Well, Issue 115 is here at last, even if it is a mere shadow of its usual self. Family health circumstances, as alluded to in Issue 114, have precluded both a timeous and a full-length issue, but, as the Actress may have said to the Bishop, "it's out now - enjoy!".
Your Editor would apologise to all those Readers who have provided contributions but which time spent on the mainland has not allowed your Editor to include in this Issue. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible...
Oh, and by the way, The Editorial spouse is now home from her visit to the operating theatre and doing as well as could be expected, thank you for asking. The long recuperation process is now underway, and as she fully deserves, is receiving the best post-op care that money can buy. And, it has to be said, your Editor does look quite fetching in the Nures's uniform that she bought him. There are, fortunately, no photographs available of this startling sight...
The more your Editor is exposed to this journalism thing (the term is of course used here in its utmost laxity), the greater is his realisation that some stories seem to naturally create "writer's block", whilst other stories seem to virtuallly write themselves. This wee tale, it must be said, most definitely falls into the latter category.
We begin with a photograph (no, no, this isn't "lazy journalism"), for this particular photograph is quite unique in many ways, and sets the scene for the tale ahead.
It is a photograph taken on the Isle of Colonsay on the evening of Wednesday 4th May, and without further procrastination, here it is :
A fine body of men is a phrase that, well, perhaps doesn't, spring to mind. That said, the photograph above does undoubtedly incorporate the cream of the Colonsay male population. But what exactly has whisked the cream together, and what on earth are they up to on a fine Spring evening? And, for that matter, where on earth have they congregated?
Starting with the "where" element, the eagle-eyed Reader amongst you may have noticed that for men, they are indeed on unfamiliar terrain, for that surely is an area where clothes are hung out to dry? Shomething shtrange here then, as an early James Bond might have said. So, as Sherlock might also have said to his dear Watson, we have the cream of Colonsay men on a drying green - it's obvious that we must read The Corncrake to get to the bottom of this fiendishly tricky conundrum!
And yes, The Corncrake can exclusively reveal (Scoop!Scoop!) that the drying green in question belongs to none other than Archie MacConnell, he of the world's fastest growing parish, Kilchattan.
Fine so far, I hear you say, but what exactly is this "fine body of men" (thank-you for your use of that term) up to on a fine Spring evening in Archie's drying green? The mind cannot help but boggle (does this verb solely apply to the mind? - just a thought - Ed.), - has Audrey organized a " How to Dry Clothes" seminar for men only? ; has there been a mass "coming out of the closet" amongst the men of the island?
The clue is again in the photograph ; careful scrutiny of the said photograph will reveal that each man is holding a glass of the "amber nectar" or other beverage of his choice. So, they are Drinking!
And no, Archie is not cashing in on the Hotel still being shut and opened an "al fresco" shebeen on his drying green ; the occasion is in fact a "soirée" (men only of course), to celebrate Archie's retirement from his Council position of keeper of the island's roads.
Archie himself was in fine form and each man upon arrival was given a goodly glass of his preferred tipple. When your Editor arrived (solely in a Corncrake reporting capacity of course), he meekly asked for a small whisky, only to be rebuked by the man himself : "there's not such a thing as a SMALL whisky in THIS house", before being handed a measure that would drown a small whale. And this rather set the tone for the rest of this fine Spring evening...
Thereafter, your Editor's recollections are somewhat hazy, but he is sure that he enjoyed himself. By 10pm and the late gloaming, the Islay distilleries had been put on overtime alert...
A great night, Archie, and a big thank-you or móran-taing dhut, from that alleged "fine body of men".
Archie's retirement was then celebrated again the following Wednesday evening on Islay (an official Council "do", so no expense spared...). As if that wasn't enough, 18 or so friends and family gathered on the following Saturday night on the mainland, in Edinburgh, to repeat the exercise! But, hold your breath, Archie's retirement celebrations have hardly begun! There is to be a "Retirement Ceilidh" on the island on June 6th, either in the Hall, or, if it's open, (hallelujah!) in the Hotel!! Way to go , Archie a' bhallaich!!
N.B. - This should act as a reminder to esteemed colleagues, such as that man Trevor Patrick, just how to celebrate that very, very special occasion...
Oh, and a wee secret that can be confided if you promise not to repeat it ; on the first day of this great, and greatly celebrated, Retirement, our man Archie was to be seen out mending the road on Oransay - "just a wee job that I never got round to finishing...".
Moving swiftly on, your Editor begs Readers' indulgence to please now peruse this photograph of an extremely smart-looking young lad, standing in front (it is believed), of Port Mòr Cottage a year or three back :
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A very, very smart (well, at least smart-looking...) lad indeed, but , I hear you ask, "just what is that Editor up to now?". "Has senility or the drink finally taken him prisoner? - the old routine of identifying people from old photos usually comes much later in the proceedings of The Corncrake!"
Well, you may be right about the senility, (but of course I do object strongly to your mention of the drink...), but there is a purpose to this photograph appearing at this particular point.
So, can you identify the likely lad with the shiny shoes ( or "na brògan deàrrsach") as it would be at that point in time, "a' bheurla" ie "the Eenglish" being a bit less of a common currency on the island at that time (probably late nineteenth century...)?
If you have sussed it and identified the young man, you can go to the top of the class - but don't be rushing to take your books with you...
For the rest of us still at sea, The Corncrake is always sympathetic to the stranded sailor, and so here is a welcoming lifeline in the form of a photograph taken of the same person only the other day (for any of you really not quite with the rest of us, this means a year or three (at least!) after the first photograph was taken) :
Yes, though looking well "laid-back" so early into his retirement, it is the "man of the moment", Archibald MacConnell.
And, why I hear some Readers ask, was young Mr MacConnell all dressed up at Port Mòr Cottage and not at his native croft? Well to tell you the truth (what else could you ever possibly expect to read in The Corncrake?), we have no idea, Archie for the moment being totally unaware that this particular photograph is in the clutches of The Corncrake. But, should your Editor still be alive and be simultaneously capable of producing our next Issue, no doubt all will be revealed...
"It's definitely got to be the drink", I hear you conclude.
"What on Earth is this (expletive deleted) Editor up to now?", the collective exasperation of valued Readers already starting to ring in your Editor's ears, as the "Poetry Corner" of The Corncrake makes an appearance, much, much earlier in proceedings than it normally does.
However, once you begin to read this Issue's poem, you will undoubtedly begin to understand why our Poetry Corner appears at this juncture :
Here comes Archie in his yellow truck
Clearing out the ditches
Shifting all the muck
Who needs the harbour deepened?
Hear us wail!
He's made some little waterways
For tourist boats to sail!!
Here comes Archie in his yellow truck
Driving round the island
Some guys have all the luck.
He even tends the graveyard
Cutting all the grass
He makes it nice and tidy
For those who've breathed their last!
Here comes Archie in his yellow truck
Is he going to mend the cattle grid?
Is he .......stuck
For a replacement
Hear him say.
But will it be mended?
Yes it will, but not today!
Here comes Archie in his yellow truck
Mending all the potholes
So that we don't get stuck.
He even drives a digger
And a tractor too!
Is there no end
To the jobs that he can do?
Here comes Archie in a white truck!
Now that he's retired
Some questions have us stuck.
Who'll be his replacement?
Who'll earn a buck?
Who'll be the next to drive
The little yellow truck?
And so we'll miss you Archie
In your yellow truck.
We wish you well,
Good health and lots of luck.
We wish you happiness
In all that you do
And for all the work that you've done
We say a big THANK YOU!!!
And a big THANK YOU too to the author of that delightful ditty. Unfortunately, at this juncture, the author wishes her identity to remain undisclosed...
Well, it had to happen, and here it is - an article that's not about that man MacConnell!
In fact, this is not really an article at all, the photographs taken on a walk in Colonsay's Woodland Garden in early May speaking for themselves :
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,
It must be said however, that the above photographs are only a pale imitation of the real thing. You really do need to be there to capture the splendour, the subtlety of the shades and, of course, the aroma. Perhap's next May's article on a walk in the Woodland Garden can incorporate some "scratch and sniff" technology...
ANOTHER COLONSAY LANDMARK DISAPPEARS
The fragile fabric of the island is always susceptible to erosion, natural or otherwise, and therefore the inhabitants of the island naturally take it upon themselves to act as guardians of this precious heritage.
Imagine your Editor's surprise, nay, dismay then, when he recently passed by Glassard only to see the garden shed of No.3 in a perilous state. Closer inspection revealed however that this was not natural erosion, but that the shed was being dismantled before his very eyes! And the man charged with this destructive task was Sid Bowman, a man who has featured more than once within these pages for his creative, dry-stone dyking skills.
Sid was able to confirm that Alastair Scoullar, current owner of the shed, had requested its demolition before it fell down of its own accord. And so, the shed which was probably built by the hand of Jasper Brown over half a century ago, disappears from the Glassard landscape :
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As can be seen from the above, the time of day when the photograph was taken necessitated shooting straight into the sun. Not one to accept second best lightly, your Editor dispatched the photographic team later in the day to improve on their earlier effort, but when they got there, the cupboard was bare :
Yes, your Editor had not taken account of Sid's prodigious work-rate, and all that was left of the shed were neat piles of its component parts, awaiting transportation to that Great Shed In The Sky, known in the Gaelic of the island as "Bonaveh".
And what, I hear you ask, is the progress on Netta's shed, or time machine, or whatever it is? :
Well, at least her garden is coming along nicely...
When this new, occasional column first saw the light of day in Issue 114, it was envisaged that the subjects would be former Colbhasachs now living furth of these shores.
Your Editor was however in receipt of a letter from a long-time visitor, the contents of which fitted very neatly with the the concept of the column. So here goes...
"Having recently been rewarded with an honorable mention in dispatches as "Anon of Norwich" for making a contribution to your recent caption competition, it would be churlish to hide my identity further as I was sure that I included both my name and address in the envelope with my entry. A further check amongst the small pile of paperwork that has accumulated on my desk now reveals my covering letter to you and confirms yet another step on the road to senility.
So who am I? and will anyone remember me from 40 years ago? Well, my name is Clive Leedham and
during the recent visit my wife and I made to Colonsay over Easter Week there were re-unions with the McNicholl and Binnie families that took us back to the mid 1970s, but things go back somewhat further than that, so I wonder who else out there remembers the 3 'boys' that used to come up from Birmingham back in the 1960s.
I first came to Colonsay as an 18 year old in 1965 along with friends Malcolm & Trevor Morriss and we used to camp in the field at the front of Kate & Jasper's home in Glassard. Coming to Colonsay in the first place was something of a lottery as it was Malcolm who put the pin in the map and said 'lets go there !' We didn't know that camping was not allowed, but having arrived - we were allowed to stay, were made very welcome and friendships were forged over a number of ensuing years.
Memories of the 3 of us singing Irish Folk songs at Ceilidhs in the old hall, accompanied by myself on a guitar that only had four strings still come to mind. For anyone remotely interested, Trevor and I continue to sing together from time to time ( special birthdays, weddings etc. ) although the bookings are becoming less and less as we spend more time gasping for breath than singing!
As time marched on we continued to travel to Colonsay once and sometimes twice a year, but friends made in the 1960s had moved away or we arrived on the island at different times of year to everyone else. We regularly stayed in Uragaig Cottage and continued to do so until my daughter arrived on the scene in 1978 and 'holiday money' was required for other essentials! We came over once more in 1979 and stayed in Avenue Cottage, but it was a cold and wet July, Trevor's wife was expecting her first baby, my daughter was not well and so we went home early.
There was then a gap of almost 20 years until I returned to Colonsay in October 1998
- not without some trepidation as to whether or not it had changed. Suffice it to say that apart from someone putting a carpet in the bar? - ( it was at least open! ) - very little had changed, although a walk around the graveyard brought a few shocks.
Another gap to October 2004 and there were considerable changes to be seen, but something about the island still draws me back and so we came over again at Easter 2005 and as I said earlier, met up with old friends that we had not seen for so many years.
I have enclosed some photographs from our visit of 1966 - some names I know, some I don't, so it would be interesting to hear from anyone in those photographs or in fact from anyone that remembers us :
I moved away from The Midlands back in 1998 and now live near the coast in North Norfolk (hence 'Anon of Norwich' ) - and now Colonsay is a 12 hour drive and a 2 hour boat journey away, but Norfolk is a pretty relaxing place and has a charm of it's own that brings old friends over for cheap weekend breaks. The pub's also open and the beer is not bad either!
So if anyone out there does remember me and would like to get in touch I would be delighted to hear from you - my phone number is 01263 720789 and my e.mail address is aleedham@msn.com".
So, Dear Reader, here ends the second in our occasional feature "Where are They Now?". The appearance of a third, (nay, or even more!), depends on former Colbhasachs and past regular visitors putting pen to paper, or as is more likely nowadays, picking up their computer keyboard. Go on, don't be shy, we're all "curious" in this part of the world!
Laughter, it is said, is the best medicine, and certainly the Doctor had a good laugh the last time your Editor stripped for a medical inspection...
A sense of humour is however something that Colonsay is imbued with, and so integral is it to the island way of life, that The Corncrake would be failing in its duty if it did not succeed oftimes to convey this quality to its Readership.
To assist the team in Corncrake Towers achieve this admirable objective, a new feature has been devised which will include a selection of the best "jokes" currently circulating on the island.
The flaw in this idea however is that it may not be possible to print, in the interests of decorum, all the best jokes, and indeed, our opening offering stretched the censorial ink in the Editorial pen to perhaps its limit. Anyway, here goes :
A woman was distraught because she had not had a
date or any close contact with a man for quite some time.
She was afraid she might have something wrong with
her, so she decided to seek the medical expertise of
a specialist and her doctor recommended that she see a well-known
Chinese sex therapist, Dr.Chang, so she went to see
him.
Upon entering the examination room, Dr. Chang
said, "OK, take off all you crose."
The woman did as she was told. "Now, get down and
craw reery, reery fass to odder side of room."
Again, the woman did as she was instructed.
Dr.Chang then said, "OK,now craw reery, reery fass
back to me."
So she did.
Dr. Chang shook his head slowly and said, "Your
probrem vewy bad. You haf Ed Zachary Disease. Worse
case I ever see. Dat why you not haf men in your life."
Worried, the woman asked anxiously, "Oh my God,
Dr. Chang, what is Ed Zachary Disease?"
Dr. Chang looked the woman in the eye and replied,
"Ed Zachary Disease is when your face rook Ed
Zachary rike your ass."
The Corncrake's "Look Back" desk has received a lot of feedback on the photograph from Issue 114. So much so, in fact, that all but one of the schoolchildren pictured has been positively identified - and as we go to Press, the identity of the one remaining pupil has perhaps been solved :
The names received by the Corncrake are as follows :
Back Row : Johnny Darroch, The "Bomber" herself and Brian Donald.
Middle Row : Jean MacGilivry, Margaret Findlay, Andrina Sandford, ?, Sheila MacArthur and Flora-Ann MacDonald.
Front Row : Calum Satchell, Chrissie Darroch, Mary MacAllister, Hughie Galbraith and Ivor Brown.
Sitting in the background is Alasdair Annie. And the late suggestion as to the identity of the girl between Andrina and Sheila is Ishbel McMillan. Can any Reader confirm?
Moving on then to our next photograph plucked from an album, we are indebted to John Clark for this specimen of, dare we say it, a "fine body of men" :
So, what is the year, where is the location, and of course what are the names of those pictured? Answers on a postcard please...
See an island education? See Kilchattan Primary School? Just what heights will they reach next?
Readers may recall from Issue 114 that a K.P.S. former pupil, Danny Alexander, was standing in the UK General Election as the Lib-Dem candidate for the newly-created electoral constituency of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey.
Well, he won!! Danny comfortably ousted the sitting Labour MP, and is now a Westminster MP! Danny is of course the son of former Colonsay residents Di "the potter" and Jane Alexander.
So, current pupils of Kilchattan Primary School, set your sights high!
Also in Issue 114, we sent our best wishes for a speedy recovery and a speedy return to the island, to Betty Galbraith and Georgina Hobhouse, both at that time off the island in poor health. Well, our good wishes must have worked, for both are now safely back with us and both enjoying a slow, but steady, recovery.
The "Snippets" desk within Corncrake Towers is indebted to Iain Binnie for sending us this photograph :
Iain, whose knowledge of sea-faring matters includes "inside" information on what CalMac is up to, informs us that the above vessel is the one that CalMac is to utilise on the Colonsay route in 2007. With a speed capability of over 40 knots, journey times from the island to Oban will apparently be less than an hour, and there is talk of four ferries per day to the mainland!
There again, Iain maybe thinks that those of us on the island have wool growing out of our ears...
Regular Readers (we hope in Corncrake Towers that there are still some of the species about), may recall reading in Issue 111 of the fishing boat, Blue Angel, which sank overnight in Scalasaig Harbour. Now the island has received an open letter from the Blue Angel's owners, and parts of same are reprinted here :
"Mark and Ryan Sheldrick would like to thank all of the Colonsay community who so generously gave their time and resources to refloating Blue Angel at such short notice. We were overwhelmed by your generosity which made a horrible situation almost enjoyable. We were generously provided with everything we needed including warm hospitality. A special thanks to the harbourmaster, the coastguard, the firemen and the farm managers for their key roles in ensuring a successful operation.
Blue angel is now operational again and you may see us in the harbour after 8pm on Monday, Wednesday or Thursday evenings up until early June. Feel free to give us a visit."
As reported in Issue 114, islanders are suffering from "vote fatigue", between having to vote recently in local council elections and then, with their crosses barely dry, in the ensuing General Election. To crown it all, the Sword of Damocles has been hanging over our multi-rosetted residents since it was announced that the community council needed a seventh member, with the prospect of yet another visit to the polling station.
There has been a reprieve however, as only one candidate, Shirley Johnston, put her name forward for the vacant slot, and therefore no further voting was necessary after all. Shirley therefore became a community councillor from the 17th May. Phew!
Ever on the snoop for a scoop, your Editor was lurking in the bushes the other day near the Shop , when what should he see but :
Surely not! Surely the most expensive petrol pump repair ever known to Man hasn't failed already??
Smelling a scoop, and with nostrils flaring with the excitement, your Editor emerged from the bushes to investigate further. But, to his chagrin, it transpires that this was simply the regular, routine visit of the Weights and Measures man.
No scoop then, and with nostrils suitably deflated, it was back to the bushes...
The following snippet has kindly been provided by Alan Davies, author of course of the splendid "Colonsay's Fallen" :
"Obituaries for Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, the Scottish sculptor, print maker and film maker who died on 22 April 2005 aged 81, have recently appeared in many newspapers.
Thought by many to be one of the most influential artists in post-war
Britain he was also esteemed as one of the fathers of Pop Art. Born to
Italian parents who ran an ice cream parlour in Leith, he spent many
summers
attending youth camps in Italy during the 1930’s.
In 1940 when Italy
declared war, he spent 3 months in Saughton Jail, Edinburgh, after
being
interned under the Emergency Powers Act as a potentially troublesome
alien.
At the same time his father and grandfather were sent to be transported
for
internment in Canada aboard the ill-fated Arandora Star. Sadly both men
died
in the tragedy.
Coincidently, by a simple twist of fate, one of Eduardo’s sculptures, a piece entitled Vulcan,
is
located behind the Central Station here in Newcastle where I live".
Our thanks to Alan for that, and we shall soon be seeing Alan back on Colonsay, as he is planning a visit towards the end of May.
Not only has your Editor's recent absence from the island not allowed him time to contact a winner (and obtain a photograph for the next competition), but he has not even managed to have the entries judged!
Sadly therefore, we can only carry forward the competition from Issue 114. Every cloud has a silver lining however, and it at least affords us a further opportunity to oggle at these two delightful ladies again :
Entries as usual to : editorcorncrake@yahoo.co.uk ; by telephone : 01951 200336 ; or by post to : A.N.Other, The Corncrake Caption Competition (Issue 114/115), c/o The Editorial Suite, The Corncrake, Corncrake Towers, Scalasaig, Isle of Colonsay, Argyll, PA61 7YW, Scotland. Calls will of course be charged at premium rates.
Please note that there is also a Notice Board on the Homepage; anyone wishing to publicise any event or attraction is invited to send details to the Editor.
THE ISLAND HALL:
Whilst the Hotel and bar remain closed, the following activities have been organised for the Hall:
BADMINTON - every Tuesday and Thursday c.5pm.
QUIZ NIGHT - Thursday evenings c.9pm.
LANDSCAPE DRAWING CLASSES - Saturday 2pm (Weather permitting. Meet at Hall).
SATURDAY NIGHT EXTRAVAGANZA! (Unless a ceilidh is advertised above) - 8pm to Midnight : Ceòl, Craic, Darts, Dominoes, Cribbage, Scrabble - You name it, it's all here!
THE ISLAND HALL is also available for rent: Ceilidhean, dances etc. £50; private parties £75; weddings £100.
THE PANTRY:
The following times apply currently:
Monday to Friday - 9am to 8pm
Saturdays only - 9am to 7pm
Sundays only - 2pm to 7pm
THE ISLAND STORES:
Opening hours as of Monday 28th March :
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday : 9am - 1pm; 2pm - 5.30pm
Thursday : 9am - 2pm
Saturday : 9am - 1pm
Sunday : CLOSED ALL DAY.
COLONSAY HOUSE GARDENS and CAFÉ:
Wednesdays, 12 to 5pm, open for filled rolls, cakes, teas, coffees and cold drinks.
Fridays 3pm to 5pm, open for cakes, teas, coffees and cold drinks.
LOBSTER and CRAB: Freshly caught, telephone Bill Lawson 01951 200315.
CHURCH SERVICES: The Church of Scotland and the Baptist Church on the island work closely together and frequently hold joint services - please see notice at the Shop for details of venue and times. All are welcome and our visitors are cordially invited to join the island congregation.
For the convenience of our Readers, letters addressed to The Corncrake appear in two sections. Anything to do with current events appears here, and any letters concerned with historical research etc. appear under "Genealogical Letters" at the start of the REGULARS section of The Corncrake.
Dear Editor,
I was reading your recent Corncrake and came across the article about Angus MacPhee having DNA tests sent to the USA to see what he is or who he is.
I honestly thought that it was an April Fool's joke and I sat bursting my sides with laughter. I had to go to the doctor with sore sides.
He examined me and said "I can't find anything wrong - I think it's the drink."
"That's ok Doc", I said, "I'll come back when you're sober...".
Daibhidh@squintstreet.co.uk
Dear Editor,
I am looking for a male Currie with known genealogic ties to take a free DNA test. The test is to swab the inside of the mouth with a cotton swab and send in the cotton swab for testing.
Please advise if you have any who would qualify.
Best Regards
William Hirst Curry, III
wilhc3@bresnan.net
Dear Editor,
I've emailed you via the Colonsay website email but don't think you can have received it, I've had trouble with website email setups before.
Anyway my family and I are taking a weeks holiday on Colonsay from 27th May and I wondered if I could meet you for an interview? I'm a freelance writer, I work for Royal Mail but I'm a poet & science fiction writer in the real world. Last year we went to Harris and 'Scottish Islands Explorer' has accepted a piece about that trip and I thought I'd do the same sort of thing for my visit to Colonsay.
I've been reading 'Corncrake' and the island has changed from somewhere I was going for a holiday to a living community, consequently I thought that the newsletter would be an obvious starting point for an article. If you've got the time let me know if we can meet, if the hotel is open by then maybe I can buy you a drink?
Look forward to hearing from you,
Yours,
J C Hartley
(An open bar? A free drink? Haud me back!! - Ed.)
Dear Editor,
I was reading the Thunder Bay obituaries and being a possible relative
to the Bell's on Colonsay, I thought I would share this with you.
Port Arthur
is now a part of Thunder Bay where I live.
http://www.sargentandson.com/obituaries_display.asp?ID=402
Robert Archibald Bell
Sunday, November 18, 1917 - Thursday, April 28, 2005
Birth Place: Port Arthur, ON
Bell, Robert Archibald (Archie) Lt. Col, Lake Superior Regiment,
Retired. Died suddenly but peacefully in his 88th. year on April 28, 2005 at
Wyndham Manor in Oakville, Ont.
Much loved father of Lesley (Rod
Morrison) and Alison (Doug Charlton). Born in Port Arthur, Archie was the son
of Angus Bell and Ethel Langford. He was proud of his Scottish heritage
and that his people came from the Hebridean island of Colonsay.
Archie's war years defined him. He joined the L.S.R in 1940 and was promoted
quickly to lieutenant. Landing at Juno Beach with his regiment in August
1944, he was wounded in action, spending the remainder of the war in
military hospitals in England and Canada. Returning to Thunder Bay in
1946, Archie balanced four demanding careers as husband and father,
businessman, Canadian Army Reservist and active volunteer. Archie joined the
family moving business, Angus Bell Cartage in 1947 and retired as
president in 1968. Following his retirement from the cartage business, he
pursued successful real estate and sales careers until full retirement in
1985. He was a devoted volunteer with many organizations including the
Liberal Party of Canada, Christmas Cheer Fund, Port Arthur General
Hospital, and served as president of the Loon Lake Campers Association,
Port Arthur Gyro Club, Thunder Bay Executive Association and the L.S.R.
Old Boys Association. He was also a proud member of Port Arthur Branch
#5 Royal Canadian Legion.
Archie married Barbara Gillespie in 1949.
Their marriage was sustained by love and humour, which especially helped
them through the loss of their daughter Nancy at age 20 in 1974. His wife
died unexpectedly in 1986 and Archie managed to adjust to life without
Barbara with his strong will, his many lifelong friends and family, and
his daughters. He is also survived by his brother Bruce (Anita) and
sister Marion (Wally), sister-in-law Mona and many nieces and nephews. He
was predeceased by his sisters Jessie and brother-in-law Art Spooner,
Dodie and brother-in-law Jack Strachan and brother Ken.
Archie was fully
engaged in life to the day he died. His family and friends will
remember him for his wry wit and engaging conversation. There will never be
another like him.
Kim MacMillan.