Community / ‘The weather is cold but the people in Shetland are warm’ – Tall Ships celebrations under way
Hundreds of people have descended on Holmsgarth and Victoria Pier to begin the 2023 Tall Ship festivities.
Events kicked off on Holmsgarth Pier with a well attended and invigorating fitness class run by Rebel Fitness on Wednesday morning.
The class was closely followed by a food demonstration by Taste of Shetland. They discussed Shetland sheep and made some mouth-watering sassermaet.
Meanwhile, at Victoria Pier the Shetland Fiddlers Society regaled a packed audience with traditional Shetland fiddle music. Shirley Mills, a member of the Shetland Fiddlers Society was delighted with the turnout.
She said: “We’re absolutely buzzing after coming off the stage for the first concert of the Tall Ships 2023. Victoria Pier is so busy, and the crowd were brilliant.”
Mills will be performing at the opening ceremony as part of the fiddle group Hjaltibonhoga later today and is looking forward to seeing Aly Bain perform.
She added: “Aly is one of the founding members of the Shetland Fiddlers Society and we’re so delighted that he’s come back to Shetland to perform for this.”
The Shetland Fiddlers Society is a community based fiddle group who regularly practice on Wednesday evenings at Islesburgh, and have members ranging from age ‘8-80’, Mills explained.
Locals, tourists, and crew members took time to browse the many stalls lining Victoria Pier including a Taste of Shetland stall, Blyde Welcome, and a variety of local vendors.
Alisa Matyunina and Dorine Sijpkens were both taking in the sights during a welcomed break from their vessel Eendracht.
Sijpkens said: “The weather is cold but the people in Shetland are warm.” She praised the hospitality they have received since arriving in Lerwick.
She added that the trip had been the ‘experience of a lifetime’, saying: “I didn’t know what to expect. I just hopped on, and it has been something else. We get interactions between ships with games and drinks together.”
Sijpkens added that since arriving in Shetland she’s already bought two Shetland jumpers and is enjoying the experience of meeting people on board the ship from a variety of different backgrounds.
Matyunina previously lived in Shetland from January until June this year and is enjoying her return.
“It’s been excellent to have this opportunity to train on one of the ships,” she said. “It’s been wonderful, although it has been really testing. Our shifts cover all sorts of times, so we’ve seen the full 24 hour cycle of jobs.”
One experience Matyunina has enjoyed particularly is welcoming her fellow crew members from the Netherlands to Shetland. Both the trainee sailors are looking forward to the crew parade and party later on tonight.
Jonathan and Hannah Polson were enjoying the festivities at Victoria Pier with her family.
Their daughter Livia said: “I’m most looking forward to going to Codonas funfair, I can’t wait to go on the rides.”
Meanwhile Hannah added: “I’ve been really surprised by just how much is going on here on the pier. It’s really child-friendly and we will be spending a lot of time here!”
Both Victoria and Holmsgarth piers are free to attend across all days, with a variety of events at each location.
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