peeriebryan

As a moderator and for the sake of transparency, it would be remiss for me not to mention I'm a candidate for Shetland South. (in the interests of impartiality: please note that other candidates are also available)

Much hair has been pulled out and many tinkerings have gone on, but we should be back to normal now *fingers crossed*

Here's some interesting info on the proposed power transmission lines and routes - https://3dwtech.co.uk/dashboard/ssen/shetland/exhibition/ You can grab the screen and swoosh it aboot

Try Ross at Hot Gecko in Hoswick https://www.hotgeckomedia.com/

For reference: link to the Sandwick planning application and comments https://pa.shetland.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=QQ3S9ROAGZ400 link to the Scalloway planning application and comments https://pa.shetland.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=QQ2S63OAGYY00

To the best of my knowledge, the following are the usual times the Hyrdo storage heater supply is active (although I've noticed some variation depending on weather conditions) 01.30 to 03.30 08:00 to 11:00 16:30 to 17:30 22:00 to 24:00

@RugyDavy, the limitations you're describing are more the result of design of the 'old style' storage heaters and water tanks rather than supply times / tariffs. I've fitted many of them over the years, and they're inherently basic in principle and limited in terms of controllability - they convert electricity via a heating element into heat stored in either water or clay bricks - but it takes guesswork (and weather forecasting) to figure out where to set the storage heater input controls and water heater thermostats to ensure you'll have the right amount of stored heat and hot water for the next day or so. You shouldn't need to switch the storage heaters or water tank supply off - the storage heater input control and water tank thermostat will control how much power is converted to stored heat. Once the heat has 'gone in', the old style storage heaters are particularly difficult (impossible?) to control as they work on the principle that heat seeps out all day, like a poorly insulated leaky 'bucket of heat' that the Hydro tops up when the power supply comes on. And because the leak is pretty much constant (the 'output' control just operates a peerie mechanical hatch above the clay bricks to let a little bit more heat out, but they're pretty ineffectual), the heaters will heat your house all day and all night regardless, unless they run out of heat before the Hydro supply kicks in again. I don't think that design of heater is even manufactured or sold in the UK anymore. However, modern "High heat retention" storage heaters are considerably more efficient and controllable. They still work on the principle of heat stored in bricks, but the insulation is much better (the outside of the heaters is generally cool to touch) and heat is emitted with the aid of a fan controlled by a timer and thermostat. Modern heaters are often 'smart' and can predict how much energy to take on board based on previous and future program settings. So they're still like 'buckets of heat', but with a tightly fitting lid and controllable taps instead of just a leak! The Dimplex Quantumn high heat retention storage heaters are common in Shetland as Hjatland and the SIC have installed hundreds in their properties. Dimplex actually trialled them in Shetland a few years back before making them commercially available. After much research and discussion, I've not long ago replaced the old beige Dimplex storage heaters in my house with Quantum heaters and I've been very impressed thus far, although the fan noise was a little distracting to start with and it took a while to get the temperature and timer settings right. I was a little sceptical about how controllable storage heaters could be, but the Quantum heaters really are different beasts to the old style storage heaters. They're not cheap to buy, but there are interest free loans available which would help balance the long term savings in heating efficiency against the upfront costs of installing them - https://www.homeenergyscotland.org/find-funding-grants-and-loans/interest-free-loans/

Dat's pretty much it in a nutsheel @Ghostrider! It's fair to say you and I have had our disagreements and robust exchanges of views over the years, but I value your opinions, POV and the time you take to consider and write your posts. I'll be honest and say that many a time I've hovered over the 'delete' button , but simply disagreeing with someone doesn't meet any kind of moderation criteria, and it would make for a rather dull discussion forum if everyone just agreed with each other and 'liked' each other's posts.

I assure you you're wrong. If we deleted everything we didn't agree with then there wouldn't be much discussion 'round here! Most moderating goes on behind the scenes, and it's pretty unglamorous stuff - deleting spam and spammers' accounts, sending friendly Private Messages reminding people of T&Cs, merging threads, sending password reminders, dealing with disputes between members etc. Occasionally, for the greater good, the duties extend to removing content we feel is in breach of the community protocols. We started Shetlink over 14 years ago to encourage debate about Shetland related issues and as a way for Shetland diaspora to stay in touch, and the community values have evolved over time. But if someone feels they're being 'gagged' or their 'freedom of speech' is being impinged because of the community values (that the moderators have volunteered to uphold), then I suggest this probably isn't the best community for them to be a member of. There are plenty of websites out there with little or no moderation, and I would suggest that constructive, civilised debate is generally not a hallmark of such websites. If unmoderated Freedom of Speech is the goal, then good luck in finding a website to hold a discussion that doesn't descend into spam, porn, flaming and trolling - unfortunately, that is what absolute Freedom of Speech looks like on the internet. I've been moderating forums for 20+ years and can't think of a single example of an unmoderated forum which hasn't devolved into an absolute rattle o' dirt! When people talk of Freedom of Speech as an ultimate and ideal goal, it is easy for them to forget that there has to be a space for such speech and freedoms to be exercised. It's about finding a workable balance. -- And please, lets not go down the route of claiming that 'there was more Freedom of Speech in the olden days' etc - in my experience, that's a result of people having ever more options to express themselves publicly but finding that there are even more options for people to disagree with them and call them out too. Expressing some 'colourful views' across the garden fence or down at the social club was one thing, but posting them online for the world to see is another, and it should come as no surprise that there are plenty more folk who will challenge those 'colourful views'.

I think it's getting a bit overheated if folk are worried their right to free speech is under threat and we're comparable to China because a comment was moderated. The moderators want the forums to be friendly and welcoming to everyone. If the moderators think a comment is needlessly mean spirited, picks on a group of folk, doesn't add anything constructive to the discussion, is inaccurate and/or any other combination of reasons we feel contributes to the forums being un-friendly and un-welcoming, then the mods will do some mod-ding. If we all keep the Guidelines in mind I'm sure we'll be fine.

I think it’s quite sweet when folk say “The Shetlands”

I find how some non-Shetlanders* refer to the outer isles irksome, for example, "I was on Yell" or worse still, "I'm going onto Yell". Surely it's "I was in Yell" or, "I'm going into Yell". My theory as to why this sounds wrong is that you go 'into' a community', but you go 'onto' an landmass. Yell is a community, ipso facto you go into it. This theory is kinda backed up by the fact you go 'onto' the mainland, and the mainland is too big to be considered as a community in itself. Or something along those lines....! *IMHO, a Shetlander can be through birth or choice

A good friend of mine spiks broad Shetland wee an Argentinian accent and it's a thing o beauty!

I did the same, but hadn't factored in that I'd only ever hung plasterboard sitting side-by-side on walls, and the taping and filling is easy because of the tapered edges. Attempting to tape and fill end-to-end butt joins on the ceiling nearly sent me ower the edge. I can see da cracks from where Im sitting eenoo!

We've been adding layers of winter blubber with the amount of lockdown cooking we've been doing at Peeriebryan Manor and whilst on the hunt for new recipes I've just rediscovered this thread. We intend on working through a few of the classics here, so in the spirit of sharing the love, here's our contribution: This Banana Bread recipe is now a staple in wir hoose as, despite bein monkeys, we quite often hiv spare bananas. 2 eggs, beaten 3 very ripe mashed bananas ⅓ cup buttermilk, or use normal milk with a 'pyup'* of lemon juice (*pyup=aboot a teaspoon) ½ cup vegetable oil 1 ½ cups white sugar 1 ¾ cups plain flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 165 degrees C, and line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper Mix wet ingredients - eggs, banana, milk and vegetable oil - in a bowl Sift dry ingredients - sugar, flour, baking soda and salt - into annidder bowl Gradually add sifted dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients, mixing well as you go Pour into the lined loaf tin and bake for 1hr 20mins Put on 1 and a half stone in the course of two months