday, but I do love the lighter mornings and evenings and going to bed and waking up to blackbird song. There are a good few nesting in the old dyke across the road from me and it’s just a joyous sound to behold!
I am looking after the nieces tonight and tomorrow night, their mum and dad are off to Aberdeen for a wedding so Aunty Morrolesssocks has come to stay. It’s only been one night and already I think a migraine is better…haha only kidding, we are off on a magical mystery bus trip tomorrow and once I have handed them back on Saturday morning its off home to pack…I’m heading south for a jaunt myself, a week in Edinburgh to do some much needed catching up with friends including a Belated Happy Birthday Doris Day party! It’s the great lady’s birthday tomorrow, 87 I believe! She’s always been an idol of mine and my friend mojo is an even bigger fan, she’s bringing the gingham, I’m to bring the chiffon head scarf and pearls!
right time for bed…hope the silvrey moon is shining on you!
1 Plaidon 03 Apr 2009 at 11:07 am
There are always those who talk about fixing things, but tend to only talk … and when what ever is fixed, then it is sure to be done wrong … of course had they been there all would be OK.
Tomorrow we are going to a a garage sale followed by a fair … hope there are some second hand books available … I would never make a vow to stop buying them!
I love the idea of a Doris Day party - she is a favourite of mine as well.
Enjoy your week galavanting!
2 thelandladyon 03 Apr 2009 at 6:10 pm
Aye, it’s the same all over, big towns as well as wee islands, I think.
On another matter, what is a camera sock?? Just the one????
3 morrolesssockson 03 Apr 2009 at 9:28 pm
So true chaps! a camera sock…well you see, my sister and i both got expensive camera’s this christmas, all singing, all dancing, ones, but there wasn’t a case…all that money on a wee thing and no case to protect it! so i knitted wee socks…camera cosies if you will!
4 x333xxxon 04 Apr 2009 at 9:40 am
There’s a lot you can do to give community engagement a jolly good kick up the proverbial, but the will/urge/desire to participate has to be there for engagement to actually occur, particularly with ‘hard to reach’ groups such as younger folk who see councils or community councils as not relevant to them.
Generally speaking local authorities do try very hard to engage with communities, going to extraordinary lengths to promote a two-way conversation. A discussion forum on the council website is often a good way of getting an issue aired and debated, with all parties able to contribute. I know your focus is on the community rather than the council in your posting, but the council can be a positive influence on helping fragmenting a community to reassert itself.
I’ve no easy solution I’m afraid. Democratic engagement is an uphill struggle whether it be Bressay, Stornoway or Haringey.
You might find this information on the IDeA website helpful for some ideas you could develop locally or encourage Shetland Islands Council to adopt. IDeA is the Government’s improvement and development agency, aimed principally at authorities in England and Wales (Scotland has a fledgling ‘Improvement Service’), but you could turn its resources to your own benefit also. The website provides a wealth of case studies and real life examples.
http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=7816307#contents-3
I hope that helps, and wish you and mirlinlass well for your campaigning!
5 mirlnlasson 04 Apr 2009 at 3:17 pm
Oops should have read yours before doing mine lol
6 Flying Cat 2on 04 Apr 2009 at 3:47 pm
I wish I’d virtually known you before I bought a friend a knitted moby cover at great expense for her birthday! You could have a nice fledgling business there. And if you branch out into teacosies like landlady, the world’s your oyster!