THE Met men and women tell us that the chances of a White Christmas are receding by the hour.
NOW, what else can I say about the weather that hasn't been mentioned already?
Well, lots of pedestrians were slip-sliding away all over the place on the mornings of Sunday and Monday.
So, on behalf those who utilise Fort William High Street, either to get to work, or are just going the messages, can I make a plea to the gritters.
Cameron Square, Monzie Square and Gordon Square are particularly open to the elements, not being screened by the street's tall buildings.
When there's a frost, despite being sanded, salted or whatever, the "pavements" remain very slippery - for want of a few extra shovelfuls.
So let's have some more "true grit" at the entrance to the three squares.
While they're at it, an additional sanding around the cambered disabled parking bays in Monzie Square would assist a lot of people, as well.
STILL on the High Street, new coatings of tarmac have appeared on the areas outside the Palace Hotel and the Argyll which were dug up months ago following water main bursts.
And very patchy they look.
I had been led to believe that the cobbles - or setts - would be replaced when there was no danger of the "Return of the Geysers" at these locations.
But now it looks like it could be "Cobblers to the Cobbles".
Maybe there'll be some money left in the budget by the end of March to restore the thoroughfare with something a bit more acceptable.
TALKING of the High Street, I note that Councillor Foxley has given it a mention in the Opinion section in the Lochaber News and his "Leader Column" in De tha dol?
Which is heartening, because, heretofore, all the elected members have determinedly shied away from any involvement in the street's receding retail function.
"It doesn't come within the Council's locus," has been the usual response.
But now we can quote a few lines from Cllr Foxley's late 2011 take on the subject:
"I receive regular complaints about the poor shopping facilities available on Fort William High Street. Somehow the council seems to get the blame.
The problem is the commercial rates and especially the rents. It suits owners, both local and distant companies, to have an empty shop as a capital asset on their books, rather than receive rent for a realistic figure. Some shops on the High Street have a rental bill alone of £3,000-£8,000 a month, plus rates, heating and lighting - before anybody is paid. WE INTEND TO NAME AND SHAME THE INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES CONCERNED".
(The CAPITAL LETTERS are mine - and I'll await the outcome with "Great Expectations". Roamer).
I SEE that Linwood is the recipient of this year's Carbuncle Award, for which Fort William and Nairn were (allegedly) nominees.
So the Plook on the Plinth trophy has gone to Renfrewshire.
Lochaber Provost, Allan Henderson, is quoted as saying: "We should never have been shortlisted for this "award'" And we were never in the running.
"Nowhere in the Highlands would qualify for it".
IN the wake of the submission to Parliament by Mary, Queen of Shops, you may have heard of the comparative retail success story in West Kilbride.
In 1996 the North Ayrshire village/town had 21 boarded up shops out of a total of 42.
In 201, a further 19 of the 42 have reopened as retail units, mainly as arts and crafts and souvenir outlets
How come?
It's all due to the "West Kilbride Community Initiative".
We ourselves may never get back to the halcyon High Street days of eight grocers, five butchers, four newsagents/tobacconists, four "draperies", three ironmongers/hardware outlets, three ice-cream parlours, two music shops and two fishmongers.
However, watch those spaces here in the Fort.
QUITE a few people were interested in seeing what was laid bare last week, behind the shop fascia of Julian Graves Ltd.
The names, "RH Kean" and "Duncan Flockhart", were reasonably visible when the struts and boarding were stripped back.
Aye, recalling Kean the Chemist who operated in association with Duncan Flockhart, manufacturer of pharmaceutical products, brought back local memories.
IT was on the afternoon of Thursday, December 18, 1975, that the Town Hall burned down
CORRESPONDENCE corner
DEAR Roamer,
At the bridge over the Nevis at Camanachd Crescent, the other day, I watched a clever hoodie crow opening a wrapped butterscotch sweetie.
The bird held it between its "crow's feet", and carefully opened the paper with its beak.
It then flew up onto the top of a lamp standard, along from the Old Fort, and dropped the sweet, smashing it into small pieces.
The crow proceeded to eat the butterscotch bits on the ground.
However, what impressed me most was the fact that it picked up the gold wrapping paper when it was finished!
And the crow was last seen flying off into An Aird, in the direction of what the Bilingualists know as the "Sgudal Bin".
What a considerate Hoodie, I thought!
Slainte,
Bill Cameron,
Inbhir Lochaidh
HELLO Roamer,
Could you please put a big thank you message in your column for us.
LAD would like to say thanks to Fay, Linda Campbell and her mam, and the band for all their hard work at the Caol Community Lunch Club Christmas Party.
The entertainment and hospitality were very much appreciated, as was the company of everyone who came to lend a hand.
A massive thank you goes to Joan the cook, without whom we couldn't have done it.
It's marvellous that we have been made so welcome by everyone with connections to the Caol Community Lunch Club - from clients to volunteers.
We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Many thanks, again.
Regards
Laura Cheetham,
Manager
LAD - Lochaber Action on Disability, Caol
DEAR Roamer,
Earlier this month the Step-It-Up Highland Walking Group more or less commandeered the Citylink bus to Glasgow.
It was our annual trip to Glasgow, and we would like to thank our driver, Ricky, who, with his usual friendly banter and helping-hand, made our journey an added bonus.
I think all of us take the bus drivers for granted.
But, on a daily basis, they keep us safe, often in some appalling weather conditions.
So I'd like to thank every single one of them and wish them all the compliments of the season.
Regards,
Joyce Vickers, Caol
AND the riddle of the letter from Rachel, in Tasmania, to Anya in Castle Drive, Lochyside, was quickly solved, after it had a mention here last week. Alastair, to whose house number the envelope was wrongly addressed, has now delivered it along the road to Anya.
Happy Christmas.
LET'S see what's in Wee Jessie Jamieson's Journal leading up to Christmas, 1958
* Dec 22. It was a damp day. At night I went to the Tenants' Dance in the Braxy. Donaldson's Band. It was great. Got home at midnight.
* Dec 23. We got our school holidays today. We've had 42 Christmas cards so far - and I know one of the parcels has a manicure set in it for me.
* Dec 24. Nice day. Roasted goose.
* Dec 25. It was a wet day. I got a diary, an autograph book, a headsquare, brown gloves, manicure set, perfume, powder, soap and bathcubes. Helen and I went to the pictures at night.
* Dec 26. It was quite a nice day. Went to town in the afternoon and got a pair of high heels from the DE Shoeshop. They cost 42/7.
CONTINUING in the festive spirit, the Lochaber Rotarians went carol singing on Wednesday and entertained 150 people in all.
They visited Victoria Court, Invernevis House, Belford Hospital, Moss Park and Abbeyfield.
The carols went down very well with the elderly people - and the residents and patients enjoyed them as well
YOU'VE been Framed!
Aye, Chick Robertson is now the proud possessor of a certificate to mark his swimming prowess.
Stalwart local colleagues pooled together, going to great lengths to create Chick's framed memento.
AND last week, Mary McMillan in Kennedy Court was the winner of our crossword. Again.
TWO imminent happenings:
1 Christmas Eve. Inverlochy. Carols around the Christmas tree. From 6.30pm.
2 Boxing Day. Lochaber Rugby Club. Banavie. President's XV v RFC First XV. 2pm. All players to meet at 1pm for pre-match tactics (refreshments). Then a great afternoon/evening out is in store.
JUST time to say "Nollaig Chridheil" to everyone.
