May 17 2009
Sunday Ferry not a Christian Issue
It seems that Calmac are wanting to introduce Sunday ferries on the basis that NOT running them is a religious act. I have to question this. I do not go to Church, and I am writing this blog on the Sabbath, but I certainly do not want to see Sunday ferries. I am certain there must be many others on the Island like me. The rest of the UK buzzes around madly 24/7, mainly chasing money, and largely not having time for people. What has brought me to the Island is the sense that here money matters less and people matter more, and it’s a place where you really can have “Manyana – but without the rush” (Have you tried the traffic jams in the South of Spain – horrendous.) My feeling is that the North Uist-South Harris link is only inter-island and therefore has little impact on lifestyle. Equally, a handful of people using the plane does not make too much difference. But whole ferries full of cars and their passengers WILL make a difference. (Just one of the changes will be that the Island will attract folks who are dedicated to 7/7 activity, unlike the present where most people either enjoy the weekly chill-out, or at least value the Island lifestyle enough to go along with it. In the longer term Sunday ferries would cause a big cultural shift.)
With the rest of the UK on the go 24/7, are we not allowed just one little corner to be different? And does someone out there really have the power to declare ferryless Sundays as “Christian” and therefore illegal?
