Our first Ba

Over about the last week or so the shops and houses in the streets around the Cathedral  were getting added Christmas decorations
And then there was an article in the local paper about the Ba accompanied by a notice from the Council and a note of thanks from the Ba Commitee

 

The  goal for the Uppies is  Mackesons corner, a  gable end that happens to be situated on the road on the way to work. So would they be closing the roads, I asked. After all , up to 300 men and a Ba would be quite an obstacle to get around. Or alternatively I'm told if my car  happened to be in the way they  are likely to go over it. Silly me , of course they wouldn't close the road. it could be seen as some sort of encouragement or endorsement of the activity. 

A few minutes before 1pm the Uppies arrived  .

So we found a vantage point. Wind we were all expecting and were dressed appropriately . What we weren't expecting  was the intermittent horizontal sleet.

 So the players waited for the  1pm chimes and the Ba to be thrown. 

an then the pack settled against the Town Hall door and stayed where it was or about 15 minutes 

If you are watching from near the scrum you need to be pretty quick and agile - if it breaks and they all start coming towards you , they aren’t going to wait for you to get out of the way - and quickly.  The pack moved down  and across the Road, but after 30 mins ended up almost where they started 

And it seems to be important that you taper your shoes onto your legs - or perhaps your trousers to your shoes . 

Wet, cold and  shivering  and wet, we left after about 90 minutes. They were still on the Green outside the Cathedral. So home for lunch and then followed the progress  on the  Radio Orkney Facebook  page. 

There are some accounts of the Ba on a number of websites ( try google)

 the Stromness Dragon has an account from the Mens Ba in 2012 and there are lots of photos on the Bagame website

We'll be back in on january 1st ,  and dressed for the sleet as well as the wind 

An interloper

Its been spotted eating the hen food and going across the field.

I think I may need to learn to shoot !

63.6

Its been a bit windy over the  last few days. Of course its nothing exceptional that gets reported in any of the local news.  But the anenometer  came up with a new highest wind speed  - 63.6 mph .

There is a storm coming in the next 24 hours - the are saying up to 90 mph ( but that's the Western Isles , so we may not be as bad )  . Watch this space for a bulletin !

Red Sky in the morning

and this is whats coming

whilst its already been to the Western isles

But the red sky is quite appealing.

I wasnt expecting this

so we had a bit of a storm with winds reported  to be up to 90 mph. And then we had a bit  of snow. What i didnt get a picture of is the hail falling horizontally.  And when 60mph hail hits you  it stings a bit !

Up the road

In the drive

 

Along the drive

A trunk road

Of course we don’t live out at the back of beyond, miles from civilisation. We live  on a A road -  the main road between 2 important  villages. OK, its not Dual Carriageway ( a picture of  a rural dual carriageway is here ) but there is a passing place at the end of the drive, see

  
and on the way home there was a small ( well - quite large )  problem - a tractor had broken down.

But its OK really -  I looked at the verge and it wasn't too soft, and the dyke by the side of the road was set back a bit.


And the alternative  to reverse,  and find another route to come up the other side of the hill would have been 5 miles or so .


And of course there wouldn't be a problem.  As advised by the neighbours who were there as well ,  If I ended up in the ditch there are plenty of people around with a tractor who could pull me out .

 So tractor  negotiated , ditch avoided I was on my way