Carradale Antler - 208 - February 2010

8/14/2019 Carradale Antler - 208 - February 2010

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Issue 208 - February 2010e-mail edition

KINTYRE ON RECORD "archives" online athttp://www.scribd.com/Kintyre%20On%20Record

WEATHER FORECASTS - LOCAL WEBSITE and OTHER LINKS and MORE athttp://www.kintyreonrecord.co.uk/articles.php

http://www.kintyreforum.com/

http://www.the-carradale-goat.co.uk/

CONTENTS

- A TRIP ABOARD THE "DALRIADA" IN THE NINETEEN-THIRTIES- THOSE WERE THE DAYS- CHRISTMAS QUIZ- AND A QUIZZICAL VIEW FROM FIFE- NOVEMBER/DECEMBER RAINFALL- ANNUAL RAINFALL FOR 2009

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- KINTYRE SKIDS TO A HALT- YOU MAY NEVER KNOW- THANKS FROM JEAN- SHINE A LIGHT- SOUTH KINTYRE SENIORS FORUM- THE FUTURE SHAPE OF NHS SERVICES IN CAMPBELTOWN- I NEED TO GO - NOW- SKDT NEWSLETTER - SOUND OF SANDA TIDAL ENERGY PROJECT

- WEST BANK FOODS - THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT- CARRADALE PRIMARY SCHOOL - CHILDREN IN NEED ETC.- PETER JOHN CAMPBELL- WHERE ARE WE GOING - SOMEONE ELSE IS NOT HAPPY WITH THE PLANNING PROCESS- A83 SOUTH OF MUASDALE- WHERE HAVE ALL THE QUIZZERS GONE- CARE & REPAIR- CAMPBELTOWN OLD COURTHOUSE- COMMUNITY POWERDOWN - SOUTH KINTYRE DEVELOPMENT TRUST- GOLF CLUB

- JUST A MINUTE - East Kintyre Community Council

A TRIP ABOARD THE DALRIADA IN THE NINETEEN-THIRTIESAN EXCERPT FROM DONALD KELLYS ILLUSTRATED ARTICLE ON THE WEB-SITE SCRIBD.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/23622273/Trip-Aboard-The-Dalriada

On an early summer morning sometime in the 1930's, between 1932 and 1936, the 1932-builtDuchess of Hamilton, easily identified by the steering wheel for her bow rudder, too lyingalongside Gourock pier, an unknown figure, bound for Campbeltown, begins to film a record ofhis trip on board the 1926-built, single screw, Dalriada, she having left Greenock's Prince'sPier at 9 am and now, some fifteen minutes later, closing her approach on Gourock.

Like all the company's ships before her, the Dalriada, despite the often inclement weather of The Clyde, had a completely open bridge, the Kinloch, which she replaced on theCampbeltown run, had been the first Clyde steamer to have a wheelhouse, below the bridge-deck but, shortly after the Kinlochentered service, she was in a collision with a small rowing-boat. The accident was blamed on the restricted view of the helmsman in the 'new'wheelhouse and it was quickly removed! It is now a two hour long run to Lochranza and, thecourse, almost directly from The Cloch Lighthouse to The Garroch Head, too far from the landto be of any interest to the camer-man (or could it have been a camera-woman), there are nomore scenes to record for a while and we can look round the ship.

The 758-ton Dalriada, 230-feet long, 34-feet 8 -inches beam and 14-feet 10-inches in depth,was built by R. Duncan & Company in Port Glasgow and engined by D. Rowan & Company whogave her a 4 cylinder 22", 35" and 2 x 40" x 33" triple expansion engine which gave her 18-

knots and made her then probably the fastest single-screw steamer in The World, a claimdisputed by The London & Edinburgh Shipping Company whose Royal Archer and RoyalFusilier were both credited with speeds of some 17 knots.

The Dalriada was the only Clyde steamer to have four-crank triple expansion engine, areportedly noisy beast, its thrust and throw of the cranks producing some vibrations, unlikethe smooth- running machinery of the turbine steamers. The name of the new 42,000 ship,built for the companys centenary, was the result of a competition entered by Campbeltownschool-children and believed to have been won by a young Robert Taylor, later to become aCampbeltown Courier reporter. She was launched on Monday, March 15, 1926 by Mrs Hugh

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Mitchell of Seafield House, Campbeltown and on Wednesday, April 28, 1926, the Dalriadamade her initial trip from Gourock to Campbeltown in less than three hours.

The old graceful, yacht-like clipper-fiddled bow so long favoured by the company haddisappeared, a sacrifice of beauty for utility and a sign of the times and she had been given asimple slanting stem and a well-rounded counter stern, her upper deck being carried right tothe stern, above her after mooring capstan on the main deck below. While steerage classpassengers were left to find themselves room on the sparred wooden seats running along the

outsides of the boiler and engine-room on the main deck, the first class passengers were welllooked after. The after deckhouse on the upper deck, below the bridge and boat deck,contained a smokeroom with comfortable leather seats and from outside, the deckhouse gaveway to the main stair leading to the main first class lounge, on the main deck aft and thedining saloon, on the lower deck. Cargo hatches fore and aft were handled by derricks on themasts and opening doors on the main deck, at the after hold space, allowed passengers toreach the ferry boats which came alongside the ship at Saddell and Pirnmill.

Given a black top, the main area of her gigantic funnel was painted equally into two parts, themiddle red, the bottom black and, to the eye, no one colour appeared to dominate over theother. In common with all the companys steamers, she was registered at Campbeltown, onMay 1, 1926 and the new ship was quickly put out of commission by the prolonged 1926 coal

strike and only appeared again at the height of the 1926 season when she ran a number ofhighly popular excursions.

On summer Fridays, particularly at the start of Glasgow July Fair and September AutumnHolidays, the Dalriadawould take the morning 'down-run' from Glasgow to Campbeltown andthen return, as a 'special sailing' to Gourock to take a second return sailing that evening,outward via Wemyss Bay to Lochranza and Campbeltown and then returning late, direct toGourock and on 'up-river' to Glasgow to arrive well after midnight. In July each year, she wouldgive a direct trip from Campbeltown, Carradale and Lochranza to the Inveraray HighlandGames, lying off the village in company with the other excursion steamers and, in August andSeptember each year, would operate evening cruises to the annual illumination and fireworkdisplays at Rothesay. In later years she would frequently find herself on charter in early season

and every year, from 1930, usually on the second last Friday of July, gave a day trip fromStranraer to Campbeltown.

Archie Currie, with two big rowing boats and a 24-foot ex-ship's lifeboat powered by a 7.9 h.p.petrol/paraffin engine and a lugsail, took over the ferry just before World War II. When thewind was southerly, the ferry would sail northwards to meet the ship from Lochranza and betowed back to Pirnmill as passengers and cargo were exchanged. The ships' engineers werealso pleased to see the arrival of the ferries as with them came the refreshing bottles ofwhisky, delivered to the engineers by ferry-boys running along the ship's rubbing strakes!During World War II, Archie Currie continued to cross on the hour-long trip to Carradale toconnect with the Campbeltown buses and give Arran residents the chance of a day's shoppingin 'The Wee Toon' and his ferry too was well used for the annual Machrie Sheepdog Trials.

Comparing the 'before' and 'after' pictures of the boats, there are only five extra passengershere, the mother and baby, probably related to the ferrymen, seemingly just out for the tripHere we pass by a Carradale fishing boat, with a Ballantrae registra-tion, 'BA 54', the DuskyMaid and, interestingly today, we see that the boat is fitted for shark fishing, a harpoon gunclearly visible at her bow, the oil from the basking sharks extracted on the shore at Blackport,

just north of Carradale's harbour, the story told in Anthony Watkins book 'The Sea My HuntingGround' (several of the photographs in the article are 'borrowed' from 'The Carradale Goat'(www.the-carradale-goat.co.uk/ ).

At midnight Wednesday/Thursday, March 3/4, 1937, Clyde Cargo Steamers Ltd. took over theDavaarand the Dalriadaand The Campbeltown & Glasgow Joint Steam Packet Companyand

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on Monday, March 29, 1937, Clyde Cargo Steamers Ltd. became The Clyde & CampbeltownShipping Company Ltd.. Clyde Cargo Steamers Ltd., a co-operative of steamer ownersincluding David MacBrayne Ltd., had been formed, at the behest of The Admiralty, in 1915, toprovide a basic cargo service to the outlying Loch Fyne ports, Arran, Bute and Kintyre. InFebruary 1937, their cargo-passenger steamers, the Ardyne, the Arranand the Minardhad painted their funnels red with black tops and now, though the Campbeltown steamers'hull colours would remain unchanged, on Thursday, April 22, 1937, the funnel of the Davaar,then equally divided into black - red - black bands, was repainted, the red band becoming

crimson. A fortnight later, on Friday, May 7, 1937, her funnel was again repainted, now thelower and upper funnel bands were painted crimson and the funnel top given a, narrower thanbefore, black top, later, the crimson would change to a 'MacBrayne red'. In May, the funnel ofthe Dalriadawas repainted crimson from the deck up, her black funnel-top remaining at itsold height.

Being of deeper draught than the company's previous ships and therefore making it unsafe tocome close inshore when approaching the pier from the north, the Dalriadaalways berthedwith her port side against the pier at Carradale, the face of the pier being angled so as to givea safe line in and out and clear of the rocky point which had to be rounded to the south of thepier and even to berth with the starboard side of the vessel against the pier, it is stillnecessary to make a considerable sweep shore-wards for, even if the bottom is sandy rather

than rocky, the water shoals quite considerably. Thus, the Dalriadawould come in at steepangle from Kilbrannan Sound and, using the sideways thrust of her right-handed propeller,going 'full astern' to push her stern quarter to port, would draw quickly alongside the pier atCarradale, her bow now facing north, up Kilbrannan Sound. To clear the pier, she would simplylet go the forward rope, go 'slow astern', while keeping the after spring rope tight, 'let go' and,making a very tight starboard turn to keep her propeller in the deeper water, go 'ahead' on herway again, to Pirnmill or to Campbeltown.

Until the building of Carradale's pier, there was a ferry at Torrisdale, it operated by AlexanderRitchie and his family, Alexander and his wife, Isabella, married at Ayr in 1811 and had 14children. He was boatman for a number of years at Torrisdale Estate and the southernheadland at Torrisdale Bay, to the south of Carradale, is named after him, 'Ritchie's Head'. The

family took up the tenancy of Sanda Island in 1845 and on December 26, Boxing Day, 1850,Alexander and his 21-year old son, William, were drowned when returning from a churchservice in Southend.

When the first pier was built at Carradalein 1858, it was natural then that the Ritchie familytoo become involved in its operation but, unable to accommodate steamers except at certainstates of the tide, a new location was sought, just to the south of the present harbour. Thenew pier, the first iron pier built in Scotland and the only pier on the Clyde to be built on twolevels, the higher level to berth steamers and the lower level, for fishing boats, connected tothe upper pier by a sloping ramp. A 'punt', a small rowing boat, hung in davits on the pier andintended for emergencies, it frequently rescued sheep, fallen into the water as they werebeing shipped on board steamers. The pier was opened in 1870 with John Ritchie being duly

appointed its pier-master and given a rent-free house and a comfortable salary by the thenLaird of Carradale, Col. D. C. R. C. Buchanan of Drumpelier, who had come to CarradaleHouse in the summer of 1861 and was the owner of some 18,000 acres of estate in Argyll.

One of the Carradale pier-master's jobs was to issue gale warnings to passing ships. A blacktarry cone-shaped bag was hoisted on a tall mast, its foundations and tabernacle fitting still tobe seen, the cone pointing upwards for northerly gales, downwards for southerlies. Too therewas a mercury-filled barometer in the pier's waiting-room which had to be reset daily to warnof any impending storms. It was the weather which led to John Ritchie's fate for his wife had achronic asthma condition, he was never allowed to smoke inside the house and one night, Johnas usual had taken his pipe outside to have a smoke while checking the fishing boats' mooring

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lines. A few minutes later, it had suddenly grown dark as a south-westerly squall hit thevillage, the rain hurling itself viciously at the windows and shaking the very chimneys of 'PierHouse'. No trace of John Ritchie was ever found, except for his pipe, firmly wedged betweenthe piers wooden decking planks.

John's son, Duncan Ritchie, then a first mate with the British India ships, was now called hometo take over as pier-master. He came home to find Pier House now bulging at the seams withhis mother, his post-mistress sister Maggie and his fishing-boat skipper brother John and his

wife and their eleven children and it wasn't long before Duncan, in 1886, married 'the -girl-next-door', Lillias Kerr, the daughter of Captain Thomas Kerr, master of one of theCampbeltown steamers who too was then building Ardcarroch House, above Carradale Pier.Later, in January 1898, the Post Office, with the village's then only telephone, was openedbeside Carradale Pier and The Met Office would then confirm gale warnings by telegram.Carradales Pier Post Office, run first by John Ritchie's daughter Maggie, closed in June 1941,more than a year after the departure of the final steamer call on Saturday, March 16, 1940. OnNovember 20, 1894, the birth of Duncan's daughter, Elizabeth, came at the same moment thatone of the Campbeltown steamers arrived and the baby welcomed into The World her earsresounding to the sounds of the steamers whistle and the ringing of the steamer and pierbells.

The Saddellferry, in the 1900's, till it closed at the end of the 1929 summer season, was in thecapable hands of Lachlan Galbraith whose brothers John and Neil were captains of theCampbeltown steamers. Saddell ferry was a 'pain-in-the-neck' for the mates of the steamersas there were occasionally large cargoes for trans-shipment into the ferry boat, a motor-boatin later years, the wool cargoes from High Ugadale farm, often 25 large and very full bags andfrom Ifferdale Farm, 45 wool bags, each bag as big as a man! On one occasion, Lachie, theSaddell ferryman, thinking himself helpful, told the ships mate that he would have a big woolconsignment for the ship next day. "She'll be loaded up to the funnel tomorrow," laughed themate. "Well, you can just put it all down the funnel then," replied Lachie !

Getting aboard the steamer from the ferry could be a pretty dodgy affair. Lachie's approach atSaddell was to row madly across the steamer's bows as she swept down towards him and

then, when she was almost on top of the ferry-boat, he would level off alongside her, grab forthe mooring heavingline and slide alongside the steamer to snub off the line on the boat cleatand bring the ferry boat up, 'all-standing' as they say, right beside the steamer's big doubleferry loading doors on her main deck. With the strong practised of the steamer's seamen,standing on both sides of the ferry doors, the passengers felt a sudden lift as they werewhisked aboard the ship, twenty passengers in often fewer seconds. Despite sometimes bigsea swells and sometimes really heavy weather, there were few reported, if any, accidents.Also with the company for many years, in charge of the old Kinloch was Lachie, the Saddellferryman's brother, Captain Neil Galbraith. The story is told that once, Neil, well known for hisdry wit and in command of the Kinloch at Carradale Pier, was tooting the whistle andshouting at a lady hurrying down the pier, "Come away, Mistress, the last man wass aye awumman !"

Captain Neil Galbraith had command of the new Dalriadawhen he died and he was buried inthe old churchyard at Saddell. His successor on the Dalriadawas Captain Alexander M'Nivenwho, after considerable coasting experience around Britain, joined the company after WorldWar I. The company's last master at the beginning of World War 11 is thought to have been aCaptain McKillop.

The locomotives, like those of The North British Railway, were painted olive green - 'darkgamboge' - and lined out in black, yellow and vermilion, both passenger engines, theAtlantic and Argyll, given the Campbeltown coat of arms surrounded by a white ringlettered with the full company name, their coaches painted olive green, with white roofs andthe line's coal wagons painted grey.

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Just a month after war was declared on Germany, on Monday, October 2,1939, shortly before8am, the Davaarleft Campbeltown for Greenocks East India Harbour to be laid up and leavingthe newer Dalriada, her funnel and lifeboats all now painted black, to carry on the servicealone to Carradale, Lochranza and now, because of the anti-submarine boom between Dunoonand The Cloch lighthouse, to Wemyss Bay.

In January 1940, the Dalriada collided with an armed yacht, some said a destroyer and,

following repairs at Lamonts yard, she was laid up where theDavaar had been, the Davaarherself now again back on the service and remaining there until Friday, March 15, 1940, whenthe Campbeltown to Wemyss Bay service was finally suspended and withdrawn, theDavaarthen being laid up with the Dalriadain Greenock and the cargo-passenger steamerArdynethen continuing the cargo service till October 31,1949.

With the final sailing of the old Davaaron Friday, March 15,1940 and the consequent closureof Carradale Pier, Campbeltown's West Coast Motors stepped in to provide a service up theeast side of Kintyre and on to Tarbert to connect with the MacBrayne steamer. Running dailyduring July and August of the war years but only on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays andSaturdays otherwise, a West Coast bus left Campbeltown at 10am, for Carradale at 11am, andthen on to Tarbert for 12.20 pm. Leaving Tarbert on the return run at 2pm, the bus reached

Carradale at 3.20pm and arrived back in Campbeltown at 4.30 pm.

To compensate for the withdrawal of the steamer-rail service connection to Glasgow,MacBrayne's were given the licence to operate a direct bus service from Campbeltown and to44 Robertson Street, Glasgow. Leaving at 7 a.m., the bus reached Glasgow at 1.15 p.m. and,two hours later, at 3.15 p.m., left on the return journey to arrive back in Campbeltown at 9.33pm! The single fare 13/-, the return 1.3/-. The service was operated under as ExpressService, the licence granted only to serve the interests of those who would have travelledbetween Campbeltown and Glasgow by steamer and rail and no stops to pick up or set downpassengers at intermediate points along the 138-mile long route was allowed !

In July 1940, the Davaarwas requisitioned and sent to Newhaven where she was kept, with

steam up, ready to be sunk as a block-ship in case of invasion. In July 1943, unneeded, shewas broken up on Newhaven beach.

The Dalriada remained at Greenock till April 1941 and then, requisitioned as a wreckdispersal vessel, was sent to The Thames Estuary. Working on the wreck of the Stokesley,which had been loaded with 1,600 tons of sulphate of ammonia bound for London, she wasmined, two cables off The North Shingles buoy, about 51 32 N 01 20 E, on Friday, June 19,1942. All the 34 crew of the Dalriada, including 8 gunners and 2 army personnel were safelyrescued and she herself was subsequently blown up in June 1946 to clear the channel.

Sixty-one years after the withdrawal of the Dalriadaand the Davaar, purser Jim Goodall,passed away peacefully, in his 94th year, in Rothesay on Christmas Day, Tuesday, December

25, 2001. The only other known survivor of the company's employees, descended from ChiefSteward Sam Campbell, is Miss Betty McGeachy of Campbeltown, her sister, Mrs Mary Blairpassing away on October 10, 2002, both served as stewardesses on the company's last ships.Of the ships themselves there are but three known reminders.

Now, proudly displayed in Armitage Shanks Staffordshire works, is one of the original 1868white porcelain toilet bowls which had been fitted in the ill-fated little Kintyre sunk offWemyss Bay in 1907, the bowl brought to the surface the late 1990's by divers.

The ships bell of the Kinloch, which was broken up in 1928, was acquired by Kintyre historianDuncan Colville and presented to Campbeltown Sailing Club by his grandson, Rory Colville of

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Kilchenzie, after his death. A triangular ship's pennant flown from the foremast and bearingher name, Kinloch, in red, is in the possession of Springbank Distillery, the family proprietorsbeing closely involved with the Campbeltown ships.

The full story of 'The Campbeltown Steamers', from the companys founding in 1826, is onlineat www.scribd.com/doc/ 6323792/ Campbeltown-Steamers-2004

The new quay at Carradale opened in September 1959 and the Rhum, on charter to The

Clyde River Steamer Club, called on Saturday, May 15, 1982. On Sunday, September 29,1991, the twin-screw Balmoralmade the first real passenger ship visit for half a century andon Sunday, September 27, 1992, the paddle steamer Waverleycalled at Carradale's Harbour,probably the last occasion when a steamer will ever be seen there for, underwater and justthree or four feet from her forefoot, there lies a sharp outcrop of rock, it unidentified untilafter the ship's arrival when, fortunately, the sea conditions were calm.

THOSE WERE THE DAYSA description of life at Torrisdale in the 1930's by John MacMillan of Midhurst, Ontario.

I was born at South Dippen, Torrisdale on October 29, 1927 the eldest son of George andCatherine (Katy) MacMillan. (My father was born at South Dippen also and his father at the

Square Torrisdale. My mother was born at Laigh Farm, Isle of Eigg and her mother at PortEllen, Isle of Islay.)

My father was a fisherman most of his life although he sailed for several years as a seaman onboard the R.M. steamers Davaar and Kinlough. My mother operated a tramcar in Glasgowbefore moving to Torrisdale. The fishing boat Annie (CN 230) and co-owned by my fatherwas taken over by the Navy for service on boom duty on the Clyde during the war. Theneighbour boat was the Betty (CN 260) and owned by Donald McAnsh, Greenhill, Torrisdale.Both boats were based at Torrisdale and received their annual maintenance at Port Bahn.

My boyhood years were spent playing around Torrisdale, at the Square at the family of Duncanand Jemima McMillan and at the bottom lodge with Tom Johnston; his father was head

gardener on the estate. We played rounders and hide and and seek at the Square, headed theball back and forth in the close and, during the summer, practised sculling the punt at PortBhan. Some Sundays we would scramble around the rocks from Port Bhan to below Greenhill,exploring the caves along the way. We pinched a few pears from the trees growing in front ofthe castle, which annoyed Neil Brown the gamekeeper. We also reached over the garden wallto sample the apples growing on trees fastened to the wall; they were a bit sour - cookingapples maybe.

At Christmas we were all invited to a party with all the trimmings in the castle. It was held inthe servants quarters where we played games and had a great time. I remembered playingmusical chairs and spin the bottle. Along with my wife and son we recently spent two weeksthere, which brought back a lot of memories.

I remember several nights at the fishing on the Annie with the paraffin driven Glenifferengine and my father at the tiller - no wheelhouse. The Annies operation required two men -One operating the controls through the engine room hatch, the other steering. During thesummer holidays I worked in the Castle gardens for Robert Osborne who was the onlygardener at that time. He lived in the Square across from where the forestry stabled theirhorses. From there we would wheel our wheelbarrows full of manure to the Gardens for use inhot beds, where we grew seedlings of tomatoes, lettuce etc. The seedlings grew in thegreenhouse for use by the cook at the castle. There was a boiler and heating system but it didnot operate. Weeding the walks was a job and I did not like.

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At South Dippen we had a large garden with rhubarb, gooseberries, blackcurrant andraspberries. We also grew a variety of vegetables including Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrotsand parsnips. Enough Kerrs Pink and Golden Wonders potatoes to last winter were alsoplanted. That was a big job for my father. It took several days and required the help of mymother and me. We also cured a small barrel of herring (Firkin). It involved placing layers ofherring on course salt and finishing it off with a brine solution which had to be strong enoughto float a small potato, about the size of an egg. We ate salt herring through the winter, but

there was, and still is in my opinion, no meal like fried fresh herring and new potatoes.Unfortunately it has been over 60 years since I experienced that meal.

My mother made a lot of jam and jelly, some from the fruit trees in the garden and quite a lotfrom brambles we gathered along the road at other locations in the area. She was a greatbaker also and kept us supplied with scones, oat-cakes and fruit cakes.

A huge dumpling with sixpences wrapped in waxed paper and mixed with the dough was aregular at Christmas. It was boiled in a big pot on the open fire as was all cooking. Sconeswere baked on the girdle which hung over the fire, We made toast by holding slices of bread inthe long fork in front of the hot coals. At Halloween most children would go around the doorswith turnip lanterns. They were made from the hollowed out turnips with a face cut out and a

candle installed. I think we received candies and maybe an apple. Much the same custom inCanada except that pumpkins are used. At New Year we would go around again for a glass ofginger wine, a piece of cake.

South Dippen was a small house and early on was quite crowded. There were six children plusmother father and grandparents. The four girls slept in one bedroom in the attic, my brotherand me in the other. Father and Mother used one bedroom downstairs. The grandparentsoccupied the other room which also served as a kitchen, dining-room and living room. After mygrandparents passed away we all moved into the shed which was attached to the East Gable,for the summer in order to rent the house. I remember coming home from the fishing andhaving to sleep on board's positioned across the ceiling joists. It had a tin roof and on sunnydays it was hot up there trying to sleep.

Cooking was done on an enclosed stove which added to the heat. Heating for the house camefrom the open kitchen fire and another small open fire in the bedroom which was rarely lit.Getting up in the morning for school was a chilly start as the fire had to be lit to makebreakfast, mostly porridge. We receive coal by horse and cart from the Castles supply storedat Port Bhan. The coal came by puffer and was unloaded by horse and cart fromLeppincorrach. The puffer would run aground at high tide in Port Bhan and float off whenunloaded. That was always an exciting couple of days and a large stock of coal. Except forthe Castle I think that we were the first in Torrisdale to have a radio (wireless). It was a giftfrom my aunt in the US to my grandparents. Although they were called wirelesses then, it hadalong wire antenna which was fastened to a tall pole at the end of the garden. High voltagewas supplied by a large dry-cell battery; low voltages came from a small cell (accumulator)

that powered the tube filaments and had to be changed periodically. That was performed atthe Castle where there was a generator for light etc when the indicator on the accumulatorwere showing no charge. We had two and would leave one on charge with John Campbell, thechauffeur, while the other was in use.

Usually, around Christmas, a parcel of boys clothes would also come from my aunt in the US.They were from my cousin who was, and still is one year older and me at about my build then.I was the best dressed in my class then, and the envy of some. In fact I was brought up inclothes that became too small for him to wear. We now get together every year on the GulfCoast in Alabama where my wife and I spend the winter.

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During the war we were allowed out of school at harvest time to gather potatoes and to bindand stook corn (oates). We worked for Duncan Semple and for the Torrisdale estate farm atLephincorrach. I don't remember ever getting paid but I do remember the great feast ofsandwiches and I think tea. The potatoes, when gathered, where hilled (piled) in the field, andcovered with earth and rushes for storage. The sheaves were placed in stacks until time forthreshing, topped off with the rushes to shed the rain.

Springtime was cleaning-up time at South Dippen when all the blankets were removed and

washed. As there was no running water or electricity there was no washing machine or supplyof hot water. Water was heated in a large tub in the yard using wood for the fire. Theblankets, all wool, were trampled in a large tub with a soft green soap that came in a tin. Weall had a go at trampling. They were then rinsed and wrung through a manual wringermounted on a frame over the tub and hung out to dry.

We kept hens as for their eggs and occasionally killed one for dinner, usually in soup. It wasmy assignment to clean out the hen-house weekly and replace the brackens used to catchtheir droppings. The used brackens were placed in a midden with other compost for later useon the garden. Rabbits were very plentiful and we often snared a couple for dinner also; theymade a great stew. That was long before many died of disease. After removing the skins theywere tacked on a board to dry along with any skins from moles caught in the garden trap.

They were sold to a fellow who came around selling from a suitcase. I think Morris was hisname but I don't remember the price. We also had a fellow came round on a bicycle sellingSpanish onions.

Two vans serviced the area. Donald Campbell with a variety of goods and Archie Paterson withmainly bread and meat. I would go for a ride with Archie and help him deliver down as far asSaddell House - quite a long way then. I think Duncan Semple delivered our milk. I won'tforget one quiet evening during the summer when Duncan Semple came by and gave as allour first taste of ice cream. That was a new experience for us as we were rarely away from

Torrisdale. Soon after an ice cream bar was established at Dippen Farm.

Occasionally, when going home from school along with the boys from the Square we would

stop at Bridge End to visit with Mr McGilvery in the smithy. On a cold day was nice and warmby the forge as we watched him fashion horse shoes and listened to the melody his hammerplayed on the anvil. Sparks of slag flying from the hot metal created a halo when it wasstruck. Usually there would be a horse or two waiting to be shod and when the hot shoe wasset on the hoof it gave off a very unpleasant odour.

Catching eels under Torrisdale Bridge at low tide with Tom Johnson was another favourite. Thenet poles were across the burn and a great place for a swing on the bight of the net wasanother favourite. Torrisdale was a vibrant and happy place back then, and during a recentvisit, was saddened when walking through the Estate as I remembered it in its former glory,particularly the garden where I once worked.

John Macmillan, 24 Golden Oak Drive, SS 33 Midhurst, Ontario, L0L 1X1 Canada phone 705734 9832.

CHRISTMAS QUIZ

The Christmas Quiz was held in the Village Hall on Saturday 12th December. The Hall hadbeen decorated with a tree and Christmas decorations by the Hall Caretaker Brian Gee, theHall Committee, their spouses and Ian Currie. The tables were additionally, once again,provided and festooned with balloons, festive hats, sweets and goody bags by Paula & PeterDavie; and there was seasonal music to get everybody into festive mood.

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Nine teams took part as some quiz regulars were away. The usual written format was followedwith questions in ten categories covering a wide range of topics.

Often unlikely categories are answered best, and this Quiz was no exception. Teamsperformed best in rounds entitled Bears, Before and After and Fairs. They were lesssuccessful in Christmas Number One Songs, Sport, and General Knowledge/ recentnews. Surprisingly these last two are frequently the lowest scoring categories.

It again proved a close run contest but winners were the team Pugwash made up of DavidCurrie, Janette Ramsay, Marie McDougall and Neil Thomson. They reinforced their SummerQuiz victory by again attaining first place with 87 points, receiving the usual kudos that victorydeserves and cups filled with Roses chocolates.

Three teams tied for second place and they had to be separated by a tie breaker question togive Bad Boys 2nd Calling Birds 3rd positions with each team receiving runners up boxes ofchocolates. Mikes Morons were 4th.

Overall high scores were obtained by all teams, with the vast majority scoring over 75% socongratulations to all those that took part.

Everyone enjoyed sausage rolls and mince pies and a bar operated throughout the evening.There was a huge raffle with masses of great prizes. It all made for a great start to villageChristmas festivities. Thank you to all those who helped run the event, and to those thatparticipated. M.L.

AND A QUIZZICAL VIEW FROM FIFE

The Carradale Village Hall was the scene of the annual Winter Quiz on Saturday, 12thDecember 2009. Unfortunately, on 13th December I left for Fife with the intention of spendingroughly a week over there, but the East of Scotland winter set in, making it impossible toreturn to the glorious sunshine and sub tropical temperatures of Kintyre before December

27th. Somehow the scribbled aide memoire that I had made on 13th December was lost in thewastelands around Kirkcaldy, so certain facts have been forgotten, such as the number ofteams taking part in the exercise. The hall was fairly full and by 7.30 pm everybody had hadsufficient time to appreciate the efforts made by the Hall Committee to ensure that we had avenue fit for the occasion. Decoration of the Hall, and of the tables, was superbly carried out,balloons being very much in evidence and the Christmas theme ensured an air of jollity.Mention must be made of the Raffle Table which was groaning under the weight of giftspresented for the occasion. Each table had its own boxes of sweeties and chocolates, and thebar staff were hard pressed to keep up with the demands made on them. The work that goesinto these functions is impressive, but it is worth while, and thanks are due not only to the HallCommittee, but also to the numerous volunteers who throw themselves into the multifarioustasks that are necessary to lead to a successful evening.

Of course, if there were no questions there would be no quiz, and on two occasions each yearTony and Margaret Leighton appear with their sheets of questions, the results of labours of theprevious six months. On this occasion special thanks must be paid to Margaret who had formost of the time laboured alone while Tony was loafing about in and on the Atlantic Ocean.

The quiz got underway and proceeded smoothly, although there was a muted roar of protestwhen Tony inadvertently stated that a character called Walter Scott was famous as anexplorer of the Antarctic. Suitable correction was made, the roar of protest fading gently intothe sound of ruffled feathers being coaxed back into place.

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Heres to 2010 and the hope that it will bring equable weather to us all. M.L.

KINTYRE SKIDS TO A HALT

During late December and early January, Kintyre, like other parts of the country suffered whatmay soon be called global-cooling. Norwich climate scientists in their centrally heated zigguratdecided not to send out misleading e-mails and, as far

as is known, the government didnt contemplate the appointment of a new cold-weather czar.

Most residents in Central Kintyre however, noted the small fall of snow on Saturday the 19th ofDecember and fully expected it to conform to the traditional pattern of disappearing by themiddle of the next day. How wrong could they be? Day after day severe weather warningsappeared on the TV leading the sceptics to proclaim a severe wolf warning. Michael Fish, theemeritus weather-man, did not appear to say there was nothing to worry about or to deny thathe was not responsible if there was something to cause concern.

Every day the layer of snow showed signs of starting to melt and promptly re-froze. Pathclearing certainly produced no easy access to shops. Those cleared on the first day became aslide the next, making it easier to walk on the first days chippings than on the beautifully

smooth layer of ice.

Collection days for rubbish and recycling came and went unrecognised by both Council andGrab teams for properties on side roads. If it hadnt been for kind neighbours who took binsto the main road, residents would have been surrounded by mountains of un-compostable left-overs and bags of uncollected recycling.

Drivers making festive journeys had a scenic West Coast addition to their route; one Carradalefamily travelled to Ely successfully and on the return journey got within three miles of home atthe forestry entrance below Brackley, only to find two cars pirouetting on the ice and unable tomove towards Carradale or back to Tarbert. Fortunately the possession of a four-wheel-drivevehicle meant they could return to Redhouse and enjoy the pleasures of Campbeltown before

returning home to Carradale on the wider sand-treated section of the B842.

Although no record for the amount of snow the holiday period must have seen a record for thelowest temperatures and for the length of time ice covered roads, paths and gardens. G.P.

YOU MAY NEVER KNOW

One of the more unfortunate occurrences of the icy weather is the number of falls brought tocasualty. One local lady fell, knocked her head and woke up on someone-else's bed. She had aloss of memory and couldnt account for her movements from the time she fell until arriving at

a friends house.

THANKS FROM JEAN

Mum cannot write herself now, but would like to thank those people who took time to sent hercards over the Festive Season, they were very much appreciated. She kept saying everyone isso kind. She likes to be kept up to date with what is going on and loves when the door opensand someone comes to visit. Thanks again to you all.

Jean MacKinlay, Kintyre Care Home.

SHINE A LIGHT

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Have you seen shoppers of both sexes standing in front of an array of light bulbs, wonderingwhat to buy - wonder no longer because as from September 2011, 60w clear incandescentbulbs will be outlawed followed by a ban on all incandescent bulbs from 2012. Thereplacement bulbs are lower-wattage halogens, new compact fluorescents and, morerecently, light emitting diodes (LEDs). LEDs require far less energy, produce little heat, light upfast, can last as long as 25 years but lose up to 22% of their light over time. Unfortunatelythese new bulbs are more expensive; the old days of 4 bulbs for a 1 have gone. The new era

bulbs, start at just under 2 and can go up to 10 each for ceiling-inset down-lighters withG10 (small Edison screw) or E14 (twin-studded screw) bulbs.

SOUTH KINTYRE SENIORS FORUM

Minutes of Meeting at Carradale Village Hall, Thursday 12 November 2009

Present: Emily McDonald (Vice-Chair), Val Cannell (Treasurer), Ian Teesdale (Secretary),Margaret Turner, Jean Millar, Jane Russell, Mary Margaret Hanna, Geoff Page.

Apologies. Aisla Stewart, George McMillan, Majorie Gillies.The minutes of the previous meeting were accepted as correct, proposed by Janet Russell,

seconded by Ian Teesdale.

MATTERS ARISING:

Ian Teesdale told the meeting that he had completed an application form for our forum to takeup membership of the newly merged 'Help the Aged in Scotland1 and 'Age Concern Scotland1,as decided at our September meeting. He had discussed the application form beforehand withHelen Simpson at 'Help the Aged1 by telephone, and had shown the completed form to GeorgeMcMillan prior to sending it off.

A second matter arising was Argyll & Bute's failure to undertake the work on the Tayinloan busstop agreed with the Council's Public Transport Officer (PTO) at a site meeting on 30

November 2007. Ian read out a draft letter to the PTO (Mr Blades) which was felt by themeeting to be too conciliatory. Amended version sent the following day, copy to the Council'sChief Executive.

TREASURER'S REPORT:

Val Cannell told the meeting that the Forum's account contained a credit balance of 725.64and Petty Cash of 26.13

THE FUTURE SHAPE OF NHS SERVICES IN CAMPBELTOWN

This topic, which was mainly about the remodelling of the hospital in Campbeltown, had beenthe subject of a consultation exercise in Campbeltown the previous day. Our Forum had beenrepresented by Margaret Turner and Ian Teesdale, and Margaret gave the meeting an accountof some of the information that has emerged. Two matters in particular had received an airing:our area, NHS Highlands and Argyll


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about present or proposed methods of caring for the elderly, both in the hospital and in thecommunity should please contact her.

Malcolm McMillan, from South Kintyre Development Trust, talked to us about insulating ourhomes: why it is advisable, how to do it, and what costs might be incurred. His talk wasillustrated by a series of 'slides', which are reproducing in the enclosed leaflet; and it wasfollowed by a question and answer session and general discussion. His presentation was clearand helpful and he was thanked for the interest of his subject and the trouble he had taken to

put it over to us.

CARRADALE SURGERY - PRESCRIPTIONS

We do not keep a large stock of less commonly prescribed items. Orders for medication areplaced at lunchtime (cut-off time 1.30pm) on a Monday and Thursday, with items beingdelivered late afternoon on Tuesday and Friday (usually after 4pm). We ask that you bear thisin mind when submitting and collecting repeat prescription requests. Please order your repeatmedication in good time before you run out and try to submit your prescription requestsbefore order cut-off times.

STOP PRESS

Following discussions at the Patient Group AGM, it has been agreed that patients can nowsubmit prescription requests by e-mail. The e-mail address of the surgery [email protected]. Staff have been cautious in the past about using this method ofcommunication as there is a risk that requests may be missed. The practice will aim to checkfor e-mails each working day at 10am but patients using this method of requesting repeatprescriptions should be prepared for glitches with the system, particularly at the start. Patientsshould also be aware that this method of sending information cannot be guaranteed as secure.

This is for prescriptions only.

I NEED TO GO - NOW

Following the sudden closure of the Millknowe toilets by Argyll & Bute Council, siting theexpense of bringing them up to standard, the West of Scotland Seniors Forum is raising theissue again.

Restating the obvious that the use of a public toilet is a basic human need and that there arenot enough in our area, it aims to see -

An end to closure of public toiletsA full toilet provision strategy implementedInclusive facilities for all usersProper provision provided by the Council NOT shops, pubs or cafesSafe facilitiesOpen when we need to goA clean environment

Parents of young children, late night bus passengers arriving from Glasgow and those withage-related needs or disability are only too aware of the lack of facilities in Campbeltownduring the day and at night. The Councils short-sightedness may need the police to reviewprosecutions for urinating in public and shop-owners may have to take further action toprevent their entrances being used as a public toilet.

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Spending-a-penny improvements may save the prosecution and Strathclyde Police more thana few hundred pounds every time a urinary track need is manifested.

SKDT NEWSLETTER - SOUND OF SANDA TIDAL ENERGY PROJECT

A full application for a feasibility study to harness the power of the fide in the Sound of Sandahas been submitted to the Climate Challenge Fund. It will be considered in the Novemberround of applications.

We will not receive the decision until the end of January but If granted the study will take threemonths to complete meaning that the results will be made public in April or May. At this pointSouth Kintyre Development Trust Group intends to have a public exhibition of the results and adiscussion on the next stage of the project. It will look at the optimal locations for thedeployment of a tidal energy device in the Sound. Thestudy will also investigate the availableresources, potential paths for a suitable sub-sea power cable, return on investment, predictedcosts for grid connection and off-shore infrastructure requirements. The study also includestraining for SKDT members on the project management aspect of a community renewableenergy generation project. Once commissioned the study will take three months. Following theidentification of a significant tidal resource off the MulI of Kintyre and the well publicisedsuccess of the islay Energy Trust SKDT feels that maximum community benefit will only be

achieved with maximum community involvement. Keep an eye out for any developments onour newly created web-site, www.skdt.org.

WEST BANK FOODS - THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT

UK food labels are set to distinguish between goods from Palestinians in the occupiedterritories and produce from Israeli settlements. Food packaging guidelines advise a changefrom labels usually naming only Israel or West Bank as the source.

The government said it was opposed to a boycott of Israeli goods, but that the settlementsposed an obstacle to peace.

The Palestinian general delegation to the UK welcomed the move, but Israel said it was"extremely disappointed".

All Jewish settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law, though Israeldisputes this.

The new guidelines recommend that food labels in supermarkets should bear the phrasesIsraeli settlement produce or Palestinian produce. Whatever the politics, foods are producedby hard-working ordinary farmers who just want to make a living and get on with their lives.Manuel Hassassian, Palestinian general Delegate to the UK, said: "We welcome this. We havebeen calling for this for two years, since we began lobbying major British supermarkets when

we discovered that they were routinely selling products marked 'produce of the West Bank'which were in fact the produce of illegal settlements. This is a very positive response by theBritish government." But the Israeli embassy said it was "extremely disappointed. We thinkthis is singling out Israel and it plays into the hands of those who are calling for a boycott ofIsraeli goods."

CARRADALE PRIMARY SCHOOL - CHILDREN IN NEED

On Wednesday 18th November Carradale Primary held a 'Fun-Fair' themed afternoon for

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Children in Need. Pupils, staff and members of the community had a great time. Everyone gotinvolved dressing up as clowns and people from the fair.

There were a variety of stalls: Pin the Patch on Pudsey, Lucky Dip, Hoopla, Beat the Goalie andSponge the Staff. Mrs Ramsay very kindly donated 'Sweets in the Jar', which was won byDougie Campbell. 'Guess where Pudsey was hiding' on the treasure map was won by MoragAllan. Miss Crawford, Miss Galbraith and Miss McMillan all got sponged by very willing pupils! Afantastic total of 410 was raised for Children in Need. All pupils and staff would like to thank

Mrs Ramsay for making tea, coffee and Pudsey biscuits; Paterson's Bakery for raising moneyand adding it to our total and finally a huge thank you to all parents, family and communitymembers who came along to the school to support this fantastic event.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT

On Wednesday 16th December we held our school Christmas concert, which saw Nursery-P5performing ' A Fairytale Nativity' and P2-P7 performing 'Splash'. The evening was a fantasticsuccess and we wish to thank all who came along to support it. The wonderful sum of 238was raised for the school.

CHRISTMAS HAMPERS

As a result of pupils and parents generosity, we were able to distribute 12 Christmas Hampersto our elderly residents who greatly appreciated everyones kindness.

CHRISTMAS MAIL

Thanks once again to the unstinting support of parents and friends in the community theChristmas Mail donated an excellent sum of 403.12 to our school fund. This is in no small waydue to the efforts of Mrs Angela Arkell and her helpers who sorted and delivered the mail. The'post-people' were: Mrs Jennifer Conley, Mrs Valerie Conley, Mr Michael Foreman, Mrs MonicaGemmill, Mrs Lillian McDougall, Mr John Paterson and Ms Eleanor Sloan. Thank you all verymuch indeed.

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Josh McKenzie and Tabitha Broatch who both received 'Highly Commended'certificates in the recent road safety calendar competition.

We were delighted to have 100% pass rate in our Cycling Proficiency Test. Miss AmandaCrawford did an excellent job of training our pupils. Congratulations to: Oskar Baxter, ShaunaBrown. Lauren Burns, Niall Gemmill, Raymond Gosling, Katie McMillan, Bethany Paterson,Charlotte Semple and Bobby Willan, who all worked very hard and achieved their certificates.

Lynn Galbraith, Class teacher

PETER JOHN CAMPBELL

Peter John Campbell was born on January 22nd 1936 to Margaret Bell MacPherson and JamesLee Campbell a day on which his father caught 600 baskets of "great big herring" - Peter wasvery proud of this fact - Not that the family liked admitting ever landing large catches! Fromthe moment of his birth Peter reckoned the fishing was in his blood.

Unfortunately for him when he was 6 months old it was found that he had congenitalglaucoma, thus began Peter's visits to eye specialists. When he was about four it was decided

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to remove his left eye to relieve pressure in his right eye. Peter soon became accustomed tothis and his brother Jim could tell you some stories about his magic eye.

Despite this problem Peter became a very good athlete being a very good runner, footballer,badminton player and latterly he loved the indoor bowls.When he left school Peter and his mother ran Carradale Post Office where Peter deliveredtelegrams from Saddell to Cour on his trusty bike and enjoyed gathering the news while fillingpetrol. Who remembers the golden pheasants kept at the post office to ensure the tourists

stopped ?

As anyone would tell you Peter was determined on fishing being his life so in 1969 Peter's boatThe Seeker was launched by his fiance Margaret and so he fulfilled his life long ambition toSkipper a boat as this father and brother had done before him. The following year Petermarried his wife Margaret in Inverkip - being a non-driver he claimed to travel by land, sea andair just to winch her.

In 1972 Peter's joy was complete when his son Boyd was born and he was highly delightedwith the fact that he saw Boyd in the hospital before Margaret. Peter proudly wheeledMargaret to the hospital viewing area and proudly pointed out the wrong baby !! Peter was avery proud dad and most weekends he could be seen pushing a pram down to Waterfoot, then

when Boyd was older they both walked down and Peter walked back with Boyd Up on hisshooders.

Visiting his mother in law in Inverkip was also a treat for Peter -To many this seemed odd - thefact that he was so keen to visit -eventually everyone worked out that it was his way of gettingto see "The Famous Glasgow Rangers"

Peter was also the longest serving cast member of Carradale's Last of the Summer Wine -Originally with Donna and Willie Deans and then latterly with Bill and Colin down the pier - hemust have been a good vintage.

Peter loved company and he welcomed all to his home - many afternoons serving as many

teas and coffees at Invercarra as Keith and Walter were selling up in the Glen. He loved aparty and was never happier than when there was a good sing-a-long with Jeanette playing theaccordion.

To Peter his family, friends and fishing were his life and he enjoyed it to the full. He will besadly missed by all. M.R.

WHERE ARE WE GOINGSOMEONE ELSE IS NOT HAPPY WITH THE PLANNING PROCESS

Regrettably and cynically recent legislation has so sidelined elected councillors that now even

any pretence of democracy in planning matters has evaporated. We are firmly gripped in thehands of a few Machiavellians in grey suits.

The Local Plan has patently failed the people of Kintyre. The economy, infrastructure anddemography of Kintyre has been remorselessly declining for many years.

The worst aspect of the Local Plan is that it means so little to the vast majority of the public. ltis full of high incongruous, unrealistic ideals, miasmic regulations concerning subjectivepremises and slippery, irrational definitions, whose interpretation are entirely in the dubioushands of one or two, here today gone tomorrow, over powerful, career orientated officials.

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Any potential developer can win or loose 'the lottery" on the personal interpretations andwhims of a planner. This inevitably leads to impressions of inconsistencies and apparentunfairness in the planning system. If you upset a planner, no matter how irrational theirarguments, the chances are your application will falter.

We are sitting on a demographic time bomb. Kintyre urgently needs to reverse itsdemographic graph. There is no economy without people. Loosening the shackles of the LocalPlan should be the way forward.

The Government and The Council seem keen to maintain the status quo of a bankrupt system,are you ? Respond to the Councils Consultation Exercise on the Local Plan which is quietlytaking place right now.

Name and address supplied.The view expressed is a purely personal one and one which cannot be considered as the viewof the view of the Antler or its staff.

A83 SOUTH OF MUASDALEPOTENTIAL PARTNERSHIP WITH GREEN POWER: EXTRACTS FROM A RECENT COUNCIL

DOCUMENTwww.argyll-bute.gov.uk/moderngov/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=44667

Green Power is considering the delivery of wind turbine towers and blades from Campbeltownto the wind farm development at Carraiggheal on the West side of Loch Awe. They havecarried out a route assessment and approached Operational Services for comments on theirproposals. Green Power identified a considerable problem at the A83 Hill South of Muasdaleand proposed widening to the inside of the two corners. They were advised that any worksthey proposed should not be detrimental to the project proposed by the Council. Green Powerhave submitted a planning application for the proposed widening of the two bends and in the

event of no partnership agreement being reached with the Council they intend carrying outthe corner widening on their own.

Green Power have recognised that there are mutual benefits to working with the Council aspartners to complete their works and the Councils proposed work. Construction of these workswill be a considerable disruption to traffic on the A83 and the public perception will be poor ifthere is a project undertaken by Green Power and then a few years later the Council repeatthe disruption to undertake their project

The preliminary estimated cost of the Councils work is in the order of 1,100,000 and there isthe potential for Green Power to meet at least half that cost. Green Power require the workscompleted in time to transport the towers and turbine blades to meet the requirements of theconstruction of the wind farm. This has still to be finalised but there is a high expectation thatit will be before December 2010

CONCLUSIONS

There is a considerable financial benefit to the Council if Green Power are a partner for theimprovement to the A83 South of Muasdale. The Council would have to allocate its share ofthe capital funding to meet the time-scales required by Green Power for the construction ofthe works.

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IMPLICATIONS

The project meets with objectives of Corporate Plan. There is a potential cost saving of over500,000 but the Council will have to accelerate its capital funding share from the StrategicChange block allocation. If the proposal proceeds a binding partnership agreement will berequired and staff resources will have to be reallocated to include this projects design work.

Andrew Law Director Operational Services 7 October 2009

APPENDIX 1

The existing road is on a poor horizontal alignment, with no verges, poor visibility and poorsurface water drainage. The seaward edge is showing signs of movement. Should there be afailure of this road edge it would lead to traffic restrictions or closure of the A83 toCampbeltown. This project is to widen the road into the hillside to move the carriageway clearof the possible embankment failure area and ensure the long term sustainability of the routeDemonstrate how the project support the corporate plan and other resource strategies

WHERE HAVE ALL THE QUIZZERS GONE

Despite the conscientious efforts of the Hall Committee, the Leighton expertise, the Daviesdecorative scheme, the galaxy of valuable draw prizes, the surfeit of confectionery and thecompetitive nature of the event, only forty quizzers turned out on Saturday 12th Decemberfor the Christmas Quiz. Why? Full report on page

CARE & REPAIRHOUSING SUPPORT /SMALL REPAIRS SERVICE

If you are over 60 and/or disabled, Argyll & Bute Care & Repair can offer support through theHousing Support Service. This service is divided into two categories as hereunder:

EXAMPLES OF FREE SERVICE - (PLEASE NOTE ALL MATERIALS TO BE SUPPLIED BY THECLIENT)

Replacement of lightbulbsReplacement of alarm batteries (smoke and CO)Putting down threshold stripsRewiring plugsInstallation of peepholesReplace locks (external)Installations of keysafesInstallation of blinds/curtains (where none in place)Installation of security chains.

EXAMPLES OF SERVICE FOR WHICH THERE IS A CHARGEOF 10 FOR THE FIRST HOUR WITH ADDITIONAL 5 CHARGED FOR EACH HALF-HOUR

THEREAFTER:

Fit telephone extension cablesReplace blindsReplace curtainsErect curtain polesFit shelvesEase doors and windows

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Flatpack assemblyChange tap washersPlumb in washing machinesMend toilet/bathroom fixturesSmall plastering/filling jobsMinor decorating ie touch up

Tiling

Your local Housing Support Officers are Raymond Harvey 07786 545 886 and Paul Huckerby07786 545 030

CAMPBELTOWN OLD COURTHOUSESTRATHCLYDE BUILDING PRESERVATION TRUST: A PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Strathclyde Building Preservation Trust is a charitable company. Our main purpose is to findsustainable uses for historic buildings at risk and on that basis we have been working towardsthe conservation led regeneration of Campbeltown town centre for some 3 years. We arecurrently working alongside the Kintyre Amenity Trust to repair the Old School in Lome Streetand convert it for use as a bunk house and we are now embarking on an Options Appraisal tofind a new use for the Old Courthouse in Bolgam Street. This remarkable complex of buildings,

dates from the 18th century but is now in a perilous state and there is a real danger that itmay be lost.

The Options Appraisal will explore 4 main themes to try and determine whether the buildingcan be saved.

THE BUILDING

By studying the building and documentary sources, we will: piece together the history of the Old Courthouse assess just how important it is discover what repairs are needed

determine how the building can be altered and adapted for a new use.

THE MARKET AND PUBLIC OPINION.

We will undertake market research and a public consultation to ascertain what functions mightbe accommodated in the building.

VIABILITYWe will undertake viability assessments on a short list of uses to see whether theycan provide a financially sustainable use for the building.

FUNDING We will investigate funding sources to see whether the capital funds can be raisedto cover the cost of repairs and adaptation.

We are now seeking views on the building and its potential and enclose a copy of aquestionnaire which we would be grateful if you could distribute to your members or completeon behalf of your group or organisation. The information gathered through this process willhelp us to short list options for further study.

THE OLD COURTHOUSE CAMPBELTOWN HAVE YOUR SAY

INTRODUCTION

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The Old Courthouse is at least 260 years old and is one of the oldest buildings surviving inCampbeltown. It is a very important building because of its age and its rarity. Not only is thereno other building like it in Campbeltown but to date we have not been able to find anothersimilar example in Scotland.

Through an Options Appraisal study, we hope to gain a better understanding of the building'suse and history and to be able to determine properly just how important it is.

We aim to find a new use for the building that will be viable and sustainable and also toidentify funds to pay for repairs and to put this building back to work. Your views are importantto the choice of new use.

To help you understand the building we have loaded a number of photographs and a sketchplan of the building onto our web site. Please take a moment to have a look at:http://www.sbpt.org.uk, click on the Current Projects, Old Courthouse page and follow thelinks. This information is also available from James Lafferty the Campbeltown CARS & THIProject Officer at:

3 Harveys Lane Burnside Square Campbeltown PA28 6GE

HISTORIC SCOTLAND

Strathclyde Building Preservation Trust is a Charitable Company Taking Action to ConserveScotland's Built Heritage Registered Office 42 Miller Street Glasgow. G1 1DT

COMMUNITY POWERDOWN - SOUTH KINTYRE DEVELOPMENTTRUST

The South Kintyre Development Trust (SKDT) is a member of the Community Power-downconsortium. This consortium comprises of 27 community groups from rural areas throughoutScotland. In February 2009, the Power-down consortium successfully obtained 1.4 million

funding from the Climate Challenge Fund. This money was distributed among the 27 groups tohelp them reduce their respective communitys carbon footprint.

In April 2009, SKDT employed a project officer to help progress their carbon reduction projects.Over the last 6 months SKDT's Community Power-down project has managed to reduce thecarbon emissions of South Kintyre by over six tons. Although this is a good start much morehas to be done to make a real difference to the estimated 104,817 tons of carbon dioxide thatis emitted every year from South Kintyre. We need the public's help to reduce this figurefurther.

WHAT CAN COMMUNITY POWER-DOWN DO FOR YOU ?

It is an incredibly busy time in Argyll and Bute with regards to carbon reduction. CommunityPower-down officers have been working in Mull, Tiree, Gigha, Cairndow and Jura to help reducetheir respective communitys carbon footprints. While community groups in Tarbert, Islay andBute are all working towards the same goal. There has never been a better time to find outmore about reducing your carbon footprint. If your a home owner or the tenant of a privatesector landlord, we can help you reduce your energy bills, insulate your home, grow your ownfood and assist with any renewable energy questions you may have.WHY SHOULD I BOTHER ?

Many people will feel that they do not have a responsibility to reduce their own footprint,however, the truth is that it pays to be green! The UK government has pledged to reduce

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greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2050 while Scotland has an enormous target of 80%.These are incredibly high targets and if they expect to be met drastic changes will need tooccur. Reduced consumption of fossil fuels will be necessary and the uptake of renewableenergy required. This means further price rises on coal, oil and gas as well as electricity bills.

HOW DOES IT PAY TO BE GREEN ?

By insulating your home and reducing your consumption you can save hundreds of pounds

every year. By installing renewables you can significantly reduce your energy bills and if youproduce enough electricity you could actually make a profit! There are subsidies available toeveryone who wishes to insulate their loft or install cavity wall insulation and if you are over 70or in receipt of certain benefits you can insulate your home for free. There is a 4,000 grantavailable to any householder installing renewable technologies such as, wind turbines, solarpanels, bio-mass boilers, ground or air source heat pumps and for a limited time there isinterest free loans from the Scottish Government for anyone installing a renewabletechnology. If that wasn't enough, in April 2010 the UK government is introducing feed intariffs. These tariffs are designed to make renewable technology economically attractive andpay back periods shorter. For example; under the proposed structure a solar photo-voltaicpanel will receive 36 pence for each kilowatt of electricity that is sold back to the grid, a smallwind turbine will earn 23 pence per kilowatt and a hydro-electric generator will earn 17 pence

per kilowatt. There has never been a better time to go green.

If you want to know more SKDT's Power-down officer can assist you.

Contact details;

Project Officer: Malcolm McMillans web-site: www.skdt.org e-mail: [email protected] phone:07852 956 645

Also, SKDT have electricity monitors for loan. These monitors provide real time tracking ofyour electricity consumption and let you see which appliances are using the most electricity.

They clip round the cables coming from your fuse box and send a signal to a display positioned

in your home. If you are interested in finding out more then please get in touch with SKDT.More information on the monitors is available from this web-site:http://www.currentcost.com/index.html

GOLF CLUB

The winners in the November and December monthly draws together with the Snowball drawat the Dinner/Dance are as follows: -

November December

1st 30 Gregor Semple Jean Henderson2nd 18 Alistair Ponton Brian Davidson3rd 12 Alec Hanning Elma McLean4th 6 Ann Borthwick Neil McAuslan

Snowball

1st 150 John McFadyen2nd 100 Cathie McFadyen3rd 50 George Marshall

JUST A MINUTE - East Kintyre Community Council

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http://www.skdt.org/mailto:[email protected]://www.currentcost.com/index.htmlhttp://www.skdt.org/mailto:[email protected]://www.currentcost.com/index.html


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East Kintyre Community Council has once again failed to publish minutes of its meetingswithin the fortnight specified in paragraph 12 of the 2009 'Commitment'. In consequence theEditor is unable to print the minute of the December meeting. EKCC has also failed to publish alist of meeting dates for the whole of the current year. Not a good start and certainly not inkeeping with Argyll & Bute Council's Code of Conduct and Best Practice Agreement.

Carradale Antler - 208 - February 2010

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Transcript of Carradale Antler - 208 - February 2010