The Active Retirement Club heard from Julie Evitt about her voyage of discovery to Orkney in a camper van, shared with her dog Tiny and her friend Rowena.
Bruce from the club reports, “The trip took six weeks in the summer of 2018. Travelling via Gretna Green and Loch Ness, they made the crossing by ferry to Orkney and spent several weeks exploring there.
“Orkney has wonderful scenery, and fascinating history and archaeology, from Neolithic sites older than Stonehenge and burial cairns, to war graves from World War 2. A beautiful chapel was constructed from a Nissen hut by Italian POWs (I couldn’t help wondering if it was the one my father was billeted in during his gunnery training) and on a different scale a barrier was thrown across one of the sea channels by Churchill (not personally of course) to prevent U-boats entering the harbour at Scapa Floe.
“Friendly, generous people both in Orkney and Scotland (the Orcadians do not regard themselves as Scots) made the trip even more pleasurable, and even if ARC members were not inspired to make it themselves, they thoroughly enjoyed the vicarious experience of travelling along with Julie.
“The next meeting of the Active Retirement Club is the quarterly lunch at the White Horse Park, then on 19th March, Alan Jones will be speaking on the history of hypnosis: “Look into my eyes”! More information from Bruce on 07968 662593, or visit www. arcwestbury.club
