nobody loves you when you're down and out

It's Christmas Eve. I nearly got trapped off the island today but with Jayne at Kinnererach three miles across the water. Waving not drowning. The ferry stopped running at midday. Lucky I was tipped off that things were getting a bit bleak. It was a close run thing.

So we're together and the weather outside is dreadful, but the fire inside's delightful.

Our friends here know we've hit a dead stop. One of the reasons for wanting to stay on Gigha is because we live in a place where our friends look out for us, as we do for them. You can leave your front door unlocked for weeks on end and no-one will nick your stuff though people might come in to feed your goldfish or check your heating is on and your pipes haven't frozen. Fuck the advertising executives' "Big Society". We are going to need a lot of help, and we'll get it - but then we'll help out when our friends need help too. We know there are the spiteful and malign few who glory in ours and others' problems.

Today the Halifax has published its annual survey and 42 of the top 50 places in Britain are in the south and east of England. There is nowhere in Wales in the top 200 and nowhere in the North of England or Scotland features anywhere near the top 50 either. It's a survey for commuters by commuters. Love the Anglo Saxon M2/M3/M4 corridors. Screw the Celts, Gaels and especially Geordies, Dalesmen, Highlanders and Islanders. We should all live happily ever after in Hampshire or Royal Berkshire. To most people I know and respect this would be purgatory - at best.

Would you leave your doors unlocked in Hampshire, Surrey, Herts., Kent ?

Why would anyone believe that a failed bank can judge on quality of life ?