8 June: Lindisfarne Day

Today is Lindisfarne Day. Here are 10 things you might not know about the Holy Island.

1. First of all, where is it? It's a tidal island about a mile (1.6 kilometres) from the coast of Northumbria, North East England. It measures 3 miles (4.8 km) from east to west and 1 1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) from north to south, giving it an area (at high tide) of approximately 1,000 acres (400 hectares).
2. It was one of the first places in England to be invaded by Vikings, in 793. The generally accepted date for the Viking raid is 8 June of that year - so while I didn't find any information about why 8 June is Lindesfarne Day, this might have something to do with it.
3. In the 9th century, Lindesfarne was called Medcaut, which is an old Welsh name meaning Healing Island. At the time, the island had a reputation for healing herbs. The origin of the name Lindesfarne is uncertain. It could come from the Celtic words for "stream or pool" and "land", or it could have got the name because it was settled by people from the Kingdom of Lindsey in modern Lincolnshire. The "farne" in this case means "traveller".
4. The first recorded settlers were monks. Irish monk St Aiden founded a monastery there around 634 and lived there for the rest of his life. Monks from the Irish community of Iona settled on the island, which became an important Christian site. Later, St Cuthbert, whose biography is one of the oldest pieces of writing in English, was bishop there. Staying with Christianity, the island is famous for the Lindisfarne Gospels, a Latin manuscript with beautiful illustrations. Today there is a parish church dating back to the 7th century.
5. As well as beautiful manuscripts, the monks used to make Mead, or honey wine. Mead is still made there to a secret recipe even though the monks are long gone.
6. The priory went out of use in the 16th century and a castle was built. Stones from the priory were used to build the castle on the highest point of the island, a whinstone hill called Beblowe. To stop the rain from eroding the castle walls, they were strengthened with yak hair.
7. The castle was briefly captured by Jacobite supporters in 1715. The story goes that at that time, the master gunner was also the local barber. A local Jacobite supporter named Lancelot Errington went to him for a shave and noticed that most of the garrison were away; so he went and got his nephew, returning on the pretext that he'd left the key to his watch behind. The two men overpowered the three soldiers left in the castle. Unfortunately for the Erringtons, the reinforcements they'd hoped were going to arrive didn't show up in time to stop 100 soldiers from Berwick taking the castle back.
8. There is a 35 foot high white brick pyramid on Lindesfarne. It is located on Emmanuel Head, the north-eastern point of Lindisfarne. It isn't an ancient tomb however, but a daymark, built in 1810 for the purpose of helping ships and boats navigate the area. It is said to be Britain's earliest purpose-built daymark. There are also two lighthouses on the island, Guile Point East and Heugh Hill, which help guide boats into the harbour.
9. The island is inhabited by 180 human beings (as of March 2011) and any number of Norwegian pale bellied brent Geese who use the Lindisfarne Nature Reserve as a winter nesting site.
10. Lindesfarne is a tidal island which means at low tide, it can be reached by a causeway or sand and mud flats which carry an ancient pilgrim's path. The causeway is open from about three hours after high tide until two hours before the next high tide, weather permitting. Tide times are published by Northumberland County council and posted at either end of the route. There's no excuse for getting stuck, but people still do. About one car per month gets stranded on the causeway and mobilising a sea rescue costs £2,000.

Closing the Circle

A stable wormhole has been established between Earth and Infinitus. Power Blaster and his friends can finally go home.

Desi Troyes is still at large on Earth - Power Blaster has vowed to bring him to justice. His wedding to Shanna is under threat as the Desperadoes launch an attempt to rescue their leader. 

Someone from Power Blaster's past plays an unexpected and significant role in capturing Troyes.

The return home brings its own challenges. Not everyone can return to the life they left behind, and for some, there is unfinished business to be dealt with before they can start anew.

Ben Cole in particular cannot resume his old life as a surgeon because technology no longer works around him. He plans a new life in Classica, away from technology. Shanna hears there could be a way to reverse his condition and sets out to find it, putting herself in great danger. She doesn't know she is about to uncover the secret of Power Blaster's mysterious past.

Available from:

Amazon (Paperback)

Amazon Kindle

Completes The Raiders Trilogy. 

Other books in the series:

Book One

Book Two