THE ARRAN BANNER 20 YEARS AGO

Saturday September 26, 1998

Changing Rooms

Television likes Arran but next month it makes an unusual visit. The programme Changing Rooms will arrive and two neighbours will each have two days, assisted by BBC technicians, decorators and designers, to completely revamp a room in each others’ house. Ronnie and Denise Mann, who live in the former church at Kildonan and George and Christine Stewart of The Cnoc will change places.

The Mann’s lounge will be redesigned by the Stewarts while down at The Cnoc the Stewarts’ dining room will be redecorated by the Manns. All this takes place at a frenetic pace and there is no consultation with the house owner about what they may like. At the end of the programme each couple returns to their own home to see how wonderful or awful it now looks. The programme is to be screened over the Christmas period.

Riding to success

At 13 years old Jenny Campbell of Lamlash took her pony Iorsa Cobweb to the Royal Highland Show in June this year. There she came third in her class and, as one of the first four, was eligible to com- pete in the BSPS Championships at Peterborough. Only one show down from the Horse of the Year Championships, the Peterborough Show is a daunting experience. It is so large that there are over nine rings in action at one time with more than 2,000 ponies taking part. But still Jenny did well and came eighth in the show hunter class. Cobweb, bought by her parents four years ago, was bred on Arran by Phyllis Warwick.

Holy Holograms

The Biblebus came to Arran this week. It is the mobile leg of the National Bible Society and was launched by HRH The Princess Royal three years ago. Designed for use by schools which are not within easy reach of Bibleworld headquarters in Edinburgh, it came here from Dunoon on the Rothsay ferry last week. Aimed mainly at primary 5 to 7 and secondary 1 and 2 children it embraces modern technology to introduce young folk to traditional beliefs. Up to 32 children can enjoy an 80-minute journey through time as holographic images take them down a time tunnel to see God creating the world, planets, animals and people. The bus has been parked in the high school playground and next moves to Stevenston.

Bay Stores in Whiting Bay has new owners. Taking over from John and Kathy Steed, who have run the shop for eight years, are Douglas and Pat Ferguson. Most recently from Benbecula, the couple are used to island life and look forward to enjoying Arran life.

Arran’s elected leaders. The new community council are, back row, Stewart Walls (Brodick), Margo Popplewell (Shiskine), Kate McAdam (Lamlash), Elma Stevenson (Corrie), Anne Hutchison (Lamlash), front row, Janice Gemmell (Brodick), Sheila Gilmore (Shiskine), Terry Crawley (Lochranza), Tom Campbell (Pirnmill) and former chairman John Sillars.

Celebrating the success of the Arran Taste Trail Guide with a competition, Maureen McKenna of the enterprise company holds the box while Padraig Aherne of the Distillery and Eileen Aitcheson of the Tourist Board pick the winners of the prizes- Arran whisky.

A lone piper plays at the top of the String road. And what is the occasion you may ask? None other than being considerate, Dr Robin Whitla practises the bagpipes in isolation because his wife cannot stand the noise at home.

Joining representatives from most major newspapers in Scotland, Arran Banner’s Rosalind Millar jumped at the chance to attend a one-day event in Majorca, Spain.