A bright and early start leaving Bigton at 6.15am to check in at Tingwall airport at 7am, wheels up in the islander plane at 8am, Fair Isle airstrip by 8.30am.
on the islander plane
Breakfast then gathering of things, soup for lunch, then walk up to the Hall under a clear blue sky to meet Marie and set up at 1.30pm. We arrange her textile art piece 27 Shetland Blues on the floor (so the children can handle it), set up the yarn cone board and the coloured yarn sticks.
Principal teacher Jonathan brings the children through from school at 2pm - we serenade their entrance with Moon River. Jonathan invites the children to tell us all the names of blue they can think of (they manage 13 colours) and I introduce the idea for the project, inspired by Marie’s giant knitting piece 27 Shetland Blues - then hand over to Marie to describe how she made that piece. The children lift 27 Shetland Blues and observe how very heavy it is - then they get under it like it’s the chic-est weighted blanked ever.
Marie tells the story of 27 Shetland Blues
After this the children settle into sitting on 27 Shetland Blues, for the introductions to the violin, the bassoon, the clarinet and the piano.
introductions to instruments
After this Marie asks the children to look at the coloured yarn sticks, and choose their favourite colours of blue, then reads them the line of poetry for their chosen colours as written by Joan Lennon. (Joan has come to Fair Isle many times - and was so taken by Marie’s coloured yarn sticks that she wrote a line of poetry for each colour).
Marie’s yarn sticks
Stu and I walk back to Kenaby in glorious sunshine - it’s so good to be back.
Back at hosts - Jess tunes the piano at Kenaby and does some practice. Ian comes back from the boat and prepares lobster for supper…
