Goodman's Fields

Last Thursday I dug out an email from my spam box circulated by a Colliers salesman selling the Royal Arsenal Riverside in Greenwich. Yet another project developed by Berkeley. What really caught my eyes is that Berkeley has its own office in Edinburgh Tower. I thought this is a recent response to the strong demand among Hong Kong and China buyers but, well, it transpired that the office in the Landmark was opened back in 2012. This is quite a helpful reminder that I am never a first-mover when it comes to investments, and chances are that the market has already overheated after it is "discovered" by me.

The spam reminds me of the second property project which we viewed - Meranti House of Goodman's Fields, also developed by Berkeley. In January 2014, I was attracted by the low price advertised on HKEJ - a studio flat near the City for as low as £500,000! The salesman was charmingly pushy. For what it is worth, he gave me a lecture on why the Britons love west-facing properties and the beauty of buying first-hand property in the UK (in gist, flexibility of transfer to a greater fool before completion). When I asked him about potential yield, he suggested me to look at the upside of capital gains. My boss must be quite right when she advised me to approach the developers directly to strike a deal. Why should I pay a great salesman like him or the posh showroom at Mandarin Oriental (particularly when Berkeley has it own office in Hong Kong)?

The salesman did tell me (when asked) part of the Goodman's Fields would be used for student accommodation. Not an awfully attractive idea when the project positioned as an upmarket one - its sales brochure is a coffee table book and it is claimed that the place has been designed as a 21st century version of the towers of San Gimignano!

More on Meranti House from Square Foot:-

Meranti House is part of Berkeley's massive Goodman's Fields development in Aldgate, just north of Tower Bridge that will ultimately include almost 1,000 homes within the project. The 20-storey tower will account for 107 residences, ranging from studio apartments to three-bedroom units and one duplex penthouse. 

Meranti is one of scores of new "neighbourhoods" that are being created in London, be it through regeneration or new builds: Kings Cross, Elephant & Castle and Nine Elms as just a few. With its multiple piazzas and town squares, shops, restaurants, residences and offices, Goodman's Fields is just one more. 

"The ethos behind our developments is about place making, creating distinctive new developments which not only deliver fantastic new residential homes, but also make a difference and benefit to the wider area," explains Berkeley (North East London) Managing Director Piers Clanford. He points out the extras that Goodman's Field will be able to offer, citing a new two-acre park - with commissioned art - in Zone 1 as just one. "Goodman’s Fields is unique because it incorporates a mix of commercial and leisure facilities … for everyone to enjoy, creating an oasis in the heart of the capital." 

As a hub of the finance and, increasingly, tech industries, prime London has been touted as a strong rental market, making yields an attractive part of investing in the city. Targeted at both end-users and investors, Meranti House is ideally positioned within walking distance of 300,000 professionals' offices, and end-users will be attracted to its lifestyle amenities: a private cinema, lounge, pool and spa among others. "At Goodman's Fields purchasers will be buying for both capital gains and yield generation. Due to the development's close proximity to the City and Canary Wharf, the area is a popular destination for rental tenants who want to live close to the office. The arrival of Crossrail in 2018 is also expected to see values rise," states Clanford.

Square Foot says Meranti House's prices begin at £549,500. I have no idea why the properties were more expensive on Square Foot than on HKEJ.

CoStar has a report on the sale of part of the development to Student Castle. City A.M. has one on the neighbourhood.

Before I forget - I have learned a new term from the spam mail - DLR means Docklands Light Railway.

Lord Goldsmith on BN(O) and British Citizenship

These days the long forgotten Sino-British Joint Declaration signed in 1984 has surfaced again. There are calls for the British government to stand up for Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy, which was supposedly agreed between the United Kingdom and the People's Republic and recorded in the Joint Declaration. I for one will not hold my breath for David Cameron's support. Yet the Joint Declaration itself is an interesting document to study. It provide clues to almost all topics I am fascinated about (from Hong Kong land law to BN(O)). BN(O) first.

On 19 December 1984, the day on which the Joint Declaration was signed, memoranda were exchanged between the UK and the PRC:-

United Kingdom Memorandum 

In connection with the Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the question of Hong Kong to be signed this day, the Government of the United Kingdom declares that, subject to the completion of the necessary amendments to the relevant United Kingdom legislation: 

a) All persons who on 30 June 1997 are, by virtue of a connection with Hong Kong, British Dependent Territories Citizens (BDTCs) under the law in force in the United Kingdom will cease to be BDTCs with effect from 1 July 1997, but will be eligible to retain an appropriate status which, without conferring the right of abode in the United Kingdom, will entitle them to continue to use passports issued by the Government of the United Kingdom. This status will be acquired by such persons only if they hold or are included in such a British passport issued before 1 July 1997, except that eligible persons born on or after 1 January 1997 but before 1 July 1997 may obtain or be included in such a passport up to 31 December 1997. 

b) No person will acquire BDTC status on or after 1 July 1997 by virtue of a connection with Hong Kong. No person born on or before 1 July 1997 will acquire the status referred to as being appropriate in sub-paragraph (a). 

c) United Kingdom consular officials in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and elsewhere may renew and replace passports of persons mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) and may also issue them to persons, born before 1 July 1997 of such persons, who had previously been included in the passport of their parent. 

d) Those who have obtained or been included in passports issued by the Government of the United Kingdom under sub-paragraphs (a) and (c) will be entitled to receive, upon request, British consular services and protection when in third countries. 

Beijing, 19 December 1984.

Chinese Memorandum 

The Government of the People's Republic of China has received the memorandum from the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland dated 19 December 1984. 

Under the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China, all Hong Kong Chinese compatriots, whether they are holders of the 'British Dependent Territories Citizens' Passport' or not, are Chinese nationals. 

Taking account of the historical background of Hong Kong and its realities, the competent authorities of the Government of the People's Republic of China will, with effect from 1 July 1997, permit Chinese nationals in Hong Kong who were previously called 'British Dependent Territories Citizens' to use travel documents issued by the Government of the United Kingdom for the purpose of travelling to other states and regions. 

The above Chinese nationals will not be entitled to British consular protection in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and other parts of the People's Republic of China on account of their holding the above-mentioned British travel documents. 

Beijing, 19 December 1984.

The BN(O) passports derive from this United Kingdom Memorandum. I don't profess to understand a thing about international law but the memorandum (singular) does not seem to be forming part of the treaty. The memoranda are not even described as annexes to the Joint Declaration. (Annex 3 is on Hong Kong land leases and I should write on that someday.)

When you google BN(O) you will probably come across Lord Goldsmith. Commissioned by Gordon Brown, Lord Goldsmith submitted a paper entitled Citizenship: Our Common Bond in March 2008.  There are bits and pieces on BN(O):-

19. The aim behind the 1981 Act was to create a system which was “both satisfactory and lasting” on the basis that over time the only categories which would be left would be British Citizenship and British Dependent Territories citizenship. Three major further developments, however, occurred. 

20. First, the arrangements for the transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997 involved detailed consideration of the citizenship status of the population and particularly the ethnic Chinese population after the handover. These arrangements were complicated and resulted in the creation of several new bases for the voluntary acquisition of British citizenship and the creation of a new and sixth form of British nationality – that of British National (Overseas). BN(O) status carried with it the right, recognized by the mainland China to use BN(O) travel documents. 

21. It was a matter of political controversy at the time that Hong Kong citizens were not simply entitled to take a full British passport. But it was a part of the arrangements with China that the UK should not grant the right to live in the UK to people who were previously British Dependent Territories Citizens by virtue of a connection to Hong Kong. 

22. I have taken the opportunity to hold informal discussions whilst in Hong Kong on the present state of these issues. It is apparent that the fears which lay behind some of the debate on this topic, namely violent repression of the Hong Kong people by the authorities have, fortunately, not materialized even though there remain concerns including about human rights treatment generally in China. It also appears to be the case that many Hong Kong residents are finding it easy to travel on travel documents issued to them by China. Indeed there was a time when such travel documents were more useful in some countries than the BN(O) travel document. I discuss below whether, in the circumstances it would be right to consider changing the BN(O) arrangements ...

[Footnote] 48. For example, the British and Australian governments agreed that the former would provide consular assistance to the nationals of the latter in Iraq. An exception arises in respect of British Nationals (Overseas) of Chinese ethnic origin travelling in China, Hong Kong and the Macao Special Administrative Regions, because China views these nationals as their own. BN(O)s obtain the same protection as other British nationals when travelling elsewhere ... 

11. Finally, there is the question of British Nationals Overseas (BN(O)s) who have that status by virtue of their connection to Hong Kong and are not affected by the 2002 legislative changes. They hold the only extant and significant form of British citizenship which is not full citizenship and does not allow an unqualified right to enter and remain in the UK. 

12. From discussions that I have had in Hong Kong, it is clear to me that the demand for BN(O) status is dropping. Nonetheless to remove this status without putting something significant in its place would be seen as the British reneging on their promise to the people of Hong Kong. The only option which would be characterized as fair would be to offer existing BN(O) holders the right to gain full British citizenship. It is likely that many would not take this up as the prospects economic and fiscal of moving to the UK are not favourable to those well-established in Hong Kong. However, I am advised that this would be a breach of the commitments made between China and the UK in the 1984 Joint Declaration on the future of Hong Kong, an international treaty between the two countries; and that to secure Chinese agreement to vary the terms of that treaty would not be possible. On that basis, I see no alternative but to preserve this one anomalous category of citizenship.

His Lordship's comment that "The only option which would be characterized as fair would be to offer existing BN(O) holders the right to gain full British citizenship" is oft-cited among Hong Kong commentators and may even give a glimpse of hope to many BN(O)s. It must not be forgotten that Lord Goldsmith, formerly the Attorney General of Tony Blair's government, was not a member of the government at the time when he wrote this report. In any event, these discussions hardly attracted any attention in Britain. One wonders if the issue of BN(O) status will resurface when the Communist China becomes even more oppressive.

Beyond 84 Charing Cross Road

While Marks & Co. of 84, Charing Cross Road has been replaced by Pizza Hut, the road remains home to many bookshops. When I was in Charing Cross I was so obsessed with searching for Marks & Co. and did not realise what I had missed. If I had read Mimi Mo's article on London's bookshops (HKEJ, 5 July 2014) before my London trip, I would not have missed Foyles, who are 111 years' old, and Charing Cross Library or 查寧閣圖書館, which is said to be the largest Chinese library in Europe.

Retire in London seems even more agreeable. As if these bookshops in Charing Cross Road are not quite enough, there is still Mr. B's Emporium in Bath, which is 90 minutes away from London.

One small step

After we returned from London the first personal finance decision I made was to accumulate the pound sterling whenever opportunities arise. Despite the jet lag I immediately instructed my stockbroker to collect my HSBC dividends in pounds. My shareholding in HSBC is dismally small and it will take many years to save one airline ticket to London with the dividends for two board lots of shares in the bank. But if Her Majesty's subjects in the colony of Hong Kong have ever learnt something from the empire, the virtue of incremental changes should be at the top of the long list.

The second decision I have since made is to sever all relationships with banks owned or controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. True it is that the HSBC and Standard Chartered have made a commercial decision not to allocate a single dollar of their advertising budget to Apple Daily, the most read Chinese newspaper in the city, and in this sense they are as "patriotic" as the Bank of China. But then there is no secret that the Bank of China and other PRC banks have been deploying their staff in Hong Kong for all sorts of political missions given by Beijing. On this score the British, local and other non-PRC bankers are almost like saints.

These are so much and so little that I can do now.

The City of Victoria

When E and I first visited London 12 years ago, each of us bought a copy of the Oxford English Reference Dictionary. Back home when I checked out the entry on Hong Kong which states that the capital of Hong Kong is Victoria, I was so disappointed (I had believed that the Dictionary was the second best to Britannica which we could not afford) and thought necessary to write a letter to the editors to correct their mistake. As a Hongkonger I was not aware that we had a capital at all. If anything, Victoria is the name of our Habour and Park, but not the capital, if there were one.

As it turns out that, I was, as always, quite wrong. Once upon a time Victoria was the de facto capital of Hong Kong. The Apple Daily has a feature on the Boundary Stones of the City of Victoria. Indeed, Schedule 1 to the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance, Chapter 1 of the Laws of Hong Kong, defines the boundaries of the City of Victoria:-

On the north-The Harbour; 

On the west-A line running due north and south drawn through the north-west angle of Inland Lot No. 1299 and extending southwards a distance of 850 feet from the aforesaid angle; 

On the south-A line running due east from the southern extremity of the western boundary until it meets a contour in the vicinity of the Hill above Belchers 700 feet above principal datum, that is to say, a level 17.833 feet below the bench-mark known as "Rifleman's Bolt", the highest point of a copper bolt set horizontally in the east wall of the Royal Navy Office and Mess Block Naval Dockyard, and thence following the said contour until it meets the eastern boundary; 

On the east-A line following the west side of the Government Pier, Bay View and thence along the west side of Hing Fat Street, then along the north side of Causeway Road to Moreton Terrace. Thence along the west side of Moreton Terrace to the south-east corner of Inland Lot No. 1580 and produced in a straight line for 80 feet, and thence along the north side of Cotton Path and produced until it meets the west side of Wong Nei Chong Road on the east side of Wong Nei Chong Valley and thence to the south-east angle of Inland Lot No. 1364, produced until it meets the southern boundary.

Roughly, the West End is Sai Ning Street, Kennedy Town and the East End is Hing Fat Street, Causeway Bay.

999-year leases - Hong Kong v. London

U.K. properties advertisements on Hong Kong newspapers always sell the 999-year leases. That sounds almost as good as perpetuity, particularly for we the people of the People's Republic of China. It appears that the usual length of "land use rights" granted in China is 70 years. In Hong Kong, new leases (by new I mean after we waved goodbye to British Hong Kong) shall be granted for a term of 50 years. Conventional wisdom in Hong Kong has it that investments in landed properties are sure-win in the long run. That is necessarily premised on the assumption that leases shall, upon expiry, be extended by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Government. Yet the Government has in fact been declaring, loud and clear, that one can make no such assumption. The policy proclaimed by the Government is that:-

Non-renewable leases (i.e. those fixed term leases containing no right of renewal), may, upon expiry, be extended for a term of 50 years without payment of an additional premium but subject to payment of an annual rent from the date of extension at 3% rateable value as for new leases in (i) above. The extension of such leases is wholly at the discretion of the HKSARG; for instance, if the land is required for a public purpose or is no longer being used for the purpose for which it was originally granted, then the lease is unlikely to be extended. (emphasis added)

These days, one must be very courageous to rely on "the discretion of the HKSARG". The reality is that I may well spend 25 years to repay the mortgage loan to "buy" a property subject to a 50-year lease, only to realise that the "HKSARG" is already on my doorstep. But thanks to the Colonial Government, there are leases for 999 years granted back in the 19th century in the City. David Webb has a copy of the "Report from the Hongkong Land Commission 1886-1887 on the History of the Sale, Tenure, and Occupation of the Crown Lands of the Colony", which summarises the leased lots as at 25 December 1886, including Marine Lots, Inland Lots, Quarry Bay Marine, Aberdeen Marine, Aberdeen Inland, Apleechow Marine, Apleechow Inland, Sowkewan Lots, Kowloon Marine and Kowloon Farm, which were subject to 999-year leases. The total annual rental in Hong Kong was $159,520.66. These are very good leases for the leasees.

Few participants in Hong Kong properties market care about the land leases (presumably they have trust in the good judgment of the "HKSARG") whereas the big four hongs (Hutchinson, Jardine Matheson, Swire and Wheelock) have been milking these long leases for a century. I would rather bet on the good old long leases, particularly when I do not have to pay much more for such de facto freehold.

The 999-year leaseholds in England look very familiar at first sight. But the big landlords in that country are the freeholders - who quite often are the developers or their associates. The leases granted by such freeholders are very different from those granted by the British Hong Kong Government in the 19th century. Leasees in England contract to pay ground rent and service charges. Mundane stuff eh? The Guardian and The Telegraph explain what these could mean to leaseholders.

By the way, banks and building societies alike in England do not normally grant mortgage loans in respect of properties subject to leases which remaining term is less than 70 years.

Properties in London, Manchester and ... Bradford

While 27 Lovat Lane in the City, the first London development we saw, is just lovely, it is obviously out of our league due to the price tag. If we are to build a buy-to-let portfolio or have to move to the UK in the near future, we should be focusing on affordable properties. Here's a countdown based on the property advertisements as seen on Hong Kong newspapers over the past few weeks, which is wholly unrepresentative:-

1. Greenland Place, London SE8. Developed by Barratt London, marketed by JLL in Hong Kong. Starting from £325,000. According to JLL:-

Greenland Place is a contemporary development located in Surrey Quays. Oslo Tower is the first tower released in this exciting development. Oslo Tower is a 19 storey tower comprising of 66 private one and two bed apartments with terrace or balcony with stunning views across the London skyline. Residents at Greenland Place will benefit from 24 hour concierge, fitness suite, business centre and carpark spaces (available at additional cost). 

Greenland Place is located in Zone 2 in Surrey Quays close to the banks of the River Thames and benefits from being in an established residential area and yet only minutes away from good Underground (Jubilee line), bus, train and road transport connections into the heart of central London. Residents will take approximately 5 minutes walk to Surrey Quays station with excellent connection links to Canary Wharf in 3 minutes and London Bridge in 12 minutes. Close to the development sits a shopping centre, a 24 hour Tesco and in under 10 minutes' walk. as well as a number of restaurants, a cinema, a bowling alley, the picturesque South Dock Marina and the Thames riverboat service for direct quick access into Canary Wharf (in only four minutes) ...

2. Riverdale House, London SE13. Developed by Galliard, marketed by JLL in Hong Kong. Starting from £237,500. According to JLL via SCMP:-

Riverdale House is an unique development comprising of 137 luxurious studio, one and two bedroom apartments located in the heart of Lewisham. Residents at Riverdale House will benefit from daytime concierge and porterage, communal landscaped gardens and secure lower ground parking (available at additional cost) and many apartments benefit from the pleasant views across the Ravensbourne River and parkland. 

Riverdale House is located opposite Lewisham’s Shopping Mall which is home to rich street stores such as Next and Marks & Spencer to name a few. A few minutes walk away from Riverdale in Lewisham High Street offering further shopping and restaurants options. With West End shopping less than 25 minutes from Lewisham, residents at Riverdale House will enjoy excellent accessibility to central London and its endless array of exhilarating experiences, entertainment and culture. Residents will take approximately 5 minutes walk to Lewisham station with excellent connection links to London Bridge in 8 minutes, Bank in 10 minutes and Canary Wharf in 18 minutes. Not only does Lewisham connect direct to London Bridge Quarter, but inter connects to all of the Capital’s principal transport hubs, including Crossrail services from Canary Wharf scheduled for 2018.

3. Hill Quays, Manchester. Developed by Zagora. Marketed by Landscope Christie's in Hong Kong. Starting from £154,146. According to Landscope Christie's:-

Hill Quays is a stylish development in the prestigious Deansgate Locks area of Manchester. It offers 1 - 3 bedroom apartments and penthouse apartments, size from 492 sqft to 1,140 sqft, all of which enjoy the quality interior design. 

Each one has been designed to sharply defined specifications and features layout, appliances and materials that are true modern essentials. 

60% Non-status Loan provided by ZAGORA and guarantee annual rental return for 5 years.

4. Unknown property development project, in Little Germany, Bradford, a city in West Yorkshire. Developer not known. Marketed by Hong Kong Homes Ltd. Starting from £28,000.

First Impression of London - 2002

In the afternoon of Monday, 22 July 2002, we left Paris, took the Eurostar, crossed the English Channel and headed to London Waterloo Station. We had planned to take the sleeper coach to travel to Scotland but was out of luck. While being stuck in London, we did not want to spend our precious pound sterling on a bed when we would in any event move on first thing in the morning for Scotland. We eventually found an easyInternetCafe and paid four pounds for a 24-hour pass. We cannot now recall exactly where we stayed in but the pass marked "Store Code: VIC", which probably denoted Victoria, where the city's largest coach station is situated at. After the longest night (when E kept falling asleep despite the guard's repeated reminders not to), we left King's Cross for Edinburgh, Scotland on Tuesday morning.

We left Orkney Islands, Scotland on 1 August at around 9 a.m., and only arrived in London the following day at around 11 a.m. Having left our backpacks in St. David's Hotel, Norfolk Square, we went to the British Museum. While we had been suffering museum fatigue after spending quite a few weeks in Europe, the visit to the Reading Room was a memorable and humbling experience. The Museum was holding an exhibition on the changing currencies in Western Europe (I almost forgot that Euro coins and notes were in use since 2002). Walking on Oxford Street reminded me of Hong Kong. In fact, many things in London, from her zebra crossings to char siu rice, made us feel like home. We were drowning in the ocean of books in Waterstones Piccadilly, which claimed to be Europe's largest bookshop.

On Saturday, 3 August, we went sightseeing in the City of Westminster, from Buckingham Palace, St. James's Park, Horse Guards Parade, the Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, the Cabinet War Rooms, the Houses of Parliament and the Big Ben.

On Sunday, 4 August, we went south through the Westminister. Across the River Thames, we saw the London Eye, then known as British Airways London Eye. We then went to Oxo Tower Wharf, Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe and Millennium Bridge.

It is not entirely clear from my little notebook what we did on 5 and 6 August, except that we visited Waterstones again (we bought quite a few books there) and the Institute of Contemporary Arts. We have kept a ticket which shows that in the evening of 6 August, we went to Her Majesty's Theatre for The Phantom of the Opera - E was impressed whereas I was lost. That day we probably tried to find the Notting Hill but ended up wandering around an unknown neighbourhood.

On Wednesday, 7 August, before we returned to Hong Kong, we decided to spend sometime in the City (none of us had ever imagined that both of us would be working in Hong Kong City firms some years later). At night, we had a good time at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club with Madeline Bell.

It is now not clear exactly when did we visit the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery, to the north of Trafalgar Square.

On Thursday, 8 August, we left London.

12 years thereafter, we returned to London.

First Impression of Scotland - 2002

In the early morning of Tuesday, 23 July 2002, we left King's Cross, London for Edinburgh. We then took a train from Edinburgh to Thurso, the northernmost town on Scottish mainland. We only arrived in Thurso in the late evening and stayed in Sandra's Backpackers, a tiny hostel above a fish and chips shop. Helpfully reminded on the correct ferry schedule, we planned to travel from Thurso to Orkney Islands on the following day.

On Wednesday, 24 July, with the great help of a gentleman of the hostel, we somehow managed to change the ferry tickets and get onto a P&O Scottish Ferry departing from Scrabster Habour. The wind on the ferry was so strong that one had difficulty to stand outside. Having passed Hoy, and just when the ferry was approaching the pier of Stromness, we heard Scottish pipes and drums, and then saw a band and also some Vikings welcoming the visitors. Scottish bagpipe music could be deeply moving. The words I jotted on my little notebook at that time were "eye wet wet". We left our backpacks in the youth hostel and strolled in the narrow lanes of Stromness.

On Thursday, 25 July, we saw even more pipers in the streets of Stromness. It was the Stromness Shopping Week - not an awfully attractive name but we would not forget the day surrounded by men with bagpipes and kilts. We went east for the archaeological sites around Stenness but the cattle farms were also highlight of the trip. The first stop was the Standing Stones of Stenness. When we were walking to the north for the Ring of Brodgar, a bus driver stopped for us and offered us a free ride. Just when we decided to leave the Ring of Brodgar for Stromness, we were caught off guard by heavy rain and got all wet. Neither of us had ever tried hitchhiking but there was no choice. Before long a driver stopped for us and took us back to Stromness. It transpired that the driver was actually not going to Stromness!

On Friday, 26 July, we went north and moved to Hyval Farm Bed & Breakfast. We went to the Point of Howana Geo, also known as the Bay of Skaill, to see birds, sea, the Row Head, the Hole o' Rowe.

On Saturday, 27 July, we wandered around Yesnaby to see rabbits, birds and shore.

On Sunday, 28 July, we stayed in Hyval Farm because of the rain. I read quite a few books on bird watching.

On Monday, 29 July, we continued our walk on the edge of the world, and discovered a puffin!

On Tuesday, 30 July, before we left Hyval Farm, I continued to read books on birds. We gave almost all the cash we had to Mrs. Spence to thank her for the big Scottish breakfast, for saving us in the rain and for her caring.

On Wednesday, 31 July, we stayed in Miller's House,Stromness.

On Thursday, 1 August in the morning we left Stromness for Scrabster. We stayed in Thurso for a while and then headed to Inverness in the afternoon. We had wanted to take a train from Inverness to London. It turned out that we had to change for coach when we were going south due to the flood.  We only arrived London on Friday morning.

12 years thereafter, we returned to Scotland.