Beachd Ailein
I note many local councillors’ MPs and MSPs behaving like unfortunate turkeys wishing for Christmas but instead of Christmas its wishing for extended lockdown.
Would the local councillors and politicians, who are still being paid, still be advocating closure if they weren’t being paid – I don’t think so.
So we are not all in this together after all. Many family businesses have had no income whatsoever and have now closed forever. Businesses who were just keeping themselves afloat getting by year by year but serving the town and area well.
Put simply, the longer we remain closed the more businesses will not reopen. This lockdown (prison term) is due to exaggerated doomsday death projections from the Imperial College and a scientist predicting that, by October, more than 500,000 people in Great Britain and 2 million people in the US would die as a result of COVID-19. His figures were wrong.
At the same time we have seen little change or reduction in the length of lockdown but a desire to lengthen the closure by our still being paid politicians answerable to Whitehall, and still being paid councillors answerable to Kilmory but both elected to act as the people elected them to do.
The town has lost income which even during war time Oban never experienced, as the hotels were full, and the property prices never dropped. It is time to reopen fast, Covid or no Covid, or there will be nothing left to reopen. Angus Files
Oban editor@obantimes.co.uk
Bho chionn ghoirid tha mi air a bhith a’ cuimhneachadh mar a bhiodh m’ athair ag ràdh rium bho àm gu àm nam òige, gun robh an t-àm an “sgiath” fuilt a bh’ orm a bhearradh! Mar a dh’èirich dha mìltean eile tha mise cuideachd fìor fheumach air cliop a-nise! Chan eil cuimhne agam cuin a bha m’ fhalt cho fada, agus tha mi a’ faireachadh car mar caora dà-rùsg! Ged a tha mi air a bhith a’ feuchainn ri mo bhean a bhrosnachadh gus a dhol an sàs leis an t-siosar chan eil i deònach, agus a rèir choltais chan eil agam ach a bhith foighidneach, agus ma dh’fheumas ’s dòcha figheachan a chur na mo logaidh!
Dh’ionnsaich mòran mharaichean, gu h-àraidh saoilidh mi an fheadhainn a bha sa chabhlaich mharsanta, sgilean borbaireachd fhad ’s a bha iad aig muir agus bha m’ athair cho ealanta leis a’ “mhachine” is gun robh a’ mhòr-chuid de fhir a’ bhaile a’ tighinn thuige nuair a bha feum aca air am falt a ghearradh. Bhiodh feadhainn eile a’ gearradh falt cuideachd ach cha robh iad cho sgileil a rèir choltais. Nuair a bha mi mu naodh neo deich bliadhna a dh’aois is m’ athair air falbh mìosan an t-samhraidh air “bàtaichean-luath” Chluaidh, tha cuimhneam a bhith an taigh mo sheanar is nàbaidh, aig an robh cliù geur-chainnt, air chèilidh.
Thuirt mo sheanair gun robh e feumach air cliop ach nach robh e cinnteach co thuige a rachadh e is m’ athair air falbh, agus dh’iarr e beachd an neach-tadhail air duine àraid eile sa bhaile mar bhorbair. “Uill” ars an cèiliche “thug am fear sin am falt dhìomsa turas is cha leigeadh an nàire leam mo bhonaid a thoirt dhìom fiù ’s san leabaidh fad chola-deug!”
’S math cuimhneachadh air an seòrsa eirmseachd a bha cho bitheanta an uairsin, agus thèid na bacaidhean a th’ oirnn seachad a dh’aithghearr tha sinn an dòchas. Gun teagamh tha fadachd air daoine airson iomadach goireas agus seirbheis nach gabh faotainn an-dràsta, eadar cothrom air fiaclair, gruagaire, neo bùth àraid, agus tha na mìltean ag ionndrainn a bhith ag amharc an cuid spòrs seachdaine agus theagamh pinnt leanna neo drama na dhèidh. Ach tha an suidheachadh a th’ againn an-dràsta na dheagh chuimhneachan dhuinn air cho neoar-thaingeil ‘s a tha sinn anns a’ bhitheantas air sochairean de gach seòrsa a tha sinn a’ cur gu feum nar beatha làitheil. Mar a dh’èirich dha uimhir de bhuannachdan, eadar càirdean agus goireasan, cha chuirear luach da-rìribh orra chun am bheil iad air an àicheadh dhuinn! Nach bu mhath gun cuimhnicheamaid air sin nuair a bhios an aonarachd seachad, agus gun gabh sinn a h-uile cothrom air ùine an cuideachd chàirdean agus charaidean a tha cudromach dhuinn.
Lockdown restrictions highlight how much in life we take for granted, whether it be the company of family and friends or the convenience of services. Will we appreciate these more when things return to “normal”?
Allan Campbell ailean@obantimes.co.uk