Well, what can we say, other than that the whole island (CalMac staff apart perhaps...) is ablaze with rage over CalMac's recent lack of caring and appropriate service to the island community.
Things started to go wrong on Sunday the 9th when in poor, but improving, conditions, CalMac at lunchtime advised the cancellation of that evening's sailing. Fair enough, it was generally thought, but it was later revealed that the cancellation had been announced on Oban FM the previous day...
An extra ferry (to Kennacraig, via Colonsay) was laid on the following day, but intending passengers, such as young Innes MacDougall, were advised not to sail as, if she didn't berth on Colonsay, passengers could find themselves on Islay or back on the mainland. The result of this was that the ferry arrived, in fair conditions, carrying just two passengers and one car. At least the ferry's arrival allowed some 30 people, stuck because of the Sunday cancellation, to reach the mainland.
And as for the likes of young Innes, stuck in Oban since Sunday lunchtime, there was the comfort of knowing that he would at last make it home on that evening's scheduled service. Alas however, CalMac cancelled that service too, despite reasonable conditions prevailing on Colonsay. Most damning of all, the reason given for the cancellation was the Captain's apparent dislike of berthing at Scalasaig in the dark!
And so to Tuesday, and of course with no boat berthed overnight, there was no 0750 sailing to Oban, leaving islanders with hospital and dental appointments etc to amend or cancel their arrangements. A ferry did come down at lunchtime (yes, young Innes got home at last!), but this stayed berthed at Scalasaig for some 45 minutes, with the result that it arrived in Oban too late for most people's already amended appointments.
There was more to follow the following day, when the ferry omitted the call at Colonsay on her evening return to Oban from Port Askaig, leaving a number of intending passengers, who could not be contacted, utterly stranded. And again, the reason for the ferry's non-appearance was said to be the prevailing darkness!
The pièce de résistance was however still to come. On the Friday, again to avoid berthing in the dark, the 1700 sailing from Oban decided to leave EARLY, at 1630! And, of course, there were intending passengers who arrived on Oban pier only to see their "lifeline" ferry sailing off into the distance...
Yes, back to the beginning of this piece. Just what can we say? The answer is not a lot, the facts perhaps speaking more loudly than any comment that we could make. We do anticipate however, that CalMac's Complaints Dept. (if they have such a thing...), will have its work cut out during the course of the next few days as angry islanders and visitors vent their dissatisfaction.
COLONSAY ROOT AND GRAIN SHOW 2005
That integral part of island community life, the "Show", took place on the relatively early date of 1st October, this early date chosen so as not to exclude the many islanders who take their annual holiday during the October school break later in the month. And this cunning move would appear to have worked, for the sight that met the eyes when the judging was over and the doors were flung open to all, was quite awesome. All the tables were heaving with home-grown fruit and veg, cakes, scones, clootie dumplings and a myriad of other articles all grown in the gardens or made in the homes of the islanders. The walls of the Hall too were bedecked with drawings, paintings, photographs and other items of artistic bent. The sight was such that you could be forgiven for thinking that the island supported a population ten times that which it does. See for yourselves :
And we have not yet even mentioned the quality of the items on display, which can only be described as quite stunning. Aye, there's an awful lot of talented people about this wee island.
After everyone had been refreshed with a cup of tea and a bite to eat, the presentation of the prizes took place, and we can report that the silverware this year was carried off as follows :
- THE ROOT & GRAIN CUP - SEUMAS McNEILL
THE BAKING CUP - ROSS MOODIE
THE HOMECRAFT CUP - MARGARET SMITH
THE OBAN HIGH SCHOOL CUP - MORAG GRANT
THE JUNIOR GIRLS CUP - HOLLY NISBET
THE JUNIOR BOYS CUP - NEIL BROWN
GENTS' BEST EXHIBIT - WALTER WILLIAMS (Leek)
LADIES' BEST EXHIBIT - JEAN MACALLISTER (Clootie Dumpling)
OBAN HIGH SCHOOL BEST EXHIBIT - MORAG GRANT (Soft Toy)
JUNIOR BEST EXHIBIT - KATY GILLESPIE (Home Made Article)
ELLEN KERR MEMORIAL SHIELD - ROSS MOODIE
And finally, a wee photograph of two of the winners, young Katy Gillespie and her even younger cousin Neil Brown, proudly displaying their silverware, (although Neil seems intent on holding on to the envelopes containing his monetary prizes...) :
THE FLIGHT OF THE MACHRINS GOLF BALL
The disquiet on the island over the forthcoming airstrip and air service continues, and has even made it to the pages of the "Oban Times". The current issue (Thursday 13th October) has an article on the topic and quotes Glassard resident Frank Nicholson on the subject. Another oft-times Glassard resident, David Johnston, has, using the Freedom of Information Act, been researching the issue thoroughly, and his findings are to be found in this Issue's Letters section.
Meanwhile, the prospect of the Machrins golf course having to be re-sited because of the airstrip (see Issue 124), does not seem to be unduly upsetting anyone. In fact, Kenny Rutherford writes (see Letters Page again), "I was glad to see the news about the apparent extension to the golf
course mentioned in the Corncrake. I've long thought that the
current course is a little restrictive to the truly adventurous golfer."
Kenny continues, "Although, as my photograph shows, the course does still provide a unique
challenge on occasion. I'm almost certain Tiger Woods has never had
to mutter to himself, "I'll aim over the right horn and hope for the
best"
while plotting his way round a course..." :
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Yes, Kenny, we agree, but it's when you actually make it to the green that the ubiquitous sheep-droppings become the biggest handicap of all...
We are grateful to Georgina Hobhouse for bringing to our attention a stunning new book, ideal in many ways for that Christmas Stocking. It is by Gary Mackay and is entitled "Jura : Language and Landscape"
The Isle of Jura is, nowadays, home to only a few hundred people yet every corner of this dramatic landscape is steeped in the stories and legends of those who have lived there in the past. The "Paps" of Jura dominate the seascape for miles around, especially from Colonsay, whether you are looking over from Scalasaig or even from the Golf Course, yet the island, with no direct ferry link with the Scottish mainland, is familiar to relatively few.
Those Readers who have been fortunate enough to visit the west of Jura in a small boat - perhaps going to Corpach as part of a "Colonsay Television Scheme" working party or on a trip to the West Loch in the "Lady Jayne", will already have some experience of Jura's now empty spaces. This new book, featuring more than fifty photographs of the island, will introduce you to both more of these and to the islands more intimate corners. Gary McKay has "illustrated" his remarkably detailed images with the traditional stories, translated from their original Gaelic, that are linked with each location.
Professor Gary McKay has been a research photographer at NASA and holds a PH.D from the School of Celtic Studies at Edinburgh University and has a world-wide reputation for his use of satellite imagery for archaeological work. He lives, with his family, on Jura, and works through the Feolin Study Centre, with whom House of Lochar on Colonsay have collaborated in the publication of this new book.
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Above, we can see one of the magnificent panoramic views from the book -this one of Scarba and the Corryvreckan, might almost have been taken from the Colonsay/Jura television mast!
Order from www.houseoflochar.com quoting "corncrake" for immediate delivery.
And at £15, it is quite a snip (and no, we are not on commission...).
ELEMENTS OF SCOTTISH LANDSCAPE
Staying momentarily on the subject of books, many Readers will recall Brian Hindmarch's definitive photographic record of a Hebridean island that is his 2003 book "Colonsay - Elements of an Island"
We now learn that Brian has an exhibition, entitled "Elements of Scottish Landscape", opening soon at Bradford University. In the exhibition, Brian's
breath-taking photography is supplemented and complemented by drawing, painting, and printmaking and his canvas broadens from solely Colonsay to include both the Inner and Outer Hebrides as well as the Scottish Borders.
Travelling through Scottish landscape, Brian draws to record his wide-angled focal points, seascapes, island locations, dense woodland, gestural surface texture and primary colour sourcing and then translates them directly on to the etching plate to examine the relationship between 'self' and 'otherness'.
The exhibition runs from Friday 21st October until Friday 2nd December, weekdays 11am - 5pm (Thursdays until 6pm), and the even better news is that admission is free. For further information, telephone 01274 235495 or e.mail: gallery@bradford.ac.uk
Avid readers of The Corncrake will recall the story shared with us by Hans Unkles of his grandparents' honeymoon on Colonsay in 1927, which appeared in Issue 122.
Sheila Duffy, who visited the island recently as part of the Macfie Clan Gathering, was inspired by the story to send us her story of her own honeymoon on Colonsay in 1958. Alas, it was not quite what we would term the happiest of honeymoons...
"On the 16th August 1958 I married the Rev James Duffy in Tewkesbury Abbey, and, as Colonsay is the homeland of the Duffys, naturally that is where we went for our honeymoon, staying at the Hotel, which was run by Mr and Mrs Jones. Unfortunately, Jim, my husband, suddenly became ill, and Dr MacDonald felt he should go to hospital immediately. In those days there was no Air Ambulance to Colonsay, so Dr MacDonald arranged for a helicopter to fly to Colonsay, pick Jim up and take him to Islay, where the Air Ambulance would be waiting for him.
First however, a helipad had to be constructed, I think on what is now the Golf Course and Mrs Jones, who was also the school mistress at that time, lined up all the school children to see the historic event - a helicopter on Colonsay!
Jim and I were duly wheeled out to await the big event. In due course a helicopter appeared in the sky and landed safely on the helipad. It took only a few moments to load us up and then take off again; I waved to the crowd below, school children, Mrs Jones and an assortment of locals and tourists. It was such an unusual event that it made the national newspapers with photographs of the Air Ambulance landing in Glasgow from where we were transferred to the Southern General Hospital.
Jim was put on the danger list, but the story does not end there, it had a very sad conclusion. The Glasgow reporters had contacted Jim's father in Birmingham, who, of course knew nothing of the drama and the shock of the news gave him a heart attack, from which he sadly died. Jim, it transpired, had a hiatus hernia, but the hospital allowed him to travel to Birmingham in a wheelchair to attend his father's funeral. Jim was ill for a further three months and thereafter lived in good health till his death, age 75, in 1992.
He completed 42 years of ministry as an Anglican priest and is buried in Ballachulich, Argyll, where he had been rector of St John's church. He loved Scotland but never forgot the inauspicious start to his married life.
I have been back in Colonsay many times over the years with my husband and later my two daughters on many happy occasions. Soon my grandchildren age 11 and 9 will be enjoying exploring the island where granddad made a little bit of history."
Our grateful thanks to Sheila for sharing that with us. And if you think that Sheila's name has a familiar ring to it, it is possibly because you have read her booklet "Colonsay and Oronsay", which she wrote in 1981 and which is still on sale on the island.
Regular Readers will recall that Alan Davis, author of the excellent "Colonsay's Fallen", continues his research into the lives of those whose names are inscribed on the war memorial in Scalasaig and the other casualties of war buried in the graveyards of Kilchattan and Oransay.
Although it is now over a year since the publication of his book, Alan has been continuing to gather information and in Issue 122 we were able to print the story of Engine Room Artificer 1523/EA Alfred Fisher, Royal Naval Reserve. Now Alan has concluded his research into the life of Petty Officer 170915 William Henry Boland, Royal Navy, and fascinating reading it makes too. Alan has kindly forwarded his information, in order that purchasers of "Colonsay's Fallen", should they so wish, can print a copy to keep with their book :
"William Henry Boland was born on 18 May 1875, son of Henry and Emily Boland, at 22, Spring Street, Portsea in Portsmouth. After leaving school he worked as a shop boy before following his father into the Royal Navy as a 2nd Class Boy on 14 December 1892. His naval career started aboard HMS 'Vincent' which had been commissioned as a Boy's Training Ship in Portsmouth. On 18 September 1895 he signed for twelve years service and much of the following four years were spent at HMS 'Excellent', the Gunnery School and HMS 'Vernon', the Torpedo School.
On 15 July 1899 he joined the crew of HMS 'Terrible' which had been launched on the Clyde in 1895 and, together with her sister ship HMS 'Powerful', was one of the largest 1st Class Cruisers of the day. En route to China, HMS 'Terrible' was diverted to South Africa arriving at Simonstown on 14 October 1899. British Army chiefs, having been outgunned by Boer troops who were threatening to take the garrison at Ladysmith, had sent out an appeal to the Royal Navy for long range gunnery support. After continuing to Durban, several of the ship's 12 pounder guns were removed and placed on special carriages which had been hastily designed by Captain Percy Scott of HMS 'Terrible' who was a gunnery expert. Together with a contingent of officers and crew, the guns were transported almost 200 miles by rail to Ladysmith. There they were unloaded and manhandled over rocky terrain into a position from which their fire could be brought to bear with great effect upon the Boer positions. After four months, Ladysmith was eventually relieved and this most famous of naval actions is still commemorated each year by the Field Gun Run at the Royal Tournament.
Leaving South Africa on 27 March 1900, HMS 'Terrible' continued her journey to China where she arrived with her crew of over 300 officers and men on 21 June. Just four days later her guns were in action once again, this time in helping to bring relief to the besieged city of Peking during the Boxer Uprising.
Following this eventful period of service, William Henry Boland returned to Portsmouth, was promoted to the rank of Petty Officer and after further time spent at HMS 'Excellent', became a Gunnery Instructor. On 21 November he married Rose Elizabeth and they were to have five children.
Feb 1907 saw the end of his 12 year service, however he elected to continue his naval career and over the next seven years saw service aboard a number of cruisers including HMS 'Emerald', HMS 'Philomel', HMS 'Eclipse', HMS 'Juno', HMS 'Dryad', and HMS 'Ariadne'.
On 30 November 1914, following the outbreak of WW1, he joined the crew of HMS 'Viknor', an armed merchant cruiser, which was part of the 10th Cruiser Squadron. Their role was to defend the seas between Ireland and the west coast of Scotland.
On 13 Jan 1915, HMS Viknor was on patrol near Tory Island, off the coast of Northern Ireland, when she sank in heavy seas with the loss of all on board. Although the weather conditions were severe at the time, the exact cause of the sinking is still not known, as the area had recently been sown with German mines.
Sadly, Petty Officer William Henry Boland lost his life on that day, and after his body was recovered from the shores of Colonsay, he was buried in the graveyard at Kilchattan.
The bodies of two other sailors from HMS Viknor were also recovered and buried at Kilchattan, namely Seaman 1034/X John Bowen Mercer, Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve, aged 22 and Private PO/10910 Edward Palmer, Royal Marine Light Infantry, aged 31. In addition, the body of Engine Room Artificer 1523/EA Alfred Fisher, Royal Naval Reserve, was recovered and buried in the graveyard at Oronsay Priory (see Issue 122).
Although the precise location and date of where the photograph of Petty Officer William Henry Boland was taken are unknown, the medals and badges on his uniform suggest that it must have been some time after 1903. The three stripes on the left sleeve are good conduct chevrons and denote a total of at least 13 years of good service. Above them, the crossed, fouled anchors show the rank of Petty Officer. On the right sleeve, the badge consisting of crossed gun barrels indicate that he was a Gunnery Instructor during the period 1903-1909.
The three medals are difficult to identify due to the lack of detail, however one can come to an informed opinion based upon his service record, a copy of which was obtained from the National Archives. The medal nearest the sleeve would appear to be for Long Service and Good conduct, awarded after 15 years. The others are almost certainly campaign medals - the middle one being the Queens South Africa Medal for the relief of Ladysmith during the Boer War in 1899 and the last one being the Third China War Medal with a clasp for the relief of Peking during the Boxer Uprising in 1900.
In compiling this commemoration of the life of Petty Officer William Henry Boland, I am indebted to his granddaughter Jan Baldwin who, together with two great granddaughters, still lives in Portsmouth today. Last year, Jan visited Colonsay for the first time and after making contact with her through The Corncrake, she was able to share with me some family history as well as the photograph of her grandfather."
Our grateful thanks go yet again to Alan for his sterling work.
And now we see the return of our occasional "joke" feature, "The Humours of Kiloran". And we are grateful to Mark Hemmings for sharing the following with us :
Two brooms were hanging in the closet and after a while they got to
know
each other so well, they decided to get married.
One broom was, of course, the bride broom, the other the groom broom.
The bride broom looked very beautiful in her white dress. The groom
broom was handsome and suave in his tuxedo. The wedding was lovely.
After the wedding, at the wedding dinner, the bride-broom leaned over
and said to the groom-broom, "I think I am going to have a little whisk
broom!!!"
"IMPOSSIBLE !!" said the groom broom.
Are you ready for this?
Brace yourself; this is going to hurt...
"WE HAVEN'T EVEN SWEPT TOGETHER!"
Yes, a definite "boom! boom!" moment there, Mark...
Many Readers have commented on how much they enjoyed Sue Taylor's photographic contribution in Issue 124.
Well, there is good news, as The Corncrake has secured another photograph from the same lens, and with that same reflective quality. On this occasion, Sue's subject is that oft-ignored spot, Turraman Loch.
Many thanks again, Sue :
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So, do you have a snap that you would like to share with your fellow Readers? If so, e.mail or post it today. Fame and adulation beckon.
When we think of the flora and fauna of Colonsay, there is one mammal that we are liable to overlook. Alan Davis (yes, him again! He'll be wanting paid next...) is however about to change that, for he contributes this Issue's "Nature Notes" - and his subject matter is ...Bats!
Yes, that surprised you, didn't it? Not everyone’s cup of tea perhaps, but certainly an interesting and
probably
not very frequently seen inhabitant of Colonsay – the Brown Long-Eared
Bat,
[Plecotus auritus].
Alan has even provided us with a photograph which he tells us is of one of a small number of
individuals which were seen roosting daily in an occupied property
during
late May and early June of this year.
And, ready or not, here it is :
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Loder [1935] mentions that the Common Bat or Pipistrelle, [Pipistrellus pipistrellus], "has only become at all common in the islands since the last quarter of the nineteenth century". He also notes that in J.A. Harvie-Brown and T.E. Buckley’s "A Vertebrate fauna of Argyll and the Inner Hebrides" [1892], the Long-Eared Bat is mentioned as one of a number of mammals not recorded for Colonsay and Oronsay.
Newton [1990] records that both the Pipistrelle and Long-Eared Bat are present on Colonsay and Oronsay and both have been recorded using a ‘bat detector’ which converts the distinctive ‘radar’ emissions of each species into an identifiable, audible sound.
The Brown Long-Eared Bat is fairly widespread in Scotland, only being absent from some of the outer islands as well as exposed and mountainous parts of the mainland. It is the third most common bat in Britain and is not thought to be threatened - however it should be stressed that all bat species are fully protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 so that it is an offence to kill, injure or disturb them.
No, Alan, we weren't even thinking of going near...
And yet another contribution this Issue from a member of the Clan Macfie. In this instance, it comes from the pen of Norman MacAfee, a writer, translator, visual artist and editor, who lives in Greenwich Village, New York.
Norman travelled to the recent Clan Gathering, an event which provided him with the inspiration to write a poem entitled "Colonsay Ceilidh" about the members of the Clan. And without further ado, here it is :
We play the pipes around the world.
We grow Christmas trees.
We are Dutch keepers of the video record.
We paint pictures and write poems and books and opera and films.
We can supply a plumber on a Saturday.
We dance and sing.
We spread the gospel of feminism to Oklahoma.
We spread the gospel of Jesus to Tennessee.
We write the book The Gospel According to RFK.
We write the book Colonsay and Oronsay.
We write the book The Macfie Walk in Oban.
We are four daughters all full of life living in Edmonton, Alberta.
We breed horses in Ireland.
We tend to the problems of troubled souls.
The ancient golden horse of the old-growth forest guides us.
We fundraise.
We play the Celtic harp, the clarsach.
We have visions of a MacFie Center of the Arts, Genealogy, History and
Legend on Colonsay.
Bob McFie the Piper is our living national treasure.
We farm in Canada, Arkansas and Tennessee.
We are tinkers.
We would steal the goat tethered on the moor if need be.
We watch over galleries in Vancouver.
We go to the best movie house in little Sidney, British Columbia.
We teach Gaelic. We speak Gaelic. We sing Gaelic.
We study Old Scots and Scottish History.
When the clan meets, we feel the blood of the MacFies coursing through
our
veins.
We feel all the blood that takes us back to Chieftain Malcolm at his
stake,
and to Mariota, that strong woman,
and to Murdoch.
We feel the blood of Duffie
the black man of peace
we the people of ancient knowledge
we the people before the Celts
we the keepers of the records
we the broken clan
we cover the earth
we the clan reborn.
©2005 Norman MacAfee
And a huge "thank-you" to Norman for sharing that with us. Islanders will see Norman again soon too, as he advises us that he will be returning to Colonsay next May-June to finish his new book, "THE BALLAD OF MALCOLM MACFIE".
These last few weeks have been a burden for our erswhile "Scottish Postman of the Year", Keith Rutherford, as he carried sack after sack of mail up to Corncrake Towers, each sack containing responses to our "Where?" photograph from our last Issue. And coincidentally, if it were not for Keith, we may indeed have been stuck for our last "Where?" photograph.
For, as identified by what seems like everyone in the Western Hemisphere, the mystery object in question is to be found in Keith's front garden at High Tor :
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But, the question on everyone's lips is : "What is it?"
Step forward one Kenny Rutherford, who asserts that the object in question is "a piece of modern art, inviting
the
viewer to stop and ponder the decline of the railway in modern
society. Or something."
Methinks his father disagrees, particularly over the use of the word "decline". Words will be spoken.
In actual fact, the lamp and its stem, of Victorian vintage, were purchased by Keith back in 1967 and installed by him at High Tor in 1978.
The stem itself once belonged to Great Northern Railways (GNR) and came from Redsall Station in Derbyshire, while the lamp unit belonged to Midland Railway and came from Standwell Station (which apparently had no seating arrangements in place when it was named...). Alas, the lamp unit has not adorned the stem for a decade or so, having been taken to another part of the island for "emergency" repair. Its return is, of course, expected "imminently", once it moves from the "pending" tray to the "in" tray of the would-be repairer. Our advice however is not to hold your breath...
And to conclude our little piece on Keith's little piece of railway history, we have not one, but two, photographs of the item in its full glory, the first in the front garden at High Tor (complete with double rainbow) and the second, for Readers of more mature vintage, of the lamp in its original Colonsay location of Port Mór, in the house known at that time as "Machrins Cottage" :
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 unique and very Colonsay-esque pattern? And what exactly is it and just what is it doing on Colonsay?:
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.
Before we can turn our attention to our "Look Back" photograph from our last Issue, I'm afraid that we must return to our snap from Issue 123, one of a group of local worthies enjoying a wee refreshment in the bar of the then Colonsay Hotel. And no, it is not because some enterprising Reader has discovered what was actually in Ross's piece...
No, we have received a communication from Cameron Hall-Gardiner (see Letters section) who avers that the person everyone identified as being Andrew Abrahams is in fact his brother Norman Hall-Gardiner. So who is right?
John Clarke also wrote (see Letters Section again), advising that this was a fiercesome night, and coincidentally, the very night that he became aware of a peculiar sloping in the floor of the bar...
A further letter was received from Hughie McNeill, (yes, we know, see the Letters section...), who was disturbed that his name should be associated with the partaking of wee refreshments at the bar and tells us that the figure on the extreme left is not himself at all, but his brother Seumas :
Aye well, we'll get it right eventually...
And so to our photograph from Issue 124, one taken when the island supported a fairly major Girl Guide troop, for we are led to believe that the seven girls pictured were in fact only the tip of the Guiding iceberg of the time. So let us look again at these smartly turned-out girls :
Well, did you get them all? If you wish to continue guessing at just who the girls are, please look away now, for the girls have been identified (hopefully correctly!) as follows :
Sheila McArthur, Netta (Titterton) Ogilvie, Isabel (Cursitor) MacGilivray, Annie (Davies) MacDougall, Fiona (McCalman) MacAllister, Mary (Rees) MacDougall, and, of course, Eleanor (McNeill) Ogilvie. And the Guide Leader? None other than the wife of the then School Master, Mrs Mitchell. So there you are.
And for our "Look Back" photograph for this Issue, we go back to Nineteen-canteen, except that the canteen in this instance is an al-fresco one, the occasion being a party of islanders on a beach-picnic :
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And thanks go to Netta for provision of this flashback to yesteryear, when men were men and women were glad (plagiarism doesn't make you a bad person, does it?). So, who can give us the names of the picnickers of yore? And, just how long ago did this feast take place? Lines are now open...
The island is quiet at the moment as islanders, and their families, take advantage of the end of the visitor season and the current school holidays to have their own annual break. One such holidaymaker is Pedie MacNeill, and so the remaining islanders have been treated to the sight of things to come, in the shape of Mike McNicholl, who officially takes over the reins in the Shop at the beginning of November, but who is covering for Pedie in his absence.
And for those Readers unable to see this phenomenon in person, The Corncrake's Photographic Desk has been busy down at the Shop and, after days of constant shadowing, can now provide a photograph of Mike in action. Here we see the shopkeeper-in-waiting, something of a connoisseur already of a range of alcoholic beverages, explaining to a potential customer the subtle aftertaste of burnt cinammon, coriander and used domino of the Chateauneuf du Pape, 1978 :
He will do well.
And so to another enterprising islander.
Many Readers will recall with affection the B & B which operated at Smiddy Cottage for many years but which alas, is no longer with us. The good news however, is that the operator of that celebrated establishment, the DNA-tested Angus MacPhee, has recently moved into Calcraig Cottage and thrown open the doors to paying guests.
So, if you enjoy the heady mixture of pipe-smoke and frying bacon, or if you simply wish to be able to boast that you have spent the night with a MacPhee whose lineage stretches back into the mists of time, then this is the B & B of your dreams. Bookings can now be made by telephoning 01951 200228 or 07884 316335. Pro Rege!
In Issue 124, we carried Julia Page's tales of Archie MacConnell's dog, Tibby. Now it is the turn of another of Archie's dogs, Roy, to feature in these hallowed pages. For, a few weeks ago, Roy was close to death with imminent liver and kidney failure until Archie took Roy to Oban Vets in the vain hope that something could be done.
Archie reports that Oban Vets went the extra mile, with blood samples being sent to such diverse destinations as Glasgow and Belfast for analysis. One of the vets, Max Bonnywell, even took Roy home for the weekend, rather than leave him alone in a kennel. After much care, accurate diagnoses and appropriate treatment, Roy began to improve and we can now report that he is back home and looking even better than Archie.
The vets however had diagnosed Leptospirosis as the root cause of Roy's problems and, as Leptospirosis is highly contagious amongst animals (and can even be contracted by humans) the vets offered to travel to Colonsay to carry out a series of innoculations on the island's dog population.
And so on the 8th October, the Piershed became a temporary veterinary surgery as 35 island dogs and their owners converged on the building. The Corncrake Photographic Desk valiantly tried to record the inevitable melée, but the concomitant traffic congestion ensured that it was all over bar the barking by the time the Desk won the length of the Piershed. Well, at least it was quieter by then, and we still managed a photograph of Will Dady holding his dog steady as vet Tristan Carré came to the end of an exhausting shift which left him, well, dog-tired... :
There is no truth in the rumour that this year's Corncrake Staff Night Out is being sponsored by Oban Vets.
On Thursday 6th October, the island was without electricity for much of the day as some planned system upgrades were implemented (for the technically minded, some old gubbings were apparently replaced with sleek shiny new ones).
Just as the peace of the day was pervading the offices of Corncrake Towers, we were quite rudely awakened by the harsh tones of the ringing of the newly installed telephonic instrument thing . It was a concerned citizen who wished their identity kept a secret (Princess Anne has never forgiven him apparently), with the news that one of Scottish and Southern Energy's (SSE's) vehicles had got stuck on the Strand. However, by the time the Corncrake team reached the Strand, some other SSE vehicle had managed to free the trapped one. All was not lost however, as God in His wisdom had seen fit to arrange for the recovery vehicle, a cherrypicker, to itself get stuck in the process of freeing its partner, and so the Corncrake team's journey was not just another wasted two mile fuel bill :
Fortunately, two other SSE vehicles, with winches, were able to free the cherrypicker before it was submerged by the incoming tide.
Oh, and here's a shot of the Strand, amazingly (for The Corncrake at least) free of stuck vehicles :
And so to two tales from previous Issues.
Firstly we return to Issue 123 when we reported on the strange case of the legless and motionless boots which appeared at Georgina's "Poolside Gallery" on the opening night of Zoe Fagg's exhibition back in August. Despite the widespread publicity of a mention in The Corncrake, the boots remain unclaimed. You could even say that it was sole-destroying, but probably wouldn't want to...
So, in one last effort to re-unite boots and owner, here again is a mug shot of the apparently unloved items of footwear :
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Moving on, we return now to Issue 124 when The Corncrake broke the stunning news to an unsuspecting world that the Seaman's Mission in Liverpool was based in a building by the name of "Colonsay House". We appealed for any information as to why, or how, this came about. But, to date, nothing. Not a jot. Come on Readers, someone somewhere must know something!
And the eyes have it. Or at least they will later this week, when an optometrist visits the island. Mr Matheson, an optometrist from Oban, will be available for consultation on Wednesday pm 19th October and Thusday am 20th October, in the function room of The Colonsay.
To make an appointment, call 0845 230 EYES (3937), a local-rate call. See you there, or not, as indeed the case might be...
Film critics, journalists and editors from regional media across the UK convened for the 50th Cinema Days event which took place in Milton Keynes earlier this month. It was the largest gathering of regional film journalists in Europe this year, featuring an unprecedented line-up of international previews and presentations.
To celebrate Cinema Days' golden milestone, Film Distributors' Association (FDA), the trade body which organises the event, conducted an extensive poll among regional film writers and critics. Staff and freelance contributors to local newspapers, broadcasters and websites UK-wide were invited first to nominate and then to vote on the films which, in their view, had made the most atmospheric use of British locations - where the exterior settings themselves added a strong sense of time and place to the story.
More than 2,000 votes were cast, and the winning film was "Local Hero". But lurking there in the Top 20 (just) was the unforgettable "I Know Where I'm Going" in which Wendy Hiller knew exactly where she was going, and that was Colonsay, or "Kiloran" as they cunningly called it, ensuring the island didn't get overrun with film-loving tourists the year after its release.
We feel sure that many Readers will recall the scenes in which the hapless travellers phoned "Kiloran" from a phone box with a thunderous waterfall just outside the door, whilst they waited on a ferry that never came (no, just let's not go there...).
Well, believe it or not, the phone box in which you can't hear anything for the sound of the waterfall was not a cinematographic invention; it actually existed. And, as Kevin Byrne discovered earlier this year on a trip to Carsaig on Mull, the phone box is still there to this day!
You don't believe it? Well, fortunately for us, Kevin had his camera handy on the day in question and returned triumphantly with photographic evidence :
"Kiloran calling. Kiloran Calling...". Ah yes, they just don't make them like that any more...
Ah! Caption time again! And this time we had a record entry (double figures! Wow!), attracted by the photograph of a young Hamish Grant's optimism concerning the capabilities of his new toy, as snapped by Netta a year or two back.
And look where this eventually took the young Hamish, for he is now a student at an agricultural college on the mainland. Ah yes, the toys we play with as children can shape our lives...
Anyway, enough random rambling, and back to the point. We are pleased to advise that the winner of our Issue 124 competition is none other than local resident Frank Nicholson, who submitted the following caption :
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The King is dead, so long live the King, as they say, which means that we move inexorably forward to the competition for our current Issue. And breaking with tradition, our caption photograph is a topical one. So, what can our dear Readers make of this one :
Entries as usual to : editorcorncrake@yahoo.co.uk ; by telephone : 01951 200336 ; or by post to : A.N.Other, The Corncrake Caption Competition (Issue 125), 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,
Recent Corncrake correspondents have asked where demand for the Colonsay Airstrip project has come from and why did no one ask the islanders.
Using the Freedom of Information Act I have been making inquiries of Argyll and Bute Council, HIE and the Scottish Executive.
I have no view on the need or otherwise of the project but was interested in discovering how Colonsay looked like ending up with an air service subsidised to the tune of £1.3 M a year that apparently so few wanted.
So its seems the idea for this came from Argyll and Bute Council which identified a source of European funding for the scheme which would appear to run out next year.
Demand for such a service was established in 2000 by consultants Steer Davies Gleave of Edinburgh who reported to the council in July of that year. In short, they tried to establish existing travel arrangements of islanders and their likelihood of using an air service. While they asked residents about the travelling preferences of their visitors it seems no non island residents were surveyed. I imagine this non resident group may well be the largest user of current services.
They outlined two potential services: one a pre booked taxi type flight that would operate only if sufficient people wanted to use it at any particular time highlighting the benefit of such a service to the school children. The other potential was a three times a week service to Oban, again timed to get schoolchildren home for the weekend. Fares were pitched at £78 return with various “offers” to reduce it. 39 households were surveyed, a total of 57 adults and 13 children.
The results stretch over many pages but boil down to a few indicative findings. Most people are at least reasonably happy with the ferry service as it is. As far as use of the air service is concerned the survey suggested seven out of 10 islanders would use the air service, an average of 1.9 trips in the six months after its start. Between 10 and 30 per cent of ferry traffic would be lost to the air service, the higher figure based on a service offering frequent flights at low fares, the lower the other way round. The consultants concluded a viable level of demand for the service.
The whole issue is very complicated and has many implications. One factor may be Catriona MacLennan’s recent statement during a visit to Colonsay that if they lost the mail contract to an air operator she would cease freight services to Colonsay as she needs the Royal Mail money to “subsidise” the other freight.
I have yet to uncover any evidence of demand for the service coming from outside of the Argyll and Bute Council. No letters from the public or any other bodies asking for such a service.
The demand for the service has been established to the satisfaction of the council by a survey five years ago of a majority of the islanders based on vague concepts and a range of possibilities.
I imagine by now the council and their “partners” know what model of air service they are going to provide and its actual cost. Not even local government could be silly enough to build an air strip and then look at what they are going to put on it. Crucially it will by now be known for sure if schoolchildren will be able to use the flight to get home for weekends, and at what cost.
I have asked for the environmental impact reports from A and B but they have not so far been forthcoming. These should be circulated by the council, if they have not been already at some point.
So perhaps it is time to discover the Island’s true feelings by asking a question of all residents based on the facts and then a real decision can be reached. The community council could take a lead on this, if they thought it appropriate.
Yours sincerely,
David Johnston.
Dear Editor,
I am writing to protest most strongly about an insinuation which occurred in the latest issue of "The Corncrake".
You besmirched my character by suggesting that I was involved in a "stag night". I have to point out that the person in the photograph is, in fact, my brother Seumas.
At the time this picture was taken, I was not in the vicinity. Indeed, if I remember correctly, I was already under the table by this stage.
Please correct this and remove the stain from my character.
Thank you,
Hugh A McNeill.
PS Glad to see the SPL trophy has been recovered, after being stolen from Celtic in May.
Keep up the good work,
Hughie.
Dear Editor,
Re your feature "Where"? It is the only lampost of its kind on
Colonsay (or remains of), outside Keith's house.
Bessie had it installed when she and the family
moved from Port Mor.
Moving on to the "Look Back" feature, I believe that the guy with the red check shirt is my brother, Norman
Hall-Gardiner. The features to me are quite
unmistakable, the shirt I blagged off him some time
later, (when I was into checked shirts that is).
Kind regards,
Cameron Hall-Gardiner.
Dear Editor,
Re your "Look Back" photograph in Issue 123, I'm pretty certain that the picture is of Nigel's stag night - so it is no wonder that few can remember who was there! The turnout was huge with very few not attending - one reason why 10 of us were crammed into the corner by the door.
I'd guess that the picture was taken fairly early on in the evening - before the first of three, giant 'kitties' had been exhausted. I do remember that it was on that night that I discovered how badly the floor of the bar sloped in those days - one moment you could be stood at the bar waiting for your drink and the next you were leaning against the wall by the door. Interestingly, it seemed to slope both ways as, when you attempted to leave, it carried you backwards to the bar again. I felt that the problem was eventually resolved when the whole place got a makeover and the bar was moved a little nearer to the door.
By the way, I too think that the partly hidden reveller was David Hobhouse. There was another strange incident that night (I think it was that night). Two volunteers were dispatched to peform a stripogram (no names!). I've always wondered whether they made it to the other party and if so, whether they came back!
All the best,
John Clarke.
(So, who can enlighten us a little more on the stripogram issue? - Ed.).
Dear Editor,
I was glad to see the news about the apparent extension to the golf
course mentioned in the current Corncrake. I've long thought that the
current course is a little restrictive to the truly adventurous golfer.
Although, as the attached photo shows, it does still provide a unique
challenge on occasion. I'm almost certain Tiger Woods has never had
to mutter to himself, "I'll aim over the right horn and hope for the
best"
while plotting his way round a course.
Best wishes
Kenny.
PS I think I know where the mystery object is as well! As to its
function, it is of course intended as a piece of modern art, inviting
the
viewer to stop and ponder the decline of the railway in modern
society. Or something.
Kenny Rutherford
Dairy Cow Welfare Researcher
Sustainable Livestock Systems, SAC
Bush Estate, Midlothian EH26 0PH
(Kenny's photograph is to be found elsewhere in this Issue - Ed.).
Dear Editor,
During the time when Kevin Bryne was editor I shared with the readers of the Corncrake the details of my project to repair the stones and put in new bases for the gravestones in Rusk's Cemetery, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada.
Everyone everyone buried in this little rural cemetery either came from the Isle of Colonsay, married someone who came from Colonsay or was a Baptist.
There are 351 people buried there but only 243 have their name on a stone. I have researched all the families and written a series of six books telling in narrative form about the lives of these people. Each story starts in Colonsay and chronicles their experiences starting life in a new country.
Many of their descendants have contacted me through the Corncrake and purchased books. Kevin also sells them in his book store. All the money from the sale of these books has gone towards clearing away brush, building a new fence and putting new bases under the stones.
I am pleased to report the five-year project is completed and looks beautiful. The local municipality keeps the grass cut and has also done some levelling of graves.
Please print this good news in the Corncrake. Anyone wanting further information can contact me.
Mary MacKay
jms.mackay@bmts.com
(Mary's invaluable work will feature in our next Issue - Ed.).
Dear A.N.Other,
Here's my caption:
Greetings from the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta,
Steve Murray,
Albuquerque,
New Mexico,
USA
P.S. Loved your "gobsmacked" caption, which I somehow discovered when
googling some nautical terms.
(Looks as if Albuquerque is only up to Issue 116...Ed.)
Dear Editor,
I am a Scottish Ambulance Service IHCD State Registered Qualified Ambulance Paramedic and, as part of a scheme to introduce first aid courses to the Scottish Islands, I would like to ask the Colonsay community if they would be interested in such a course.
The course would include all general aspecs of first aid in the community including recognition of cardiac arrest and how to deal with it! Also recovery position in an unconsious patient, Burns, Fractures and Bleeding....etc!
All resuscitation equipment would be included and this course is totally free to Island communities.
If you as a Island community would be interested in this course please let me know.
email... gordon@frame469.fsnet.co.uk
Gordon Frame.
Dear Editor,
I believe the 4th guide from the left was my late wife Annie(McDougall)
Davies & the 2nd from the right being her sister Mary (McDougall) Rees.
Regards,
John Rees Davies
Barry
Vale of Glamorgan
South Wales.
(John is of course correct, and the identities of all the guides is given in our "Look Back" feature in this very Issue. - Ed.).
Dear Editor,
I live in Manhattan, an island slightly smaller than
Colonsay. Manhattan with 2 million people is 23 square miles, while
Colonsay
with 100 people is 24 square miles. I feel at home on both isles.
I am
writing The Ballad of Malcolm MacFie, which will be my 11th or 12th
book. I
began writing the poem "Colonsay Ceilidh" in Inverness and read it at the Clan MacFie
Gathering ceilidh in the Colonsay Hall, September 12, 2005, my first
visit
to Colonsay. It is about the people at the clan gathering. "I" becomes
"we."
As Shiona MacKay said to me the day I started to write the poem,
because of
attending the Gathering, "You will feel the blood of the MacFies
coursing
through your veins." That line inevitably found its way into the poem.
By
the way, if you attended the Parliament and clan gathering and have
something you¹d like me to add to the poem, email me at
nsmacafee@earthlink.net.
Norman MacAfee.
(Norman's poem is to be found in the "Poetry Corner" of this very Issue, so if you missed it, we urge you to scroll back a few pages. - Ed.).