“You are the Navigator”, said Max, the alien machine pilot of the spacetime ship.

It’s a frustrating job at times. The charts are in your head. You know the way to go. You know the quickest way; and you know the scenic way. But the captain has the wheel, and we must go where he takes us. I want to give our passengers a cruise to remember – the most spectacular sights in the universe. But we will be taking the direct route to Phaelon, saving energy and cost. The Navigator can plot any course, but the skipper gives the orders, and we are not going sightseeing today.

Our first stop is the town of Stornoway to pick up a few more long-distance travellers. For those of you outside the UK, Stornoway is the largest town on the Isle of Lewis, in the outer Hebrides, off the north-west coast of Scotland. It is a wet and windy part of our home world, a home for fisherfolk and farmers, a little heavy engineering and, more recently, tourism.

The town has also given its name to an indie folk/pop band. Stornoway was formed after Brian Briggs and Jonathan Ouin met when they went up to Oxford University in 2005 (or thereabouts). Briggs is a guitarist and songwriter, Ouin plays keyboards and various other instruments. Adding Oli Steadman on bass and Oli’s younger brother, Rob, on drums, they began recording in 2006. Since then, they have released four studio albums. The Navigator is a track from Dig the Mountain!, released earlier this month.

The band is on tour in the UK during October and November 2023. It seems unlikely, though, that they will be active after that. Briggs now works as a wildlife warden on a nature reserve in Wales, Rob Steadman lives in the U.S., and the band officially split in 2016. So, I think we can assume this is a farewell tour. And I hope they will be glad to have me along as their navigator.