Brisk westerly ....

13th June 2018 (Tue .. oops ..Wednesday) .... 09.00    There’s a lovely fresh

Elie harbour this morning.

feel to the air this morning... in fact it is cool, with a brisk Westerly breeze.     I’ve been round the villages, and through the Estate , on the bike... a distance of 12.8 kilometres (7.9 miles);  now I’m ready for breakfast.    After breakfast I’ll do some work around Ivy.

I see that the "caravan tour round Earlsferry looking for a caravan site at Elie"  has started again.    Oh well ... at least they have a tour round the 'Royal Burgh'.

20.00     Storm ‘Hector’ (Bless his cotton socks) is on ‘his’ way in from the Atlantic, and is due to hit us tomorrow with gale force winds, and rain.     It has been raining already, but this is just the front edge of ‘Hect’;   around midday tomorrow is when he’s to be wildest.

"The Oak House".

Today has been enjoyable.    I’ve been biking... then took the car up to Elie and had coffee with Jim and Geoff in harbour House.    I had thought of going up to Shell Bay to get a few pictures the Dumbarnie Golf Course before the Friendship Lunch, but changed my mind.   I’d go to Shell Bay after the Lunch.

This was the last Friendship Lunch before summer:    the next one will be on the 12th September.    “William T” was down from Colinsburgh, but he assured me that there was nothing going on in the outer reaches of the parish.   Lexie wasn’t there so I didn’t find out what was happening in the Woodside area.

There is an article in the Courier today about ‘holiday homes’, and the effect they’re having on the East Neuk villages.  According to the figures Elie is 33% holiday homes, and Earlsferry 54%.    Those percentages have to be wrong.... and on the low side.    In 1960 Ferry Road, from the golf course to the beach had 14 houses on it... all of which were occupied full time.     Now there are 18 houses on Ferry Road (Geordie Graham’s garage was turned into 4 flats) .....  13 out of the 18 are holiday homes;   though some are used as ‘second homes’ more than ‘holiday homes’.     In fact I regard some of my ‘second home’ neighbours as ‘locals’;   I don’t know if that is a compliment...  or not!    Anyway, extrapolate the Ferry Road figure throughout Earlsferry and you’d be

Dumbarnie Links.

nearer the true percentage.    But at the end of the day.... there’s nothing can/will be done about it.    "Locals" will gradually become a fleeting thought in someone’s memory.   Sad really but there it is.

I did go up to Shell Bay and have look at the action on Dumbarnie Links.   The new dunes etc taking shape;   there’s going to be a golf course there in ‘nae time’.   

Well I have to say that I have ‘nae plan’ for tomorrow;   apart from going to the ‘Drop in Cafe’ in the afternoon.    If ‘Hect’ is as excitable as he is forecast to be the weather will dictate any activities.