From the Preface to the "Coll Almanac" of 1887, describing the past year on the island:-

"The year that has gone has been eventless. All our perils have been faced at the fireside - all our misfortunes have been of small account. Nobody's any the worse! Whisky drinking with us hardly covers the expense of the licence, and, in spite of a low temperature, the mortality bill has been very small... The year 1887 then, opens with nothing having gone very wrong since the issue of the last Almanac and with slight though uncertain signs of better times to come."

Apparently "those were the days"! May the Coll Magazine report an equally satisfactory state of affairs next year...