2011 News snippets & Lost and Found

Lismore Aberdeen Angus is proud to present its new price list here.

The information below has been replaced by this news snippet added on 1st February 2012

Below is the original snippet

We understand that SSE are offering an ex gratia payment of £75 to everyone whose electricity supply was off for more than 24 hours following the storm on Thursday 8th December.
This has to be claimed, to do this, you should phone 0800 300 999.
They will ask for your postcode, house name or number and then, if you qualify, your name.
If you wish to claim more than the £75 i.e. for loss of food etc. then you should not accept this and submit a claim separately

Note from Ed – I have just phoned and payment is automatic but you do have to claim.

Sorry for delay, we were waiting on information from the bread and milk suppliers – David

Argyll College is running an Ùlpan taster session on Saturday 17th December in Oban. If you are interested in learning Gaelic, why not try it before signing up with the CELM course. There are more details on the What's on page

Power off, phones off, limited mobile signal, cold, freezers defrosting .......
4 days on and most of the island is getting back to some form of normality.

We would like to do a bit for the website about the storm and how it affected life on the island.

Do you have a story?
Do you have pictures?
Do you just want a rant?
Do you have suggestions for the future?

Please email us

Due to the terrible weather, the council has ordered all schools to close at lunch time. For this reason the school's Cozy Cakes Café has been postponed until Friday 9th December. The school is looking beautiful so come along tomorrow. The original poster can be found here.

The Heritage Centre's lost property box now contains two jackets, two hats and a rucksack. If you think any of these might be yours, you can claim it by ringing 760030 or by email by clicking here.

The Comann Eachdraidh Lios Mòr would like to set up an Ulpan class at the Heritage Centre. If you are interested you can ring them on 760030 or email them by clicking here. They have a poster here.

If you want to send Christmas cards or calendars to other islanders, the school Christmas post will be available until 14th December. Click here for more details. The results are now here.

Click here to see an interview for the BUPA Foundation about an iPad app for the Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (EMRS).

Lismore Primary School is working as usual today despite widespread industrial action. More detail of how the strike is affecting services in Argyll and Bute can be found here and information specific to schools can be found here.

Ever said that Argyll and Bute is badly run? Ever complained about money wasted? Now is your chance to make a difference. Argyll and Bute council has put a (very simple) 'simulator' on their website here. Under several broad categories, you can opt to spend more or less. You then get the chance to explain why you made your choices. They say that they will take notice of the results so why not have a go and then email us with your suggestions.

Just a reminder that we have a whole new stock of films in the shop to entertain you over the winter months. Also if anyone still has any films on loan that they have watched could they please return them to the shop and mark it in the Film Club book.

The 2012 Lismore calendar is now available. As shown, there are two versions – English and Gaelic. All calendars are printed to order and prices are £5.00 collected or £6.50 inc post & packaging in the UK. Contact Jim Millard on 01631 760241 or email to place an order.

The rainfall figures recorded at Frackersaig for September and October are now on the site. Islanders will not be surprised to find that both set new records. With two months left of 2011, we have already had four record setting months. See the data here. Thanks to David and Catriona White for providing us with these data.

The library at the Heritage Centre was filled to capacity when Alex Du Toit, Archivist for the MacColl collection at the Lochaber Archives in Fort William, gave a talk on the MacColls of Argyll, Duror and Appin. He told the story of the missing MacColl papers which were found in 2009 in a damp field where they had been sitting for 60 years. They are now safely stored in a temperature controlled storeroom and available to all those interested. Much of the talk was about the work of Hugh Geoffrey MacColl (1902-1947), originally from Mull, who began collecting MacColl stories locally while he was working as an engineer in Kinlochleven. In his holidays he went about on his bicycle talking to people and later extended his research with a worldwide questionnaire. Among his many replies was one from John David MacColl of Balnagowan Lismore, well known to many present who included his son Archie MacColl still farming on Lismore and of Balnagowan

Well done to Atomaig Pìseag who won the area choir ladies competition at the Mòd in Stornoway. They won the Esme Smythe Shield with their hilarious rendition of a night out drinking in Glasgow. Atomaig Piseag is a composite choir and contains Lismore's very own Katy Crossan! Well done Katy! There is a photo of the choir on page 8 of the Oban Times of 27th October 2011.

Brogan Fuels will be sending a tanker of fuel over to the island on Friday 4th November, 2011. To place an order, ring the Oban office on 01631 570670 or email Christine Learmouth by clicking here.

The work in the Port Appin car park is to replace a faulty cable that runs between the waiting room and the toilets. The work is being done by Oban Electrical for the council so that the pier lights will be operational.

The car park in Port Appin (adjacent to the toilets) is being dug up on Monday 24th October and the work is anticipated to take 7 days. There are six cars parked there that will be in the way. If you own one of the following cars, Oban Electrical would appreciate it if you could move it before the Monday.

The cars are:

Volvo   ST08 OMH
Seat   T132 JGP
Subaru   NY53 HUK
Ford   ST04 FZU
Vauxhall   SD51 VMO
Toyota   V146 GSF

The Surgery is looking for someone to clean the Consultation room at the Hall. It is thought that it will probably only need an hour or so every fortnight so it is not a big earner but help would be greatly appreciated. Contact Dr Mary by clicking here.

This CHORD consultation document has been received from Joanne Casey of AECOM who says that it should should give you a flavour of the topics that we are consulting on as part of the Oban CHORD work. More information about CHORD can be found here.

A talk entitled The MacColls of Lismore, Appin and Duror is to be given at Lismore Heritage Centre by Alex Du Toit, archivist for the MacColl collection at the Lochaber Archives in Fort William. Entry is free – but please feel free to make a donation.

The school newsletter for September 2011 can be found here.

We have been sent a link to website that contains over 24,000 oral recordings in Scots and Gaelic recorded in Scotland from the 1930s onwards, including thousands from the Highlands and Islands. Items on the website include stories, songs, music, poetry and historical information. Some are from Lismore. Click here for the site.

Details of the Art group meetings from September to December 2011 can be found here.

Email Received from Argyll and Bute Council

Hi I’m really sorry but we are again experiencing difficulties out with our control with the refuse collection on the island, it looks as if we may have a problem with this week’s collection, we are attempting to put in temporary arrangements to maintain the service but admit there may be delays.

Can I apologise once again we are working to ensure that a regular service is maintained in the future. If anyone is experiencing any problems because of this could they contact me or Callum Black at the number below or 01631 569160.

Thanks Derek

Derek Crooks
Streetscene Technician
Argyll and Bute Council
01631 569183
07796940555
FAX. 01631 681
derek.crooks@argyll-bute.gov.uk
Lorn House
Albany st
OBAN
PA34 4AR
Argyll and Bute – Realising our potential together
http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk

Mairi Perkins has sent us the following letter.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Nurse Practitioner will be absent from work for a period of time. The following interim arrangements will be in place to cover the Nurse led Clinics on the Island, starting week beginning 26^th September 2011

Monday - GP clinic
Wednesday - Nurse led clinic 9.30am - 11am.
Thursday - GP clinic
Friday - Nurse led clinic 9.30am - 11am.

The Community Nursing will be covered as normal on the Island.

With the nights drawing in what better way to settle down to an evening than with a DVD. We have a WHOLE NEW batch of DVDs available for borrowing in the shop. Please feel free to borrow them and remember to write in the book when you borrow and return them. Happy viewing!

Gaener Rodger of the Centre for Rural Health was on the island recently as part of the continuing evaluation of health care needs on Lismore. The study which started in 2009 is entirely independent (though funded by NHS Highland) and is designed to garner the views of islanders on the current health services and what they would like to see in the future. A questionnaire went out to all islanders earlier this year and of the 180 sent out, 105 were returned which although not as good as the 2009 questionnaire is still much better than the normal response which, Gaener said, showed the strength of feeling there is around the health issue on the island. While here Gaenor held two public meetings and interviewed a range of health users, and she will present her report to the Argyll and Bute Community Health Partnership and the island some time in October. If you want to find out more, please contact Gaener Rodger, Centre for Rural Health (01463 255893 gaener.rodger@uhi.ac.uk).

A silver coloured watch was lost somewhere on the island on 3rd August. If you have found it, please contact us here.

Beth Campbell hosted a very well attended charity dinner to raise funds for a group of Edinburgh University students who are going to central Uganda, near Soroti, to build a medical centre. Cerri MacKenzie, a visitor to the island, was initially to have gone with the team but, when this didn't work out, she still went ahead with Beth to raise over £500 for the project. Cerri said that they had calculated that they would need £11000 to build a centre with an office, a store room, an appointment room, a waiting room, and a 10 bed ward, and that they would use local builders to do it. Further, after completion the local government had said it would staff it and supply it with the necessary drugs and equipment. At the moment the region has no medical facilities in an area of 23000 people so the simplest thing can prove fatal and it is hoped that the basic medical attention could reverse this.

Once again a UK wide holiday reading promotion for children is underway and Lismore is getting a very fair share of the programme as Barbara McDougall at the Museum library is entertaining the island children and visitors for two hours every Wednesday. This year's theme is all about taking to the stage and children are given a colourful cut-out circus stage to start their challenge which is to read six books of their choice over the long Summer break. The programme is popular with parents as well as children and there is an excellent website www.circus-stars.org.uk where they can access more games and activities and even meet their favourite authors.

A very well attended sale of work for the Church funds was opened by Church of Scotland lay reader, John Fraser, and raised £950.

After the sports and raft race there was a well attended dance in the hall with the Ballochmyle Ceilidh Band which raised £800 for hall funds.

As part of the summer entertainment programme the hall committee put on a concert and dance featuring the very popular band Gaberlunzie. Robin Watson and Gordon Menzies have been playing as Gaberlunzie since early 1970s and they are a mix of modern and traditional songs, mostly Scottish, with what they call their secret ingredient namely lots of Scottish humour, which all made for a great evening.

More information

Despite the weather not being ideal to arrive at the church in a horse and cart, and leave on brightly decorated pink bicycles, Sarah Campbell and Yorick Paine's spirits were not dampened when they celebrated their marriage in Lismore Parish Church with the Rev Roderick Campbell (no relation) officiating and witnessed by their extended family and many friends. The reception and dance in the hall were likewise a great occasion particularly as the hall had been festooned as it has never been festooned before with decorations of every kind. We wish Sarah and Yorick all the best for the future on their croft at Balimakillichan.

Congratulations to Fay Carmichael whose 50th birthday was celebrated in a marquee at the pier on what was not the warmest night of late spring early summer. However the family had gathered together with her many friends to wish her well and an evening of good food, good music - provided by islander Murray Willis - and lots of singing and dancing was enjoyed. As Fay is more used to organising such events it was great to see her being feted for her birthday.

Despite very short notice there was a reasonable turn out for a recent ceilidh in the hall when a group of musicians led by Sandy Brechin from Edinburgh, one of the greatest exponents of the Scottish accordion not just in Scotland but world wide, dropped in to Lismore and offered to perform. With them was the equally famous Gaelic singer Brian OhEadhra who is originally from Ireland and now lives in Inverness. He is an acclaimed singer and songwriter who has recorded and played with many great acoustic & traditional Irish and Scottish artists. There was a chance too for locals to join in and Katie Crossan, Freda Drysdale, and Sarah Campbell sang. After the break the tables were cleared for a few dances bringing a memorable evening to an end.

More information and events list

As part of the above special day within the 10 days in July, a parade from Station Square to the Corran Halls has been arranged. Argyll Voluntary Action invites you to participate in this special day. In the interests of 'security and organisational arrangements' please inform them by letter, telephone or email, by 24th June, using the details below. The assembly time at Station Square is 9.30am on Tuesday 12th July.

Kathleen Black,
Argyll Voluntary Action (incorporating Argyll and Bute Volunteer Centre and Argyll CVS)
21 High Street,
Oban, PA34 4BG.
Tel: 01631 564839
Email: office.ava@btconnect.com

Generous fund raiser Beth Campbell has once again been raising money, this time to help the students at the Oban High School Hostel. Some time ago she organised an evening's entertainment she called A Dram, A Dinner and a Dance which was hosted by the current crop of Oban High hostel students Murray Willis, John Carmichael, Eileen Carmichael, Chris Willis, and Kirsty Wright. The evening was so well supported by the generous people of Lismore that she raised £500 which, she was told, would greatly expand the activities the hostel could offer all the hostel students.

More information

Lismore Community Transport have called an Extraordinary General Meeting to consult the membership (all permanent Lismore residents) on its proposals for cessation of our minibus hire service and for the introduction of an interim "Granny Bus" service, pending the service promised by WRVS. For more information please see the "What's on" section

A trio of musicians, Mairi Campbell, Abbey Newton, and Kim Robertson, treated a sizeable audience to some fine celtic/folk/classical music which will feature in their forthcoming tour of Scotland. Mairi’s musical versatility was displayed on the fiddle, the viola and in her voice which was very affecting with her great musical range which flows freely. She also managed a few dance steps. There were some thrilling Clarsach moments from Kim Robertson both in her solo pieces and with the trio and cellist Abbey Newton did not disappoint, showing a great range and versatility on an instrument not known for it.

Islanders were very shocked to hear of the sudden death of Kerr MacGregor of MacGregor Solar only a few days after he brought his expertise to the island and taught us how to make solar water heating panels. At a recent meeting of the Energy Project sympathy was expressed for his family and a message of gratitude and sympathy was subsequently sent.

A charity tea held in the wee Manse in aid of the Oban and Lorn branch of Alzheimer Scotland, raised £250 for the important work this charity does in the area. Organiser Margaret Black organised the event and said every penny would be going to the local charity to aid their work offering carer and outreach support, transport to day care, outings and holidays

The hall committee held a very well attended Valentine tea at which they served soup sandwiches, teas, coffees and home baking. The hall had been attractively decorated and they raised over £200 for much needed hall funds.

Do you have a spare compost bin/green cone you would be willing to give to someone who needs one?

OR

Do you need a compost bin or green cone? If so contact Liz (331) or Marlene (240)

Information leaflets on composting are available from Marlene or log on to the GRAB trust.

Do you sit on a committee and wonder why or what your role and responsibilities are? There will be a free committee Skills Session in Lismore Hall 10.00 am - 12.00 noon on Saturday 26th February 2011.

More information

The new year raffle for the Sandpiper Trust raised £114 - hamper won by Mary MacDougall, bouquet of chocolate won by Mairi Perkins