A heritage worth holding on to

Those who attended last weekend’s vintage and veteran motorcycles rally might of been surprised at the number of people there.

The crafts day this weekend is likely to be just as busy with visitors and locals alike who attend these events, which are regularly held at the Arran Heritage Museum during the summer season.

Could it be that there is a large vintage motorcycles following on Arran? Could it be that Arran also holds a large following for long-forgotten crafts and skills, or possibly even a hidden fanbase of classic tractor enthusiasts who ensure each and every event held at the museum seems to be filled to capacity?

The answer may lie elsewhere and the clue could be in the name – heritage museum. The many, many selfless volunteers at the Rosaburn institution understand and promote our appreciation of the meaning of heritage, the historical events, processes and ways of life from a bygone era that have special meaning to people and artefacts that we hold dear. The modern world, it would seem, is constantly changing and, while we sometimes view nostalgia as unnecessarily clinging to the past, the truth is that we do place value in our heritage. We take comfort in the stability of how it has always been done before and that the past does not change, while the future can change suddenly, leaving some to feel like the rug has been pulled from under our feet.

It is for these reasons that the gatekeepers of our social history are delighted with the future expansion plans of the museum, which will see the volunteers playing an important part in the recording of the lives of our people, how we live and how we do things.

It is as important to look to the past as we look to what appears to be a very uncertain future.

The staff and volunteers do a great job and the museum is a terrific asset for the island. Let’s get out there and continue to support it.