THE ARRAN BANNER 20 YEARS AGO

Saturday March 21, 1998

Missed the boat

Some people on Arran will be hoping for improved weather this weekend as their gas supplier, the Arran Gas Co, are likely to run out of gas.

Their supplier, Alastair Gold, lays the blame squarely on CalMac which in return say they have bent over backwards to oblige but he has not taken them up on their offer. Dangerous goods cannot travel on normal scheduled ferry runs, thus a special run is put on either weekly or fortnightly.

Two weeks ago the Ardrossan port manager Frank Shackle phoned round the gas suppliers to see who required to bring a trailer across. Mr Gold declined but then had a run on gas and found he needed to get supplies over to the island.

CalMac said that they would have to charge him £1,600 to charter the ferry, this was later reduced to £500, but said they would not not send a ferry over for just one vehicle.

Mr Gold said they had done so with the bulk tanker numerous times. Mr Shackle said that the cost of fuel for one run is £400 and so his quote of £500 was just covering costs and besides, ‘It’s not my money, it is the public’s money.’

The situation remains unresolved so a few customers might get cold this weekend but the good news is that there will be a freight run on Monday.

Dress code

Last week Arran High School pupils took part in a dress code consultation which included a questionnaire. Deciding on a uniform – supported by some, despised by others – made it difficult for many to agree upon and answer the questions. The questions involved having to decide on what colour was to be used for the new school uniforms. What items were to be banned, such as football colours, tobacco advertising and Doc Martens and denim. The school council representatives have collated this information and it will be distributed later this year.

Adding to all of the indecision students are scrambling about collating their English folios. The folios, comprising the previous year’s work, are collated and presented for grading and are worth a third of the final grade.

Church thefts

When the charity box was stolen in Lamlash Church a couple of weeks ago the elders were naturally displeased. The money was to go towards the restoration, but the idea of it being stolen from the church, possibly by a local person, was abhorrent. So they replaced it with care and made sure it was secure, bolting it to a table. Sadly that presented a challenge to the miscreants and this week both have disappeared, charity box and table.

Drillmen Lee Berry and Tony Walker have been drilling for water at Shiskine. The drilling is only exploratory and was being done on behalf of West of Scotland Water.

Mhairi Holmer of Whiting Bay has just returned from the Ayrshire Music Festival and come away top of her class in the advanced horn.

Mrs Evelyn Sillars hands over medical equipment to Dr Malcolm Kerr which was purchased by the funds raised at an Arran Red Cross whist drive.

Over the last weekend all of the seats at the Brodick Pier waiting room were reupholstered. Bobby and Jill Shand of Sandbraes tested them out for comfort.

Last Friday Stagecoach handed over four brand new buses to its Arran fleet to mark the gaining of a five-year contract to operate the school routes for the SPT. A number of invited guests met at the castle where administrator Veronica Woodman and...