Saturday 08/01/05

Saturday dawned cold and clear after a silent night. No wind blowing at the windows, no rain clattering. According to the MET office, a deep depression passed right overhead, with a central pressure of 963mb. After 9am, the first shower came, and when I went to buy a paper in the shop nextdoors, it was quite cold. The 11.39 bus was packed, and the driver had no change. Have to buy a ticket on the Harris bus. Two more people came on at Tabost, and they had to sit in each other's laps. During the ride to Stornoway, a spectacular hailshower slowly rode up from the northwest, with white curtains of precipitation over the Barvas hills. Some looked like white tornadoes. On arrival in town, the rain/sleet/hail/snow came down. Library still has no internet access, but I sat down anyway to read some books from the local history section. Pity I cannot take them away, they're for reading in only. Went for lunch at the Coffeepot in Kenneth Street, which is a snackbar. Fish and chips for £5.00, outrageous. Small serving of fish, chips not bad though. At least the food was brought to my seat. Was horrified to find the Co-op practically out of everything. Had to improvise dramatically, cubed beef instead of chicken fillet, no mince either. Aaargh! Bought myself a little radio, the size of half my handpalm. Went to the Baltic for the papers (Press & Journal + national paper), then to the busstation to wait for the 2.20 bus back to Lochs. Once on the bus got to chat to an elderly lady from Balallan and a couple I've encountered on the bus before. They told me of a nice Hogmanay at the Cabarfeidh Hotel, a good chinese to be had in town and that Lewis was so much nicer than the Isle of Man. Added my approbation to that, except I'm unfamiliar with IoM. The journey down the A859 got more and more interesting as it progressed. A very heavy shower threw a layer of solid ice across the road at Cameron Terrace, Leurbost: hail, snow, freezing rain and a spectacular thunderstorm. Cameron Terrace is very exposed, so we had frontrow position for the views. The thunder is caused by very cold air, temperature 40 degrees lower than at groundlevel, in the upper atmosphere. The bolts were blinding, the thunder deafening. Two young teenagers behind me screamed at every bolt. The driver slowed down to a snail's pace, to 10mph (15 km/h) at one stage. Traffice coming the other way also slowed to a crawl. We crept down the road to Laxay, where the air started to clear from the west. Even the sun came out. Only 5 minutes late at Balallan, we all wished the driver luck for the rest of his journey to Tarbert, across those hills. Back at the hostel at 3pm. In the evening, news came through about dramatic flooding at Carlisle. Warwick Road in that city, where I stayed in July, is under water, as is the big roundabout at the top of town. Incredible.