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Current mood: educational
Category: Jobs, Work, Careers
I've referred a number of times to my work on the design of the new school at Tarbert in the Isle of Harris in the Western Isles, so I thought I'd throw in a couple of images so can you get some idea what I've been on about.
This is the main entrance to the Sir E Scott School. It sits bewteen two low sheltering granite hills with a sea loch to the west, which opens out into the Atlantic Ocean. The next bit of terra firma is Newfoundland in Canada.
This is the pupil entrance identified by its more informal shape and brighter colours (I do love purple!) and with the sports hall and sports field on the right.
The design had progressed through a series of public consultations with pupils, parents, teachers, local residents and councillors initiated in December last year. This process meant that many contributions from the Harris community were wrapped up in the design and in which they now have a huge stake. This is very much a collaborative effort.
I was in Tarbert and Stornoway on Thursday (4.30am start - aaargh!) and Friday last week for a number of meetings, including a public presentation and exhibition of the latest drawings, connected with the schools project and spent an overnight in Tarbert. Some weeks back the Guardian or Observer, I forget which, had an article in a Travel section on outstanding European boutique hotels; and there it was, amongst the glittering tourist locations of Europe, Hotel Hebrides in Tarbert with a glowing report, which, having stayed there on Thursday night, I can confirm. The hotel is incredibly stylish with very voguish interior design, just up my street. I had a beautiful little corner room with a window in each adjoining wall. This gave a fantastic view over Tarbert and the ferry terminal. When I went to bed at night there was a large Caledonian MacBrayne (Calmac) car ferry outside my window, when I woke in the morning it was gone, sailing to Oban on the Scottish mainland.
Food in the bar (there is also a gourmet restaurant) was excellent and there was a great selection of Scotch ales alongside the more regular Euro-lagers we have come to expect in boutique hotels. There was a particularly good pint of McEwan's 80/- on offer, a beer not as widely available as it once was and a staple of my evenings in the Maltings at St Leonards.
A busy and successful two days with many outstanding issues resolved and lots of praise for my employers, 3DReid, and (no false modesty in the Bluesblog), myself for the conduct of the consultation process and the achievement of a truly popular design.
The Bluesfather felt tired but content as he got home at 9.00pm on Friday.
8:47 PM
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