As some of you will know, I've just moved from south London to the
north coast of Scotland.  I have absolutely no connections here, no
family history (I'm about 3/4 English and 1/4 Welsh), never visited up
this far until I came up to meet Mike's mum a couple of years ago.

Originally we were house hunting in Caithness.  Caithness is beautiful
but it feels pretty much like the other places I lived after I left
home (south London, Reading and Cambridge) - it would just have been
another place to live, albeit a bit more permanently than any of the
others.  But we've ended up living just over the border in Sutherland
and it feels like I'm back where I grew up again (Bristol and the
Forest of Dean).

The landscape isn't remotely similar and I have no family roots here at
all (at least not from the 1700s onwards; I haven't got any further
back than that yet).  So why does the land feel so familiar and safe
here?

-- 
Caroline
There is no such thing as a snooze button on a cat that wants breakfast.

Caroline Jones wrote:
> As some of you will know, I've just moved from south London to the
> north coast of Scotland.  I have absolutely no connections here, no
> family history (I'm about 3/4 English and 1/4 Welsh), never visited up
> this far until I came up to meet Mike's mum a couple of years ago.
> 
> Originally we were house hunting in Caithness.  Caithness is beautiful
> but it feels pretty much like the other places I lived after I left
> home (south London, Reading and Cambridge) - it would just have been
> another place to live, albeit a bit more permanently than any of the
> others.  But we've ended up living just over the border in Sutherland
> and it feels like I'm back where I grew up again (Bristol and the
> Forest of Dean).
> 
> The landscape isn't remotely similar and I have no family roots here at
> all (at least not from the 1700s onwards; I haven't got any further
> back than that yet).  So why does the land feel so familiar and safe
> here?
> 

Because it's not a piece of the Third World like S London.
It's actually Britain.

FFF
Dirk

http://www.transcendence.me.uk/ - Transcendence UK
Remote Viewing classes in London

Dirk Bruere at NeoPax wrote:

> Caroline Jones wrote:
> > As some of you will know, I've just moved from south London to the
> > north coast of Scotland.  I have absolutely no connections here, no
> > family history (I'm about 3/4 English and 1/4 Welsh), never visited
> > up this far until I came up to meet Mike's mum a couple of years
> > ago.
> > 
> > Originally we were house hunting in Caithness.  Caithness is
> > beautiful but it feels pretty much like the other places I lived
> > after I left home (south London, Reading and Cambridge) - it would
> > just have been another place to live, albeit a bit more permanently
> > than any of the others.  But we've ended up living just over the
> > border in Sutherland and it feels like I'm back where I grew up
> > again (Bristol and the Forest of Dean).
> > 
> > The landscape isn't remotely similar and I have no family roots
> > here at all (at least not from the 1700s onwards; I haven't got any
> > further back than that yet).  So why does the land feel so familiar
> > and safe here?
> > 
> 
> Because it's not a piece of the Third World like S London.
> It's actually Britain.

LOL!  True, but then why don't I get the same feeling when I cross the
border into Caithness?  Or in the countryside around Cambridge, where I
spent most of the time I wasn't at work?

-- 
Caroline
There is no such thing as a snooze button on a cat that wants breakfast.

"Caroline Jones"  wrote in message 
news:g54oho$udf$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> The landscape isn't remotely similar and I have no family roots here at
> all (at least not from the 1700s onwards; I haven't got any further
> back than that yet).  So why does the land feel so familiar and safe
> here?

Probably because Scotland is awesome. :) Especicially the country bits where 
the air is so breathtaking (pardon the pun)

Flower of romance wrote:

> 
> "Caroline Jones"  wrote in message
> news:g54oho$udf$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> > The landscape isn't remotely similar and I have no family roots
> > here at all (at least not from the 1700s onwards; I haven't got any
> > further back than that yet).  So why does the land feel so familiar
> > and safe here?
> 
> Probably because Scotland is awesome. :) Especicially the country
> bits where the air is so breathtaking (pardon the pun)

True, but why then do I only get this feeling in Sutherland, not over
the border in Caithness (or at least where the rock changes, which is
near enough the border) or in other parts of the Highlands?

-- 
Caroline
There is no such thing as a snooze button on a cat that wants breakfast.

"Caroline Jones"  wrote in message 
news:g55a46$k2f$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> Flower of romance wrote:
>
>>
>> "Caroline Jones"  wrote in message
>> news:g54oho$udf$1@registered.motzarella.org...
>> > The landscape isn't remotely similar and I have no family roots
>> > here at all (at least not from the 1700s onwards; I haven't got any
>> > further back than that yet).  So why does the land feel so familiar
>> > and safe here?
>>
>> Probably because Scotland is awesome. :) Especicially the country
>> bits where the air is so breathtaking (pardon the pun)
>
> True, but why then do I only get this feeling in Sutherland, not over
> the border in Caithness (or at least where the rock changes, which is
> near enough the border) or in other parts of the Highlands?

Similar land formation? same architects? Can you pinpoint anything specific?

"Dirk Bruere at NeoPax"  wrote in message 
news:6dm72qF38630U4@mid.individual.net...
> Caroline Jones wrote:
>> As some of you will know, I've just moved from south London to the
>> north coast of Scotland.  I have absolutely no connections here, no
>> family history (I'm about 3/4 English and 1/4 Welsh), never visited up
>> this far until I came up to meet Mike's mum a couple of years ago.
>>
>> Originally we were house hunting in Caithness.  Caithness is beautiful
>> but it feels pretty much like the other places I lived after I left
>> home (south London, Reading and Cambridge) - it would just have been
>> another place to live, albeit a bit more permanently than any of the
>> others.  But we've ended up living just over the border in Sutherland
>> and it feels like I'm back where I grew up again (Bristol and the
>> Forest of Dean).
>>
>> The landscape isn't remotely similar and I have no family roots here at
>> all (at least not from the 1700s onwards; I haven't got any further
>> back than that yet).  So why does the land feel so familiar and safe
>> here?
>>
>
> Because it's not a piece of the Third World like S London.
> It's actually Britain.

And, as Caroline explained, it's not the same *type* of 
non-third-world-London Britain that she's used to. Can you never see beyond 
your racism, Dirk?

Jani

"Caroline Jones"  wrote in message 
news:g54oho$udf$1@registered.motzarella.org...
>
> The landscape isn't remotely similar and I have no family roots here at
> all (at least not from the 1700s onwards; I haven't got any further
> back than that yet).  So why does the land feel so familiar and safe
> here?

Are the people/land-communities long-standing and established? I've found 
that can go one of two ways - either outsiders are pushed away, or the whole 
environment is strong enough to be welcoming and accommodating. And it's not 
always in the places you might expect, either.

Or, more pragmatically, you could look at which aspects of your own land are 
similar to this one. I am not really happy away from the coast, but there 
are inland places where the coast winds still blow in, and I don't mind 
those half as much as I mind other coastal areas, where I am very much not 
welcome.

Jani

Jani wrote:
> 
> "Dirk Bruere at NeoPax"  wrote in message 
> news:6dm72qF38630U4@mid.individual.net...
>> Caroline Jones wrote:
>>> As some of you will know, I've just moved from south London to the
>>> north coast of Scotland.  I have absolutely no connections here, no
>>> family history (I'm about 3/4 English and 1/4 Welsh), never visited up
>>> this far until I came up to meet Mike's mum a couple of years ago.
>>>
>>> Originally we were house hunting in Caithness.  Caithness is beautiful
>>> but it feels pretty much like the other places I lived after I left
>>> home (south London, Reading and Cambridge) - it would just have been
>>> another place to live, albeit a bit more permanently than any of the
>>> others.  But we've ended up living just over the border in Sutherland
>>> and it feels like I'm back where I grew up again (Bristol and the
>>> Forest of Dean).
>>>
>>> The landscape isn't remotely similar and I have no family roots here at
>>> all (at least not from the 1700s onwards; I haven't got any further
>>> back than that yet).  So why does the land feel so familiar and safe
>>> here?
>>>
>>
>> Because it's not a piece of the Third World like S London.
>> It's actually Britain.
> 
> And, as Caroline explained, it's not the same *type* of 
> non-third-world-London Britain that she's used to. Can you never see 
> beyond your racism, Dirk?

Since I spend a lot of time in S London, I'd call it realism.
On the 1 mile walk to Callum's primary school there is an average of 
about 1 killing every 6-8 weeks within 20m of the roads he walks along. 
The numbers of stabbings, muggings, street crime, drug dealing, care in 
the community ranters and twitching crackheads is astronomical.

As for racism, no doubt you will call this racist - I call it fact.
http://www.capitalradio.co.uk/article.asp?id=532062

In the case of *all* the victims, the perps were described as 'ethnic'.

FFF
Dirk

http://www.transcendence.me.uk/ - Transcendence UK
Remote Viewing classes in London

Flower of romance wrote:

> 
> "Caroline Jones"  wrote in message
> news:g55a46$k2f$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> > Flower of romance wrote:
> > 
> > > 
> >>"Caroline Jones"  wrote in
> message
> > > news:g54oho$udf$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> >>> The landscape isn't remotely similar and I have no family roots
> >>> here at all (at least not from the 1700s onwards; I haven't got
> any >>> further back than that yet).  So why does the land feel so
> familiar >>> and safe here?
> > > 
> > > Probably because Scotland is awesome. :) Especicially the country
> > > bits where the air is so breathtaking (pardon the pun)
> > 
> > True, but why then do I only get this feeling in Sutherland, not
> > over the border in Caithness (or at least where the rock changes,
> > which is near enough the border) or in other parts of the Highlands?
> 
> Similar land formation? same architects? Can you pinpoint anything
> specific?

Nope and nope again.  Sutherland is very bare, few trees, lots of
mountains, no large towns (there's only something like 45,000 people in
the whole 1.3m acres) and the architecture is either 60s bungalow or
crumbling croft house.  The Forest is full of trees and council houses,
with a few old stone houses and in comparison is quite densely
populated.  The only common denominator I can think of is that you have
to brake for sheep on the road in both areas!

-- 
Caroline
There is no such thing as a snooze button on a cat that wants breakfast.

Jani wrote:

> 
> "Caroline Jones"  wrote in message
> news:g54oho$udf$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> > 
> > The landscape isn't remotely similar and I have no family roots
> > here at all (at least not from the 1700s onwards; I haven't got any
> > further back than that yet).  So why does the land feel so familiar
> > and safe here?
> 
> Are the people/land-communities long-standing and established? I've
> found that can go one of two ways - either outsiders are pushed away,
> or the whole environment is strong enough to be welcoming and
> accommodating. And it's not always in the places you might expect,
> either.
> 

Not really any more.  Because of Dounreay going up in the 50s/60s,
there was a big migration here from England as they imported scientists
and engineers - you were local or 'atomic'.  Of the people I've
met/heard of in our village (about three quarters so far, I think),
there's us (South West/atomic), Rory & Elizabeth (Scottish but not
local), Raymond & Catherine (central Scotland), the lady with the
lurcher (Yorkshire), Jim & Marilyn and her sister Valerie and her
husband (atomics, all English), Paul and Julie (Yorkshire), Julie's
brother and his family (Yorkshire), Gill (has a holiday cottage, lives
12 miles from my mum in Gloucestershire), the lady in the big house
(Dutch), Steve the Monday postman (England somewhere), the bloke doing
up the tractor on the corner (local), the French lady and her daughter
(France, obviously...), the Montys (local) and the Mackays (born in our
village - very local).

It's all clearance villages up here, so it's been settled maybe 130-150
years.

> Or, more pragmatically, you could look at which aspects of your own
> land are similar to this one. I am not really happy away from the
> coast, but there are inland places where the coast winds still blow
> in, and I don't mind those half as much as I mind other coastal
> areas, where I am very much not welcome.
> 
> Jani

That's what's confusing me - the only similarity I can see so far is
the sheep on the road!

-- 
Caroline
There is no such thing as a snooze button on a cat that wants breakfast.

"Caroline Jones"  wrote in message 
news:g575qv$pg0$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> Flower of romance wrote:
>
>>
>> "Caroline Jones"  wrote in message
>> news:g55a46$k2f$1@registered.motzarella.org...
>> > Flower of romance wrote:

>> Similar land formation? same architects? Can you pinpoint anything
>> specific?
>
> Nope and nope again.  Sutherland is very bare, few trees, lots of
> mountains, no large towns (there's only something like 45,000 people in
> the whole 1.3m acres) and the architecture is either 60s bungalow or
> crumbling croft house.  The Forest is full of trees and council houses,
> with a few old stone houses and in comparison is quite densely
> populated.  The only common denominator I can think of is that you have
> to brake for sheep on the road in both areas!


Then the people perhaps?

Flower of romance wrote:

> 
> "Caroline Jones"  wrote in message
> news:g575qv$pg0$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> > Flower of romance wrote:
> > 
> > > 
> >>"Caroline Jones"  wrote in
> message
> > > news:g55a46$k2f$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> >>> Flower of romance wrote:
> 
> > > Similar land formation? same architects? Can you pinpoint anything
> > > specific?
> > 
> > Nope and nope again.  Sutherland is very bare, few trees, lots of
> > mountains, no large towns (there's only something like 45,000
> > people in the whole 1.3m acres) and the architecture is either 60s
> > bungalow or crumbling croft house.  The Forest is full of trees and
> > council houses, with a few old stone houses and in comparison is
> > quite densely populated.  The only common denominator I can think
> > of is that you have to brake for sheep on the road in both areas!
> 
> 
> Then the people perhaps?

Mostly English incomers from Yorkshire, another place I have absolutely
no connection to!  Just one of those mysteries I'll have to work out
over time I suppose.

-- 
Caroline
There is no such thing as a snooze button on a cat that wants breakfast.

"Caroline Jones"  wrote in message 
news:g59kij$h6s$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> Flower of romance wrote:
>
>>
>> "Caroline Jones"  wrote in message
>> news:g575qv$pg0$1@registered.motzarella.org...
>> > Flower of romance wrote:


>>
>> Then the people perhaps?
>
> Mostly English incomers from Yorkshire, another place I have absolutely
> no connection to!  Just one of those mysteries I'll have to work out
> over time I suppose.

It could be the atmosphere. I was out in Scotland in 79. I was only a 
teenager then but even i could pick up on the generally pleasant atmosphere 
of the place. Sorry i couldn't help you more but if you suss it out, please 
let me know. :)

On Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:33:28 +0000 (UTC), "Caroline Jones"
 blethered:

>As some of you will know, I've just moved from south London to the
>north coast of Scotland.  

<jealous>

;-)

>I have absolutely no connections here, no
>family history (I'm about 3/4 English and 1/4 Welsh), never visited up
>this far until I came up to meet Mike's mum a couple of years ago.

I expect you're not the only person living there who can say that
though. Except about Mike's mum, probably. ;-)

>
>Originally we were house hunting in Caithness.  Caithness is beautiful
>but it feels pretty much like the other places I lived after I left
>home (south London, Reading and Cambridge) - it would just have been
>another place to live, albeit a bit more permanently than any of the
>others.  

I'm fascinated by that - I haven't lived in either and haven't spent a
lot of time in Caithness but I can't imagine that it could ever feel
like a bit of London. :-)

>But we've ended up living just over the border in Sutherland
>and it feels like I'm back where I grew up again (Bristol and the
>Forest of Dean).
>

Sutherland to me doesn't seem entirely part of this country. Even as
its name suggests it's more Viking (or is that Vike? I never know)
than Pict, Gael, Celt or even Saxon or Angle. <g>

>The landscape isn't remotely similar and I have no family roots here at
>all (at least not from the 1700s onwards; I haven't got any further
>back than that yet).  So why does the land feel so familiar and safe
>here?

It likes you? :-) Don't knock it. <g> It must be nice to be cherished
like that, especially when newly arrived in an area. 

D'you know, you've made me think. I've never seen Sutherland. Never
seen half the country, actually. I appear to have town agarophobia.
;-/


-- 
Bring on the wonder, we got it all wrong
We pushed you down deep in our souls for too long

"Halla"  wrote in message 
news:d5vj7459fkgn5jn2biu1202k8d746489tf@4ax.com...


> It likes you? :-) Don't knock it. <g> It must be nice to be cherished
> like that, especially when newly arrived in an area.

IAWTC :) I can't think of any explanations either, Caroline, so just enjoy 
it :)

Jani

Flower of romance wrote:
> "Caroline Jones"  wrote in message 
> news:g59kij$h6s$1@registered.motzarella.org...
>> Flower of romance wrote:
>>
>>> "Caroline Jones"  wrote in message
>>> news:g575qv$pg0$1@registered.motzarella.org...
>>>> Flower of romance wrote:
> 
> 
>>> Then the people perhaps?
>> Mostly English incomers from Yorkshire, another place I have absolutely
>> no connection to!  Just one of those mysteries I'll have to work out
>> over time I suppose.
> 
> It could be the atmosphere. I was out in Scotland in 79. I was only a 
> teenager then but even i could pick up on the generally pleasant atmosphere 
> of the place. Sorry i couldn't help you more but if you suss it out, please 
> let me know. :)

Because it is like England was 30 years ago?

FFF
Dirk

http://www.transcendence.me.uk/ - Transcendence UK
Remote Viewing classes in London

Jani wrote:
> 
> "Halla"  wrote in message 
> news:d5vj7459fkgn5jn2biu1202k8d746489tf@4ax.com...
> 
> 
>> It likes you? :-) Don't knock it. <g> It must be nice to be cherished
>> like that, especially when newly arrived in an area.
> 
> IAWTC :) I can't think of any explanations either, Caroline, so just 
> enjoy it :)

Land weights not all dead from psychic pollution.

FFF
Dirk

http://www.transcendence.me.uk/ - Transcendence UK
Remote Viewing classes in London

"Dirk Bruere at NeoPax"  wrote in message 
news:6dut52F4g422U2@mid.individual.net...
> Flower of romance wrote:
>> It could be the atmosphere. I was out in Scotland in 79. I was only a 
>> teenager then but even i could pick up on the generally pleasant 
>> atmosphere of the place. Sorry i couldn't help you more but if you suss 
>> it out, please let me know. :)
>
> Because it is like England was 30 years ago?

It was almost 30 years ago when I was there but you're right. England has 
changed so much in the last 30 years.

Halla wrote:

> On Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:33:28 +0000 (UTC), "Caroline Jones"
>  blethered:

> > Originally we were house hunting in Caithness.  Caithness is
> > beautiful but it feels pretty much like the other places I lived
> > after I left home (south London, Reading and Cambridge) - it would
> > just have been another place to live, albeit a bit more permanently
> > than any of the others.  
> 
> I'm fascinated by that - I haven't lived in either and haven't spent a
> lot of time in Caithness but I can't imagine that it could ever feel
> like a bit of London. :-)

Actually, we were talking about that while we were walking back from
the beach last night.  Mike was saying that quite a few people at work
couldn't understand why he wanted to live in the middle of nowhere and
he said that he wouldn't be enjoying it up here half as much if we were
living in Thurso - because it would have just been town living all over
again (though with less stabbings and police sirens, admittedly).  I
just don't do urban areas very well I think :o)

> > But we've ended up living just over the border in Sutherland
> > and it feels like I'm back where I grew up again (Bristol and the
> > Forest of Dean).
> > 
> 
> Sutherland to me doesn't seem entirely part of this country. Even as
> its name suggests it's more Viking (or is that Vike? I never know)
> than Pict, Gael, Celt or even Saxon or Angle. <g>
 
Caithness is Viking, but Sutherland is very strongly Gaelic.  There's a
Gaelic choir 5 miles east of us in Melvich and the further west you go
the more people you find who speak it.  I'd like to learn, but I'm
terrible at languages - my musician's ear can get the sounds, but it's
remembering what means what that flummoxes me!  There's a BBC website
that's supposed to be quite good for learning the basics, so I'll have
to have a go.


> > The landscape isn't remotely similar and I have no family roots
> > here at all (at least not from the 1700s onwards; I haven't got any
> > further back than that yet).  So why does the land feel so familiar
> > and safe here?
> 
> It likes you? :-) Don't knock it. <g> It must be nice to be cherished
> like that, especially when newly arrived in an area. 
> 
> D'you know, you've made me think. I've never seen Sutherland. Never
> seen half the country, actually. I appear to have town agarophobia.
> ;-/

Must do, I suppose :o)  It's nice feeling so at home when you've only
just moved.

Come north and explore sometime :o)  If you want the really wild bits,
stay somewhere around Kinlochbervie and do the north west corner round
Cape Wrath.  Beautiful, beautiful place.

-- 
Caroline
There is no such thing as a snooze button on a cat that wants breakfast.

On Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:58:38 +0000 (UTC), "Caroline Jones"
 blethered:

>Halla wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:33:28 +0000 (UTC), "Caroline Jones"
>>  blethered:
>
>> > Originally we were house hunting in Caithness.  Caithness is
>> > beautiful but it feels pretty much like the other places I lived
>> > after I left home (south London, Reading and Cambridge) - it would
>> > just have been another place to live, albeit a bit more permanently
>> > than any of the others.  
>> 
>> I'm fascinated by that - I haven't lived in either and haven't spent a
>> lot of time in Caithness but I can't imagine that it could ever feel
>> like a bit of London. :-)
>
>Actually, we were talking about that while we were walking back from
>the beach last night.  Mike was saying that quite a few people at work
>couldn't understand why he wanted to live in the middle of nowhere and
>he said that he wouldn't be enjoying it up here half as much if we were
>living in Thurso - because it would have just been town living all over
>again (though with less stabbings and police sirens, admittedly).  I
>just don't do urban areas very well I think :o)
>

Well lucky you to not have to now. :-)

>> > But we've ended up living just over the border in Sutherland
>> > and it feels like I'm back where I grew up again (Bristol and the
>> > Forest of Dean).
>> > 
>> 
>> Sutherland to me doesn't seem entirely part of this country. Even as
>> its name suggests it's more Viking (or is that Vike? I never know)
>> than Pict, Gael, Celt or even Saxon or Angle. <g>
> 
>Caithness is Viking, but Sutherland is very strongly Gaelic.  

They moved in, did they? <eg>

>There's a
>Gaelic choir 5 miles east of us in Melvich and the further west you go
>the more people you find who speak it.  I'd like to learn, but I'm
>terrible at languages - my musician's ear can get the sounds, but it's
>remembering what means what that flummoxes me!  

Gaelic is indeed musical. Mostly. <g>

>There's a BBC website
>that's supposed to be quite good for learning the basics, so I'll have
>to have a go.

<considers airing old joke about most of the gaels working for the
Beeb in Glasgow now> <g>

>
>
>> > The landscape isn't remotely similar and I have no family roots
>> > here at all (at least not from the 1700s onwards; I haven't got any
>> > further back than that yet).  So why does the land feel so familiar
>> > and safe here?
>> 
>> It likes you? :-) Don't knock it. <g> It must be nice to be cherished
>> like that, especially when newly arrived in an area. 
>> 
>> D'you know, you've made me think. I've never seen Sutherland. Never
>> seen half the country, actually. I appear to have town agarophobia.
>> ;-/
>
>Must do, I suppose :o)  It's nice feeling so at home when you've only
>just moved.

Good. :-) Long may it last.

>
>Come north and explore sometime :o)  If you want the really wild bits,
>stay somewhere around Kinlochbervie and do the north west corner round
>Cape Wrath.  Beautiful, beautiful place.

I should. <sighs>


-- 
Bring on the wonder, we got it all wrong
We pushed you down deep in our souls for too long