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.
The island suffered a heavy loss this week in the passing of a very talented man, a man most generous with his gifts and a sincere friend to all who knew him. Finlay died peacefully on Sunday morning, 14th March, in his own home and supported to the end by the devoted attention of family members. The funeral was on Thursday 18th, from the house, and the very large attendance was testimony to the esteem in which he was held. Rev. Bob Gemell took the service and in a moving tribute to a friend of many years took the opportunity to thank Dr. Currie and the various islanders whose care and assistance had made it possible for Finlay to remain with his family until the end.
Finlay MacFadyen was born in Colonsay on 29 September 1927. Brought up in the Isle of Mull with his three brothers, he worked there until he was called up for National Service in the Royal Air Force. He returned to Colonsay in 1950 and worked as ploughman/tractorman in Oransay, during which time he married Catriona. He qualified as a blacksmith on the mainland, and returned again to Colonsay to work as blacksmith and farrier until the croft horses were pensioned off in favour of tractors.
Finlay was a highly skilled self-taught motor mechanic and set himself up as a motor-hirer and taxi-driver when he bought his first car in 1953. Then came a second vehicle and a lorry, and he worked as a hirer and contractor until 1963, when the new pier was built and ended the business. He was forced to sell the lorry and cars and moved back to Mull, to work away from home as postman, then lorry-driver. Promises of a council house never materialised and he returned to Colonsay when he bought a boat for lobster-fishing and took work as handyman for the Estate, also becoming the lighthouse keeper. Finlay could turn his hand to anything, be it motor mechanics, joinery, boat-building or any of the essential tasks required on a remote island.
At the age of 54 years, he became assistant piermaster for Caledonian MacBrayne and later succeeded to the position of piermaster. He very much enjoyed this position and worked with CalMac for twelve years until his retirement, making many friends on the ferries and being held in high regard by the company. Sadly, his retirement was all too brief and, following a valiant fight against illness, he died peacefully at home on 14 March 2004. He will be fondly remembered.
Funding has been approved to permit the purchase of croft land by the Community Development Company and it is hoped that this will now proceed without delay, leading to the creation of six new crofts.
The Community Council has asked Argyll & Bute to re-consider the proposed building at the airstrip so as to create something more sympathetic to the environment. Donald Harrison has been over to inspect the runway surface and decisions are expected shortly on the most appropriate method of bringing it up to an acceptable standard.
Rumour mentioned in our last issue concerning a nursing appointment was well off the mark - islanders were shocked to learn that nursing cover has now been more-or-less abandoned. The Health Board seems to think that a nurse coming for "one week" per month will be enough, and that the home-helps can be left to do everything else… are they mad? The "one week" becomes 3.5 days after allowing for travelling time, and the home-helps are forbidden by Health and Safety to change a pair of curtains or wash a window - how are they to lift people in and out of a bath? Especially when one of them has been on the sick-list for months, with a very badly injured shoulder.
This folly has not gone unremarked - a petition is going the rounds and it will be very strange if it is not 100% subscribed. More than 25% of our population are pensioners, 10% of the adult population has serious mobility difficulty, we are 40 miles and three days travel from any sort of occupational therapy and we all pay our taxes. Our doctor is working in professional isolation and without qualified back-up and our home-helps are working flat out, without any of the resources that they require and with no financial recognition of their extraordinary commitment. "The Corncrake" is keeping its head down, but predicts feathers flying unless the Health Board gets its act together, and fast. Watch this space.
Ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne's customers are reminded that the summer timetable starts from sailings on Friday, April 2 and that due account should be taken of this when making travel arrangements. The new timetable includes some important changes from last year - in particular, the Friday ferry to Colonsay now departs Oban one hour earlier, at 17.00hrs.
CalMac's Phone Reservations team will now be operating extended hours to facilitate the increased demand which is building on last year's bumper season. A spokesman said: "We are opening our Reservations for calls from 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, which is an increase of two and a half hours and will be operational from 9am until 7pm on Sundays. If demand continues to grow beyond that we will consider extending the arrangements further."
CalMac reports significant increases in advance bookings for the summer of 2004 with encouraging signs that demand is extending beyond the traditional peak periods. "With the rebuilding programme for the new £2million terminal building at Oban under way, and completion due in the late summer/early autumn, we are all set for what promises to be an extremely busy period."
There are twelve swans on Loch Fada and lapwings are nesting at An Deabhaidh; Holly and Lewis helped their father release a sparrow-hawk which had become trapped in a creel at Port Mor; Seamus has got a very neat looking digger on rubber tracks, and Charlie has exchanged his bus for one of about the same size but with enviable windows; Hughie, Jenny and family are in mid-flitting and will be away before the end of the month; Colonsay's publishing business, House of Lochar has established its new warehouse in the AIE building and Don is about to install handsome new shelving in the bookshop; the Butcher's new house is on the point of completion, with carpets about to be laid - the extension at Maggie Thomson's is not quite so advanced, but getting there; the weather in March has been very blustery, with gusts in excess of 60 knots and some biting winds; 650 tonnes of sand and gravel was delivered by MV "Nord Star" this week - next week she will be carrying coals to Newcastle... and see the innovation at the Gardens:
It is not often that one can use Colonsay's only known borrowing from Inuit as a headline, but it really fits. When a lorry had to reverse onto a ferry this week, the (nameless) driver inadvertently reversed straight up the foot-passenger pier instead of onto the linkspan. As they might say in Canada: "Wrong Way!"
Fortunately no damage was done, but the incident led to a safety review and a re-iteration of CalMac policy - anybody reversing in the marshalling areas must be guided by a banksman at all times. Please note that ferry traffic must take priority - heavy vehicles which have just arrived onto the island may not manouevre on company property until the banksman has returned from duties on the pier.
Ferry traffic is growing all the time and the harbour precincts have a commercial function. Children should be properly supervised at all times but particularly whilst work is going on. It would be very helpful if our own adults could set a good example to visitors and children by following safe practices. Drivers should adhere to the specified check-in times and be aware that sailings must close 30 minutes before the advertised departure times; now that there is a ferry nearly every day, those who are late should not expect to enjoy special treatment.
Follow this lead for the latest information:
ARGYLL & THE ISLANDS ENTERPRISE
MORE FROM THE "OTHER" COLONSAY
From Rick Criddle:
The Colonsay Saskatchewan Hotel pictured on your webpage is still in
existance today. I've enclosed 2 pictures of it. I believe it was built in
the 1920's. The picture's are from a website which is selling the hotel.
Here is a link: http://www.pin.ca/sask/01-1001/default.htm
The large cannon in front of Colonsay house stood for many years at the harbour. In fact it is said to have been removed for safety at the outbreak of World War II. This followed an incident at St. Kilda in World War I, when a German submarine noticed a similar antique and used it as excuse to shell The Village.
Perhaps a reader can supply a photograph showing it in place at Scalasaig. Mrs. Murray mentions it in passing, as part of a story by her boatman in Oransay. "But wance I got a frecht. It micht be eight years ago, when I was in the packet [small ferry boat]. It was a warm nicht, so close that I could hardly breathe, and so calm that you might have heard a wee bird that would jump oot on the road, and it was very dark, aboot the end of winter. It micht be between wan an' two in the mornin', and I was comin' doon the pier to get the packet ready to sail wi' the first o' the tide. It came over me all at once when I had got the length of the big gun on the pier, as if I was squeezed between folk, and coulda' get on, an' I heard a great roar like groanin' and greetin'. I got that hot and then shivery that the sweet was rinnin' aff me, an' I began to look aboot me, but I could see naethin'; an' I nearly lost my senses, an' got that weak that I daurena' gang doon to the packet. But I did go on, but dear knows what way.
"But when the corp cam hame, two years after, it was Allan M'Ilroy's, that was drowned in the steamer off Helensburgh pier, I knew the sound of the voice that was greetin', it was his mother's. She threw hersel' upon the coffin at that verra place by the big gun, where they laid it down, and for years I could na put it oot o' my mind."
The year of the death would have been about 1881 but the author seems to have changed the name of the deceased. Conceivably one could check if any such accidental death of a Colonsay man is recorded at Helensburgh around that time; the story has the ring of authenticity.
Scalasaig, pictured by Calum Kennedy
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.
This letter may not have been for publication but it is a very interesting contribution to continuing deliberations on a major development proposal. This issue has been stalled for some months and perhaps this letter will stimulate further debate.
Hi Kevin
I was very interested in the moorings proposal for the inner and outer reaches of the harbour area as well as Loch Staosnaig. A quick straw poll of other sailors in Dunstaffnage showed enthusiasm for the project with comments varying from "great idea to allow sailors to explore the island without worry for their yachts" to "it will be a great staging point for Irelands West Coast". Further research might show this response to be consistent amongst a number of berth holders in the various marinas local to the island and allow a greater understanding of the potential market. On a personal note if there is anything I can do to help these plans I would be delighted to be involved. I would also be most interested in adding a "Binnie" mooring at our expense to a suitable trot which of course would be available to islanders use when we are not there which would be for a high percentage of the time I think, given our other commitments.
The swell problem in the harbour esp. in S Easterlies is the single biggest problem with the existing facilities, the lack of clean water and diesel close by is the other disadvantage and any one who has a night of adjusting the lines on the old HIDB berths can verify the delight in clearing out in the morning (or middle of the night as I once did in old Allegro!).
Finally, we had an interesting discussion with the Tobermory Moorings Association convenor when we visited last summer. They have laid 15 moorings and have a full business plan which indicates that the maintenance and cost of the moorings will be covered within a £50,000 cost and the association will be in the black in 10 years. The effect on businesses close to the sea front although harder to measure has all been positive so it seems to have re-vitalised the local trade. It may be an idea to contact them to discuss how they achieved the development. I hope this is not too much like pushing my nose in but we thoroughly enjoy our visits to the island and are very aware of the differences in facilities from island to island up and down the West Coast. We think it would be a tremendous investment for the island in the long term and a missed opportunity if nothing can be advanced.
Best wishes
The Binnies
Ian and Uta, Marei and Lene
SV Lorn Rival
I have just looked at your site and notce that you are trying to identify the graves on Colonsay. I don't know whether this information will be useful to you or not but my grandfather is buried in Colonsay graveyard and also my Grandmother. They lived on Colonsay for a time as did my parents when I was a baby. My grandparents' names were Peter and Ann Kelly. My grandfather was buried in November 1983 and I think my Grandmother was buried in 1980 although I am unsure. My parents' names are Jane and Iain Kelly and although they are now divorced I would love to hear of any memories or pictures that anyone may have of them or my grandparents. I believe they lived at Balnahard and as I turn 29 this year then that is how long ago it was. They also married on Colonsay. The last time I was on the island was when I was 8 and we all went for my grandfather's funeral but I fully intend to return there one day.
fm014i0531_2@blueyonder.co.uk fm014i0531_2@blueyonder.co.uk
Hello Kevin,
Since I first contacted you in Sept, 2003 looking for information on my Colonsay connections, I have regularly read the Corncrake on-line. I have found this newsletter to be very interesting and informative! I was very pleased to see, in the Feb 16 - 29 issue, the picture of the Archibald McNeill home site [in old Glassard] as I believe Archibald McNeill was in fact my great, great, great grandfather.
Due in large part to your generous assistance, I have traced my Colonsay roots back to Archibald McNeill and Annie McEwen ( married Dec 15, 1808 ) and Duncan McNeill and Mary Bell ( married Feb 17, 1809 ). Do you happen to know of any other descendants of either of these two families?
Hope all is well with you!! I wish you great success with your historical and genealogical resources on the Colonsay website.... I know that this information will be of great interest to myself and many, many others! Judy Bazant ( maiden name - McNeill )
Alberta, Canada
The Magazine Section
