Issue #244 | Tain & District Picture Post | March 2021 by K & N Concepts Ltd - ePublishing

COMMUNITY MAGAZINE FOR THE ROYAL BURGH OF TAIN AND ITS SURROUNDING AREAS

TAIN & DISTRICT PICTURE POST

#244 MARCH

2021

MARCH 2021

TAIN PICTURE HOUSE UPDATE

TELLY STAR HARPER ON CBEEBIES

‘NESSIE’ HEADS TO INVERGORDON

Tain & District Development Trust on the remedial works to the Picture House due to start shortly. p4

Four year old Harper’s brush with TV stardom on the new CBeebies show Ferne and Rory’s Teeny Tiny Creatures. p11

Tain Museum recount the story of a ‘Sea Serpent’ sighting in the Cromarty Firth in the 1890s. p14

TAIN & DISTRICT PICTURE POST

PRICE £1.95

WELCOME TO THE

DISTILLERY EXPERIENCE

The Glenmorangie Distillery Tain, Ross-shire IV19 1PZ, Scotland. On the A9, 45 minutes from Inverness, 1 mile north of Tain.

Tain Inverness

Perth Glasgow Edinburgh

THE ORIGINAL TOUR

1 hour, £8 per person

June - August: Monday - Sunday, every 30 minutes, 10am - 4pm April - May & September - October: Monday - Saturday, every hour, 10am - 3pm

By the tranquil shores of the Dornoch Firth, amidst the golden barley fields of Ross-shire, lies the Glenmorangie Distillery. Here you will find a warm Highland welcome from the legendary Men of Tain, the skilled craftsmen who ensure that Glenmorangie is made in the same unhurried and uncompromising way it has always been through its long and distinguished history. We offer a range of tours with unparalleled access to the Distillery and its warehouses. With the help of our expert guides you will experience all stages of the whisky making process from mashing and fermenting to distilling and maturation. Within our Still House (we call it our Highland Cathedral) stand the tallest stills in Scotland, their long copper necks are the same height as a fully grown giraffe! As a result only the lightest and purest vapours make it to the top, giving a smoother, more elegant whisky. On your visit to our traditional earth floored warehouses we will explain why Glenmorangie has for many years led the industry in the pioneering use of only the finest casks in which to mature our whisky. As part of your tour, why not visit our own distillery shop?

January - March & November - December: Monday - Friday, 10am & 2pm THE SIGNET TOUR

1.5 hours, £35 per person June - August: Monday - Sunday, 2.15pm Wednesday, 6pm, New for 2019 April - May & September - October: Monday - Friday, 2.15pm (January - March & November December: not available) THE MEN OF TAIN TOUR

2.45 hours, £95 per person

May - September: Tuesday, 9.45am (October - April: not available) THE SUNSET TOUR

1.5 hours, £45 per person

June - August: Wednesday, 6.00pm (September - May: not available) For more information call 01862 892477 email: tain-shop@glenmorangie.co.uk or visit www.glenmorangie.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND ONLINE BOOKINGS PLEASE VISIT WWW.GLENMORANGIE.COM Pre-booking is recommended and essential for some of the tours or large groups. The Glenmorangie Distillery is a working distillery. For a few weeks a year we undergo essential maintenance when tours may be restricted. Closed for the 2 week period over Christmas & New Year. The information on this advert is valid throughout 2019. The Glenmorangie Company advocates responsible drinking. Please savour our whiskies in moderation.

MARCH 2021

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EDITORIAL Dear readers, Sparks of optimism rent the air as we finally start to see the some light at the end of the tunnel. At the time of writing, the first dose of the vaccine has reached 1.6 million people in Scotland, meaning that 35% of the adult population now have some level of protection against the virus. To paraphrase some words of encouragment shared with us recently, resuming a version of our “normal lives” will generate a new sense of positivity and energy in our community - something which is well needed by everyone right now - and it could well be more contagious than COVID! February was certainly a month of all seasons - as quickly as we had cleared the driveway, the snow had melted and we could see the green of the grass once again. For those who don’t mind the cold, the snow definitely made for several picturesque sights around the town. The cover photo on this month’s magazine was taken by my sister Lynsey, who captured the High Street in the midst of snowfall. It is a beautiful picture. On the magazine itself, we are delighted to have the Post back in the shops for general sale this month. For anyone who missed the last two issues, remember they can be read on our digital archive online at issuu.com/tainpost. Alternatively, if you would like a hard copy, please let us know either by email, or by leaving us a message at the number below, and we shall get one out to you. Finally, a note for Tain’s many clubs and associations - as you begin to ‘mobilise’ once again and prepare to resume whatever activities you typically plan in the calendar year, please email us to update us with your happenings, no matter how brief or how detailed they may be. We are always happy to share your latest news with our readers. Likewise, if you have an announcement or meeting minutes you might like to share, please let us know. Thank you for reading, Best wishes, Niall Harkiss & Lucy Veals Email info@tainpost.co.uk Tel 01862 857366 Subscribe online - www.tainpost.co.uk Digital archive - www.tainpost.co.uk/archive or via Issuu at issuu.com/tainpost Front cover photo - Taken by Lynsey Harkiss

Does your business have a website? Can you customers (and potential customers) find you on the web? Is your website secure and compatible with modern devices? If you need help modernising and updating your website and establishing an online presence using social media, please give me a call on 01862 857366 or send an email to: niall.harkiss@kandnconcepts.co.uk

Niall Harkiss, K & N Concepts Ltd

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TAIN COMMUNITY

TAIN & DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT TRUST NEWS

TAIN PICTURE HOUSE UPDATE Tain & District Development Trust, Tain Heritage Trust and Tain & Easter Ross Civic Trust are delighted to announce that remedial works on the Picture House funded by the Highland Council, Town Centre Regeneration Fund will start shortly. The first stage is the removal of a small amount of asbestos that has been discovered within the building, removal of this hazardous substance will be carried out by a licenced contractor. Whilst we know that there is a great deal of interest in this project please be aware that during all works the building will be classed as a construction site and as such unauthorised personnel will not be allowed in. Public access to the building will be made available at a suitable stage of the project, which ensures the Health and Safety of all parties. To enable the project work to be recorded a time-lapse

camera will be placed to record activity whilst work is being undertaken. This camera is set to record 3 seconds of film every five minutes during the works and may record passersby if they happen to pass whilst the camera is filming. If you would like any further information or be involved, please email us at info@tainddtrust.com. FREE ONLINE TOURISM DIRECTORY Tain & District Development have been Trust

successfully awarded a Digital Enablement Grant from HIE, enabling us to design and develop brilliant digital platforms and strategies to enhance our area’s new destination tourism brand, the Easter Ross Peninsula - a haven for explorers! As part of this, a new tourism website is currently under construction and due to be launched this spring - www. easterrosspeninsula.com. Ahead of this exciting launch - we are inviting local businesses to become members of an online directory to be featured

on the new website. We are offering this to accommodation providers, hospitality businesses, attractions, retailers and activity-based businesses. Directory listings help to gain exposure for your business and are a useful medium for generating leads indirect referrals from a tourism website. Promotion on the Easter Ross Peninsula website directory will be targeted, timely and very costeffective. We can even help you with content and keywords to help grab the attention of traffic visiting the site or using search engines, like Google, for holiday ideas. Whilst being mindful of current COVID-19 restrictions, our aim is to position ourselves to reach both a domestic and international market through targeted filmography, organic and paid social media and using other promotional collateral. Join us in being part of something bigger! Contact Nickey at TDDT for a membership form Nickey@tainddtrust.com.

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TAIN COMMUNITY

TAIN COMMUNITY COUNCIL MINUTES Minutes of the virtual meeting of the Community Council of the Royal Burgh of Tain, held on Monday 25 January 2021 at 7.30pm. Present: Mr N Munro (Chair) Mr G Amos (Vice Chair) Mr N Akeroyd Mr D Macrae Mr G Holdsworth Mr A Mohan Ms S Smith Mr Louden (Councillor) Mr Rhind (Councillor) POLICE REPORT The Police report was circulated earlier to CC members. Noted that vandalism/drug incidences are up. Noted that there are COVID items now. MATTERS ARISING Item 3.7 Planning – 7 Lamington Street, the site is going to be converted into 2 shops. There is an issue with the window materials, and the person is waiting for planning permission to come through. Item 3.8 reduced speed signs – it was noted that the 50 mph speed signs on the A9 are now enforced. Mr Rhind indicated that there should be uniformity of signs, and is going to raise this with Transport Scotland. YOUTH ISSUES It was noted that Mr Park/ Nicola are checking up on the safety of youths as many wine bottles have been found lying around. Mr Macrae note the biggest concern for youths is their mental health.

TAIN & DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT TRUST (TDDT)

were terrible outside Harry Gow’s, Ross Street, and Quebec Avenue.

Mr Munro apologised for not attending the recent TDDT meeting. Mr Macrae reported that he has set up a meeting with local CC and voluntary groups – it was agreed to meet every 2 weeks. The Tourism Sub-Group have named the area the Easter Ross peninsular. Fortnightly leaflets will be distributed to folks around the Burgh – with a view to neighbours checking on neighbours. It was agreed to put in the leaflets that it is volunteers distributing them.

COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITY

HIGHLAND COUNCILLOR’S REPORT Mr Louden reported that the East Ross Area Committee has given funding from the Town Centre Improvements grant for the Rose Garden for an upgrade and renovation of the toilets, CCTV, and upgrade of the paths and drainage. The Crown Estate fund is drawing in bids. Still water problems at Knockbreck – Scottish Water will host a meeting of interested parties. Mr Amos to attend the meeting and Mr Macrae as his role in TDDT. Mr Louden would welcome the involvement of the CC. Mr Rhind reported that the gully emptier is based in Tain at the moment. Junctions are in a bad state of repair with potholes. It was thought there would be more gritting, but it is understand there is no extra resources to carry out this work. Ms Snith indicated that the drains

Mr Munro reported that the subject of having a community allotment in Tain has come up again. Various potential locations were discussed as well as the drawbacks from the last time this matter was tried to be progressed. CHAIR’S REPORT Mr Munro reported that he spoke to Transport Scotland re the 50 mph speed limit. It was noted that the condition of part of Scotsburn Road/Moss Road/Camore Way is woeful. Thanks were given to HC staff for the gritting as they are doing a good job. The Christmas lights can not come down at the moment due to COVID restrictions. VICE-CHAIR’S REPORT Mr Amos reported that the bench under the Clock Tower is in poor condition. 2 benches need made for the Old Cemetery and he is going to source the wood. FINANCE AND TREASURER’S REPORT Mr Macrae read out the balances of the account. It was noted that it was doubtful that there would be a Senior Citizen’s Party this year. UNEXHAUSTED REMITS No reports on any of the items except Website and the 3 – 18 campus – Mr

Louden is trying to get information from Officer’s of HC on what is happening. It was noted that there are no stakeholders meetings at present. It was further noted that at the Audit & Scrutiny Committee that a number of capital projects are clipping including the 3-18 Campus. Website – it was noted that the Chairperson’s remarks on the opening page are out of date. Mr Munro to provide the text to Mr Holdsworth for putting on. ANY OTHER BUSINESS Consultation on the Conservation Area in Tain – Mr Louden encouraged the CC to get involved in the process as the last one was 45 years ago. Mr Louden declared an interest in this item. Scaffolding at the Mansfield Estate. There is scaffolding up on some houses but HC were not replacing the guttering. Mr Louden is still waiting for answers from HC. Town Centre Improvement Fund. Mr Macrae asked about the improvements for King Street car park. Mr Louden indicated that this project had not been progressed as yet due to COVID and problems with staff. However, funding was still available until August 2021. The meeting ended at 21:00 The date of the next meeting is Monday February 2021 at 22:00.

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TAIN COMMUNITY

LOCAL NEWS & NOTES TAIN AND DISTRICT BRANCH CATS PROTECTION - 21ST ANNIVERSARY - 22 MAY 2000/22 MAY 2021 By Jean Jardine As this year is the 21st Anniversary of the formation of our Branch, we wondered what we could do to celebrate. We have decided to produce a Summer Cookery Book, with hopefully, some favourite recipes from yourselves. The recipes we would like to include are: Summer recipes for: Soups: Salads: Finger Food: Puddings: BBQ: Punches - either alcoholic or non alcoholic. With perhaps lockdown easing, we all may be able to have some summer get togethers and it would be lovely to have a Summer Cookery Book to consult, containing new and exciting recipes. We would be delighted, therefore, to receive recipes from you by 21 March 2021. This will give us time to have it collated and printed by the date of our Anniversary. All recipes chosen to be included in the Cookery Book, will include the name of the person who has contributed.

Cookery Book. The design would need to include “Tain & District Branch Cats Protection and 21st Anniversary 2000-2021” on the front page. It could be cat related or in fact just a lovely design. The winners of the best two designs will receive a prize. COUNCILLORS DEMAND BETTER RESOURCES TO TACKLE POTHOLES The rapid deterioration of roads across Easter Ross has left councillors calling for a better deal for some of its worst hit areas - as road users grow impatient waiting on the Highland Council carrying out necessary repairs. Easter Ross, which represents 23% of the road length in the former Ross and Cromarty area, attributes 70% of its capital roads budget on improvement of roads but it is the increasing opinion among councillors that the area is not getting the share it needs to bring roads up to the standard of the rest of the Highlands.

FOR

Councillor Fiona Robertson is the chair of the Easter Ross area committee - and she now awaits a meeting with council leader Margaret Davidson on what can be done to expand resources relating to staff, plant and investment in Easter Ross roads.

At the same time, we would love to include children in the making of this book. We would like to ask them to design a front and back cover for the

Speaking in February, she said, “Our understanding is that our roads are much worse than anywhere else and this wasn’t based on paranoia or exaggeration. We felt that we don’t

COMPETITION CHILDREN

get the service that we deserve. Our roads are in a far worse condition.” Councillor Alastair Rhind said: “I am so, so disappointed in the situation of our roads. The councillors are the ones who are getting the blame for potholes on social media. And I don’t see it as my fault really because we are reporting them to the council all the time and then they come out with a wee drop of wet tar put in it and the pothole is back in a few days.” Councillor Derek Louden also made comment on the Facebook Tain Community page in February, saying; “At the end of the day this is my fault as a Councillor. We vote through the budget. If it doesn’t have enough money for the roads team then they can’t do the work. We can and we must and we will do better than this.” Mr Louden also shared a link to the Highland Council’s Roadside problems page, where potholes, damage to road markings, pavements, drainage, bus shelters etc can be reported. The link also contains information on claims which can be made for damage to vehicles as a result of potholes. The link can be visited below: h t t p s : / / w w w . highland.gov.uk/ info/20005/roads_and_ pavements/96/roadside_ problems But Iain Moncrieff, Roads operational manager, defended the council’s

approach, saying: “I would suggest that ward five (Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh) has the worst roads, in terms of the cost to repair them, than any other area or road in Ross and Cromarty. I appreciate you have less men, less plant, less money – there isn’t a Tain and Easter Ross budget, it is all Ross and Cromarty budget. “Each year I come along and I explain how I set out my budget and it is based on the road length – every single councillor wants a different percentage, a higher percentage of the capital budget.” TAIN AND FEARN AREA MEDICAL PRACTICE As shared on Facebook: We have almost finished phoning all our 65-69 year old patients and are currently phoning patients in the At Risk (cohort 6) category to book appointments for the Coronavirus vaccination. Please do not phone us about an appointment, we will get to everyone but there is a very long list ! Our number may show up as “withheld” or an “0800” number or even a “89****” style number. Please try and answer this call so we can make an appointment for you. If you are over 65 and have not yet received a phonecall from us please get in touch with the reception staff as we do have a small number of patients that we have been unable to reach by phone and have sent letters to.

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TAIN COMMUNITY

VIOLENT INCIDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES WILL NOT BE TOLERATED

We can all make mistakes and find ourselves in desperate moments in life. This might end up in breaking the law and getting into minor trouble. We often learn most by our mistakes and the criminal justice system is there to assist in that learning through consequences such as fines or community payback. There is also support for those who have strayed into criminality in the form of selfhelp classes, Social Work or Health service support mechanisms and other

community groups. Most of us have made mistakes as we grew and made our way in life but there is never any excuse for attacking another person with the intent to injure them or humiliate them. We are fortunate in that we do not experience these types of incidents too often in the Highlands but when they do happen they rightly cause concern in the neighbourhood where the incident has occurred and indeed the wider community. We recently had a very worrying incident in Tain

where an individual was subjected to what can only be described as a horrific and prolonged attack. It is only by good fortune that they were not more seriously injured and are thankfully now making a good recovery. The perpetrators of the attack were swiftly arrested and are now caught in the wheels of justice which, in my experience, eventually catches up with all of those who choose to ignore the law and blight our communities. Those in the part of Tain affected by the incident will have noted an increased presence of both local officers and some of our Operational Support Unit officers who are trained in public order tactics and enforcement. They have been on foot patrol in the area providing reassurance and talking to residents about any issues which they are having which can be linked to individuals or households where disorder or anti-social behaviour is prevalent. Police Scotland works closely with

partners including Highland Council and housing agencies to deal robustly with problem tenants. Operation Notebook sees individuals who are causing problems receive various levels of warnings about their unacceptable behaviour. This can eventually lead to eviction as well as prosecution should they persist with their antics. This process relies on information from those affected by problem neighbours and there are various ways these issues can be reported such as to police or your housing provider. We also welcome third party reporting by you on behalf of a relative or friend who may not be confident to speak directly about their situation. Please don’t suffer anti-social behaviour in your community, we are here to help you and will deal robustly with individuals who bring misery to those they live alongside. Inspector James Rice Police Scotland

FIVE STEPS TO MENTAL WELLBEING OVERVIEW Evidence suggests there are five steps we can all take to improve our mental wellbeing. If you give them a try, you may feel happier, more positive and able to get the most from life. Below are five things that, according to research, can really help to boost our mental wellbeing: CONNECT – connect with the people around you: your family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Spend time developing these relationships. BE ACTIVE – you don’t have to go to

the gym. Take a walk, go cycling or play a game of football. Find an activity that you enjoy and make it a part of your life.

mental wellbeing and help you build new social networks.

KEEP LEARNING – learning new skills can give you a sense of achievement and a new confidence. So why not sign up for that cooking course, start learning to play a musical instrument, or figure out how to fix your bike?

BE MINDFUL – be more aware of the present moment, including your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you. Some people call this awareness “mindfulness”. It can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges.

GIVE TO OTHERS – even the smallest act can count, whether it’s a smile, a thank you or a kind word. Larger acts, such as volunteering at your local community centre, can improve your

Find out more at: https://www. nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/ mental-wellbeing/five-steps-to-mentalwellbeing#mindfulness-for-mentalwellbeing

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NOSTALGIA WITH ALEX GRAHAM

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ANKERVILLE HOUSE NURSERY

At Ankerville House Nursery, the children have settled well back into nursery life. There has been lots of shared stories from their time at home with their families whilst they have been building, being creative with arts and crafts and lots of outdoor play to exercise their gross motor skills and soak up some of the sunshine we have seen this week. Ankerville Nursery enrolment is taking place now for spaces for August 2021.

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TELLY STAR HARPER

TELLY STAR HARPER ON TAIN MUSEUM: NEW CBEEBIES SHOW FRENCH PRIVATEER IN THE CROMARTY FIRTH

Four year old Harper did Tain proud in February when she made her first ever TV appearance on the new CBeebies show, Ferne and Rory’s Teeny Tiny Creatures. Harper’s appearance was several months in the making, as her mum Fiona explains, “On 12th July last year we were given a phone call from Performers UK in Inverness letting us know that CBeebies had been in touch looking for families to take part in a new show they were doing, and that they would like to put our family forward. We said yes immediately because we all love to perform so it sounded perfect. What made it even more special was it was the morning of Harper’s 4th birthday!” All that was left to do was for Harper to put together an audition tape - with the help of her family. “We had to send off some audition footage of Harper asking questions and of us doing a funny dance - that

was the part Akheera and I were not so keen on!” “They got back a few weeks later saying they loved Harper’s audition and wanted to offer her a place. We were given questions for Harper to ask and we filmed it at the pink house at Evanton and up Tain Hill in the woods. We wanted to show off our beautiful scenery but it didn’t feel right not incorporating Tain in it somewhere. We all agreed that even if she didn’t get in we still had such a great time filming.” Her audition tape was a big success and the new episode, which aired this past month on CBeebies, was all about butterflies. After the airing, Harper received rave reviews for her big screen debut! “Harper is extremely expressive and we laughed so much as she gave it ‘laldy’ with some of her answers” Mum Fiona said. “My phone was full of bloopers!”

An intriguing letter from our collection was sent to David Ross of Balnagown at midnight on the 23rd of March 1709. During one of the worst winters for generations, and with most of Europe at war, a French Privateer seems to have entered the Cromarty Firth with a captured “Queen’s ship”. The Earl of Cromarty’s men have driven it from its anchorage, attacking the Privateer with their “canons styled in the Ness.” The guard on the Nigg side, expecting an attack, send this urgent letter to Balnagown asking for help and for him to send his “canon & blew guns with all the ammunition you can spare.” Rt. Hon., No doubt your Honour has heard that Cromarty with the canons styled in the Ness there has forced the privateer seized be the French Captain & the Brigandine to cut their cables & leave two of their anchors in the road which he’s driven him towards the sands, and since he wants provisions necessity will oblige him to land on this side. Therefor it’s expected & entreated you will send all the assistance you can to this parish specially your canon & blew guns with all the ammunition you can spare. You have been still friendly to this parish, & now when they are in the greatest danger, you will not be wanting. Cromarty has largely bestowed in defending the other side,

expect you will not be short of him in your duty to the government. David Ross, George Fraser, Andrew Gair, Hu Gair, John Morison, G. Munro, A. Gair From the guard at Williamsbrugh the 23rd March be twelve at night 1709. I have tried to research the incident to add more to the story but it was beyond my amateur attempts, the only other reference I could find was an entry in the Elgin Council from two days before the letter was sent, and it just adds to the mystery. It seems that, earlier, the French Privateer had pressganged ten men from Cromarty or perhaps a Cromarty Ship. March 21st 1709. The Council appoints the Treasurer to give a crown to ten distressed seamen lately taken at Cromarty by a French privateer. The guards at Williamsburgh seem to have had second thoughts about disturbing the Laird at such a late hour, adding this apology to the side letter; “If the bearer comes to you unseasonable or anyways rude you will excuse him the importance of the business … cause your officer goes through this parish & obliges him to meet here at 10 o’clock tomorrow since an advertisement from your honour/will be at more weight then you should send any hour in the day.”

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MESSAGE FROM CLLR. DEREK LOUDEN

My usual monthly surgery is cancelled at present. Please feel free to contact me at any time on: 01862892734 07876774412 Or via email at LoudenDW@aol.com Happy to help any local resident with any problem at any time. Anyone can phone at any time with any request.

CONTACT TDPP Do you have an article or photos you’d like us to print? Please email:

info@tainpost.co.uk or call 01862 857366

ANDREW VASS

ANDREW VASS GREAT FIGURES FROM HISTORY AND THEIR FAMOUS WORDS Professor Jean-Pierre Isbouts is a distinguished Biblical historian who features prominently in the Great Courses series on the Bible. I was fascinated enough by him to study his angle on some of the great figures of history and the prayers they produced. I began by seeing Jesus Christ through Isbouts’ lens. Jean- Pierre Isbouts sees Jesus as trying to speak to the problems of his time- a time when the fertile lands of Galilee were suddenly taxed massively as Herod attempted to live like a Roman ruler, and have lavish palaces and grand urban schemes. The take-home message is don’t roundly condemn those who are the victims of social, political, and economic forces. In Jesus’ day many small farmers had been reduced to labourers or shepherds, had become disrespectable, and may even have had to sell children into slavery. Jesus’ message was ‘blessed are the poor’ and ‘blessed are the poor in spirit’- which in this context I suppose, meant being humbly noncondemning of others. Some of these themes come through in the famous Lord’s Prayerwhich Jesus taught his disciples. It began

with the ‘Our Father’. The words suggest familiarity, and affection. Why not translate them as; Our ‘daddy’ who art in heaven, hallowed be your name? Some other words from that prayer remind one of the historical contexts; ‘forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors’. Surely these words reminded contemporaries of Jesus, of their need to be considerate towards people who had been victims of the huge forces which had ripped up the fabric of Galilean society. It also suggests to us that the role-model of ‘a true Christ disciple’ was the woman who poured oil on Jesus’ feet when he was eating with Pharisees. He had said of her; ‘She loves much, because she has been forgiven much.’ After his famous Sermon on the Mount’ Jesus sent people out to take his messages through the region. Given that context, what might the first messages have been like? Were they messages of blessings on all who seemed to be doing the work of the Kingdom? Let us imagine two of Jesus’ messengers as they discussed the message on a boat on the Sea of Galilee. It is now two years since

you attended ‘the Sermon on the Mount’ and heard that wonderful speaker. You are in a boat with ten others traversing the Sea of Galilee so you can take the message to the south side. A friend sitting beside you wants to discuss the Master’s thoughts. ‘He was right’ your friend says; ‘We are too divided, too inclined to disapprove of those who fail’. ‘But surely we must not encourage laziness’ another voice replies. ‘That’s true,’ your friend continues, ‘but at this time of Roman occupation taxes have increased massively and many small farmers have had no choice but to drop out, become labourers, or shepherds and sell their children into slavery. It’s like they become conflicted inside. One inner part says ‘I couldn’t possibly be so bad’, but another part says; ‘I have no choice’. ‘They have been caught up in massive social change and deserve compassion’. ‘But what about the traditional wisdom which tells us that people are born with defects such as blindness as a punishment for the sins of their parents?’ ‘The causes of physical defects and of demon possession are complex. All of us sin, and God uses such frailties to show the great works He

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ANDREW VASS

alone can do for us.’ You suddenly notice a great wind blowing heavy waves against your large boat. You hold tight onto your seat as the boat rocks. ‘Yes, there are so many storms in life’ your friend shouts, trying to make himself heard, ‘but Jesus calmed one storm, and by calming one storm he showed that all storms can be becalmed. You just need faith, even a faith that is no bigger than a mustard seed.’ The wind and rain draw you all into silence, as head bowed to deflect the rain, you sense your boat is turned a little so it sails with the wind. As the boat dips in the raging waters waves sweep into the boat. You are soon busy bailing the water out, keeping just one thought in your mind as you struggle through that rainy day. ‘He stilled the storms.’ Do theologians obscure the wisdom messages of Jesus? When theology is devoid of connection to psychology, political theory and history, then it may indeed confuse. And we have to ask ourselves; ‘can we get closer to the original message, and thus make sense of the theological choices which have proliferated over many centuries?’ Having been on the shores of Galilee with Jesus, I was then intrigued to join Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms on April 17th1551. It was an unusually cold and rainy day, and perhaps Luther’s long journey weakened him. The

next day, his first in front of prosecutors, his nerves failed him. This failure could have been fatal. The German lords wanted a man who was the right one to challenge the decadent Medici popes. But if this was not the right man, they could ill afford to ‘bark up the wrong gum tree’ with the wrong man, and so Luther would have had to go the way of John Hus, who was found guilty of heresy and then had his safe conduct agreement annulled- as befitted a heretic! Luckily for Luther, the next day, he did better. He came out fighting; ‘……...my conscience is captive to the word of God’ he said. Now the tables turned. The emperor who depended on support from his German princes found it best to prevaricate. Then, on the doors all over Worms, posters of clogs, symbols denoting the threat of peasant rebellion, appeared. Luther was at least allowed to leave, although not exonerated. But why had Luther been so unnerved on his first day? The problem is probably common to us all. We keep thinking that we will get enlightened thoughts just as needed, which will sublimely help us face every difficulty. Luther learned that we don’t. He expressed this lesson in song and so, a long line of hymns exemplified by ‘Ein Feste Burg’ (A Mighty Fortress) was born. Its secret is its upbeat, almost martial rhythm and jaunty style. It would be sung in the streets, sung by Protestant emigres on their way to exile, sung

SUBMIT AN ARTICLE OR PHOTOGRAPHS BY EMAIL info@tainpost.co.uk BY POST 5B Ross Street, Tain, IV19 1BA by martyrs at their death, and sung by soldiers going into battle. But is Isbouts right to consider it a prayer? Is it even contemplative? Here again are its key words. A might fortress is our God, A sword and victorious,

shield

He breaks the cruel oppressor’s rod And wins glorious.

salvation

In my view, inspired words or inspired prayer don’t always pop up so just being close to God with a powerful phrase is a way of being satiated, and Isbouts is right. It’s a form of contemplative prayer. Next, I go with Isbouts to an even bleaker theatre of death-to the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944. This was Hitler’s masterly counter attack which came so close to driving the Americans out of the war. At a key moment of the battle, General Patton called for his chief chaplain James O’Neill to publish a prayer for good weather to be sent to 250,000 men immediately. Patton explained his request; ‘Between a plan and the operation, there is always the unknown’

he said. ‘That unknown spells defeat or victory, success or failure… God has his part or margin in everything. That’s where prayer comes in.’ Patton sent the message; ‘I would call on the chaplains and men of the Third United States Army to focus their attention on the importance of prayer. Pray everywhere. Pray while driving. Pray when fighting. And especially pray for good weather.’ And so, we come to the miracle of Bastogne. The soldiers huddling in foxholes there, suddenly saw sun break through, ending the persistent bad weather which had made it impossible for Patton’s army to come to their defence. The siege of Bastogne was lifted. It was an incredible moment for the Americans because one out of ten U.S. combat casualties in World War II had taken place in the Ardennes. There were so many heroes of that defensive action, but one in particular was not forgotten. ‘That O’Neill sure did some potent praying’ Patton had said. ’Get him up here. I want to pin a medal on him. Like O’Neill, we may be wise to occasionally pray for fair weather for our battles. For religion has been made for man, not man for religion.

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TAIN & DISTRICT MUSEUM

‘NESSIE’ HEADS TO INVERGORDON AN ANECDOTE FROM THE LATE ROSEMARY MACKENZIE...

During September of 1898, several newspapers ran articles on a strange ‘Sea Serpent’, seen in the Cromarty Firth. The beastie was first spotted by a few men that were sitting on Cromarty pier, around 10am on Sunday the 28th. At first, they assumed it was a whale but soon realised there was something very strange in the water. John Ross, one of the witnesses described the creature to a reporter as being, greenish, with a flat head about a yard long that rose almost two feet out of the water, swaying from side to side as it swam. He thought that it had a large body under the water, as it was followed by a long line of foam. The men watched it splash around for over ten minutes before it disappeared up the firth. If that was all that was seen of the ‘serpent’, the story is very unlikely to have made the newspapers, but the mysterious creature was seen later that day in Invergordon. Here, it swam around for over two hours and was witnessed by a crowd of almost two hundred people. At one point coming so close to the shore that,

“Mr Macandie, Ship Hotel, touched it with his umbrella.” George Urquhart one of the first on the scene made the following statement; “When I ran down the beach I saw a large fish approach the shore over a sandbank. I calculate that it was 25ft long. The head was broad and flat like that of a halibut. It did not rise above the water at first. I saw it approach within one yard of me. I then observed that it had two large fins below the head just where the body seemed to be round. One of the fins was suddenly lifted out of the water. It was green and, I think, hairy. I stepped back. David Mackenzie had a dog with him, and he picked it up in his arms and ran up the beach shouting, ‘It’s a speerit, it’s a speerit.’ It was in the shallow water, and I saw parts of the long body rising out of the water in loops or curves about three or four feet apart.” Another witness was Mr Macleod. He saw the serpent distinctly, about eight o’clock. He calculated it was about thirty feet in length, and seven or eight feet round the body at its thickest part. It resembled a huge eel, only the head was broad and flat.

Mr Macleod made a sketch of the monster. He ran up to his shop and got a rope, to which he attached large hooks. He wanted to catch it. But no one would go out in a boat. With six signed statements the reporter was in no doubt that, “Invergordon was treated to a sight of something out of the ordinary.” But, wondered why no one had tried to catch it, or, “Why was a bullet not put through that flat, imprudently obtrusive head?”. Ouch!

In the 1970s a very hip young couple, with long hair etc. came to the museum from New York looking for a “Donald Ross”. They had no idea of his dates, what he did or if he even came from Easter-Ross. We tried to explain how impossible it was, without at least some clues - and the girl turned to the young man and said “What we really need is a Gynaecologist!”

TRA DRAMA - IN COLOUR A colourised photograph of the cast of a Tain Royal Academy production of “Princess Chrysanthemum”. Can you help put names to any of these young faces? Email info@tainpost.co.uk

TAIN

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TAIN & DISTRICT MEDICAL GROUP

OLD FILE

OLD FILE: TAIN RIFLE CLUB

COVID-19 VACCINE Tain & District Medical Group - GP practices are busy with Covid-19 vaccines at the time of writing this column. We are working through the priority groups in the order instructed and you will hear from your practice when it is your turn to be vaccinated. We are so grateful for everyone’s patience during this process. The uptake has been very good so far, which is great news.

Tain Rifle & Pistol Club, circa. 1990? - Charles Kennedy presenting Jim Jardine with the Police Pistol Shield, George Adamson in the background.

ST. DUTHUS FC - FIVE YEARS AGO

Here is a good link with information about the vaccine https:// www.nhsinform.scot/ covid-19-vaccine https://www. nhsinform.scot/ covid-19-vaccine/ invitations-andappointments/whowill-be-offered-thecoronavirus-vaccine www.facebook.com/ TainDoctors Tain & District Medical Group

Supporters of St. Duthus Football Club would usually be looking forward to attending the club’s annual Sportsman’s Dinner around about this time of year. As a key part of their fundraising efforts throughout the year, the club expects to be add the event back to its social calendar once restrictions have been lifted. Pictured above are the club committee attending their first annual Sportsman’s Dinner at the Royal Hotel back in February 2016. BACK ROW: Alan Forsyth, Ian Christie, James Rice, Tristan Hopkins, Daniel Cormack FRONT ROW: Andrew Ross, Mitchell Gibb (guest), Niall Harkiss, Craig Brown (guest), Stuart Ross

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FIELD CLUB / GARDENERS’ CLUB

GARDENERS’ CLUB / FIELD CLUB

WINTER ACONITE

Although it is only a week since the snow began to clear in our gardens plants are rapidly moving into spring mode. Shrubs such as hazel, willow and alder have catkins which are turning yellow with pollen and where there are bulbs planted green shoots pushing through and getting noticeably longer every day. Winter aconite and snowdrops which we mentioned in February have come out of the snow in full flower and in the last couple of days they have been joined by crocuses. Birds are also feeling the spring in their wings. Rooks are repairing their nests in trees around the town and the male house sparrows at our bird bath have started displaying. I have seen my first frog of the year but have yet to see frog spawn at the time of writing (25th February). It is not just in the daytime that spring is obvious. On a warm spring evening go for a walk in any of the wooded parts of the county just after dusk (or before dawn) and you will hear the “oooh– oh– hoohooow” of the tawny owl (one of those sounds so characteristic that everyone will recognize it but it is

SNOWDROP (BACK) & CROCUSES (FOREGROUND)

almost impossible to write down in any meaningful way!). This we think of as territorial display, but it is also a contact call between a pair. Despite the common misperception the tawny owl hoot can be given by both sexes. At this time of year when these normally solitary birds are paired if you listen carefully you will often hear the hoot followed by a much fainter “ke-wick” reply by its mate.

In an open birch wood a hoot will often solicit this reply but also stimulate the owls in surrounding territories to hoot and a network of hoots will ripple out through the wood. At the time that tawny owls are calling you might well see bats out looking for a snack of insects to help them recover from a long winter. Heather & David McAllister

BITESIZE GAELIC FOR NEW PARENTS CRIOMAGAN GÀIDHLIG WITH EOINA RODGERS

A WEEKLY ONLINE GET-TOGETHER FOR NEW PARENTS WHO WANT TO GET A WEE TASTE OF GAELIC.

IAIN SMITH (1968-2021)

St. Duthus Football Club remembered one of its longest serving players - Iain Smith - who sadly passed away in February. In a post on their Facebook page, they wrote: “It is with sadness that we learned that former Tain St. Duthus defender, Iain “Smithy” Smith, passed away this week aged 52. Iain played for the club for several years between the 1990s and 2000s and will be remembered by many connected with the club. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends at this time.” The post was acknowledged by many who shared comment, including the following from; Ian Finlayson - “Had the privilege of knowing Iain for a number of years when I chaired Tain FC a true gentleman taken far to young , condolences to the family. RIP Smithy”

JOIN US ON TUESDAYS FROM THE 9TH MARCH AT 10:30-11:30 OR 19:00-20:00.

Hugh Taylor - “Very sorry to hear the sad news of a very talented and determined footballer I had the pleasure of managing at Tain St Duthus and very popular off and on the pitch, taken far to soon my friend.”

FOR FURTHER INFO ON HOW TO JOIN IN, CONTACT: margaret.mulholland@highland.gov.uk

Fiona Sutherland - “Also a much respected work colleague of many of us. Thoughts are with his family and friends. RIP Smithy.”

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MARK JANES - THROUGH THE LENS

ISSUE #38

THREE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD SHOOT ON “AUTO” When I teach my photography classes, a lot of participants want to learn how to move on from the “Auto” setting on their cameras, and to shoot in “Manual”. This is a good thing to aspire to, and there are many creative effects that can really make your photos stand out, that can only be achieved by taking some level of control over your camera settings. An example would be the soft, blurry background that makes many photos “pop”, and can be achieved by using a large aperture. But there are times when “Auto” is your best friend! Whether you shoot with an advanced DSLR, or just with the phone that’s always in your pocket, your camera is basically a set of tools for capturing moments in your life and realising your creative vision. One of those tools is the “Auto” setting. So, here are three situations when shooting on Auto may be your best choice: FLEETING MOMENTS Auto is sometimes thought of as “Point and Shoot” mode, and that’s where its strength lies. If you’re at an event, or taking photos of family, or just capturing life’s moments in the street, the ability to raise your camera to your eye and just press the button can be critical. Having to think about and adjust the various settings on the camera takes precious seconds, and the moment you’ve seen can be easily lost. An experienced professional can achieve this speed with a manual

THROUGH THE LENS MARK JANES camera, but it takes years of practice to acquire the skill. FAST-MOVING ACTION Children, animals, sport and wildlife; all these subjects can involve fast and unpredictable movement. Camera autofocus systems, while once clunky and slow, are getting better and better. Even professional sports and wildlife photographers make use of advanced

auto-focus systems to capture images that would be practically impossible if shooting manually. WHEN YOU DON’T WANT TO SLOW OTHER PEOPLE DOWN I’m sure many of us have experienced the “photography bore” who insists on stopping every couple of minutes while on holiday or out on a family walk, to take a photo. The photo is framed and

composed, settings are adjusted – then re-adjusted, and finally the shutter is pressed. Maybe you are that person! I know I’ve been guilty of it many times. Sometimes the pressure of keeping up means you don’t put enough thought into the camera settings and you end up with disappointing results. Here “Auto” is your friend. Raise the camera, frame the shot, press the shutter and move on. In most cases, you’ll end up

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MARK JANES - THROUGH THE LENS

with at least a passable result. Cameras are getting smarter with each generation. Many now have face-detection to automatically focus on people in the shot. Artificial intelligence is also becoming common, in which the camera can actually detect the kind of scene you are photographing, and set the controls for the best possible shot. We’re not quite at the point where the camera will compose the photo for you, but I’m sure that can’t be too far away. Don’t get me wrong; understanding your camera’s controls and the effect they have on your

pictures is still fundamental to you becoming a better photographer. But never right off the “Auto” setting as just for beginners! Next month we’ll take a look at something I’ve mentioned quite a bit in this article; focussing and how to nail those pin-sharp pictures. Did you like this article? Why not email me and let me know what you’d like to see covered in future issues. markjanesphotographer @gmail.com. On page 20 - “The Teapot Seller - Shooting on Auto allowed this candid moment to be caught in very low light with reasonable quality.” Above - “Laundry Day In the Desert - Continuous shooting on Auto caught the moment when this desert nomad looked round and made eye-contact with the camera.”

THE MURKY WASTELANDS OF MY MEMORY

PATRICK VICKERY

Invergordon was the location of a curiously bizarre episode in the early 1990s that involved a road sign. Quite coincidentally I was also involved in another unusual episode some weeks prior to this in Dingwall that involved a lamp post: I was ambling along the pavement in Dingwall, admiring the shrubs in Pefferside Park - Buddleia, Jasmine, Philadelphus, that kind of thing - when a lamp post hit me on the side of the head. Not the sort of thing that you expect to happen and comparable, in fact, to a similar incident in Invergordon some weeks later that involved a young lady called Cassandra.

Coming Traffic’. She didn’t see it, you see, despite the fact that she was looking straight ahead at the time. What do you say when you witness something like that? “Are you alright” is a bit lame, a bit weak, particularly when the poor woman is holding her face and making unnatural moaning noises. So I said nothing. I pretended not to see it. Didn’t want to embarrass her. Instead I admired the distant Oil Rigs in the Cromarty Firth as she lay dazed and horizontal on the grass beside me. This was a bad choice, an error of judgment now shamefully confined to the murky wastelands of my memory. She was not best pleased.

Cassandra was sauntering along the roadside verge without a care in the world when she was hit full in the face by a road sign, dented it, too, and even today the imprint of her face (main features only – nose, chin and forehead) are clearly visible beneath the words ‘Please Give Way To On-

The final outcome to this sorry saga, if I remember correctly, involved dented pride, dented road sign and no life threatening injuries to speak of, but deep within my auditory psyche I can still hear the sound of Cassandra connecting with metal – a ringing, tinging sort of noise.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Oh, Saturday night dances in the Town Hall. Good to see Ross Macleod’s name there. I always had to watch what I was up to. Could feel his eyes on my neck, so had to behave myself bring his daughter. They were great nights. Always remember Lulu. These nights never really seen nowadays, mind being 70+ my days are past! But I have great memories of Tain bygones. I enjoy the Tain Post, and as for Coronation Park, gosh the things we forget! I am certainly interested in the old Picture House - I can still picture it inside. Those were the days when my friend Norma Sutherland and I were upstairs smoking, Donahue was up there too - and next day he informed my mother who worked in Smarts paper shop, “Saw your daughter smoking in the Picture House last night!” - nothing was sacred in Tain. Everyone knew everyone. Even the police knew me! Not that I was up to anything - they knew who my Dad was. There goes the saying “I know who your Dad is”! Everyone take care, Liz Craig.

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MISC NOTICES

MISC NOTICES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

DISCOVERING THE PICTS Professor Gordon Noble will be holding a zoom talk on the Picts on the 24th March for History Scotland magazine. The talk is open to all. There is a £10 fee, but a portion of the ticket sales (as well as Professor Noble’s speaker fee) will be donated to the Tarbat Discovery Centre in Portmahomack.

ST DUTHUS BOWLING CLUB To all members of St Duthus Bowling Club Tain. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions the committee has decided to postpone the AGM until restrictions are lifted enough to have a face to face meeting. The present committee members are willing to stay in their posts until at least that meeting time. Letters by post will be sent out as well as this notification to ensure that all members know the situation. Here’s hoping that we not only can hold the meeting but we may be able to return to some sort of bowling activity. Stay safe and stay healthy, Wilson Corbett President

ANNOUNCEMENTS You can share an anniversary, birthday or message of well wishes in the Picture Post, with or without a photograph - free of charge. Get in touch via email to info@tainpost.co.uk or post to 5B Ross Street, Tain, IV19 1BA

Those interested can sign up by visiitng the link below, to support this good cause and hear about the latest developments in the Northern Picts and Comparative Kingship projects. https://www.facebook.com/ groups/NorthernPicts/ permalink/3401989446574001

TAIN GALA 500 CLUB The winners of Tain Gala Association’s February 2021 500 Club Draw are as follows: 1st prize £200 - Wayne Cole 2nd prize £100 - Nikki Cattanach 3rd prize £50 - Edward Quinn 4th prize £50 - Allyce Cash 5th prize £20 - Barbara More 6th prize £20 - Ch. Finlayson 7th prize £20 - Alex. Bannerman 8th prize £20 - John Ross 9th prize £20 - Valerie Harcus Congratulations to all who won this month.

MOONLIGHT How kindly you looked smiling down that night as I walked with my love, bathed in your light, and we, like any lover and his lass swore to be true as long as life would last. She lovelier was than any artist’s dream, her silken hair, bright gilded by your beam, kind, friendly moon, with fingers fairy-light probing the secret places of the night. Casting deep shadows on the forest floor where strange scenes you have lit in days of yore, lighting the crying nightbird’s flight, who seeks his lost mate through the silent night. How softly you caressed the sleeping trees, who answered with a lazy sigh of leaves. How friendly your indulgent smile that night the sheltering shadows cast. How kind your light. But these are dreams, and that of yesteryear, the world was gay, and my true love was here. But now your light is cold. My love is gone. Soul-less is all mankind: I walk alone, just like an empty ghost, a foolish clown. While you unfriendly moon, look laughing down. Adam Holm. (1916 – 1971)

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