大象传媒

Summer is over, so much is clear. Although the heather is still blooming, as are the thistles, the dark mornings and short evenings are already here. When I went across the Barvas Moor yesterday morning, I noticed the grasses had turned yellow. Temperatures are dropping away and the ferry is back to its two-a-day-all-week-bar-Sunday sailings routine. Still a good complement of visitors about though, judging by what I saw congregating outside Somerfields on Saturday.

The Ferryloupers Blog pointed out that Kirkwall now has two-and-a-half supermarket. So has Stornoway. We have one-and-a-half Coop and one Somerfields. Like Kirkwall, the Somerfields used to be Safeways until nearly 2 years back, although our Somerfields has abandoned loyalty cards. The big Coop up Macaulay Road has expanded recently, and if they carry on like that they'll be able to join it up with their town centre branch on Cromwell Street. This is so wee that it doesn't have shopping trolleys, only baskets. On a busy day, you'll be joining the checkout queue at the frozen food department or (horror upon horror) at the Dairy section. On a quiet day you may only have to wait at the confectionery section.