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PERHAPS the changing face of Fort William High Street mirrors the weather. Watch these shop spaces, folks, because the "Closing Down" signs are multiplying, with just 31 shopping days to Christmas... Roll on the West End regeneration.

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I HAD a wry smile to myself - nearly a chuckle, in fact - when I read the press release put out on behalf of Scottish Conservative MSP Mary Scanlon, about the Townscape funding. It read: "Mary Scanlon warmly welcomed the £317,000 and £800,000 respectfully awarded to Fort William and Nairn, as part of the Town Centre Regeneration Fund". "RESPECTFULLY", indeed! I should think so, too!

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STAYING in the town centre, here's a letter:

Dear Roamer,

On various occasions I have had notices advertising Scottish Country Dance nights and weekly club nights displayed on the "What's On' noticeboard outside the old post office in Fort William. Now I find that these are being totally obscured by being covered by notices about other events. Who is the "responsible" person looking after the board and what are the criteria of compliance to advertise there? Our notices advised of the country dancing in the Duncansburgh MacIntosh Church Hall in Fort William, and in Kilmallie Hall in Corpach.

John MacDonald, Badabrie, Banavie.

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HERE'S advance notice of a radio programme on Friday, November 27, which will be of interest to a lot of locals. It's called The Spies Who Knew Too Much and it's on BBC Radio Scotland from 11.30am-noon. Mark Stephen will reveal some of the secrets of Inverlair Lodge, described as "one of the most mysterious homes in the Highlands". Inverlair inspired the long-running TV series The Prisoner and also the spy thriller The Cooler but, as Mark discovers, "truth is stranger than fiction". During the Second World War, Inverlair Lodge was used by the Special Operations Executive. It was given the name "No 6 Special Workshop School" but in London it was simply referred to as either "up North" or "The Cooler". Inverlair was a place where secret agents were sent, who had either failed their training or been recalled from operations. The Cooler was a very good description of the camp as the inmates were kept until the information they had been given had cooled - and, of course, a "cooler" is also a slang term for prison. Today the holes from bullets sprayed around the staircase and one cell-like room hold some of the secrets that give clues to Inverlair's wartime past. Richard Sidgwick, who lived in the house from the 1970s, has spent more than 30 years unravelling the secrets, and he returns with Mark to share his remarkable discoveries. Richard reveals who might have been held in Room 13 with its sliding Judas hatch, and the infamous SOE trainer who left the bullet holes in the staircase. During the renovations of the house, Richard came across some notes and poems left behind by the wartime inhabitants. These give a moving insight into what life was like in The Cooler.

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DEAR Roamer,

A short note to thank you and Bill Cameron for putting on your illustrated talk on Fort William - Then and Now in the Duncansburgh MacIntosh Church Hall on Thursday night. It was a great show. The hall was full and the sum of £242 was raised for church funds. A big thank you for an enjoyable evening.

Andy Muirhead, Duncansburgh MacIntosh, Fundraising Committee.

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DEAR Roamer,

MS Lochaber would like to thank Mr and Mrs W Gunn for their kind decision to donate the monetary gifts totalling £800 which they received on the occasion of their golden wedding. Readers might care to know that all monies donated to Lochaber's MS Society is used to help local members and is not sent outwith our area. Again, many thanks to Mr and Mrs Gunn.

MS Lochaber.

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IN the money? Kilmallie Shinty Club. Numbers 16, 18 and 19. No claimants. A fine £400 awaits this weekend.

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FORT William Shinty Club. Numbers 2, 7 and 9. No winners. There's a tremendous £1,200 in the Tuesday night kitty.

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BALLACHULISH Shinty Club. Numbers 8, 11 and 19. No takers. A sizeable £300 in the weekend draw.

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FORT William FC. Numbers 1,13,19. No correct combination. There's £300 awaiting this weekend.

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FORT William Golf Club Lotto. Numbers 3, 8 and 13. There were four winners of £150 each: Colin MacLean, Linda MacQueen, Janice Duncan and Ian Cameron. The prize money is £100 tonight (Thursday).

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CAOL Regeneration Lotto. Numbers 18,19,20. Margaret MacKenzie and Fiona MacLeod both chose this straight run of numbers, landing £300 apiece. Back to £100 tonight (Thurs).

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WHAT'S Ons.

THURSDAY, November 19. UHI Lecture Series 2009, Lochaber College. Talk by Dr Chris Robinson on An Orientation of Lochaber - Getting to Know the Local Area. 7pm till 9pm. £3 admission and £2 for students.

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FRIDAY, November 20. Fort William Golf Club. Annual presentation of prizes and buffet dance, clubhouse, 7pm for 7.30pm. Limited tickets available from the clubhouse at £10.

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SATURDAY, November 21. Cli Gaidhlig - Learn Gaelic! Ulpan taster session, Ballachulish Shinty Pavilion, 9.30am till 3.30pm. Phone 01463 226710 for more info.

Lochaber Textile Workshop, Ardgour Hall, 11am till 3pm. Spinning, weaving, patchwork, knitting, crochet, embroidery, quilting. Sandra Braznell, Kinlocheil, is making a return visit and will give a demonstration.

Charity Family Dance, Caol Community Centre, in aid of the Cora Lena Trust Fund and Robin House Children's Hospice. Sponsored by Lochaber Spiritualist Centre. Music by Dodgy Ground. Doors open 8pm. Tickets £6 adults and £3 children - sandwiches at interval included.

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SUNDAY, November 22. Lochaber Farm Shop, Aonach Mor Road, Torlundy. Fundraising Virgin Vie and Christmas crafts shopping ladies' night in aid of Cancer Care in the Highlands. 7.30pm. The £5 tickets include buffet and mulled wine. But numbers are limited, so get them from the Farm Shop, or book on 01397 708686. All ticket proceeds and raffle proceeds and 15 per cent of all sales go to the charity.

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MONDAY, November 23. Highland Council Fort William and Ardnamurchan ward forum meeting, Council Chambers, Lochaber House, 6.30pm.

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TUESDAY, November 24. LAD - Lochaber Action on Disability. Arts and crafts stall outside Fort William old post office, from 10.30am. Then the LAD AGM is being held at 7pm in the LAD Cafe in Caol Shopping Centre. Light refreshments will be provided from 6.30pm. Members and non-members welcome.

Ben Nevis Race Association, AGM, Nevis Centre, 8pm. All interested members of the public are welcome to come along.

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WEDNESDAY, November 25. Sail Away In Lochaber (SAIL) AGM, An Drochaid, Claggan, 6.30pm till 8.30pm. Contact John on 01397 700008 or Geoff on 01397 706183 for more info.

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THURSDAY, November 26. Lochaber U3A - University of the Third Age meeting, St Andrew's Church Hall, 2pm. Paul Selby will give a talk on digital photography.

Astley Hall, Arisaig. Christmas hand-made crafts and produce fair, 4pm till 7.30pm.

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FRIDAY, November 27. Please note that the SNP Lochaber and North Lorn branch buffet/ceilidh has had to be cancelled.

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SATURDAY, November 28. Rotary Club of Lochaber, Christmas craft and food fair, Nevis Centre main hall, 10.30am till 4pm. Free admission.

Upper Achintore Primary School PTFA, car boot sale, 11am till 2pm, In aid of school funds. Book a £6 table by phoning Jackie on 01397 701490. Teas, coffees and home-baking on sale also.

Lochaber Piping Society, recital by Euan MacCrimmon, Ben Nevis Distillery, 7.30pm. Adults £4; children £2. Charge includes tea/coffee and home-baking.

Meur Lochabair, ceilidh dance, West End Hotel. Guest singers Ishbel MacAskill, Donald Angie Mathieson and David MacKenzie; music by DP MacLeod (Lewis); Fear an Tighe, John A MacIver. Admission £8.

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SUNDAY, November 29. Rotary Club of Lochaber winter concert by Lochaber Community Wind Band. In support of local and international charities. Kilmallie Hall, 7.30pm. Tickets £5, available from local Rotarians, or at the door on the night.

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ACTOR Rowan Atkinson is a frequent visitor to the West Highlands - usually at the wheel of one of his vintage motors. His latest trip, however, was to Knoydart. On his return by boat, via Mallaig, he called in at the Co-operative. Most of the staff recognised Rowan, but some had to be told his identity. To reinforce this, they were advised that he is the TV and film star who plays Mr Bean. Until Mr Atkinson finally appeared at the counter with his purchases, this fact had been stressed several times - "Mr Bean! Mr Bean!". So how did community newspaper of the year West Word describe how J - or it might have been the other J - greeted the personality, as he was about to be served? "Good morning, Mr Pea."

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ANOTHER nice extract from West Word , from the Arisaig column by Ann Lamont: "I often get telephone enquiries about booking the Astley Hall for wedding receptions and, in fact, a few weeks ago, I received two within five minutes of each other.

"So when I received a third and the folk said they would like to come round in the evening, I wasn't surprised - although I did think the caller mentioned Tesco's, but I reckon I had misheard.

"At 5.30pm the phone rang: 'We're in Chorley now - where's the hall?'

"So they HAD mentioned Tesco's.

"Regular readers may remember that earlier this year, some paranormal investigators got our Astley Hall mixed up with the haunted ex-stately-home-turned-leisure-venue in Lancashire of the same name.

"Well, it has happened again!"

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NEVER mind Ben Nevis. Only in Fort William could the Spice Tandoori Indian Restaurant overlook Everest!

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HERE are a couple of tips to "remember, remember, in the month of November"

• Put out nuts and bread for the birds - and a bowl of water for them too.
• Buy or make your marzipan for the Christmas cake. (No marzipan for me, thank you; double icing will do fine).

Meanwhile:

• November was the month (in 1921) when Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun.
• November was also the month when the first charts for pop single records were published in NME, the New Musical Express being a magazine which established a long-running Cameron connection with Fort William.

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WELL done to Jessie Colquhoun, Kilchoan, and Claire Rumgay, Kinlochleven, winners of the Nurse's Award and Mental Health Care Award respectively at last week's Scottish Health Awards ceremony in Edinburgh, organised by the Scottish Government.

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"HAPPY Birthday Colin - Simply the Best!". That was the wording on the menu for the celebratory dinner at the West End Hotel to mark Colin Neilson's 80th birthday at the weekend. And a great time of dining, dancing and reminiscing was had by all. At a minute to midnight on Saturday night it was "Colin Neilson's Farewell to the 79th". And on the stroke of midnight on Sunday morning, Colin's 80th birthday cake was piped in to the room - to great applause from the 100+ guests who had come from far and near for the occasion.

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THERE was Amie about to take delivery of wee Zac in Raigmore. And Jason about to take delivery of a pizza in Pizza Hut. But a text message from Matty did the trick and pizza-less Jason got himself to the ward in time.

* Roamer can be contacted on 01397 703456; fax 01397 702402; email abernethy1@btopenworld.com