July 2026

2nd July – I don’t know what has triggered this but our phormium has gone into overdrive this year. It normally produces four or five flower spikes, but this year it has sixteen!

I don’t know if a long winter followed by a warm spell has triggered this growth spurt. According to other gardeners across Orkney all the phormiums are doing the same. Some people have had no blooms for years and suddenly their plants are performing. It would be interesting to know if this is happening elsewhere.

15th July – We’ve been promising to visit Terry and Judith in Dounby, if we got a nice day. Today proved to be that day. We had a lovely afternoon tea with them and were treated to tea, cakes and biscuits.

Judith provided a lovely patisserie selection and it was nice to sit, chill and chat, and give thanks that it was only 18℃ here.

18th July – The phormium has opened its flowers now and is proving very popular with the starlings.

23rd July – Stromness Shopping Week has come around again and with it, the poor weather. The fog lifted sufficiently for the Daft Raft Race to go ahead but it is still murky across the bay.

There was a good turnout for it, with plenty of participants and, good to report, there were no drownings!

Shopping week wouldn’t be the same without the scarecrow competition and this family have gone the extra mile and built eight scarecrows. They have depicted the Christmas Log Pull, the annual tug of war between the Soothenders and the Northenders. Obviously my pic only shows the Soothenders.

25th July – Shopping week finishes with a parade of floats with topical themes, usually having a dig at local organisations. Orkney Islands Council rare get off unscathed. Here the Minions are filling potholes with jam, I’m sure the Highways Dept. get the point.

This year a tribute has been given to the Scotland fans and their successful stay in Boston. Shame it was a brief stay in the World Cup.

You can’t portray a scene from the World Cup without you-know-who sticking his orange nose in!