Freelance writer Louise Thomason speaks to podcast host Marjolein Robertson about her work, including her own blog: https://www.girlinthenorthsea.com/
They talk about the need for self discipline when working from home, finding creativity and living and writing in Shetland.
The Shetland North seat will be contested for the first time in seven years after a second candidate announced his intention to stand in the upcoming by-election.
Andrew Hall, who lives in Brae, has thrown his hat into the ring.
It follows the announcement that NHS Shetland’s vice-chairwoman Natasha Cornick would also be standing for the vacant seat.
With at least two candidates on the ballot paper, it means the Shetland North electorate will get to vote for their council representative for the first time since the 2017 election.
Every election since has had too few candidates to go to the vote.
Mr Hall has lived in Shetland since his family moved from Leeds in 1980.
He has worked in the SIC’s finance department for 38 years – but says he will resign if elected.
The candidate lives with his wife Barbara on her family croft, where their two sons grew up.
He has been involved in the administration of several agricultural groups and has helped out with other local groups including Delting Football Club, Delting Dolphins, Delting Marina Users Association, Brae Men’s Night and Delting Up Helly A’.
He was “honoured” to be Delting Jarl in 2018.
Mr Hall highlighted some of the key issues for the ward including the new Brae Campus, school transport, housing, road safety, and the council”s relationship with Sulom Voe Terminal.
For more information, visit Andrew Hall for Shetland North Ward on Facebook.
The by-election which will take place on Thursday, 23rd January.
Councillors will vote next week on a two-year trial program for all-round free bus travel across the Isles.
If successful, the plan would make Shetland the first place in the UK with free bus rides for locals.
The motion, proposed by Shetland South councillors Alex Armitage and Robbie McGregor, will go before their colleagues in a vote at the full council meeting on Wednesday.
Mr McGregor said free transport “would grease the wheels of Shetland’s economy.”
Free buses would be a “win-win-win for people, planet and the Shetland economy” said Dr Armitage, noting the Scottish government’s aim to reduce car travel a fifth by the end of the decade.
“We have more private cars on the road than ever. It’s just not sustainable,” he said. “We need bold, innovative policies like fare-free public transport to provide real incentives for folk to get on the bus.”
Dr Armitage and Mr McGregor first proposed free bus and ferry travel for islanders two years ago, but the idea was narrowly rejected over the question of funding.
This time, Dr Armitage said there are “cost-neutral” options for the SIC, drawing on a possible new tourist levy, government funds announced in the new budget, or the isles’ community benefit fund.
“We were knocked back when we tried this two years ago,” Dr Armitage told The Shetland Times, “but I’ve been working quite hard to get it this time.”
If passed, next week’s motion will ask councillors to look for funding before voting on a roll-out plan in the new year.
The health and social care partnership has signed off almost £400,000 for six new projects – from mental health to patient accommodation – but rejected two.
At a meeting this morning (Thursday) morning councillors and representatives of NHS Shetland approved the selection unanimously.
The more expensive project selected will see new accommodation facilities for people with learning disabilities, complex needs and older people who can no longer be supported safely in their own homes – costing £133,000.
More than £92,000 was also approved to hire a mental health nurse, for a 12-month pilot.
The full list of eight projects was first floated at a meeting of the Integrated Joint Board (IJB) committee last month, when members where overwhelmed by the number of options, and asked for time to consider them properly.
The two rejected projects would have created a “pathway” to help people suffering with chronic pain, staffed by four specialists, and a post for an official to “address health inequalities”.
Together they would have cost almost a further £190,000, pushing the board overbudget for its non-earmarked reserve.
“All applications were absolutely in line with where the Board want to go,” said chairwoman, Natasha Cornick. ”But we can’t approve every application because we don’t have the reserve funding to enable us to do so.”
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