Are tentative, entwined and yet to be discovered how deep the roots go. I do know, from the generosity of the various members of the Orcadia and Orkney lists that my gg-grandfather, James Goudie, was b. 18 Sep 1808 Stromness, Mainland, Orkney, Scotland c.25 Sep 1808 Stromness, Mainland, Orkney, Scotland d.23 Apr 1887 Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada buried: BLK H Plot 69 E 21A Ross Bay Cemetery, Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada Thanks to Dave Annal and Norman Tulloch "Dennice First of all, as Norman correctly pointed out, the character that looks like a 'f' is actually the first part of a double 's'. This was very common in the nineteenth century (and earlier) but had all but died out by the start of the twentieth century. The 1821 census of Stromness records a number of GOUDIE families, probably all connected. Peter GOUDIE had evidently died by 1821. James GOUDIE, 35, Blacksmith Betty GROAT, 33 Peter GOUDIE, 10, School Clem GOUDIE, 8, School James GOUDIE, 6, School Betty OUDIE, 2 Baikie GOUDIE, 60 Merchant/Blacksmith Catherine GOUDIE, 36 Margaret GOUDIE, 15, School Cath GOUDIE, 12, School William GOUDIE, 17, App[rentice] Christian GOUDIE, 9, School Magnus GOUDIE, 10, School James GOUDIE, 7, School John GOUDIE, 4 Isabella GOUDIE, 1 Sally GOUDIE, 40, Widow Margaret GOUDIE, 20, Strawplaiting Sally GOUDIE, 10, School Jacobina GOUDIE, 8, School Margaret GOUDIE, 45, Widow Margaret SINCLAIR, 16, Strawpla! iting Fanny SINCLAIR, 18, Strawplaiting Robert CLOUSTON, 36, Mason/Farmer + family + 4 servants, including: James GOUDIE, 13, Servant Have a look at: http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp to see if you can sort all this lot out. I also found some GOUDIE wills, including one for Baikie GOUDIE (probably a relative of Peter's) at: http://www.scottishdocuments.com/content/default.asp Happy hunting! Dave Annal, Watford, England " The roots of which I have yet to untangle. My thanks to the multitude of descendants who continue from Sooke, Vancouver Island [small farming/logging/fishing community west of Victoria on Vancouver Island] as well as other areas of the Island {Vancouver Island, not to be confused with the metropolitan area of GVRD = Greater Vancouver Regional District] to areas throughout the United States. Regards, Dennice Goudie of central Vancouver Island

The pictures on the Guest Book page confirm that it was the Royce Perry we knew: http://www.legacy.com/gb2/default.aspx?bookid=1378826001186&cid=full Norman T.

Well, I think we have the answer as to what happened to Royce: Obituary Notice Royce L. Perry (1943 - 2010) Royce L. Perry, 66, passed away Thursday, April 1, 2010. Funeral: 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in Arlington Funeral Home Chapel. Interment: 2:30 p.m. in Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Arlington Funeral Home. Survivors: Wife, Carole Ann McDonald Perry; daughter, Jennifer Christine Perry; one sister; one brother; numerous nieces and nephews. Published in Star-Telegram on April 5, 2010 http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dfw/obituary.aspx?n=royce-l-perry&pid=141499170 I assume that's him, anyway; presumably there can't have been too many people of that name in Texas. Sad. Norman Tulloch

I am shocked and appalled by what I read today. I sure hope this stops because I think everyone has a right to their own opinion and we have the right to disagree but no one has the right to be mean, rude and hurtful. I usually enjoy my time on this mailing list but today was very hurtful.

Jim, could I repeat the question that someone asked earlier: is Royce Perry no longer the moderator of this list? If that's the case, what is the reason for the change? Norman Tulloch

Thanks for sharing this. So sad to lose him. Marion from Maine ----- Original Message ----- > The pictures on the Guest Book page confirm that it was > the Royce Perry we knew: > > http://www.legacy.com/gb2/default.aspx?bookid=1378826001186&cid=full > > Norman T.

Tee Hee Bruce, you are positively metropolitan on Stronsay compared to us!! Though we do have a post office and someone will off your a cuppa and some shelter in the pouring rain......... I value the peace and quiet on Graemsay (23 residents), but I do enjoy the proximity to Stromness for shopping and socialising. Though we are fortunate as the majority of the shops in Stromness and some in Kirkwall will deliver to the cargo boat and bring goods out to us for a small fee (50p per box). Most things can be obtained locally if you wish - I got my recent freezer delivered to the boat by OTE in Kirkwall, and the lass in OTE in Stromness soothed my frayed nerves when I had problems with our TV system going "digital". But as you say there is always the option of the internet. Sian On 17/06/2010 20:06, Bruce Fletcher wrote: > On 17/06/2010 14:20, Slater Anne wrote: > >> I too am curious about "the values and amenities and lifestyle that keep you >> there." >> Anne >> just west of Philadelphia, PA >> > > What keeps us here on Stronsay is the peace and quiet. No police > presence except for an occasional visit from mainland police to check on > shotgun licences etc. No rush hour, no traffic jams, no vandalism. We > have two general stores which are well stocked with a wide range of > goods and large items such as fridge-freezers are easily ordered over > the internet. There's a post office, an hotel, the cafe at the Fishmart > and a craft shop. > Our own fridge-freezer died last week so I went online and ordered a new > one from John Lews; it will be delivered (carriage free) next week and > they will take away the old machine at a cost of nine pounds. > The weather is sometimes a bit wild but to us that is all part of the > charm. We're always well stocked with food, heating oil and gas > cylinders and have "wind up" radios and lanterns. > > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 9.0.829 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2944 - Release Date: 06/17/10 12:33:00 > >

Briefly (tsk!), I would like to thank Jim, for his common sense approach to solving his first experience of the orcadia roots web semi-annual "wakeup shakeup." Indeed, our common bond is our interest in Orkney, and our right to be honest one with another in sharing our views. If someone decideds to tell a joke on this site, I guess all you have to do is say you heard it in a pub in Orkney. When I heard our number is 165 souls, I wondered where they are from? I would like to somehow express my condolences to Royce's family, and if someone out there has an idea as to how we might do this as a group, I would love to hear it, and do it. He was a good chairman, and I still have his foto, bekilted and bearded, and proud. It wold be nice to have a few more fotos of the regulars at least, to be able to attach a face to a recognized recurring name. Sian and Bruce have filled in some of the blanks about island life in Orkney, but there are still lots of unanswered queeries as to values which motivate people to live there, to stay there, or to move there from elsewhere. I spent a very moving day on Wyre, in the rain, alone, and with no means of returning to Stronsay for some number of hours. I recall the roaming chickens, and that reminded me of the more rural areas of Manitoulin Island here. I made one of the best friends I have in life, on this list. It is like we are kindred souls, as we both have Orkney roots that run deep and historically interesting, we both were affiliated with north american indians, and we both are profoundly proud of our norwegian/orcadian roots. As our lives move onward towards some sort of sunset, we have both deduced that it is those simple things in nature which matter each day, and which inspire us. I think I am happy where chickens run free, in Cuba, Orkney and the Manitoulin. Sian mentioned the sunsets. I have a foto I took on Papa Stronsay of a sunset on June 21. I can relate, Sian, to your thinking and feeling. Also, to be divest of the dreaded auto accident threat in your neighborhood. An incredible blessing. Last year I had my first ever accident, and it has cost me half of my hearing, and I am insured a life of daily discomfort. Had I been living on Stronsay, what happened to me would never have occured. And nobody I know of has ever been attacked by a sheep! For all the years I have been jabbing and flabbing on this site, and with the friends I have made here, I have wondered about the mystical sort of element that Orkney possesses. I recall in my trip there, people actually asking about the family roots, and distant relatives and people who's families that lived alongside my family, actually grequently said..."Welcome Home!." This I found to be a real privilege to receive. People basically at some point in life ask who they are, and where they came from. It starts with the premise that none of us could get to pick our own parents. Computers have accelerated the genealogy research passion, beyond previous limits, due to time and cost. Several people I have met on this list, have had medical issues from time to time, and have shared their information with me, which I really appreciate. However, Royce is the first that I am aware of, that indeed passed on. I am sure he would want us to continue to dialogue, and to do so in honesty, remembering that we are all just people at the end of the day, with a common interest in a very special place. It is funny, how sometimes inasmuch as people in Orkney are proud and happy with their life, that people who move there from elsewhere are so taken up with the peace, the tranquility and the truly unique way of life. Sian's explanation was great, and thanks for responding. I had the privilege of meeting Bruce and his lovely wife Maureen, and Surrey, the independent ghostly white guardian of the hall, and I can say that their life as observed, indeed again, is something our of a story book. To move there, and to take up a totally different life, takes some courage and determination. But to actually make the decision to do it, is amazingly gutsy! So, thanks again Jim, Bruce, Sian and Nan Fowler and all of you who chose to check in today, and invigorate our little ship, and to meet our new captain from Georgia. And to Ginger, Norm, Charles, Anne, Karen, jeff and Dick and in fairness to Mike, who deserves credit for pumping up the volume . I was getting to the point where I felt like asking for a roll call check in, as things were so quiet. Historically, this site has always bounced to life, when differences arise. Sorta like a newspaper, I think. Also to In my way of thinking, had we not "chatted" we would not know that indeed Royce had passed on on April 1. God Bless him and his family. Take care.....and thank you... Stephen...an Islander....Manitoulin, Cuba and with content Orkney roots.

> If I had a way of communicating with his family I would love to > offer my > feelings of loss of a fellow genealogist/administrator/human > being.  http://www.legacy.com/gb2/default.aspx?bookid=1378826001186&cid=full There are six pages of notes [which can allow for an email address to be contacted in return --- avoiding spam it might be better to write a reply address in a phonetic manner] to Royce's family. Regards, Dennice

I had a sinking feeling that this might be the case. We in the Rootsweb community have lost a number of admins to mortality and it is never easy. If I had a way of communicating with his family I would love to offer my feelings of loss of a fellow genealogist/administrator/human being. This always serves to remind me of my own mortality and the hope that someone will think kindly of me when my time to depart this earthly existence comes. To those of you who counted Royce as a friend I offer my heartfelt sympathy. The silver lining in all of this is my belief that we will be reunited in the world to come and be allowed to rejoice together in the afterlife. Jim -----Original Message----- From: orcadia-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:orcadia-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Norman Tulloch Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2010 6:26 PM To: orcadia@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [ORCADIA] Admin Note The pictures on the Guest Book page confirm that it was the Royce Perry we knew: http://www.legacy.com/gb2/default.aspx?bookid=1378826001186&cid=full Norman T. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

On 17/06/2010 14:20, Slater Anne wrote: > I too am curious about "the values and amenities and lifestyle that keep you > there." > Anne > just west of Philadelphia, PA What keeps us here on Stronsay is the peace and quiet. No police presence except for an occasional visit from mainland police to check on shotgun licences etc. No rush hour, no traffic jams, no vandalism. We have two general stores which are well stocked with a wide range of goods and large items such as fridge-freezers are easily ordered over the internet. There's a post office, an hotel, the cafe at the Fishmart and a craft shop. Our own fridge-freezer died last week so I went online and ordered a new one from John Lews; it will be delivered (carriage free) next week and they will take away the old machine at a cost of nine pounds. The weather is sometimes a bit wild but to us that is all part of the charm. We're always well stocked with food, heating oil and gas cylinders and have "wind up" radios and lanterns. -- Bruce Fletcher Stronsay, Orkney <http://claremont.islandblogging.co.uk>

All, We appear to have weathered a small storm of controversy. I think a simple rule of thumb when replying to the group ought to be this: attack (if you must) the message, but never the messenger. As for living on an isolated island, I believe the sentiment being expressed by some, myself included, is that in this world there really are no more totally isolated places, as we are all linked by a common sea and a common air, so that what happens in the Gulf of Mexico - or Chernoble - can and probably will affect life even on Graemsay and Stronsay. Having said that, and much as I enjoy life here in the middle of the US, I still dream at times about a simpler, quieter life, closer to nature in Orkney, and envy those of you who have achieved it. The best I can do is visit there when possible - and the next visit will be in the summer of 2011. Last summer my wife met Sian. Perhaps we can meet a few more of you next time. Tuck On Jun 17, 2010, at 6:23 PM, Norman Tulloch wrote: > Well, I think we have the answer as to what happened to Royce: > > Obituary Notice > Royce L. Perry (1943 - 2010) > > Royce L. Perry, 66, passed away Thursday, April 1, 2010. > Funeral: 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in Arlington Funeral Home Chapel. > Interment: 2:30 p.m. in Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. > Visitation: > 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Arlington Funeral Home. > Survivors: Wife, Carole Ann McDonald Perry; daughter, Jennifer > Christine > Perry; one sister; one brother; numerous nieces and nephews. > Published in Star-Telegram on April 5, 2010 > > http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dfw/obituary.aspx?n=royce-l-perry&pid=141499170 > > I assume that's him, anyway; presumably there can't have been too many > people of that name in Texas. > > Sad. > > Norman Tulloch > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message

I agree that future transport provision within Orkney needs thinking outside the box and it would be good to have open discussion within communities about this. Though the idea of fixed links between the isles suggests an increased dependence on cars, which is something I would like to see reduced. Though I have not seen figures presented on environmental costs between the various forms of transport. I can only speak regarding Hoy & Graemsay - I'm on the local community council and we have had just informal discussions about this whenever it is highighted in the press - first comment is always - would be nice if someone talked to the community! If there WAS a fixed link from Graemsay to Hoy a) a car ferry would still be needed to travel between Graemsay & STromness b) new roads would need to be constructed on graemsay and at the North End of Hoy to take the traffic c) Graemsay would become a drive through completely changing the way of life on the island (eg kids can safely go about on their bikes from the age of 5 as only island transport uses the single track road (which has no passing places). d) Folk in Longhope (one of the main settlements on Hoy) would have a 20 mile journey to the ferry. e) Lyness is being developed for "renewables" potentially generating more traffic, be it car or marine vehicles so would still need some access at the South end of the island........ is it therefore worth developing a fixed link at the North end? Not to mention the potential for the Container Hub at Lyness. So there are lots of issues to be debated and I, along with many residents on Hoy and Graemsay (and other islands) would welcome *public* debate on them, rather than just reading about them in the local paper, usually reports from councillors who have not sent foot on the island or spoken directly with the community, and yes I've told them that directly ;-) So folks as you can see - transport is a hot topic in Orkney!! On 17/06/2010 09:52, Charles Tait wrote: > Last for today. > > Transport in Orkney needs thinking for the future. > > Fixed links between the North Isles would create an area about the size > of the Mainland. Services such as health and education would be > transformed. The possibilities for economic development are immense. > > Equally joining Hoy to Stromness via Graemsay would have great benefits. > > The sleepy little island mentality is just that and needs thinking far > out of the box. > > We have oil funds to invest and the Norwegians have the expertise, so > why not just get on with it? > > But I like most Orcadians am 100% against a Pentland Firth tunnel. > > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 9.0.829 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2944 - Release Date: 06/17/10 12:33:00 > >

I wish I could answer your question about Royce but cannot. I found the list available for adoption on May 20 and volunteered to take it. I hope someone here may know something and can share it with us. I can pose the question on the listowners list and see if I get a response. Best wishes, Jim -----Original Message----- From: orcadia-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:orcadia-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Norman Tulloch Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2010 5:51 PM To: orcadia@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [ORCADIA] Admin Note Jim, could I repeat the question that someone asked earlier: is Royce Perry no longer the moderator of this list? If that's the case, what is the reason for the change? Norman Tulloch ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Stephen I think island life means different things to different people. For the local Orcadians on the outer isles it's what they have grown up knowing. They stay because of family links, because they don't want to explore further, some because they want to, others because they feel they have no other choice. I can only speak as an incomer - I moved here after a lifetime living on the outskirts of London and having commuted around the south-east all my working life. I wanted a less frenetic way of life, spending less time travelling to and from work on buses, trains, motorways, and because I wanted a bit of land around my house and to be near the sea shore. Serendipity led me to Orkney and Graemsay in particular. I wanted my own personal adventure and buying a near derelict house on a remote Scottish island fitted the bill! I've been here over 11 years now and have no wish to live anywhere other than Orkney, though as our ferry is a passenger only vessel (with lift on lift off cargo including cattle and sheep) I may one day choose to move to the Orkney Mainland - you need to be fairly mobile to get on and off the ferry when it's bobbing at the pier and then make it up the steps and along the pier in a gale and horizontal rain!! I like Graemsay because it is close to the Orkney Mainland (15 min journey on most trips to Stromness), which means I am near all amenities, and can join in a variety of social events on the Orkney Mainland. I lived for a while in Longhope on Hoy and that was a wee bit *too* remote for my liking, even though there is a bigger population there and more amenities. I like the sense of community on a small island - if you want to be involved in community life there's plenty to do, but equally if you want to be solitary that's OK too - once everyone has got over their curiosity and visited you when you first arrive ;-) I love the peace and tranquility, but company is available if I want it. But none of this would be possible for me if I didn't work from home via a good broadband connection! I work as a health researcher for universities world-wide so I also feel I contribute to the wider community as I spend my income within Orkney. As for safety - Orkney as a whole is definitely better than anywhere else I have known in the UK in terms of safety and security. I know what you mean about the sense of isolation once the ferry goes away - but to be honest I don't feel that here as we have a very regular service throughout the day, and a ferry every day too (because of our proximity to Hoy). Also folk to Graemsay on private boats and moor at the pier, so "strangers" can be found on the island at any time. The downside is the winter, when the wind wheezes and whines around the house, the ferry journey is rough and some days it barely gets light. And that goes on for months! I choose to work longer hours in the winter and have more time free in the summer and I make sure I have a well stocked freezer and store cupboard. But most island folk (incomer or Orcadian) are longing for Spring by the time it gets to the end of January! As for your comment about folk living here before transport etc and life was good. Hmmm well live was also hard. There are many ruined But&Ben houses on Graemsay, and records of large families with little land. Most would have had a yole (small rowing boat), and kept a few sheep, and maybe a cow, pig, hens, and grown some vegetables etc. But public records show that many just scraped a living working from dawn to dusk. Kirk on Sunday, annual visit to Kirkwall and that was it. No peat on Graemsay, so we have peat cutting rights on Hoy and on Cava (I think) -that would entail going over in a small boat across a rough stretch of water to cut the peat and set it to dry, then go back and turn it while drying and again to collect it. Livestock were grazed on Hoy too so again they would be towed over in a small boat for summer grazing etc........ As I say, I'm an incomer, and I'm aware that I romanticise the islands here. I gaze at the sky and wax lyrical at the sunsets, stars, "white nights", and merry dancers, while a neighbouring orcadian farmer looks at the sky to see if it'll be "a fine day the morn" so he can start cutting silage - or not. That's not that Orcadians *don't* love their landscape, just the view it with different eyes. Sian (sorry gone on a bit there!). On 17/06/2010 13:58, stephen davie wrote: > Sian: > > There is something unique about the sense of isolation one feels, > being on an island. As one who actually lives on an outer island in > Orkney, I wonder if you still feel that sense of being off on your > own. For a tourist visiting one of the smaller islands, the ferry > pulling away from the dock and abandoning them, is a subtle sort of > message to say that, "Well, you're going to be here for awhile!" And > "Don't even think about leaving until you see theferry back at the > dock." > > Here, on the Manitoulin, people find being an islander to be somewhat > unique. It is as if being on an island is rather like being a little > micro country, seperated by adjoining > territories by water. Some people refuse to leave for any reason. > There is an insular sense of security in living on an island. The > idea of living on one of the Orkney out islands, particularly in the > winter, makes me think that there must be almost a spiritual > attraction for those tucked away places, that you could only > understand by living there. > > I have read now for years your postings about your life where you > live, and I conclude that you wouldn't want to live anywhere else. > Makes me want to ask what the > list entails, that encompasses the values and ammenities and > lifestyle that keep you there. People lived on those incredible > islets long before there were engines, ferries, and tourists. When > they wern't involved in far away conflicts, or local ones, life was > good. > > I guess that fact is still unchanged. > > Cheers: > > Stepehn > On Jun 17, 2010, at 4:45 AM, Sian Thomas wrote: > > >> Many folk move here for a "slower" pace of life, and many tourists >> visit >> for that reason. However for those of us that live and work here - >> sometimes time is of the essence ;-) >> >> Sian >> >> > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 9.0.829 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2942 - Release Date: 06/16/10 19:35:00 > >

This is just to let you all know that the emergency moderation has been lifted and you may again send in your posts without the delay caused by moderation. I appreciate your zeal and your deep feelings that have been expressed. I look forward to more energetic conversation and promise to carefully read the spirit of your posts as well as they way in which they are worded. I am continuing to go back through the archives in an attempt to learn everything I can about Orcadia. By the way, our list membership is 165 strong. Just think if all 165 of us were to post messages on the same day. If you wish to get revenge on my account that would be a good way to do it. Drive me nuts with hours of reading. I promise you I would read every one of them. Best wishes to everyone, Jim

Now now this has gone far enough. This site is about all things Orcadian and need to be moderated, if at all, by someone who has a lot of knowledge about Orkney. My recent posts have not been loaded, were in no way rude or unpleasant, and above all were entirely relevant. If they cannot be loaded, then I see no point in having this list. Further I feel that many of the references to USA, Canada, BP, etc are quite out of order. Can we please revert to politeness? -- Charles Tait Photographic Limited, Kelton, St Ola, Orkney, UK KW15 1TR Tel 01856 873738 Fax 01856 875313 Mobile 07785 220269 All outgoing and incoming mail is checked by Norton Antivirus email charles.tait@zetnet.co.uk website http://www.charles-tait.co.uk photo gallery http://gallery.charlestait.com Charles Tait Photographic Limited Company Number SC240761 Warning: This email is intended only for the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any sale, usage, distribution or copying of this email or its attachment(s) is strictly forbidden. If you have received this message by mistake please notify us. It may contain data that is copyright,confidential or otherwise not for distribution.

Who knows? A seemingly dead quiet list suddenly blossoms into quite interesting life, but is seemingly censored. I think that pertinent discussion is fine. It is good for people to air their views. Oil and ferries are very relevant to Orkney! -- Charles Tait Photographic Limited, Kelton, St Ola, Orkney, UK KW15 1TR Tel 01856 873738 Fax 01856 875313 Mobile 07785 220269 All outgoing and incoming mail is checked by Norton Antivirus email charles.tait@zetnet.co.uk website http://www.charles-tait.co.uk photo gallery http://gallery.charlestait.com Charles Tait Photographic Limited Company Number SC240761 Warning: This email is intended only for the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any sale, usage, distribution or copying of this email or its attachment(s) is strictly forbidden. If you have received this message by mistake please notify us. It may contain data that is copyright,confidential or otherwise not for distribution.

While I respect the intend, I feel it is patently prejudiced and pointedly undemocratic, to have allowed the venom to spew on the site from a fellow American, which I by the way don't mind, but while rejecting and censoring my mild, kind and sympathetic response. I felt and feel obligated to respond to the ears of those with whom I have chatted for so many years. Mike Ridlin is not an issue here. It is about our Orkney group, and our rights to experssion. The original letter from the "enforcement" division, completely misunderstood the rules set down many many years before. I don't think that anyone, anywhere, has the right to unilaterally alter or impede what has been a success for years. This site has always been democratic. I hope that doesn't change. Stephen. Davie

I recently wrote a kind, calm rebuttal to the posting which seem to have caused some stirr. It was however censored/rejected. I thank you who have written me off this site, to suggest the name calling was crude. However, I am not adverse to being called names, and I would prefer that to being muted as to what we can share, or indeed, having to be restrained to the point of being dishonest. To ;;not have the right to a calm and honest rubuttal, seems somewhat onesided and unjust. The site has worked well for years. My last posting ( censored), was done to for a reason, but as the author if it, I can say it was neither offensive to anyone, including the name caller, nor was in off topic. So, I hope things "free up" and our ability to communicate can continue, as I have enjoyed it with you for so many years. Keep yer sitck on the ice! Stephen