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Thread: Can you beat this?

  1. #1
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Default Can you beat this?

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    There is much speculation about the origins of the Bus Shelter and how it came to be in the state it is in today. A story like is may be difficult to understand for many city dwellers as it relies on tremendous community spirit and trust, the kind you would only find on an island such as Unst.

    The Bus Shelter sits on the corner of the main road through Unst (A968), and the Little Hamar Road on the North-East edge of Baltasound. It was the young residents of the Little Hamar Road that used the Shelter most frequently, catching the bus to school there every morning. A dull, brown but wholly effective bus shelter served this purpose for many years, until it fell fowl to the infamous Shetland weather in 1996. The roof of the shelter was blowing off and it was declared unsafe. To combat this, the windows were removed, causing understandable distress to the occupants. After some time, the council realised that this couldn’t work and simply demolished the shelter. That fateful day the school bus pulled up to a sorry site, the binkled shell of the hardy bus shelter lay broken on the tarmac with the only addition, an old brown chair, left on its side, sodden by the rain.

    At that time there were 3 regular users of the shelter, none of whom were too happy about a shelterless wait for the bus. Action was required. The youngest, 7 year old Bobby, took that action and wrote to the local paper The Shetland Times expressing his discontent at the situation. Sure enough, this alerted the council who brought a brand new, bright red bus shelter and planted it on the foundations of the last one. There was rebirth and with it came improvement.

    A few days after the completion of the replacement shelter, a wicker sofa and table appeared in it. Nobody said anything, nobody claimed responsibility. Soon afterwards, a small TV was added, closely followed by a ‘hot snacks’ counter. In the winter, a 2-bar heater was installed, allowing an even more comfortable wait and it wasn’t long before a carpet was fitted. By this time, The Bus Shelter had gained considerable publicity in many interested sectors. The visitors book was filling up and the comments indicated the demand for a website dedicated to the Unst Bus Shelter.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  2. #2
    Axel Hildebrandt
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    It really does look to be a little out of place. :)

  3. #3
    Roman Kurywczak
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    I might not want to catch the bus!!! Great image and story Steve!

  4. #4
    Judy Lynn Malloch
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    Wow what a great place and so inviting. Someone had a wonderful imagination !!!!!! Many thanks for the background info and for sharing with us.

  5. #5
    Alfred Forns
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    Doctor Who would like that stop :) ... a different way of life !!!

  6. #6
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    and where exactly are the weapons of mass destruction stored?:D

  7. #7
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Now that is spookie Harold, unless you already knew something? :D A few miles up from the Bus shelter...

    'RAF Saxa Vord was a radar station operated by the Royal Air Force. It was situated on the island of Unst, one of the Shetland Islands in the north of Scotland. Its radar provided long-range coverage of the airspace to the North of Scotland.

    The island of Unst has played an important part in the defence of the UK since the outbreak of the Second World War. By 1945, there were two radar sites in existence - one on Saxa Vord hill, and the other at Skaw on the east coast. This latter is the older, being built in 1941, and was part of the Chain Home radar network as part of the defences of the Sullom Voe flying boat base. Skaw closed in 1947. Ten years later, 91 Signal Unit was formed, and became fully operational on 5 October 1957'.
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    steve, google is a wonderful thing. you are right. the bus shelter does have it's own website. lots of interesting info!! and quite comical!!

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    Now I know why I always wanted to visit the Shetlands! Thanks for sharing.

  10. #10
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    steve, google is a wonderful thing.
    It saves me typing at least Harold and probably more up to date :D
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    This is cool and hysterical to me at the same time. Compared with the bus shelters in Toronto, this is the Hyatt:)

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