SECRET BALLOT RESULTS

A secret ballot has been held in Colonsay to decide whether or not to go ahead with a community-wide scheme to purchase land for the creation of seven additional crofts. If the scheme is adopted, it is intended to use it as a vehicle to attract additional residents to the island - it is envisaged that some at least will be building their first home and the profile is likely to include young families. The secret ballot is to be polled on 16 September and the result will appear here as soon as possible:

BT SCANDAL

A resident of Colonsay, long-established and with not the faintest intention of moving home, received the following letter, dated 4 September 2003:

"Dear (name supplied),
One of our customers has asked to take over the telephone service on 01951 200XXX. They have told us that you are moving house. If you are not moving house and believe that we have sent you this letter by mistake, please accept our apologies. Either way, please contact us as soon as you can.

If we do not hear from you by 11 September 2003, we will assume that you have moved and no longer want the telephone service on this number. We will then end your contract and transfer the telephone service to the new occupier. We will send you a final bill a few days later.

Yours sincerely,
Barbara Cartwright
Customer Service Manager"

This letter was received on the 8th, whereupon BT was immediately informed (by telephone) that the subscriber had no intention of moving and that there was to be no change to their telephone account. As it happened, the subscriber has a medical condition which requires constant monitoring and is dependent upon a reliable lifeline connection. This clear message was confirmed in writing by letter which was sent by the next available post. Despite this, the telephone was disconnected the following day, on the 11th September.

To avoid doubt, the telephone number in question is utterly unremarkable and is in no way an especially desirable or readily remembered number; therefore the motives of any person seeking to "take over" the number could only be a complete mystery. When word of the disconnection got round, an emergency public meeting was convened by the Community Council. Meantime, BT stated that the number had been re-allocated, but refused to identify the individual concerned; as a result, the police were asked to investigate the situation.

The public meeting was very heavily attended and a clear mandate was given to Hugh McNeill and Andrew MacGregor to represent the community in expressing the unreserved outrage that was the feeling of the meeting. Some details remain unclear as yet, but it seems likely that Ms. Cartwright was responsible for penning a careless letter which was grotesquely misleading. It is now believed that nobody had specifically requested the subscriber's number, and that nobody suggested that the subscriber was moving. Ms. Cartwright seems to have received a quite different communication relating to a newly-tenanted neighbouring property and sloppily bent the facts to suit a pre-existing standard letter which she then addressed to totally the wrong person. Her inefficiency was compounded by the fact that urgent representations on behalf of the genuine subscriber were ignored by her department.

Hughie and Andrew's representations were taken up by George Lyons MSP, and BT acknowledged their culpability. They have gone so far as to offer compensation to the subscriber involved and there is no doubt that their honest apology has been accepted with all good grace.

Nonetheless, all subscribers should now be aware that there remains a serious flaw in BT procedures. Although this particular incident arose from incompetence, it is clearly possible for a malicious individual to cause distress and inconvenience in the same way. It remains BT policy to accept an unsubstantiated verbal communication as sufficient to start this process, which can be completed within seven days. Any subscriber going away for a few days may find that their telephone service has been cancelled. They may lose call-forwarding or messages facilities, may lose important business, may find friends or clients speculating as to exactly why their service has been withdrawn. Readers should note that the customer victimised in this way has been a life-long subscriber to BT and always maintained the account in good financial standing, is in fact the sort of customer that could reasonably expect to be cherished.

NICK TAYLOR

Friends and neighbours were shocked to learn of the sudden passing of Nick Taylor, at the early age of 48 and so shortly after the loss of his father. Nick and Susan were in Colonsay very recently, staying in their house at Kilchattan, but curtailed the visit when he fell and fractured a leg. He was very good-natured about it and had to leave in the midst of glorious weather. None of us could have guessed that it was to be his last time here, and the island is united in grief and in deep sympathy for Susan in her great loss.

AIE JULY ASSISTANCE

As usual, we supply a link to the full details. It is interesting to see how other communities seem to be achieving more than us - for example, the £1.4m spent on acquiring land at Dunstaffnage. Meanwhile here in Colonsay we cannot organise a few moorings and the completion of a harbour. Work started in 1806, but was interrupted by various wars - no progress at all has been made since 1939.

RURAL PETROL STATION SCHEME - additional Scottish Executive funds for upgrading / maintaining fuel supplies in rural areas.

Colonsay Community Development Co Ltd £10,000
Upgrade of Colonsay Fuel Station (Ref 30760) £146,271
Rural petrol scheme £126,610

ROAD SAFETY LEAFLET

There is increasing concern about road safety in Colonsay and this was aired - yet again - at a recent Community Council Meeting. Argyll & Bute Council publish a leaflet about driving on single-track roads, but it is wholly inappropriate and addresses none of the fundamental issues. Various individuals have made reference to "The Highway Code", but those of us who have actually read it cannot recall that it devotes much space to the crucial interface between various classes of road user.

As a result, readers of "The Corncrake" are officially invited by the Community Council to help draft a simple code which is relevant to Colonsay and which can be reproduced on an A4 sheet (both sides if needed) for distribution to islanders and intending visitors. Please feel free to submit anything at all, ranging from a complete leaflet to a simple sentence that you think may help.

Certain matters are frequently mentioned. The relationship between cars and bicycles is crucial and contributors are asked to clarify the exact procedure when one is passing the other, both head-on and overtaking. Remember issues of young children, also the (many) places where it is dangerous or impossible for a cyclist to dismount. Remember also the cyclist who is (genuinely) deaf, also the single-minded fitness-buff.

Correct use of passing-places by motorists is important. Although it is informal and could cause confusion, it may be sensible to admit that to flash your lights in Colonsay is to mean "I am giving way, please take precedence". Please consider giving guidance as to an appropriate maximum speed, also the correct procedure with cattle, sheep etc. (especially when they choose to run along in front of the vehicle).

Pedestrians need guidance too. What should they do if a car approaches? What about children and animals with adults? What should the motorist do? What about joggers?

General guidelines might also be mentioned. Broken-down vehicles in passing places as a hazard in the dark, children and others riding on roof-racks or with legs dangling from open tailgates, drivers choosing to use the verges as passing places, bird-watching in passing-places etc. Good-practice suggestions for crossing the Strand, parking at Kiloran Bay, turning at Uragaig etc.

Everybody knows that this is a minefield, but nobody wants to see a tragedy and all submissions to this project will be carefully considered by the community council. Very possibly a draft document will be adopted for submission to the Traffic Police at Oban, and for wider discussion locally, but a starting point is needed and it is hoped that this opportunity will enable all interests to be properly recognised. Please send your suggestions by email to the Editor, subject "Road Safety". They will be passed to the Community Council without comment - nothing will be reproduced in "The Corncrake" unless clearly indicated as available for publication.

COLONSAY INTERNATIONAL GOLF OPEN

3rd Prize: Mo Middleton, Net 74 (C.D.)
2nd Prize: Seamus McNeill, Net 72 (half bottle)
1st Prize: Nico Furze, Net 71 (Trophy, Bottle Whisky and Packet Short Bread)

Ladies Prize: Michelle Cook, Net 86 (Sweater and wine)

Best Gross Score: Seamus McNeill, Gross 88 (Trophy and Bottle Malt)

Nearest the Pin: Steven MacAllister (Net 78) (Quaich, balls etc.)

Longest Drive: Karl Martin (Net 77) (Wine & balls)

Highest Score: Daniel Castles (Gross 140) (Bottle Port)

Most Enthusiastic: Ian Forrest (Bottle wine)

Best Dressed: David Cook (Bottle wine)

Youngest Competitor: Steven MacAllister (Net 78) (Balls etc.)

"SCOTTISH PUBLISHER FOR SALE"

House of Lochar has been established in Colonsay since 1995 and has grown quickly; it now has about 70 titles in print and the business has taken on an international dimension. Realistically, decisions have to be made about the future - it has already outgrown its existing premises and it cannot successfully be constrained. New and very attractive premises are currently available within the island, although additional human and financial resources will be required if the business is to take advantage of that opportunity.

It is a crossroads for the business which is therefore open to approaches at present and has been advertised as such. The existing team has a duty of stewardship and is committed to taking the steps which are best for the business, for its authors and its customers. Decisions will be made very shortly and will be reported here.

Please note that whatever happens, all other aspects of the related enterprise will remain intact and at Port Mor. The bookshop is not for sale, the antiquarian service will continue to expand and the other interests will be maintained. To permit this however, House of Lochar will have to relocate and the various options have to be considered. Details of the business are available to principals from Duncan & Wallace SSC, 131 Newhaven Road, Edinburgh EH8 4NP

NOOKS & CRANNIES - Uamh an Righ

Although this cave is in Jura, it is of great significance to Colonsay because it was the base for an important leg on one of the mediaeval ferry routes that served the island. Supposedly it got its name ("Cave of the King") because Robert the Bruce stayed there overnight on his way from Colonsay to Kintyre (he would, of course, have crossed from Rathlin to Colonsay via Loch Indaal, Loch Gruinart and Oransay). Whether or not it is true is of no great importance, although it fits in well with all available evidence and tradition.

More interestingly, it provided a catafalque and resting place on the funeral route to Oransay. Because Oransay was such a favoured destination, there would have been a steady stream of bodies coming from mainland Argyll and being transported across Jura to this point, where they might have to be held for a day or two awaiting suitable weather for the final stage. The practice was abandoned after the Reformation, but it is interesting to see that more than 100 such funeral parties recorded their journey by means of a cross on the wall of the cave. These crosses are of all sizes and styles, and many of them are of the Cross of Lorraine pattern, possibly reflecting a continental influence. It was the symbol of Joan of Arc, and it may be that some reader can comment upon this? Stylistic information might help in dating some of the crosses, or possibly some scientific analysis of the "paint" could do the trick.

The cave was excavated by John Mercer and has been shewn by him to have been occupied since the Bronze Age. Unhappily, John Mercer allowed himself to be somewhat carried away in his interpretation of the crosses and his flights of fancy have been partially accepted by RCAHM. In "Hebridean Islands" (1974) he refers to the Franciscan Mission of the 1620's: "The clandestine rites in the cross-decorated cave, with the islanders on the main paved area and the priest facing them from his own small patch, are easily imagined." Not really, not by anyone who has either attended Mass or even danced the hokey-cokey.

In fact, Fr. Hegarty reported that he had converted 102 Jura folk to the faith, and baptized twelve - including the leading man on the island and his wife. It is unlikely that he would have enticed such a number of people to such a remote location. Incidentally, the "leading man" was "Daniel Cheoin, insulae dominus", which translates as "Donald MacIain, lord of the island". Donald Giogach MacIain will be familiar to Colonsay folk as a follower of Colkitto in the 1615 "rising". The background to the missionary visit is described in Latin and appears in the magazine section… the Editor would be most grateful to receive a close transliteration of the text.

FREESERVE INTERNET ACCESS - accounts expiring!

Our free "Anytime" accounts are about to expire, on or before 24 September, probably without warning. If you do nothing, your internet access will just be disconnected. (You can then still retrieve it within 7 days by phone (see below), but after that it is entirely lost, along with your present e-mail address.)

NOW, if you want to keep your Freeserve e-mail address your choice is to:
1. start paying for Anytime (£14.99 per month), or
2. change to Freeserve "No Ties" and pay by the minute at local call rates (probably about 4p/minute in daytime, 1p evenings/weekends), or
3. change to Freeserve "Hometime" (£6.99 Freeserve fee plus £7 BT Surftime fee=13.99 total per month) which has local call rates in daytime and free calls all evenings and weekends - but they don't advertise this one very much.

You can do this either through the Freeserve website, for example at
https://www.freeserve.com/signup/reclaim/ar10.cfm
or by phone to Freeserve Customer Support on 0870 872 0099, quoting the Freeserve account number given on your original "sign-off sheet" by the engineer who installed it.

However there are many other ISPs (internet service providers) who may offer packages you prefer, so ask around.
For help and advice, contact Kevin or Lucy.

Thanks to Angela for this contribution - Editor

THE OVERLAND ROUTE

There has been slow but steady progress with this project in both Keills and Jura, but a tangible start was made locally this week with the opening of the Colonsay leg, which will eventually run all the way from the public highway into the sea. Jubilant crowds were unable to be present to witness the inaugral journey, but the lucky motorist was in the best of spirits. "This was really just a dry run" he quipped, "now I am seeking appropriate corporate sponsorship. I can guarantee that there will be no problem with product placement". A spokesman for the AA was unavailable for comment.

SNIPPETS

Pru Irvine (author of "Easy Peasy" and other works) tells us that her son Henry attends Kingsinch Primary in Edinburgh, where all classes are named after Scottish islands. Last year Henry was in 'Lewis' (this was a happy coincidence, having a brother of that name) but this year they've created a new class and called it.........COLONSAY! Henry is delighted!

Also, 995 lambs have left the island, the pier area has been de-dunged, and an informant states that "recent Welsh visitors (Dave and Mary) worked out their holiday visit to cover 2 Thursday nights and get 2 Quizes at the Hotel - they were in the team which came second on 28th August and are planning to go out in triumph on 4th September" [at this rate they will probably just move to Colonsay and win every week!]

John Olivant has moved to Colonsay, Jim McLoughlan has joined the ponticum team, Frank and Helene Teunisse have been here as guests of Flora McNeill, Hamish Grant used his quadbike to transfer the remains of An Cruisken to Kiloran for re-assembly (currently in 25 pierces, weighing over a tonne):

WHAT'S ON IN COLONSAY

Mr Pettinger, Optometrist, will be available for consultation at The Surgery in Colonsay on Thursday 2nd & Friday 3rd October 2003. Please call 0845 230 3937 (local call rate) for an appointment.

The Annual Root and Produce Show will be held on Saturday 11th October. A buffet supper will be held in the Hotel on the same evening with music and song from local artists.

Mondays 6.00 - 7.15pm, Village Hall
RAQS SHARQI - EGYPTIAN DANCE
Raqs Sharqi is the traditional women's dance of Egypt. It originates in the gypsy dances of the Middle East and North Africa. In a contemporary form it is enjoyed by women all over the world.
Classes are suitable for women of all ages and fitness levels. Raqs Sharqi is great for increasing strength and flexibility and classes take place in a relaxing and friendly atmosphere. Island residents, visitors and children - all are welcome!
Miki Perkins has studied Raqs Sharqi for five years. She taught regular classes in Australia and continues to enjoy sharing this unique dance form with others. Participants should wear loose, comfortable clothing.

Boat Trips - daily, obtain brochure at Hotel, Pantry, Shop, P.O., Bookshop or Pier.
Note: On Mondays, the service to Port Askaig connects with the Kennacraig ferry.

Quiz in the Hotel every THURSDAY at 9.30 pm.
Quiz-Night Special - 3 Course Meal 6 - 8 pm @ £12.50
Evening Meals: 6pm - 9pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
5pm - 9.30pm on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Lunches served daily 12 - 2.30pm
Bar open: 12 - 2.30 and 6pm till late (from 5pm on Friday and Sunday).

The Pantry - Summer hours apply
Tel 01951 200325

Church Service
Please note that services in both the Baptist Church and the Church of Scotland are at the new time of 11.30hrs. Services are held in each church on a regular basis throughout the winter - see notices in the shop and hotel for further details.

CAROLINA SCOTS CELEBRATION: November 28 - 30 at The Fair Barn, Pinehurst, North Carolina. A commemoration of the 1803 arrival of Daniel Kelly from the Isle of Skye, but a weekend of activity that will appeal to anybody who can make it to the venue. More information on www.carolinascots.com

TOPICAL LETTERS

For convenience of readers, letters now appear in two sections. Anything to do with current events appears here, and letters to do with the Magazine section or historical research etc. will appear at the end of the Magazine section.

---

Dear Kevin,

To add another point to the theological discussion about the New Jerusalem has it occurred to you that the advent of this cataclysmic event will certainly see the end of Colonsay as we know it?
I would refer you to Revelations, chapter 21, verse 1.
Andrew MacGregor - Isle of Colonsay

REPLY: Very true - but from Verse 10 onwards the details show that Lochgilphead will never permit it.

---

Hi Kevin - glad to see that the note I sent were of use and you were able to use them in Corncrake. I have just received an excellent photo of Birger Oest Larsen - the Danish Seaman, whose family I have been able to contact. I have quite a lot more info to type up and scan into the draft you saw last Easter and need to go back up to Edinburgh to look throught he Oban times - I also have a friend who is going to give me some help with layout, fonts etc then we can get down to thinking about publishing - I am planning to come up before the end of the year for few days - cheerio just now and love to all our friends on Colonsay - Alan.

Alan Taylor at the memorial of Capt. Mackinnon

Note: Alan will be here on Remembrance Day and is now in the final stages of preparing his work for publication. Anybody who is connected to any of "Colonsay's Fallen" is urged to read through the draft copy looking for errors or possible improvements - Kevin Byrne has a copy to hand. Any reader with medals, documents or photographs that could be of interest should contact Alan to arrange a meeting in November. "Colonsay's Fallen" will be published in 2004 - please spare no effort to assist the author in the preparation of this important memorial.

---

The Magazine Section

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

WHALE-WATCHING IN COLONSAY

An unsolicited testimonial (truly!)- unfortunately the pictures did not download - Editor.

'Whale-watching in the Firth of Lorn' were the words which grabbed our attention when we first visited the Isle of Colonsay website. It was a boat trip offered by Kevin Byrne, captain of the 'Lady Jayne' which sails from Scalasaig, Colonsay's main village. We were bound for Colonsay in August, with our two daughters of 12 and 14 (the elder one simply mad about whales and dolphins), and we just couldn't miss this opportunity!

Having arrived on Colonsay on 22nd August, late on the Friday evening ferry, our first real impressions of the island came on the Saturday morning, and they were magical: a spectacular sunrise over the sea, the beautiful, deserted sandy beach at Kiloran, cloudless skies and clear blue sea - the kind of images you see in exotic holiday brochures, but always suspect they've been enhanced! On Sunday morning, however, we were dismayed to find that a sea mist had come in overnight and showed no sign of lifting: not a good omen for our whale-watching trip at lunchtime! Luckily for us, however, the cloud was just breaking at 12.30 pm as we met Kevin and Frank on board the 'Lady Jayne', and we cast off from Scalasaig into the Firth of Lorn.

We had the boat to ourselves, and Kevin was happy to take us wherever we wanted in our quest for whales and dolphins. He took us first into the current which regularly brings shoals of fish up past the western shore of Jura - and it wasn't long before we spotted masses of seabirds feeding on the surface, with gannets repeatedly diving below. Heading straight for this feeding flock, we suddenly spotted a dorsal fin - and then another - three or four Harbour Porpoises were busy feeding, and as we got closer we had good views of them as they pursued the millions of small fish that we could see just below the surface. It was then that we noticed another, different fin appearing and then disappearing at a more leisurely pace in the far distance - surely a whale, but we weren't quite close enough to be sure!

The sun began to shine on us as the clouds finally broke up, revealing a sea as smooth as silk: you could see straight across to Jura, with hardly a ripple in between. Arctic Skuas were bullying Kittiwakes into giving up their fish, Manx Shearwaters skimmed across the surface and briefly disappeared below the waves (amazing to watch!), and hundreds of Guillemots bobbed about, with one or two youngsters still in tow: their constant cheeping was the only sound to break the stillness. We were entranced. And then, suddenly, more Porpoises appeared from nowhere, so that eventually several groups were feeding all around us; you could hear them spouting as they surfaced, and then the gentle swish of water as they went down.

Kevin and Frank guided the boat around the area gradually and slowly, stopping here and there where flocks of seabirds were feeding, and always being careful not to risk disturbing anything, either with our presence or the sound of the boat. We were often surrounded by Porpoises, and then, just off Balnahard Bay, we sighted the whale's fin once more; after careful manoeuvring Kevin cut the engine just as a Minke Whale surfaced close by! We watched it time and again, riding peacefully through the sea, changing course as it pursued the fish, blowing as it came up and then disappearing beneath the glassy surface. It was magical.

The whale moved on, and we headed northwards towards another feeding flock of seabirds. Suddenly we saw two different dorsal fins heading straight towards us: dolphins, as Verity delightedly observed, and one leapt clear of the water in their eagerness to check us out! As the boat carried on moving, they joined us and swam alongside, jumping and diving, riding the bow-wave and turning to look at us underneath the water - we could see their creamy-coloured flanks and their beautiful faces. These were two Common Dolphins, possibly young ones, intent on having fun and obviously enjoying themselves as they leapt repeatedly in front of the boat; it's hard to say how long they stayed with us, but eventually they drifted away, leaving us all spellbound. It was the kind of experience that is timeless, and defies description even though I'm writing about it only a few days later.

We were reluctant to head back for shore, but Kevin and Frank had already given us far more of their time than we had expected (we suspect that they'd had a great time as well!), and in his role as piermaster Kevin was due to meet the ferry that evening. Our very many thanks to both for such a wonderful trip. Back home now (and unfortunately, back to work!) we're delighted with some of the photos that we took - precious memories for all of us, but we hope that they will also prove to other visitors to Colonsay just how superb the marine life is around these shores. Verity is aiming to become a marine biologist and I know that for her in particular, this experience was very special. These beautiful creatures deserve our respect and protection, and we were privileged to come so close.

Colin & Jo Woolf, Verity and Leonie
Penmachno, North Wales

Colin Woolf Watercolour Artist - Fine Art Paintings, Illustrations, Limited Edition Prints & Cards; please visit the Web Site www.wildart.co.uk colin@wildart.co.uk

BLUE INFORMATION

Jill Stewart has kindly contacted the Editor with information collected by the late Flora Reid, hoping that it might be of interest to a reader. Material includes the following notices:

MacNeill - At Pontypridd, South Wales on the 13th inst., of typhoid fever, Malcolm MacNeill in his 25th year, youngest son of Malcolm MacNeill, gardener, Colonsay; deeply mourned.

MACNEILL - At The Gardens, Colonsay, on 3rd September, Margaret Blue, aged 85 years, widow of Malcolm MacNeill

INGLIS - At Soth Side, Port Ellen, Islay on the 28th July, Barbara Blue, widow of Richard Inglis, and youngest daughter of the late Angus Blue, Balnahard, Colonsay

BLUE - Suddenly, at 67 Fotheringay Road, Maxwell Park, Angus Blue of Arthur & Co. Ltd - Funeral from above address on Friday at 3pm to Cathcart Cemetery; friends desiring to be present kindly communicate with Wylie and Lochhead, Union Street; only intimation and invitation.

"In Memoriam ANGUS BLUE" - an order of service, Gaelic and English, with portrait of the deceased and of a memorial Celtic Cross unveiled by Rev Mr MacKinnon, Minister of St. Columba Church, Glasgow, to commemorate Angus Blue, his sister Mrs. Inglis and his nephew, John MacKechnie

Mr Angus Blue, warehouseman with Messrs. Arthur and Co. (Limited), 78 Queen Street, Glasgow, who resided at 67 Fotheringay Road, Maxwell Park, Glasgow - £15,411

MACKECHNIE - Died at the Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow, on 19th October, Angus MacKechnie, aged 55 yerars, beloved husband of Flora Darroch, and eldest son of the late Archibald MacKechnie, Knockrome, Jura.

In Loving Memory of Elspeth Menzies, wife of James Reid, Blacksmith, who died at Woodside, Drimmie, 30th January 1892, aged 62 years. Interred in Rattray Churchyard. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.

In Loving Remembrance of Malcolm MacNeill (Calum Beag) beloved son of Malcolm and Margaret MacNeill, who departed this life on Monday 13th January 1902 aged 24 years. Enterred in Kilchattan Cemetery. "Until the day dawn and the shadows flee away". Killoran, Colonsay.

The Blue family had very close connections with Jura throughout the McNeill period, and is rumoured to have had its origins at Strachur. It was closely associated with the baptist Church and the present collection of papers includes an intact copy of MacNeill's History of the Baptists in Colonsay, including the front cover and the material on page 31. The document was reproduced in full in "The Corncrake" but it is possible that Page 31 was missing - if so, Jill Stewart will permit us to repair the omission.

Any reader with a close interest in the family mentioned above should contact the Editor. Additional material will be welcomed.

Website to explore

From Iain McAllister:
Kevin,
Thought you might be interested in the article 'Argyll & Bute Wins Recognition from Europe' contained in CoSLA's Connections newsletter (web address below). It's not often that Colonsay is mentioned by a EU Commissioner! I hadn't realised the project had already received an award.

http://www.cosla.gov.uk/attachments/connections/connections3.pdf

Richard@2000friends.co.uk tells us that:
Since the last newsletter lots has been added to the forum, including guides to what to do at the end of the free year, how to renew Norton and what to do about Internet access. These can all be found in How2 section here:

http://pub122.ezboard.com/f2000friendsfrm11

This is serious stuff. All those free ISP connections are probably about to expire, all the guarantees are going out-of-date and you need to work out a plan for virus-protection. Free systems are available but most of us will be more comfortable with Norton or MacAfee etc. As far as is known, Freeserve will by default transfer existing customers to a fee-paying basis, to be invoiced monthly.

If you need a new ISP, the editor can happily recommend Global (it costs about £85 per year and provides you with serious webspace). Many people will subscribe to Freeserve, others swear by Tesco. A convenient option is provided by BT, but an informed suggestion is as follows:

"Pipex is a well established supplier with many commercial customers - they are somewhat more expensive than most but there is a way of sharing their resources but still providing each individual with access to a private mailbox - up to 12 people can share - at the moment [four of us] are all sharing the same account. Perhaps it would be worth setting up a Colonsay Account and having 12 email addresses for people on Colonsay for the cost of one Pipex account (about £120 per year)."

Regulars