Day 9. Wednesday 29th April

The rest day was enforced. Rain all night and nonstop since precluded me from venturing on the hills - I may set off if rain is threatened, but the days of doing so when it is in full swing and likely to persist are over.

I had a leisurely breakfast and finished off MAMista by Len Deighton. The setting is in a South American country jungle with a dictator government and Marxist guerrillas in the south engineering the revolution. There is a British ex doctor turned business executive, a spoilt idealist American brat and another American all mixed up with the guerrillas. The U.S. Government have found oil in that jungle and their amoral involvement is frighteningly depicted.

The quality of writing shines through with exquisite cameo character descriptions and situations described with such acutely observed minute detail one can only wonder at Deighton's imagination. There is a superb sketch of the U.S. president being briefed by his chief advisor whilst having his early morning shave. He has cut himself and keeps attending to this at the same time as listening to his aide.

I have now read the first fifty pages of "Fifty Six - the story of the Bradford Fire" by Martin Fletcher. This relates to the fire at Bradford City Football Club in 1985 when 56 people died. Having been born and lived in Bradford until I was over thirty, and knowing some of the directors of the club personally at the time this is of particular interest to me. The chairman of the club was a prominent business man who had been involved in various enterprises, and coincidentally connected with eight other fires - I am fascinated to learn more of the author's conclusions.

By 1:00 pm I succumbed to cabin fever and drove to Golspie for some shopping then back north up the coast to have a look at Helmsdale. That turned out to be a rather drab little ex fishing town with the saving grace of a pretty little harbour, but in the relentless rain and poor light most places would look drab.




Helmsdale harbour


This coastline must be the best place anywhere for gorse. Photography does not have to depend on bright sunny days.

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