Jon Macleod (photographer on this DEEP project) and Ruaraidh Macleod (Graphic Designer responsible for the colour work) went to see the vinyl in place at Blar Buidhe Care Centre and to visit Norman today.
We had a sit down with Norman and we talked about Harbour History – Lazy Corner itself, Norman’s early seafaring days.
‘I started out with the Sea Cadets here in Stornoway. I passed out the year the Queen was crowned. 1952. I went to Portsmouth, to Victoria Barracks. It wasn’t the biggest one but I still think of the pals there sometimes, when I’m on my own. Aye, the Royal Navy, not the Merchant Navy.’
Jon brought up the subject of ‘flying boats’. Norman recalled, ‘Oh they were a sight as they took off, from the Quay the other side by the Castle. There was a big shed there for them. They took off in the early morning before anyone else in the harbour was about.’
‘We have some big tourist boats in now, it’s all changed, it’s dredged, the Harbour. Oh but it was back in the war, we had some big ships in then too.’
We went back out to admire the vinyl image again. There is so much to see in the image that there is often a bit of a traffic jam in the corridor as people slow down to have a good look, the care team all enthused.
‘It’s been so popular, such a talking point!’, said Manager, Peter. One gentleman moving some furniture in for a relative stopped and said to Norman ‘It’s really great that you have put something so very local in here.’
