Autumn. Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness...
Well, there may have been the odd bit of mist, but it has been anything but mellow. Summer hasn't so much slipped away from us on Colonsay, as has been wrenched away, with the island being bombarded for the last week or so with gales, high, gusting winds and, at times, torrential rain.
And, hopefully not a portent of things to come, these last few days have seen two power-cuts (relatively minor) and 3 cancelled ferries! Yes, you are reading this correctly, 3 cancelled ferries! That's as many as we experienced during the entire Winter before last, and at the moment we are still a month away from the end of the Summer timetable!
On Monday last, the ferry did not even leave Oban. On Wednesday, the morning ferry from Port Askaig turned back in atrocious conditions and in the evening the ferry from Port Askaig to Oban sailed past, not even making an attempt to come alongside. And last evening, Friday 30th, no one would have been at all surprised if the ferry had turned back, or, braving it all the way to the island, had found it impossible to dock. But dock it did, with the wind gusting between 35 and 40 mph. The passengers were relieved to reach dry land, relieved too on the journey of a few pounds of weight. It is not reported if they ever did find Hughie...
Moving on however to more current and fresher events, today sees the island's annual Root and Grain Show in the afternoon, with the Show Dinner to follow in the evening. In fact, in a moment or two, these pages will be off the Editorial desk and into the ether and your Editor will be off for a day of sensory indulgence and pleasure. Well somebody's got to do it...
STEERING CALMAC INTO STORMY WATERS
Following the recent decision by the Scottish Parliament that CalMac's routes be put out to tender, your Editor came across a small piece by Jim Stanton in the Edinburgh Evening Times which he thought appropriate to share with you :
"Was Rabbie Burns using Nostradamus-like foresight when he wrote of a "cowerin' timorous beastie" in his poem To a Mouse? Maybe he was thinking many years hence to a day when Scotland's Transport Minister, one Tavish Scott, would turn mouse-like when faced with an army of Brussels bureaucrats telling him to tug his forelock and bow before them. Which he did, backed by a legion of faint-hearted Holyrood colleagues, in accepting their dictat that the island ferry services operated by Caledonian MacBrayne be put out to commercial tender.
I have used CalMac's services on hundreds of occasions in my life without complaint. Last week, I used them again, even getting one of their employees to agree that the Colintraive-Rhubodach route, linking the Cowal peninsula in Argyll to the Island of Bute, was the dearest ferry service per minute aboard in the world. For the record, the five-minute journey cost £16.35 for a car and two passengers. While probably true, I was only jesting.
"Aye, but when it's run by an accountant in a suit it'll be twice the price - if it's still running at a', that is," came the ticket collector's witty, but entirely plausible, riposte.
These ferries are crammed with trucks delivering goods to island businesses, not to mention coachloads of tourists who help keep a vital part of Scotland's heritage and lifeblood coursing. They are considered lifeline services because people's lives and livelihoods depend on them.
So why are our politicians hellbent on threatening that with their fawning curtsey to Brussels? CalMac is state-owned for good reason, receiving a subsidy simply because it's a lifeline. The business provides a profitable return for its owners - £805,000 last year, up from £777,000 previously. The subsidy of just under £26m is hardly the issue here, with CalMac even believing it can do the job without it.
What does matter, though, is the protection of vital services. You only need to look at our rail services to see that privatisation does not improve and protect rural services.
Mr Scott cites European law for his kow-towing to the Brussels' mandarins. Sometimes the law is an ass. No-one I spoke to in five days in Argyll thought private operators would improve the islands' ferry service or make it cheaper. Quite the opposite. I wonder what Rabbie would have to say about that?"
Following on from this piece, we can report that an STUC delegation, with Catherine Stihler MEP, recently met with European Transport Commissioner, Jacques Barrot. She later said : "Public transport is important to all our local communities. In Scotland, ferries provide an essential service to some of the European Union's most peripheral and vulnerable communities.
Yet under the latest Commission proposals for land transport public service obligations, public administrations will be given flexibility over tendering processes and will be able to award certain services to in-house operators directly.
Why, then, are lifeline ferries being treated differently to trains, trams and metros? There are no trains, trams and metros in Scotland's peripheral island communities. The position of the Commission seems to be contradictory. I am calling on the Commission to clarify its position. Lifeline ferry services are too important to be ignored."
At time of going to press, the Commission has not clarified its position.
Barely had the recent Macfie Gathering gathered their bags and boarded the ferry than the island played host to even more visitors from far-flung places.
Under the auspices of the "Small Islands for Support and Understanding" (SISU) project, a party of 11 Swedes and 2 Finns arrived for a weekend visit. And a busy weekend it was, with visits to Andrew's oyster farm, the rhodedendron eradication project (see our next Issue for an update on this, complete with stunning photographs!), Kilchattan Primary School, and finally the new workshops in Scalasaig. In addition, there were opportunities to sit down and talk and to decide on the main points that all parties wished to take forward from the visit.
There was even a chance for the visitors to socialise with there hosts when, on the evening of Saturday 17th, some 41 islanders and visitors sat down together to a very pleasant meal in "The Colonsay". This was a perfect opportunity for islanders and visitors alike to exchange information and explain to one another the problems pertinent in their part of the world. This was very successfully achieved in a relaxed and convivial atmosphere and after the meal there was even the exchange of some gifts. Our photographs show some of the assembled diners and our own Chris Nisbet receiving a gift from Frida, one of the Swedish delegation :
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Afterwards, there was music courtesy of young Donald MacAllister and a number of other locals, giving the host islanders the opportunity to demonstrate their not-insignificant dancing skills to their guests. The visitors were however no strangers to a dance floor, and a grand evening was had by all.
All in all, the visit was judged a great success and the Swedes and Finns then set off for further cultural exchanges on Jura and Tiree. It is anticipated that a delegation from Colonsay will visit Finland next year as part of the ongoing SISU project.
The wild weather referred to earlier first made its appearance to co-incide with the annual Colonsay Gun Club September Clay Pigeon Shoot on Saturday 24th September. Whilst it was windy, there was no rain, so one out of two would normally have have seemed to have been a bit of a result, but the wind-chill factor must have reached world record levels. It was fffffreezing! Several brass monkeys were to be seen throughout the afternoon , all of them looking for that elusive welder...
Worse still, the south-easterly wind was blowing straight into the faces of the competitors, making the Shoot itself into something of a lottery - which is not to detract from those who won, (leaving your Editor to go home empty-handed - he perhaps should have taken his gloves off after all...).
Between shooting, the competitors were so cold that they were to be found taking shelter in the parked vehicles or huddling at the rear of the cars. This latter tactic however proved a little dangerous later on when the gusting wind carried unshot clays to landfall BEHIND the shooters and even behind the vehicles!! Yes, a day that will not be readily forgotten...
Thus when Club President Donald MacAllister announced at the end of the Shoot that the presentation of prizes would take place in the bar of "The Colonsay", there was a unanimous roar of approval, and within minutes we were all indoors and the great thaw began.
The prizes were graciously presented on the day by Mary MacLeod and those whose skills prevailed on the day were as follows :
- FINLAY McFADYEN MEMORIAL CUP - Duncan "Sandy" MacAllister
DONALD BROWN MEMORIAL CUP - Les Robinson
PETER MacALLISTER QUAICH - Donald MacAllister (The Elder)
SILVER CARTRIDGE - Les Robinson
DOUBLE RISE - Donald MacAllister (The Younger)
A.S. McNEILL MEMORIAL TROPHY - Duncan "Sandy" MacAllister
BEST SHOT OF THE DAY - Jim McLoughlin
VISITORS' TROPHY - Ian Gillies
LADIES' TROPHY - Rhona Grant
JUNIORS' TROPHY - Caitlin McNeill
OLDEST COMPETITOR - Duncan "Sandy" MacAllister
BEST DRESSED - Billy MacLean
In the left-hand photograph below we see Duncan Sandy, who was over especially for the Shoot, receive the first of the silverware that will adorn his mantlepiece for the year ahead (we feel sure that the trophy cabinet is already full...). To the right, we see the sharpshooting girls who braved the elements to compete for the Ladies' Trophy :
So the winner of the Oldest Competitor Trophy was also the overall winner on the day. Does any Reader know if this has ever been done before? And does any Reader know if Duncan Sandy will be allowed back next year??
MARINE & COASTAL STRATEGY ANNOUNCED
Three pilot projects aimed at improving the management of the marine and coastal environment were announced recently as the Scottish Executive's Marine and Coastal Strategy was published.
The £800,000 Sustainable Marine Environment Initiative has Shetland, the Firth of Clyde and the Berwickshire coast as the locations for testing innovative approaches to marine and coastal management over a three year period. Environment and Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie said:
"Scotland's coasts and seas could support some 25,000 jobs in fishing, energy and tourism. The challenge we face is to manage our marine and coastal activity in a way which enables each sector to be successful without either compromising the ability of others to deliver their full potential or damaging the marine environment on which those jobs depend.
The three pilot projects will test new ways of managing different sea areas next to urban, rural and island communities and will help us to determine what, if any, legislation is required to better safeguard our seas and coastal communities."
Welcoming the strategy announcement, Scottish Environment LINK's Marine Task Force said only prompt, decisive action can protect Scotland's seas. Calum Duncan, Convener of the LINK Marine Task Force, said:
"In the eighteen months since the Scottish Executive ended its consultation on a Strategic Framework for Scotland's Marine Environment we have seen the two most devastating breeding seasons on record for Scotland's seabirds and economic crisis in the fishing industry.
"It is crunch time for Scotland's seas. We welcome the Strategy announced today, and being invited to join the Stakeholder Group. We are optimistic it can reverse the decline around our coast - provided the Executive ensures these fine words lead to bold, decisive action."
Katie Morag came to play on Colonsay on the 6th September. The show (on tour with Mull Theatre) was a resounding success.
The all-singing, all-dancing Katie Morag was performed to a packed Hall, the cast were hugely entertaining, bringing the favourite characters of Granny Island, Granny Mainland and Katie Morag beautifully to life and introducing the very funny "Princess", "Dude" and their mum Lauren. Not to mention the brilliant puppetry that opened the evening as Katie Morag's dad, brother Liam and sister Flora left on the ferry for the mainland - her poor mother being spectacularly sick over the side - which the kids in the front row greatly appreciated of course!
The sets were amazing, transporting the audience to Struay. Mrs. Bayview's greenhouse was looking very lush and all of the audience were on their feet being pirates at various stages of the show, egged on by the cast. The island's children were inspired by the performance and have been spotted singing and swashbuckling their way through the school!
Many, many thanks to the cast and crew for such a fabulous show and such an enjoyable evening. It was wonderful to see live theatre on the island and especially such a truly impressive production. The Hall Committee would also like to thank Mull Theatre for helping us to find a way to bring the show here. Thanks too to Katie Morag herself for dropping in and visiting the children at school.
On the subject of thanks, the Hall Committee are very grateful to Janet and Ken Chadwick, Mel and Bob Pocklington, Angela Skrimshire, Carol and Pedie MacNeill, Nigel Grant and Angus MacPhee for looking after the cast and crew so well while they were on the island. Thanks too to Shirley Johnston, Sheena Nisbet and the School for their contributions.
Our best wishes go to Mull Theatre for success with the rest of the tour. Oh and thanks for the tractor!!!
Whilst the foregoing was written by an adult, the proof of the pudding is in the children's appreciative consumption of the fare, and here are the kids' own thoughts concerning their favourite part of the evening's entertainment :
NEIL - "When they found the chocolate coins!"
LEWIS M - "Dude, when he ran out of the castle!"
LIAM - "It was all very good and funny and the scenery was amazing!"
LEWIS N - "When Dude was stammering!"
RYAN - "When Dude and Princess first came in!"
GLEN - "When Dude came back from the beach with hermit crabs!"
EMMA - "When Dude came in playing his Game-Boy!"
HOLLY - "When Dude was scared of going into the dungeon!"
ALL - "It was so good that we didn't want it to end!"
Yes, budding arts critics all of them! And we get the sneakiest of suspicions that their favourite character was someone called "Dude"...
The disquiet over the forthcoming airstrip and air service continues, as is evidenced by the number of letters that The Corncrake continues to receive on the subject (see Letters section).
Nor, one suspects, will the disquiet ever recede, even if the air service proves to be a resounding success, as it will always be remembered that there were those who showed disdain for and eschewed the democratic process in order to achieve their objectives.
On a lighter note, regular Readers will recall the new local golf rule suggested by regular visitor Allan Wright for those wishing to enjoy a game of golf at Machrins once the air service is functioning. Well, another regular visitor, Colin Troup, has uncovered the startling truth that the golf course is being moved!
Colin was simply browsing at multimap.com when the secret plans for the golf course were revealed to him. Well, look for yourself :
www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=56.0769&lon=-6.1799&scale=50000&icon=x
For those Readers without internet access, the Multimap site shows the golf course starting just east of the Black Gate and continuing all the way down to Rubha Dubh! Colin adds : "I'm sure this will suit some of the denizens of
Milbuie very well, but I do wonder just how easy it is going to be to
lay out a course around the Monument ...".
Mind you, with the Pantry in the middle of the course and the 19th hole just across the road, The Golf Club might just find membership soaring to untold levels (We can just hear the new cry : "I'm just away out for a wee round or two dear...").
So, has Multimap got it wrong or does it have information not yet in the public domain? We must be told!!
Yes, here is the opportunity to share your favourite Colonsay or Oransay photograph(s)
with the readership of The Corncrake. All you have to do is to e.mail or post your snap to Corncrake Towers and the rest will take care of itself! Posted snaps will of course be returned by next post.
Our selected photograph for this Issue comes from the lens of Sue Taylor of Pudsey, West Yorkshire and Sunset View, Kilchattan. Regular Readers may recall that Sue provided us with one of our first "Now Where Could That Be?" photographs (see Issue 118); now Sue has provided us with a number of superb snaps and here is the first one selected :
A cracker, we are sure you will agree. Sue has been with us on the island again of late, but left on Thursday last, and apparently won't be back on the island until next Spring. Well, we will see you then, Sue, and in the meantime, many thanks for the snaps which will be enjoyed by many Readers before we see you again.
Struggling to keep the fledgling "Nature Notes" alive, the staff of Corncrake Towers were pleased to hear recently from Giles Cooper.
Giles has taken some excellent photographs of the people and events of Colonsay over many years and has freely contributed of same to The Corncrake - see, for example, the Caption Competition in this very Issue! (with some nostalgic personal profiles to come in the future). We were, however, blissfully unaware that as well as photographing Flora, he was simultaneously photographing flora (although no amount of the small "f" stuff, however pretty, can compare with the Real Thing, can it?
So, getting there eventually as usual, we can report that Giles has kindly forwarded us a photograph of that wonderful flower commonly referred to as "Irish Ladies' Tresses", largely one suspects, because whilst it is
one of the rarest of British orchids, it can be found in various parts of Ireland.
Of course many Readers will be unfamiliar with the common name, and will only murmer an "Oh, of course!" upon the mention of its Latin nomenclature of "Spiranthes Romanzoffiana". And then again, there are some of us, your Editor included, who might be able to offer an "Oh, that one!" when shown a photograph, which of course is what Giles did :
"Irish Ladies' Tresses" flowers in early to mid August and Giles advises that Colonsay is lucky in having a few plants in most years. He has found it near Loch Fada, in the Kiloran area and fairly near Scalasaig, but then disgraces himself by telling us that he has found the flower in question "even slumming it not a million miles from Corncrake Towers!"
Well, that could be the end of "Nature Notes" for good...
One last piece of nature advice before we go however (always the true professional), if you do happen to be in this beautiful part of the world in early to mid August and for some inexplicable reason happen to be "slumming" it near Corncrake Towers, "Irish Ladies' Tresses" should never be picked.
Or,indeed, for that matter, picked on...
Regular and observant Readers may have noticed that our Poetry Corner has of late become a little more akin to a "Song" or "Lyric" Corner. And when Corncrake Towers was contacted by
Linda McFee Gilcrest (who was recently over from California for the Macfie Gathering), we felt impelled to continue this lyrical trend.
For Linda and her sister, Vicki McFee, (who was also over from Minneapolis for the Gathering), have written a super little ode entitled, strangely enough, "Ode to Clan Macfie". And, for our delectation, here it is (apparently it can be sung to the tune of "McNamara's Band", so you may wish to hum along as you read...) :
By Vicki McFee and Linda McFee Gilcrest
To highlanders we're loyal, for the red and green we stand
We've got the Isle of Colonsay and we've got Chief Malcolm too
And when the Gathering's over, they will honor you know who…
Chorus:
Clan Macfie…the green and red
Sandy McPhie…by him we're led
Wherever you see…our banner fly
You will hear about our Clansmen by and by…
Oh, the other clans are good no doubt when all is said and done
There's just one thing that they're without, the fame that we have won
We've got the heart and history and we've got the clansmen too
With Iain entertaining…David singing Gaelic too…
Chorus
So now the Ceilidh's over, we'll head home o'er land and sea
We'll think about our clansmen as we pledge to honor thee
We learned about our heritage and we shared a pint or two
We commit our hearts to Scotland as we bid our isle adieu…
Chorus
Now a sad farewell to Colonsay as the ferry pulls away
A wave to good friend Angus...and so long Kiloran Bay
We hear good Bobby's piping as Vanessa reads a poem
And our hearts will be in Colonsay as we arrive at home…
Chorus:
Clan Macfie…. the green and red
Sandy McPhie…. by him we're led
Wherever you see…. our banner fly
You will hear about our Clansmen by and by
CLAN MACFIE!! (Shout)
Aye, brilliant stuff! Just a pity that we have not aspired to audio clips in The Corncrake yet... And, apparently, Linda and Vicki sang their ode at the Macfie Ceilidh in the Hall - another treat missed!
However, we now realise thar we did in fact have the pleasure of spending some time with Vicki, as Linda informs us that the photograph in our last Issue of "the lovely drunk singing merrily in the
Tartan sash" is indeed her sister. And it was such a joyful and carefree moment that the photograph captured, that we feel somehow compelled to share it with you all again. So here it is :
Yes, you'll be welcome back anytime girls!!
Our photograph in Issue 123 of a scarecrow with a balloon for a head caused quite a bit of scratching of heads until young Donald Ross MacDonald (Margaret Darroch's grandson) finally correctly identified the location as being Folalie's garden :
We believe that the scarecrow was made and erected by Finlay two or three years back, so well spotted and remembered Donald Ross!
Which brings us neatly to our "Where?" photograph for our current Issue. Just where on Colonsay or Oransay would you be if you were able to see this strange-looking item? And what exactly is it and just what is it doing on Colonsay?:
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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 not on a lead may be shot.
In Issue 123, our "Look Back" photograph was one taken in the bar of the then Colonsay Hotel. The usual suspects were readily identifiable, so to make it more interesting we asked if all 9 people could be identified, including the man barely visible standing just behind Andrew Abraham's right shoulder.
It was swiftly pointed out however that your Editor had got it wrong, as there are in fact 10 people in the picture, with someone standing behind Pedie at the door of the lounge bar. And so there is :
Yes, there is definitely someone there in a checked shirt and sporting a beard - but who is it? No one could identify our mystery man, but just as The Corncrake was going to press, Carol MacNeill thought that it could be David Hobhouse, an identification subsequently backed by husband Pedie. So, can any Reader confirm? And for that matter can anyone suggest who the figure standing behind Andrew might be, as his identity still remains elusive.
For the record, the main players in the bar scene are (hopefully!) : Hughie McNeill, Pedie MacNeill, Ross Moodie, Andrew Abrahams, John "JC" Campbell, John Clarke, a saintly-looking Nigel Grant and lastly, Hugh Brown.
Nor has anyone yet been able to tell us what the occasion was, although one suggestion is that it was Nigel's stag "do". And I guess that we'll just never know exactly what was in Ross's piece...
Moving on to this Issue's "Look Back" photograph, we are yet again grateful to Mary Ann for another fine example. This time, we look back to the days when Colonsay had a thriving Girl Guide troop :
So, can anyone out there tell us just who these seven very smart-looking girls might be?
Yes, it's another world-exclusive scoop for The Corncrake! For, we can at last reveal to an expectant, but unsuspecting, public just who is to take over as the managing partner in the Shop!
And it is none other than that affable Irishman, Mike McNicholl! How's that for a surprise! Not a single soul on the island had even an inkling of who it would be...
Mike is giving up his position with the S.T.U.C. and, although not officially replacing Pedie until 1st November, he will be seen in the Shop as early as next week as he undertakes an intensive, on-the-job training course before allowing Pedie and Carol to take a well-earned fortnight's break. Mike's wife Liz will follow as soon as possible, but with a house in Musselburgh to sell and a host of other matters to wrap up, the date of her move to Colonsay is in the lap of the gods.
Meanwhile, Mike is familiarising himself with alcohol- (hang on there, just wait for it...) -related retailing and has undertaken a course on the Licencing (Scotland) Act 1976. Through this, Mike hopes to become licenced to sell alcohol and thus able to continue to purvey the wide selection of wines and spirits so lovingly assembled by Pedie.
And so a big Colonsay welcome to Mike and Liz as they take that tentative, but giant, step, the one from being "frequent visitors" to that of "incomers"...
We do of course jest; and a great big "Ceud Mìle Fàilte!" to you both, from all on the island.
On the subject of the Shop, those happy shoppers visiting the emporium have, in the last few days, been taken aback by a photograph adorning the Noticeboard.
For surely that is the Scottish Premier League (SPL) Trophy? And the girl holding it aloft - surely that is none other than Pedie and Carol's daughter, Jen? :
And right enough, it is the SPL Trophy and it is indeed Jen.
Speculation was immediately rife and shoppers were seen huddling at the Noticboard, each expounding their particular theory of why Jen han her hands on the trophy previously held by many illustrious names. Had she signed for Rangers? Was she Alex McLeish's secret weapon for the forthcoming game in the San Siro Stadium against the mighty Inter Milan? Or had she been signed to give motivationl half-time pep-talks or, more likely, pep-songs?
Alas, the truth behind the photograph was not quite so exciting, although we feel sure it would have been for Jen. Her employers, Bank of Scotland, are sponsors of the SPL, and for publicity purposes arranged to display the trophy at the Glasgow branch in which she works.
Ach well, those that don't recognise true talent deserve what they get. Rangers lost the game in question 1:0. Serves them right...
Way back in Issue 113 (mid April 2005), The Corncrake carried an article entitled "Round The Houses", which featured photographs of many of the houses currently under construction on the island. Two of the houses featured were the ones being built for re-sale by the Brolly brothers in Glassard, which were, of course, immediately given the collective nom-de-plume of "Brollywood".
Well, several months later and the houses are almost complete; sufficiently complete that is, to be put onto the market. Details of the houses, complete with contact telephone numbers, are now to be found on the Noticeboard on the Colonsay Home Page - just press the appropriate link tab on The Corncrake banner above.
For those Readers perhaps unfamiliar with Glassard (not many of them surely!), here are a couple of views that would become familiar to you should you be fortunate enough to secure the purchase of one of the houses in question :
Aye, you could surely live with that...
Many Readers have commented on how much they enjoyed Julia Page's article in Issue 122, comparing and contrasting as it did her local haven of the London Wetland Centre with her less frequented but equally loved haven of Colonsay.
Well the good news, dear Reader, is that Julia has put pen to paper again for us, and produced an article all about her escapades on Colonsay with Archie's dog Tibby, although in truth, once you read the article you will come to the conclusion that it is more to do with Tibby's escapades with Julia...
Tibby's adventures are to be found in the Magazine section of this very Issue.
A "Coffee and Cake Afternoon" was advertised as taking place in the Hall just yesterday, Friday 30th September, with the proceeds going to McMillan Nurses.
A peculiarly female institution this "coffee and cake" thing, thought your Editor, and curiosity got the better of him (and the appearance of the word "cake", it must be said). And so off we went, not without a little trepidation, into the vast chasm that is his ignorance and innocence of the feminine world.
Well, he need not have been so anxious, although, as anticipated, he was the only male in the company, although he did hear that other men had ventured this way before him. It was quite a delightful afternoon of chatting, eating, drinking, eating, chatting, more cake and to spice it all off, a wee but enjoyable bit of the old gossip. Much the same, if truth be told, as being in the bar, but with no alcohol and only women for company. We feel sure that we will try a similar experiment again in the future.
Not only was the afternoon a success for your Editor, it was a resounding success for those who had organised it. A staggering £204 was raised (that's an awful lot of coffee and cake), and Sheena, Shirley and Mel would like to thank everyone for contributing to the success of the venture. And a big "well done" to you too, girls, both for the introduction into a whole new world and for the cheque for £204 which is now winging its way to McMillan Nurses.
And now a heartfelt plea.
It transpires that our local Gun Club, Golf Club and indeed various other Colonsay institutions, are missing some of their silverware. Cups and trophies have obviously been won in the dim and distant past and carried off furth of this isle.
Some of this silverware is quite valuable in terms of its quality of metal and manufacture, but all of it is valuable to the community that utimately owns it. Wrapped up in the missing pieces of the missing silverware is a history and tradition which rightly belongs on the island.
So, if any Reader finds that they have any Colonsay silverware, or knows the location of any, please pick up the phone today and give Rhona a call on 01951 200 118. Your co-operation will be greatly appreciated.
The staff of Corncrake Towers work tirelessly, as you can no doubt be readily imagined, to produce our little fortnightly newsletter. Any modicum of assistance that they can get is thus investigated and fully exploited whenever appropriate.
One tool the staff have found useful and labour-saving is a Google "Alert" on the word "Colonsay". Thus, whenever the word "Colonsay" appears in the world press that is scanned by Google, the overworked staff are immediately put on alert (it fairly beats the crawling about in the long grass, I can tell you).
And so we learn this week the stunning news that the Mersey Seaman's Mission in Liverpool is based in Crosby Road South, in a building called "Colonsay House". Which does, eventually, (patience definitely being a virtue when reading The Corncrake...), bring us to the point of this particular Snippet : is there any Reader out there who can shed any light on why the Seaman's Mission in Liverpool should be housed in a building named after this tiny Hebridean isle?
There must be a reason; we must be told!!
Many Readers who have had the pleasure of visiting "The Colonsay" this year (all these plugs must eventually result in a free lunch surely?), will remember with affection Andrew Box ("Boxy") and his partner Christine ("Jude"), even if they do not know their names. To assist memory cells, here is a very recent photograph of these two likeable Australians :
The above photograph was actually taken at a recent surprise party for Boxy and Jude, on the occasion of their summer employment in "The Colonsay", and thus their stay on the island, coming to an end. It shows them in receipt of a surprise Lemon Drizzle Cake (Homer Simpson eat your heart out!), before a surprise array of musical talent crawled out of the woodwork from all over the island (and Glasgow) to help to say farewell to a couple who have endeared themselves to many. As the night wore on, a number of photographs were taken and our Photographic Desk has selected this one for your pleasure and edification :
The chap sitting within, but to the left of, the assembled musicians, is at the time of the photograph without a guitar, perhaps why indeed this particular snap was selected. The chap, staying overnight on a visiting Irish Survey vessel, contributed mightily to proceedings, but the music always seemed perhaps better, and perhaps even a little more appropriate, whenever he handed the guitar on (there not being enough guitars to go round). That apart, the music was grand, the craic was grand and a grand night was had by all. Certainly another night to be recollected and savoured in the undoubted days of our forthcoming collective dotage...
Our caption photograph from Issue 123 was one taken and provided by Giles Cooper. It is of a young Clyde Lawson preparing for the Colonsay Regatta in 1984.
Naturally, most of our caption entries were of a nautical slant, and as usual, our thanks go to all entrants. The winner this time round however, as selected by an anonymous judge from... well, from somewhere on Planet Earth, is Netta Titterton, who submitted the following entry :
So, our congratulations go to Netta, who of course won the esteemed "prize" of the opportunity to provide the photograph for the ensuing competition.
Nor did she disappoint; here is a photograph of a tractor and trailer, something to do, we believe, with one Hamish Grant :
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Entries as usual to : editorcorncrake@yahoo.co.uk ; by telephone : 01951 200336 ; or by post to : A.N.Other, The Corncrake Caption Competition (Issue 124), 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.
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.
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,
Of course Colonsay must have its air service - for the benefit of the few to the detriment
of the many!
Why should we not have our fair share of noise/light pollution like everywhere else? We will end up with a well surfaced airstrip which the sheep will enjoy, and an A-class road that has more patches than surface - it is hard to discern if one is driving on a made or unsurfaced road already.
The taxi sevice in Oban will also benefit - Connel lies about ten miles outside Oban. I doubt if their fares will be subsidised!
Of course Connel Airport has to include Colonsay in order to apply for all the grants. After two to three years when the weather has taken its toll (plus the weeds) on our airstrip and it has proved uneconomical to run the service, it will fold. Does anyone remember the flying boat service started here?
My late husband deferred a number of air-ambulance call-outs because he considered the weather
conditions made it too hazardous for the pilot and crew to land. We had to attend two plane crashes at Machrins. I have no wish to witness a third.
Yours sincerely,
MRS M HALL-GARDINER
CORRARY COTTAGE
SCALASAIG.
Dear Editor,
We are very disturbed by the proposed airstrip development on Colonsay
and would like to add our names to the protest against it. As non-residents we wouldn't have dared suggest that beautiful Colonsay should be preserved in a glass bubble ( if only ! ) so it was a relief to read the letter from resident Frank Nicholson. It echoes our feelings entirely.
Dear Islanders, hold onto your sublime machair and charming airport lounge as long as you
can otherwise in no time at all you will be fighting proposed night flights, third runways, fifth terminals, gross noise and air pollution as we are here under the Heathrow flightpath.
With best wishes from Julia Page and family.
5, Barlow Road,
HAMPTON,
Middlesex TW12 2QP.
P.S. - Here is a photograph of Stella, my daughter, at Terminal 1, Isle of Colonsay :
P.P.S. Thank you for printing my article about the London Wetland Centre. You've asked for more contributions so now I wonder whether my account of our adventures with Tibby McConnell might be of interest to Readers. Perhaps it might start an avalanche of Tibby tales! If so, we'd love to read about them.
(Julia's article is to be found in this Issue's Magazine section. - Ed.).
Dear Editor,
Am I really to understand that despite the opposition of local
people to the proposal to build an airstrip on the island, it will be
built anyway? Or is it that people have quietly acquiesed and surrendered
to the inevitable without a fight. On the other hand, as an outsider,
one may be completely misled by rumour control, and the proposal is
actually welcomed by the islanders. I wonder what the truth of the matter is
!!
If however, the islanders really do not want such a spurious
facility, there must surely be some legal recourse to registering opposition,
and preventing the strip being built. Is there a fighting fund to
which one may contribute to prevent this seemingly unnecessary intrusion ??
I would remind the 100 or so souls on the Island of the Declaration
of Arbroath:
" For as long as but one hundred of us remain alive, never will we on
any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth, not for
glory, nor riches nor honours that we are fighting , but for freedom"
Times have changed, and so has the opposition, but the message is the
same. I shouldn't care , but I love your Island, and I think current
facilities are fine.
I remain
Sir
Your servant,
Peter McNaught
Old Mill Cottage
West Calder
EH55 8QZ
Dear Editor,
I am very impressed by the way in which the Corncrake manages to keep
us
all up to date with what is happening on Colonsay.
However, it would
appear that you have missed a scoop - or perhaps you are keeping the
exciting news for the next edition? I am afraid I have discovered the
secret plans concerning the golf club at Scalasaig, by the simple
expedient of looking at multimap.com where all is revealed.
Presumably this is an inevitable consequence of the plans
for the new airport. I'm sure this will suit some of the denizens of
Milbuie very well, but I do wonder just how easy it is going to be to
lay out a course around the Monument ...
Keep up the good work,
Colin Troup
(Edinburgh)
Dear Editor,
Since I, and 3 other family members, attended the Clan Gathering, I
just
had to tell you how much I enjoyed your latest "Corncrake"!
By the way, the lovely drunk singing merrily in the photo with the
Tartan sash is my sister, Vicki McFee.
We wrote and sang the attached song at the last ceilidh.
Sorry I didn't meet you at the ceilidh, but Vicki said you and she
enjoyed a drink at the bar.
Warm regards,
Linda McFee Gilcrest
( Linda and Vicki's composition is to be found in the Poetry Corner of this very Issue - Ed.).
Dear Editor,
I have always wondered about the origins of "the tinkers". Unfortunately, no one seems the least interested in trying to place them in historical context.
Does anyone know how far back the concept of tinkers goes? I suspect that it is a fairly recent notion, perhaps no more than a hundred years old.
I recently came across parish records for Caithness, Shetland and Orkney. I was immediately struck by how late all the births, marriages and deaths were -- all at the very end of the nineteenth century.
I would like to suggest the following as a greatly simplified working hypothesis. After the Battle of Culloden, many men enlisted in the Highland regiments and saw service in North America during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolution. They returned home as land rents began to increase. With their stories of lands in North America, they prepared their friends and relatives psychologically for emigration.
Highlanders of some means could read the writing on the wall and it was this class that led the first wave of emigration, primarily to Canada, at the end of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth centuries. Those who had only very limited resources had to wait until the middle of the nineteenth century before they could emigrate on assisted passage. That left the desperately poor who, as they were evicted by the Clearances towards the end of the nineteenth century, had nowhere to go but the inhospitable coastline in the north. I suspect that is when displaced McPhees became known as tinkers.
I would be delighted to hear what your readers think.
Best regards,
Cecil McPhee
Montreal
Dear Editor,
I know this isnt the normal route for passing on messages, but could I please say a hello to Walter.
I think of him everytime I read The Corncrake.
Many thanks,
Frankie Keenan.
(Message duly passed on Frankie - Ed.).
Dear Editor,
Once again in August we had a 'three generations' visit to Colonsay (Mother, Daughter and Grand-daughter) and were pleased to be able to introduce grand-daughter's friend to the delights of your lovely island.
Through your column I would like to say a special Thank-you to your excellent medical team who looked after a boring leg ulcer with great expertise. (That problem is now resolved!)
We managed to do a lot of sketching and photography and I enclose a photograph of a recently completed painting of Balnahard beach. Also attached is an unusual photograph of the bookshop taken by my daughter.
Roll on 2006 when we'll see you again!
Sincerely,
Mary Attree (alias Mary Frame).
( The snaps kindly forwarded by Mary will appear in the "My Colonsay Photograph" feature in future Issues. Yes, you'll all just have to wait - and yes, patience IS a virtue - Ed.).
