A birthday dinner at a restaurant outside town. Pre-Brexit the Scottish hospitality industry was staffed by an annual migration of eager young Europeans wanting to spend their summers learning English. Now, in the absence of work visas, local restaurants and hotels are desperate to find any staff whatsoever. It shows. Prices remain unchanged but standards slump. Last night it took three and a half hours to be served four tepid and lack lustre courses. The place was full of identikit golfers ( blazers , white Oxfords and chinos ) drinking whisky with dinner . They seemed oblivious to the dire service. Whisky - on an empty stomach - will do that.
I'm not saying that things are quiet out here on the coast but the topic of conversation over breakfast is the second brood of sparrows. They've appeared on the lawn over the last five days. We reckon there were 23 chicks in the first brood at the end of June. The second brood looks as if it's reached 31. The young birds are fed a mix of bird seed and bread crumbs from the Magimix. Sparrow mothers are very diligent.
Two pigeons call the garden at 'The last wee house before Denmark' their home. A pile of feathers on the lawn tells me that the sparrow hawk has got one of them. The remaining pigeon sits on a garden chair looking glum.
Spare a thought for the Secret Service which faces new and expansive threats. We went to a lecture at the terrorism school of the IR Department here that pointed out that domestic terrorists tend not to be ideological but driven and united by psychological issues :https://intelnews.org/2024/07/15/01-3355/
11 comments:
Angus, I've never worked out if "The last wee house before Denmark" refers to the distance or the timing of when you and "The Font" will move there. I'd love to know which one.
TLOF - I see it's a little confusing. In answer to your question - the distance. Carry on down the track and into the sea and the next piece of dry land would be Denmark. We like Denmark but probably wouldn't want to move again.
What a shame about the birthday dinner. The post-Brexit hospitality staffing situation is even worse in NW Scotland.
Thanks for clarifying. I am glad you and "The Font" have both found your happy place in Scotland.
Having followed your blog for many years, you've gone "full circle and ended up where you started out - back in Scotland.
Poor pigeon (never thought I'd ever say that!) I'd be glum too if I'd lost my companion.
Yet another Brexit benefit. Situation dire here along the Moray Firth, with many restaurants and cafes on short weeks because of lack of (European) staff. I also feel for families who previously relied on European au pairs, as we did (we had 9 in total, spanning French, German, Swedish and Czech young students). Brexit turned a win-win arrangement in that area into a lose-lose one.
Parts of our economy rely on immigration, obviously the summer workers were not taking away jobs from the locals.
I suspect that the secret service is under funded, by the very people they are charged with protecting.
Pigeons mate for life so the survivor will be feeling glum.
Yes, it's impossible not to feel sorry for that pigeon. Also true that it's good to spare a thought for the Secret Service. What a very strange ten days or so it's been.
Well, I hope you enjoyed your birthday despite the dire service. Over the weekend, friends and I went to a winery. Our overly chatty waiter knew all about the building, the design, the wines, but could to seem to deliver the food or the check. We had fun, though. And the wine was good :)
If Trump is elected, promises to deport 10 million illegals, no service staff, no hotel cleaners, no yard workers, no roofers, I thought fluid capitalism was the cornerstone of republicans…
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