muckleossa

Does anyone know which day this years festival is scheduled for? - 7th or 14th Jan?

I almost fell off my chair & choked on my dram when i read that - brilliant how aboot hurley = (n) homemade go-cart

Actually these regulations came out earlier this year - about the start of April I believe.... SCOTTISH STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS 010 No. 123 The Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 The Chip Shop Door Width Regulations 2010 PUBLIC HEALTH Made 12 January 2010 Laid before the Scottish Parliament 17 March 2010 Coming into force 1 April 2010 The Scottish Ministers make the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 3(4) and section 5(4) of the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 and all other powers enabling them to do so. In accordance with section 4 of that Act regarding the duty of Local Authorities to protect Public Health, they have consulted such persons as they consider appropriate. Citation, commencement and interpretation 1.—(1)These Regulations may be cited as the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 Chip Shop (Door Width) Regulations 2010 and shall come in to force on 1st April 2010. (2) In these Regulations— "Chips†mean a potato product comprising pieces of whole or reconstituted potato subjected to a cooking process which raises the temperature of the outer surface to greater than 100°C by immersion or other overall surface contact with oil or fat and sold in its cooked and ready to eat state. “Chip Shop†and "Premises" mean any catering outlet, whether static or mobile, where chips may be purchased for consumption either on or off the premises. “Chip Shop Owner†means the person having control of a chip shop. “Chip Shop Door†means the opening through which customers must pass before making a purchase of chips. "Prohibited Person" means any person unable to pass unaided through a chip shop door but does not include persons able to enter but unable to leave. Chip Shop Doors 2. No chip shop door shall exceed 40 cm at any point as measured horizontally between the posts of its frame. It shall be the duty of the chip shop owner to ensure that compliance with these Regulations is not to the detriment of the requirements of Sections 53 and 54 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005. Offences of Chip Shop Owners 3. Subject to 7, it shall be an offence for a chip shop owner to— (1) Operate a chip shop where the width of the chip shop door exceeds the requirements of Regulation 2. (2) Supply chips to any person unable to enter the premises by the chip shop door. (3) Allow customers to enter the premises by any means other than the chip shop door. (4) Supply chips to a person buying chips on behalf of a person without obtaining a declaration from that person to the effect that the chips will not be supplied to any person who, for the reasons above, would be unable to purchase chips on their own behalf. (5) Knowingly supply chips to a person buying chips on behalf of a person unable to pass through a chip shop door. Offences of Prohibited Persons 4. It shall be an offence for a prohibited person to— (1) Purchase chips from a chip shop. (2) Solicit or entice another person to purchase chips on their behalf. (3) Receive help from another person to pass through a chip shop door. (4) Wear any kind of surgical appliance for the purpose of passing through a chip shop door. (5) Loiter in the vicinity of a chip shop with intent. Offences of Other Persons 5. It shall be an offence for a person purchasing chips to— (1) Make a false declaration as to the intended final consumer of any chips taken off the premises. (2) Knowingly purchase chips for a prohibited person. (3) Smuggle chips sold for consumption on the premises out of the premises with a view to supplying them to a prohibited person. Smuggle includes secreting chips about the person and requesting a doggy bag with malicious intent. Special Provisions for Mobile Shops and Stalls 6. Where the nature of premises are such that customers are unable to enter, the chip shop owner shall provide a portable device in front of his premises through which customers must pass as if it were in compliance within Regulation 3. Defences 7. It shall be a defence for a chip shop owner to show that any person found on their premises in contravention of Regulation 2 (3) is in possession of a current written certification from a medical practitioner confirming that they have a medical condition which precludes them from passing through a chip shop door. For the purpose of this regulation, the relevant medical conditions are— (a) Advanced pregnancy ( Glandular problems © Big bones In which case they may be permitted to enter by the back door. Revocations 8. The Fruit and Vegetable Shop (Door Width) Regulations 2009 are revoked. signed ISADORA WIDE A member of the Scottish Executive St. Andrew's House, Edinburgh 1 April 2010 EXPLANATORY NOTE (This note is not part of the Regulations) Section 4 of the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 places a duty on Local Authorities to protect Public Health. These regulations target one of the main causes of ill health by controlling its effect on the vulnerable by placing an upper limit on the size of people able to buy chips.

Feel free - those pics are not from Spiggie - they are from Loch of Cliff on Unst last year. I have also seen it on Loch of Huxter (Whalsay), Helliers Water (Unst), Sandy Loch (Lerwick), Loch of Clickimin (Lerwick) and Strand Loch (Gott) although its probably in most Shetland Lochs. It only becomes a problem when the temperature goes up and elevated nutrient levels in the loch cause the algae to rapidly multiply. When the algae dies its releases the toxins - its looks like someone has poured paint in the loch. If you havent already got it - here's a link to the Scottish Government Guidance Document "Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria) in Inland Waters Assessment and Control of Risks to Public Health". http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2002/05/14852/5363

Photos of what Blue green algae looks like (taken in Shetland) are at http://muckleossa.blogspot.com/2010/06/algae-whit-algae.html

Here's the Shetland Norwegians on Victoria Pier this morning,

Anyone else notice the marauding Norwegians round the town today - flying flags, banging drums and blowing horns!! syttende mai some pics are at ... http://muckleossa.blogspot.com/2010/05/its-norwegian-constitution-day.html from wikipedia The Norwegian Constitution Day is the National Day of Norway and is an official national holiday observed on May 17 each year. Among Norwegians, the day is referred to simply as syttende mai (meaning May Seventeenth), Nasjonaldagen (The National Day) or Grunnlovsdagen (The Constitution Day), although the latter is less frequent. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Constitution_Day

Time to lighten the discussion - WINDMILLS keep getting mentioned. http://muckleossa.blogspot.com/2010/04/windy-farm-milly-generatory-thingies.html

Some amazing pics of the ash @ Iceland here. http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/more_from_eyjafjallajokull.html

The Scottish Air Quality Database contains the most up-to-date continuous ambient monitoring information across Scotland. You can access this information at http://www.scottishairquality.co.uk Information on possible health effects has been issued by Health Protection Scotland http://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk

Unless you have proof that the litter you have seen on St. Ninans's beach is from the SMUHA (galley bits, torches etc.), you should not post that it is from the SMUHA. I saw the beach a couple of days after the burning & it was cleared of any SMUHA related material. Marine litter is constantly washing up on Shetland beaches - see http://www.kimointernational.org/Home.aspx

http://www.shetlink.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44&start=725

Anyone have any pictures of the Galley Heads for the 2010 Fire festivals/Up Helly Aa's for Bressay, Nesting & Norwick?

Pics & Video of Jarl Squad, Bill, Galley at http://muckleossa.blogspot.com/ was very wild at Brae - will be surprised if they do go ahead this evening unless it calms down a bit.

An all round excellent event - and less hectic than Lerwick. The only constructive suggestion i would make is that the Jarl squad could pose with the galley for a few minutes at each school, etc. they visit during the day - not everyone could get to the Bigton shop (and the Sumburgh Hotel) - and i know a few folk wanted to take pics like that at the schools.