What a marvellous day!

Too much for Facebook, we did so much today!

First up was a football tournament for J, he had a great time.

Next stop was an archery club open day! B and I are Sooo excited because we hope to attend classes as soon as they are set up for them.

We are Sooo excited for the classes to start!

We moved on from here to the glass workshop where we are taking part in a community project.

They are making a big tree, and everyone who wants to can make a leaf to be added.

I thought we wouldn’t be able to take them home, and that it would be a permanent display.

Who cares though, how fab is it to be able to be a part of something bigger!?

Turns out though, that we will get them after they have been on display for a few months!

Yay!!

We were finished here by 3.30 so I thought a wee visit to Whaligoe Steps might be interesting for the children.

These are a set of steps made in the side of a cliff that was used as a harbour for fishermen for years and years!

I’m not historian, and haven’t the best memory, but we met the caretaker of the steps, at the bottom and he told us that it cost £8 to have theses steps made and £54 to have the base built up.

Whoa huh!?

Makes it pretty damned old!

I found this image Here, it’s a great image of them!

The man we met at the bottom was cutting down the grass and took the time to tell us about this area.

Can you see the drop?

Well, they used to get their boats up onto that platform, to protect them, in the bad weather.

Using a pulley system into the face of the cliff!

Do you see that circle to the right of the building?

It was used to fill with water and, oh something else, anyway, they soaked their nets in it and then draped them from masts. You can see the dark crevice up the side of the steps? That held one mast, there are various holes around the edge of the platform that held further tall masts that held up the nest.

Then, can you see,again to the right of the building, the stone is darker?

That’s because, just above the circle, there is a grill, beneath that grill, they had a fire, above they would melt tar in a vast cauldron, I guess. Then they would paint the base of their boats to keep them water tight.

And my favourite fact.

Do you see all those steps!.

Ok, that’s only Half of them!

Do you know who carried up vast baskets of herring, and cod and various other fish!?

Women!

Then they walked the 6 miles to the nearest town to sell them!

There is one ledge part way up, that was designed especially for the women to rest their loads before continuing up the steps.

I walked up, with no load, and I can run 4+ miles so I’m not unfit, but I had to rest a good number of times and my heart rate was pretty high!

Kudos to the women!!

But here’s my little lady, enjoying a bit of terrifying her daddy adventure! (He wasn’t with us, but this would have had him in absolute pieces!)