Saturday 8 September 2012

September - Papa Stour's future, the Great British Bake Off, and a brand new photo competition

This has been a difficult magazine to put together for lots of reasons, but I think in the end it's a really good read with some fantastic photographs - and the opportunity for you to take some that will perhaps be just as good!

Andy Holt from Papa Stour contacted me several weeks ago to suggest a piece about the problems being faced by the island - only eight permanent residents now - and his impassioned article makes for salutary reading. Fancy a move? It is one of the most beautiful places in Shetland. Funnily enough, since taking over as editor of Shetland Life I've been looking at something to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the arrival on Papa of the 'first hippies'; Andy was one such. As it turns out, it's a melancholy anniversary.

Meanwhile, The BBC2 show The Great British Bake Off has taken over the Morton family's lives, to an extent, as my son James is one of the competitors, and for the summer's duration our kitchen has been awash with flour and sourdough starters. James shares some of the show's secrets with Shetland Life readers.

We have a unique (these days) photography competition that demands the use of film; another thrilling detective story from Marsali Baxter, regular features like Rosa Steppanova's superb gardening column and Ann Prior's brilliant recipes. And I absolutely love John Brown's hilarious memories of his first motorcycle - a 1940s Velocette.

There's loads more to read and gaze at, and you can either buy the magazine in print form - move fast, though, as it sells out - or download a full pdf version online - you can pay for just one copy and the Pagesuite software is very good indeed. It works very well on an iPad. Get it here:

http://subscriber.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/subscribe.aspx?eid=9b93a5c8-a8fc-4be6-b1c0-7fd92dae25ff

Thursday 5 July 2012

July's Shetland Life is on two wheels - but no engine

This has been a hard magazine to get together, mainly because of bicycles. Or one bicycle in particular, the Surly Long Haul Trucker I rode from the Mull of Galloway to Muckle Flugga. The mull2muckle, as we're calling it. Full story in this month's magazine, and a great wee video from Precious Productions here:


In addition, the magazine has a new Sigurd The Tentative, Bohemian Viking cartoon strip, Rosa Steppanova on geraniums, A further instalment in Jon Sandison's important series on the World War One Shetland Territorials, and Jim Tait on the shetland connections with the Titanic.

It's available to buy in most Shetland shops and you can get one copy or a subscription as a full colour pdf online, instantly, here:

http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?referral=other&refresh=Ha317Z0w02iJ&PBID=de01e547-eb57-4f3d-b176-72e3640a506f&skip=

Friday 4 May 2012

Editor, sub thyself!

Pleased with the new Shetland Life but more than a touch annoyed with myself for my lack of ability to sub-edit myself. In particular, the editorial is littered with stupid grammatical slips and extra words, all of which went unnoticed through readings on computer, on pdf files viewed on an iPad, on finished proofs.

I mean, I think I'm quite good at subbing other folks' copy. And SL is unusual in that there is no-one else to copy edit but me. However, friends, veterans of the professional subs table, tell me that you just cannot do it. Writing uses a different part of the brain from subbing. It's a neurological fact.

I bet there are a few mistakes in this little post. Eh?

Thursday 23 February 2012

March's Shetland Life - out on Friday

Shet Life Preview March

Monday 6 February 2012

Front cover of new Shetland Life - but where is Dave Jackson?

This is a screen print called Da Slockit Light, by Dave Jackson. I bought it at Aberdeen Art Gallery nearly 20 years ago, and thought it would be an ideal cover illustration for the magazine, which has a mjor piece in it about...stoves.

Da Slockit Light was a mixed-media 'event' which popped up in Shetland at the Town Hall during the Folk Festival one year. Dave, an excellent guitarist, was often at the festival. But he has left Aberdeen and no-one in the art scene there has seen or heard of him for years.

I decided to use the illustration without getting his permission, in the hope that he wouldn;t mind and that maybe he would get in touch when the magazine was published. Can anyone help? He's owed a reproduction fee.

Friday 3 February 2012

New Shetland Life Magazine and a wee picture

In the shops now!

Stoves - the return of solid fuel. Get scranning and casting!

Between Blethers: As yet another pie-in-the-sky movie idea for Shetland (third sequel to The Wicker Man) is floated (if you can float a pie, and of course you can't), Neil Riddell looks at the saga of Between Weathers, and Marsali Taylor reaces the history of Shetland on the big screen.

Zheehpz - debut of the Shetland cartoon written and drawn by one of Spain's top cartoonists, now resident in the isles

The Shetland Marilyns - hillwalking agogo amid the Zetlandic peaks

Cars, gardening, travel, music and more. Just £2.30 from a shop either near or very far from you...

And that wee picture: Is this the UK's most spectacularly-sited Tesco? Picture taken today...

Thursday 12 January 2012

Some top January stories now online

Check out The Shetland Times website here: http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/category/shetland-life

Also, the interactive, Pagesuite-driven online version of The Shetland Visitor is online...and from next month, we expect both The Shetland Times and Shetland Life to be available, complete, in the same way for subscribers.

Friday 6 January 2012

January Shetland Life out now - excerpt from Dave Clark article...

David Clark was Alistair Buchan's predecessor as chief executive of Shetland Islands Council. He was in post from June 1st 2009 until  February 24th 2010. Here, for the first time since his controversial departure, he writes about the council that could have been, and the 'golden future' he believes Shetland could still have.


For the full article, buy January's Shetland Life. Just £2.30. Subscriptions available here: http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/category/shetland-life


From the relative tranquillity of Dalzell Castle, I often take the time to catch up on Shetland's news. Judith and I still have significant personal and business interests in the islands, which I always was proud to consider home.
            Of late, it seems there has been some degree of panic peddling, especially with regards to Shetland's finances and her prospects. To read some of the comment, you would think the Shetland Islands belong to Greece! Whilst there have been attempts to put some positive focus on understanding what future Shetland's various communities wish to see, yet again the debate appears to be dragged down by ridiculous assertions of pending bankruptcy or an imminent toppling over the financial precipice.
            The irony is that Shetland's financial position and prospects are far from dire. Indeed they are the envy of all Scotland. The risk is that by not recognising this and protecting it, the community of Shetland risks losing it all.

Community Funds

Let's have a look at how things stand now. The reality is that Shetland has around half a billion pounds of community reserves for a population of 22,000. OSCR continually bleats about how the management of these funds is structured. Yet rarely, if ever is the fact made clear that under the Zetland County Council Act 1974, control of how these funds should be spent for the benefit of the community is the responsibility of the Council. Not OSCR, not Audit Scotland, not the Scottish Government. Not even directly elected trustees. The legal responsibility lies with the SIC and it is difficult to view attempts to interfere in this as anything other than an attempt by the Scottish Government to get its hands on Shetland's money. I applaud Sandy Cluness for the way he has steered opposition to interference.

Oil & Gas

When I started as Chief Executive of SIC, the oil industry had been in decline for a decade. There was little expectation and no planning for any change. Yet even from my research I knew that technology was driving a revitalisation of East Basin oil. More interesting for me, I knew that technological developments meant that exploitation of the vast West Basin gas reserves was now viable. I acted quickly to set up a Strategic Oil Team to assess and address the opportunities. Key to this was appointing one of our corporate lawyers to manage this project full time. It was with some pride that the executive suggested and agreed that the best choice was my childhood pal, Paul Wishart. I was careful to declare this friendship before any decision was taken.         
            Within weeks, meetings with Taqa and Total confirmed my expectations that we were on the threshold of new era of oil and gas development.  Our arrangements now in place, I had the privilege of leading a strong, focussed and dedicated negotiating team. Without going into the detail of the negotiations, which is a story in itself, it's worth quoting Total Laggan-Tormore Project Director Robert Faulds, as reported in The Shetland News (20/3/11):           
            The SIC negotiating team were “very good at their job” and had “squeezed every last drop” out of the company, Mr Faulds said, adding that such a financial deal with a local authority was unique in his experience.           
            "However, our principal financial contribution to the local community will be via a ‘throughput levy’ paid to Shetland Islands Council (SIC) on all gas that flows through the new Shetland Gas Plant, currently under construction at Sullom Voe.
            “On behalf of Shetland Island residents, this form of community support was the option specifically requested by SIC when plans for the development of our Laggan and Tormore fields was being agreed. The levy will translate into a major investment into Shetland’s future sustainability and infrastructure and the well-being of its citizens."

The real beauty of the deal was that ALL West Basin gas would come through the pipeline, and deliver SIC the throughput levy.
            Based on Total's commitment, this will deliver to the SIC £200 million, conservatively. Based on industry projections, the real income is likely to be closer to £1 billion. It could outshine the 70s oil revenue!
            Shetland is not poor. She will not be poor in the next 40 years. However, this side of the equation keeps being omitted. Unless Shetland is aware of this vast wealth which is coming her way, how will she mobilise to protect it from the greed of central government?
            These are vast resources which must be protected. They must also be managed wisely....

More follows. Buy the magazine or subscribe here: http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/category/shetland-life