Visit "Colonsay - Elements of an Island" Exhibition of photographs, prints and drawings by Brian Hindmarch at Yorkshire Craft Centre, Carlton Street, Bradford (Tel: 01274 433334). Monday - Friday 10 - 4.30 now until 8 April.
DESIGN DOUBTS SCORNED - PROJECT REMAINS ON COURSE
In our last issue, readers were advised that plans for the airstrip enhancement include no guarantee of buried cabling and provide for a terminal building with only one entrance or exit (facing into the prevailing wind), with virtually no windows and to be roofed in an inappropriate material.
Since none of our 1500 readers felt that this was worthy of note, we can now assume that the construction will go ahead as planned, with the tacit support of the entire community and all who take an interest in this island. Perhaps, like the roofless bus-shelter in Tiree, it will even win an award! Remember, you read it first in "The Corncrake".
To date, 90 issues of "The Corncrake" have appeared and (if permitted) the current Editor is prepared to carry on until issue 100 (probably to appear in August). Thereafter he has plans to develop the historical and genealogical resources on the Colonsay website and pursue one or two other avenues of research.
Fortunately, there is no longer a household on the island which lacks a PC and by August everyone will have had almost two full years to get to grips with the technology. In its current manifestation, it takes about 14 hours to produce an average issue of "The Corncrake" and there is no particular reason why some of the work should not be shared. Ideally, columnists could produce Nature notes, Gossip, What's On etc., although admittedly the current editor has not managed much progress in that direction.
If you would be interested in doing a stint as Editor, please contact Kevin Byrne in confidence so that an indication of interest can be obtained. If desired, we could try a few issues with "guest editor" status and it would be nice to see new interests and prejudices promoted. To avoid doubt on an important issue, the founding Editor gave ultimate control of "The Corncrake" to Colonsay Community Council. Thus although the editor has complete editorial freedom and does not represent the views of CCC in any way, one must recognise that errors of judgement are always possible. In such a case, the CCC does have the right to insist upon a retraction, correction or apology and can even remove the editor from the post.
A narrowboat with an interesting name! It was moored at the top of the Droitwich Canal, close to its junction with the main Worcester and Birmingham Canal, and was photographed by Roger Butler.
CalMac have published a new and highly attractive edition of their timetables for the coming year, packed with useful information and interesting background information - copies available free at the pier; they have also confirmed their firm intention of continuing our existing, highly satisfactory levels of winter and summer service until autumn 2005 (subject of course to forces beyond their control); the "Oban Times" ran an excellent profile on Ross Moodie and his work for Scottish Water in their 20 February edition; Hughie, Jennie and the weans are now set to leave Colonsay in late March, and are moving to Kentallen - they have a challenging role at the highly-regarded "Holly Tree Hotel" but will be sorely missed here in Colonsay; On 26 February, Colonsay awoke to a couple of inches of snow, but it soon disappeared in the bright sunshine; rumour has it that a nursing appointment for the island is imminent; on 27 February, as the editor was chipping ice from the hatch of his boat, he was surprised to notice a visitor strip off and take a refreshing dip - probably a chap, but it might have been hard to tell:
Plans for the future of Colonsay's publishing company are now coming together, and will permit the business to expand in line with market conditions and additional investment. As a first step, the owners have secured the tenancy of the smaller of the two new Business Units at Scalasaig, and will be using the premises for reserve warehousing and as a distribution centre.
The next step is intended to see the ownership being transferred from a private partnership to that of a limited company. There are certain technical considerations to be addressed, and AIE is providing helpful background advice. There will be six initial shareholders in the new company but it will be entirely possible for additional parties to become involved, thus helping to make provision for the enterprise to thrive as an evolving, living entity.
Whilst plans were laid for the future of the business, all normal activities were continued. Recent publications included a highly-acclaimed work by Lesley Lendrum: "Neil Munro - the Biography". Written by his grand-daughter, this is the first biography yet published dealing with the life and work of this towering literary figure, a native of Argyll. Last week, Kevin and Christa Byrne were privileged to attend the opening of Brian Hindmarch's exhibition in Bradford, based upon his highly successful "Colonsay - Images of an Island". The latest work by Angus Martin was "Herring Fishermen of Kintyre", an outstanding social document which will be in demand for years to come; and "Colonsay's Fallen" by Alan Davis will be of immense local interest. This book, profiled in the current "Oban Times", will be produced in a limited edition and the author is donating his royalties to the Poppy Appeal. Many other titles are in preparation and the company will be represented as usual at the London International Book Fair in March.
Please note that the main office of House of Lochar will remain at Port Mor and that the new arrangements will enable the retail bookshop to be further improved. There will be additional shelving, a wider range of stock and rather more space, followed shortly by easier access for persons with impaired mobility.
Details of all the above titles can be found on the secure website www.houseoflochar.com Orders placed via that site are of maximum benefit locally, but it is equally possible to order via www.amazon.co.uk A keyword search for "House of Lochar" in the line for "Publisher" using their Power Search facility will produce the entire list; the star ratings and unsolicited reviews are a credit to the company.
NOOKS & CRANNIES: Cill a' Mhoire
Local readers will have noted with dismay that the fragile site of this mediaeval chapel suffered significant damage during the week. The harsh weather and snow cover seem to have encouraged the cattle to use it as their lair, and as a result the whole site has been badly poached. It seems strange that NADAIR can spend hundreds of thousands of pounds in eradicating ponticum, yet nothing can be spared to protect this and other vulnerable mediaeval sites. It is too late now to save the tumbled gravestones, but what remains of the site could be protected by a post and rail fence, such as the ones that have been funded to protect orchids and gentians elsewhere.
The RCAHM account describes an "oblong round-angled structure measuring internally about 7m from E to W by 4m. The walls, which survive to an average height of 0.7m, are over 1m in thickness and are of drystone rubble construction." They refer to the surrounding curtailage and earlier disturbance within that area caused by ploughing. Bizarrely, they say "the 'numerous half-buried uninscribed gravestones' mentioned in an earlier account appear to be merely natural surface boulders". In the absence of any other readily available material to be used for headstones and footstones one wonders what they can have expected? An examination of the graveyard at Kilchattan will show that very many graves are marked by "half-buried uninscribed gravestones", although the different locality meant that slabs were readily to hand instead of boulders. The stones to which Loder refers were undoubtedly grave-markers and even now one or two can be recognised as such, if only by comparison with isolated gravesites elsewhere (e.g. on Druim Buiteachan or at the Sailors' Graves.)
Cill a' Mhoire was dedicated of course to the Virgin Mary and was the focal point of what we now call "Upper Kilchattan"; Symington Grieve states that it was latterly a place of burial for unbaptised children. He also reminds us that "the sixteen McLeans who were killed by Callum Caol MacVurich while he was suffering from a fever after the battle named Blar-an-Deabhaidh were buried at this place". The sancitity of the spot will doubtless have been inspirational to the siting of the Baptist Church. Even in this godless time it seems sad that nothing can be done to protect such a valuable archaeological site, if only as a curiosity. Surely the Community Council and/or the Development Company should urgently address measures to protect this and other local monuments?
The latest issue of the Journal of the North Carolina Scottish Heritage society is to hand, Volume 17, Number 3. It is an outstanding publication and, as usual, it is full of interesting articles. The current issue contains "A Guide to the Old Graveyard of Keills, Islay" by Roger McWee and Nigel Ruckley, the fourth in a series. The authors are undertaking a meticulous survey and have paid close attention to the physical characteristics of the stones themselves as well as merely recording the text. In the fullness of time the data will be included in searchable indices; no Colonsay names were noted by the Editor.
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.
No letters received for this issue, not even from Iceland about St. Buo. So here's a picture in the snow:
The Magazine Section
