Sad to see local firms closing down

SOME sad news in the town this week with the closing of much-loved local businesses, writes Oban town ambassador Kay McDonald.

I sometimes think we don’t realise how lucky we are to have a vibrant town centre with the majority of the premises open.

It’s not all down to luck, though. If we want to have a town full of nice shops and thriving businesses, we have to support and use them.

We were all quick enough to complain a few years ago about the amount of empty shops on realise that if we don’t use the shops we have we will lose them and it will be our own fault.

In saying that, it’s not an effort to use our local businesses. There is a fantastic range of goods available in Oban in premises that are a pleasure to visit and are staffed by our family and friends.

Take the time and effort to shop locally: honestly, it’s worth it.

The entertainment available this week is also very eclectic, ranging from Tibetan monks this evening in St Columba’s Cathedral, a piano recital by Marek Kochmanski in Glencruitten Hall tomorrow afternoon, Light and Life in Costa Coffee on Saturday and Santa in Airds Crescent, also on Saturday.

All the details are, as usual, in Oban Town Diary.

The photograph from last week was the front of the Queen’s Hotel on the Esplanade and, according to a reliable source, it’s that shape to represent a pen nib as it was built by the gentleman responsible for Parker pens.

This week’s photo is nearby and should be familiar to you.