"Welcome to Colonsay" is a phrase frequently to be heard on the island at this time of year, as each ferry disgorges yet more visitors, all agog with the excitement of their impending holiday, the chance to meet old friends or even hire a bike from Archie.
The loudest and most sustained cry of welcome heard recently was however not one from a local to a visitor; no, the welcome was for the island's newest, and youngest resident, one week old Jamie Leppard, making his first visit to his island home.
Jamie is of course the newly born son of Pauline and George Leppard and a wee brother for Emma. When he was delivered in the Queen Mother's in Glasgow at 7.03 on the evening of Tuesday July 5th, Jamie weighed in at a very healthy 7lbs 12oz.
And a photograph of the baby? Well, we have two; the one on the right (note the Leppard-skin background!) courtesy of Iain Harding and snapped on Jamie's first outing to the Pier Shed only last evening :
And as if Pauline and George (and of course proud grandparents Jim and Jeanette McLaughlin) don't have enough to celebrate, it is wee Emma's second birthday today, Saturday 16th July. And for those of you who may not have had the opportunity to see Em lately, here she is :
Apart from Emma's birthday, today is also the day that new life is breathed into that venerable institution that is the Colonsay Sports. This will of course be fully covered by that august organ that is The Corncrake. So for all the thrills, spills, drama and even action shots of today's events, book your next Issue today!
Saturday July 2nd saw the long-awaited dedication of the memorial to those who lost their lives in the sinking of the Arandora Star.
It was a dullish day with rain forecast, but that did not deter some 60 individuals from making the long trek to Leam a' Bhriar for the ceremony :
Our photograph above shows the assembled crowd at the memorial site, hushed as piper Elspeth Mitchell led off proceedings with "Highland Cathedral", the haunting melody of which echoed round the surrounding hills. The sheer majesty of the cliffs in this remote spot bore testimony to Donald "Gibbie" and his father who carried the body of Giuseppe Delgrosso up from the sea far below before preparing a final resting place for his remains.
Alan Davis, author of "Colonsay's Fallen", then delivered a brief account of the tragedy before Donald "Gibbie" himself spoke of that fateful morning so long ago. He then, with solemn dignity, unveiled the memorial stone :
Angus MacPhee then read two short but very poignant poems written it is believed by an Italian survivor as he floated on a lifeboat, awaiting rescue, or as seemed more likely, Death. Commemorative prayers were then offered up by the Baptist minister Bobby Gemmell, who had bravely made the long trek despite a recent hip transplant operation. At this juncture Frank Nicholson acted as an extremely fine precentor and led the communal singing of that evocative hymn, "For Those in Peril on the Sea!".
As the singing died away among the hills, leaving only the gulls to pierce the solemn silence, Davie Sutherland stepped forward and ceremoniously laid a beautiful wreath at the foot of the memorial stone. The wreath was laid on behalf of all who died, and was gifted by the four children of Natalino Miele, who perished in the tragedy. Proceedings were concluded by an Italian representative, Bruno Della Cioppa, who read, first in Italian and then in English, a letter received from the community of Borgo Val di Taro, birthplace of Giuseppe Delgrosso.
The formal ceremony over, the assembled congregation were then invited to lay a stone on the new memorial cairn, the foundations of which had been prepared by John Bridges, who had also thoughtfully gathered stone for the occasion, allowing each and every soul present to make a contribution.
The following are a few of the photographs taken on the day :
COLONSAY'S FALLEN - ONE YEAR ON
Alan Davis, author of the splendid "Colonsay's Fallen", has very kindly contributed the following for the Readership of The Corncrake :
"It is now almost a year since Colonsay's Fallen was launched on the 80th anniversary of the dedication of the war memorial at Scalasaig. On that rather cold, damp afternoon a sizeable crowd gathered for the re-dedication ceremony which turned out to be a very moving and fitting tribute to all those whose names are inscribed on the memorial and also to the other casualties of war buried in the graveyards at Kilchattan and on Oronsay.
I felt that after three years of research, it was an appropriate time and occasion upon which to present the stories I had uncovered. It was also an opportunity for me to express my thanks to all those island folk and others who had shared with me their photographs, reminiscences and family history. Without their support and help the project would have been so much the poorer. At the time however, I was aware that additional information would be forthcoming and that there were one or two items of unfinished business so that an annual update via 'The Corncrake' would serve to keep interest in the project alive. Over the next couple of months I intend to present this additional information so that purchasers of Colonsay's Fallen can print a copy, should they so wish, and keep it with their book.
Deck Hand 2838 Angus McPhee, Royal Naval Reserve
At the time of publication, Angus McPhee's name did not appear on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Debt of Honour Register and consequently he did not qualify for an official headstone. When I enquired about this I was told that they had no record of him, presumably because his details had not been passed on. In March 2002 I sent details of Angus McPhee's service record together with other supporting documentary evidence. Many of those who died after the end of the war qualified for an entry in the official roll of honour and a headstone if it could be proved that their death was a direct consequence of their service - I felt that this was the case regarding Angus McPhee. The information was forwarded directly to the M.O.D. Naval Historical Branch and to date a decision has not yet been made as it is obviously not an 'open and shut' case. I am reliably informed that a wait of two years for a response is not unusual given the amount of checking which has to be done.
Engine Room Artificer 1523/EA Alfred Fisher, Royal Naval Reserve
Buried in the graveyard at Oronsay Priory, Alfred Fisher was serving aboard HMS Viknor when it was lost with all hands on 13 Jan 1915 just off the coast of Northern Ireland. Three other casualties of this sinking are buried at Kilchattan. I have recently obtained a photograph of Alfred Fisher together with a brief but interesting obituary.
Petty Officer 170915 William Henry Boland, Royal Navy
Buried in the graveyard at Kilchattan, William Boland was another casualty of the sinking of HMS Viknor in 1915. His grand-daughter Jan Baldwin visited Colonsay in 2004 to pay her respects and she has since kindly provided me with two photographs of William together with some family history. Recently I have since been able to obtain a copy of William's record from the National Archives [Public Records Office] and his long and distinguished service in the Royal Navy makes fascinating reading."
Alan Davis July 2005
Regular readers may recall that our featured poem in Issue 118 was an untitled, and unattributed, piece extracted from Frances Murray's "Summer in the Hebrides". As the piece was unattributed, it was assumed that the verses came from the hand of Frances Murray herself. However, one of our more literary Readers, John Hartley, has written (see Letters section) to advise that the lines in question actually come from Lord Byron's "Childe Harold".
In the spirit of research, your Editor decided to revisit the days of his childhood schooling and re-read the poem, in order to understand the context in which the lines appeared, given that they did seem to apply so aptly to the neo-spiritual aspects of life on Colonsay. Forgotten however, was the sheer length of the piece, and after several long hours and over 500 stanzas, your Editor, having seen the sun go down, eventually stumbled upon the lines in question :
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society where none intrudes,
By the deep Sea, and music in its roar:
I love not Man the less, but Nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal.
The context in which the lines appeared did not however relate in any way to Colonsay life (still well worth the read though, if you've a day or three to spare). The very next verse was, for example, very different in tone and import to the above; however it immediately leapt out as being particularly appropriate as our selected "poem" for this very Issue, following as it does the articles on Colonsay's Fallen and the dedication of the Arandora Star memorial :
Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain;
Man marks the earth with ruin--his control
Stops with the shore;--upon the watery plain
The wrecks are all thy deed, nor doth remain
A shadow of man's ravage, save his own,
When for a moment, like a drop of rain,
He sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan,
Without a grave, unknelled, uncoffined, and unknown.
Just as our last Issue went to press, Kilchattan Primary School threw open its doors for its annual Open Day, an event that takes place once a year.
Alas, the event was just too late to be featured in Issue 118, but now that pupils and staff alike are enjoying a wonderful, 6 weeks-long break, the following photographs might now be viewed by them with a carefree smile :
Your Editor is always mightily impressed on these occasions by the quality, quantity and diversity of the pupils' output, and this year was no exception. So a big "well done" to the pupils, and of course to the staff for setting the pupils' sights so high and then helping them reach these lofty heights.
And a big "well done" too to whoever was responsible for the home baking on offer to all visitors; it saved your Editor's culinary skills being put to the test again that evening. Yum yum!
Finally, a number of old school scrapbooks were laid out for visitors to peruse while they sat and chatted, and a goodly number of the photographs seemed ideal for our "Look Back" feature and indeed our Caption Competition. Must make a note to keep in with that nice Mrs MacNeill...
Monday the 11th proved to be the hottest day of the year to date on Colonsay, with temperatures soaring into the high twenties (that's Centigrade, just to confuse regular Readers).
As the sun beat down from a cloudless sky, many islanders and visitors were planning an evening barbecue. This proved to be fortuitous planning for, quite suddenly at 4.30pm, the electricity went off all over the island. For those not yet decided on a barbecue, this proved to be a decisive turning point.
The evening wore on and still there was no electricity. As the island snuggled down for a good night's sleep, it did so without the aid of an electric blanket. And, when Tuesday morning came peeping through the window panes, still there was no power, but there was news of the "Hydro Board" putting emergency plans into effect. The "Hebridean Isles" had been chartered from CalMac (there being no ferry on a Tuesday) to bring over men, machines and two emergency generators. A helicopter was soon seen buzzing about the sky like a bee on acid.
By late morning, the recently acquired (as a result of the last prolonged power failure) emergency generator kicked in, providing power for the Shop, Hall and a handful of nearby houses. Enterprisingly, a poster appeared outside the Hotel (yes, I know...) advertising Power Cut Lunches. And then, early in the afternoon, the chartered ferry appeared on the horizon and was soon discharging, like a scene from a third-world country, its emergency cargo.
For a time however, it seemed that these expensive emergency measures would be all in vain; the lorry pulling the first of the massive generators had many attempts before succeeding in climbing the brae up to the electricity workshop next to the Pantry. Eventually however the two generators were in place and at that the helicopter came to rest in the long grass beside the workshop. Unfortunately, your Editor had been lurking in the long grass looking for a scoop, and therefore had to ask the pilot nicely to get his helicopter of his back. Apart from a few crushed bones, no serious damage was done and and he was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to take these exclusive snaps :
By 5pm, just after 24 hours had elapsed, Scalasaig and its suburbs again had power as the first of the emergency generators kicked in. Alas however, there were technical difficulties with the second generator, and it was a good few hours later before the whole island had electricity.
These actions did not of course address the root cause of the problem, and it was well into the next day before this was found. Apparently the searing heat of Monday had melted a "gubbins" (your Editor reads all these technology journals) on the pole at Loch Staosnaig where the underwater cable from Islay emerges from the sea. ( No, of course the cable does not come ashore at Cable Bay - that would just confuse everybody...).
The "Hydro Boys" worked flat out, installed a new "gubbins" and by 11pm, the island returned to its normal source of power.
COLONSAY PUTS ITS BEST FOOT FORWARD
As exclusively revealed in our last Issue, the ceilidh season is now in full swing.
At last the cream of Kirsty and Rhona's winter dancing classes have a regular platform to strut their stuff and visitors have been amazed to see the grace, ease and agility in evidence when the locals take the floor. Words like "wow!", "amazing!" and "crikey!" have been heard as visitors gape in awe, and in envy, as the Hall dance floor is caressed by these newly-found nimble feet. Even a "Postie's Jig" has been tackled without (very) serious injury :
Yes, it may look as if Ross has been struck by a sudden attack of lumbago or slipped a disc or two, but he is simply demonstrating how low you have to crouch in a "Postie's" when the "arch" is formed by two very small people.
As per the norm, the ceilidhs to date have been graced by guest spots from talented visitors. Piper Elspeth Mitchell for example played at the first ceilidh of the season while later that same night, it looked as if the artistes were having much more fun than their audience :
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Phew, just managed to get through that piece without mentioning Mike's singing...
FERRY operators Caledonian MacBrayne are failing Scotland's island communities by operating a substandard service that is slow, infrequent and inefficient, according to a damning report. The research, conducted by the independent transport consultant Roy Pedersen, draws unfavourable comparisons between CalMac's service and equivalent ferry services abroad.
His comments follow recent academic criticism that CalMac has "ignored" innovations in ferry technology and working practices used abroad. A CalMac spokesman, Hugh Dan MacLennan, defended the company's record, saying that it had conducted research on the use of fast ferries, but had deemed them unsuitable for maritime conditions in Scotland.
Mr Pederson's report, not yet in the public domain, apparently paints a grim picture of an over-manned and over-pampered ferry infrastructure, whose low standards of customer service are inadequately monitored by its civil service paymasters. One industry source, who asked not to be named, said the research underlined that there was "a very cosy relationship between CalMac and the Executive that the company works hard to cultivate."
Roy Pedersen made detailed comparisons between the ferry services in Scotland and Norway, two countries with similar populations and coastal geography - although the maritime similarities are disputed by a spokesman for CalMac. Whilst acknowledging that exact comparison of subsidy levels was impossible because of differences in wage levels, the report shows Norwegian operating costs to be substantially lower. "The data suggests that CalMac's modus operandi is well short of optimum," the report states.
Mr Pedersen, a CalMac passenger for 25 years and currently undertaking research in Norway, said: "The fundamental difference is that CalMac operates as an old-fashioned shipping company, whereas elsewhere the ferries operate very much as part of the road system. In Norway their priority is simple: frequent ferries running for as long as possible well into the night. A key policy aim of the Norwegian government has been the retention of population in the more rural parts by encouraging economic development and good social provision. Good road transport with cheap, frequent ferry connections were seen as fundamental components in this policy."
Alleged inefficiencies, and manning practices in which all crew members enjoy at least a "two weeks on and two weeks off" system, mean that government subsidies do not translate into benefits for customers, as comparison of equivalent services in Norway ( and elsewhere) demonstrate.
Norway's "state granted road ferries" as they are referred to, are deeply integrated with the road system. In total 170 ferry vessels are operated by 20 different companies on 115 routes or connections. These forbindelsen ("binding together") routes vary in length from 1km (0.6 miles) to 115 km, and transport 39 million passengers and 16 million cars. Scottish ferries transport eight million passengers, and two million cars.
Shipping analysts are increasingly asking whether there is sufficient study of overseas peers, or whether, as one analyst puts it, "CalMac thinks there is nothing anyone can teach it about how to run ferries on the West Coast, and the Executive defers to their expertise."
Mr Pederson's report is not expected to be complete and available for full publication until 2006.
KATIE COMES TO COLONSAY! (but needs our help...)
That lovable island lass Katie Morag is set to come to Colonsay, courtesy of Mull Little Theatre - but only if islanders can find overnight accommodation for the 10 members of the touring theatre.
Colonsay receives very few touring artistes and theatres, largely because of the high costs of ferry travel and accommodation. Mull Little Theatre has agreed to come and stage "Katie Morag" however, if there are no accommodation costs. So, if you are an islander and could take one or two of the troupe for the evenings of Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th September, please get on the phone to Lucy (344) or Georgina (375) and make it happen!
The show, which is on tour throughout Scotland until November, is by Lisa Grindall, but is of course based on the stories and lovable character created by Mairi Hedderwick. In this production, Katie Morag comes to life in a musical show full of fun for all the family. Or, what better than to read the description issued by Mull Little Theatre itself :
"Travel on the ferry to Struay to meet one of the best-loved characters in children’s books – Katie Morag McColl. She may live on a tiny weather-beaten island, but there’s plenty of mischief to get up to, and Katie Morag is always up to something!
Meet Eriska the horse and the Struay cats, join in with the treasure trail, stumble across ancient ghosts in spooky places, find out why the American city kids don’t like island life, and help Katie Morag find the answers to the riddles."
If accommodation can be found, Mull Little Theatre will stage the show on the evening of Tuesday 6th September.
"A Life on the Ocean Wave" might be something Andrew MacGregor hums away to himself on occasion, but it is something he actually experiences all too infrequently. Andrew's eyesight is such that he needs a volunteer "pair of eyes" these days, and the sight of his boat "Heidi" slipping smoothly out of Scalasaig Harbour is a rare sight indeed.
Andrew was therefore delighted when Mike McNicholl, famed for his exploits around the shores of Oransay, offered to be Andrew's pilot for an afternoon, Mike hoping the trip might yield a mackerel or two for his supper.
And so it was with great excitement and anticipation that our pair of adventurers cast off from the harbour wall the other day. They hadn't gone too far however, perhaps as much as 3 yards, when disaster struck, and they found themselves marooned on top of a rock! :
All was not lost however as a goodly crowd of onlookers, some, (but not many) with straight faces, arrived on the scene, jungle drums beating a fast tempo all over the island. With such a sizable crowd, and one that grew by the second, the law of averages dictated that at least one of the assembled throng would have an idea of how to help our hapless heroes. And that man was Dave Rees who got Mike to throw him a rope and Dave's sheer strength pulled Heidi from the rock. What exactly happened next is a bit hazy, but the outcome was that Heidi found another rock to sit on!
This time, Dave's strength, combined with a few of the by now sizable crowd, failed to dislodge her. Undettered, Dave then tied the rope to the tow bar of his trusty Land Cruiser and pulled Heidi off the rock :
What happened next is now part of Colonsay's maritime folklore. How Andrew did it we do not know, and nor does Andrew. It seems that, to assist dislodging Heidi, Andrew used a little reverse throttle, and that, combined with the power of the Land Cruiser, sent Heidi hurtling towards the harbour wall. Just as a collision seemed inevitable, Andrew astutely got her into forward gear but, in avoiding the harbour wall, managed only to put unfortunate Heidi back onto the same rock! (or another rock perhaps, but by this time Andrew was running out of different rocks...).
By now the assembled throng could restrain themselves no longer and cries of "Para Handy and Para Lytic" were quickly followed by other mirth-inducing comments, such as "the hapless and the hopeless" as the crowd relished the unfolding events.
Further attempts to dislodge Heidi were proving fruitless until Mike, garnering all his maritime experience, suggested moving the rope from the stern to the "pointy bit up front". And a stroke of genius it was too, allowing two strapping lads to step onto the Laird's boat (ssh.. don't tell him...) and gain the angle to successfully free Heidi and give her a fighting chance of finding another rock :
But Andrew was giving her no more leeway, and barring narrowly missing the Mole and cutting up Hans' fishing boat, Heidi was soon all at sea.
And as for Mike's hopes, alas his luck did not turn, and it was sardines for supper...
Our photograph from last Issue, kindly provided by Sue Taylor of Sunset View, proved to be somewhat easier than the preceding one. Frank Nicholson was one of a large number of Readers who successfully identified the location as being the bealach leading to the dunes at Ardskenish :
For those Readers who like their solutions to be ultra precise, we quote from a letter received from Roger Butler :
"The mystery picture in the last issue is taken looking west along the north shore of Ardskenish peninsula from the track between Carn Glas and Turnigil. Looking at the good old six inch to a mile map, the spot where this was taken is exactly 50 feet above sea level. The black rocks at the foot of the track are Plaide Mhór, the first beach is Coite Creige, and the larger expanse of black rocks are known as An Locharnach. Beyond them are rocks called Ceann na Creige and Sguide an Leanna.
And for the record... the track between Port Lobh and where the photo was taken from reaches a height of 94.9 feet, and just south of Ceann na Creige the bench mark is 44.2 feet, close to the northern boundary wall of Ardskenish House."
Well, we can surely close the file on that one then. The good news is that we can now focus our attention on the photograph from Issue 117 which was held over awaiting correct identification :
And focus our attention is something we need to do, as no one has yet identified the spot! A number of islanders, who pass it every day of their lives, have even had a stab at it with no success. So, in the circumstances, we can but hold it over again, awaiting an eagle-eyed Reader to come up with the answer. One clue though : the stone in question lies but 22 feet (yes, I measured it!) from the road, and is in full view, even at this time of year. Och well, another clue, seeing as you insist : your Editor, despite protestations to the contrary, did not have to move too far from Corncrake Towers to snap the stone in question...
Moving on then to our photograph for this Issue, we are indebted to Hugh Barton of Lancashire for provision of same. Hugh correctly identified our last photograph, and indeed was one of two people, both from Lancashire, who correctly identified our first ever "mystery" location in this feature, way back in Issue 116. Hugh has also provided a wonderful photograph of an Emperor moth he snapped on Colonsay recently, and this is to be found elsewhere in this Issue. However, back to the point, here is Hugh's "mystery" location photograph :
So, dear Reader, just where on Colonsay or Oransay would you be if you came upon the above scene?
Entries as usual to : editorcorncrake@yahoo.co.uk ; by telephone : 01951 200336 ; or by post to : The Editorial Suite, The Corncrake, Corncrake Towers, Scalasaig, Isle of Colonsay, Argyll, PA61 7YW, Scotland. Timewasters welcome.
We did of course have two photographs in last Issue's "Look Back" feature, both kindly provided by Flora Oransay. In the first photograph, of Andrew piping at a wedding, we sought to identify just whose wedding it was :
One suggestion has been received, from Frank Nicholson, who believes that the photograph was taken at the marriage, in 1951, of Katie McAllister and Jasper Brown. If so, our mystery is solved; but can any Reader confirm Frank's response?
Flora's second photograph, of the RAF installation at Machrins during the War, brought happy reminiscences from our own John Clark :
And with some justification; hitching a lift on one of the two lorries brought over with the materials to build the Nissen huts, this was 8 year-old John's first ride aboard motorised transport! Further, the building to the rear was the Entertainment hut, and John recalls seeing his first ever motion picture here. And the name of the film? John will never forget; it was "How Green was my Valley". This was followed some time later by a second film for John, this time a wee feature with the name "Gone With The Wind". And no, this wasn't about Duncan MacDougall's newly-built shed...
And so we get ever closer to the new old photograph for this Issue. But first, a correction re the photo of the opening of the petrol pump some 20-odd years ago:
Had Ivor Brown gone mad when he suggested in our last Issue that Jean Cook was actually his mother's cousin? A lot of people seemed to think so, but the truth is simpler than that; it was your Editor who had fouled up again. Ivor's mother's cousin was in fact the white-haired lady in blue and not the lady in the beige trouser suit. Ach, the brain is not what it was...
And so at last our new old photograph for this Issue; and we must again thank the not mad Ivor Brown for this wonderful shot of a Gun Club shoot of a few years ago :
So, well worth the wait - but how many faces can YOU put a name to?
Well, the news of Eleanor continues to be heartening and she has continued to make steady progress.
She has regained a significant use of her left hand and has managed a few tentative steps with the aid of a zimmer frame. Indeed, such has Eleanor's progress been that it is anticipated that she will soon be able to leave hospital, and should the progress continue, it is hoped that Eleanor will again feel the earth of Colonsay beneath her feet as early as the evening of Monday coming, the 18th.
In anticipation of this happy outcome, Seumas and Rhona, together with partners Christine and Les, have undertaken an intensive course in Oban in lifting, handling and physiotherapy. A final element of the course apparently involved how to give Eleanor a row, in an effort to keep her under some degree of control. We shall see...
Eleanor even managed to organise a wee letter to The Corncrake, thanking everyone for all their support and kindnesses.
That fine BBC2 documentary "A Wild Day in Spring" has, as previously reported, brought many first time visitors to the island. It has however been instumental too in re-uniting two cousins who lost touch over 40 years ago and who have never met each other since.
Pamela McLellan left Glasgow for Surrey at the age of 10, leaving behind her cousin, and friend, Irene McLellan. Pamela however watched the documentary, and she remembered hearing many years previously that Irene was living on a Hebridean island. But was it Colonsay and would she still be living there? Enquiries were made and of course eventually Pamela discovered that Irene, now with the surname of Campbell, was indeed on Colonsay and had been for over 25 years. She also soon discovered that Irene has two daughters still on the island and of course seven grandchildren to keep her from wearying when she's not keeping Keith on his toes in the Post Office.
A visit to the island was then planned, and on Wednesday 29th June, Pamela stepped off the ferry and Irene and she were able to embrace one another after 40 years apart. Given the continuous chat which then ensued over the next few days, it was obvious to all that the girls just took up where they left off all those years ago...
There is soon to be an exhibition of island paintings by Lucy Johnstone, entitled "Push The Boat Out". And here as a "taster", is one of Lucy's paintings which will be on show :
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So, now we know where she got the title for the exhibition from...
The exhibition opens on the 22nd and runs to the 29th of July and will be held daily from 12 to 2pm around Georgina's pool in Scalasaig.
Lucy may even be persuaded to part with a painting or two if sufficient wads of cash are pulled from pockets. Check that piggy-bank now!
While you have your social diary out noting Lucy's exhibition details, you may wish to make an entry for Wednesday 27th July as well. For that is the day that the RNLI fundraising ladies from Islay will be on the island. There will be a Book Sale, with teas and home-baking, in the Pier Shed from 11.30am approx.
Always a great social occasion, with lots of craic and the odd smattering of gossip, (or should that be an odd smattering of craic and lots of gossip?), these days are always looked forward to with much anticipation.
Any Reader with books to contribute to the sale should give Netta a call on 347. Similarly, any Reader with a wee bit of home baking to spare (it makes great practice for the Show, but without the stress), should simply bring it to the Pier Shed on the day.
See you at the pier shed soon.
Saturday 2nd July saw "Make Poverty History" rallies and marches throughout the length and breadth of the UK and indeed the world. An integral part of these grassroots protests was the participants, dressed in white, linking hands to form a human chain, or a human white band, symbolic of the white wrist band worn as part of the "Make Poverty History" campaign.
The largest of these events took place in Edinburgh, where 225,000 people joined hands to form the world's biggest human band around the city centre. Colonsay meanwhile, never a place to be outdone, formed a human band of its own around its only "roundabout". Our photograph shows a crowd of enthusiastic visitors, but we can only presume that the "whites" were in the wash that day :
The world's first, fully functional, Gaelic word processor - Sgriobh - is being launched in Inverness on Friday 22nd July by Islay based company, IleTec Computer Solutions.
This innovative piece of technology is aimed specifically at the Gaelic community and is the only Scottish Gaelic word processor available. The product will help to ensure that the Gaelic language is both relevant and accessible to more people in their everyday communications.
Sgriobh will be made available on CD, as a piece of application software for PCs that run Windows, and it is also available alongside the IleTec Gaelic Language Keyboard. For more information, visit www.iletec.com or contact IleTec on 01546 600 000 or email info@iletec.com
"Sammy" the seal has been a feature of Scalasaig harbour for as many years as your Editor can remember, following boats coming in to the slip to see if some fish might be thrown overboard in his direction. In fact, "Sammy" has been a feature of the harbour for so long, one wonders if "Sammy" is indeed the same seal that appeared first all those years ago. For sure, his colouring and markings would appear to have remained the same, and we are indebted to Alan Davis for a recent close-up :
So, would any Reader care to express an opinion as to whether "Sammy" is the original genuine article?
The flora and fauna of the island are an important element of island living and of a great many visitors' holiday experience. So much so in fact, that it does seem somewhat incongruous that an organ such as The Corncrake does not have a "Nature Notes" feature.
So, dear Reader, is there a demand out there for such a column, and if so, are there any amongst you who would like to make the odd contribution to same?
Whilst we busy ourselves in Corncrake Towers awaiting a flood of responses to that one, here are two wonderful photographs recently forwarded to The Corncrake :
The first photograph, that of the rabbit, again comes from the camera of Alan Davis (yes, our grateful thaks once again Alan), whilst the close up of the Emperor moth comes from the camera of Hugh Barton, who of course contributed this Issue's "Now Where Could That Be?" photograph. Coincidentally (there's that word again...), Hugh took the photograph only 250 yards or so from where Sue Taylor's "Now Where..." snap was taken.
Finally on the subject of flora and fauna, regular Reader Eric Davis has been in touch (see Letters section) regarding the sighting of a "big cat" on Colonsay a number of years ago. This cat, dark brown in colour, was much bigger than a Scottish wild cat, with the body length and height similar to that of a collie, but with a really long bushy tail.
Anyone care to comment?
Finally, regular Readers may recall the story (Issue 104) of "Malcolm the Magician" who visited both Colonsay and Oransay to perform his one-man show. Well, Malcolm has just completed his tour of Scotland's inhabited islands, exactly a year and a day after beginning his adventure. The tour saw Russell performing on 104 islands around Scotland - the only criterion being that the islands had to be lived on year-round by at least one person.
Despite having a few near-misses due to weather and tides (incuding Oransay!), Malcolm managed to reach and entertain on every island on his list with only one exception - St Kilda.
Malcolm found that compiling a list of the islands he would need to visit to reach his goal proved to be an unexpected challenge. The most recent census turned out to be full of inaccuracies, including some islands that had in fact not been inhabited for many years whilst simultaneously not listing many others that were.
He is still not ruling out the possibility that there are more small inhabited islands that he has simply never heard about, so if anyone knows of such places, he would love to hear from you! You can email him at malcolm@malcolmrussell.net.
Having so many stories to tell from the past year, Russell has decided to write about the experience. For more information about the tour, visit www.malcolmrussell.net.
Our caption photograph from Issue 118 was one of Donald MacAllister (the Elder) seen, as usual, with a tin of paint. Unusually however, Donald was to be found at the wrong side of the bar, pretending to be pulling a pint. Almost predictably, most of the caption entries received involved paint-related puns, and jolly good they were too.
Our winner in this instance however, was the first entry received, and it came from the keyboard of our very own Ross Moodie, who submitted the following :
Once the euphoria of winning had eventually subsided, Ross then presented a portfolio of photographs from which one was to be selected for this Issue's competition. The portfolio was a sight to behold; believe you me, if you have been on Colonsay in the last 25 years and woken up but couldn't remember what you did the night before, then Ross has a photograph of it...
After much perusal of the portfolio, complete with wheres, whos, whys and absolute wonder, the photograph originally thought of was eventually selected. And here it is :
Entries as usual to : editorcorncrake@yahoo.co.uk ; by telephone : 01951 200336 ; or by post to : A.N.Other, The Corncrake Caption Competition (Issue 119), 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:
BADMINTON - every Tuesday and Thursday c.5pm.
LANDSCAPE DRAWING CLASSES - Saturday 2pm (Weather permitting. Meet at Hall).
THE ISLAND HALL is also available for rent: Ceilidhean, dances etc. £50; private parties £75; weddings £100.
JULY
Saturday 23rd Poppy Ceilidh
Saturday 30th Hall Committee Ceilidh
AUGUST
Thursday 4th Visitors Ceilidh
Saturday 6th Gun Club Ceilidh
Tuesday 9th CCDC Ceilidh
Saturday 13th Hall Committee Ceilidh
Saturday 20th Golf Club Ceilidh
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,
Hello to Everyone, and many thanks to everyone for their cards, flowers, visits and messages of support over the last few weeks. This has certainly helped aid my recovery and I look forward to being home and seeing everyone soon.
Thanks again,
Eleanor.
Dear Editor,
A link relating to the above, brought me the discovery of your delightful organ, which, perhaps, should be subtitled, "The Thunderer of the Western Isles"!
You will, no doubt, be pleased to learn that the remainder of the flock of central European vagrants indeed made its way to that remote corner of the British Isles, namely Kemble Airfield on the Wiltshire/Gloucestershire border, to attend "Flying for Fun". This is the Popular Flying Association's annual gathering, over three days, of probably the largest assembly of light aircraft outside the USA.
My usual interest in Colonsay is the welfare of corncrakes (Crex crex), which, I trust, are currently enjoying a productive summer. I shall now also interest myself in the welfare of “The Corncrake” and have posted a reminder in order not to miss forthcoming issues.
I sincerely hope your publication continues to prosper – it deserves to.
Ian Collins,
Seend Cleeve,
Wiltshire.
Dear Editor,
Re the where is it?
It is the bealach leading to the dunes at Ardskenish.
I think the picture of Andrew McNeil was taken at the wedding of Katie McAllister and Jasper Brown in, if I am right, 1951.
Frank Nicholson.
Dear Editor,
As a regular visitor to Colonsay every August, and an avid reader of the Corncrake, I thought I would have a stab at guessing the location of your "mystery pictures". I think the first one (the stone with the ring through it) is down at the pier at Scalasaig and the second one is taken from the track leading down to Ardskenish from the golf course.
With best wishes and thanks for making the Corncrake so entertaining.
See you in August ....
Janet Forson
Edinburgh.
Dear Editor,
Just to prove I'm still reading 'Corncrake', the poem in this month's issue is actually from 'Childe Harold' by Lord Byron (OK I had to look it up but I sort of recognised it as I'd used it for an epigraph for a story I wrote). No doubt hundreds of your readers worldwide have pointed this out already.
I've nearly finished this Open University essay on European Cinema so once it's in the post I'll send you a 'Colonsay Diary' piece. Six weeks & we're off to Tiree!
All the best for now,
John Hartley.
Dear Editor,
Hello again,
No idea of the first picture, but can get the new one - again a place that I love to be at, with choughs flying around! The shot (352923) is the road leading down to Plaide Mhór as if coming from the Golf Course. Incidently I took the photograph of the moth - the Emperor - one of the largest and more spectacular of all the moths.
And as you may want some contributions to the 'quiz' I attach two further photos.
The newsletter, as always, is wonderfully informative and a great read - keep it up.
Hugh Barton,
Green Farm, Carrs Green,
Inskip, Preston,
PR4 0TJ, Lancashire.
Tel Catforth (01772) 690764
(Hugh's photograph of the Emperor moth is to be found in "Snippets", and his other two photographs will appear in due course in our "Now Where Could That Be?" feature - Ed.)
Dear Editor,
Was mountain biking with 2 friends in Clashendarroch Forest in Aberdeenshire when we came upon a big cat (possibly black panther). On investigating the internet www.bigcats.org I came across an entry from Colonsay:-
"July 99. I've just watched Newsnight Scotland and feel it is worth reporting that my husband and I saw - and heard - a big cat on the island of Colonsay in July 1999. Clear sunny day, broad daylight. It would be easy to give you the map ref if you were interested. We did report it at the time, to the nearest shop/post office, but the girl obviously thought we were a bit odd, and no such sighting had been report before, she said.
Additional information:-
Distance - we were about 50 yards from it, on a rise looking down.
Size:- much bigger than a Scottish wild cat, body length and height about the size of a collie, but with a really long bushy tail. Slim body.
Colour:- Dark brown, no discernable markings.
Sound:- a very loud yowling noise, cat like.
My husband saw it, called me over and it was fully visible for about 20 seconds after that. It was standing in front of a stone dyke, which it jumped over and then disappeared into ferns. It was not aware of our presence, but we were alarmed enough to change the direction of our walk! We have no doubt that it was a big cat.
Ruth"
Just wondered if anyone has any information on this one. They probably saw the Byrne's dog or even Biscuit in disguise!
Eric Davis.
(So dear Readers, any Colonsay big cat stories to share with us? - Ed.)