A busy Tall Ships week, a playlist tinged with sadness… and demands for more grins
It’s been a very busy week, working with the team webcasting the Tall Ships Races’ four-day stay in Lerwick. Complicated by the lack of vehicular transport, due to a drastic power steering failure on the truck and an infuriating hydraulics leak (and emissions MOT failure) on the wee Audi. Which has now departed my custodianship.
So, carless but not careless I was bussing it into Lerwick for the first two days of the Tall Ships, and that, once I’d got over the necessary early rises, was a pleasure. The 7.33 feeder service from Hillswick to Brae, 10 miles away turned out to have shrunk from an actual bus to a luxurious large (VW Caravelle, new) six-seater taxi. Three of us each day, old pal Hazel and a Young Scot on his way to college. In brae we picked up the 8.00am Mossbank to Lerwick bus, which is actually a big single-decker city bus rather unsuitable for Shetland’s fast and sweeping roads. On the same beast coming home at the end of the day I fell soundly asleep, which is one of the great pleasures of public transport. And all, thanks to my Saltire card and extreme age, for free.
Once in Lerwick, the search for coffee began (thank you, Shetland’s Larder, for being open at 9.00, friendly and flat-white compliant. I didn’t get to try the under-new-management Peerie Shop Cafébut the queue spoke for itself.
Then to occasional muttering about this and that as the Tall Ships event unfolded on our computer screens, with special thanks to Ian at Shetland Broadband, and the streaming team – Liz, JJ, Bo, Craig and of course Andy Steven.
All of which may explain why this week’s Beatcrofting music show (not on 60 North Radio) is really a playlist, topped and tailed for those unable to access the list below. The deaths of Sinead O’Connor and Randy Meissner lend a sense of sadness.
You’ll find lots more about the Tall Ships Races on the Shetland News and Shetland Times websites.
Oh, and the truck is now back, fully operational and environmentally questionable as ever.
Somewhat surprised to see this letter In the Shetland Times from the legendarily correspondence-prone Jeremy Godwin. What could I do but
…
There was a song posted on Facebook, written 17 years ago when Bob Dylan bought Aultmore House in the Highlands, which is now for sale. Here it is if you missed it:
And here’s the link to the Mixcloud stream for this week’s Beatcrofting
https://www.mixcloud.com/tom-morton2/beatcrofting-5-28-july-2023/
Randy Meisner — Take It to the Limit
Steve Earle — Transcendental Blues
Wilco — You and I
Gillian Welch — Peace in the Valley
Ryan Adams — Wonderwall
Bob Dylan — Highlands
Radiohead — Let Down
The Airborne Toxic Event — Sometime Around Midnight
The Gaslight anthem — That ‘59 Sound
The National — Tropic Morning News
Taylor Swift — Welcome to New York
The Eagles — Victim of Love
Sinead O’Connor — Take Me To Church
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