Nigel Bridgman-Elliot

> I have no idea how to get him there.

Maybe someone knows someone who is coming by their own boat/etc. and can give you and your dog a lift.

If you could find a neighbour/etc. to babysit your dog if need be, that could be one solution to concerns about getting home to your dog.

If dog by car, would recommend a kennel inside it !


Social wise, I'd say its pretty difficult to meet anyone !

But you can be just as lonely in a big city..


Most houses have very tiny gardens (Crofting laws..), but occasionally something with a few acres comes up.

We wanted to grow our own stuff up here, but ended up with a small garden not suited for that. (I want greenhouses!)

What sort of budget do you have property wise ?

It is much nicer here re. crime/etc.
(Moved here nearly 3 years ago.)
Cleaner air/water, less traffic.

Shopping cheaply Tesco, so a good mpg vehicle is recommended, but factor in the cost of ferry trips, so stock up in fewer trips than lots of little trips.
(A big 400 litre fridge and freezer can help there for example, though we do get power cuts, but they don't seem to last too long, so only really a concern if you are watching TV, but you could always have a backup powersupply and then only worry if the local TV transmitter loses power too. )

Online shopping (Dogfood for example.), though some things can be difficult to get shipped here, things too big (TV), or liquids. (Varnish for example, aerosols over 300ml)

Depending upon the design/placement/system of your home, heating can be expensive, so if its a wooden place on top of a hill, it could get pricey. (And as most have tiny gardens, its not like you can plant trees around it, though a short stone wall can help.)

We live in a nice cosy exterior insulted concrete building, and heating costs are on par with mains gas (Which we don't have up here..), even though its storage heaters.

Sewage is another concern, not everywhere is on the mains !

Some buildings have nice steel roof's which don't blow off easily (But do rust..), or heavy concrete tiles.

I'm not awfully fond of ordinary tiles myself, and you can often see on roof's where they have had repairs done/etc. to give you some idea of how often there is a roof problem. (I guess if you go for a single story building, it would easier to fix yourself!)

Windows seem to manage ok, though sometimes double glazing units do lose their seal, I guess because they aren't designed for such high winds speeds.

You might also want to check internet connection options, because if you live far from an exchange, your speed could be awful.
(One reason we went for this spot as its not far from the exchange and we get around 8.3Mbit ADSL, no fibre yet for a while..)

Satellite TV, unless you are lucky and there aren't big hills in the way to reach the main terrestrial Transmitter not far from Lerwick. (Otherwise its a local reduced channel list transmitter..)

Some links you may find useful:

https://www.careerjet.co.uk/jobs-in-shetland-islands-669.html
Seems to be the best site which lists the most jobs you can find here. ( www.indeed.co.uk is another, but it doesn't seem to catch so many.)

https://www.facebook.com/shetlandproperty

https://www.d-s-r.co.uk/property.htm

http://www.anderson-goodlad.com/property-for-sale/

https://www.neilrisk.com/properties?q=sale

https://www.tait-peterson.co.uk/pages/property_available.htm

http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/category/properties

https://www.shetlink.com/index.php?/classifieds/category/29-accom-for-sale/?sort_key=date_added&sort_order=desc

http://www.inksters.com/propertylisting.aspx?loc=Shetland&order=ASC&currentpage=1

http://shetlandislesproperty.co.uk/cgi-bin/exec/search.cgi?search=1&perpage=10&sort_order=4%2Cabc%2Cforward&marknew=1&euro_numbers=0&lfield3_keyword=&lfield1_keyword=&SUBMIT=Search

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/property/shetland/

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION^61362&sortType=6&numberOfPropertiesPerPage=10

https://www.onthemarket.com/for-sale/property/shetland-islands/?mkwid=s0zrQfa5d_dc&pcrid=90947074087&pkw=_inurl%3A%2Ffor-sale%2F&pmt=b&gclid=COSPwoHxr8gCFeJZ2wod3PcBaA

http://zeproperty.co.uk/for-sale

Not all links are current, but copied browser favourites from a couple of years ago.

You may need to either change your mobile provider, or get two SIM's/phones in case you end up living in an area with no coverage for your current provider.

I found the Facebook property page perhaps the most useful, as it tends to have most property from other websites posted there, though not all !
 

The town truck emptying after a big day https://youtu.be/vjSr_WjUzwQ

https://youtu.be/BgNheda4HAI

Personally I quite enjoy watching videos of the essy kert in operation. But that's maybe just the Asperger's in me. Keep them coming anyway. I also quite like looking at photos of folk drinking in the pub as well.

I’m not so sure that this space centre is about space exploration but more about providing us in the UK with our own communications and GPS satellites so we no longer have to rely and possibly pay to use those of other countries.
 
 
We need more accurate and secure communications of our own probably as a safe guard should this country ever have a disagreement with those already providing our comms.
 
 
Should this station go ahead it will provide employment, but one has to remember what those satellites are all about, to provide better GPS so as driverless cars ,robots, drones ect ,ect can be further developed probably putting many out of work .
 
We cannot hold back technology, so what will come will come but to many of us of a certain age we can look back and see the many good well paid jobs that have disappeared from Shetland as technology has developed 

Nigel where are these houses with land for less than £15,000?

Re my earlier comment that the funding came from Scottish National Heritage; it's a real shame that Healthy Shetland have seen fit (if you pardon the pun) to remove several of their own comments and others enquiring about maintenance (who will pay for it; after all, they don't have the funds to adequately maintain the existing NHS buildings), alternative designs, why no handrail on the path, etc.
 
Scottish National Heritage state on their website that they get most of their funding from the Scottish Government.
 
I've been pretty neutral so far on this thread but inside; yes, I am taking it personally.  I am taking it personally that the Scot. Gov. would rather spend money on a few shelters quite a distance away from the hospital rather than to address the real issues.  I'm currently on a 28 week waiting list.  I have an incurable disease, yet there is a nationwide shortage of consultants.  There are hardworking staff who frequently go without meal breaks yet these shelters are meant to be a place for them to enjoy too?  Gosh, when will they get the time?

When I visit GBH, I'm more concerned with how close I can park my car to the front door and can't always get a parking space in the GBH car park so have to park elsewhere instead; this won't get any better when they dump the MRI mobile scanner in the car park.  I then have to get back home as quickly as I can to return to work.  On days I don't feel up to driving I take the bus but even then, I don't think I'd manage to get beyond the bus stop to where they propose to site this shelter.
 
To me, it's a case of priorities.  Sure, encouraging people to exercise is a good thing but as Colin so eloquently pointed out above, let's look at the priorities.  We have buildings falling down, a lack of what is regarded as pretty basic standard diagnostic equipment these days (MRI scanner), long waiting lists, vacant posts, etc.  Never mind, let's whack a shelter up.
 
No, let's not.  Will it have lighting?  Solar powered?  Or mains fed electricity?  Who will pay for its maintenance?  Who will stop 'undesirables' using it at night or during the day?  Will it become a glorified fag shelter?  Then don't forget the fact that there's bound to be signage to pay for too, so that those visiting the hospital can find where it is.

It's all money coming out of the Scot. Gov.'s pot, yet we have a health service that right now, simply cannot afford such niceities.  

^ Some folk call it as they see it and don't believe in wrapping everything up in layers of cotton wool and sprinking pretty flowers over it when it stinks..

Mine will sit on the gable end of my house getting the full force of every south-easterly storm.  I want one that will survive that.

Should be cheap enough to put something up made of say, oh I don't know, something a bit wind resistant, like stone..

We have lots of stone, its about £35 a ton isn't it ?

Or folk could just donate a rock or two when they pass.

These seem more suitable to me, or perhaps a combination of designs, as you want something with a roof for when its raining cat & dogs..

But not the kind of roof that blows away in high winds..



http://www.drystonedesigns.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/argyll-1.jpg

Money would be better spent else where, no need for Shelters, a few wooden benches, fix the paths if they need it, perhaps low energy lighting and bins for dog waste, thats enough

Please please for goodness sake do not apply common sense.
 
This has to be modern art not a pile of old stones.

> Making sure people have a say in the type of culture that’s available in their communities.

Couldn't that be at odds with:

> Promoting different types of culture.

What if people want to say that they don't want a particular culture in their community ?


Which sort of brings me to:

> Creative industries

Would that include car companies..?

Or would that create a culture of car racing circuits that might not be welcomed on our quiet country roads..
 

> Making sure people have a say in the type of culture that’s available in their communities.

Couldn't that be at odds with:

> Promoting different types of culture.

What if people want to say that they don't want a particular culture in their community ?


Which sort of brings me to:

> Creative industries

Would that include car companies..?

Or would that create a culture of car racing circuits that might not be welcomed on our quiet country roads..
 

> Making sure people have a say in the type of culture that’s available in their communities.

Couldn't that be at odds with:

> Promoting different types of culture.

What if people want to say that they don't want a particular culture in their community ?


Which sort of brings me to:

> Creative industries

Would that include car companies..?

Or would that create a culture of car racing circuits that might not be welcomed on our quiet country roads..
 

Yes The Cleaner--I'm not into religion but hymn singing was a cultural thing that was done in many schools until society changed it.
 
It was simply the principle of it, and  the old proverb "When in Rome do as the Romans do" comes to mind so why should we have to keep changing our ways to suit a small minority.

Immigration is influencing the British culture probably more than anything else,although TV ,Radio,mobile phones computers ect also have changed the way we live.   
 
Just walk down certain streets in say Birmingham for instance and you immediately think that you have been transported to  another country,the music,smell language ect.
 
Unfortunately "we" are now being pressured by political correctness to comply with certain aspects of this foreign culture by being restricted in what we can say and do.
 
Certain words and phrases ,jokes we used to tell will be seen as being racist or sexist ect 
 
No longer is a hymn sung at morning assembly at school,this was stopped years ago so as not to offend those of other religions .
 
I feel that we are all being "shaped" by our politicians to comply with this cultural change in Britain and those of us who object are labeled racist,sexist,homophobic ect ect.
 
Shetland culture has changed massively since my young days,some of it for the better,and some of it for the worse.
 
Freedom of speech and respect for our democracy will play an important role in how we maintain our culture.both in my opinion being seriously abused at this time. 

The majority of people appear to spell it, "Cack handed" or so it appears. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/cack-handed
 
Right, time for a cuppa

---Simple answer George, Fishing boats,processing factories.salmon farms ect ect, have been sold and are now fully or partly owned by consortiums that are not from Shetland .  
I believe this is having a detrimental effect to the all fish processing in Shetland.
 
What we need in Shetland now is a public owned fish processing factory that cannot be sold of to entrepreneurs who's only interest is in lining their own pockets, but a factory for the benefit of Shetlanders,and all profits put into the pockets of its employees 
 
How much white fish that is landed in Shetland is processed elsewhere?.

Should Aldi come here they might well employ 40 or 50 but other shops would then employ less to compensate for the loss of business so the gain would be minimal.
 
I suspect as Ghostrider would imply that Shetlands ability to employ those numbers of people would almost certainly  have to come from our indigenous industrious the main one being our fishing.
 
Unfortunately much of our "fishing" is now owned and operated from outwith as far as I am aware.
 
Possibly their is something new we know nothing about yet and that would be great.  I wait with little anticipation for such.

Just about the only way there's any hope of creating 800 jobs in 10 years is if we get full local control of local water out to 200/the median.
 
fat chance of that happening though the way every government and politician seems determined to leave the EU taking the minimum possible.
 
We gave the core countries of the EU plenty of 'materials' gratis '39 - '45, and they've been taking what they can get off us ever since. That flow needs to reverse 100%.

So 800 jobs in 10 years, this seems to me a very ambitious objective.
 
1-     What kind of jobs
2-     Full time, part time, zero hours, seasonal, voluntary.
3-     Will this be new jobs or replacements for say contractual  redundancies.
4-     Will this be for Shetland residents or immigrants?
5-     Who in the present political turmoil can possibly plan or see 10 years ahead.
 
I feel this is just a lot of waffle by our well paid heads who are trying to convince us by producing all this bull**it they are worth every penny they earn and are doing a fantastic job. Time will tell.
 
Could be they are going to give 800 folk a pick, shovel and a wheelbarrow and start tunneling to the Isles !
 
I remain highly sceptic of the whole idea but obviously wish it every success.

If public bodies want to 'improve' things, the perfect place to start would be to reorganise and streamline themselves to avoid duplication, and provide services in a competively costed manner so that everybody got better value for money. Case in hand, we've paid for years for two sets for management and admin to 'look after people', the NHS and the Council Welfare bods. We're paying for three sets management and admin to do the same job, now that they've gotten this IJB set up thats dabbling to some degree in what both other lots were doing previously.
 
Pare the Council back to half size, or less. Close the Welfare office, send the criminal type word to the Court Service to do, send everything else to teh Health Board to do. Close the Housing office, establish a Housing association run by elected tenant reps, or merge it all together with Hjaltland. Close down the Education office, let every school elect a board of governors from existing and prospective parents, let every board of Governors send one rep to a Shetland Education board, completely independent of the Council, which oversees all Shetland schools and deals with the government. Contract out piers and harbours to competent commercial operators on terms that encourage them to develop them to their full commecial (and profitable) potential so that that any operating subsidy for those that are socially desirable but can neve rbe commercially viable is minimised. Contract out ferries to someone with experience and competence in operating boats profiatbly, again to minimise subsidies for those which simply can never pay their way.
 
Let the Council get 'back to basics', doing the only things they arguably were ever much good at, and things everybody uses and/or relies on every day. Roads, refuse collection, sewerage, water and suchlike.
 
Combine the operating and support facilities for all the blue light services as much as possible, there's no reason why Police, Fire & Ambulance can't all use one block of offices, vehicle maintenance and repair facility, garage facility, canteen, support staff, record keeping suite etc. They've taken one tiny step in this direction by combining LK fire crew and ambulance bases, why not take it to its ultimate conclusion and do it properly.

As a cyclist myself (As if no one could guess!) I use common courtesy when on the roads, as such I will pull over and let traffic past if there someone behind me for too long, and there is a handy spot to pull over in.

I'll even give way to trucks/lorries/tractors/etc. if it means they don't have to slow down on hills/etc. approaching me on a narrow road.

Today too many people are focused on me, me, me !

Road use should be like pavement use, not shoving people out of the way, or getting in front of people and hogging the pavement because you can..


I find wing mirrors helpful to spot what is behind you.


I'm not quite used to traffic up here yet passing me on the other side of the road, when in London they would squeeze past and you'd have to keep your elbows in all the time !
 

Start up thier own Up Helly a or Fire Festival and let the public/punters/participants vote with thier feet,
 
Id personally like to see a celebration of our pictish heritage i really dont know much about them so i think it would be interesting and something that would appeal to everyone, perhaps something like this in the summer would be great for locals and tourists, everyone can take part.