THE ARRAN BANNER 20 YEARS AGO

Saturday June 28, 1997

In the swim

The Auchrannie swimming pool, due to close to the public on Monday, will now be kept open after an 11th hour agreement. During May this year an announcement of a reduction in the subsidy by North Ayrshire Council saw much anxiety, letters and public opposition to the move which would have seen the pool closing and only available for hotel residents use.

Owner of the Auchrannie Hotel Iain Johnston was telephoned by NAC’s director of finance telling him that he and the director of leisure had been given authority by the councillors to set the subsidy of £37,000 for another year. Iain Johnston said: ‘It is a very satisfying outcome really, everybody is delighted. The pool will remain open to all comers and the council is to be congratulated for listening to the community.’

Price is right

The recently published Rural Scotland price survey has provided a fascinating insight into the prices that we pay on Arran compared to other areas.

The study of prices taken from throughout rural Scotland uses Aberdeen as a benchmark. Results show that a basketful of food which costs £54.70 on Arran will cost £52.65 in Aberdeen and a litre of petrol costs 68.9p on Arran and 57.9p in Aberdeen. The results vary wildly and it is not a case of getting more expensive as you get more remote.

Petrol prices require a special mention as it is notoriously expensive on Arran. In fact, three other locations have a petrol price which exceeds 70p a litre and in a Lewis township it is 75p a litre. The lowest petrol price is in Edinburgh where a litre will cost 56.9p.

Maritime news

The Waverley is back visiting Arran on a weekly basis again. Lurching from financial crises to financial crises these problems seem to have been solved with the announcement of a grant of £2.69 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This will go towards a £3.5 million restoration which appropriately comes in the Waverley’s golden jubilee year.

In other maritime news, HMS Dasher, the present one, is to visit Ardrossan. Accompanied by two other Royal Navy vessels, the ships will send men ashore at Lochranza to join war veterans in a ceremony at the memorial to HMS Dasher which sunk off Arran in 1943.

B25twe05 Celebrating their success, Alice Anderson and Linda Murchie each won a pair of complimentary tickets to the Loch Lomond World Invitational Golf next month. The tickets, put up by Carnegie International Sports, allows them and a guest to attend all...

B25twe02 Darren Thompson and David Hamilton race in the 800 metres at the Arran High School Sports Day last Monday where Sannox House were crowned champions for the fourth year in a row.

B25twe01 All of the trophy winners at the Arran Bowls Federation which was held in Lamlash where, following the presentation of trophies, Lamlash Bowling Club presented the federation with a new Rinks Shield.

B25twe03 Line dancing is alive and well at the Ormidale glasshouse and evidently very much enjoyed by those seeking a bit of fun and exercise for those that feel their disco dancing days might be in the past.

B25twe04 Mrs Betty Ure of Whiting Bay has commissioned and donated two new stainedglass windows for the north end gable of Whiting Bay and Kildonan Church. Attending the presentation was designer Christian Shaw of Edinburgh.