Silversprite

Unsettling noises from inside the wood. Not just that screeching, but an unfamiliar, primitive, confident, low, sound.

The torch only lights the nearest, still, trees; but there's something - things - beyond them and within.

Knawing, itching, feeling of being watched.

It's yeah time to go home.

A still body of water, with trees on the horizon. The clear blue sky is reflected in the water. In the foreground is a short wooden jetty, on which is a notebook and a pen.

6th March 2020. Lakeside writing place, a few minutes walk from Mälarhöjden station, Stockholm.

That was a good place, and a good day, to get words onto paper.

I founded the world's largest annual Kate Bush fan dance event, The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever. 10 years this year. 💃 💃 💃

A screenshot of a few of the comments on a blog post from an (in)famous Scottish Island blogger of the 2000s. The comments are written by a variety of people, in a hyper-local observational manner.

(5/5) Though a different writing-oriented project is taking shape; something for another day.

To end; a link to an Outer Hebrides Island Blogging post from 2005 which has a certain reputation. By Calumannabel: "Is there life on Harris?"

*DO* read the comments...

www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/isl...

The home page of the Isle of Berneray Community Website, which myself and Ruth created and launched in 2005 and updated for several years. All the pictures, but also all the typos (and there were many) were mine. The text reads: Berneray lies in the Sound of Harris in the Western Isles of Scotland. It is a small island (roughly 2 miles by 3) rich in wildlife and history, with a long sweep of white sand on the west coast, backed by high dunes and machair. The 123 inhabitants of Berneray stay mainly along the rockier east coast, forming an active and friendly community. Crofting and fishing are the mainstays of the economy, although tourism, information and media services also provide income to a number of households. Amongst the array of services and facilities, Berneray has a shop, tea room, post office, church, fishing harbour and community hall. During the summer months, an information centre containing historical and contemporary information is manned by local volunteers. This website brings together information for the Berneray community and visitors to the island: Residents can find out what's happening locally, obtain information about local groups, advertise their businesses, and access bus and ferry times and tried-and-tested online shopping sites from one, easy-to-use resource. Visitors can discover how to get to Berneray, where to stay and what to do and see. Find out about Berneray's history and learn about its abundant flora and fauna. For everyone, there is a growing gallery of photos both contemporary and historical. Request: memorabilia required for historical exhibition at Berneray school in June.

(4/5) With the press cuttings, screenshots, photographs, minutes, petitions, anonymous letter delivered to all houses in the night accusing a neighbour of witchcraft, and so much other ephemera I've kept or was given, there's easily enough for a book on that period.

Maybe, one day, if in the mood.

A screenshot of a blog post I wrote in February 2007, where I reproduced a letter I'd sent to the Stornway Gazette, making the case for connecting the islands in the Outer Hebrides not by causeways or bridges, but by tunnels: + + + + + It was heartening to read of serious consideration for a mainland fixed-link in last week’s Stornoway Gazette. However, this was spoilt by reading in the mainland media of imagined costs being “Well over 10 billion pounds” [article in Independent, Daily Mail article picture by CJCampbell]. Probably some commentators, rather than research the issue, assumed the cost would be the same as the incompetently managed English Channel Tunnel. That infamous project consisted of two train tunnels, tracks, a service tunnel, and huge support infrastructure. It was marred by bi-nation politics and contractual problems, resulting in one of the worst cost overruns in engineering history. The cost of a fixed-link mainland connection here should be very different - if it is built the “Norwegian way”. Norway has over 900 tunnels, carving through and under all manner of geology, of which 22 are subsea road tunnels. Using their methods, a tunnel from the Hebrides to the mainland could cost around 110 million pounds – just one percent of the cost of the Channel Tunnel! Examine the Lærdalstunnelen [basic statistics in English here, more detail here] in Norway. This road tunnel, completed in 2000, is nearly 25 kilometres long. It was built with safety in mind, containing 15 turning bays, 48 lay-bys, ventilation, and several huge rest-caverns with different coloured lighting to break up the monotony of driving. Total project cost? Not 10 billion pounds, but 86 million pounds. This level of cost is more the rule than the exception for sensibly planned long-distance tunnels. A recent Comhairle presentation gave similar costs for other Norwegian tunnels, such as the Frøya (5.6km for £44m), Hitra (5.3km for £31m) and Kristiansund (6km for £51m) road tunnels…

(3/5) I wrote a fair bit myself there on various platforms during the 2000s. The Internet Archive has kept some, but I've screenshots, and saved files, of my utterings (variable quality) and those of other residents.

It was fun, and eventful. Sometimes, a little too eventful. #FrozenColeslaw #IYKYK

Screenshot of a website from the 2000s. This one gives a rough forecast for midges across western Scotland.

Screenshot of a website from the 2000s. This one shows the current status of two parcels being tracked.

Screenshot of a website from the 2000s. This shows the status of various Calmac ferries around Scotland during a particularly stormy day. There are many disrupted or cancelled services.

Screenshot of a website from the 2000s. This is the front page of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, saying that their website is closed today in recognition of the observance of the Lord's day, followed by Exoduc 20 v 8-11.

(2/5) There was a *LOT* of Internet activity on the Outer Hebrides archipelago in the late 90s and 2000s.

Ebay was popular; online shopping taking off. Parcels could be tracked, ferry cancellations noted, there were weather and midge forecasts, and some churches closed their websites on Sundays.

A screenshot of the Island Blogging website in the family of BBC websites. The main picture shows a glass bottle on a beach. The page is at https://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/islandblogging/

(1/5) 20 or so years ago there was a lively network of bloggers across the Scottish Islands. Helped, in part, by the BBC providing a free and easy to use blogging platform, 'Island Blogging'.

Some residents used it to publish; others, some combination of Blogger, Wordpress, Typepad and Flickr.

A screenshot of details of three T20 (format) cricket matches: Thailand vs Japan, Hong Kong, China vs Kuwait, and Bhutan vs Bahrain.

To those, especially journalists, who think cricket is just played by England and a few current and former members of the Commonwealth, a screenshot of international cricket matches starting in the next few hours.

(there's around 110 countries with international cricket teams)

£8.95 for a basic cheese and onion roll, in a white bap with margarine. Salad cream Is an optional £1.50 extra. In a rural Worcestershire pub.

England is broken, the economy is fucked, and 2026 is the most ridiculous of timelines.

We Asked 5 Experts the Best Cheese for Fondue — They All Gave the Same Answer Chefs and cheesemongers share which cheeses melt smoothly and emulsify reliably — plus the right ratio of each for foolproof fondue.

Important news you may have missed (there's a lot going on).

www.foodandwine.com/best-cheese-...

I have seen coral reefs teeming with life become grey dead aquatic cemeteries. I have crossed glaciers and ice tunnels that no longer exist. I feel grateful to have had the opportunities to see these things before they disappeared, but I feel very sad at how much has been lost in such a short time.

The quality doughnut (or donut) experience count has, so far in 2026, been disappointly low. This deficit obviously needs some urgent attention.

Norway with only 5.5 million citizens:
-Has a 2 trillion dollar wealth fund
-A (coastal) geopolitical significance greater than Greenland
-It has plenty rare earth minerals and oil

Most importantly:
-Won more medals in the Olympics than any other nation!

But don’t give trump any ideas..

The cat stayed, if that answers your question :-)

An all grey British shorthair cat, lying on a dark blue duvet. In the background, a wicker heart hangs from a wardrobe door knob.

Woke up and quietly opened the door a fraction.

The consequence of this being, a few seconds later, the appearance of the cat on the duvet - who is going to be difficult to dislodge.

Who needs a weighted blanket when you can have a cat who is afraid of the dark (don't ask).

Enjoying the blog postings and pictures of @diamondgeezer.bsky.social as he wanders around my childhood town (Evesham, Worcestershire) and unfortunately wanders into the worst shopping centre in England.

diamondgeezer.blogspot.com/2026/02/eves...

Reminder to self: I have to return to Lidl within 7 days to pick up my free jam doughnut.

Overheard in Lidl:

"Bloody hell, they've nicked that tosser!"
"Which tosser?"
"Randy Andy"
"Bloody hell!"
"Christ almighty!"

"Did they get him on sex or money?"
"Money."
"I bet Mandelson's watching this on the tele, shitting himself."

Finished and submitted a course assignment a few hours earlier.

Glanced out of the big window. Sleet, cold, damp.

Deciding to celebrate assignment completion by going to bed early. This is, I guess, how I roll on a wet February evening in rural Worcestershire.

The Political Economy of the End of Human Civilisation Climate change will cause agricultural land to turn into deserts. Artificial intelligence will make millions of people out of work. Biotechnology will increase life spans will strain the welfare syste...

Coincidentally, I was looking at this short online course at Oxford and wondering how up to date the content of week #6 is: lifelong-learning.ox.ac.uk/courses/the-...

Local Hero (1983) Location - The Pennan Inn, Pennan, Scotland YouTube video by UK Movie Locations

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO4X...

Uploaded image

CHEESECAKE

Two slices of ciabatta with goat cheese and orange-yuzu-grapefruit spread on a dark peacock blue plate.

Today’s leftover (from day 16) #jamvent flavor is a returning fave: orange-yuzu-grapefruit. Vehicle: toasted ciabatta with goat cheese. Perfect balance of sweet and pucker with a great citrus punch. I want MORE YUZU in things, it’s great. A.

this sequence in the U.S. women’s curling match was pure cinema

This is extremely true.

My barista in Stockholm persuaded me to switch breakfasts to Västerbottensost and marmalade on walnut bread (my picture) and it remains a favourite breakfast.

Here, M&S Seville orange marmalade with stem ginger, over a quality sharp chedder, works pretty well.

There is a gap in the market for a low end sandwich shop that does fillings like peanut butter, sandwich spread, hot dog sausage or cheese spread and crisps. The bread should be folded rather than cut for authenticity.

On an urban street, a young lady, in shop work clothes, stands between two young men in the early 1960s. A black and white photo.

My mother and my grandmother, with baskets and boxes of plums, picked from the orchard. A black and white photo.

My dad and mom, standing in a patch of dahlias on land close to Edgbaston reservoir, in front of a greenhouse. A black and white photo.

My mom, smiling, behind me (aged around 2). My mom is looking at the camera and I am looking up. A black and white photo.

The 13th of February is my mom's birthday.

This summer past I scattered the remainder of her ashes on the Malvern Hills, in a line of sight of where the family orchard once grew.

Happy birthday, Jill.

A couple on the other side:

Him: This is like when we rode the log flume with the kids at Alton Towers. Do you remember?

Her: I remember the egg sandwiches you made us because you were too tight to pay for food there. They were rank.

{silence}

On the back road bus, which is almost aquaplaning in places. The driver is noticeably clenching the steering wheel tensely as we approach each lane-wide puddle of uncertain depth.

Behind me, an elderly couple are discussing where to source their ham for next Christmas.

#ham #HamBus