Probus Club welcomes Lochaber Archive Centre speakers
Rory Green and Lorna Steele-McGinn of Lochaber Archive Centre were guest speakers at a recent meeting of Lochaber Probus Club, writes Iain Ferguson.
They revealed the centre, based in what was the former Fort William Primary School, houses a range of materials covering the history of the area from personal family papers to school records, newspapers, photographs and other items.
These are maintained in purpose-built storage conditions which control temperature and humidity to ensure original documents survive in pristine condition for future generations.
The archive is now fully open for inquiries and research, with Rory permanently based on the premises to help with inquiries.
Lochaber Probus Club was formed in January 2020 by retired optician and wellknown local figure David Anderson as part of the international body which encourages retired and semi-retired people to come together for discussions and listen to guest speakers.
Meetings are monthly, usually the third Thursday of each month, starting at 11.30am for coffee, finishing at around 1.45 pm in the An Clachan base of the Lochaber Rural Education Trust in Torlundy. There is a £5 per meeting donation for those attending with lunch being paid individually directly to the rural education trust centre. Club secretary Mr Anderson commented: ‘We are not a fundraising organisation, just a group of like-minded people with an interest in meeting up for friendly discussion and to listen to speakers on a wide variety of topics. Everyone is welcome, either to join up or to volunteer as a guest speaker.’ For further information, contact Mr Anderson, by email david@mirlos.co.uk, by phone 07802 452293, or through the club’s Facebook page, Lochaber Probus Club.