Mike, I'm painfully aware & a tad guilt - ridden ( I'll recover in a week to 10 days..... ) that I haven't commented of late, but you do deliver quite the verbal feast, with salmon, oysters & champagne, yet !
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2024, also the Lunar New Year of the Dragon - to you & all ! Thank you ! I'm Italian, Russian & Irish, so being effusive comes with the territory.....
You think you're late with commenting? How about this reply of mine, *three months later*? Now THAT'S commitment to tardiness. I should feel shame, but luckily I was born without any, by way of having no sense to go along with it. HAPPY NEW YEAR, SIR (a quarter of the way already through it).
Oh Mike I LOVE this post. There's something impossible about such a rock isn't there?
Here, off Tasmania, we have a rock called Pedra Branca (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedra_Branca_(Tasmania)) which has a kind of romance. These days, it's rather a surfer's mecca, as astonishing and difficult wave-breaks occur there. But its also possible to boat past it with tourist endeavours on a calm day.
The harsh coastlines of islands in the far north and south of our planet are such veritable treasure-troves of information and as I've said in the past, I so look forward to reading what you post about 'islands'.
The battle over the shitty rock headline made me think of Hamlet. I always thought it just a piece of hyperbole, but with Rockall it could easily become true:
Being someone with no desire to ever be anywhere beyond the view of land I would never be able to witness the absurdity of Rockall, which would be sad. Thank you for affording me the opportunity without having to put out to sea, the thought of which overwhelms me with nauseous anxiety. Happy New Year!
Totally thought this was going to be about St Kilda, which I read a lovely book about once, but it was of course entirely more fascinating and unexpected. Happy new year!
Love the Goons reference! Used to listen to them on long drives with my dad . I hold them responsible for my absurd-tending sense of humour that seems to just confuse people more then anything these days.
Mike, I'm painfully aware & a tad guilt - ridden ( I'll recover in a week to 10 days..... ) that I haven't commented of late, but you do deliver quite the verbal feast, with salmon, oysters & champagne, yet !
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2024, also the Lunar New Year of the Dragon - to you & all ! Thank you ! I'm Italian, Russian & Irish, so being effusive comes with the territory.....
You think you're late with commenting? How about this reply of mine, *three months later*? Now THAT'S commitment to tardiness. I should feel shame, but luckily I was born without any, by way of having no sense to go along with it. HAPPY NEW YEAR, SIR (a quarter of the way already through it).
Ok I love this. Of course I do.
Who couldn't love Mike ? He's the UK's answer to Carl Sagan ! Or YODA !
Oh STOP IT you two. We all know I'm an idiot and you're being (and you are) far too nice. Also, give me a lightsaber and I'd cut my own head off by accident. I bet Carl Sagan wouldn't shave with his razor the wrong way round: https://substack.com/@everythingisamazing/note/c-52649532?utm_source=activity_item
Loved this post
I'm late in saying it, but thank you, Rolando. It was a fun one to assemble - even though the first time I drafted it was actually a few years ago!
Oh Mike I LOVE this post. There's something impossible about such a rock isn't there?
Here, off Tasmania, we have a rock called Pedra Branca (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedra_Branca_(Tasmania)) which has a kind of romance. These days, it's rather a surfer's mecca, as astonishing and difficult wave-breaks occur there. But its also possible to boat past it with tourist endeavours on a calm day.
There's another break too, at a place called Shipstern Bluff (https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/the-mechanics-of-shipstern-bluff). I see the waves on THAT one and am quietly terrified, and glad my son no longer surfs.
The harsh coastlines of islands in the far north and south of our planet are such veritable treasure-troves of information and as I've said in the past, I so look forward to reading what you post about 'islands'.
A great post, Mike. Fascinating.
The battle over the shitty rock headline made me think of Hamlet. I always thought it just a piece of hyperbole, but with Rockall it could easily become true:
Hamlet Act 4,Scene 4)
"I see
The imminent death of twenty thousand men,
That, for a fantasy and trick of fame,
Go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot
Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause,
Which is not tomb enough and continent
To hide the slain"
Being someone with no desire to ever be anywhere beyond the view of land I would never be able to witness the absurdity of Rockall, which would be sad. Thank you for affording me the opportunity without having to put out to sea, the thought of which overwhelms me with nauseous anxiety. Happy New Year!
I had never stopped to think what Rockall actually is! Now I know. Thank you & a happy new year :)
We all need a Rockall in our lives, something that is always there, always unknown, always pulling us, but always and forever beyond our reach.
May the new year be a better one than this, and may we learn how to live together on this earth in peace.
I loved every bit of this. What a great New Year’s morning read - way better than the papers!
Totally thought this was going to be about St Kilda, which I read a lovely book about once, but it was of course entirely more fascinating and unexpected. Happy new year!
Islands are the best!
Happy New Year from my island to yours.
I felt seasick just reading that, lol. I've been to St Kilda - that was far enough!
Love the Goons reference! Used to listen to them on long drives with my dad . I hold them responsible for my absurd-tending sense of humour that seems to just confuse people more then anything these days.
Flanders and Swann wrote a song about it. Edgy stuff for its time... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRc9uOZfCF0
Rockall always sounds like a mock swear word to me. You can totally see how it got its name:
“What’s that there then?”
“Rock all, mate!”
“Rockall? Never heard of it!”
Also, I now feel the need to listen to Blur’s This is a Low (featuring the Shipping Forecast)
Forever reminds me of the outro from the Gang of Four song 'Ether': "there may be oil, under Rockall."