FORTY YEARS AGO Friday March 16, 1984
go well beyond the brief for the local authority’s non-profit distributing public private partnership project (NPDO) contract, which was to rebuild Hermitage Academy, Helensburgh, and Dunoon Grammar School and extensively refurbish 26 more of Argyll and Bute’s 92 schools.
Mike Geraghty, head of capital funding projects, said: “We said we would welcome innovation and fresh ideas and they have brought them forward.”
Two bidders met the council’s overall requirements: Schools for the Community (SFTC), which was named as the reserve bidder, and Precept. Mr Geraghty explained that the bids were very different in how they were presented as well as the overall solution, but neither met affordability targets.
That is why Precept remains only the “provisional” preferred bidder; because there is a financial shortfall, despite the council’s commitment and the Scottish Executive’s promise of £5.73 million, ring-fenced, every year for the 30 year term of the project, a total of £171 million.
Time bomb in the archives
Usually, Argyll and Bute District Council’s archivist, Mr Murdo McDonald, is only too keen to receive old records and documents.
However, this week he acted completely out of character and broke the habit of a lifetime and gave away an item from the archives and ... heaved a sigh of relief.
He literally had a time bomb ticking away in the council’s treasure-trove of irreplaceable documents.
Because, hidden in the archives, was a British Paramount news film of the granting of the Freedom of the Royal Burgh of Rothesay to Edward, Prince of Wales and Duke of Rothesay (who later became Duke of Windsor) on June 17, 1933.
Hardly anything to set the heather on fire you would think. But the film, as was the style in those days, was made of nitrate and as it ages it becomes an unstable explosive which will eventually ignite spontaneously.
However, there was no need to alert the bomb squad as a quick call to the Scottish Film Archive in Glasgow soon defused the potential explosive situation. They are now in possession of the delayed-action film and everything is now reported as under control.
The film will be given specialist treatment and a non-exploding version will be made for local interest.
A relieved Murdo MacDonald, who almost had the last word to say on this, commented: “I’m glad this burning issue is over. Now I know how it 1984: A contingent from Mid Argyll pictured at the Lorn Branch of the Scottish Country Dance Society weekend school in Oban. feels to play mine-host, I certainly wouldn’t do it for a living because I could really have put myself in the picture.”
SIXTY YEARS AGO Friday March 17, 1964 Lochgilphead flood warning
Lochgilphead could well be endangered by flood in 20 years’ time if immediate action is not taken to drain two reservoirs which stand above the town, warned Provost Dugald MacBrayne last week.
Expressing his concern, Provost MacBrayne said that after a heavy rainfall, the level of the reservoirs – Drim and Blarbuie – which are no longer in use, rose quite appreciably, but did not drain away to the same extent afterwards.
The reservoirs supplied the burgh’s water supply until two years ago when the county council took over the provision of the supply from Ardrishaig.
“What worries me,” said Provost MacBrayne, who is acting convener of the water committee, “is that perhaps in 20 years’ time, with the reservoirs filling up faster than they drain, they might give way.”
He added that the water inspector was of the opinion that at Blarbuie reservoir there was a trapdoor which was jammed at the sluice-gate.
“If this could be opened, the water could run through and into the burn leading to Lochgilphead.”
A dramatic but nevertheless serious remedy to the problem at Blarbuie was suggested by Bailie Philip A Lear, who recommended blowing-up the affected portion of the sluice-gate.
When several members chuckled in the belief that he was making jocular reference to the use of explosives, Bailie Lear said that he had never been more serious.
“In fact I am sure the Army would be only too willing to do it for us,” he claimed.
One councillor, whose house stands directly below Drim reservoir which lies several hundred yards from the uppermost reaches of the town, was Hon Treasurer Dr A I McCallum.
“Speaking as a property owner in direct line of the prospective flood, I thought this reservoir had been emptied. If not, we will have to divert the water.”
Support for the blowing-up theory of Bailie Lear came from Councillor W H E Gillebertus, who said he thought it quite feasible to breach the sluice-gate in this manner.
When the clerk reported that no word had been received from Argyll Hospitals Board who had been asked if they were interested in a supply from Blarbuie reservoir, Dean of Guild MacKellar suggested that the county council might be interested in a supply from Drim reservoir in connection with the new school.