Where’s the rain?
FINE spell of weather for Lochaber.
Only interrupted on Saturday morning – when it remembered how to rain.
So that makes it all the more interesting to look back at Rainnet’s January precipitation figures:
Mallaig, Ian Watts, 122.8mm/4.83in; Knoydart, Peter Klemm, 200mm/7.87in; Lettershuna, David Craig, 244mm/9.61in Nether Fort William, Herdis Hamilton, 244mm/9.61in; Nevis Range, Mark Jordan, 251.9mm /9.92in; Ardtornish, Ian Lamb, 268.4mm/10.57in; Achnabobane, Andrew Bootman, 280.6mm/11.05in; Anaheilt, Ian Campbell, 331mm/13.03in.
AT Achnaabobane the dry days of January 14 & 15, and 29-31, constituted the longest spell without rain for a couple of months.
The wettest day there was Wednesday, January 4, with 35.3mm/1.39in.
Rainfall for the month was 1.7 per cent above average.
The warmest January day was Burns Day(!), at 10.1C/50.2F, and the coldest night was on the 15th, at -3.4C/25.9F
Average temperature was 3.8C/38.8F, which was a welcome 34.5 per cent above average for the month!
How many days?
NOW then, where do I start, in order to set the record straight after the brochan I made of the "Thirty days hath SEPTEMBER" verse which kicked off last week’s column?
Actually, it should have been "kicked off" the column – literally – but this "Abernethy Aberration" survived all the checking processes.
So you can imagine the reaction – by phone, email, fax, and face-to-face – from Roamer readers from all over Lochaber.
"What school did YOU go to?", was the most frequently asked question.
"You deserve ‘Thirty Days’ for writing that!"
"Were there really 30 days in December when you were young?"
Then there were the diplomatic responses:
"Are we missing something here?"
"It’s not April the First, is it?"
"You certainly can’t believe everything you read in the papers!"
One regular reader complained that he couldn’t get through to me on the phone – to complain!
My answer to that was my phone was so red hot last Thursday that I couldn’t even pick it up.
Suffice it so say – apart from "Sorry" – that "Thirty Days…" elicited the greatest response to any item I’ve written in this column over the past – wait for it – 30 years!
I’LL draw a line under it after adding:
"It’s said that ‘Thirty days hath September’,
But I must be too old, now, to remember.
I cannot blame my Primary School tutor,
So it’s all down to me – and not my computer!"
Jessie’s diary
ACH, well, let’s see what Wee Jessie Jamieson’s was chronicling in her Journal for the second week of February, 1959.
February 8. I’m still full of the cold. So I’m staying off school.
February 9. The thaw is on. Didn’t go to Red Cross but played "Nurses" instead.
February 10. It was a cold, damp day, and I’m still off school.
February 11. Ash Wednesday. I made a sponge and then remembered I’m supposed to be off sweets for Lent.
February 12. I’m fed up with my cold. And Helen’s in bed with it, and off work.
February 13. I sent two Valentines.
February 14. Didn’t get any Valentines back. Poor me. But I love Michael Holliday, and Helen gave me a Lonnie Donegan book.
Correspondence Corner
HELLO Roamer
I noticed there was a mention of the Community Car Scheme in your column last week, and I was sorry to hear the problems the Fort couple were having in getting around.
We’re still helping as much as we can, so it’s business as usual. We’re aware we may not have been promoting the service as much as we’d like to; the last year has been difficult in terms of funding and staffing.
Like a lot of groups it would have been good to have more. But things are now starting to look better, and we’re happy to help anyone who finds it difficult to get out and about due to ill health, etc.
We’ve also had a change of name.
Lochaber Community Care Forum is now Care Lochaber which reflects the fact we’re providing direct services such as the Car Scheme and Handyperson Service and are also looking into other possible projects.
We’ll soon be able to get new leaflets out and promote our services.
Meanwhile, if your readers need to contact us they can phone 701222 for the Car Scheme and 702424 for the Handyperson Service.
As we rely on a lot of support we’d be pleased to hear from anyone who can spare a wee bit of time to volunteer for either of these services.
Regards
Benny MacDonald
DEAR Roamer,
Thank you for publicising in last week’s edition, our Nepal Schools Trust fundraiser at the Sugar and Spice Cafe.
I’m grateful to friends and family for supporting the event.
The grand total of £287 was raised at the Thai Supper, and this sum will be forwarded to the Trust.
Thank You.
Best Wishes,
Margaret Boyd
In the papers
A COUPLE of newspaper headlines in the past week which were a bit ambiguous.
"David Young and Ewen Grant toasted the haggis. (Grant’s of Dornoch, presumably).
"A Met Office spokeswoman said temperatures will rise towards the weekend, with rain expected – the cold snap will last till the end of the week, with the prospect of snow at the weekend" (Work that one out).
Deer delicacies
SO what was happening locally in the second week of February in 1982 – as per the columns of the Lochaber News?
In happy mood were members of Fort William Railway Social Club at their annual dinner-dance in the Highland Hotel on February 12.
A Needle, Wheel and Loom Workshop was inaugurated at a meeting held in Ardgour Memorial Hall on Saturday, February 13. Despite unfavourable weather 25 people attended.
Patients and staff at the Belford were entertained when a roe deer strolled into the hospital grounds, where it had a fine time devouring the early spring flowers and bulbs.
As the RAF helicopter was landing at the West End Car Park on Monday afternoon, the downdraught wheeched Scoobie Paterson’s scone off his head. But all was OK. Scoobie’s SARDA dog retrieved it at the Police Station.
There were 72 entrants for the Morar Hotel Tennents Caledonian Darts Singles. Meanwhile, members of Morar WRI were listening to Dr Donald Duck’s commentary and slide show about Kashmir.
Heckler’s warning
AND a final couple of extracts from the Highland (Fort William) News of February, 1932.
The town councillors were reminded by a heckler at the ratepayers’ meeting, that they should remember Rome wasn’t built in a day – and that Fort William must not be dismantled in five minutes.
And the Page 1 advert? "Indigestion and Wind Pills" – for those distressful maladies. Nearest stockist – Tolmie, Chemist, Stornoway…
Bumper bill
THE atmosphere was electric when an Inner Lochaber professional couple received their Hydro bill at the weekend.
For £25,000!
You can imagine the recriminations around the family household!
After the internal enquiry and frenzied phonecalls – and without any legal wrangle – a couple of noughts were lopped off the astronomical amount.
Power to the People.
Gaelic call
I NOTE that Councillor Michael Foxley is again sending round the Fiery Cross to bring Gaelic tuition to the masses.
Meanwhile, anyone interested in the Language of the Garden of Eden will be welcome to come along to the Ben Nevis Book Corner where we have several hundred Gaelic books currently being sold at a discount.
Race entry filled
LOOKING ahead to September, it’s heartening to note that all 600 places in the Ben Nevis Race have already been taken – inside a week of the entry forms becoming available.
Race secretary, Mickey Whitehead, adds "And there’s a waiting list of 200!"
Good memory
CALUM McPhail, from Dalmally, fiddle virtuoso with the Ross MacPherson Trio, guest artistes at Fort William Accordion & Fiddle Club’s musical evening on Tuesday night, came away with an unexpected local touch.
"I’m that old I can remember Marion Weir’s Music Shop in the High Street", said he.
