Obituary

Harold Edward Taylor – Spud – who has died aged 94 was a Londoner, who came to marry and settle in Lamlash after the Second World War. He was a very well-regarded member of this island community and held in great affection by all who knew him.

Spud – a nickname he was given at school that he kept because he preferred it to Harold – was born in Woolich in 1923, and was the middle boy of three sons. At the start of the war he was evacuated to Bakton in Suffolk, but stayed only one night. He got word of a job in London and next day began an apprenticeship as a carpenter. Among other things he made wooden cabinets for the Post Office telephone exchanges.

At 19 years of age Spud joined the Royal Navy and served on HMS Rosemary and HMS Cleopatra. It was on the Rosemary that Spud witnessed the Milford Haven disaster, with the loss of 79 lives, when two top-heavy landing craft capsized in a storm. Six of the dead were from Rosemary’s boat-crew who had attempted a rescue. Spud was a member of the graveside firing party. For the rest of his life, the disaster affected his feelings about the importance of remembering war-time service and sacrifice.

On the Cleopatra, Spud was to witness the Japanese surrender at Singapore. Cleopatra was the first Royal Navy ship into the Singapore channel after it had been swept by Indian minesweepers. Spud said: ‘Just in case they had missed any mines, we were led in by a Jap vessel, with high ranking Japanese officers aboard!’

While on active service, Spud was very ill with pneumonia. It was impossible to get the patient ashore because of stormy weather. However, one of Spud’s mates confronted the captain and more or less ordered him to get Spud to hospital. They lashed him to a stretcher and lowered him over the side and Spud always remembered how that friend had saved his life by verging on insubordination.

While the Rosemary was in Lamlash Bay, Spud came ashore to play football. The captain allowed his crew shore-leave in their football kit, provided they also wore their great coats. The weather blew up rough and the liberty boat was unable to return the sportsmen to their ship. They wandered into a dance hall, where a Lamlash girl called Jessie McColl, said to her pal: ‘Look at that poor sailor in his shorts and greatcoat, we better go and talk to him.’ And so began a romance of seven decades.

After the war, Spud returned to Lamlash. He found work with Spiers, Dick and Smith in Whiting Bay. He and Jessie were married in Lamlash Church in October of 1948.

Spud was a craftsman. Inter alia, he worked on the Finnish Houses in Brodick; the two concrete-block bungalow houses at Sandbraes; the Lagg Hotel dining room extension; maintenance works at Dougarie Lodge and the Kildonan Coastguard Station; the dam at Easan Biorach above Lochranza; the sea-wall at the south end of Pirnmill; the Post Office Garage in Brodick; the Brodick Pier store (now demolished) and his very own house at Blairbeg, Lamlash – which, all but the electrics, he did by himself. Spud’s craftsmanship is on permanent display at the island’s heritage museum in the form of the commando memorial cabinet.

Speirs, Dick and Smith also had the coal business. Spud delivered coal in their Dodge truck, by the half, one, or two-ton load. Eventually, the company began to bag coal in one cwt (50kg) sacks. At that time coal came to the island by puffer and part of Spud’s work was to go down and catch the ropes at the stone pier in Lamlash. Because the pier is tidal, sometimes this was four or five o’clock in the morning. When the owners of the company began business in Glasgow, Spud became the manager of the Arran end of the enterprise.

Spud was also deeply involved in organising the commando re-unions on Arran for more than 20 years. The 11th Commando had been trained on the island during the war and billeted in almost every house in Lamlash. A strong bond developed between these men and the community. ‘To begin with I thought that they were ordinary soldiers, but when I met them and talked to them about their war service, I realised that they were truly extraordinary soldiers,’ explained Spud.

Living on Arran, Spud also continued with his interest in taking part in sport. He played football for the Lamlash team and badminton in Whiting Bay hall. Then in later life he took up golf, enjoying both the company and the challenge of reducing his handicap. He had memberships at Corrie, Brodick and Lamlash, but also played on all seven of the island’s courses whenever he could. When he was asked which course he liked the most he always replied, ‘The one I am playing now’. Latterly he played bowls with a retired group at the Auchrannie.

During his lifetime, Spud also had time for neighbours’ children – from helping them roll Easter eggs to teaching them how to play golf.

At his funeral service, the minister quoted Shakespeare as a character reference. This was the noblest of them all. / Only he acted from honesty for the general good. / His life was gentle, and the elements / So mixed in him that Nature might stand up / And say to all the world, ‘This was a man’.

Spud is survived by his wife Jessie and by those many younger people who owe their freedom and way of life to the service and sacrifice of Harold Edward Taylor and his generation.

 Jim Arnold 

Harold Edward Taylor, affectionately known as Spud, pictured at the 2005 11th Commando reunion at the Arran Heritage Museum. No_B15obit01

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The current featured artist at the Arran Library in Brodick is Gail Wooll-Rivers whose work will be on display throughout the month of April.

Gail hails from Nottingham, where she studied displays and interiors at college and also a garden design course at York. She has worked in the education sector with both primary pupils and adults.

Her work is with oils, acrylics and textiles but also involves creations from driftwood which she collects from her local beach.

Gail and her family have holidayed on Arran since 1993 and moved to Arran permanently in 2016. She now runs the Craigview Gallery and Studio in Shannochie, which is part of the Arran Art Trail and Arran Open Studios and which is open from Tuesday May 1, from 10.30am.

An example of the work of Gail Wooll-Rivers which is on display at the Arran Library. No_B15library01

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Thought for the week

‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.’ 2 Cor 5:17

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Whiting Bay And Districts Improvements Association also held a litter pick, beach clean and a general tidy up in Whiting Bay last Sunday.

Treasurer Lesley Wood said: ‘A huge thank you to the 38 folk, especially the children, who came along and helped. It was another brilliant community effort and really helps to free our beaches and hedgerows of lots of plastic and other rubbish, which would otherwise lie there for years and years endangering marine life, birds, other creatures and ultimately ourselves!

The litter collected from Whiting Bay beach. NO_B15clean01

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Members of the Arran High School mountain bike club swapped their two wheels for shovels and pickaxes last weekend for day of trail repair and maintenance.

Their community minded efforts, which took place at Cnoc na Dail near Lamlash, were on multi use paths which are used by walkers, cyclists and dog walkers.

The young cyclists joined a team of volunteers who were all taking part in a worldwide effort by the International Mountain Biking Association which invited mountain bike clubs around the world to spend a day taking care of their trails.

On Arran the cyclists and volunteers were supported by the Arran Access Trust and the Forestry Commission Scotland. Armed with shovels and pickaxes the volunteers helped clear the paths that were being overgrown by willow trees.

Errant rocks were also removed and paths reshaped and cleared of vegetation. Ensuring that trails and pathways will not wash away, volunteers also embarked on a water management initiative which directed rain and surface water through channels and gulleys rather than washing away topsoil and eroding pathways.

Club leader Robert McNeice said: ‘We all had great fun and achieved a huge amount on a much used path. It was great to see the impact of everyone’s hard efforts, a huge thank you to all involved.’

Mountain bikers, enthusiasts and volunteers who took part in the trail maintenance. No_B15AHSMTBC01

Club members clear a waterlogged section of the trail. No_B15AHSMTBC03

Bracken and thick bushes which had concealed parts of the path had to be tackled with pickaxes. No_B15AHSMTBC04

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The Arran Heritage Museum will be hosting a display of classic military vehicles later this month at its Rosaburn home in Brodick.

Mounted by the Scottish Military Vehicles Group, who are spending a weekend on the island, there will be a selection of lovingly restored machines on display on the museum lawn from 12.30pm to 3.30pm on Sunday April 22.

The group are a collection of enthusiasts who own, restore and run military vehicles. While many of the vehicles in Scotland are of Second World War  vintage, there are also quite a number of  post war types.

The group’s membership is spread over the whole of Scotland with members supporting events such as Armed Forces Day, Remembrance Day, Poppy Day and regimental and veteran reunions, as well as various military and vintage vehicle events held throughout the UK and Europe

The museum invites anyone with their own restored military machines of whatever description to bring them along on the morning of the display, to add to the selection on show.

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Arran’s RNLI crew will be kept warmer when they are attending callouts and training after receiving a generous donation from Caledonian MacBrayne staff.

Between July to September last year the staff at the CalMac office in Brodick undertook the fundraising drive with all proceeds going to the Arran RNLI. Both CalMac staff and the lifeboat crew collected donations from ferry passengers, including old pound coins which were being taken out of service, raising more than £2,000.

The funds were used to provide all crew members with a full set of thermals and the remainder will be used to purchase training equipment.

Arran RNLI operations manager Bill Barr said: ‘We’re thrilled to have such excellent links with the local CalMac team and through some hard work from both the team at CalMac and our crew we have been able to by some fantastic training kit and some new operational kit for the crew.

‘Everyone at Arran RNLI would like to offer a very large thank you to the staff at Brodick CalMac for their efforts and we are all thrilled to have warmer conditions on both callouts and training to look forward to.’

The Arran RNLI, which is a registered charity, provides 24-hour search and rescue service around Arran and further afield, and relies solely on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue services.

Bill Barr of the Arran RNLI thanks CalMac’s Colin McCort for their fundraising efforts while the RNLI crew show off their new gear. Photo by Brian Donlin No_B15RNLI01

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Infrastructure woes on Arran

Sir,
So the long-awaited £30m ferry terminal doesn’t work properly. No surprises there then. I along with many others had to embark and disembark via the car ramp last week as we’ve had to before the big investment. A nice introduction to the visitors, who contribute to the local economy, so that they can have their fillings rattled and tyres and suspensions blown by the island’s terrible roads. And as for the cyclists they might be lucky enough to get away with a few cuts and bruises as they get pitched into a pothole.

But wait! There is news of the council’s £1m proposed investment in the roads. £1m sounds like a lot but it won’t go very far at today’s prices. Maybe part of the investment will go to supplying a few more team members with shovels and buckets of filler which will get washed away in the first rain. Or maybe we’ll be lucky and some proper heavy machinery with skilled operators will arrive. Or maybe not.

The very large hole in the road at Whiting Bay is a good example of ‘let’s ignore problems and they may go away’. Over two years ago I reported the potential future problems in store by not attending to obvious erosion of the sandstone wall on which the new sea wall had been seated. The council office reply was ‘we are aware of the situation’. Obviously they weren’t.

Arran is a beautiful island visited by visitors from all over the world It has some wonderful tourist attractions. Rotten roads and the absence of public toilets are not two of them. On the latter point, I find it surprising that a house located close to a sewage pipe running underneath a public road still has to use a septic tank.

Arran isn’t part of the Third World – come on, let us embrace the 21st century. Still it’s comforting to know that the council taxes are being put to good use – for something or other.

Disillusioned and disappointed.

Yours,
David Roberts
Whiting Bay

Warnings ignored

Sir,
I note with great interest the comments of the CalMac interim managing director, Robbie Drummond, in last week’s Banner, warning that passengers are facing widespread disruption on Scotland’s ferry network and attributing the cause to potential breakdowns and delays due to its increasingly ageing fleet.

This problem has not just suddenly arisen; any study of the rate of build of the larger vessels shows an undeniable decline in the vessels per annum entering the fleet in the last 11 years.

For the communities concerned, their economies and their visitors, it is the consequences of an ageing fleet that are the real concern, and they are twofold – it causes both capacity issues and mechanical unreliability.

Sufficient capacity to meet demand and reliability are key.

Unreliability for extreme weather is understandable and we live with it. Unreliability and lack of capacity caused by neglect and lack of investment – and even worse, bad investment using public funds – is not acceptable.

The present fleet is nowhere near sufficient to allow for breakdowns or a properly managed and necessary annual dry docking maintenance programme and other unforeseen contingencies. It is incontrovertible that the older the vessels, the more maintenance required thus more down time and more expense. The fleet is almost certainly two large vessels short to meet today’s needs over and above the two currently in build.

Mr Drummond correctly addresses the distinction between CalMac and CMAL, the former being the operators and the latter the owners of the vessels and ports. However what is critical but seldom understood is that both are bound to seek the approval of Transport Scotland (TS) and thus effectively the approval of the Transport Minister.

It is with TS that the causes of all of the problems lie, not with the operators. But it was CalMac who took on the recently-let eight-year contract knowing the state of the fleet and the increasing demand – it is coming back to bite it already and to that extent it is complicit.

Future ferry projects must learn quickly from the mistakes in concept, management, and scope of the current costly Brodick to Ardrossan and Uig triangle projects with possible final costs in the region of £200m. No part of these projects has run to schedule with the ‘state of the art’ but totally unnecessary overpriced and untested gas-driven vessels delayed by up to two years. In that time at least three or possibly four conventional vessels could have been in service.

Mr Drummond, in his upfront ‘new broom’ approach merely forewarns the traveller, but this does nothing to resolve the problems, namely the fleet age and size.

Yours
Neil Arthur
Kilpatrick

Levy charge

Sir,
With the rapid deterioration of the road network on the island and the sharp increase on tourist to the island following RET, coupled with reduced funding of the local authority, it would appear that we could devise a simple but effective tariff to compensate the island and improve it directly for the visitors and residents alike.

CalMac stated in its annual report for 2016 figures: ‘The busiest route overall in the network continues to be Ardrossan in North Ayrshire to Brodick on the Isle of Arran, carrying 828,262 people and 202,843 cars in 2016 – a rise of 8.7 per cent and 6.84 per cent respectively’.

It would seem fair that non-island residents paid a levy of say £1 per return passenger and £10 per car and £20 per campervan or caravan (irrespective of size) and this would be paid to the island at the end of each financial year for road improvements and a percentage to community improvements.

This is no different to the city/local tax levied on hotel rooms in many other countries. The overall cost to the traveler would still be less than prior to RET and would help the island communities and ensure that the future overall experience for tourist would be maintained.

Yours,
John McFaull
Bogarie Kennels

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By Colin Smeeton 

Arran’s newest centenarian Sal Bannatyne is a familiar face to many on Arran having served as an island postwoman for more than 31 years. And she celebrated her 100th birthday with a special card from the Queen.

Retiring in 1978 from many years of being the reliable and friendly face delivering mail on her bicycle, through rain, sleet, snow and sunshine, Sal has lived a long and content life surrounded by friends and family.

Born on Glenkiln Farm on April 7, 1918, she lived with her five siblings and other farming families at Benlister where her father was a ploughman. Living her entire life on Arran and meeting her husband there, Sal had two children with Jimmy Bannatyne – Sheena and Greta. There was one short period where Sal tried living on the mainland at nearby Lochgilphead but it was only for a few years before she wanted to return to Arran.

Attributing her many years of honest, hard work as one of the reasons for her longevity she also credits a glass of milk and a particular fondness for honey as helping to keep her healthy.

Sal enjoyed a huge gathering of family and friends, some who travelled from the Isle of Skye, to celebrate her birthday last Saturday. Her house at Glen Estate sheltered housing still adorned with decorations and well over 70 cards wishing her well on her special birthday. Sitting on the mantelpiece, and one that she is particularly fond of, is a card from the Queen offering her best wishes.

While mentioning that much had changed over the years on Arran, such as many of the old buildings which have been knocked down – her favourite being old dance venues and village halls – she maintains her cheery outlook, warm smile and incredible sense of humour that has undoubtedly enamoured her to the legion of friends – some from her childhood – who know and love her.

Sal Bannatyne celebrated her 100th birthday last week with a large gathering of family and friends and a letter from Queen. 01_B15sal01

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It is disappointing news indeed that First Milk is to put the Torrylinn Creamery up for sale.

Uncertain times too for the six employees at the Kilmory site as well as the two diary farms on the island who supply the creamery with its milk.

However, it cannot be said to be totally unexpected. Concern over the future of the creamery have been raised on many occasions as it changed hands during the last 40 years.

Worrying too is the warning from First Milk that the plant needs ‘significant investment’ could put potential buyers off the factory, which first opened in 1946.

However, we are sure that there is an entrepreneur out there who could breath new life into the Torrylinn Creamery and put Arran Dunlop back on top of the pile.

Rat Race

We at the Banner believe that credit should be given where credit is due. And this week the credit goes to the organisers of the Rat Race Ultra Tour of Arran.

Their planning and organisation were a credit to them as was their appreciation of the island and the islanders. They will be welcome back next year.

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With the current run of Whiting Bay dog classes having just finished the new season is set to begin at the start of May.

The summer classes, which run for 10 weeks, will start on Wednesday May 2, and every following Wednesday at 12.30pm at the Whiting Bay hall.

The proposed evening classes that were recently discussed will unfortunately not go ahead due to insufficient numbers.

If you are interested in reward based training for your dog Margaret Kay can be contacted on 01770 600858.

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CalMac triathlon

Sir,

Have you tried the ultimate Arran fitness test yet?

To warm up, you wander along the blue tape until you get to a desk where you can buy an entry ticket. Then to the first leg, the mountain.  At the top, while you catch your breath, your entry ticket will be taken so you are allowed into the second challenge, the departure lounge chicane, dodging legs, bags, cases, dogs, small children while you weave between the rows of seats to take position in another blue tape maze.

You are now on the starting line for the last leg, the long march. Once the tape is lifted, you are off on a hike halfway to Ardrossan, only to be stopped by a posse of high vis clad stewards who point you in the direction of the ferry and a welcome rest and refreshment.

But beware, instead of automatically turning left for a cup of tea, do the same and you will end up in the bar, maybe not such a bad idea after all that exercise.

Yours,

Elizabeth Ross

Glenloig

Education advice

Sir,

This letter is not directly concerned with Arran but sometimes you come across something that impresses you so much you want to share it – even if you’re not on social media; so I decided to ignore, for the present, the potholes and CalMac and mention something a bit more uplifting.

If I’m the last person to discover the words of Ken Robison, the educationalist, my apologies, but if you haven’t come across him and you’re at all interested in kids’ education please check him out. I’ve not yet read Mr Robison’s books but so far have only listened to his TED talks on the web. Some of the talks include ‘How to escape education’s Death Valley’ – ‘Bring on the education revolution’  – ‘Do school’s kill creativity?’ and ‘Changing education paradigms’. Each talk lasts for about twenty minutes – highly entertaining with some fascinating comments on things like academia,  ADHD and much more. I was prompted to check out Mr Robison when I saw him on television responding to a statement by a cabinet minister who had stated that all children should aspire to go to Oxford or Cambridge – Mr. Robison said that he reckoned that the politician ‘had lost his mind’ – I immediately liked this guy.

Yours,

Mark Head

Whiting Bay

Politicans plea 

Below is a copy of the letter sent to North Ayrshire and Arran MP Patricia Gibson and  Cunninghame North MSP Kenneth Gibson.

Dear Mr and Mrs Gibson,

I write this as a resident in High Corrie on the Isle of Arran and I write as a person who has suffered multiple spinal injuries going back seven years. Daily living is problem enough when what’s going on in my back can make even walking across a room a painful experience.

However the really big problem comes when I am forced to drive the car. On Friday I was obliged to take the car for its MOT in Lamlash – a 20 mile return journey. With my back injuries this means enduring absolutely agonising jolts at every rough bit of road let alone the potholes which are everywhere. I can drive easily even up to 45mph when the road surface is what any road surface in this country should be. But these stretches are very few and very far between. I now know the road well enough to know where all the very many bad bits are. On these I will have to crawl, even down to 5mph, clinging for dear life to the wheel as the jolts hit or threaten to hit my back and send it into spasm.

It is not always possible to let cars behind overtake so they must be left wondering what is going on as my speed alters all the time and as I weave from side to side of the road to find the least degraded surface to drive on. I am due several visits to the dentist also in Lamlash, and believe you me the thought of the journey there and back is far worse than the thought of anything the dentist might have to do. That could look like a joke, but it is definitely no joke. Driving on Arran’s roads is a living nightmare for me – and no doubt for many others with back problems.

I am quite sure both of you are very well aware of the condition of Arran’s roads. I know the South End roads are just as bad if not worse than the roads at this end. They are worse than a disgrace as you both must know if you have ever had to drive on them. Of course if you don’t have serious back conditions you, like many others, might not notice anything too much although it is hard to see how anyone could drive here without noticing anything. Usually the complaints will be about what the roads do to people’s cars. Cars are one thing. You can live with that. With a permanently injured back you can not.

The question I really want to shout to both of you is: Why have the roads here been allowed to get into this state with absolutely no one taking any responsibility and nothing being done about them for all the 17 years I have already lived here?

This may not be the direct responsibility of either of you, but you were both elected to look after the interests of the people here in your respective ways. These interests in this regard have been woefully disregarded for years. There can be no excuse for this. You have the responsibility to get onto the backs of the people who are responsible for roads and to stay on their backs month on month until they do what they are paid public money to do. It would be good to know the name of the person with over-all responsibility for our roads, even though it should not be my task to make sure they start doing the work they are paid for.

We have a new ferry about to come into operation and with RET on the ferries every effort seems to be being made to get more and more cars and huge tour buses onto the island. So there should be every economic incentive to provide Arran with roads fit for the ever increasing and ever heavier traffic. Traffic that is going to make roads at present impossible for me to drive on in a very short time will be impossible for anyone to drive on. Indeed they may soon cease to exist.

For myself, however, it is just a matter of how an elderly disabled person can live on this island – and incidentally, if you think an ambulance could help me out, the answer is never! I have had journeys in ambulances and they are without exception the worst sprung vehicles I have ever been in. Total agony for my back as they bounce and sway and rattle over every bump and bit of unevenness there is.

What is the present plan to give Arran the roads it needs? When are the works going to start? When will the whole operation be completed by? And as for the funding, apart from education and health (and as you can see this is part of health) what is more important than this?

Please do not trouble to reply to this unless you are seriously going to do something about it.

Yours,

Peter Finlay

High Corrie

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Whiting Bay Golf Club

Wednesday April 11, Summer Trophy. In true WBGC tradition the 2nd round of the 2018 Summer Trophy got under way on a morning that would have seemed cold in December, let alone April. The field of  18 players found conditions were far from easy and the CSS went out to its maximum of 66. 1 David Blair (16)65, 2 Ronnie Mann (13)66, 3 John Pennycott (13)68, 4 Ryan Armstrong (8)69. Jamie Stewart carded the lowest gross score at 69 and there were magic twos from Jamie and from John Dick, both at the 4th hole.

Sunday April 15, Summer Trophy. Twelve played in this round of the Summer Trophy, postponed from April 4. Conditions were much improved from recent outings with the greens firming up and running true and scoring was generally good, with all but two scores in the 60s. CSS went down to 62  and continuing his recent fine form, John Pennycott ran out a comfortable winner on net 60. 1 John Pennycott (13)60, 2 David Blair (16)62, 3 Nicol Auld (5)63 ACB and lowest gross, 4 Stan Rainey (1)63. There were no magic twos.

Fixtures: Sunday April 22, Captain’s drive in and prize – rolling start at 10am. Cards to be in by 2pm. This will be a Stableford from the white tees and will be a ‘counter’ for handicap purposes. Wednesday April 25, The Richard Parfitt Stableford – all day competition with optional draw at 5.30pm.

Corrie Golf Club

Wednesday April 11, medal and magic twos. 1 S Beardsley 67-7=60, 2 A Smith  73-11=62. No winner of the magic twos, so a rollover.

Saturday April 14, The Eddie Rankin Memorial Trophy. A good entry of 10 two man teams from Corrie and Machrie contested this competition in memory of a very popular member of both clubs.

This was the first major competition of the year and all competitors
congratulated the club and Euan on the great condition of the course.
Corrie narrowly came out on top by a couple of points. The individual
winner was John Adam with 35pts.

Fixtures: Saturday April 21, 18 hole medal, ballots at 9am and 2pm. Wednesday April 25, medal and magic twos.

Lamlash Golf Club 

Thursday April 12, Yellow Medal, CSS65. 1 Willie Currie 71-9=62, 2. Ian Bremner  71-7=64, 3. Paul Jameson 76-11=65. Scratch Dougie MacFarlane 67. Magic twos Ian Bremner, Iain Murchie and Willie Currie all @16th.

Sunday April 15, Hugh Hutchison Trophy (Greensome). Well done to the winners Paul Jameson and John O’Sullivan 78-15.0=63. Runners up Ian Bremner 75-9.8=65.2. Magic twos Scott Campbell and Iain Murchie @16th, Serge El Adm and Dougie MacFarlane @16th.

Fixtures: Sunday April 22, Drift Inn Quaich, 8.30am, 9.30am and 12.30pm. Thursday April 26, Summer Cup, make up own games, see starter for times.

Brodick Golf Club

Wednesday April 11, Summer Cup, 31 played, CSS 66. 1 Matthew Dobson 69-7-62, 2 Douglas Robertson 81-17-64, 3 Robert Waine 80-14-66. Scratch Ewan McKinnon 67.

Sunday April 15, British Legion Cup, Stableford, 18 played, CSS 37pts. 1 David Hendry (14)42pts, 2 Finlay Sillars (13)40pts, 3 Nicol Hume (14)37pts.

Fixture: Sunday April 22, Belhaven Medal, enter in clubhouse or turn up for draws 8.30am and 12noon.

Shiskine Golf Club

Thursday April 12, ladies 12 hole medal, 6 played, par 44, CSS 44. 1 Elizabeth Kelso 58-11 = 47 ACB, 2 Fiona Scott 62-15=47. Scratch Ann May 52. Well done Elizabeth!

Fixtures: Thursday April  26, Rock Plate, for both ladies and gents, 1pm and 5.30pm.  Saturday April 28, Gents Stableford Open, fun event and times between 9am and 3pm.

Machrie Bay Golf Club

Tuesday April 10, 1 Campbell Laing 67pts, 2 Reuben Betley 70pts, 3 Brian Sherwood 75pts.

Tuesday April 17, 1 Phil Betley 67pts  BIH, 2 Reuben Betley 67pts, 3 Brian Sherwood 73pts.

Fixtures: Saturday April 21, last day of Kiscadale Trophy, Whiting Bay 1pm. Tuesday April 24, Peter Sutton/Lady Mary, tee off 12.30pm and 5.30pm.

Arran Golfers Association

AGA fixture at Shiskine: Friday April 27m  AGA Seniors Bowl (round 1), 4.30pm Machrie Bay v Lochranza, 4.45pm Lamlash v Corrie, 5.00pm Brodick v Whiting Bay. If you are going to be late due to work please phone 860226 (pro shop).

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A draft of North Ayrshire Council’s Local Development Plan (LDP) has been published online and is available for viewing ahead of public consultations which are to be held.

The plan is a collection of policies and plans which are to be used to map out and provide guidance when considering planning applications within North Ayrshire, including Arran, in the future. It also sets out how and where investment will be directed over the next 10 years.

Councillors will discuss these plans before they are formally published and put to the public who will be invited to consult on the plans and provide comments during a two month period.

After the consultation period, amendments will be made, if required, and after another slighter shorter consultation period, the document will be passed to the Scottish government.

They in turn appoint a Reporter who examines the plans and provides recommendations to the council and the government of any changes that need to be made. Once these changes have been affected the plan is put into place and accepted.

Of particular interest to Arran residents are the various sections interspersed throughout the 178 page document that deals with strategic development areas on Arran; proposed housing and settlement plans, environmental policies and digital connectivity.

Anyone with an interest in local development planning and land use is encouraged to have a look at the document on the council website under the planning section.

Once the entire five stage process of preparing the LDP – two of which have already been completed – has been completed the LDP will become a legal document and implemented in 2019 where it will direct the future policy for North Ayrshire for the following 10 years.

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A national campaigning organisation has demanded that the rail connection to the Arran ferry be an integral part of the multi-million improvement works planned for Ardrossan habour.

As reported in last week’s Banner, the government-led Ardrossan Harbour Taskforce has chosen its preferred design option for the harbour upgrade which will see the current Arran ferry berth realigned and a new terminal building constructed.

Railfuture Scotland has written to transport minister Humza Yousaf welcoming the upgrade, but urging that the opportunity be taken to right the wrong done over 30 years ago when the then Ardrossan Winton Pier station, adjacent to the ferry berth, was closed and a new rail terminus, Ardrossan Harbour, constructed some 200 yards further back up the line, meaning a longer walk for foot passengers from train to boat.

Jane Ann Liston, secretary of Railfuture Scotland explained: ‘The justification for this was apparently to ensure no conflict between the electric overhead wires and lorries reversing off a proposed new ferry from the Isle of Man or Northern Ireland, though ironically this new service never actually materialised. In the 1980s it seemed that the convenience of foot passengers was very far down the pecking order, if indeed it was considered at all.’

‘Railfuture Scotland hopes that things are different now and that everything will be done to make using the more environmentally-friendly options as easy as possible to encourage modal switch from private cars. As Arranachs are only too aware, the otherwise-welcome RET fare reduction has resulted in significantly more cars being brought over to Arran, which suggests that the balance has been tilted in favour of cars rather than foot passengers using public transport. There is concern that Arran roads cannot cope with this heavier traffic, for which they were never designed.’

Ms Liston pointed out that the initial designs for the upgraded Ardrossan terminal published a few months ago depicted a brand-new ‘maritime hub’ conveniently down by the boat, close to the location of the former Winton Pier station, which was to be the ‘arrival point’ for passengers. However the railway station was still shown marooned way back at the Ardrossan Harbour location. ‘Will this set-up encourage travellers to opt for rail and sail rather than a car?’ she asked. ‘What about visitors with mobility problems who can usually manage very well by train but might not relish being decanted 200 yards from the arrival point? ‘

She concluded: ‘One does get the idea that foot passengers were then and still are seen as an afterthought at best and at worst an irrelevant inconvenience. It doesn’t quite sit with encouraging travellers to opt for environmentally-friendly options when everything seems geared to make life for car users as easy as possible at the expense of those who walk, cycle or use public transport.’

Railfuture Scotland hopes that, while the design is still fluid, the Scottish government and Transport Scotland can ensure that the rail terminal be incorporated into any ‘passenger hub/arrival point’ and be as close as possible to the ferry.

‘Now that would really be integrated transport,’ Ms Liston added.

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Funding cuts to elderly care on Arran have been given a three month reprieve.

At a meeting last week plans by North Ayrshire Council to cut more than £20,000 in funding to the Trust Housing Association for Arran was put on hold until the end of June.

As previously reported by the Banner the cuts would hit both the Glen Estate sheltered housing complex in Brodick and the McKelvie Road Housing Association in Lamlash with the potential loss of the elderly co-ordinator.

Lynn Ross of the Glen Estate Tenants Association said: Nothing was clarified at that meeting apart from the fact there is a three month extension to the proposed cuts. We are now waiting for Trust to meet with North Ayrshire Council to see what the options are for providing the services we need in sheltered housing, not the least the daily co-ordinator who acts as a vital first responder to problems among residents, avoiding the cost of hospital admissions and other avoidable expenses.

‘I, for one, was left with the impression that the council is indifferent to our needs as older people in the community. The amount of the proposed cut is miniscule compared to other decisions which are made on spending and the value for money of that amount spent on the sheltered housing has been well recorded and is very much in line with government guidelines for the care of older people in rural and island areas.

‘We can only hope that common sense will prevail and a way forward will be found to continue to provide the services for which we pay our rents and to show the respect we deserve in the community.’

Jennifer Wallace, head of housing and support services for Trust Housing, said: ‘We received notice from North Ayrshire Council that housing support funding for our two sheltered developments on Arran will not be continuing after the end of June 2018.

‘We appreciate this is a difficult time for our staff, tenants and their families and have had initial meetings with tenants to consider how this could impact them and their services going forward.’

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Note: with Arran Open Studios/ COAST logos, if required NO_B16logo01 NO_B16logo02

This summer sees an exciting collaboration between two of the increasingly visible community bodies working on and for Arran.

Arran Open Studios (AOS) which is now in its 7th year promoting the work of makers and artists on Arran and the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST)  want to celebrate the opening of the new COAST hub in the Old Pavilion tennis courts building in Lamlash. There is proposed a collaborative exhibition which will be both part of the AOS weekend and also the grand opening of the COAST office.

The idea, designed to raise profiles of both groups, also plans to raise funds for COAST in a rather imaginative way.

Artists and makers are invited to submit, anonymously, an art work based on the subject: ‘Something of the Sea’ . These artworks will be mounted and hung by COAST  in its new premises, Members of the public will be invited to purchase these pieces for a minimum of £25 but not discouraging a voluntary maximum. All monies go to the community seabed trust.

This is  not only a great way of acquiring original artwork but because the artworks will be by unknown authors, there is a fair chance that purchasers might manage to acquire an art work by one of the several better-known island artists. All artworks will be authenticated.  All exhibited pieces will be signed on the back so there will be a provenance for those purchasers wanting to take a gamble on turning up a bankable artist.

Ann Hume of AOS and COAST provides the following submission guidelines.

COAST will provide a simple card mount for each piece. There is no need for you to mount or frame the work.

Specifications: 2D work, A4 (296mmx420mm) or A5 (148mm x 210mm). 3D work, small of a comparable size to A5/A4

2D work should be on a surface suitable for mounting and hanging, e.g. watercolour paper, cartridge paper of a good weight, card or thin board. Delivery of work to the COAST office from Mon June 11 to Friday June, 22. Office is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm.

Ann asks that any artist wishing to take part confirm with her before Monday April 30 at: annhumejewellery@hotmail.co.uk Any further details can be had from Ann on 07975 589432.

The exhibition will run from Monday August 6 through the weekend of the Arran Open Studios which is August 10 to 13 inclusive.

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Pg 2 heading: Uncertain time for workers

Workers at an Arran creamery which has been put up for sale face an uncertain future.

First Milk has put the Torrylinn Creamery on the market and warned that any potential buyer would require to make ‘significant investment’ in the plant which first opened in 1946.

The Kilmory factory is the home of the Isle of Arran extra mature cheddar which scooped the best cheddar title at the World Cheese Awards 2013.

The six employees had been summoned to a meeting in Campbeltown on Tuesday but were unable to attended after bad weather disrupted the Lochranza ferry service. They were instead told the shock news by phone, although First Milk bosses have now visited Arran. The Campbeltown Creamery is also up for sale.

First Milk CEO Shelagh Hancock said: ‘Following a strategic review, we have determined that our branded consumer-facing businesses in Campbeltown and on Arran are not a strategic fit for First Milk moving forward.

‘The review identified that there is undoubtedly a market for the premium Mull of Kintyre and Isle of Arran brands but capturing the opportunities would require significant investment for activity that is not core to our strategic direction. However, we are confident that with the right focus and investment under new ownership the businesses would prosper.

‘A sale would enable us to continue with our focus on developing our major creameries in Haverfordwest and the Lake District, creating value through broadening and strengthening our strategic partnerships and delivering best value for our members’ investment.

‘Campbeltown and Arran creameries will continue to run as normal during this sale process and we will be working closely with prospective buyers to ensure a smooth transition. We appreciate that this decision will affect some of our colleagues, but we hope that under new ownership the sites will thrive, offering good employment prospects for the future.’

Built by the Scottish Milk Marketing Board in 1946 to make a cheddar-type of cheese known as Arran Dunlop, it is today still made by hand and in open vats, using traditional methods. It was opened by King George VI the following year and has been making cheese ever since. The creamery was acquired in 1997 by First Milk, initially as a joint venture, with the business being purchased outright in 2007 by Britain’s largest dairy farmer co-operative.

The move not only affects the creamery workers but the two remaining dairy farms on Arran who supply the creamery with milk. NFU Scotland said milk producers for both creameries were ‘shell-shocked’ by the announcement.

Milk committee chairman, John Smith, who supplies milk to the Campbeltown creamery said: ‘While producers supplying these creameries are shell-shocked at the announcement, the most important thing to keep in mind is that, in Mull of Kintyre and Arran cheddar, both creameries are making world-famous; award-winning high quality cheese and both sites should be hugely attractive to potential buyers.

‘In the short term however, farmers supplying these creameries will be frustrated, justifiably worried but not completely surprised by the announcement. They have built their businesses with a view to continuing to milk cows and have stuck with First Milk through thick and thin.

‘However, these are local, family farms who have also successfully invested in building and promoting their brand locally and nationally and we must now look to the future.

‘For a relatively small investment, potential buyers or partners have an opportunity to take the Kintyre and Arran brands into higher value specialist markets backed by a story with real provenance and great tasting cheese, he added.

Paul Grant, chairman of the Scottish Dairy Growth Board said: ‘There is a real opportunity here for someone to tap into a market with potential to grow.

‘The model at Orkney Creamery is working well and we would be keen to support any potential buyer for Campbeltown or Arran based on the experience and knowledge the board has built up over the last three years.’

• The sale will have no effect on the Isle of Arran Cheese Shop in Brodick or the Bellevue Creamery which are owned by island businessman Gordon Kinniburgh.

Torrylinn Creamery which has been put up for sale. NO_B16creamery01

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Lamlash Guild recently held their annual lunch in the Brodick Bar and there were smiles all round as our picture shows. Photo Cams Campbell NO_B16guild01

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There is always a feast of music to suit all tastes at the Pierhead Tavern in Lamlash and the coming weekends are no exception.

Kicking off are talented duo Charlie and Cori Gorman who play the popular 4pm slot on Sunday. The guitar and fiddle playing duo, from King of Birds, provide a sound which will take your breath away. Multi-talented singer songwriter Charlie has an eclectic voice which can sound like Art Garfunkel one moment and David Bowie the next, alongside his infinitely talented guitar playing and Cori’s amazing fiddle work, this is a couple not to miss!

And there is an extra gig on Friday May 4 at 9pm by Glasgow band Jericho Hill which has been rescheduled after they were unable to make their last gig by being snowbound on the mainland.

Playing a full set of Johnny Cash greats including songs from the Rick Rubin era, this will be the bands debut at The PHT. Band members include Bill Wright, vocals and rhythm guitar;  Joe Whyte, lead Guitar; Rab Christie, bass; Al Pritchard, drums and Charlene Boyd on vocals. It’s all about the music of Johnny Cash, with Bill starting the band in Jan 2008 performing widely around Glasgow and now playing across the country, building a reputation for a quality and entertaining act. Festival appearances include Rebellion 10 and 11, Wickerman 11, and Belladrum 12.

And the music continues all weekend with The Skunnered playing on  Saturday May 5 at 9pm and again on Sunday May 6 at 4pm. This East Renfrewshire band are fond favourites at the PHT founded by songwriter Chas Cunningham who plays bass. They have given Arran  several fabulous nights of dance along fun in their loveable, folkish rock style and they are sure to do so again next weekend.

The Skunnered are firm favourites at the PHT. NO_B17pht01

Charlie and Cori Gorman play on Sunday. NO_B17pht02

There is a debut for Glasgow band Jericho Hill, NO_B17pht03

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