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Well, here we are. The 23rd, and the final, Corncrake of the year 2005. Aye, enough to bring a tear to a glass eye.

But this is not the season to be maudlin, and after all, there will be plenty more Corncrakes making that by now familiar noise next year. And we've still got this one to enjoy together. So, go on, pour that mulled wine, dig in to that mince pie and let's party!

And this wee island is fairly getting into the mood already. The festive season on Colonsay got formally kicked off on Thursday evening last (the 15th), when we congregated in the Hall for the annual school Christmas concert (which is held once a year) - see next feature. The following afternoon, Diane and Netta ran a Book Fair in the Hall, which was ideal for getting a hold of that special present for Mrs Editor. (Oops! Don't tell!).

Then tonight, the 17th, Jo and Lucky have invited the whole island to a party at the Backpacker's Bothy, which in light of the full moon, includes an outdoor barbecue. Yes, a barbecue in December. Jo and Lucky assure us that it'll be fine - they often have them in December back home in New Zealand apparently. Yes, it promises to be one really cool evening!

Then there is to be a Christmas Party in the Hall on the 24rd, which again is open to all. And, whisper it, it is rumoured that a certain jovial gentleman in red, complete with reindeers, is to make an appearance. No doubt by then the islanders will be joined by a host of festive revellers from that big land over the water. (How does Santa know to find them on Colonsay? Makes you wonder...).

And everywhere you go, the festive spirit is in the air. A bit of tinsel here, some mistletoe there, and a Christmas tree and festive tablecloths in May's world-famous Pantry :

And even down at the pier-shed, where the words 'customer' and 'care' are rarely to be found in the same sentence, the CalMac crew are to be found pushing the festive boat out :

And no, any quips about the CalMac balloons would be considered inappropriate - heavens, some of us have got to work there sometimes!

So, Colonsay is a grand place to be at this time of year. Come to think about it, it's a grand place to be the whole year round. Ah! So THAT's why we live here?

Oh! And before I forget dear Reader, here's your Christmas card :

Remaining for the moment on a festive season theme, Thursday evening last brought with it that annual treat, the Kilchattan Primary School Christmas Concert.

And a crowded Island Hall was treated, as ever, to a quite stunning evening's entertainment that brought great credit to both the pupils and the staff of "oor wee school".

Before the play 'Rockpool Rap' began, Emma acted as MC and introduced a succession of musicians in which EVERY pupil of the school contributed. First up was Liam on the recorder, followed by Lewis Beag who also gave us a tune on the recorder. Lewis Mór was next and played 'Carle wi' the Breeks' on the chanter, an ode to the Head Teacher perhaps?

Wee Katy then played the keyboard and, underlying her musical talent, she then gave us a tune on the recorder for good measure. This was great stuff indeed, each act surely making it more difficult for the next young artiste to follow. But follow they did, and next Liam (bodhran) and Lewis Mór (acoustic guitar) gave a fine rendition of 'Ye Jacobites'. This was swiftly followed by another double act, Ryan and Holly playing a haunting 'Warriors Brave' on recorders :

And then, to emphasise the musical dexterity that exists within the school, up popped Glen to give us two tunes on his harmonica! Bob Dylan eat your heart out! Glen had hardly got back to his seat when we were treated to another duet, this time Emma herself (recorder) and Lewis Mór (acoustic guitar), complete with Lewis Beag, Tom, Neil and Katy singing 'Away in a Manger'. Just how many grandweans does that Irene have?

Now it was time for a little audience participation as Lewis Mór brought out his electric guitar and launched into Slade's classic 'Merry Xmas Everybody'. Everyone in the Hall had been given the words of the chorus ("So here it is..." och, surely you remember?), so soon the whole place was rockin'!

And then to round off this segment (just a warm up to the play!), Emma played 'Lord of the Dance' on her recorder, with Pedie giving a fine, sympathetic, fingerpicked accompaniment on the acoustic guitar. What a finale! And what an evening's entertainment! And what an advert for Kilchattan Primary School!

By this time our hands were red raw with clapping, but the kids carried on regardless, and soon we were being treated to the play 'Rockpool Rap', which, as its name suggests, contained even more music. And this time even the pre-school kids contributed, with Archie Hannah wielding his conductor's baton and Dylan Dady helping to keep the rhythm going on drum and on home-made maraca - see below :

'Rockpool Rap' was great fun, the kids enjoying it every bit as much as the audience. Something of an instructive piece, the play was about a guitar-wielding clam who gets too big-headed and leaves the rockpool for the lure of the big ocean. He soon finds himself out of his depth though and quickly becomes aware of the importance of friends. And so we all should, particularly at this time of the year (hint, hint). We find a nice malt is always well received...

Back in Issue 126, we featured the sterling work being done by Jim McLoughlin and Sid Bowman as part of the project to eradicate the major rhododendron "ponticum" which threatens to take over, and squeeze the life-blood (or should that be life-sap?), from significant parts of the island.

At that time, we promised to return for an 'after' photograph, and now our regular Reader has been on wondering where it is. So, not wishing to become totally redundant, off we set the other day to the policies across the road from Avenue Cottage.

Well, the area we visited only a few short weeks ago has now been transformed beyond all recognition - the myriad mass of rhodie has now been cleared and for the first time in perhaps over 50 years, it has returned to a natural woodland state. This is almost impossible to capture with a camera, hence the usefulness of a 'before' and 'after' shot. The photograph on the right below was taken from exactly the same spot as that on the left, which was taken just as Jim was about to begin tackling that particular section :

The visit also afforded another photograph which perhaps shows even more vividly the sheer scale of the ponticum problem. Below we see Jim at the base of a massive, uprooted tree - a tree that no one knew was there as it has been completely obscured by rhodie for many, many years :

And finally, Jim and Sid were able to lead us to an old disused quarry, a quarry that virtually no one knew existed, as again it had been totally and utterly covered for well over half a century by, ultimately, 60 to 70 feet high rhodie 'bushes' :

Extensive enquiries re the purpose and history of the quarry were made, but to no avail. Even the Old Laird, now over 80 and who played there as a boy, did not know of its existence. Just when it seemed that any information relating to this quarry was lost irretrievably in the mists of time, our oldest resident, the 96 years-young Dugie MacGilvary, came to the rescue. Dugie remembers the quarry from the days of his youth and was able to tell us that the stone quarried there was used to build the Keeper's house, which is of course now the Backpacker's Lodge.

So, through the 'rhodie project', a little piece of Colonsay history has been retained. So a big pat on the back for Jim And Sid - but there again, perhaps not, for the area that they are currently working on is the side of a 'ravine', sloping down some hundred feet or so at an angle of some 60 degrees. Dangerous work it is, particularly when it's wet. Aye, we'll maybe reserve the pat on the back for when they're both back on the level.

Not that the intrepid duo will be forgotten, for we hear that Kate is writing a song about their exploits, perhaps ensuring their immortality in Colonsay folklore. Watch out for further information on this in a future Corncrake!

In this run up to Christmas, how many of us are shopping locally, and how many of us are travelling to large supermarkets and shopping malls? Can rural shops such as our own much-loved Island Store survive?

Your Editor recently came across an article in the Rural Gateway (http://www.ruralgateway.org.uk) which we thought was quite interesting and which pointed out that whilst Sweden, Finland and Scotland all have huge areas that are sparsely populated, when it comes to recognising and providing assistance to the often-struggling rural shops that serve these areas, there the similarity ends.

In all three countries, rural shops have been in decline for some time. In Sweden many rural shops were closing but since the 1970s the government has been providing subsidies to secure access to groceries for rural inhabitants.

In Finland between 1992 and 2002, the number of rural shops fell by around 50% and they too are now taking action. Since January 2004 the Ministry of Trade has been providing financial support for village and mobile shops. One of the Finnish Government's 133 commitments for action in the next four years is to develop the 'support system for village shops in remote regions into a multi-service network'. This is because the Finns have found that having a local 'multi-service' shop "enhances the quality of life for inhabitants, discourages rural depopulation, improves employment and encourages economic diversification."

The Swedish system has recently been overhauled with the Swedish Consumers Agency managing a nationwide programme to secure good access to shops for all. Shops can apply for an investment grant, a temporary grant to take care of an emergency, and a home delivery grant. Shopkeepers in rural Sweden who deliver groceries to the elderly are paid up to 13 Euros per delivery. It is clear that the Finnish and Swedish Governments realise that these services are a key factor in the viability of life in a rural area, a lesson that the Scottish Executive has still to take on board.

Centralised assistance apart, the killer for island shops such as our own is of course the cost of freight. A loaf, for example, that may be bought on the mainland for around 30p, costs Ł1.30 on Colonsay - the dearest bread we believe in the whole of the UK. Until the freight problem is addressed, it is only natural that islanders will continue to take the bulk of their grocery needs to the mainland, leaving the 'lifeline' local store's long-term future in jeopardy.

This article is supported by Colonsay General Stores, or at least we hope that it will be...

In recent years, the Isle of Colonsay has become inexorably linked with the tragic events of 2nd July 1940 when over 800 lives were lost as a result of the sinking of the SS 'Arandora Star' some 75 miles off the coast of Ireland. Those who lost their lives on that day include many Italian and German internees as well as British Merchant Navy and Army personnel. Tides and currents brought the bodies of some of those poor souls to the shores of Colonsay and Oransay where today their final resting places can still be found.

It is therefore quite natural that the Colonsay Website has become a focal point where browsers of the Internet can direct enquiries and share information and stories about those who lost their lives 65 years ago. Many readers have been in contact, anxious to know if we can provide any information as to where their loved ones may have been buried or commemorated.

Recently for example, we have been contacted by Jehane Melluish of Somerset whose father, Lieut. E. F. Miles of the King's Royal Rifle Corps was part of the guard party aboard the SS 'Arandora Star'. He was one of a number of officers that survivors of the sinking recall, bravely handing over their own lifejackets to internees, before returning to their positions on the bridge and going down with the stricken ship. In addition we have recently been contacted by John Russell from Devon who noted that Captain Edgar Moulton, Master of the SS 'Arandora Star', is commemorated on his local war memorial in the village of Broadhembury. Captain Moulton was posthumously awarded the Lloyd's Medal for Bravery at Sea as a result of his actions on that day.

Given such web-based interest, it is entirely appropriate that there is to be a section of the Colonsay Website dedicated to the victims of the Arandora Star.

Alan Davis, (author of the fine 'Colonsay's Fallen'), and Kevin Byrne have long been passionate about the story of the Arandora Star, and they are behind the idea of the dedicated web space. Said Alan, " What we are aiming for is a section of the website as a Virtual War Memorial in remembrance of those who, regardless of nationality, lost their lives on that tragic day. Research is already well underway to establish a full and accurate list of all the casualties involved together with the places where they are either buried or commemorated - this will be presented in due course. Hopefully this will encourage readers to contribute photographs, stories, personal recollections and other information which will add to what we believe is an important, ongoing, act of remembrance."

If any of our Readers have comments/suggestions about this project or information to add to it please contact Alan by email at ajdavis17@hotmail.com , by telephone at 0191 285 3014 or via his postal address at 17, Gosforth Terrace, South Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne. NE3 1RT.

'Way back in the merry month of May (what do you mean your memory doesn't stretch that far back?), The Corncrake introduced a new occasional feature entitled 'Where Are They Now?'. The purpose of this was to give former Colbhasachs the opportunity of letting old friends and acqaintances know what they were up to these days.

Alas, the new feature ran for a whole two Issues before er...well... dying on its feet. Perhaps former Colbhasachs are just shy and retiring by nature. There again, it might simply be that they consider the rest of us to be, (carefully avoiding the word 'nosey'), overly-curious...

Now however we have evidence that the beast was not dead, only just a tad more occasional than your ever-optimistic Editor envisaged. For we have heard from Mark and Helen Hemmings who, with young daughter Amelia, lived on the island for a year or so a few years back. So, here is their update, as provided to The Corncrake recently by Mark :

"When we left Colonsay, I went to work for the Duke and Duchess of Roxburgh at Floors Castle near Kelso. Helen became a lady of leisure (we told you that Mark wrote this - Ed.) and I was employed as Assistant Butler/Chauffeur.

Unfortunately, we never really settled there so we are now living in Bolton Abbey in the Yorkshire Dales. Helen is the Housekeeper at Bolton Hall, the Yorkshire residence of The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and I work on a small estate about one mile away as Gardener/Handyman. There is quite a menagerie of animals to look after there as well, including 2 dogs, 4 cats, 6 rare breed sheep, 3 alpacas and an arthritic pygmy goat, so it is all good fun!

Amelia ( that's her above - she obviously gets her good looks from Helen - Ed.) is now six and has settled in really well into the local school of 59 children. While we are all really happily settled and enjoying life to the full, we will never forget Colonsay and we do hope to be able to visit at an early date. Thankfully, through The Corncrake and watching our home videos and listening to Pedie's CDs, we can keep our warm and happy memories of our all-too brief time on Colonsay alive."

Many thanks for that Mark, and I'm sure you, Helen and Amelia will receive a very warm welcome when you do return.

So, any other former residents got a tale to tell? Go On!

Having had Mark Hemmings write the previous piece, it is now time for your Editor to remain in his reclining position and feature an article by Georgina Hobhouse. And here it is :

"Everyone knows that the Vikings came to Colonsay - indeed a famous Viking burial was excavated in the sand dunes in Kiloran and important artefacts from it are displayed in the Museum in Chamber Street, Edinburgh. However it has recently been discovered that the famous Viking Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was also a visitor here and of course his hunting dragon "Toothless" was here with him.

In his younger days he was a hopelessly bad Viking who couldn't do anything right and even managed to lose his sword during an important battle. He was especially hopeless at training dragons which made him more and more miserable. Luckily Hiccup eventually discovered that training dragons was a whole lot easier once he realised that the traditional Viking advice to SHOUT AT THEM is less successful than learning to speak Dragonese and soon his skills as a "dragon-whisperer" saved his tribe, the Hairy Hooligans, from the Green Death that rose from the sea.

The legendary stories of the life of Hiccup, the Hairy Hooligans and their dragons have been translated from the original Norse by Cressida Cowell, pictured below :

Cressida has revealed that she first learned about these famous Vikings during childhood holidays in the Inner Hebrides on the island of Colonsay. "It was the kind of place where you expect to see dragons overhead," she said.

A number of books have already been published and as well as being well received by readers of between 7 and 12 years of age, these have also been praised by reviewers…

"Irresistibly funny, exciting and endearing...the madly funny pictures of Vikings, monsters, raging seas and battles with which her texts are lavished are part of the reason children adore her books." (Amanda Craig in The Times).

'How to Train Your Dragon' sold 100,000 copies by word of mouth when it was published three years ago and is likely to be an animated movie soon.

'How to be a Pirate' is another thrilling adventure story about the boy Hiccup and his dragon Toothless who can't sniff out treasure. One day, when Hiccup, his friend Fishlegs and Hiccup's dragon are washed up on a coffin after a shipwreck the troubles really start...

'Hiccup the Viking' who was Seasick is a highly illustrated story for the much younger reader.

'How to Speak Dragonese' - the latest in the series - has just been published and the title speaks for itself!!

All are of course available from Colonsay Bookshop!!"

There we were, in 'My Colonsay Photograph' in our last Issue, when we half-joked that we felt a new column coming on called 'My Colonsay Painting'.

Well, blow me down, but the next thing we knew was the receipt of an image of such a painting for the new column! Step forward Mary Frame, who has kindly forwarded a photograph of one of her paintings to kick-start this exciting new occasional feature.

Mary, who exhibits regularly in London with the Pastel Society and the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour, has sent for our delectation and pleasure a pastel she did of the Strand from Oransay. And, without further ado, here it is :

Not bad eh?

After running her own hand-crafted textiles business in London during the '70s, Mary took up painting again in 1980, and in 1983 she started to paint in pastel as well as watercolour. Recently she has returned to oils and also enjoys making watercolour collages. Mary is also Chairman of The Fosseway Artists and many fine examples of her work can be found on their website (www.fossewayartists.co.uk). Mind you, looking at the website might spoil your pleasure of occasionally seeing Mary's work in this new column in the future...

Our grateful thanks to Mary for sharing a glimpse of her talent with us. Pandora's box is now open - what will follow?

It would have been appropriate at this juncture to have a cheery Christmas chuckle, but the Santa jokes seem to be a bit thin on the ground so far this festive season. So, we'll just have to make do with a tale concerning another famous figure of fun - well, you have to laugh or you might cry :

George W. Bush, Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso have all died. Due to a glitch in the mundane/celestial time-space continuum, all three arrive at the Pearly Gates more or less simultaneously, even though their deaths have taken place decades apart.

The first to present himself to Saint Peter is Einstein. Saint Peter questions him. "You look like Einstein, but you have NO idea the lengths certain people will go to, to sneak into Heaven under false pretenses. Can you prove who you really are?" Einstein ponders for a few seconds and asks, "Could I have a blackboard and some chalk?" Saint Peter complies with a snap of his fingers.

The blackboard and chalk instantly appear. Einstein proceeds to describe with arcane mathematics and symbols his special theory of relativity. Saint Peter is suitably impressed. "You really *are* Einstein! Welcome to heaven!" The next to arrive is Picasso. Once again Saint Peter asks for his credentials. Picasso doesn't hesitate. "Mind if I use that blackboard and chalk?" Saint Peter says, "Go ahead."

Picasso erases Einstein's scribbles and proceeds to sketch out a truly stunning mural. Bulls, satyrs, nude women: he captures their essences with but a few strokes of the chalk. Saint Peter claps. "Surely you are the great artist you claim to be! Come on in!"

The last to arrive is George W. Bush. Saint Peter scratches his head. "Einstein and Picasso both managed to prove their identity. How can you prove yours?"

George W. looks bewildered, "Who are Einstein and Picasso?"

Saint Peter sighs, "Come on in, George."

As the chill winds of Winter begin to blow, it is sometimes reassuring to look back at images captured during the heat hazes of Summer, if only to remind ourselves of just how pleasant the warmth of the sun can be. And of course to remind ourselves that it won't be too long before we're all frolicking in the sunshine again.

With this in mind, the photograph for this Issue's 'My Colonsay Photograph' seemed to pick itself. And while it is one of the most frequently photographed scenes on the island, oft-times visitor Stephen Cornwell has captured it superbly, on an archetypal Summer's day. You can almost count every grain of sand :

Aye, roll on those lazy, hazy days of ...January, when your Editor will be disappearing on a big silver bird to warmer climes. Yippee!!

And, of course, before we forget, our grateful thanks to Stephen for sharing his photograph with us. Your turn next?

The inhabitants of Corncrake Towers being nature numbskulls, this is one column which relies entirely on you, the Reader, to keep it alive. So, if you have anything at all to contribute, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Your Corncrake Needs YOU!

Fortunately this Issue, we can again turn to one of our regular contributors, Julia Page. And if you thought that Julia's choice of clouds as a subject (see Issues 126 and 127) was a trifle unusual, you will of course now be mentally prepared for Julia's chosen subject on this occasion. Beetles. Yes, you read that correctly. Beetles.

So, without further ado, over to Julia :

Who was it who said "There's nothing to do on Colonsay when it rains ?" Only one person that I ever met and she obviously hadn't discovered the fascinating lives of the island beetle population half of which spin round in endless ecstasy while the other lot seem hellbent on suicide!

Whole hours can pass lingering by the ditch in Scalasaig watching the Whirligig Beetles (gyrinidae) playing water-Dodgems with the rain drops, their ever decreasing circles mesmerising the onlooker into a trance-like state in which the village Store's opening times can be quite forgotten.

Over on the other side of the island, just before the brow of the hill on the verge above the stoney beach is 'the beetle trap', one of those wonderful Colonsay "mystery" objects. It's just an old metal pipe approximatel 6" in diameter sticking vertically out of the ground. In wet weather it's half full of water and always has a beetle or two struggling in the dark meniscus. These evolutionarily challenged Ground Beetles (carabidae) are perhaps extreme sports enthusiasts or maybe just thirsty - and unlucky.

They certainly lack their Scalasaig cousins' extraordinary aquatic adaptation - eyes that are divided into two, for above and below water vision. Perhaps all they can see when they climb up the outside of the pipe and lean over is their own beautiful reflection. Well, there's nothing that lifts one's spirits more than rescuing a few beetles and after our missions of mercy it was great to see the fortunate ones trundling off into the dewy grass to live another day but would they be back again later to repeat their bid for oblivion?

Of course, we should have put a big stick into the pipe so that the beetles could clamber out again once they'd dropped in but I've only just thought of that and now I'm having nightmares thinking about all those beetles that have been struggling in the meantime!

Is it raining on Colonsay today? Has anyone got a big stick, a big heart and nothing much to do ?!

Julia Page.

No sooner had Julia's letter popped through the Corncrake letterbox than the beetle benefit bandwagon burst into life and we were on the road, suitably armed with a big stick, a big heart and a big camera. Alas! The beetle drive that we had hoped to construct could not be achieved, simply because the beetle home as described by Julia could not be found. Sorry, Julia. Can any Reader help?

On November 16th last, the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights held a reception in the Mansfield Room of the U.S. Capitol to celebrate what would have been the 80th birthday of Robert Kennedy (1925-1968). People influenced by him spoke, including entertainer and activist Harry Belafonte, Senators Edward Kennedy, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. Also invited to speak was recent Colonsay visitor and contributor to our 'Poetry Corner', Norman MacAfee.

Norman said a few words about politics and culture then read a poem dedicated to Robert Kennedy which he had written the day before. Norman has very kindly allowed the poem to be shared with Corncrake readers :

I write this in Bush's America
of torturing, Bush lying us to
war, Bush laughing at
the gap between the rich
and poor increasing.

No one knows what you
would be like today.
I am not a mathematician
so have no equations
to bring you to 80
and tell us what you
and the world would be
like had you lived.

Thanksgiving 1967:
I came to New York
alone to live my life,
with you as my senator,
and I hoped my president.

June 1968: I had no TV,
was writing poetry about
Vietnam, went to bed for
a restless night, dreaming of
anguished voices in subway tunnels
beneath Astro Place and woke to
a beautiful morning and
moaning in the streets and shops.
You were dying. The line was a mile
long for your Saint Pat's requiem.

Alone in an East Village room
that fall, I wrote the words
"nostalgia for the future,"
not quite realizing
they were for you.

Your words and thoughts that year
kept you alive these years.
You became the president
of the other America
that we have carried with us
thirty-seven years. You became
the president of this other America
that we salute today, where
everyone has a job and some hope,
where there is but one class,
where we honor the arts of
"mercy, pity, peace and love."

Peace to you, "warring soul
with your delicate anger."
Peace to our bloody world!

Well, feedback time please. Are our "Where" photographs just getting too difficult? For the second Issue in succession (well nearly...), the finest minds of our Readership have drawn a blank and failed to correctly identify the spot in question.

And so, we are left with little alternative but to carry forward the photograph in question for a further Issue. Look again carefully at the two figures pictured, and think where on the island they were likely to be when they were that age, and then remember that they are standing on ice. After that, it should be easy! Go on, we know you can do it!

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. Entrants are encouraged to obtain all their essentials from Colonsay Stores.

Well, our 'Look Back' photograph from Issue 128 took a few of our more mature Readers back a year or three, to say the least. For it was taken during WW2 and featured the cutting of corn, somewhere on the island :

Fortunately, John Clark was on hand to fill in a lot of the missing pieces of this particular jigsaw. Firstly, as to where, John was able to tell us that the corn field being cut was the 'Learg Mhór', the field on the slope opposite 'an geata dubh' (the black gate). Alas the field is now awash with rushes.

Moving on to those pictured at the corn cutting, John was able to pass on the following information :

Sitting on the reaper, Hugh Brown; thereafter, left to right, David Clark, then the tenant of the Hotel; an unknown airman; Sandy 'Greusaiche' MacPhee; Andrew Hannah (who worked at the Hotel); Dugald Clark (John's father); and finally another airman who John remembers was called Daryll.

Having concentrated on the faces of those present, we can now look at the wider, uncropped photograph, which shows the two horses pulling the reaper. John took no time at all to identify the magnificent-looking beasts as being called Paddy and Charlie :

So our grateful thanks to John for sharing the photograph with us all and for all his assistance in bringing to life a time long gone. Certainly one for the Colonsay Photographic Archive - which, by the way, continues to grow, albeit slowly. Further contributions of old snaps of Colonsay and Oransay would be gratefully received and would be returned, without delay, in their original condition.

And so, we can now move to our 'Look Back' photograph for this Issue. This time the photograph is not quite so old, but can you put names to all of the faces of this happy (and young!) bunch :

And one wee clue, as if you need it. A few of the wee monkeys will be seen on the island this Christmas. Aye, as they say, nostalgia's not quite what it used to be...

Firstly, we start with a wee bit of good news. Betty Galbraith is now out of hospital and is currently recuperating at the home of her daughter Mamie in Oban.

She continues to make slow, but steady progress, and has been able to write a letter (see Shop noticeboard), thanking everyone for their kind wishes, cards and letters.

Well done, Betty, and we all look forward to seeing you back at home in Colonsay in the New Year.

And now the not-so-good news.

For we learn that our senior island firefighter, Neil Ross Moodie, to give him his full title, has hung up his firefighting hat for the last time. And to mark the occasion, The Corncake has been able to secure a photograph that will undoubtedly become something of a collector's item, for it shows Ross resplendent in his firefighting gear for probably the last time :

Why are we suddenly to be found humming 'YMCA'?

It is at times like these however that we might question the wisdom of mainland rules that dictate the retiral age from the sparse island service of a man still fit, and young (well, at least in outlook...), and with a wealth of experience. We feel sure that Ross could easily have given many more good years to our small, but keen, Fire and Rescue Service.

Now however, all we can do is to thank Ross for the 21 years and 16 days service that he has given to Strathclyde Fire and Rescue (for that is what the 'Fire Brigade' is now called), and, more pertinently, to the community of Colonsay. Móran taing dhut, a'bhallaich!

Still searching for that special Christmas present for that someone special in your life? Well, The Corncrake may have just come to your rescue!

What better to give someone with an interest in Colonsay than a CD of music from a man with impeccable Colonsay credentials, namely Hector McFadyen. For we learn that Hector and his Scottish Dance Band have recently released a new album - and the bay featured on the front cover of the CD does look vaguely familiar :

The track listing we can reveal to be as follows :

1.Gay Gordons ; 2.Eva Three Step ; 3.Old Time Waltz ; 4. Boston Two-Step
5. Canadian Barn Dance ; 6. Slow Air/Waltz ; 7. Cumberland Reel ; 8.Hornpipe
9. Gaelic Waltz Melody ; 10. Bonnie Dundee ; 11. Canadian Barn Dance ; 12. Britannia Two-Step
13. 2/4 Pipe Marches (Craig McFadyen) ; 14. Hoolichan's Jig ; 15. Circassion circle.

Of particular interest is the slow air on track 6, entitled 'Memories of Angus and Ella McFadyen', a piece that Hector wrote for his late father and mother. Track 13 also features, for the first time, Hector's 14 year-old son Craig, playing in a style reminiscent of his own father's playing. And so, the album conspires to bring together three generations of the McFadyen family.

Interested? Then you'd better hurry - only six shopping days to Christmas! The CDs are available direct from Hector by contacting Sonas, 15 Coe Gardens, Oban, Argyll, PA34 4JT, or by telephoning 01631 562077. Cost, including Postage and Packing, is Ł13.00. Enjoy!!

The AGM of the Colonsay Community Development Company (CCDC - not to be confused with ACDC, a different band altogether apparently), took place in the Hall on Saturday afternoon last, the 9th. The choice of time and day appeared to be effective, there being quite a healthy attendance at the meeting.

Three Directors of the Company were due to retire by rotation. These were Alex Howard, Christa Byrne and Keith Rutherford. Of these three, Christa and Keith stood for re-election and were duly elected by those present.

Meanwhile, two new candidates stood for election and were also duly elected, these being Lucy Johnstone and Don MacLeod. Gosh, imagine having to address Mr. MacLeod as "Sir"! (Strange that, but our Spell Checker keeps insisting on the spelling 'MacFleod'. But surely there's no 'f' in MacLeod??

New Colonsay Vehicles - Part 2.

Those Readers paying attention may recall that in our last Issue we featured a potentially new column for The Corncrake entitled "New Colonsay Vehicles".

Through this column, we hope to eradicate the problem of visitors pulling into a lay-by to have a bit craic with the owner of the oncoming vehicle only to discover that the person driving same is not only not who they thought it was, but the very person who, only last year, splashed them in a puddle/ got towels on to THEIR spot on the beach first/ bashed their car/ broke their toe at the ceilidh/ ran off with their spouse/ or, even worse, didn't stand their round in the bar.

So, as Colonsay people tend to change their vehicle almost as often as they change their mind, avid reading of this new column could help to prevent such social faux-pas.

And so we move onto Part 2 of this occasional feature. If you thought the new Postbus in Part 1 was a bit bright, dig out your sunglasses for our featured vehicle (and owner) in Part 2 :

Yes, this photograph had to be taken in the shade of a MacLennan's van, for it is a delicate shade of bright PINK! Or, as Billy Connelly may have said, it's f.. Forget it, we think you know the shade that we mean. Not content with that, the proud (and shy and retiring) owner of said vehicle has complemented the colour of the car with a bright pink steering wheel, bright pink safety-belt covers, and as can be seen from the photograph (yes, it may now be safe to take another quick peek), bright pink fluffy dice.

And the owner of this plethora of pink perfection? It is none other than Anne (Darroch) Johnstone, who, depending upon the quality of your sunglasses, will eventually be seen to the rear of the vehicle in the photograph in question (try wearing your sunglasses for 24 hours, even whilst asleep, and then brave another look tomorrow). As Anne herself said "I like to stand out". 'Nuff said.

Just while we're on the subject of cars (or at least the parking thereof), an eagle-eyed member of the Corncrake Photographic Desk stumbled upon a new and rather strange sign the other day. It was to be found just outside the Shop. See what you can make of it :

Well, a trifle unusual is it not? Enquiries were of course made, but the staff in the Shop were saying nothing. Even next door in the Post Office, no one was saying anything. Curious.

So, all we can do is speculate. Is the new shopkeeper trying to make a statement? Is this the start of executive-style parking being imported from the mainland? Or, is there a wee wind-up going on?

We suspect the latter. In Issue 130, we might even name names...

Do you know of anyone who would like to spend Summer 2006 on Colonsay? There is a slight catch - this would be a working Summer.

For The Colonsay (this is of course the Hotel) requires casual workers through its busy period next year and is already actively recruitung reliable, trustworthy workers to work in all areas - but mainly in the kitchen (dishwashing), housekeeping and restaurant (waitering) departments.

So, whether you are a local student returning for the summer holidays or a visitor spending a couple of months on the island, if you are looking for work, this could be an ideal opportunity. If interested, please email The Manager, reception@thecolonsay.com with contact and experience details. Alternatively, these may be faxed, and the number is 01951 200 353. Remember, you read it here first and we would anticipate that fact to be reflected in the service we receive when members of the Corncrake team come to partake of a small refreshment...

And, a final postscript* to our recent musings on the film 'I Know Where I'm Going' (please note the merciful absence of a photograph of a certain telephone kiosk...).

The Corncrake has been asked to remind islanders, appetites whetted by all the IKWIG coverage in recent issues, that both the DVD and VCR versions of the film are available to borrow from the Service Point. Form an orderly queue please...

* Apart, of course, from this Issue's Letter section!

Our caption photograph from last Issue was one with a festive feel, featuring as it did Rena Frew, Keith Rutherford and Kenneth Rutherford sitting in Santa's grotto, also known as Netta's living room. The benign expressions on the faces of the three participants, obviously suffering from too much Christmas fare, attracted quite a number of Readers to try their hand at caption writing. Many thanks as ever to all who entered into the spirit of things, but we can now reveal that the winner this time around is Iain MacAllister, erstwhile inhabitant of Glassard, who submitted the following :

And so young Mr MacAllister joins the elite band of those who have had the honour and privilege of winning the Corncrake Caption Competition on more than one occasion.

In fact, once the celebrations had died down and the champagne bottles emptied (yes, I believe that the plural is appropriate on this occasion...), Iain revealed that he has only entered the competition on two occasions, and so he has a 100% success rate! Wow! Aye, but I bet he'll be feart to enter again for fear of losing THAT record...

And so, moving inexorably in a forward direction, we bump into the caption competition for this Issue. And again, this time courtesy of Iain, we have another photograph of the island in the Summertime :

Entries as usual to : editorcorncrake@yahoo.co.uk ; by telephone : 01951 200336 ; or by post to : A.N.Other, The Corncrake Caption Competition (Issue 129), c/o The Editorial Suite, The Corncrake, Corncrake Towers, Scalasaig, Isle of Colonsay, Argyll, PA61 7YW, Scotland. Calls may be monitored for quality control purposes.

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.

Instructions are supplied, but two hints may help:
1. When using phrases, enclose them in quotation marks. For example, [lifting stone] will get you every instance of [lifting] or [stone] but ["lifting stone"] will get you what you want.
2. When you see the results, they may seem unlikely. This is because many documents (e.g. each issue of The Corncrake) are in reality just one single "page", covering many unrelated topics. No problem! Open the page, then go to the "Find (on this page)" option at the top of your screen, on a drop-down menu presented by the second button from the left. Type in the word you seek and hey-presto, it is highlighted for you. Note that you must give the page time to load (an issue of The Corncrake takes up to a minute), also that there may be more than one example on the page, so use the "Find (on this page)" function again to check that you have not missed anything.