Lochaber Life #325 November 2020

At the heart of your community Claggan’s Mini Library Art of Ink

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Thought for the Month

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An t-Samhain

Beatha Lochabair

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November 2020 – Issue 325

Remembering Remembrance Lochaber Life November 2020.indd 1

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Add space and value to your home with a Cairngorm conservatory or sunroom Visit our home improvement showroom and get inspired!

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Beatha Lochabair

contents

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NO SHOW NOVEMBER

Uprising aftermath part 2

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November is usually a busy month as far as community activities go, starting with Guy Fawkes and fireworks displays, Remembrance Sunday on the 11th and St Andrews Day on the 30th, which this year just happens to coincide with a full moon. However, given the present situation with Covid-19, public events of celebration and commemoration are not going to take place. Do still try to mark them in your own way. Looking back, congratulations to competition winner Sandy Watson who correctly guessed the height of the waterfall competition as 15 feet and personal thanks to the lady who collected poppy seed heads from her garden for me after I wrote about not being able to find large old fashioned poppies.

They are planted and ready to grow next year. Have a safe and happy November. Abair Samhain sàbhailte agus sona. Iain

Claggan’s wee library

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Reader’s picture

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West Highland wedding

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Monumental wrap

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Remembering Remembrance

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Recipe

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The Art of Ink

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November tasks

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Community Connections

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Thought for the Month

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15 years ago

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Where in Lochaber?

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Arts of Lochaber

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Let the games begin?

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FRONT PAGE PHOTOGRAPH: Remembrance Sunday at a busy Commando Memorial in 2018.

Photograph: Iain Ferguson, alba.photos

EDITORIAL Iain Ferguson Email: iainpics@ googlemail.com

ADVERTISING Nicky Murphy Email: nmurphy@ wyvexmedia.co.uk

PRODUCTION Kevin McCubbin Email: kmccubbin@ wyvexmedia.co.uk

Published by Wyvex Media Limited, 22 High Street, Fort William, Inverness-shire PH33 6AT Tel: 01397 703003 Website: www.obantimes.co.uk We hope to publish a wide range of interests and opinions. However, our contributors’ views are not necessarily our own. Material in Lochaber Life must not be reproduced without our written consent or that of the copyright owner. A statement of our terms and conditions for accepting advertisements is available on request. Published by Wyvex Media Ltd.

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MILLIE’S CYCLE Iain Ferguson Millie Henderson, aged 14, is in third year at Lochaber High School and lives with her family - Mum Lisa, Dad John, Bethany, Lauren, Thomas and their dog Breagha.

At the end of July she set herself a target of cycling 150kms to raise money for ‘Support In Mind Scotland’, a national charity supporting people with mental health issues which helps her Mum. In her own words: ‘I picked Support in Mind Scotland because they help my Mum who has been diagnosed with a number of conditions which massively impact our family. We plod along and smile our way through the bad days.

‘She used to work in Boots and had a driving licence. She would get the weekly shop and take us on trips to places like Nairn. Then everything changed and she was unable to leave the four walls of our home. She became terrified of everything outside and forgets what she’s been told five minutes previously. Everything needs written down with constant reminders. She has a lot of bad days so seizes the good days when they happen.

‘We don’t go on holidays and we don’t get many trips away as a family, purely because it is

so hard on my Mum. We got our wee dog Breagha in 2018 and she changed my Mum’s life massively and we can now go for a walk as a family, which we never did before.

‘In the hope of raising awareness of mental health, I set up a JustGiving page to raise £500. During August I raisde £1,450, nearly triple what I expected. Not only did I smash the target of £500, but I ended up cycling 364.38 kilometres.

‘Another reason I wanted to do this is because I began to feel really low. I wasn’t my usual self and not as ‘bubbly’ as some would say. I really didn’t enjoy things I loved any more and I just wasn’t happy. I never talked about it and would work and work then crash into breakdown mode and be an emotional wreck for days, then

repeat the process. I kept my stresses and worries to myself, so I wouldn’t be a burden, until one of my friends told me I could open up to them. I now know my friends and family do want to listen and I couldn’t have done all this without my friends, one in particular.

‘The cycle totally benefited my own mental health, as well as raising awareness for others - with more than 4,000 views of the video I made. I also held a raffle and even though times were hard during the pandemic, local businesses and the local community were here to support me and all chipped in. I was so gratefu. Thank you all so much.’ Donations are still welcome through Millie’s Facebook page.

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BONNIE PRINCE GATHERING Part 2 AFTER THE UPRISING

Iain Ferguson As promised, the interview started with Moidart historian Tearlach MacFarlane last month continues…

‘People were stitching pleats of their kilts together to make it qualify as pair of shorts or trousers. It was a terrible, terrible thing.

‘While the power of the clans and their chiefs had been on the wane for some time before the 1745 rising, the aftermath of Culloden and the clearances sped up the disintegration of Highland culture.

After Culloden, the laws were seen as a way of breaking the bonds of clanship. It took away the law of jurisdiction of the chiefs and those left in control of their lands were mostly bankrupt.

‘Change had been happening in the Highlands prior to the ‘45, but slowly. Since then, there have been many changes. The culture and language is only just hanging on. As someone once put it, trying to keep Gaelic culture alive is like being in bed with an elephant!

One of the most important changes that gathered pace after Culloden was the severing of the bond Highlanders felt with the land. The bond with the land was very strong in the Highlands and goes back before the feudal system came to Scotland and the Highlands.

‘But from the Middle Ages onwards, it started to affect chiefs and chieftains who suddenly found themselves, made official on parchment, the owners of ground. Before that no-one owned ground, the ground owned the people.

There was a feeling that people belonged to the ground, not the other way around.

‘When people emigrated or were cleared off the land in the Clearances, it was not just about leaving relatives and friends, it was leaving the land they had been part of for generations and that is not always understood. It remains

important, not just because of the loss of life involved, but because of the loss of a culture and way of life.

Speaking just yards from where ‘The Bonnie Prince’ raised his standard, Tearlach concluded: ’They couldn’t be certain it would fail. It so happens they could have succeeded but spies gave them false information that they were outnumbered and about to be encircled and that was why they retreated. But it wasn’t true and if they had continued I think they could have taken London.

‘It wasn’t impossible for it to work. There are so many ‘ifs’ in history.’

Thanks to Mark Entwistle of the Lochaber Times for sharing this interview.

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CLAGGAN’S FREE LITTLE LIBRARY Concerned that people in Claggan may be finding regular library visits difficult because of Covid-19 restrictions, Residents Association members set up their own free lending service.

With assistance from The Highland Council, a minilibrary was installed in an easy to access location between the bus stop and post box, next to the Spar shop.

Named ‘Our Free Little Library’ people are encouraged to borrow and deposit books of all kinds so that keen readers need never be short of material.

The library is open 24/7

and everyone is welcome to borrow books of their choice.

People have also been generous in donating books

to cover all age ranges and tastes, which also come with instructions on safe Covid handling.

Reader Geoffrey Hewitt writes: A fence wire strainer at the wee green by the obelisk memorial on Union Road. There are several there and a few others in the Highlands. It seems they were made by the Indian metals company Swastik who have the swastika as their company logo. Swastika is a traditional Indian symbol to invite good fortune.

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MONUMENTAL WRAP

Iain Ferguson

Glenfinnan Monument became a swirling mass of colour when a 400 foot crochet scarf was wrapped around it to mark World Alzheimer’s Day and the 40th anniversary of Alzheimer Scotland.

The scarf was sewn together from individual, one foot colourful crochet squares, specially made by people from Skye to Ardnamurchan and as far as Torridon in support of Alzheimer Scotland West Highland.

Lochaber-based Alzheimer Activities Co-ordinator Eleanor Brown said: ‘I’m sure Bonnie Prince Charlie would have approved of this use of his

monument. The idea of the scarf has so many connotations as it brings us together, wraps around us, connects us and brings comfort.

‘More crochet or knitted squares are welcome and there is also a just giving page to fulfil our aim than no-one should face Alzheimer’s alone.’

96 MILE WEDDING AISLE

Iain Ferguson

They had previously cycled the After a trek up the West Highland Way, Tracy Pollington ‘Way’ together and when Andy popped the question a few and her fiance Andy Cuthbert months ago during lockdown became the first couple to ‘tie it seemed only the knot’ at the appropriate to Fort William end join their love for of the 96 mile ‘aisle’.

Not only did the couple look each other with fantastic but they were also the other great The couple love of their lives. were joined by a making history by holding Humanist few friends and the first wedding at this end Celebrant family, ‘Best Maid’ of the West Highland Way Alyson Stewart pet dog Isla and, conducted of course, ‘Sair the ceremony, Feet’ himself. commenting Both from Appin in Argyll, that not only did the couple Tracy and Andy met a few look fantastic but they were the first wedding at this end of years ago through their shared also making history by holding the West Highland Way. interest in walking and cycling.

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REMEMBERING REMEMBRANCE Iain Ferguson At 11am on November 11 1918, the guns fell silent and the First World War was officially over, bringing to an end possibly the most destructive and life destroying acts of violence committed by the human race through their history.

While the lessons of this were clearly not learned by those who can prevent wars, people across the world gather to mark this event and to remember not the battles or ‘victories’, but those who were killed and lives devastated by four years of explosive madness.

Unfortunately this act of remembrance now also includes those who have taken part in the many conflicts which followed ‘The War to End all Wars’.

This year, the world is fighting another war, not against each other but an invisible virus.

While perhaps not as many lives have been lost to this adversary - and hopefully never will - it has wreaked havoc and disruption, a casualty of which is the gathering of large groups in a mark of remembrance.

However, everyone is being urged to stop and stand in silence at 11am on Wednesday November 11 to honour all who gave their lives in pursuit of peace.

What may not be well remembered is that 25 years ago the Lochaber VE Day committee published a booklet ’50 years of Peace’ to mark the end of World War II.

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While the action was precisely summarised in eight of the 12 pages of text, the last four dealt with The War in Lochaber.

It outlines the worries of local people about possible bombing, the establishment of 24 hour lookout posts, air raid sirens in the town and everyone receiving a gas mask, children being given Mickey Mouse ones to make them ‘more fun to wear’.

The ‘Blackout’ was introduced and women and children from Leith were evacuated to the area, sharing homes of local families.

Several attacks were made on the smelter, which provided aluminium needed for aircraft production, but all were unsuccessful despite Nazi propaganda claiming its destruction on many occasions.

The book also features a picture of the famous bomb which broke through the power house roof and failed to explode which was subsequently placed outside the building as a monument.

It also records the presence of many military personnel in the area, the accidental explosion of a Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) in 1943 and the fact that no-one was allowed to cross the Caledonian Canal unless ‘they lived beyond it or had a special pass’.

Virus or people, wars of whatever kind damage all life, so it is surely not too much to ask for a minute out of one day to remember this and perhaps even about how to stop them happening again. 11am, Wednesday November 11 2020 stop and think!

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M&L PAINTERS *A ll types of UPVc work * Exterior Painting * Cladding * Gutterings * Down Pipes * Windows and Eaves * Facias and Soffits Tel 01397 712120 or 0755 311 1093

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• INGREDIENTS • 150g Spicy chorizo 50g Garlic

GRILLED SCALLOPS WITH CHORIZO

BY CHEF CHRISTO ALONSO, NOT JUST DESSERTS

12 King scallops 3 teaspoons olive oil

• METHOD • 1. Chop the garlic and the chorizo and pan fry them until crispy.

2. Put the scallops in a grill pan and keep them there until they turn a lightly golden colour.

3. Mix the garlic and chorizo on the plate and arrange the scallops.

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THE BIKE KITCHEN – BIKES FOR EVERYONE

The Fort William Bike Kitchen is back up and running, and it has a fantastic new base in the Bike Kitchen shed. Richard, our bike mechanic, is busy restoring bikes for the Adopt A Bike project and adding lots more tools to the Bike Tool Library, so we can help you keep your bike in good condition and running smoothly - the tools are free to borrow.

The LEG Bike Library now has five electric bikes, which can be borrowed free of charge.

We also run guided ebike rides, so you can try out one of our ebikes and learn how they work, before taking one away for a longer trial. Once you have tried an ebike you will be hooked. They are lots of fun, hills are a breeze, you can cycle much further, and you won’t be

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exhausted at the end of the ride.

Everyone who has come on our guided ebike rides has been converted. This is what one of our guided ebike riders had to say…. “I loved the guided ebike ride. We are now looking into purchasing a bike purely on the back of this class and the bike loan afterwards, so thank you all very much! Without this group I may never have found out just how brilliant ebikes are.”

We haven’t been able to deliver our usual bike repair courses this year, so we are running trailside bike repair rides instead. As well as getting out for a ride, you will learn how to fix some of the problems that can happen when you are out on your bike, as well as advice on which tools and spares to carry with you.

The climate emergency has not gone away. Riding a bike, rather than using our cars for short local journeys, helps reduce carbon emissions, air pollution and traffic congestion, as well as keeping you fit and healthy. If you don’t have a bike, if you would like to borrow an ebike, or if you want to improve your bike repair skills and/or borrow some bike tools, then the Bike Kitchen can help you.

The Bike Kitchen is funded by the Climate Challenge Fund as part of LEGs project ‘Low Carbon Lochaber’, Paths for All Smarter Choices Smarter Places, and Cycling Scotland.

For more information about the Bike Kitchen visit www. lochaberenviro.org or email kate@lochaberenviro.org.uk

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GETTING ‘INKED’ Iain Ferguson Body art - perhaps better known as tatttoos - has in recent years become an increasing feature of every day life, with large and colourful, themed, pictorial or artistic designs. Many also have special meaning to those who commission them, recording special occasions such as births, marriages, even the deaths of loved ones to be indelibly carried with them in ink.

Tattoos can be traced back at least 5,000 years, with evidence on skins of mummies decorated with symbols and drawings. However, until fairly recently most tattoos were hidden away, only revealed when a sleeve was rolled up or during a sporting activity.

Many were also fairly simple, such as the classic ‘sweetheart’ images, and mainly associated

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with military service.

With the sudden growth in popularity, perhaps related to the getting ‘inked’ celebrity culture, tattoos have become even more visible on permanently exposed areas such as the neck and face, sometimes with complex patterns and a range of colours.

The actual process of having the tattoo applied can be a long and often painful process which can be done on almost any part of the body.

Some of the large and elaborate examples can take up to eight hours in a single session and several more to complete, although to the individual, it is always worth it.

Designs can be chosen from an album or drawn by the client to be copied by the tattoo artists, making them unique. Regardless of this, all require incredible skill and talent from the tattooist wielding the needle which injects the ink into the dermis, a layer below the surface of

the skin.

It can be quite a costly business, with many people actually ‘saving up’ to pay for them or having the tattoo done in stages to spread the payments. Even with this cost, popularity is growing from teenagers upwards and both sexes.

Images often have a meaning - an accordion on his arm to record the life of a loved

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grandfather, another, a St Christoper as family members carried a medal, so making sure he would never lose this charm for travellers.

A representation of Cleopatra due to fascination with ancient Egypt, a leg featuring an Imperial Storm trooper from Star Wars or even a chest covering mythical battle scene with decorative ‘sleeves’ Julius Caesar in 47BC, Veni, Vidi, down the arms Vici - I came I and hands. saw I conquered - or continuing Sportspeople Some of the large and on the Roman seem to be elaborate examples can take Empire theme, particularly SPQR - Senatus, keen on tattoos, up to eight hours in a single Populusque, many with an session and several more to Romanus - the emphasis on complete.

Senate and power and People of Rome. daring, such as a roaring Lion on Dedication the neck, or the Latin VVV from to sports clubs are also often that famous phrase uttered by recorded with permanent team badges tattooed next to the heart.

As an art form with a long history, ‘inking’ is undergoing a great resurgence in modern times, with more and more young people commissioning ever more elaborate designs. They have even been given as presents, so perhaps with Christmas coming up something for Santa’s list?

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Highland Cinema & CafĂŠ Bar now open in Fort William!

Catch a great movie or just come in to enjoy our fantastic cafĂŠ bar, with morning treats, afternoon pizzas, sharing platters, vegan options and a wide selection of Scottish And Everyday drinks!

www.highlandcinema.co.uk

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An Update From Highland Cinema Since our successful opening on September 25th, the Highland Cinema has been overwhelmed by the response and support of the local community and visitors alike.

We would like to thank all of our guests for visiting and providing great feedback. Like any new business, we’ve experienced the odd hiccup, but we’re learning and improving fast to meet expectations! It’s thanks to your support that we have been able to stay open during these difficult times, and we hope to continue to serve and entertain our guests for the foreseeable future.

Our aim is to make the Highland Cinema one of the best destinations in Fort William, come rain or shine.

While there has been a lack of new blockbusters in 2020 to fill our schedule, we have sought to provide a diverse selection of films for all the family to enjoy, from animation to adventure, cultural gems, Scottish Classics, old favourites and Halloween specials, to local interest films, preview nights and more.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be screening some dramatic outdoor adventure films like ‘Free Solo’, ‘Touching The Void’ and ‘Everest’, all best experienced on a big screen.

We’ll also be adding a ‘Screen and Scream’ club for parents with young children, plus we have plans to show some great Christmas classics over the festive period – get your suggestions in now! www.highlandcinema.co.uk

Planning a work or Private Christmas party?

With our large café bar with its own projector, wood burning fire, expert kitchen and bar staff and two cinema screens, we could be the perfect venue for you!

For more information and to find out what we could do for you, please email:

info@highlandcinema.co.uk

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NOVEMBER TASKS Iain Ferguson It may be getting colder, but wrap up and get out there - Covid regulations allowing - to experience the wonders of plants and wildlife in Lochaber’s open spaces, or even as close as your garden.

To help you decide, our friends at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) have drawn up an action plan of jobs which can be done in October/ November as follows: please feel fee to hide this page from your partner if you are seeking a quieter life!

Plan and plant new borders, tidy up ponds, prune tall roses.

Ensure bird tables and feeders

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are out, clean bird baths.

Plant forget-me-nots, pansies, wallflowers and spring bulbs.

Plan a vegetable patch and start digging before the first frosts. Hardy peas and broad beans are a good start.

Leave fallen leaves to provide shelter and protection for wildlife.

Leave seed heads to overwinter to provide food for birds.

Nectar and pollen tend to be in short supply in the autumn, but they are still essential foods for many insects that over-winter as adults and then become food for birds in early spring. Have a look on the internet for the best kinds of plant for this.

Native plants such as crab apple, holly, elder, birch or hawthorn are also a good source of natural food supplies for birds through the winter.

Not everyone has a garden, but may have room for tubs,

planters or hanging baskets which can be used to grow a variety of climbers and small shrubs, perennials, annual plants and vegetables. You can even grow a small lawn or wild flower meadow in a container. What a great idea.

Climbers are easy to grow in tubs, as they take up minimal space and can be grown against a wall or trained up and over a balcony railing. They can act as a windshield and reduce the drying effect on the other plants in the tubs, as well as providing shelter. Their beautiful flowers also provide colour and scent.

With a bit of careful planning, it is possible to have something in flower for most of the year and always try to use peat free composts. There are many brands on the market. https://www.rspb.org.uk/ birds-and-wildlife/advice/ gardening-for-wildlife/plantsfor-wildlife/hanging-basketsplanters-and-tubs/

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ON-AIR COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNING, ANYONE? With Jo Cowan We were saying last month that what many folk miss most just now is the chance to get to their usual clubs and activities, to meet up with friends and get some news. For the many folk not online, virtual gatherings aren’t possible for them. At the point of writing, it seems likely that groups meeting together, particularly for those in higher risk categories, won’t be happening any time soon.

Knowing some folk won’t be getting out much over the winter, galvanised Nevis Community Radio and Highland Senior Citizens Network into action.

Together, we’re going to host a new radio programme aimed at connecting with people who are having to stay at home.

From Friday November 6 until the end of March 2021, we’ll be broadcasting our once-weekly on-air community coffee morning between 11am and noon.

Tune in on Nevis Radio 96.6 FM, Fort William area, 102.3 FM, Mallaig area, 102.4 FM, south Lochaber or listen online.

We’re aiming for a real coffee morning or club get-together feel – so we’ll be looking for you to get in touch with quiz ideas, good news and suggestions for your cheery tunes. We’ll also be recording ‘Lochaber Highland Hellos’ from groups and organ-

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isations that miss being able to connect with you face-to-face and want to pass on good wishes and helpful information.

It’s not solely for older people – everyone is welcome to tune in and join us. I will be presenting the show, with lots of virtual hand-holding from others.

If you want to discuss anything about the on-air community coffee morning, please get in touch with me on 07933 653585 or email jo@nevisradio. co.uk.

I’m grateful to Nevis Radio for the opportunity to get this going at a time when connections are so vitally important. Nevis

Radio chairman John Weller and sustainability manager Simon Abberley have been really supportive of developing this community initiative.

Nevis Radio and Highland Senior Citizens Network also extend thanks to Highland Council Supporting Community Resilience Ward Discretionary Budget Fund (Ward 21 and Ward 11), Lochaber Community Partnership and Scottish and Southern Electricity Network’s Resilient Communities Fund for funding contributions and support to make this project possible and to improve radio broadcast capability in south Lochaber.

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In Loving Memory of JOSEPH (JOE) MACCOLL 1932 - 2020 A loving husband to Maimie, a caring dad to Caroline and Gari and a wonderful papa and great grandpa to his grandchildren and a friend to many.

Originally from Ballachulish but known in Fort William, working as a Joiner and in the Pulp Mill, Corpach and latterly a maintenace man in Inverlochy Castle before retiring. A family man who will be greatly missed. May he rest in peace.

In Loving Memory of CHRISTINE MCCONNELL 1937 - 2020 A loving wife to the late John and mum to John, Shanna and the late James and a wonderful granny and great granny to all her grandchildren.

Fondly remembered for being a dinner lady in Lochaber High School and working in Mairi MacIntyre’s, Fort WIlliam.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her.

May she rest in peace. Amen.

In Loving Memory of DEBRA SHARON MEAH 1962 - 2020 Debra Sharon Meah was born in Stepney, East London in December 1962.

She was the eldest of four children. Debra moved to Scotland five years ago to start a new life with her two cats. Before falling ill with cancer, Debra’s passion was to help people. She was a key support worker in Fort William and sang for the Salvation Army choir in Kinlochleven where she lived. Debra passed away on 21st September 2020 aged 57 years, she will be sorely missed by sisters, Barbara and Sandra and many friends who knew her.

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In Loving Memory of GEORGE KNOX 1933 - 2020 A much loved husband to Phyllis, a loving dad to Alan and a wonderful granda and great granda to all his grandchildren. Known in Fort William as a Builders Merchant. A well liked and respected man who will be greatly missed by all who knew him, especially his loving family.Â

In Loving Memory of RODERICK (RODDY) CAMERON 1937 - 2020 Roddy was born and raised in Inchlaggan, Glengarry, the last known native to the Glen. A well-liked member of the Glengarry Community who will be sorely missed by his family and all that knew him.

Roddy was interred in Cill Donnain Cemetery, Munergie with his late mother and father. He was the last to be interred in this ancient cemetery dating back to the early 1800’s. May he rest in peace.

In Loving Memory of JOHN GROUNDWATER 1981 - 2020 A devoted husband to Sheena, loving Dad to Archie & Brodie, proud Step Dad to Chloe and a much loved friend & respected work colleague.

Our hearts broke the day you went away, we miss you more than words could ever say.

In Loving Memory of JOHN (TONY) CAMP 1946 - 2020 A very loving husband to Pat and a dear father to William and John along with their wives. He settled in Lochaber to enjoy his retirement with photography, wildlife, bird watching and electronic and model engineering. With everlasting memories of a wonderful man. Rest in Peace.

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CARPETS by

Neil HENDERSON

‘The Carpet Store at your door’

NO SHOP = NO OVERHEADS Therefore, Gauranteed, LOW, LOW PRICES CALL NOW FOR A FREE ESTIMATE I will come to see you laden with samples.

Choose the carpet or vinyl of your choice, in your own home to go with your room’s decor.

FREE FITTING + FREE DOOR BARS with all carpet and vinyl orders.

FREE UNDERLAY with all orders over £300

I also have a large selection of contract floor coverings.

Also, a professional Fitting Service of your own carpets or vinyls.

37 Riverside Park, Fort William PH33 7RB Tel: (01397) 701018 Mobile: 07887 770193

New builds or conversions Alterations & extensions Preparation of feu plans Preparation of “as existing drawings” Building Warrant and planning applications M 07429 489537 E admin@jcarchitecture.co.uk W jcarchitecture.co.uk

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As the dark, grim days of November are almost upon us again, I could do with encouragement. In this strange year can we even look forward to celebrating Christmas in church or with our families?

So thanks to readers whose kind words encourage me to continue sharing these monthly ‘thoughts’.

In turn I’d like to thank and encourage all those in Lochaber service industries, who were shut down. From hospitality sector to libraries and leisure centres, we missed you. You

have braved all the changing new rules to serve visitors and locals.

Since allowed to open, they have been a big boost- not just to the economy.

In September rules forbade having family to stay but we enjoyed meeting over a meal out when they were able to travel here. Anyone who has met my husband will know he enjoys his food as much as a good chat.

He used to have loyalty cards remember those? - for any local eatery which offered them.

Recently I read about a strange request from a terminally ill lady who also had enjoyed food. She asked, when the time came for her to be put in her coffin that

a pudding spoon be placed in her hand! Why? When she was enjoying a meal at a table set with that, she knew the best was still to come. She wanted her mourners to be encouraged that having enjoyed the good things in life, she believed the best was yet to come.

Her spoon was an echo of the Psalmist’s words ‘Be good to me, your servant, so that I may live and obey your teachings.

I am here on earth for just a little while’. (Psalm 119.17/19) All with even a crumb of faith can realise that here or in the hereafter, come Covid, dark days, bad weather, ill health or even the grim reaper, we can keep on keeping on as, the best is yet to come.

Enterprising young pupils of classes 1,2 and 3 at Banavie Primary School prepare cards and baubles for sale at their Christmas Fayre. Photograph: Iain Ferguson, The Write Image

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M&L

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T: 01397 712373 M: 07884 185 279

scottmandrews@tiscali.co.uk

Welding repairs Fabrication Railings & gates Onsite steel alterations Car & van MOT repairs Aluminium, stainless steel & mild steel welding T 07463 612809 E gwelding@outlook.com

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Stokes Memorials Serving Argyll, the Highlands & Islands for over 35 Years

• New Memorials • Additional Inscriptions • Cleaning & Renovations • Work carried out in all areas

Tel / Fax: 01369 702162 Email: fraserdownie.43@gmail.com

John S Weller

Est. 1982

Property Maintenance & Repairs No Job Too Small Fully Insured 24 Hour Service General Building Repairs Painting & Decorating Kitchens Bathrooms

Tel: 01397 708508

Competitive Rates Carpentry Plumbing Glazing Ceramic Wall & Floor Tiling Doors & Windows Free Estimates

Mob: 07710 940917

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ALL ASPECTS OF PLUMBING CENTRAL HEATING RENEWABLES FREE ESTIMATES Highly recommended snipef registered

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Email: stewart.plumbing@yahoo.co.uk ALBA, BOHENIE ROAD, ROY BRIDGE PH31 4AN

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A nice old lodge house in need of repair. but where?

LAST monTH: Wild owers grow at the entrance to the nevis Centre.

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ARTS IN LOCHABER Ilona Munro

Guising fun

In 1996 I did the Edinburgh Fringe for a second time with my play ‘Guising’. Yes, I am that old.

Guising is an old Scottish tradition, similar to the American ‘Trick or Treat.’

‘Guise’ is closely related to the word ‘disguise’, the best form of protection from the devil and his minions, who stalk All Hallow’s Eve. Hallowe’en is closely linked to Samhain, the period that marks death of light and the end of harvest.

As a child of the 1970s, I got very excited about the approach of autumn. Oh those dark nights and the thrill of playing under sodium orange lighting. Strict ‘70s schooling took a fun-filled detour to Hallowe’en parties and ‘Guy Fawkes’ art lessons. Wonderous wax and black paint made even the poorest artist a magician, lighting up the dark skies with their crayon Catherine Wheels.

There was such inventiveness in making your Hallowe’en

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outfit: your mum’s nightie, best friend and I would rehearse your Grampa’s waders, cocoa from the end of August. for dirty faces…

Opportunities Nor was it to dress up and enough to dress have fun still There was such inventiveness survive, despite up, you had to in making your Halloween have a ‘turn’: a modern fears poem, a song, a outfit: your mum’s nightie, and anti-pagan joke. The more your Grampa’s waders, cocoa criticism. polished your Children for dirty faces... turn, the more intrinsically you earned in know the value pennies and of playing, sweets. You donning fancy dress and can imagine that I took this sharing something communal. opportunity very seriously. My Playfulness should never be the exclusive domain of the young.

Whatever your age, try a little creativity in the dark nights.

Paint under the stars, sing in the woods, carve a turnip by the fire. December may have glitter but November has its own magic.

Need inspiration? Check out Dramafish on Facebook for local arts info.

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Delivering All Aspects Of Civil Engineering.

New Build & Extension Groundworks Sewers & Septic Tanks Concrete & Steel Work Kerbing & Paving Works Bell Mouths & Access Roads

Tar Surfaced Driveways & Car Parks Cable & Water Pipe Tracks Retaining Walls Excavation Works Excavators For Hire With Operator

www.gordongeorgeconstruction.co.uk | tel. 01397 700115 Mob. 07528 801393 | info@gordongeorgeconstruction.co.uk

Jimmy Barker JOINERY BUILDING & ROOFING EXTERNAL DECORATING MOSS CLEARANCE DECKING HIGH PRESSURE WASHING FENCING 01397 701084 mob 07832193103 jbarkerhome@hotmail.co.uk

Members John Ferguson & Caroline Ferguson

• First time Buyer • Buy to Let • Home mover • re-mortgages • CapitaL raising • CommerCiaL (for commercial mortgages we act as introducers)

Call to speak with a Professional Mortgage Adviser for a free initial consultation: 01397 705848

F 01397 703537 m 07899670260 e info@johnferguson-mortgages.co.uk m Morvern, Glen Nevis Fort William PH33 6PF

johnferguson-mortgages.co.uk as a mortgage is secured against your home, it could be repossessed if you do not keep up the mortgage repayments

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LET THE GAMES BEGIN? Iain Ferguson With the slight let up on Covid restrictions in October, many sports people were able to resume some form of training to prepare for the day when ‘real life’ action can begin.

Team sports such as football, rugby and shinty were particularly badly hit by being unable to work together in honing their skills on the pitch, as were teams dependent on indoor facilities which at the moment still remain closed.

Participants in other activities which could be undertaken as individuals were a bit more fortunate in being able to practise alone.

Dedicated runners organised a virtual league in place of the mass starts of the usual series of competitions held across the area, taking part as individuals or in small socially distanced groups, recording and electronically submitting

times. Boxers too were quick to use social media, putting up videos of training sessions in homes and gardens and joining in live ‘Zoom’ sessions with fellow boxers and coaches, although now they are allowed back in the gym for socially distanced, noncontact exercise.

As of the date this is written, limited training has resumed for team sports although outdoors and with no direct contact, even for rugby players where much of the game involves tackling and grabbing opponents.

Regardless of the limitations, everyone is just glad to be involved in their chosen activity and hopefully things will get better and proper games can begin again.

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#ChangeHerStory – end Gender Based Violence This year for the #16Days of Activism campaign (25 November – 10 December), Lochaber Women’s Aid are working with partners throughout the Highlands and Islands to #ChangeHerStory.

We want individuals and organisations to recognise and acknowledge that gender based violence and domestic abuse occur in rural communities.

We want to make people aware that domestic abuse is a consequence of gender inequality. Put simply, abuses committed by men against women happen because our society believes that women are subordinate to men.

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Women experiencing domestic abuse in rural communities feel more vulnerable as they worry about being identified and stigmatised. There is still a belief that abuse doesn’t happen in Lochaber, so local negative attitudes are a major barrier to women accessing services and moving on from abuse.

We want our rural communities to embrace equality and mutual respect and reject all forms of violence and abuse against women and girls. We want to make Lochaber safer for women and girls to speak out against abuse and to seek help and support to move on.

We want everyone to play their part to #ChangeHerStory. We want Lochaber communities to challenge the culture of violence against women and girls.

To join our campaign, declare what you want to see change for women and girls, post your declaration on social media using the hastag #ChangeHerStory.

Abuse is not ok, but it’s ok to talk about it. For more information on how you can #ChangeHerStory visit www. lochaberwomensaid.org.

To arrange support telephone 01397 705734.

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