Yep, setting light to the Cutty Sark to claim on the insurance and a quick whip round for un nailed down State and saps bunts was a smart move to get it done up properly once it was realised the keel was as rotten as a pear. Still not sure why we are paying Millions to restore ships not to use, Mary Rose, Britannia, etc. when we have a load of usable boats needing cash and are a maritime nation. I blame that blasted tunnel and its associated vision.......
Now a restoration like Shamrock 4, the J class racing yacht, I can go along with. We saw it going round the Isle of Wight off Ventnor. Alive and impressive. This leads me to one of the best thing I think I have experienced. A sub J class we saw under full canvas in front of the butterfly colours of the main Tobermory Week racing fleet following. It rounding Ardnamurchan Point in the far distance, running hard passed Mallaig into the Sound of Sleat beneath the backdrop of the ever brooding Cullen boiling ever ominiously with a flashing norse saga of a black thunderstorm of hail. The speed it maintained under a spinnaker was incredible as was the angle of heel it took on gaining the Sound's off shore cold downdraft. The boat's only chance to beat the racing handicapper was to outpace the impending storm. We cheered it passed on its way to shoot the Kyle of Lochalsh having, by about 10 minutes, beaten the terrific squall that fell off the mountains of Skye obliterating vision in a force 8 blast and in which we got a right going over. You cannot really buy an experience like that. Made you proud to be of an island race and tough enough to be out in the conditions, as everyone else would be running and hiding. Better than any fake ship in a bottle I think. You cannot beat a machine working to the maximum in its element, like a fully loaded up steam locomotive in sub freezing temperatures, old racing car being driven on the limit, just hardly anyone does any more. Health and safety, might get broken etc etc. or you pay for the privalage to see it.
Liquorice wood, fantastic. Don't mention lozenges again! Must be an old recipe as the RAF had not been invented I guess. Not into those jobbies either. Sounds like there needs to be a RUM run to a real Sweet Shop.
Can you get Cocker Spangles?