Headed off into town yesterday to get our new tour van ordered - have gone again for a Ford Tourneo, same as we had before, a 9 seat version of a larger minibus, but built to a higher specification.
We're getting the top of the range 'Limited' series which means alloy wheels, fully air-conditioned (don't laugh, it gets surprisingly hot in a vehicle in the summer even in Orkney), metallic paint etc. etc. It's pretty similar to the vehicle we've had before - all they've done for the new series is change the design on the front & put the gear lever on the dashboard instead of the floor, which will be fine as it means more room for the front seat passengers.
They're marketed as 'executive people carriers' & all the brochures show immaculately dressed executives getting in & out with their briefcases, and because of this they're fully lined & carpeted throughout, which is my only bone of contention with the vehicle.
If you get the ordinary minibus they aim at a completely different market - all the brochure pics show people on building sites with hard hats & muddy boots - and the flooring is heavy duty rubber, not carpet, because of those muddy boots.
Now whilst I want a comfortable touring vehicle, my guests also often have muddy or sandy boots, so I really don't want carpeting on the floor. But obviously no-one at Ford had ever considered this possibility, so you can't get rubber flooring as an option on the Tourneo.
I had the same problem with our old Tourneo - it doesn't work putting down rubber mats in the back because they move around too much, so I bought some sheet rubber flooring, cut it to size & glued it down - not as easy as it sounds. This time I'm going to get a carpet fitter to do it!
I also decided 'Mars Red' was too bright & have gone instead for the more discreet 'Avalon' - kind of pale blue/grey.
Off to Inverness next week for a couple of nights with my friend Pat - being Pat she's got us a good deal at a four star hotel where apparently Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed the night before Culloden. (It was a private house then although most of the bit where he stayed was subsequently knocked down & rebuilt, but I think the cellars are original).
We're going to go & have a look at the battlefield, the nearby Clava Cairns, Urqhart castle, Fort George & then on the way back the Grey Cairns of Camster & the Hill of Many Stanes. I'm not sure Pat's quite entering into the spirit of things here - I was outlining the itinerary to her & she wanted to make sure we included Marks & Spencers!
It's often like that with me & Pat anyway - this week she's been happy because she's treated herself to an i-pad & i-phone & I've been equally happily immersed in my new purchases - Abercromby's 1912 two volume masterpiece 'A Study of the Bronze Age Pottery of the British Isles and Ireland and its associated grave goods', & Archaeologia 43 with Thurnam's influential paper 'On Ancient British Barrows, especially those of Wiltshire and the adjoining Counties - part II Round Barrows' - all 260 pages of it.
This was such a long paper that when it was originally read to the learned gentleman of the Society of Antiquaries it was over the course of 4 meetings and two years - that's dedication for you - history doesn't record if said learned gentlemen managed to stay awake throughout. I love these old books - they spared no expense in publication, with lots of plates & really good illustrations - I've told Pat she can borrow them when she's tired of playing with her i-phone!
I think I would have been happy as a 19th century antiquarian - wandering around opening barrows at will, in the spirit of enquiry that was typical of the age. Sir Richard Colt Hoare was the most prolific, opening 465 grave mounds, which he then published in his 'Ancient Wiltshire' in the early 1800s - no plans to buy those, as they go for around £2500 a set!!!
Right, must get back to Ancient British Barrows - just getting to the exciting bits!
http://www.orkneyarchaeologytours.co.uk
