I am sooooooooooooo jealous, but the quality of anyone's life improves in Orkney (imo) go for it Bruce. The winds wont bother you, as you come from the east coast as it doesn't bother us over on the west coast. I hope you get there and wish you good luck! Regards Janis Near Blackburn Lancashire ----- Original Message ----- From: "BRUCE FLETCHER" <ricardian@btinternet.com> To: <ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 2:22 PM Subject: Re: [<orcadia>] Just joined > Pat, > I retired in October 2003 so quality of life is my > main interest. > Bruce > http://uk.geocities.com/ricardian@btinternet.com/ > > Hello Bruce, > > > > I was wondering what, if any (retired?) employment > > you might think to find > > there in Orkney? I've been curious about the types > > of jobs people might go > > for when relocating there. > > > > Pat > > > ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the word > 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com > >

Hey Glad to hear from someone on the 'orcadia site' I thought I had been chucked (thrown) off!!!!!!!!! Janis ----- Original Message ----- From: "stephen davie" <stephen.davie@sympatico.ca> To: <ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 5:33 PM Subject: Re: [<orcadia>] all quiet ? > I don't mind the site having an extended Christmas vacation. Maybe > people are all in that two week phase where you actually try to > exercise and work harder the first of January, as a result of some > single maltl-induced unachievable New Years resolution. > At any rate, I was interested to know how Victor the vole was doing, > but apparently grumpy goes to ground for the winter, to conserve food > and peat and energy, and wakes up hungry in the spring, sortof like a > groundhog. > Well, I'm off for the day into the biting cold. Nice "discussing". ... > Stephen > On Friday, January 9, 2004, at 05:47 AM, Tirabasso wrote: > > > It's a cool -12 here on the Northcoast of Ohio. Do you think it's > > too dark > > there in Orkney? Well, if they are hunkered down as you indicated, > > they may > > not be able to get to their computers. > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "stephen davie" <stephen.davie@sympatico.ca> > > To: <ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 11:33 AM > > Subject: Re: [<orcadia>] all quiet ? > > > > > >> YOU NOTICED TOO EH? I THINK THEY'RE ALL HUNKERED DOWN IN THEIR LITTLE > >> STONE HOUSES, STUFFING PEAT ONTO THOSE OPEN FIRES, AND RELUCTANT TO > >> GET > >> OUT FROM UNDER THE SEAL SKIN BLANKETS. MEANWHILE, IT'S -30 HERE THIS > >> MORNING. BRRRRR! > >> On Friday, January 9, 2004, at 05:15 AM, Dutch Thompson wrote: > >> > >>> Hello- > >>> Haven't seen any activity lately- is it all quiet on the Orcadian > >>> front or am I missing something? > >>> > >>> cheers Thompson in PEI > >>> > >>> > >>> ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > >>> To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the > >>> word > >>> 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com > >>> > >> > >> > >> ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > >> To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the > > word > >> 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com > >> > >> > >> > > > > > > > > ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > > To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the > > word > > 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com > > > > > ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the word > 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com > >

I, too enjoyed this piece and have to agree about with your feelings on Orkney being bought up. Ah, but it is a wonderful dream to live there I think Kathy --- stephen davie <stephen.davie@sympatico.ca> wrote: > Hi Fiona from York! > > So, the old ownership bug has smitten thee, yes? > Proceed with caution. > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/signingbonus

Brilliant, just brilliant, Stephen, and so too was your 'uncle' Jim...grand tale. (But how did you know about the festering arrow wound...!?) But dinnae fret, man, this is indeed merely a romantic notion - but i would recommend all romantics hereby reading to peruse the photos on these estate agent sites (with credit card safely locked away) as they open more windows to dreams - and some show views from real windows. aah passive romanticism... THANK you so much to BRUCE and SIAN for directing me to these sites, Fiona (York,UK) >From: stephen davie <stephen.davie@sympatico.ca> >Reply-To: ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com >To: ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: Re: [<orcadia>] Just joined >Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 15:54:16 -0800 > >Hi Fiona from York! > >So, the old ownership bug has smitten thee, yes? Proceed with caution. > > _________________________________________________________________ It's fast, it's easy and it's free. Get MSN Messenger today! http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger

There are three estate agents in Orkney with websites: http://www.dreverandheddle.co.uk/property.asp http://www.lowsorkney.co.uk/ http://www.orknet.co.uk/wgs/index.htm ===== Regards, Bruce Fletcher, Scarborough, Yorkshire, UK http://uk.geocities.com/ricardian@btinternet.com/ http://www.caytonwitheastfield.btinternet.co.uk

Fiona from York: <<Are there any Orcadian estate agents online...? I'm dreaming now... >> We all need a dream! Lows of Orkney have a web site : www.lowsorkney.co.uk as well as properties for sale it also gives information on buying property in Scotland which is quite different to the rest of the UK. Sian Graemsay

<< I've been curious about the types of jobs people might go for when relocating there.>> Pat, There is low unemployment in Orkney but a lot of jobs are fairly low paid too. Jobs tend to be in the agricultural/food processing area, also with the Health Board or the Orkney Islands Council, as well as usual "service industries", solicitors, accountants and not forgetting the "craft industry" and tourism, which obviously is seasonal. Most of the work is on the Orkney Mainland, if you relocate to the isles chances of employment are slim. When I relocated to Orkney I brought freelance work with me, - I do various research work for Universities and I supplement the fluctuations in income with a part-time admin job on the Mainland. I live on one of the smaller isles and therefore commute 3 times a week by ferry to Stromness, then drive into Kirkwall. Compared with my bygone city commuting days it's a breeze!

Hi, there is a strong quilting tradition in Northern Scotland. There is evidence from the Hebrides that warriors used to wear a heavily quilted tunic. Also the oldest example of 'log cabin' patchwork anywhere was found in an 18th century Scottish quilt. The Quilters Guild of the British Isles has a Scottish branch and there are quilting groups on Orkney and on the mainland. Caithness Quilters meet once a month either in Wick or Thurso and held an excellent exhibition in Wick library a couple of years ago. In quilting terms however Orkney is most famous for being the birthplace and inspiration of Sheena Norquay - one of Britain's best quilters. Her work is mostly inspired by Orcadian folklore, land and sea scapes. Her quilts can be found represented on greeting and post cards at The Workshop, St Margaret's Hope (they also have lots of other artistic goodies). She is not a professional quilter and unfortunately does not have a web site. Anne-Marie > Hi All - > I'm finally getting my wish to go to Orkney - yayyy! I arrive in Glasgow Mar 23, Orkney April 1. Is there any sort of a quilting heritage in Northern Scotland or the Isles? And what is Orkney cloth? (from the banking video website.) > Cheers - > Charlie Anne Petersen > Port Townsend, Washington USA > > > ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the word > 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com >

Hi Fiona from York! So, the old ownership bug has smitten thee, yes? Proceed with caution. The way you acquired property in Orkney, according to my accredited and copious notes, be ye local or be ye otherwise Orkney-rooted, is to sign up with the Hudson's Bay Company in Stennes, jump aboard a leaky wooden sailboat with some other teenagers, and head for iceberg-strewn Hudson's Straight by way of southern Greenland. You arrive hungry at Fort York (now Churchill Manitoba (see the HBC website)). Then you live amongst that great annualized variety of our punishing unrelenting lung-crushing and biting winter cold, and our miserable black fly and mosquito-infested misty midsummer oozy and inescapable heat, run up and down the rivers on long unending days, paddling sixty strokes per minute in a leaky overfilled birchbark canoes trading beads and booze for furs with people dressed in musty smoky hides, and if you are lucky and still alive years later , you then get to return to Orkney after your fifth year of being a slave to some pompous Brit fort factor who won't leave the comfort of the Fort, but gets a share of the spoils you produced, then at last maybe you actually return to Orkney, that being at this point an option (for perhaps you acquired a native family by happenschance and feel you'd miss your "country" family, or maybe you didn't save as much as you wanted to and signed up for another five years of adventure) and after all is said and done and upon your eventual unceremonious arrival home in Stennes, with a festering arrow wound in your backside, and clad in moose hide, if your intended Orkney love has not written you off for another, you hand over all your money to the father of your betrothed, and "Bingo" you now have a croft. I think they called the program the "Orcadian Beaverquest for a Lovenest", or was it the "Orcadian Voluntary Depopulation Scheme."? Alternatively, it seems you had to avoid the trip, stay home and either marry an only child of a landowner, or wait for all your parents and siblings to die to get title to a place a place to grow bere and raise a few furry hagis- in -waiting, and create a home for your beloved and some youngin's. A guy named James Davie showed up on my grandmother's doorstep in Toronto in the late sixties after my Grandpa died, and announced that he was "Cousin Jim" from Finstown Orkney, and that he wanted to see my Grandpa. He was here to raise the money to buy the farm from Tom Davie who was threatening to let it go out of family hands for first time in history(which he did). Uncle Jim became a repeat and celebrated visitor, and was passed around the family like a a bottle of 24 year old single malt, to be sampled by all and cherished, which ceremonious entertaining left one sharp businessman uncle the opportunity to ask if Old Jim was even related! Gee Fiona, I'm stupid. I should go to Orkney and pass myself around as the key to the old Davie farm in Ontario! Hmmm. Anyways, your question of ownership sort of pierced my skin. We have similar thoughts as a family group, but I'll wager it won't be easy. Now that our history came together in a book form, everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon, including cousins who perhaps could be convinced that Orkney was a new brand of cookie, or an ailment specific to the midlower leg. Maybe it is a good thing that real estate there isn't handed out on a platter to anyone with a whim. It would be a shame to see Orkney invaded by idle romantics, pushing up the price of everything. But of course, Fiona, we are active romantics, deeply rooted, so there should be room for us, n'est pas? Happy NewYear .........Stephen in Brrrrrrr.....Canada (-32) On Sunday, January 11, 2004, at 11:35 AM, SIAN.THOMAS wrote: > Fiona from York: > <<Are there any Orcadian estate agents > online...? I'm dreaming now... >> > > We all need a dream! Lows of Orkney have a web site : > www.lowsorkney.co.uk > as well as properties for sale it also gives information on buying > property > in Scotland which is quite different to the rest of the UK. > > Sian > Graemsay > > > ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the > word > 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com >

Thanks for the welcome, Fiona. As we are moving house I will be driving our heavily-laden car up to Scrabster, probably via A1, A68, A9. ===== Regards, Bruce Fletcher, Scarborough, Yorkshire, UK http://uk.geocities.com/ricardian@btinternet.com/ http://www.caytonwitheastfield.btinternet.co.uk

Thank you Anne-Marie, that is really helpful. I've seen pictures of Sheena Norquay's work, she is fabulous. Charlie ----- Original Message ----- From: "Anne-Marie Tye" <annemarie.tye@btinternet.com> To: <ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2004 8:05 AM Subject: Re: [<orcadia>] Quilting? > Hi, > there is a strong quilting tradition in Northern Scotland. There is > evidence from the Hebrides that warriors used to wear a heavily quilted > tunic. Also the oldest example of 'log cabin' patchwork anywhere was found > in an 18th century Scottish quilt. The Quilters Guild of the British Isles > has a Scottish branch and there are quilting groups on Orkney and on the > mainland. Caithness Quilters meet once a month either in Wick or Thurso and > held an excellent exhibition in Wick library a couple of years ago. > > In quilting terms however Orkney is most famous for being the birthplace and > inspiration of Sheena Norquay - one of Britain's best quilters. Her work is > mostly inspired by Orcadian folklore, land and sea scapes. Her quilts can > be found represented on greeting and post cards at The Workshop, St > Margaret's Hope (they also have lots of other artistic goodies). She is not > a professional quilter and unfortunately does not have a web site. > > Anne-Marie > > > > Hi All - > > I'm finally getting my wish to go to Orkney - yayyy! I arrive in Glasgow > Mar 23, Orkney April 1. Is there any sort of a quilting heritage in Northern > Scotland or the Isles? And what is Orkney cloth? (from the banking video > website.) > > Cheers - > > Charlie Anne Petersen > > Port Townsend, Washington USA > > > > > > ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > > To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the word > > 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com > > > > > > ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the word > 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com > >

Hi All - I'm finally getting my wish to go to Orkney - yayyy! I arrive in Glasgow Mar 23, Orkney April 1. Is there any sort of a quilting heritage in Northern Scotland or the Isles? And what is Orkney cloth? (from the banking video website.) Cheers - Charlie Anne Petersen Port Townsend, Washington USA

Hello, everyone! Can anyone direct me to an online source describing Orcadian herbal lore in some detail (which plant was used for which ailment)? Thanks. Rhonda P.S. We don't have peat fires, here in NY state, but thank God for hardwood! It's freeeeezing!

On 10 January 2004 16:19, Fiona Pearson wrote: > So Sigurd Walkerhouse was known as Waakerhoose - do you know any > meaning/reasoning for the name "Creya" just north of there? How did > that name come about? No easy answer for this one I doubt. There are Creya/Crya placenames in Orphir, Evie, Deerness, Rousay and Stromness and it was once thought the names related to the Old Norse "kró" - an enclosure or animal pen. This element, however, is practically always found in Orkney as "kroo" which, seems to rule it out. The fact that the earliest records show the name (in Orphir at least) as Gregay/Grega/Crega adds weight to this supposition. However, in North Ronaldsay there were a collection of sheep pens which went by the name of Crugather, which would imply that the placenames are indeed related. Hugh Marwick discovered evidence in 19th Century court records that Creya in Rousay was definitely used for herding sheep, while Orphir's Creya lies next to Crusteethes (meaning the site of animal pens). So to summarise, it probably means "the (sheep) pens" or possibly "the (sheep) pens track". -- Sigurd Towrie Blackhall - Kirbister - Stromness - Orkney Heritage of Orkney: www.orkneyjar.com Home: sigurd@orkneyjar.com Work: sigurd.towrie@orcadian.co.uk

So Sigurd Walkerhouse was known as Waakerhoose - do you know any meaning/reasoning for the name "Creya" just north of there? How did that name come about? Thanks, Fiona York UK >From: "Sigurd Towrie" <sigurd@orkneyjar.com> >Reply-To: ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com >To: ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: [<orcadia>] Maeshowe and Brodgar - Historic Scotland revert to >correct names >Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2004 20:46:51 -0000 > >I heard today that after a long time Historic Scotland have agreed to >change all references to Maeshowe to the correct (Orcadian) spelling, >rather than the "Maes Howe" spelling they have used since the early >1980s. The one word spelling correctly relates to the Orcadian >pronunciation of the name (where there is no pause between Maes >(pronounced "Maze") and howe. > >They are also bowing to local pressure and will revert to referring to >the Ring of Brodgar, rather than the "Ring of Brogar". Apparently their >decision on the way they refer to sites depends on Ordnance Survey maps >- who are notorious for completely messing up Orcadian names. > >I wonder if they will ever admit to making up Gurness - a nonsensical >corruption of Aikerness? >-- >Sigurd Towrie >Blackhall - Kirbister - Stromness - Orkney >Heritage of Orkney: www.orkneyjar.com >Home: sigurd@orkneyjar.com >Work: sigurd.towrie@orcadian.co.uk > > >==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== >To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the word >'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com > _________________________________________________________________ It's fast, it's easy and it's free. Get MSN Messenger today! http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger

Welcome to Bruce, a fellow Yorkshire resident (to date...)! As i live in York i'm interested to know which route to Orkney from Scarborough you have found easiest/best - i've taken 3 different routes in the past 3 years but want to further experiment. 1) A never-to-be-repeated, very special DAY return flight for a big celebration in a 6 seater plane from a small local airfield to an even smaller, poss smallest i've ever seen, airstrip on Sanday island... fantastic day... 2) Train to Inverness, B&B overnight, then the Orkney Bus (coach to John O'Groats then on up to Kirkwall - total journey time = 2 days!! 3) Train to Edinburgh, flight to Kirkwall (takes a day) This summer i'll poss try train to Aberdeen then ferry to Kirkwall next time, have you experienced that route? Any tried and tested routes from anyone else who lives in/near Yorkshire? Or do most folk in the UK drive up? (phew) Fiona Near York North Yorkshire PS Interested to know, Bruce, if you are planning to re-locate to Mainland Orkney or one of the islands? Are there any Orcadian estate agents online...? I'm dreaming now... >From: BRUCE FLETCHER <ricardian@btinternet.com> >Reply-To: ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com >To: ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: [<orcadia>] Just joined >Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2004 13:48:28 +0000 (GMT) > >Have just joined this list - interesting film clips >from the last poster. We are hoping to re-locate to >Orkney later this year. >Bruce Fletcher >Scarborough, Yorkshire > > >==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== >To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the word >'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com > _________________________________________________________________ It's fast, it's easy and it's free. Get MSN Messenger today! http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger

My understanding from a friend out there that there has been quite a bit of partying going on. Maybe its the recovery from all the social that has quiet things down, or may be just observing the quiet beauty of an Orkadian winter Kathy __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/signingbonus

I heard today that after a long time Historic Scotland have agreed to change all references to Maeshowe to the correct (Orcadian) spelling, rather than the "Maes Howe" spelling they have used since the early 1980s. The one word spelling correctly relates to the Orcadian pronunciation of the name (where there is no pause between Maes (pronounced "Maze") and howe. They are also bowing to local pressure and will revert to referring to the Ring of Brodgar, rather than the "Ring of Brogar". Apparently their decision on the way they refer to sites depends on Ordnance Survey maps - who are notorious for completely messing up Orcadian names. I wonder if they will ever admit to making up Gurness - a nonsensical corruption of Aikerness? -- Sigurd Towrie Blackhall - Kirbister - Stromness - Orkney Heritage of Orkney: www.orkneyjar.com Home: sigurd@orkneyjar.com Work: sigurd.towrie@orcadian.co.uk

Thanks for your welcome, Karen. We should have moved to Orkney before Christmas but our buyers have yet to sort out their mortgage. Rest assured that when we do eventually get to Orkney I shall try to post occasional reports on our progress. Regards, Bruce Fletcher, Scarborough, Yorkshire, UK http://uk.geocities.com/ricardian@btinternet.com/ http://www.caytonwitheastfield.btinternet.co.uk

This is very interesting! Thanks for the link. Hope all is well with everyone, and that everyone had a wonderful Holiday! Beth Livingston Greenville, SC, USA