New Post... Post

Questions have been coming in thick and fast from members these past few days, curious to know what's been going on down at the (Royal) Loch Broom recently, which we feel duty bound to answer as best we can.

So, here goes.

First and foremost, how many men does it take to put up a (temporary) post?

"Um..."


Well, the answer is here in the photo: a director of Scotland's most prestigious civil engineering firm to oversee matters, jot down measurements and wield a lump hammer; one leading oil executive (hiding behind the post) to oversee matters, jot down different measurements and wield a chainsaw; one piscatorial consultant expertly to hold up the post for a very long time; one eminent aqua-geologist from Scotland's environmental agency to make sure the piscatorial expert is holding the post vertical; a boat builder to scratch his head and say it's not quite straight and won't last a minute in the next gale, and Donald, a wise head on old shoulders, with an arsenal of dangerous weapons on hand to lend, plus of course the man from the water board taking the photos, waiting until the post is up before telling those putting it up that it's slap bang on top of a proposed main sewage pipe.

OK. Next? Was it straight?

More or less.

Is it going to last?

No, it is, after all, only temporary.

"Er...?"

 How temporary?

Well, here's the definition:

tem·po·rar·y  

/ˈtempəˌrerē/
Adjective
Lasting for only a limited period of time; not permanent: "a temporary job".

Next gale?

Who knows. Probably.

"Hmmm..."


Despite all the odds, and the presence of so many experts, civil engineers, piscatorial consultants, geologists, oil engineers, boat builders, men from the water board (and Donald), the post was finally erected; some wooden beam-like bits were laid across and what appears to be some sort of (temporary) lean-to has been built.

All in all then, a miracle.

"Ah!"

And lastly, what the heck is it?

Well, it is a temporary structure, designed to shelter the commodore and his lady wife after being ferried ashore from their yacht in the event of inclemency of weather. It will also save the Loki lot making a cover for the skiff  but mainly as an outdoor smoking lounge for all those members whose new year resolution was to take up smoking.

Oh, and for those who couldn't make it, the curry night on the 19th was a triumph of culinary skills over digestive systems. Most of the members are out of danger and Raigmore will be releasing them any day now.