Just some photos from this year’s Shetland’s Craft Fair held in two huge rooms (the Main Hall and the Bowls Hall) at the Clickmin Leisure Complex in Lerwick.

Organised annually by Shetland Arts & Crafts Association and open over the whole weekend.

I love my yearly visit, although I do always end up seeing things I want for myself and not anyone else.

I managed to start my Christmas shopping, so that’s a plus.

There were some truly inspirational and lovely things.

The standard was as usual very high and, for such a small community, there are some very skilled crafts people in Shetland.

Immense variety.

The Craft Fair is also the perfect opportunity to bump into old friends.

And meet new ones too.

So I had a very happy morning browsing the endless stalls, trying to see everything whilst attempting to get myself thinking Christmas-shopping thoughts.

I could’ve bought myself piles of presents which is not the point, I know.

But I came home with many ideas too of what I want for Christmas.

You can buy almost anything at the Fair from homespun wool….

… to polar bears with great expressions ……

…. or skull and crossbones juggling balls!

What’s not to love?

We are very lucky to have this on our doorstep.

I am barely speaking to the Minions.

We moved them all to a new field down the road that we have very kindly been loaned.  Ok, yes, they were caught and loaded fine into the two horsevans.  But somehow Tiddles managed to get his headcollar off in transit (all of 5 minutes) and I stupidly said that rather than struggle with getting it back on again, I would walk him to the new field with it around his neck, taking it off in the field.

But……

Tiddles happily walked into the field and then pulled my leadrope out of my hands. He buggered off at full gallop with rope trailing and the headcollar around his neck.  Grrrr…..

For a brief moment, I thought I would leave him and take it off at a later and calmer date but in my heart I knew I couldn’t do this. I would worry. Tiddles would probably manage to hang himself and all would be calamity.

So we tried to catch Tiddles in his new field, while all his friends madly cantered off giggling every time we got near.  I even caught him once but he pulled away knowing I couldn’t hang on (my back can’t take that). Little sod.

Eventually Daisy went back to the van, found a bucket, beg/stole/borrowed some horse treats off a friend and went in rattling her bucket of temptation.  She quickly managed to grab Tiddles and get the effing headcollar/rope off him.  We left them in their huge field very unimpressed with their behaviour.

As we drove home, I asked Daisy and Flossie what they wanted for lunch, they both in unison said “pony”!

Today, I was greeted with this lovely sight.  Albie and Tiddles cantering towards me as I entered the field for kisses!

I’m not feeling the love, to be perfectly honest.

My big camera has been away, along with two of the lenses, being serviced, repaired, scrubbed and generally overhauled.

I had recently been noticing that my photos were lacking a certain je ne sais quo.  The last lot taken were when the ponies wore their sweaters and my photos were again depressingly disappointing.  I had decided that it was probably me and it hadn’t even occurred to me that it could possibly be the camera’s fault.  I had also started to dread taking my big camera out with me as the results were so depressing.

So I packed up my preciouses and sent them to A. J. Johnstone & Co in Glasgow whereupon they stripped them down, cleaned them up, ordered new parts, fitted them, tested them and sent the whole lot straight back up to me.   Professional, efficient and reassuring too.  Yes, I phoned often to check everything was ok.  I was nervous.

When I came home yesterday, there was a lovely large parcel waiting for me and I will admit I was a tad nervous to use my big camera again, just in case it wasn’t the camera but actually me.

I was delighted with today’s results.  Woohoo, my mojo is back!

(when that baby weight ain’t gonna shift!)

Enjoy xx

Many happy days ahead.

I made my way home to Shetland today.  All went very smoothly and my suitcase even came along for the ride, which is an unusual occurrence these days.

We landed at Aberdeen on our huge British Airways flight. A proper big airplane which merited the full Aberdeen Airport experience.

This is the gate you get if you are a British Airways customer.  Clean, tidy, organised, new….. ready to go.

Other flights, both national and international, also get the same treatment.

And then there is the Sumburgh flight.  Firstly, you leave the lovely shops/coffee bars/restaurants and departure gates to climb up a flight of stairs and walk down a long corridor.

Then turn left and keep walking right down to the very end……

Note this is where the money/airport investment stops.  Slightly less classy.

Keep going along your corridor, past the outer spiral arms of the Aberdeen Airport galaxy.

One notices that everything is becoming shabbier and grottier as you go – yes, those are ripped up seats or ones worn away by the bottoms of weary travellers who have walked the corridored miles.

The dingy corridor gets darker and more uninviting until you are now beginning to feel like something that would’ve been swept under the carpet if they could be bothered to have one.  It is cold but no worries, the radiator is going to burn you. There are numerous signs telling you this.

And onto the plane to Shetland where life gets instantly better because of the free cup of tea and Tunnock caramel wafer.

But best of all, I know I am going home.

I cannot forgive Aberdeen Airport.  They treat Shetland residents and visitors like second class citizens who have no worth at all.  There is no intention of change – they’ve told us that.  Thanks a lot.  The person next to me said it did Shetland no favours at all.  I had to agree.

But I am home and that is all that matters to me.

This is my last day here in Berkshire so Mum and I went to do what my mother loves most – going around a garden centre.

This is our local garden centre – Squire’s Garden Centre, Wokingham.

We had a trolley and did our best to fill it.

I was fascinated.

Flowering primroses (how are they flowering this time of year, I do not know – ours only arrive in late April) were for sale which made me smile inside as I have a whole bank of them at home growing wild.

Their primroses….

My primroses earlier this year.

(I like mine best)

We sped around, outside first and then indoors, with our trolley when I spied this little chap.  He has an “honest face”.

I did not buy this white cat for OH, despite his position of Chairman of the Monster Mutual Appreciation Society.

Inside and Christmas had well and truly arrived – yes, even on 5th November which is leaving it quite late by England standards.

Yes, I bought this little chap for Mum despite wanting him very, very much for myself.  He has a excellent expression.  Sadly, there was only one wol, though Mum has promised, when she goes again (and she will) to keep a look out for another one for me.

There was an absolute dearth of sheepie things (they are missing a trick, there) but a plethora of Scandinavian tomte/nisse (not my cup of tea).

Anywho, we trudged with our Christmas sledge around and I even managed to start my Christmas shopping.  Flying home tomorrow.