Welcome back to the mainland, Helen. Horrible to get back to "reality" when as we all know the real world is that little lump of granite in the middle of the sea! Pics arrived yesterday - if it's OK with you I'll put a few of them up on the website - the ones of the goats in Quarry Cottages are absolutely hilarious, had me and the kids in stitches!
I sort of agree about the "invasion" of the island, although I have found it's relatively easy to get away from all the DTs and other sundry idiots. It is one reason I'd never camp there though, it's lovely to be able to get away from everyone in comfort within my own four walls when it's raining seals and puffins, or excessively windy. I do hate it when I'm in OLC and the compound gets invaded with DTs having picnics and leaving litter all over the place, letting the kids rampage incredibly noisily, shouting at their friends/family on mobile phones...
I'm thinking about setting up my own website and hosting the forum etc there - it would get around the silly restrictions of the yahoo group (where you have to register with them to join) and would hopefully be more flexible and interesting - I could add a whole set of web pages with useful (and possibly not-so-useful) information and bits and pieces... what does everyone think? If I do that, I'll wait till it's set up before sending Derek a notice for the pub noticeboard (Helen, I did spot your photo of the noticeboard, there are a few small blank spaces which I'm sure they could snuggle a little notice in). I will also put a big notice on the yahoo group redirecting people. Hopefully sometime over the next couple of weeks... depends a bit on workload... suppose I do have to keep earning my salary so I can pay for Lundy trips.
133 days... (4 months 10 days sounds longer!)
Pip
The Old Bat (Pippa Hennessy) - pip@...
... if I don't answer I'm calling the moon ...
----- Original Message ----
From: Helen Hilton <hlnhilton@...>
To: lundyisland@...
Sent: Thursday, 21 September, 2006 11:13:47 AM
Subject: [lundyisland] Back to reality after a week on Paradise!!
Just reading all the messages I have missed, things are gradually
expanding, great! I kept Pip sickly green all week as the weather
was excellent - several staff commented on my influence! - sadly a
bit windy on Wednesday for JH to venture out for a round the island
trip but I've done that before although my friend had not. She was
totally hooked - although whether on the climber she met (!) or on
Lundy itself I'm not too sure about.
Can't say a lot really, still on cloud 9, gazing at my pics every
night, Pip, your disc should be with you today. As usual I spent
the entire return Oldy trip with bins trained on the island whilst
everyone else was looking forward to Devon - WHY??????? I feel like
my insides are wrenched out everytime I leave. I watch the boat go
each time during the week with enormous glee, somehow not
registering that it will be me on the Saturday leaving others
behind.............watching with glee...........
Oh, dear, SO many DT's. Balmoral (400+) Sunday plus 2 Oldy trips,
both very full. Apart from that the island was good with quite a
few climbers out of sight each day and no 'hooray henries', no kids
of course. A large crowd of 40 somethings arrived on Saturday
making a lot of braying noises (sorry folks but I go to Lundy for
quiet) and generally behaving as though they were in Burnham Market
(v posh local-to-me village full of London-secondhomers!) trying to
outdo each other. Glad to be going away from them anyhow. Yes, I
know the island needs all the income but I do feel they are losing
the plot a bit, trying to appeal to so many large groups, weddings,
smartening the place up for them and forgetting us 'old-timers' who
remember it as it was (early 90's for me). I know it was harder to
get around and I do appreciate a lot of the work that has been done,
especially through Kevin's management) but I'm afraid that before we
know it the day trips will become every day in summer and then where
will that leave us????
I would just say though that I feel Derek runs a very tight
efficient and well motivated team but ultimately maybe they too will
feel like they are just there to serve the tourists......... sorry,
my thoughts are a bit down when sunk in post-Lundy depression!!!!
Only 4 months, 12 days to go til Pip and Steph & I set foot out of
that chopper.....................wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee. I'm also booked
with 10 members of my family in late May for a BIG 0 celebration
(just a small group!!!!!!) and I can feel a brief winter visit
becoming an annual 'must'.
As Pip says, anyone else care to join us Feb 2nd?
PS I did speak to Derek last week (apart from begging him yet again
to employ me as his secretary!) about our posters about this site
and feel sure that if we (Pip?) sent him a SMALL laminated one he
would put it up on the Tavern board at least for a while.
PPS Looking forward to the next visitor's report.............
Helen
From: Helen Hilton <hlnhilton@...>
To: lundyisland@...
Sent: Thursday, 21 September, 2006 11:13:47 AM
Subject: [lundyisland] Back to reality after a week on Paradise!!
Just reading all the messages I have missed, things are gradually
expanding, great! I kept Pip sickly green all week as the weather
was excellent - several staff commented on my influence! - sadly a
bit windy on Wednesday for JH to venture out for a round the island
trip but I've done that before although my friend had not. She was
totally hooked - although whether on the climber she met (!) or on
Lundy itself I'm not too sure about.
Can't say a lot really, still on cloud 9, gazing at my pics every
night, Pip, your disc should be with you today. As usual I spent
the entire return Oldy trip with bins trained on the island whilst
everyone else was looking forward to Devon - WHY??????? I feel like
my insides are wrenched out everytime I leave. I watch the boat go
each time during the week with enormous glee, somehow not
registering that it will be me on the Saturday leaving others
behind.............watching with glee...........
Oh, dear, SO many DT's. Balmoral (400+) Sunday plus 2 Oldy trips,
both very full. Apart from that the island was good with quite a
few climbers out of sight each day and no 'hooray henries', no kids
of course. A large crowd of 40 somethings arrived on Saturday
making a lot of braying noises (sorry folks but I go to Lundy for
quiet) and generally behaving as though they were in Burnham Market
(v posh local-to-me village full of London-secondhomers!) trying to
outdo each other. Glad to be going away from them anyhow. Yes, I
know the island needs all the income but I do feel they are losing
the plot a bit, trying to appeal to so many large groups, weddings,
smartening the place up for them and forgetting us 'old-timers' who
remember it as it was (early 90's for me). I know it was harder to
get around and I do appreciate a lot of the work that has been done,
especially through Kevin's management) but I'm afraid that before we
know it the day trips will become every day in summer and then where
will that leave us????
I would just say though that I feel Derek runs a very tight
efficient and well motivated team but ultimately maybe they too will
feel like they are just there to serve the tourists......... sorry,
my thoughts are a bit down when sunk in post-Lundy depression!!!!
Only 4 months, 12 days to go til Pip and Steph & I set foot out of
that chopper.....................wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee. I'm also booked
with 10 members of my family in late May for a BIG 0 celebration
(just a small group!!!!!!) and I can feel a brief winter visit
becoming an annual 'must'.
As Pip says, anyone else care to join us Feb 2nd?
PS I did speak to Derek last week (apart from begging him yet again
to employ me as his secretary!) about our posters about this site
and feel sure that if we (Pip?) sent him a SMALL laminated one he
would put it up on the Tavern board at least for a while.
PPS Looking forward to the next visitor's report.............
Helen
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