TEN YEARS AGO
Friday November 22, 2013
HEADING: Police respond to rural thefts
Police patrols have been increased around Loch Fyne following a number of high value thefts from farms and rural properties.
Officers in uniform and plain clothes are particularly active in Minard and Furnace at night, when thieves are more likely to strike.
Vehicles entering and leaving the area are regularly being stopped and checked by police officers, while CID are following lines of enquiry relating thefts that occurred last month.
A spokesman from Lochgilphead Police Station said: ‘We are still advising members of the public to continue to be vigilant and if any suspicious activity is seen or heard, please call the police on telephone number 101, or if an emergency 999.’
Roads into Argyll close on average once every six days
The length of time it takes for roads to reopen following serious accidents will not automatically reduce with the launch of a bespoke traffic unit in Argyll, says a senior policeman.
Chief Superintendent Barry McEwan, who heads up policing in Argyll and Bute, has outlined plans to return a dedicated traffic unit to the county.
It comes three years after traffic policing was centralised and moved to Glasgow.
‘I want to improve the service people get in these areas [Argyll],’ Chief Superintendent McEwan said. ‘I am still working towards bringing officers in to create a bespoke traffic unit that will serve Mid Argyll, Oban, Lorne and the Isles, and will increase professionalism in dealing with road safety and policing maters. It is not the case that roads will open quicker because of that.’
But he added: ‘We are looking at technological advances that may help us and may in the long term have an impact on the time involved in reopening roads.’
Chief Superintendent McEwan revealed his plans to The Advertiser as MSP for the Highlands and Islands Jamie McGrigor raised concerns about the number of road closures on arterial routes into Argyll.
Figures show the main routes into Argyll close, on average, once every six days, with there being 186 road closures in the last three years. The A83 was closed 43 times between 2010 and 2012; the A82 closed 97 times and the A85 closed 46 times.
Mr McGrigor said: ‘Constituents will hope that these figures encourage the Scottish Government and Police Scotland to look again at how they deal with the aftermath of accidents on these key roads. They should also spur the Scottish Government to look again at redoubling its efforts to improve road safety on these routes.’
TWENTY YEARS AGO
Friday November 28, 2003
HEADING: Taking timber off our roads
Lochaweside and South Knapdale look set to benefit from the development of a forest roads network designed to take timber lorries off public roads.
The partnership behind The Strategic Timber Transport Network for Argyll has set out to take ‘as much timber haulage as possible’ away from public routes in Argyll. This includes 120km of fragile minor public roads.
But it will take time, warned Ian Arnold of Argyll Timber Transport Group. He said: ‘Initial work has commenced on half of the project areas, but it is important to recognise that it will take three years to build all these routes and possibly a further two to realise their recreational potential.
The project, lead by Forest Enterprise in partnership with Argyll and Bute Council, Forestry Commission Scotland, UPM/Tilhill, Scottish Woodlands, J Robin Dixon and Argyll and the Islands Enterprise (AIE), is part financed by the European Union.
Under the plans timber lorries will be able to get to east Lochaweside via the A83 trunk road at Auchindrain, driving along one-and-a-half miles of public road.
The new 19km road will link Loch Fyne with Loch Awe and take a number of timber lorries off the B840, particularly south of Braevallich to Ford and to the A816 Oban to Lochgilphead.
The forest route will also be managed as a scenic drive for the public, with the potential to increase tourism on Lochaweside.
The partners propose new timber haul routes in six areas, also including South Knapdale between Kilberry and Torinturk, which would mean a reduction in traffic on the B8024 Kilberry to Inverneill road; and West Loch Awe to the B845 beyond Inverinan and Kilchrenan, for a reduction on the C30, West Lochaweside.
Routes at Homeston, south of Campbeltown should reduce traffic on the C10 in Glenbreackerie and on the southern half of the B842 Campbeltown to Southend road and work at Loch Lussa, north of Campbeltown, is expected to reduce timber traffic on the B842 between Campbeltown and Carradale.
Also included in the network is an area around Strone, south west Cowal, Strone, south west Cowal.
As well as the Awe-Fyne forest drive, new recreation areas will be developed at Kilberry, East Lussa and Loch Lussa near Campbeltown.
Those behind the network have estimated that it would remove 100,000 lorry miles from fragile minor roads in the next five years and provide a route for heavy traffic to other rural industries such as fish farming, renewable energy generation and agriculture.
Ian Arnold said: ‘It is important to understand that this project, whilst not solving all our transport network problems in Argyll, will establish the principle of protecting and preserving much of our fragile minor road sys tem, where it is financially impossible to upgrade these roads for timber movement and in many cases not desirable where such roads serve small communities and are important tourist routes in their own right.’
Additional benefits of the network include securing the harvesting of around 1,000,000 tonnes of ‘economically marginal’ small round wood over the next 20 years; expansion of forestry employment in Argyll by around 50 jobs and provision of infrastructure, which will make timber production in Argyll more attractive to potential investors.
The total project costs are estimated at £2.5 million, with large contributions made from the partners and outside grant-making bodies.
FORTY YEARS AGO
Friday November 25, 1983
HEADING: Inveraray news
At the beginning of the November meeting of Inveraray Community Council, Chairman Mrs. M McQuarrie extended a warm welcome to Rev. John McQuilken, Inveraray Parish Church minister who has been co-opted to the community council.
The council members were encouraged and pleased to hear that grant approval had been given towards the financing of the Wayside Shelter to be sited at the foot of the Barn Brae. The council is hopeful that work will soon start on this project.
The concern of the community council for particular problem facing unemployed people in Inveraray and district has produced a scheme which should prove beneficial to those unfortunately out of work.
An arrangement has been arrived at with the Department of Employment that the community council will undertake, and update, the display of job vacancies in the Tourist Office window.
Community council meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month. A warm welcome is extended to members of the public to attend.
HEADING: Senior citizens
Guest speaker at Inveraray Senior Citizens Club was Mr Forsyth Hamilton, Ardrishaig.
Mr Hamilton’s historical account of fishing on Loch Fyne allied to his personal recollections and humorous anecdotes held the audience through his entire address.
His use of models of the different types of Loch Fyne fishing boats, to illustrate his talk, added greatly to the afternoon’s interest and enjoyment.
The hostesses for the meeting were Mrs J. Smith and Mrs J. Stewart.
HEADING: Cub Scouts
A party of Inveraray Cub Scouts enjoyed their recent weekend spent at the National Scout Activity Centre in Lochgoilhead.
In charge of the group was Assistant Cub Scout Leader Paul Taylor who was assisted by Michael Connelly.
The Cub Scouts enjoyed every minute of the programme of arranged outdoor and indoor activities
The Cub Scouts who attended were:- Andrew Watt, Douglas Macleod, Kevin Livingstone, Gary MacPherson, lain MacKay, Craig Byk and Alastair Watt.
Mr Jock Munro conveyed the boys to Lochgilphead and also on the homeward journey to Inveraray.
SIXTY YEARS AGO
Tuesday November 26, 1963
HEADING: Bingo ‘a social pestilence’
Dunoon Town Council has decided to permit the playing of bingo on week nights in some of its halls.
This decision, which reverses a previous ruling of the council, was taken by eight votes to four at a meeting on November 12.
Suspension of the standing orders was necessary before the matter could be discussed and this was moved by Councillor Mrs Fordyce and seconded by ex-Provost E. F. Wyatt. Ex-Provost Miss C. S. McPhail moved a direct negative and was seconded by ex-Provost James Marshall. The motion to suspend standing orders was carried by 10 votes to two.
Ex-Provost Wyatt then moved that the council permit some of its halls to be used for bingo on weekdays. He said that as trustees of the ratepayers they must sink their individual likes and dislikes for broader rational views. It was not part of a councillor’s duty to be a judge of habits.
Bingo was popular with many and if the council were keen to arrest the decline of visitors then they must lift the embargo prohibiting bingo in council-owned property and allow private enterprise to promote shows. He was seconded by Councillor J. Dickson.
Ex-Provost Marshall moved as an amendment that they do no such thing. In seconding, ex-Provost Miss McPhail said she opposed the letting of public halls for the gambling game of bingo, on behalf of the many ratepayers who considered gambling in any form harmful to the community.
These people had a right to be heard and where there was doubt as to which point of view was in the majority, things should be left as they were.
‘It may be,’ she said, ‘that this social pestilence, with its corrupting influence, will come to the town in other halls, but the town council should certainly not be a party to it.’
Ex-Provost Black felt it was in the best interests of the community that public halls should not be used and Councillor Thomas Galbraith said he would not like to think he had been a party to letting halls for gaming purposes.
HEADING: Film Association Meets at Tarbert
Mr H. Scobbie, chairman, welcomed a large attendance of members to the November meeting of the Tarbert branch of the Scottish Educational Film Association in the Tarbert Hotel.
Dr A. Shaw, Glasgow, was the guest speaker and he showed a selection of coloured slides taken during a touring holiday in France and Costa Brava in Spain.
His comments on each slide on the places visited were much appreciated by members.
A vote of thanks was extended to Dr Shaw for the pleasant evening’s entertainment he had provided, by Mr A. M. Henry.
CAPTIONS:
2003: A colourful pantomime was enjoyed by one and all at Ardrishaig Public Hall at the weekend. Goldilocks and the Three Bears and the Missing Toaty Teddy Bear was performed by Lochgilphead Drama Club raised £210.09 for Children in Need.
1963: A house to rent for £1.35 a week – those were the days!