TEN YEARS AGO
Friday November 1 2013
Ghost hunters meet at Auchindrain
A group of brave ghost hunters at Auchindrain Ancient Township spent Saturday night ‘making contact’ with former workers on the farm in the name of charity.
The volunteers spent a chilly night with psychic Gayle Bennett using an Ouija board, séance and voice recorder to make contact with the afterlife.
Sponsored to spend the night at the 18th century settlement, the volunteers were braving the past to raise cash for the MS Centre.
Claire Cameron, outreach worker at the MS Centre, said the group of 25 made contact with Bell, who previously lived in one of the buildings, using an Ouija board.
‘She was telling us she was not a witch, but a herbal healer, Claire said. We asked her lots of questions. It was really interesting I think everyone left 100 per cent believers.’
Saturday night also saw Mid Argyll folk attempting to make contact with former inmates at Inveraray Jail. The volunteers have so far raised more than £3,000 for the centre and the ‘Gala-we’en’ Day on Saturday afternoon raised £506.
The money will be put towards the running costs of the centre.
More netting and drainage work needed along the A83
Protective netting and drainage work may be needed on the Glen Kinglas hillside, a few miles north of the Rest and Be Thankful, to prevent further landslides closing the A83.
But any actual remedial works will be ‘subject to the availability of funding’, the minister for transport Keith Brown has said.
Speaking in Holyrood this week, Mr Brown said a study was currently under way to ascertain the threat of landslides on the A83 between the Rest and Be Thankful and Cairndow.
The announcement comes four weeks after a landslide closed the A83 near the Dunoon road junction an area not previously affected by landslides.
Prioritised
Answering a parliamentary question raised by Jamie McGrigor, MSP for the Highlands and Islands, Mr Brown said: ‘Studies are underway on the section of the A83 through Glen Kinglas to Cairndow. If these identify additional locations for debris netting or drainage work, these will be prioritised subject to the availability of funding.
‘In the meantime, measures are being taken to ensure that any clear up can be as fast as possible and to ensure communications are strengthened further.
Mr McGrigor said: ‘I hope these assessments can be completed as quickly as possible so that any necessary actions can be taken forward without delay. The Argyll and Bute economy must not be put at risk by repeated closures of this vital trunk road.’
TWENTY YEARS AGO
Friday November 7 2003
New Tarbert Health Centre opened by retired doctor
The brand new Tarbert Health Centre was officially opened last Friday by the village’s much-loved but now retired GP Dr Neil Macdonald.
The people of Tarbert were all invited last Friday to have a look around, and enjoy a glass of wine and a piece of cake.
NHS Argyll and Clyde built the new surgery, on the site of the former Church of Scotland Manse on Campbeltown Road, because the old one was getting too small.
GPs operating from the new building, which was constructed over a period of nine months by Lochgilphead-based building firm M and K MacLeod, are Dr Corina Spink and Dr Lorna MacMillan.
Douglas Robertson, chairman of Tarbert and Skipness Community Council, said: ‘I feel that our appreciation should be recorded of Tarbert Parish Church members who allowed their manse site to be used for the benefit of the village.’
The new surgery will offer a range of additional services including physiotherapy and podiatry clinics and community nursing. The Scottish Ambulance Service is also now based there.
Judith Bett, NHS locality manager for Mid Argyll, said that now more services were under the same roof ‘people only have to go to one place instead of several.’
Jonathan Gargon top at Knapdale contest
Knapdale Gun Club held an open shoot on October 25.
The targets on the day were challenging with a shoot off needed to separate the first four shooters. Article prizes were awarded for the second 15 targets shot.
The club would like to thank all who attended the shoot and helped out on the day.
Results were as follows: 1st and high gun Jonathon Gargon; 2nd Bob McColl; 3rd Gideon Pringle, 4th Hugh O’ Neill, 5th John Paton. Ladies trophy winner: Jennifer Jones. Junior winner: Jennifer Jones. Campbell Trophy winner: John Sweeney.
FORTY YEARS AGO
Friday November 4 1983
Evacuation after gas leak
About fifty people were evacuated and the fire service called when oxyacetylene gas escaped and caught fire in Lochgilphead last Tuesday.
Tanks of oxyacetylene gas were being used for welding, on the Regional Council site under redevelopment in Lochnell Street. Workers on the site noticed the leak shortly before 9 a.m. and called the fire brigade.
The situation was regarded as very serious and people in the Post Office, the Comm Bar, a mother and child in a flat above the Comm Bar, and the temporary Regional Council offices were evacuated.
Mr Kirk of the fire service said: “This could have had very far reaching consequences if we hadn’t got it under control.”
The means of controlling the gas was to keep the cylinder cool, and eventually lower the temperature enough to be able to move in. To this end the fire service played hoses on the cylinder, and toward midday was able to immerse it in the nearby paddling pool.
While it took several hours to complete the operation, the situation was under control as soon as the cylinder was being sprayed.
The owners of the oxyacetylene tanks, the British Oxygen Company will retrieve the equipment which will now be subjected to stringent tests to discover how this dangerous leak occurred.
SIXTY YEARS AGO
Tuesday November 5 1963
Turnalt breeder takes both the championship and reserve at Craignish
The usual high standard was maintained at this year’s annual show of the Craignish and District Agricultural Society, although the number of entries was 90 down on last year. The judges in all six sections commented favourably on the standard of entries.
The sheep section was an overwhelming triumph for Messrs and H. MacNicol, Turnalt, who showed the champion and the reserve.
The championship went to a home-bred gimmer off a MacTaggart, Muirhouse, sire bought in Oban two years ago. It also won the Stag Cup for the best female animal in the show. Last year at Lochgilphead the champion was first in its class in the confined section. The reserve was a five-year-old home-bred ewe straight off the hill.
I. and H. MacNicol, who have competed in the show since its inception in 1952 – until this year, without major success – took other prizes in the sheep section including the group award for a ewe, shearling ewe and ewe lamb, all home-bred. The judge for sheep and dogs was Mr Robert Lamont, Killellan, Dunoon.
There was an impressive show in the root and grain section, but the poor summer resulted in a curtailed entry. The judge in this section, Mr Thomas Harper, Stranraer, said that a very good standard had been attained in view of the difficult season.
Mr Harper was particularly pleased with the Golden Wonders, the swedes, and the carrots. The prize for the best exhibit in the root and grain section, the McGill and Smith Cup, went to J. D. MacKenzie for his purple swedes. Alasdair MacNicol gained the most points in the section.
In the garden section the outstanding exhibits were the collections of vegetables.
The Hector MacLean Memorial Cup was awarded to Archd Livingstone for his collection, and the reserve, Donald Crawford, also received his award for a similar exhibit. The two shared the award for the most points.
‘A terrific show,’ was how Mrs Ross described the display of baking she judged. She said that there had been great competition in the cherry cake and sponge section but added that she would like to see far more entries for things like oatcakes. Mrs Ross judged Miss Amy Milton’s cherry cake the best exhibit in the section.
The Dalgleish Challenge Cup for the most points went to Mrs T. Johnston.
Miss R. L. Sutherland of the West of Scotland Agricultural College judged the produce. She commented on the shortage of entries, but said that what was there was of a high standard.
The best exhibit in this section was G. S. Ritchie’s dark honey. Mr Ritchie also had the most points in the section.
Mrs D. McLarty, Ardrishaig, judged the craft section in which Mrs J. Maclean swept the boards. She had the best exhibit, a beautifully made felt donkey, the reserve, an embroidered handkerchief) and won the Leachy Cup for most points.
The Ann Thomas Gallery at Tarbert produces drawings of wildlife and historic Scottish buildings, and these are printed on stationery, table mats, towels and other items.
Mrs Thomas was very pleased at the high attendance of buyers at the trade fair, both from Britain and abroad.