There is plenty to look forward to

Happy New Year to everyone.

It has been a lovely start to 2019 with mild weather and little rain. I really hope that it is a sign of things to come and that the rest of your year remains like the weather: mild and peaceful but not so peaceful that it is boring.

Thankfully, the rain on Hogmanay stopped in plenty time for the fireworks from the tower which were spectacular this year. In fact, I think they were the best of the whole year – and the others were amazing too.

We have lots to look forward to this year, with January and February full of quizzes and ceilidhs, always an interesting mix, starting with a quiz for Oban Pipe Band in the Masonic Hall tomorrow (Friday January 11) at 7.30pm.

As you’ll have guessed, I love quizzes and there are so many good ones in the town. I’m like a pig in clover, if you’ll excuse the mixed metaphors. The Lorne has one every Wednesday, Markie Dan’s on a Sunday, The Oban Inn restarts on January 17, as well as the many fundraising quizzes throughout the year to look forward to.

Of course the big event, as always, is Oban Live in June, with an amazing line-up already announced and more to come. Ticket sales in the BID4Oban office were really busy before Christmas with lots of people getting tickets to give as presents, which was a great idea. If you have a birthday coming up, then you know what to ask for.

The last photograph just before Christmas was a really easy one of the steps at the cinema and this week’s is quite easy too, as it is in a very busy wee street.