CalMac staff appreciation
Sir,
On October 7, I went to board the first ferry to Ardrossan for a hospital appointment in Ayr. As I walked to the ticket office, I realised the soles of my shoes were disintegrating and I was now bare footed.
I bought my ticket and asked what I thought was a stupid question. Have you any shoes here? Catherine McBain said: “I have some old work shoes out back.” They were heavy and too big but I managed to get to my appointment without frozen feet and wearing only socks!
We moan about CalMac, but the staff go above and beyond to help those of us who have a problem.
Yours,
Yvonne Allen,
Whiting Bay.
Stranded on Arran – ‘wot’, no ferries again!
Sir,
Stranded on Arran for the second night,
what a pile a’ steaming ….,
well what else to say,
w’ no ferries for the second day?
now those who’ve lived on wee isles will know,
when big Nor’Westerlies huff, puff and blow,
there’s not much to do but hunker down, wait and wonder,
‘is it more of this and even thunder,
or just another CalMac blunder?’
Now I’m no weather expert or master mariner,
so ought to defer to those that ken,
who consult the almanack, watch the weather, eye the skies and then….
‘jeez, no ferry again?!’
it’s gone beyond a running joke,
for the long suffering island folk,
Wot, no ferry again? Ach don’t worry,
CalMac won’t go broke,
Nor’Westerlies, Sou’Easterlies, fair winds or ill,
their pals in Holyrood will foot the bill.
Yours,
Gordon McMeekin,
Largs.
Ferry debate
Sir,
I read that the preferred SNP option for the renewal of the contract between the Government and a ferry operator responsible for ferry services at present run by CMAL, CalMac, is to have no competitive tendering but to simply continue with the present set-up.
After what has gone on in the past five years, I am shocked and amazed. The Scottish Government is directly responsible for providing lifeline ferry services to the Highlands and islands but CMAL, in particular, has failed to appreciate the huge increase in demand for transport for reasons of business, farming, tourism and the introduction of RET.
In my opinion, the only way to make them all wake up and smell the coffee is either to put the whole service out to tender or break it up into locally-run services with local ferry committees having much greater powers and responsibilities.
An absolute farce has been played out as a result of the dubious decisions of senior management at CMAL and the hubris of the Scottish Government which is building two of the most expensive ferries in the world totally at the taxpayer’s expense and they don’t fit in the harbours. When I think of it, it is not surprising the SNP does not want a competitive tender because it will continue a debate which it wishes could be swept under the carpet.
Yours,
John Cruickshank,
Whiting Bay.
State-run subsidised ferry service
Sir,
I responded to Roy and Alfred’s letters in last week’s Banner. It is always good to hear differences of opinion but, unfortunately, they offer no facts and are using speculation in their arguments.
To say the catamaran is cheaper and less expensive is not true. You buy cheap, you get cheap. This is well-known, especially in the mechanical world.
I quote: “medium-speed catamarans operated by Pentland Ferries have proven their reliability and superior competitiveness against a state-subsidised monohull on the Pentland Firth route for the past 15 years,” – Professor Baird.
The Pentalina failed a Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) coding and was pulled from service as the Alfred took on the Orkney route. Alfred was then leased to CalMac. MV Pentalina went to Belfast and again failed an MCA certificate but was allowed to sail under a temporary one; one-month later she grounded with an engine fire. The Alfred grounded a year before. Alfred, under CalMac lease, was out of service for nearly three weeks with gearbox issues. These ferries are 13 years old and four years old. If they had done their research they would not find a yard in Europe that could build a catamaran for £15 million.
Do they gain the same capacity in summer as the MV Caledonian Isle and MV Isle of Arran? A combined figure shows a 1,448-passenger capacity and 188 cars.
Three Alfreds would be needed to do the same numbers, facing a shortfall in the passenger numbers to 1,290 but more car capacity at 294, but a much-reduced freight capacity, due to the design. So three crews, not two crews, and one more fuel expense, berthing costs and maintenance. Also, no catering, bar or café as the staff numbers can be reduced but service reduced too. As the two new ferries – the MV Glen Rosa and the MV Glen Sannox come into play, this would give a foot passenger capacity of 1,704 and a car capacity of 254.
As for state-run subsidised ferries, I am sure islanders are happy with a heavily subsidised ferry. A return fare with one passenger costs £140 to Orkney, distance 19 miles. Arran is £42.60, 13 miles.
Yours,
Duncan Dowie,
Whiting Bay.
The Missing Colourist
Sir,
Further to your article ‘Rare Arran painting goes on sale’, Arran Banner, November 24, my illustrated biography of the artist John Maclauchlan Milne is entitled The Missing Colourist because he has been so overlooked.
His paintings frequently appear at important auctions and he is recognised by dealers and auctioneers, but he is not more widely known. He was in many of the same places, at the same times, doing the same thing as his four contemporaries who were later presented as The Scottish Colourists.
He lived at Seaview in High Corrie from 1940 until near the end of his life in 1957. He painted many pictures of the cottages at High Corrie; all throughout Corrie, from Springwell to Ferry Rock and around Sannox Bay and the hills above.
He painted in Belgium during WW1, then Paris, the South of France, the north west Highlands and Iona before discovering Arran in 1939.
If readers are interested in The Missing Colourist, please see my book and website at www.themissingcolourist.co.uk
Yours,
Maurice Millar,
Perthshire.
State pension petition
Sir,
I am writing to bring attention to a matter of utmost importance that directly impacts our community and our shared values.
Our community is currently facing a significant challenge – the State Pension is far too low. A petition, entitled Make the State Pension equal to Minimum Wage (40hr/wk 23+) to all from age 60, 640356 aims to get the government to increase the basic State Pension to £21,673.60 a year – £416.80 per week – and extend this to everyone aged 60 or over. This should lift thousands out of poverty, give our elderly people more power to survive and help grow the real economy from the bottom up. We firmly believe united action can make a difference and that’s why we have launched a petition on the official UK Parliament website.
By signing and sharing the petition, you can contribute to the collective voice that advocates for national change. The more signatures we gather, the stronger our message becomes and the chance increaes that our cause will receive the attention it deserves.
You can find the petition and add your signature by visiting [https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/640356]
We understand the importance of an informed and engaged public and believe your readers can play a pivotal role in making a positive impact. Together, we can make a difference and create positive change.
Yours,
Angela Templeton, Karen Burns, Dave Fabian, Denver Johnson, Marion Wilson Thomas, and Michael Thompson,
Wakeup Britain!