FROM OUR FILES
TEN YEARS AGO Friday December 26, 2008 Santa visits young footballers
Santa paid a visit to the Victoria Hall to see the children from the Campbeltown and District Juvenile Football Association. Campbeltown United would like to thank McEachran and Robertson, Nugent Joiners, Livingstone and McEachran, Alastair Blair, McNair and Son and Archie Smith for their contributions towards the clubs over the past year.
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Friday December 31, 1993 Wm Low superstore lifts award
Campbeltown’s new Wm Low supermarket is to receive the second annual Argyll and Bute District Council planning design award. It was chosen for its design and sensitivity in attempting to blend the past with the present. Materials from an old bonded whisky warehouse which was demolished to clear the site were incorporated. The supermarket was one on a shortlist of five developments assessed by a panel comprising district council chairman George McMillan, Allan Macaskill (Awe), Campbell Cameron (North Lorn), Ian Love (depute director of planning, development and tourism) and an independent architect. The panel’s decision was unanimous.
FIFTY YEARS AGO Thursday December 26, 1968 Golden wedding
There was a large turn-out of relatives and friends at the White Hart Hotel at the weekend when Mr and Mrs Robert Millar, Strathendrick, Campbeltown, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Mr Millar, a retired farmer, farmed at Gigha and Kilkivan. He was a member of Campbeltown Town and Argyll County councils for six years. Mrs Millar was secretary and president of Campbeltown WRI and an active member of the organisation for many years. They have three sons and three daughters, James, who farms Kilkivan; William, a lieutenant-colonel in the RAMC; Thomas, who is farming in Rhodesia; Elizabeth, now Mrs Rennie and living in Ayr; Jessie, now Mrs Murphie, living in Crawley, Sussex; and Margaret, wife of local lawyer and burgh prosecutor Mr Robert Graham. Mr and Mrs Millar were married 50 years ago in the White Hart Hotel. They have 15 grandchildren.
End of an era
As 1968 draws to an end, one of the last indications that Kintyre had a coal-mining industry disappears gradually from the Old Quay. Mr Archibald McMillan, an employee of Archibald McFadyen, the local contractors, was photographed burning his way through the framework of the old coal chute.
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO Saturday December 28, 1918 Boilermakers’ Society
A pleasant function took place in the Templar Hall on Saturday afternoon, when at a gathering of officials and members of the Boilermakers’ Society, Mr Wm Mitchell, North Shore Street, who has efficiently filled the position of secretary of the local branch for 18 years and still retains office, was the recipient of two handsome presentations in token of appreciation of his labours, Mrs Mitchell at the same time receiving a gift to mark the members’ sense of her courtesy on all occasions. Mr Wm McMillan, plater, presided and paid high tribute to the work of their secretary. As a colleague of Mr Mitchell in office for a number of years, he expressed the pleasure he had in being associated with him, and testified to Mr Mitchell’s good work, in the branch and yard. He had much pleasure in asking the president to hand over, as a token of esteem, a wallet of Treasury notes subscribed by the members and some kind friends outside the branch; also a beautiful silk umbrella for Mrs Mitchell. Mr E Brown, in handing over the presents, expressed the pleasure it gave him to be asked to do so.