events 121 - Hebevents.com

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Don’t forget Mother’s Day on
Sunday the 6th March...
Treat her to something special!
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Heritage
animal feed
22 Francis Street
Stornoway
Isle of Lewis
HS1 2NB
t: 01851 704949
www.rmkgroup.co.uk
www.hjlea.com
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ADVICE
YOU CAN
TRUST
EVENTS SECTION ONE - Page 2
Head shave
for charity by
Declan, 13
A
young Stornoway man is shaving
his head for charity after
experiencing the work of Yorkhill
Children's Hospital first hand.
Declan Cunningham, 13, is set to lose his locks on Wednesday,
April 6th, at the White Rooms hairdressers, Bayhead, to raise funds
and awareness for Yorkhill Children's Charity.
The Nicolson Institute pupil had attended the Glasgow-based
hospital for a two years to undergo treatment for a hip complaint.
“I think his eyes were opened,” said Declan's mother Anne-Marie
Cunningham. “It was quite daunting at times, seeing the other sick
children, and I think it put things into perspective for him.
“He told me he wished we could help them, and then he came out
with the idea of getting sponsored to shave his head.”
Not nervous at the idea of his impending baldness, Declan is pleased
to be able to do something in return for the care he received at Yorkhill.
“I was really well looked after and the staff were really nice,” he
said. “They'd sit with you and play games.”
Declan continued: “I just felt sad seeing the other kids, so I thought
I'd like to raise money for new equipment, things like that.”
Already Declan's total reached £150 – and if you'd like to help
him raise more, keep an eye out for donation buckets or sign up on
his sponsor form in Cearns Community Shop.
In memoriam
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02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
Cycle plan revives old house
By Eilidh Whiteford
Glen House
A
new chapter in the life of one of Stornoway's oldest
buildings is being written as Alistair Glover of BeSpoke
Bicycles (Hebrides) Ltd has begun transforming Glen House into
The Hub.
Situated on Willowglen Road, on the corner of Lews Castle
Grounds, opposite the Cabarfeidh Hotel, Glen House is a familiar
sight for passing pedestrians and motorists.
“Turning Glen House into BeSpoke's The Hub has been a vision
of mine for a long time and it really is the dream now to have the
chance to renovate the house and put a new stamp to the history of
such an iconic building,” said Alistair.
“We know that it was originally built in 1843 when Sir James
Matheson moved to the islands, but a wee bit of investigating has
shown that it appears Glen House may have been built on the site of
an older property dating back to 1785. It's all very fascinating.”
need significant repair work, new windows and doors are needed;
and there's a lot of rotten floor-joists that have to be replaced as well.
With the lease secured from The Stornoway Trust in December,
the full extent of repair Glen House must undergo has now become
apparent.
“I’m getting help from the Stornoway Trust in terms of new timbers
and the Sawmill are helping me clear the garden of the overgrown
bushes and shrubs which has really started to open up the space
around the house,” he continued.
“It's basically save the building now or it will be lost,” he said.
“It's deteriorated rapidly in recent months to the point where it's
essentially derelict and we've discovered that not only did the roof
“I’m only a small company and finding finance to help with the
work has been really hard, and there appears to be little in the way of
grants to assist small start-up businesses.
Alistair Glover
“BeSpoke is undertaking all the renovation work entirely, along
with kind offers of help from friends, to bring the building back to
a habitable state, and it will be worth it to see not only the house
itself saved but that area of the Castle Grounds opened up again for
everybody to enjoy.”
The building has had a number of different names over the last
two centuries. It's believed that the miller Latta – from nearby Latta's
Mill – lived there, and from 1857 to 1881, the manager of the Lewis
Chemical Works, Henry Caunter, lived in the house, known then as
Millburn Cottage, when he moved to the islands from Devon with Sir
James Matheson.
And most recently, in the 1960s, the building was known as the
Factor's House when former Stornoway Trust Factor DM Smith and
family took up residence.
Renovation plans include not only creating a repairs workshop and
retail outlet, but also a cafe and outdoor picnic area, as well as public
parking and toilets.
“The location is absolutely perfect,” said Alistair. “The proximity to
the main road captures visiting tourists as they pass the door, and it's
also right on hand for the Castle Grounds mountain bike trails and
the Lews Castle development.
“My hope is that the project brings life back into an old quiet
corner of the Castle Grounds that has historically been a busy place
with dog and horse shows and the Willowglen Highland Games held
on the green next to the house over the years.
"And knowing that I'm bringing the building back into use and
saving it for the future is a great, great feeling,” he added.
HOW TO CONTACT US
Editor: Fred Silver 01851 705743
[email protected]
Advertising: April Maclean Graham
[email protected]
Feature writers/reporters:
Iain A MacSween 01851 705671
[email protected]
Roz Skinner, Katie Macleod,
Eilidh Whiteford
Administration:
Melissa Silver 01851 705749 or
[email protected]
Design and layout: Andrew Jeffries
Additional design: Keith Stringer
Accounts email: [email protected]
Free listings information:
[email protected]
NEXT EDITION: The deadline for information and advertising is Tuesday
March 29th. The newspaper will appear on Wednesday April 6
EVENTS is published by Intermedia Services, Offices 1-3, Clintonʼs Yard, Rigs Road, Stornoway, HS1 2RF Tel: 01851 705743
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
Band launches single,
gets ready for US trip
By Eilidh Whiteford
M
arch heralds the launch of The Broken
Ravens single 'Black Knuckle Ride' – and
a transatlantic bid for the Lewis band with an
invitation to play LA's Whisky a Go Go club.
Available for download from March 18th, with
pre-orders available from March 4th, the single
launch also includes Ravens' record 'Feed The
Madness'.
And with their EP ready to go for launch later in
the summer, 2016 looks set to be an exciting year
for the local heavy metal band.
“The plan really is to launch the single and raise
the online profile of the band before hopefully
gigging at festivals in the summer; then we're
aiming to play Whisky a Go Go in September, with
the launch of the EP to coincide with that,” said
Ravens' drummer Kevin Clark.
Spending time in Los Angeles in November
with workmate Eric Murray, local postman Kevin
met with some of the genre's big names, including
drummer Roy Mayorga from three-time Grammy
nominated US band Stone Sour who had contacted
the Ravens after hearing their music at a friend's
house.
And the local lads found out they are becoming
further known to those in-the-know Stateside
“I couldn't believe it this time when Roy told
me that he'd been chatting with Jason Christopher,
the bassist from Prong and who recently sang with
Dave Grohl at this year's Dimebash Memorial
concert in LA,” said Kevin. “Jason had told Roy he
just had to 'check out these guys called The Broken
Ravens'!”
From their LA contacts came the open-ended
invitation to play West Hollywood club Whisky
a Go Go. Situated on the LA's Sunset Sunset
Boulevard the club proved the launching pad for
bands like The Doors, Alice Cooper, Van Halen,
Metallica and Motely Crue.
And with New York genre-specific PR company
Adrenaline PR – who represent Motorhead, Anthrax
and Monster Engery – behind the Lewis boys, the
Ravens hope to take advantage of the American
hospitality in late summer.
“We couldn't believe how the November trip
went,” continued Kevin. “Everyone we know has
been so helpful and down-to-earth.
“These are people who know what they're
talking about – the last time we were out we met
with Mark Hoppus from Blink 182 and he looked
over a contract we'd been offered which was a big
help.
“But I think our demeanour helps, being polite,
taking gifts like Harris Tweed and Harris Gin from
the islands, being down-to-earth ourselves – just
that Stornoway way of doing things.”
The US reception is a testament to the music of
Kevin, bandmates Thrash, Lotto Ferguson, Derek
Healey and Toby Michaels – but The Broken Ravens
also credit highly the local support for helping give
the band a step-up.
“What financed the record was 400 people
buying our t-shirts,” said Kevin. “It was an amazing
feeling in An Lanntair at our gig in January, looking
out and seeing everyone in Broken Ravens t-shirts.
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Great prices on all your pets’ needs
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“Every penny made by the band goes back into
the band, and without that support we'd never be
able to do what we do.”
And in 2015 'doing what they do' involved
playing gigs from Orkney to London, including a
slot at the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival and a
stint in the UK capital's The Water Rats pub, Kings
Cross – the venue for Bob Dylan's first UK gig in
1962, as well as Oasis' London debut in 1994.
Now, having spent the latter half of last year
recording the EP with Keith Morrison at Wee Studio,
the Ravens hope the next twelve months bring
more live performance and touring opportunities,
on either side of the Atlantic.
Looks like it's very much a case of 'watch-thisspace' for The Broken Ravens 2016!
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02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
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HAVE YOU EVER
CONSIDERED FOSTERING?
mhacachd & Daltach
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Be a foster carer and change lives forever
Do you have time, patience and
understanding to give to children?
We need foster carers for children and
young people living in the Western Isles
who are unable to remain living with their
families.
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We provide specialist support and training
and can provide allowances of up to
£194.00 p/wk. There is also the potential
career prospect as a fee paid Foster Carer
where qualified and experienced foster
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If you are interested in finding out more please contact:
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The Adoption & Fostering Team
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Sandwick Rd, Stornoway
Tel: 01851 822749
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[email protected]
[email protected]
A’ Coileanadh Sàr-Mhaitheas Còmhla –Achieving Excellence Together
$LUSRUW
See the Outer Hebrides
from the sea…
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Ŷ Concrete Works Ŷ Site Clearances Ŷ Access Roads
Ŷ Landscaping Ŷ Driveways Ŷ Tar Preparation
Ŷ Drainage Ŷ Digger Hire Ŷ Tipper Hire Ŷ Top Soil
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Tel: 01851 621 432 Mob: 07769712170
www.amkplantandtipperhire.co.uk
[email protected]
Gift vouchers are available for all our trips and are valid for a year from the date of purchase.
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02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
Recruiting Now for
LEWS CASTLE
BY NATURAL RETREATS
Open Days
At An Lanntair, Kenneth Street,
Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, HS1 2DS
Wednesday 16 March
There will be presentations at
9.30am & 4.30pm
Thursday 17 March
We are delighted to be recruiting for
a variety of roles at Lews Castle.
- General Assistants for catering, events and retail
- Chef positions
- Assistant General Manager
Please see our website for full details of the roles. If you are interested, please come
along to the open days to learn more about Natural Retreats and the positions available.
There will be presentation at 9.30am
to [email protected] by 11 March 2016
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
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Spring-time fun!
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02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
30 Francis Street
Stornoway
Isle of Lewis
HS1 2ND
T: 01851 707219
E: [email protected]
W: www.orbit.agency
• Business Advisory Services
• Marketing & Social Media
• Administration Support
• Human Resources
• Training & Development
Making friends with your
customers… the modern way
to sell your products
By Katie Macleod
W
ith the exponential increase in digital technology, it’s
unsurprising that the boundaries between traditional and
new forms of marketing are shifting. What the Directors at Orbit
Agency, Claire Macleod and Diane Murray, aim to do is ease that
transition for local businesses, supporting them in bringing their
products and services to an even wider audience.
Traditional marketing covers the products and practices everyone
is familiar with: think print advertising, television advertising, mail
shots, and cold calling. “It’s where businesses and people are
reaching out to their customers and trying to entice them, really,
whereas new marketing would be where you’re creating a situation
where the customers are coming to you for information that they find
really valuable,” explains Diane.
“It’s about getting the best from both traditional and new marketing,”
says Claire of the Orbit Agency approach. “We work with clients to
take an individual approach to each business, to each industry sector
that they’re operating in, and the target market that they’re going after,
and saying ‘Here’s what we would recommend for you.’”
While social media is essential these days, there are even more
ways that business can use the new marketing approach, whether
through sending email newsletters, adding QR codes to their printed
products, and even branching out into augmented reality. What many
people are unaware of is just how accessible these tools are; many are
inexpensive, and others are completely free.
“The reason a lot of companies don’t engage with it is they’re not
confident [and] because they’re busy with their operations,” says
Claire. “The way we work is we’ll say okay, we’ll come in and support
your staff. We’re up-skilling the team that is there, and they then grow
in confidence, and take ownership of it themselves.”
The new marketing approach is all about engaging with customers
and building relationships. As Diane explains, “It puts a human face
on the business. You’re engaging with the customers, you’re talking
to them, through email, or chat, or forums, and it can only benefit
customer relationship services.”
“People buy from people, it’s all very ‘buzzwordy’ but it’s so
true. While we want to buy the product and we’re interested in the
product, we want to find out about the human aspect, who the person
is behind it.”
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02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
TV vote plea over £50,000 award for Gaelic youngsters
By Eilidh Whiteford
I
n the running for an award of up to £50,000,
Western Isles-wide Gaelic youngsters
initiative Thig a Chluich (Come and Play) needs
your help.
The group is one of only five in the STV North
area to be shortlisted in ITV's The People's Projects
awards which sees up to £50,000 of Big Lottery Fund
money presented to projects through public voting.
The work of the island project is set to feature on
STV North news at 6pm on Thursday, March 3rd;
and it is hoped that Western Isles residents will get
behind the Comunn nam Parant run Thig a Chluich
and cast them their vote online.
The Come and Play project focuses on bilingual
play sessions for babies and toddlers up to the age
of three; and aims to reach out to rural communities
and enable parents and carers to enjoy a relaxed
and informal group held on their own doorsteps.
their wee one before a structured half-hour Gaelic
Bookbug session is taken by Iona and Mairi, after
which there's another 30 minutes free play.
set time, and for many it can be quite daunting
coming to something big in town if they've never
been before.”
“The group encourages the use of Gaelic between
parent and child and by keeping it local it means
bonds and friendships are formed within families in
the same geographical area,” said Project Manager
Iona Mactaggart. Taking place fortnightly within
Stornoway, the Thig a Chluich team – learner Gaelic
speaker Iona and fluent Gaelic speaker Mairi
Macleod – also visit areas the length and breadth
of the Western Isles, setting up Come and Play
sessions in Ness, Shawbost, the Uists, Tarbert and
Breasclete amongst other places in 2015.
“The Bookbug sessions are great fun and the
kids are just transfixed,” said Iona. “They are at the
perfect age for introduction to Gaelic, like a sponge
they just soak the language up. Mairi and I both feel
it a real privilege to see the babies grow; but also to
see the confidence levels of parents grow too.
“We have many parents who say they've
forgotten all their Gaelic, but they remember more
than they think most of the time and it's great to
see them joining in nursery rhymes and gaining the
confidence to speak Gaelic again.
And that's where a win in The People's Projects
would mean an enormous difference to the Come
and Play scheme as, if successful, they plan to
purchase a Transit van to enable more and more
Thig a Chluich sessions to take place around the
Western Isles. “It's time-consuming and if we had
our own van we could not only store everything
in it, but it would mean we can go wherever we
want when we want to, we can deliver more regular
sessions outside of Stornoway.”
With a mix of Gaelic and English, sessions begin
with a half-hour free play time where parents, carers,
grandparents can enjoy floor-based play-time with
“It's also important for us to get out to the more
rural remote communities – it's not easy for some
people to come to something in Stornoway for a
Online voting in the ITV's The Peoples Projects
awards closes at noon on Sunday, March 13th.
And to show your support and cast a vote for Thig
a Chluich visit www.thepeoplesproject.org.uk
Success lights way ahead for candle makers
By Iain A MacSween
I
t’s been all systems go for the Buth Bheag
Candle Company in recent weeks.
As well as starting production from a new
business unit in East Tarbert, the firm has set about
expanding its range outwith the Western Isles, such
is the popularity of its products.
Proprietor Jamie McGowan told EVENTS: “We’re
thankful to the North Harris Trust for allocating us
our business unit, as that is now our base.
“All our products are made by hand at the unit,
and it’s also where we run our ‘Isle of Harris CarHire’ company from.”
Buth Bheag Candle Company employs two staff
working part-time both at the unit and in their shop
on Main Street, in Tarbert.
The hope is that if current trends continue, fulltime staff can be taken on in the not-too-distant
future.
The star attractions are undoubtedly the scented
candles, all named after Harris beaches.
Jamie explained: “Our five scents are Seilebost,
which is black pomegranate, Luskentyre which is
bergamot, vanilla, coconut and almond, Horgabost
which is lemongrass and ginger, Scarista which is
seaweed and juniper and Hushinish which is pink
champagne and pomello.
“We have also introduced wax melts and diffuser
refills to our range. These refills are proving to be
extremely popular as they are not expensive and
they last for around three months.”
For Mother’s Day, Buth Bheag Candle Company
are putting together a special mix-and-match gift
set promotion where customers can choose exactly
what they want based on their budget.
They have also reached agreement to supply
bespoke candle products to Salar Smokehouse, in
South Uist, as well as the Aros Centre in Portree
and other outlets in Alness, Dingwall and Beauly.
“We’re very fortunate that local people are liking
what we are doing, as well as tourists,” said Jamie.
“In Stornoway, we are indebted to ‘Delights’ for
stocking our products.
“In Harris, we’ve been very busy with locals
buying gifts for families, getting diffusers for
themselves, sending things away, and that’s very
encouraging.
“If it wasn’t for locals we wouldn’t have a
business.
“We stock things that you don’t get in other
shops and they like that.”
Main Street, Tarbert, Isle of Harris HS3 3DJ
t: 01859 502 101 [email protected]
www.buthbheagcandleco.uk
Eco-recognition for congregation
T
he Salvation Army Stornoway Corps has
become the first church in the Western Isles
to be recognised as an eco-congregation.
The Salvation Army Stornoway Corps has
been awarded a certificate by Eco-Congregation
Scotland, an ecumenical movement helping groups
of Christians to link environmental issues to their
faith and reduce their environmental impact.
Callum Newton, Lieutenant at Salvation Army
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
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Stornoway Corps, explains: "To be recognised as an
eco-congregation by Eco-Congregation Scotland
initially is an acknowledgement of the statement of
intent made by the church to be concerned about
the environment as part of God's creation. We are
then committed to carrying out an environmental
audit, which helps to identify existing environmental
work, and prioritise what we would like to do next."
There are 350 eco-congregations in Scotland,
125 of which hold the Eco-Congregation Award,
that the Salvation Army Stornoway Corps is now
working towards. Callum Newton said: "It's very
easy for us to appreciate the wonder of creation
when we live in such a beautiful part of the world,
We want to do all we can for the good of the
island and I believe that being an eco-congregation
will aid our focus on environmental as well as
(but not instead of) social issues."
BORROWING?
or
STEALING?
Managers
named for
Island Games
teams
T
he Western Isles Island Games Association has
announced their new team of Sports Managers
for the islands' nine participation sports.
The team is made up of a group of managers
who have all experienced the Island Games, and
know what is required to prepare and compete at
this level.
Athletics – Seumas Mactaggart
Badminton – Paul Finnegan
Cycling/Triathlon –Christina Mackenzie
Men’s Football –
Eric ‘Strada’ Macleod
(Assistants – Magnus Johnson & Graeme Millar)
Women’s Football - Catherine Ann Macleod &
Euan ‘Moley’ Macleod
Golf - Bryan Geddes
If you’re concerned an adult is at risk
of harm, it’s right to have it checked out.
Sometimes, instinct tells you things aren’t right. Like seeing
an adult who is at risk of harm giving money to a stranger
or to someone they know, for reasons that concern you.
With one email or anonymous phone call, the situation
you’re worried about will be checked out and support given,
if needed. It may be nothing, but there’s no harm in being sure.
Shooting - Archie Macvicar
Swimming - David Hanlon
The managers will be supported by the General
Team Manager, Iain GG Campbell, and the rest of
the WIIGA Committee. The role of the manager
includes supporting the promotion of their
sport throughout the Western Isles, supporting
development of their sport, setting criteria for
qualification, selection of the team, fundraising,
liaising with Island Games sports organisers and
management of the team at the Games.
WIIGA Chairperson, Norrie MacDonald said:
“Following on from the successes at recent games,
most notably our last participation at Jersey 2015, it is
important that we underpin the development we have
seen across all sports and throughout the islands.
The Western Isles Adult Protection
Committee is supporting the Scottish
Government’s ‘Seen Something? Say
Something’ campaign, aimed at raising
awareness of adult harm.
“I believe this is as strong a group of managers
as we could have hoped for, and the work has
already begun to prepare for Gotland in 2017.”
For more info go to actagainstharm.org
Seen something? Say something.
The next NatWest Island Games will be held in
Gotland 2017 from 24th – 30th June.
Following sponsorship of the squad at last year’s
Games in Jersey, The Scottish Salmon Company
will continue to be a main sponsor for the Games in
Gotland, Craig Anderson, Managing Director said:
“We were extremely proud of the performance of
the teams at last year’s Games, they certainly put
the Western Isles on the map and highlighted the
wealth of athletic talent we have across the islands."
Arctic Medal awarded
T
he service of a brave Lewisman who led a
Russian Convoy during World War II has
finally been marked with the award of the
Arctic Star Medal.
The late Captain Murdo Macleod, originally from
Barvas, was Commodore of a Convoy of 39 ships
(PQ18) which left Loch Ewe in February 1942. As
Captain of the cargo ship Empire Snow, he was
involved in the voyage to Russia which, despite
relentless attack, successfully delivered supplies.
His proud family had tried in vain to secure the
medal posthumously for Captain Macleod, who was
lost at sea in 1944, but were refused as no records
were identified by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Na h-Eileanan an Iar MP Angus MacNeil wrote
to the MoD last year and was very pleased to
receive a letter confirming Captain Macleod’s
eligibility and apologising for previously being
unable to locate the records.
Mr MacNeil said: “It was a great honour to help to
secure this medal for the Macleod family which marks
the service of Captain Murdo Macleod on the Arctic
Convoys in 1942, for which he also received the
posthumous award of Distinguished Service Cross.”
The Empire Snow, built in Glasgow in 1940, was
scrapped in Shanghai in 1968.
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
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02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
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www.hebevents.com
Current trend in Isles car hire has electric touch
By Iain A MacSween
T
13-16 JULY 2016
he future of car hire has arrived in Stornoway – and it’s
electric.
Ten brand new electric cars are now available to hire for as little
as an hour at a time, offering a green, convenient and economical
alternative to standard vehicle ownership.
The new venture is a collaboration between Zero Carbon Marine
Ltd (operators of the Pentland Road Windfarm), Car-Hire Hebrides Ltd
and E-Car Club, who operate entirely electric car clubs across the UK.
The fleet consists of one Renault Kangoo Z.E van and nine Renault
ZOE hatchbacks, which can achieve around 70-90 miles on a single
charge and feature climate control, cruise control and satellite
navigation as standard.
Hire costs for the ZOEs will be just £5.50 per hour/£45 per day,
and the Kangoo will be £7.50 per hour/£60 per day. All prices include
insurance and there is, of course, no fuel to pay for!
Charging points for the cars are dotted along the length of the
islands, with a rapid charging point situated at the Sandwick Road
offices of the Comhairle. Other charging points are available at
CalMac ports and several other locations.
A rapid charge takes around 30 minutes from empty to full, while
normal charging points take a little longer.
FEATURING
RUNRIG
Breabach head
new acts added to
HebCelt 2016
RED HOT CHILLI PIPERS
HAYSEED DIXIE • JULIE FOWLIS
JOHN MCCUSKER • KING CREOSOTE • ASTRID
RURA • RUSTY SHACKLE • BREABACH • WHISKY KISS
BLUE ROSE CODE • THE HAZEY JANES • URBAN TEUCHTARS
HUNTER & THE BEAR • FARA • MISS IRENIE ROSE
WOODENBOX • BELLA & THE BEAR • TALISK • SINK SHIPS
MONTICULE • ORPHAN COLOURS • SAM GARRETT • BUNDERLAND
THE SEA ATLAS • SOMETHING SOMEONE • LITTLE FIRE
Ó hEADRA & MACKENZIE • ALAN FREW • SPANISH
MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED
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#HEBCELT16
I
nternationally acclaimed Scottish folk band
Breabach head a host of new exciting acts
that have been added to the line-up for the
21st Hebridean Celtic Festival as day tickets
for the award-winning event go on sale.
The five-piece were voted Best Live Act 2013 and
Best Folk Band 2012 at the MG ALBA Scots Trad
Music Awards and have twice been nominated as
Best Band at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
HebCelt director Caroline Maclennan said:
“Since forming in 2005 Breabach have gone on
to become a huge hit around the globe. We are
delighted they can join us this year.
“The other acts we are confirming today all
bring something unique to the 21st party and are
great additions to an already exciting line-up.”
Breabach will be joined on the main arena
stage by Americana, rock and alternative country
band Orphan Colours, who release their debut
EP High Hopes this week, and Edinburgh soul
and blues trio Monticule.
Lewis singer songwriter Miss Irenie Rose, who
has been compared to Joni Mitchell and was
nominated for best newcomer in the Scottish
Alternative Music Awards in 2013, will join the
Islands Stage programme.
HebCelt has also confirmed the acoustic stage
is to feature Derbyshire singer Sam Garrett;
Bunderland, the solo guise of Argyll singer-
songwriter Ben Sunderland; local artists The Sea
Atlas and Spanish; Little Fire, an award winning
singer songwriter from Ayr; husband and wife
singer-songwriters Brian ÓhEadhra and Fiona
Mackenzie, who will record their first album
together in 2016 for release next year; Alan
Frew, from Troon who releases his new album
this summer, and Nashville born, alt-country
blues singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah.
The festival previously announced its ‘coming
of age’ event will also star Scottish rock legends
Runrig, international singing star Julie Fowlis,
American ‘rockgrass’ band Hayseed Dixie,
multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer
John McCusker, ‘bagrock’ phenomenon the
Red Hot Chilli Pipers, singer songwriter King
Creosote and the re-formed Indie band Astrid.
The 21st HebCelt will be held from 13th-16th
July.
After Early Bird tickets sold out in record time,
day tickets go on sale on Monday, 29th February,
at www.hebceltfest.com/booking
H
Pitch Village will provide 50 tents initially – prepitched and fully-equipped – on a site at Willowglen,
allowing festival-goers the chance to pre-book
accommodation for two to eight people.
The site will also offer showers, toilets, storage
facilities, phone charging and dedicated security.
Festival Director Caroline Maclennan said: “This is
a new innovation for us and one I think will be very
popular with people travelling to attend HebCelt.
“It offers the camper something entirely new and is
designed to complement the range of accommodation
available on the island which are stretched beyond
belief during the festival.
“The environmentally friendly approach is also in
keeping with the festival’s ethos and we hope to attract
light travellers which will also help reduce further the
carbon footprint of the festival.”
The Pitch Village site will complement the existing
campsites and other accommodation which is at a
premium during festival week when about 15,000
people attend the four-day event – around twice the
population of Stornoway.
The influx of visitors means hotels, guesthouses and
the campsites are usually fully booked during festival
week and an annual appeal is made for local residents
to make spare rooms or beds available.
The electric cars provide constant feedback on how much range
is left. “Given the size of Lewis and Harris, it’s unlikely that local
residents will really need to charge up during their booking, but it
was great to put this to the test and see that the infrastructure on the
islands is completely reliable and sensibly spread out,” said Patrick.
The average car journey in the UK is about 30 miles, while it’s
reckoned that the average privately owned vehicle sits parked up for
95 per cent of its life. “Part of our business model is tackling that
inefficiency,” said Patrick.
A quirky feature of the electric cars is the noise. Or rather, the lack
of it. While some electric cars are completely silent, the Stornoway
cars will produce a synthesized sound from between zero and 17
miles per hour, to ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists nearby.
Anything above that speed is just road noise.
The award-winning cars are also high-spec, featuring in-built SatNav and Bluetooth audio.
But arguably the most innovative feature of the new hire service
is its accessibility. The cars can be hired 24/7 using cutting-edge
online technology. Patrick explained: “With E-Car Club you only
need to have your details checked once, and after that you are a fullyfledged member with the ability to go and help yourself to any of the
cars at any time of day.
“If you wanted a car at midnight for an hour, that’s completely
possible. When you sign up to E-Car Club you get a call from head
office, which is three-way with you and the DVLA to check you are
over 19 years old, have been driving more than a year, and that you
don’t have more than six penalty points.
Electric cars were used to take
visitors out to the Pentland Road
Windfarm on the day of the formal
opening on Friday October 9 2015
“After that, we will set up payment details and send you out a
membership pack and card. That card is an RFID (radio-frequency
identification) card, so when you book a car, you tap your card on
the windscreen which opens the car doors. Inside the car the keys
are already there.
“You only require your PIN, which you are sent by email, to release
the keys and then you are ready to go.”
For more info on electric car hire in Stornoway, and to receive
a generous introductory membership offer (£25 instead of £50,
with your first £10 driving credit included for free) please see
www.ecarclub.co.uk/heb316
jo
PAY-AS-YOU-GO
ELECTRIC CAR HIRE
Join E-Car today for low cost, convenient and flexible
access to brand new electric vehicles across Stornoway,
which you can hire from as little as an hour, up to
several days at a time.
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YOUR NEAREST PICK-UP POINTS ARE:
16
Stornoway Airport
HS2 0BN
Car Hire Hebrides, Rigs Road
HS1 2RF
Prices are Thursday £26 (concessions £22
and £9 for children aged 6-14)
Friday £36 (£32 and £9)
Saturday £42 (£36 and £10 for children)
One-off joining fee (£25 normally £50)
Under 6s go free but must have a ticket.
24/7, self service access
HebCelt and Pitch Village aim to ease accommodation pressures
ebCelt organisers are aiming to ease
accommodation pressure in Stornoway by
joining forces for the first time with Pitch Village
to bring a new style of camping to the festival.
“With a bit of planning, you will never run out of power,” Patrick
Cresswell, Marketing Manager with E-Car Club told EVENTS. “We
did a test drive from the Butt of Lewis to the southernmost tip of the
Isle of Barra, and every time we arrived at a ferry port we charged the
car. We managed the journey no problem.”
“You don’t need to fork out on a big car and pay insurance and tax
when you’re not using it.”
Brand new, environmentally friendly vehicles
Younger drivers (19 yrs+) welcome
Susan Millichip, one of the Pitch Village founders, said:
“This is our first year providing this service at festivals and
we think it will make a real difference to an event like
HebCelt where accommodation can be a real issue.
“It’s hassle-free camping and because people don’t
have to carry heavy equipment they don’t need to take
their cars. That makes it cheaper and better for the
environment.”
For more information, visit www.pitchvillage.com or
www.facebook.com/pitchvillage
in partnership with:
For more information, visit:
ecarclub.co.uk/heb316
020 3603 2259
www.hebevents.com
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
The giant
jigsaw,
currently on
display in
the Grianan
cafeteria
Epic artworks
go on show
By Eilidh Whiteford
A
rtworks of epic scale have been produced
by service-users at Grianan, Ardsheileach
and Catch 23 centres through two projects – A
Patchwork History and Picking Up the Pieces –
run in conjunction with An Lanntair's Education
and Outreach team.
Now hanging in the mezzanine gallery in
An Lanntair arts centre, five large colourful
decoupaged works which make up A Patchwork
History bare testament to the hard work of Grianan
and Ardseileach service-users as they took on a
two-year challenge to illustrate some of the isles'
lesser known historical figures.
Participants explored and researched to find
stories not in the forefront of local history, before
creating a design to represent the story and then
painstakingly constructing the works piece by
piece from images and small bits of coloured paper
cut from magazines.
“It was a great project for Grianan as it was one
people could genuinely engage with at all levels,
and it was interesting to find out about all the
stories,” said An Lanntair Head of Education and
Outreach Joe Mahoney.
“It's also been good in respect that it's something
the group can continue on their own – already
they've made a start on a new panel to hang in their
own craft room at the Grianan Centre.”
The découpaged panels adding a burst of colour
to the An Lanntair walls describe tales such as Toll
a Roidh – a hole in a rocky outcrop in Ness said
to be used by a giant to draw Lewis to its current
location, as well as legend that Vikings attached a
rope to it to attempt to tow the island home – along
with The Brahan Seer and Hercules the Bear.
Big Annie MacAulay delivers a female
perspective on history as she carried water to her
father, Domhnall Cam, who had fortified himself
atop a 100ft rock near Mangersta in resistance to
the Mackenzie Clan control of Lewis.
And the tale of The Giant Macaskill, Angus Mòr
MacAskill, born on the Isle of Berneray, is well
represented by the bold image of the strongman
– crowned the World's Tallest Non-Pathological
Giant by the Guinness Book of World Records –
holding an anchor above his head.
“The beauty of the images is that everybody was
able to contribute to their own comfort levels in
making the works, and it means that everyone feels
a bit of pride that it's their work hanging on the
walls,” said Grianan Day Care Officer Christine
Murray.
“We all enjoyed making the panels – it was hard
work with all the tiny pieces of paper, cutting,
arranging and gluing; but when the group stood
back and could see the images coming together
it was a great boost to keep going. And our skills
improved and became more fine tuned the more
we did.”
And the core Grianan creative team – Sandra,
Tina, Margaret and Alison – alongside Diane and
Catherine from Ardseileach, all agreed the project
was one of the best yet: “It was interesting to find
out about the stories,” said Tina, and Alison added:
“The colours were my favourite bit. It was hard
going sometimes, but it was good as well for us all
working together.”
And the hard work continued in second project
Picking Up the Pieces, which was facilitated by
Lewis artist Sandra Kennedy, and created an epic
27,000 piece jigsaw puzzle.
Funded by The Robertson Trust, the inspiration
for the giant jigsaw, currently on display in Grianan,
was sparked by looking at the work of German artist
Gerhard Mayer, who works with jigsaw puzzles
that are de-constructed and then re-used.
To create their own version, service-users of
Grianan and Catch 23 completed over 100 jigsaw
puzzles of various sizes, with an average of 500
pieces per puzzle.
Once made up, however, came the hard part
– destroying the completed puzzle to make
something new.
“There were a few moans that we had to take
apart the jigsaws we'd just completed, but the end
result made it all worthwhile,” said Christine.
Joe expanded: “The completed puzzles were
broken down into colour families or separate
components such as vehicles, clouds or buildings.
“These were sorted into groups, lots of boxes
containing things like blues, oranges, greens or
people, cars and clouds – there were about forty
boxes in total – and these became the palettes to
be used for 'painting the picture'.”
And once a design was decided upon by the
group, the jigsaw pieces were then reconstructed
on a hardboard base to make the entirely new
27,000 piece puzzle!
“It was many months hard work, but I think
everyone is satisfied with the results,” added Joe.
Above, Picking Up the Pieces, below, A Patchwork History
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
W
www.acairbooks.com
ook Day
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March 3rd
or
3mh Màirtt
Annual meal for association’s pensioners
Local councillor Charlie Nicolson, who
conducted the raffle, said there were 434 people
living in the association area, and the association
has a committee of 19.
He said the existence of the association was part
of community engagement and helps to build up
relationships. It does a lot of environmental work,
such as community clean-ups, and also looks at
community safety.
The association also has a Christmas Lights
event, coffee evenings and quizzes.
Councillor Nicolson puts out five newsletters a
year throughout the area which are distributed by
members of the group who act as coordinators.
Music was provided for the occasion by students
from The Nicolson Institute
Annie MacSween
shows success of Cross
School project
L
a th
Village fights plan to
demolish primary school
he community of Leverburgh has voted
overwhelmingly against the demolition of
the old primary school building in the village.
At a packed meeting in Leverhulme Memorial
School gymnasium on Tuesday February 9, 64 out
of the 73 members of public present voted in favour
of an alternative plan to convert the building into a
community hub which would include a 20-seater
tearoom, a museum, a shop, a laundrette, a
gymnasium, and office space.
The steering group had commissioned a survey
by Maciver Consultancy Services, which had
found that the old primary building was in ‘good
condition for a building of its age.”
“There are some very disturbing aspects to this,”
said Mr Ross. “To say it is a clear contradiction
would be putting it mildly.”
But before the council did this, he said, they
planned on refurbishing the existing school block
at a cost of £1.2 million. During this time, he
said, schoolchildren would be educated in the old
primary block.
The meeting heard from Iain and Annie
MacSween, of Carthannas Nis, which runs a shop
and laundrette with proceeds going to charity. They
are also involved with the former Cross School
building, which now houses a museum, along with
a café and small shop, run by Comunn Eachdraidh
Nis. Mr MacSween said their endeavours were
boosted by 60 volunteers, and last year they had
made £54,000, all of which was ploughed straight
back into the community. His wife Annie assured
those present that with drive and ambition, of
which she had seen plenty in evidence that
evening, she was sure the Leverburgh community
initiative would work. She recommended applying
to LEADER to get assistance for a full-time coordinator post to run the community hub.
The issue is set to be discussed by the Comhairle’s
Education Committee on Tuesday March 22.
Following the meeting, Mr Ross told EVENTS he
was ‘delighted’ with the response of the community.
Mr Ross said a briefing report to councillors had
stated: ‘“The school comprises two main buildings,
one of which is considered in such a poor state of
repair and condition that it is proposed it should be
demolished.”
“It’s a no-brainer,” he said. “Have the Comhairle
really got £1.6 million to spend on this? They need
to find almost £10 million in budget cuts, and here
we are offering them a golden opportunity.”
The hub would cost £350,000, but grant funding
could be available from bodies such as the Scottish
Land Fund and sportscotland.
Alan Ross, vice-chair of the Leverhulme
Memorial School Steering Group, said that the
Comhairle had indicated it wanted to demolish the
old primary block and convert the resulting space
into a play area, at a cost of £400,000.
He told the meeting: “Yet this is the same building
they are planning on using as a school when the
He added: “This was the biggest meeting in
Leverburgh for many years. It shows how strongly
people feel about it.”
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other block is being worked on.”
Le a
By Iain MacSween
a
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Aiteal
leabhraichean
il
enior citizens from the Goathill and
Springfield Residents Association gathered
in the Caladh Inn on Wednesday February 17
for their annual dinner.
ha
S
Children’s books for Spring
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
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Looking for something for the kitchen? We’re
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Liniclate Reading Group
enjoying their latest book
New Library service to reading groups
R
eading groups are getting more and more
popular. They provide a great way to meet
people, spend time with friends and explore and
discover new books together. The challenge can
sometimes be finding enough copies of a book
for every member of the group, or to think of
the next title to discuss. This is where the library
service can help.
Western Isles Libraries has recently introduced
a new service to provide sets of books to reading
groups. The library service now has over 30 sets of
books, thanks to a partnership between publishers
and The Reading Agency to help promote new
books through libraries.
The library service aims to support reading groups
through providing a range of diverse titles, featuring
books by authors such as Denise Mina and Alexander
McCall Smith as well as new and emerging writers.
The Reading Group Sets can be borrowed by any
reading group, wherever they are in the Western Isles.
Each set has an average of ten copies, so plenty to go
around. There is no charge for the service either, so
it’s a great way to save as well. Any reading group
wanting to borrow a set from the collection just
needs to register for Group Membership of the library,
with one member of the group agreeing to take
responsibility to be the main contact.
The collection offers a wide choice of genres
so there is something for everyone. It encourages
reading groups to try different styles, authors and
themes. Groups can choose from thrillers (Ashley
Bell by Dean Koontz), to fantasy (as Twelve Kings
by Bradley Beaulieu) and contemporary fiction (I
Can’t Begin to Tell You by Elizabeth Buchan) and
many other genres and authors.
A list of all the Reading Group Sets is available to
view at every library branch but you can also visit
the library website - www.cne-siar.gov.uk/library for more information, including advice on how to
start your own reading group.
To find out more about our Reading Group Sets,
contact us at 01851 822744 or library.enquiries@
cne-siar.gov.uk
Attention all
Reading Groups
Western Isles Libraries has a range of
Reading Group Sets available to borrow.
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If you are looking for ideas of what to read next, or
would like to borrow a set of books with enough copies
for all your members, we can help!
We have over 30 modern titles available, from thrillers
to contemporary fiction.
Visit our website or contact a member of staff for further details.
018510822744 / [email protected]
www.cne-siar.gov.uk/library
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
Butchers widen appeal with ranges
of cooked meals and specialities
By Eilidh Whiteford
C
elebrating your local butcher is what National Butchers
Week is all about – and here in the Western Isles, the trade
is not only still going strong but expanding and developing as
island butchers strive to try something new.
Held from March 14th to 20th, 2016 is the eighth year since
National Butchers Week was established in a bid by Meats Trade
Journal to promote the skills of butchers throughout the UK.
And with a National Butchers Week survey revealing that two
in ten Britons thought tofu was a meat-based product, and three
out of ten admitting they had no idea how long it takes to cook
a chicken, it appears a little help figuring out what's what in the
meat department is still required.
The national week therefore sees butchers everywhere
showcasing not only their wares, but also the knowledge they
have to offer, as well as information about getting value for
money.
And locally, there's plenty on offer in Stornoway and beyond,
as long-established businesses trade side-by-side, each offering
something a little bit different.
Cross Stores, on the Cross-Skigersta Road, was run by Alasdair
and Rona Morrison until their retirement last autumn. Given its
location, it's even more of a general store than the other butchers
based in Stornoway, aiming to provide locally a range of services,
saving its customers the time and expense of travelling.
Their skilled butchers prepare quality fresh meat on site
and specialise in black pudding and sausages – this is not the
Stornoway Black Pudding with its EU-agreed recipe, but its own
local Ness black pudding. They also bake pies, sausage rolls,
pasties and other products in the shop, and have been expanding
the range of meals which can be taken away or taken home to
cook or reheat.
Under the new owners, Paddy and Johanna Furey, a lot of
additional effort is being put into developing an extensive deli
counter and providing a wider range of fresh vegetables and herbs
to accompany the many meats and meat products available.
One of the oldest family-run establishments in Stornoway, WJ
MacDonald Butchers on Francis Street has been serving quality
goods to the local community since 1931. Queues are often
seen stretching out the shop door – and most recently attracting
attention is the butcher's new line of thick cut traditional sweet
cured bacon.
Previously made before, the bacon is back by popular demand
with customers asking for the traditionally cured meat. As well
as being available in the Stornoway shop, the sweet cured bacon
is also distributed through shops in Point, Ness and Back, as well
as at Loch Services Ltd on Cameron Terrace, Campbells Service
Station on Cannery Road, and Engebret Ltd, Sandwick Road.
And WJ MacDonald butcher's new Beef, Spring Onion and
Cheese beef burgers are another exciting new addition proving
popular – available in the butcher's shop as well as Campbell
Service Station and Loch Services Ltd.
Stretching over six generations, another family-run butchers
in Stornoway offering customers more than just meats is Charles
Macleod – or Charlie Barleys – at Ropework Park off Matheson
Road. With a large range of deli products, from sauces and
biscuits to sweet treats and fresh vegetables available in the
shop, behind the scenes the butcher team are always busy trying
something new. Awarded an Investors in Young People award
in 2015, a number of the team have come through Charlie
Barleys from apprentices to trained butchers, and are now using
their skills to create some imaginative and interesting new
combinations.
Understanding time can be of the essence in the busy modern
lifestyles and what their customers often want is something quick,
fresh and easy to pop straight in the oven, along with their range
of pies, pasties and sausage rolls, the Charlie Barley butcher boys
are offering tasty treats Beef, Bacon and Honey Melts, as well
as home-made Chicken Kievs, as healthy, convenient and well
portioned easy to make meals.
Established in the early 1930s, Macleod and Macleod Butchers
on Church Street, Stornoway, expanded in 2015 with the opening
of a second shop on Westview Terrace. Situated outside the
town's centre, the new shop offers more than a wide range of
food-stuffs to those living round about, with daily newspapers
also available. In recent years the family-run butchers have
become renowned for their more exotic sausage and burger
ranges which include Irn Bru sausages, as well as Pork and Black
Pudding and Cracked Black Pepper with Spring Onion flavours.
And in the burger department, their Bacon and Cheese;
Caramelised Onion and Black Pepper, and Hot and Spicy meat
patties prove popular; as do the Macleod and Macleod Steak
pies, along with the Chicken and Broccoli pies.
Also offering convenience for their customers, ready-meals
made with fresh healthy ingredients are available from both
the Macleod and Macleod butcher shops, with a wide range of
stir-fry options and straight to oven delights like Chicken breast
stuffed with black pudding in a Cajun salsa sauce, topped with
mozzarella making mouths water.
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Many islanders will have their favourite local butcher, and
make sure you keep and eye out and visit yours from March
14th to 20th for a range of special offers in all the shops as they
celebrate National Butchers Week 2016.
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www.hebevents.com
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
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Outer Hebrides Tourism
celebrates three exciting
launches in one day
O
uter Hebrides Tourism is planning an
action-packed evening on Friday, 11th
March at the Isle of Harris Distillery in Tarbert.
And anyone with an interest in tourism is
welcome to come along and join in the fun.
Outer Hebrides Tourism, which is responsible
for the promotion and development of tourism
throughout the islands, has invited round-theworld cyclist Mark Beaumont to launch the Outer
Hebrides Cycling Route.
James MacKenzie of Digby Chick will be
launching the eagerly anticipated Eat Drink
Hebrides Trail, and the Scottish Tourism Alliance
has chosen the Outer Hebrides as one of the
locations for the launch of its annual Scottish
Tourism Week.
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Mark Beaumont is tackling the 185 mile route from
Vatersay to the Butt of Lewis starting around midday
on Thursday 10th March. Outer Hebrides Tourism is
hoping that islanders the length and breadth of the
archipelago will turn out in force along the route National Cycle Network Route 780.
Ten islands, six causeways and two crossings later,
Mark will arrive at the Butt of Lewis around midday
on Friday 11th, before heading to Tarbert to officially
launch the route and talk about his first experience of
cycling the Hebridean Way Cycling Route.
The challenge is being attempted with the support
of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and Calmac Ferries.
The second launch of the evening is the Eat
Drink Hebrides Trail, which showcases the passion
of local food and drink producers and gives visitors
a real taste of the Outer Hebrides. It’s a self-guided
trail taking visitors through the islands’ unique
range of food and drink experiences.
Many of the businesses involved in the Trail will
be showcasing their produce at the event on 11th
March. So everyone attending can look forward
to sampling a wide range of the islands’ produce
including seaweed infused gin, Stornoway Black
Pudding, smoked salmon, goats cheese, jam and
preserves and oatcakes and other baked goods.
Later in the evening, local chef James MacKenzie
will be lending his support to the official launch of
the Trail by using his culinary expertise and local
produce in a live cooking demonstration.
And finally, to mark the beginning of Scottish
Tourism Week, the Outer Hebrides is also
welcoming Stephen Leckie, Chairman and
Marc Crothall CEO of Scottish Tourism Alliance,
organisers of one of the biggest events in the
Scottish tourism calendar.
During the evening, presentations are being
kept to a minimum, leaving optimum time for
networking, meeting the people involved in
developing both the Hebridean Way Cycling Route
and the Eat Drink Hebrides Trail, and enjoying the
appetising selection of produce on show.
• Outer Hebrides Tourism’s networking
and launches event is at the Isle of Harris
Distillery, Tarbert on Friday, 11th March from
1700-2000. Admission is by ticket only, and
anyone wanting to attend should contact
[email protected]
• For the latest news on Mark Beaumont’s
Hebridean Way Cycling Route Challenge
follow #HebWayEnd2End, keep an eye on
Outer Hebrides Tourism’s Facebook page
www.Facebook.com/theouterhebrides
or
follow them on Twitter @OuterHebs. For
further information about the Cycling Route
check out www.hebrideanway.co.uk
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
By Eilidh Whiteford
L
ord-Lieutenant of the Western Isles,
Alexander 'Sandy' Matheson, recently
welcomed three new members to the isles'
Lieutenancy.
Mr Matheson was delighted to commission
Katie Ann Mackinnon, from Stockinish, Harris; and
Alasdair MacEachen, South Uist, as new DeputyLieutenants of the Western Isles following approval
granted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Katie Ann, who is originally from Hushinish,
Harris, has worked at the Citizens Advice Bureau
in Tarbert for the past 30 years and is 'honoured'
by her appointment as Deputy-Lieutenant.
She said: “It's an absolute honour, not only for
myself, but also as a reflection of my upbringing
and my own family.
“I'm looking forward now to being more
involved in the community. It's going to be a
big learning curve, but I know I'll have plenty of
guidance along the way,” she continued, adding:
“And it's nice to know I'm not 'disapproved' of by
the Queen!”, a reference to the formal wording in
the commission document.
Unfortunately, due to bad weather and ferry
cancellations, Mr MacEachen was unable to
attend the commission ceremony held at Amity
House, Stornoway, on Friday, 19th February.
Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenants are the
representatives of the Crown for each county
within the United Kingdom.
They were originally appointed in England
during the reign of Henry VIII to take over the
military duties of the Sheriff and control the
military forces of the Crown.
In present day, men and women of all
backgrounds are appointed to the Lieutenancy by
the Queen, on advice of the Prime Minister, and
are responsible for organising all official Royal
visits to their county.
Lord-Lieutenants also carry out other duties
such as the presentation of decorations, The
Queen's Awards for Export and Technology, and
the Queen's Scouts and Queen's Guide Awards;
as well as being responsible for ensuring that The
Queen's Private Office is kept informed about
local issues relating to their area.
Assisting the Lord-Lieutenant in duties is the
Clerk to the Lieutenancy – and Margaret Mackay,
from Ness, was also welcomed by Sandy Matheson
as she takes over the Clerk role from Donald
Martin, currently Vice-Lieutenant.
Margaret Mackay, Katie Ann Mackinnon, Sandy Matheson, and Donald Martin
Katie Ann Mackinnon with
Sandy Matheson as he
reads her commission as
Deputy-Lieutenant
New faces for Isles Lieutenancy
Prior to Mr Martin's clerkship, the post was
taken by the late Simon Fraser, formerly of
Anderson Macarthur Solicitors, where Maggie
works presently as a lawyer.
She said: “It's a great honour but also quite
daunting – to think if there's a Royal visit, I'll be
organising things!
“It's a new challenge though and one I'm
looking forward to. It's fitting also, I think, to have
the link with Simon Fraser and to be following in
his footsteps as it were,” Maggie continued.
“Donald has been Clerk for the past 18 years, so
I'm not sure how to fill his shoes, but he's been a
good support and I know he'll be there to help out
in the future.”
Donald commented: “I know things are in very
safe hands with Maggie at the helm and it's very
good to see a younger person take on the role.”
And speaking at the commission ceremony,
Lord-Lieutenant Sandy Matheson said: “I'm
delighted to welcome you both with us and wish
all joy and blessing.”
Katie Ann Mackinnon with Sandy Matheson as
he signs her commission as Deputy-Lieutenant
Behind scenes with Army Reserves and Cadets
By Eilidh Whiteford
T
he opportunity to discover the changing
role of the islands' local Army Reserves,
Army Cadet Force and Air Cadets is presented
on Friday, March 11th – with all invited to a
working lunch or evening open session.
The events present a chance for those interested
in joining the Reserves or Cadets to find out more;
but a main aim is to inform and engage with the
community to explain exactly what the Reserves
and Cadets are, and what they are not.
“The force has changed over the years as we've
moved into modern times,” said Sergeant Tommy
Stewart, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of
Scotland – the Infantry Army Reserve Unit for the
Highlands and Islands, known as 7 Scots.
“The Army Reserve is more about a resilience
force than a reserve force; it's more prevalent to the
needs and wants of the local community and we're
keen to more forward, utilising that positive means
for the people on the islands.”
Opening with Meet and Greet teas and coffees at
11.45am in the Drill Hall, Church Street, Stornoway,
on Friday, March 11th, the working lunch event will
hear from a number of different speakers, taking
a look at the Reserve and Cadet organisations
with Island-based Reservists set to talk about their
experiences of coping with a nine-to-five job
alongside a part-time career in the Reserves, and
from young people in the Cadets, explaining what
they get from their involvement.
Sergeant Stewart said: “We really want to make
people aware of how the Cadets and Reserves
have changed – the Territorial Army is history, the
Reserves are now first and foremost a volunteer
organisation.
“There are very, very few businesses that invest as
much in training, invest as much in the individual
person as the Army Reserves do,” Sergeant Stewart
said.
“People still have a view that Reservists will be
called up to go to Afghanistan or Syria, but those
individuals that do, always volunteer to go; no one
is made to go.
“Local Reservist Gareth Baker, who lives and
works in Lewis, will talk about his experiences,
and we also hope to have Shona 'Barley' Macleod
talk to us about employing Reservists in Charles
Macleod butchers.
“There's a lot that the Reservists do behind the
scenes that people don't necessarily know about,
and that's what we want to share with people, to try
and make our Reservists more relevant in today's
community.”
“And we have Major Ron MacGregor from SaBRE
(Supporting Britain's Reservists and Employers)
attending,” he continued.
Following the presentations, the working lunch
event continues with a provided lunch, and finishes
at 2pm.
“Last year, when we had local Reservists in
Cyprus, he took a number of employers to see how
the Reservists worked over there. He is well versed
in speaking about the benefits to employers of
having a Reservist in their workforce.”
But for those who can't make the day-time event,
the chance to hear from speakers is open on Friday
evening, March 11th, as the open event will be
repeated from 6.45pm at the Drill Hall.
The working lunch will also hear from those in
the Army Cadet Force (ACF) and Air Cadets, looking
at what young people are taught in the Cadets, as
well as what it takes to be an adult instructor.
Although there will be no evening meal provided,
there will be light refreshments served at the start of
the open event.
With space to take 30 Reservists on the Western
Isles, the working lunch and open event also provide
the opportunity to find out more as Sergeant Stewart
is keen to expand Reservists in the Western Isles.
“That's 30 part-time employment opportunities
here – 42 days wages a year and benefits that the
Government can't touch when you're a Reservist,”
he said.
“We're looking at trying to provide more island
based training, and there are plans afoot to open a
detachment in the Uists also. We're also organising
a Butt to Barra charity cycle later this year, and hope
to arrange more events throughout the year as we
aim to up the Reserves profile.”
And if you would like to find out more, Sergeant
Stewart is more than happy to come to local
businesses to deliver a central brief to employers and
staff about life in the Reserves in the 21st Century
He said: “I would like these 20 minute briefings
to be open to both male and female, young and old,
as most people simply do not know a great deal
about the Reserves, or what they think they know
is simply not true – it's what the old TA (Territorial
Army) might have done and nothing to do with the
modern Reserve Force.
“We want to inform people of the real facts of the
Reserve Force, not what they may have heard from
friends and family,” Sergeant Stewart added.
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
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Health board staff
give £251 to local RNLI
It was big smiles all round as staff from NHS Western Isles handed
over a cheque for £251.10 on Monday, February 15, to the Stornoway
Lifeboat Ladies Guild.
The money was raised by staff at the Health Board Offices on
South Beach Street, Stornoway, in December by holding a Christmas
Jumper Day and a raffle for a hamper.
As winners of the ‘best decorated office’ at Christmas, accountants
Kathleen Maclennan and Nicola Pearson were given the choice of
which charity should get the funds – and plumped for the RNLI, a
cause close to their hearts.
For Kathleen in particular, her family ties to the lifeboat and the
sea are strong. Her brother is a fisherman while her father, John
Maclennan, was a crewman on the lifeboat for 25 years and is now
chair of the Stornoway branch of the RNLI. Her partner has also
joined the lifeboat.
Kathleen said: “With all these connections and living in an island
community, we are so thankful to have the station here and it’s a
very valuable service.” Hailing from Oban, Nicola wholeheartedly
agreed that their ‘winnings’ should go to the RNLI.
Ellen MacDonald, chair of the Stornoway Lifeboat Ladies Guild,
and Maggie Macleod, its treasurer, were delighted to receive the
cheque from health board staff. Ellen said: “We really appreciate this
donation. We are very thankful for everything that the community
does to support us, and for everyone who thinks about the lifeboat,
because there are so many different charities in Stornoway and every
penny counts.
“Being an island community, everyone is aware of the dangers
of the sea and the lifeboat service is a very necessary part of our
community and a well supported part of our community.”
As Maggie pointed out, the RNLI does not receive any direct
government funding and is dependent on charitable donations for
its survival.
Western Isles Macmillan
nurses named UK Cancer
Team of the Year
NHS Western Isles Macmillan nurses won the title of Cancer Team of
the Year UK at a ceremony in London on February 25th.
They were the only team from Scotland to be shortlisted in the
Quality in Care Oncology Awards and were put forward by their
manager, Gill Chadwick, who is delighted their hard work and
dedication has been recognised.
Surrounded by other staff based at the Health Board Offices are (from left to right in the centre)
Maggie Macleod, Kathleen Maclennan, Nicola Pearson and Ellen MacDonald
have helped shape the service that is available today.
“The team thoroughly deserve this UK-wide recognition of the
tremendous work they do. They received congratulations at the
awards ceremony from some of the UK’s top cancer specialists who
unanimously said how impressed they were.”
Gordon Jamieson, NHS Western Isles Chief Executive, said:
“What a fantastic and very well deserved success – a tribute to, and
recognition of, the quality, dedication and commitment of the team.
Congratulations and well done.”
The awards recognise the best practice in oncology prevention,
diagnosis and testing, treatment pathways and patient care throughout
the UK.
Gill was accompanied to the ceremony in St Thomas’ Hospital
in London by two team members: Chris Ann Maclean and Kathryn
Macsween. The others are Fiona Creighton, Donna Parkes, Hazel
Hebditch, Mairi Smith and Mary Buchanan.
The team, who are based in Stornoway and Benbecula, regularly
travel long distances – making journeys by ferry and plane, across
causeways and bridges – to deliver their patient-focused care
wherever it is needed throughout the Outer Hebrides.
The judges said of them: “This is nursing at its best – working in
a challenging environment and truly making a difference to people.
The logistics of providing the care they do across this diverse
geographical location is amazing.
“They are clearly a hard working, dedicated team who go beyond
their remit to help their patients.”
Macmillan’s Head of Services in Scotland, Janice Preston, said:
“I am delighted the team are being recognised for the tremendous
difference they make to the lives of people affected by cancer on the
Western Isles.
“They are an incredibly passionate and inspiring team of Macmillan
nurses who work tirelessly in a tough climate to help make sure that
no one has to face cancer alone and they really deserve this award.”
Gill, Macmillan Lead Cancer Nurse, said: “I keep on repeating
myself but I will say it again – I am truly humbled by the work of
the Macmillan Nurses in the Western Isles. They provide so much
support for people affected by cancer here: the patient and their
families wherever they may be.
Western Isles MSP Alasdair Allan said: “This is a well deserved
recognition for an exceptional Macmillan team who are well known
in the islands for the professional and compassionate care that they
give. It is good to see this dedication being acknowledged, and I
warmly congratulate the Macmillan team on this real achievement.”
“Previous team members cannot and mustn’t be forgotten as they
The Macmillan Nurses work closely with local colleagues too: the
community nurses, the GPs, hospital nurses and doctors and many
of the Allied Health Professionals, particularly the Occupational
Therapists, Physiotherapists and the Dietitians.
The Quality in Care Programme’s judging panel is made up of
healthcare professionals and representatives from charities, patient
groups and industry. It is led by Dr David Dunlop of NHS Greater
Glasgow and Clyde.
Other categories in the Oncology Awards were Prevention and
Early Diagnosis, Patient Care Pathway, Patient Experience, Longterm Care, End of Life Care, Digital Innovation in Treatment, Cancer
Charity Initiative and Cancer Team Collaboration Initiative.
Text messaging transforms
monitoring of diabetes and
cardiac patients
The greatest ideas are so often the simplest. And right now, NHS
Western Isles is proving it with excellent results from the recently
introduced Flo programme for home health monitoring.
This system uses text messaging to keep in touch with patients
who have conditions that need regular monitoring. The patients –
diabetic or cardiac, for example – are sent regular texts asking them
for information such as blood glucose, blood pressure or weight.
They then test themselves and send in the results.
The text messages are generated by a computer programme but
look like messages from a real person. All the results are collated
on a web interface which can be viewed by clinicians, in real time,
provided they have internet access.
Crucially, if the readings fall outwith certain parameters, such as
those agreed in their patient management plan, an alert will be sent
to the patient’s clinician to allow for early intervention. A text will
also be sent back to the patient advising them that, for example, their
blood glucose is a bit high and what to do next.
NHS Western Isles launched the Flo system, named after Florence
Nightingale, for diabetes and cardiac patients in October – making
the health board one of the earliest adopters of the system in Scotland
(Lothian and Lanarkshire are others). Its system is now also live in
smoking cessation, dietetics and GP blood pressure monitoring.
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02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
This is quick work, given that NHS WI only started looking at its
options for technology-enabled home health (telehealth) monitoring
last July (2015), when it received its initial £50,000 project funding
from the Scottish Government.
programme between the NHS and the VHA after Flo’s inventor, Phil
O’ Connell of NHS Simple, spoke about how impressed he was by
NHS Western Isles.
Phil, a previous winner of NHS Inventor of the Year and NHS
Inspirational Leader of the Year, said: “I was so inspired by how
the Western Isles had just picked it up and run with it and I was
communicating that with teams in the USA – we’re helping the
Veteran’s Health Administration over there on something very similar.
The first patients to be tried on the system were those with diabetes
and heart failure and has already transformed patient care.
One young patient in particular – Erin Graham, 16, from Stornoway
– benefitted. Erin, who was diagnosed with diabetes when she was
12, was admitted to hospital last September because her blood
glucose was so high (an HbA1c reading of 112mmol, putting her at a
very high risk of complications).
“I was telling them stories of what Stornoway has been doing with
the system and the impacts. They were very excited by the stories
and the results they were getting in Stornoway.
Three months after starting to use the Flo system on her mobile
phone, Erin has managed to reduce her blood glucose to 75mmol –
reducing her risk of complications by 80 per cent.
Erin’s story has been so remarkable, in fact, that the Western Isles
Flo project is now being cited around the world, by the inventor of
the system, as a great example of what is possible in telehealth. It has
been discussed at conferences in Queensland, Australia, and Maine
and Washington DC in the US, as well as Qatar.
“They took the learning and know-how that we’ve got and accelerated
the implementation of that at a level we’ve not seen anywhere else.
The first patient on the system was on the system before I even came
up to get the team started – they were so proactive.”
Benefitting from text-message system… Erin Graham, 16, from Stornoway
Iain Trayner, Diabetes Service Co-ordinator and Home Health
Monitoring Programme Manager at NHS Western Isles, said: “We’ve
been quite successful. Although the numbers are fairly small, the
impact is quite high in terms of their quality of life and their prognosis.
Iain is the only representative from Scotland taking part in this year’s
NHS and US Veterans Health Administration Partnership Exchange
Programme, from February 29 to March 3 at the VHA’s headquarters
in Minneapolis, where best practice and ideas are shared. Although
he will be speaking about Flo, Iain is also hoping to get some ideas
about the successful introduction of video conferencing, where
clinicians hold ‘virtual’ consultations with patients so they no longer
need to travel to appointments.
“We have worked hard to get where we are with Flo in the
Western isles. We have witnessed some excellent results so far and
we are looking forward to helping more people improve their self
management and confidence when living with a long term condition.”
NHS Western Isles did consider other technology options for home
health monitoring, including a system using tablets and Bluetoothenabled equipment such as scales. But, as Iain said: “We initially felt
the simple way to go was the best way.
Dining deals and events for March, with weekday lunches,
early dinners and classic afternoon teas.
For reservations, please call 01851 702604.
Two Course
Lunch
.50
£13
Monday to Saturday
March 2016
60
Relax and connect to
any two delicious
courses for £13.50
(three for £16.50) saving of £5.50 per
person off our usual
prices.
Business Express Lunch - Just book and order
by 11.30am on the day and we’ll serve your starter
and main course, so you can be in and out in an hour.
Minutes
Option
The great value way to enjoy dinner at Solas. Order from
the special ‘early bird’ between 5pm and 6.30pm, Monday to
.00 Saturday. March Special - Two courses £19.00 per person,
Two courses three courses £22.00 per person.
Mon - Sat.
Booking advisable - please call 01851702604
Early
Dinner
£19
Easter Sunday
@
solas
Treat the whole family to a
delicious lunch or dinner!
12 - 2.30pm and 5 - 9pm
£17.00
for two
during March
Later this month (February), Iain Trayner will be flying to the US to
talk to the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) about the success of
Flo in the islands. He was invited to take part in the annual exchange
Eleven’s brilliant
Carvery and Buffet
deals from Monday
to Saturday
@Caladh Inn
01851
702740
Delicious
£
£
5
10
14
£
.50
Homemade soup,
roll, butter
& dessert
12 noon -
.95 2.30pm
Any two
courses
.95 5Any- 7pm
two
courses
NHS Western Isles chief executive Gordon Jamieson said: “We
set ourselves a challenge to be a world leader in the application of
telehealth and telecare, as we recognise that technology is a key
ingredient of our ability to deliver person-centred, sustainable and
effective care. I am very pleased and encouraged by this evolving
area and thank those involved in taking this forward.”
More information on the system is
www.getflorence.co.uk and www.simple.uk.net.
available
Seniors
Special
Boatshed Early Dinner
5pm - 6.30pm
Mondays to Fridays
through March
To book call 702109
3 courses £19 usually £23
2 courses £15 usually £19
EASTER Dishes
Sunday 27th March
Enjoy a relaxing Easter lunch or dinner
at Eleven!
Two Courses
£
15
.50
Three Courses
£
18
.95
12 - 4pm and 5 - 9pm
Two Courses
£18.00
Call us to book on 01851702740
EASTER SUNDAY
Three Courses
£22.00
Booking adviseable
01851702604
Afternoon
Tea
appointments do.
Snack
Lunch
Beat winter blues
at the Cabarfeidh
Iain Trayner, Diabetes Service Co-ordinator and Home Health Monitoring
Programme Manager at NHS Western Isles
2 Course
Lunch
The system is tailored to each patient by clinicians who adjust the
settings, define when messages should be sent, what information
they are asking for and how the system should respond. It enables
much more detailed and regular monitoring of a patient than routine
Iain said the invitation to America was “brilliant” and “a huge
opportunity to gain knowledge and experience from people who’ve
done it”.
Early
Dinner
“Using the Florence system, all they need is a mobile phone and
most people have a mobile phone. If they don’t, we can give them
one. The system itself is very cheap. It costs about £15,000 a year
which is peanuts. It is 8p a text message and it doesn’t cost the
patient anything.”
He added: “Florence seems to have hit the mark. It motivates,
energises and encourages patients to take a more active part with
their clinicians in managing their healthcare. When they do that,
they get better and better outcomes. Patients know Flo is a computer
but it doesn’t feel like a computer – it’s a warm, friendly, nonjudgemental persona.”
Enjoy the elegance of a traditional
hotel afternoon tea for two with
tea/coffee - just £17.00 per couple.
Monday to Saturday
2 - 5 pm. Booking essential.
Book now for lunch or dinner!
27th March
12 - 4pm and 5 - 9pm
Two courses
£
Three courses
16.00
£
01851702109
19.00
at
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02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
Outer Hebrides Business Gateway and the Prince’s Trust are delivered loOUTER
HEBRIDES
BUSINESS
GATEWAY
is a Comhairle
based
service
cally
through
Comhairle
nan Eilean
Siar’s Economic
Development
service.
offering
rangeof support
of support
and advice
to individuals
setting
up or
We
offer aarange
and advice
to individuals
setting up
or develdeveloping
business
enterprises
across
the To
islands.
further
oping
business
enterprises
across the
islands.
discussToyour
ideasdiscuss
and
your ideas and
requirements
ndeligibility
out yourforeligibility
additional
requirements
further
and to findand
outtoyour
financialfor
assistance,
assistance
please
our
ce and
pleased totodirect
direct
please
call our
localcall
office
onlocal
01851of
822775
andwe
wewill
will be
be pleased
to one
one of
ofour
ouradvisers.
advisers - 01851 822 775.
you to
BUSINESS GATEWAY
DIGITAL MAGAZINE
NEW NATIONAL
INSURANCE GUIDE
HMRC has published a new guide for employers
to assist with the new National Insurance
contributions relief for apprentices who are under
the age of 25.
Business Gateway has launched a new digital
magazine called Amplify as part of its continued
commitment to helping growing businesses across
Scotland.
The magazine aims to provide business owners
with genuinely valuable content, addressing some
of the cornerstones of growth. These include
finance and funding, human resources and
recruitment and marketing strategies.
Each issue is created with the help of industry
experts and leaders keen to offer up their knowledge
and advice in the field of business. It also includes
short, accessible guides to keep business owners up
to date with the fundamentals they need to know.
The first issue explores cash flow management
and the sources of capital available to you. It
also looks at what makes the most effective staff
interviews. Dougal Sharp, founder of Edinburgh
based brewing company Innis & Gunn, reveals the
five most important business lessons he’s learned.
Clare Hill, Managing Director at the Content
Marketing Association, explains why content is king
and Stuart Watson, and Intellectual Assets Specialist
at Scottish Enterprise, discussed the importance of
intellectual property to your business.
Whatever the size and nature of your business,
Amplify has something for everyone. View the
first issue at www.bgateway.com/driving-growth/
amplify where you will also be able to subscribe
for free.
HMRC BUSINESS
SUPPORT VIDEOS
The changes, which come into force from 6
April 2016, will result in employers not having
to pay Class 1 National Insurance contributions
on earnings of apprentices below £827 per week,
providing the apprentice is under 25 and is
following an approved apprenticeship programme.
In order to apply for the National Insurance relief
employers, need to provide evidence to HMRC.
This can be a written agreement between the
employer, the apprentice and the training provider
confirming the apprentice is on an approved
scheme, along with the start and end date of the
apprenticeship.
For further information about the guidance, go
to: www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationalinsurance-contributions-for-under-25s-employerguide
OUTER HEBRIDES DESIGN
AWARDS 2016
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is holding the third
Outer Hebrides Design Awards to celebrate the
most exceptional developments completed within
the last two years. The awards will be presented in
the categories of Housing, Business/Non-domestic
and Conservation. Those shortlisted will be invited
to the Awards Ceremony and the winners will
become part of the Comhairle’s online resource
which celebrates and promotes good design.
Nominations can be submitted by anyone – from
neighbours to architects, community groups or
builders - and should be submitted by 25 March on
the appropriate form available from Comhairle offices
in Stornoway, Tarbert, Balivanich & Castlebay and
on the Comhairle website at www.cne-siar.gov.uk/
planningservice/designguide/index.asp
WESTERN ISLES BUSINESS IS BOXING CLEVER
I
f you’re looking for an extra special gift,
perfectly wrapped for that special someone
in your life, then Sarah Graham has the perfect
solution.
Launched in January 2015, with support from
Business Gateway and the Prince’s Trust, Island
Gift Boxes (www.facebook.com/Islandgiftboxes),
specialises in beautifully decorated parcels full of
goodies to suit every budget. Whatever the occasion,
Sarah has the supplier contacts to make sure her
customers get exactly what they’re looking for.
“I couldn’t believe how busy it was over the
festive period,” said Sarah. “We managed to
fulfil every order and judging from the positive
feedback, there were a lot of happy people on
Christmas morning!”
“Customer service is our top priority and
we always go out of our way to help every
customer secure that perfect gift box, whether
to foster creative careers across the Highlands
and Islands and is packed with screenings, live
performances, training, networking opportunities
and much more. This year’s showcase platform
is open to writers as well as musicians and
filmmakers.
For more information on the event, and to
register your free attendance, visit xponorth.co.uk/
XpoNorth is also offering free placements to
anyone interested in working on its brand new
XpoNorth Live! television station. A host of
workshops and hands-on training aimed at under
25s is on offer. These will focus on digital media,
lyric and song writing. Other training initiatives
include a hands-on Hit the Ground Running
course, which gives people a no-nonsense taster
of what it’s like to work behind the scenes in TV
drama.
SCOTTISH EDGE FUNDING
Registering for Self Assessment
Your first SA Tax Return
Viewing your calculation
Expenses if you’re self-employed
Paying your Self Assessment tax bill
Taigh Eilidh, Port of Ness – previous Awards winner
XPO NORTH FESTIVAL 2016
Budgeting for your Self Assessment tax bill
Important dates for Self Assessment
Can’t pay your tax bill?
Self Assessment penalties
For more information visit www.bgateway.com/
news/hmrc-business-support-videos
Although Sarah clearly had a brilliant idea, she
knew that she would benefit from some specialist
support to get things moving.
“My Business Gateway Adviser was fantastic
and really helped me get my head round all
the bits and pieces I needed to sort out to get
the business up and running. Her support with
business planning and marketing gave me a great
foundation and she also put me in touch with The
Prince’s Trust who provided additional support.”
“The business has been doing well but I would
now like to take things to the next level and I will
certainly be looking to Business Gateway to help
me identify growth opportunities.”
To find out how Business Gateway can help
you visit www.bgateway.com/westernisles or call
01851 808 240.
to the next level with a minimum of £200K in
increased sales over the next three years? If so,
you may be eligible to apply.
Entrants can win anything up to £100,00 or
£10,000 for The Young EDGE and Wild Card
EDGE. Check your eligiblity and apply now at
www.scotedge.com/apply-now/
The deadline for applications is Wednesday 9
March at 2pm.
MEET THE FUNDERS
ROADSHOW
The deadline for musicians, filmmakers and
writers to submit their work is Friday 1 April 2016.
Submit via the website at xponorth.co.uk/
Last year, XpoNorth attracted more than 1400
delegates and key international decision makers
in the fields of screen, broadcast, craft, fashion,
writing, publishing and music.
HMRC has released a series of videos to help
businesses in all financial and tax areas. Topics
include:
it’s chocolates, wine, perfume, jewellery or some
other luxury item.”
Round 8 of the Scottish EDGE fund is now open.
Scottish EDGE is a funding competition aimed at
identifying Scotland’s top young, early stage and
high growth potential entrepreneurs. Are you an
ambitious business, looking to take your business
Richard Tarves from Business Gateway at a roadshow.
Business Gateway and the Prince’s Trust recently
attended Meet the Funders Roadshows held in
Stornoway, Tarbert, Balivanich and Castlebay.
All sessions were very well attended and our
team were able to assist a number of people
with their plans to develop their businesses.
If you would like to discuss starting or growing a
business please contact us on 01851 822775 or
[email protected]
Find us on Facebook – search for Business Gateway Outer Hebrides
The XpoNorth Festival 2016 is scheduled to take
place in Eden Court in Inverness on 8 and 9 June.
The two day conference and showcase event aims
Online Local Business Directory – go to: www.businesshebrides.co.uk
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
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Published by Intermedia Services, Office 3, Clinton’s Yard, Rigs Road, Stornoway Tel: 01851 705743
Printed by Highland Web Offset, Dochcarty Road, Dingwall
By Fred Silver
T
he long-standing list MSP for the
Highlands and Islands, Sir James
McGrigor - known universally as Jamie
- is retiring from the Scottish Parliament
after 17 years.
On Friday February 26th members of
the Conservative association in Lewis held
a farewell event - actually a delayed Burns
Supper - in the Doune Braes Hotel in Carloway.
Speaking before the event, Jamie said he
did have some regrets that he would not be
involved in the Parliament after the elections
in May and hopes to remain involved in
some way with the political world.
Jamie became involved in political life for
the first time in 1997 when he stood for the
UK Parliamentary election in the Western
Isles and increased the Conservative share
of the vote completely against the national
trend that saw the Tories lose all their
Scottish seats in the Labour landslide result.
Jamie developed a great personal
following amongst Scottish Tories during
campaigns for the Scottish Parliament,
consistently coming first or second on the
list votes, as he fought several seats across
the Highlands and Islands.
Jamie's original inspiration for becoming
involved in politics was to combat the
tendency of Central Office to choose
candidates from a very limited pool - he
startled an interview panel when he first
sought nomination as a candidate by
announcing he had only been a member of
the party for 36 hours. Before that, he had
never been a member of any party. “The
reason I did it was because I became fed up
with the candidates who were coming up
from Conservative Central Office.” This was
in his home area, Argyll. He failed to get
selected initially, but then offered himself
to the Western Isles committee and was
accepted, despite having left his carefullyprepared speech for the selection committee
in the pocket of another suit. As a result of
his campaign, local party membersship rose
from single figures to about 40.
When the Scottish Parliament came
into being 1999, Jamie once again failed
to get the nomination in Argyll but was
Jamie says farewell
and looks back at 19 years of political
life in Western Isles
welcomed back to the Western Isles…and
having been selected by Tory voters to head
the list of Conservative candidates for the
proportional-representation seats, found
himself fighting an election where he was
all-but guaranteed to end up with a seat in
the Parliament.
Having in his 20s toyed with the idea of
being a rock musician, he later made the
headlines by marrying his agent Emma after
the 1997 campaign. His first wife Caroline
is a film-maker. They divorced in 1993.
They had two children. With Emma, he has
had four children, the youngest of whom is
nine years old now.
Looking back to the 1997 campaign, he
recalls a visit to Barra where he and Emma
defied the advice of Conservative Central
Office and attended an musical and social
event organised by SNP candidate and
Gaelic singer Anne Lorne Gillies where he
not only won top prize in the raffle – an
SNP banner – but ended up being invited
by Anne to follow her performance on stage.
He played guitar and sang the Don Maclean
song, American Pie, having claimed
Maclean’s grandfather was from Barra. He
recalls that later they attached the banner to
Tory MSP Mary visits
Isles on farewell trip
M
ary Scanlon, Scottish Conservative
MSP for the Highlands and Islands,
recently made her final visit to the
Western Isles as an MSP for the region.
I have made many friends in the Western
Isles and formed good relations with the
council, health board, the local college,
businesses and individuals.
Mary used the parliamentary recess
to visit Harris and Stornoway, holding
meetings and surgeries for the last time in
the Western Isles before she retires as an
MSP later this month.
"This week I held surgeries in Harris and
Stornoway, visited some excellent local
businesses and had a very constructive
meeting with the Leader and Chief
Executive of the council.
Mary has represented the Highlands and
Islands since the first Scottish Parliament
elections in 1999.
"One thing I have tried to do in my time
as an MSP for this area has been to make
sure the views of islanders are considered
and incorporated into our debates in
Parliament.
Commenting, Mary said: "It's been a
great honour to represent the Highlands
and Islands and over the years in Parliament
Continued on page B3
the aerial of their car and stuck a message on
it saying “Taken over by Tories.”
Jamie was part of a revolution in Scottish
Tory fortunes and he sees the strength of
the party as continuing to improve under
the present leader Ruth Davidson of whom
he is an enthusiastic supporter. Jamie has
radical ideas on land reform, while retaining
the basic concept of the UK as a propertyowning democracy, and in a hustings in
Tarbert before the 2012 Scottish Parliament
elections won praise from lifelong crofting
campaigner Jim Hunter who said that if
Jamie's views were Tory policy then he
would vote Tory.
Jamie believes that with the recent
increases in powers for the Scottish
Parliament, Scotland now has the best
of both worlds and that the SNP should
stop obsessing about the "constitutional
question" and get on with running the
country properly.
What's in Section Two
Motorcycle training school takes off to national success ......................................................................B2
EVENTS Cinema Focus .........................................................................................................................B3
Dr You: Health and Fitness DVDs .........................................................................................................B3
RNLI News ..........................................................................................................................................B4
Chance to explore a path through religions of the world .....................................................................B4
Panful of Whisky By John Dory...........................................................................................................B5
Comunn Eachdraidh Nis .....................................................................................................................B5
Building our communities..............................................................................................................B6-B7
Environmental Health and Trading Standards Advice...........................................................................B8
Itinerant teachers service discontinued ...............................................................................................B9
Design awards launched.....................................................................................................................B9
Hillcrest Childrenʼs Residential home closure deferred.........................................................................B9
New minister for townʼs Free Church ................................................................................................. B11
Gala dinner added to list of fundraising ventures.............................................................................. B11
Fearing the lions…the artist who challenges life to find meaning ............................................... B12-B13
Island life proves success as Lindy takes up community support role .................................................B14
Pipe Band looks forward to gala event at arts centre ........................................................................B14
Teaching everyone how to save lives .................................................................................................B15
Stornoway Primary Newsdesk...........................................................................................................B15
New books at Western Isles Libraries ................................................................................................B16
Freezing boost for townʼs fishermen .................................................................................................B17
March at An Lanntair ........................................................................................................................B17
SAC: Spring weed control in grassland ..............................................................................................B19
Scottish Crofting Federation: Crofting Development and Legislation ..................................................B19
Naidheachdan Gàidhlig .............................................................................................................B20-B21
Events in Stornoway and East Lewis .............................................................................................B22-23
Events in Harris / Events in West Lewis .............................................................................................B23
or at www.welovestornoway.com
EVENTS is published by Intermedia Services, Offices 1-3, Clintonʼs Yard,
Rigs Road, Stornoway, HS1 2RF Tel: 01851 705743
EVENTS SECTION TWO - Page B2
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com

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Motorcycle training school takes off to national success
By Iain A MacSween
A
motorcycle training school based in
Stornoway has the fourth-highest pass rate
in the UK.
Hebrides Rider Training (HRT) scored an
impressive 89.7 per cent pass rating, with 26 out of
29 riders getting their licences there in the measured
period between April and September 2015.
HRT is the only approved Motorcycle Training
Body in the Western Isles and is owned by Calum
Maclean. Calum is a fully qualified motorcycle
Instructor and is authorised by DVSA to provide
Motorcycle Training on all categories of motorcycles.
He is assisted by his daughter ‘Nini’ Macdonald,
who handles all CBT bookings, Facebook
monitoring, and enquiries. The company is based
at Stornoway Airport, where both the Training
Centre and Off-Road Training Site are located.
Although listed as fourth, HRT is actually the third
equal most successful rider training school in the
UK. Lee-on-Solent also had an 87.9 per cent pass
rating but had a much higher volume of candidates.
Calum previously offered CBT courses in the
mid-to-late 90’s, and reckons he put a couple of
hundred bikers through the course then.
Calum Maclean founder of
Hebrides Rider Training
Together with Calum Mackay, he established
CalMax construction in 1999. “I left CalMax in 2012
and I found myself at a bit of a loose end,” Calum said.
“I still have my own project service consultancy,
but a lot of guys were asking me to start the training
again, as there was no-one doing the full test
arrangement on the island. So I set up Hebrides
Rider Training in 2013, and since then around 360
bikers have gone through tests.”
HRT operates on a part-time basis, two to three
days each week, extending to five days during test
periods. The closest alternative to HRT is based in
Inverness, and as a result, HRT provide CBT and
full bike training to applicants from Skye, Wester
Ross, and the Southern Isles.
After 2009, no motorcycle testing could take
place in the Western Isles due to the lack of
an approved off-road Motorcycle Manoeuvre
Area (MMA) on which Module 1 of the current
Motorcycle Test has to be performed. Following
significant investment by HRT, the Western Isles
MMA was created at Stornoway Airport in February
2013, when it was also accepted and authorised by
the DVSA for test purposes.
Thanking Duncan Smith, Airport Manager, and
Angus MacNeil MP, for their continued support,
Calum added: “While it’s nice to hear that HRT is
has the fourth-best pass rate in the UK, I don’t do
it for statistics. I just do it to get as many people as
possible safely onto two wheels.”
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02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
Tory MSP Mary visits
Isles on farewell trip
Books and information to help you take control of your health and well-being
Available from branch and mobile libraries across the Western Isles
www.cne-siar.gov.uk/library 01851 822744
This project is supported by the Scottish Government Public Library Improvement Fund.
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AN INTRODUCTION TO TAI CHI: CHI KUNG
with Lucy Lloyd Barker
Tai Chi Chi Kung is a combination of movements
and meditation techniques whose fundamental
roots can be tracked back to China and it is still
widely practised on a regular basis there. Lucy
Lloyd Barker explains its history and guides you
through a complete Tai Chi Chi Kung routine.
Tai Chi Chi Kung can be practiced anywhere,
with little or no special equipment or assistance
making it a versatile and effective way to focus
your mind, relax your body and enrich your spirit.
Your guide to self-help
=SYVKYMHIXSWIPJLIPT
in the Western Isles
MRXLI;IWXIVR-WPIW
ST
for up-to-date info on what's coming
to a screen machine near you
GET INTO SHAPE
with Nancy Marmorat
Nancy Marmorat’s experience coaching people
of all age groups has inspired her to devise a
specially-adapted keep-fit programme for people
aged over 50. This DVD contains a complete
gymnastics session for keeping in good shape.
There are several advantages to following this
method - to strengthen the density of your
bones, to increase your muscle tone, to protect
your heart, to practise keeping your balance and
coordination, to keep your body supple and to
simply make you feel good.
. WE
Go to www.screenmachine.co.uk
Anyone wanting to borrow one of the Dr You books or DVDs
can do so by visiting their local library or arranging a visit from
the mobile library service. It is free to become a member of
the library and to borrow books or information DVDs, simply
bring along some proof of address when you visit. If an item
isn’t immediately available, it can easily be reserved. Those
wanting to find out more about Dr You and see a full list of
the books and DVDs available can visit www.cne-siar.gov.uk/
library for more information.
SIAR
Screen Machine
The collection also includes a number of routines especially devised
for the over 50s. The over 50s series offers something for everyone;
from active walking, balance and co-ordination to morning stretching.
At only 30 minutes in length, the routines are clearly demonstrated and
easy to make a part of your daily routine.
The Dr You project aims to support people to take control of their
health and well-being. It is a partnership between the Comhairle’s
library service, NHS Western Isles and local health organisations,
providing books, information and other resources on health issues
and concerns, which are all available through the branch and mobile
libraries across the isles.
The collections of self-help resources cover a range of mental health
issues, such as depression, stress, eating disorders and low self-esteem
and aim to provide support and guidance to give sufferers support
to manage their conditions. The collections also contain books on
physical health ailments such as cancer, dementia, multiple sclerosis
and stroke and are aimed at providing information and strategies for
coping for both sufferers and families. There are books for children
and young people as well, providing support for them and their
families in dealing with the challenges of living with autism and other
developmental difficulties.
Dr You is a partnership between Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s
Public Library Service and Department of Education & Children’s
Services; NHS Western Isles’ Health Information & Resources Service,
Community Psychiatric Nursing Service, Child & Adolescent Mental
Health Team and Macmillan Nursing Service; Advocacy Western Isles;
Western Isles Association for Mental Health; Western Isles Community
Care Forum and Alzheimer Scotland (Lewis & Harris Services). Dr You
was funded by the Scottish Government through the support of the
Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC).
AN
A perfect cast bring the much-loved Home Guard
sitcom to the big screen. Itʼs 1944 and WWII is nearly
at an end when attention turns to Walmington-onSea, where a German spy is on the loose. Can the
Home Guard avert disaster? The classic TV comedy
that has delighted generations is brought to the big
screen by the team behind Johnny English Reborn.
Itʼs brilliantly cast, with Toby Jones as Captain
Mainwaring and Bill Nighy as Sergeant Wilson.
Fri 25 Mar
8.30pm
Sat 26 Mar
6pm & 8.30pm
he Dr You collection of health books, information and
resources has now been extended to include a fantastic
collection of health and fitness DVDs, thanks to special support
from the NHS Western Isles. The DVDs cover a range of different
gentle exercise routines, such as yoga, Tai Chi, ballet, Pilates and
stretching, as well as some high-energy routines for the more
energetic among us. The collection offers a great opportunity
for people to try out different types of exercise at home before
perhaps making the decision to join a regular class.
ES .
Dads Army (PG)
T
RI
Those naughty singing chipmunks hit the road on a
madcap mission in their fourth fun-packed adventure.
Lovably mischievous crooning critters Alvin (Justin
Long), Simon (Matthew Gray Gubler) and Theodore
(Jesse McCartney) are still causing chaos for their longsuffering human companion, Dave (Jason Lee). But
now heʼs got a new girlfriend: a lovely doctor named
Samantha (Kimberley Williams-Paisley). Alas, her
teenage son Miles (Josh Green) takes an instant dislike
to our furry heroes. Fearing that Dave will propose to
Samantha during a trip to Miami, which would make
them all brothers, Miles and the chipmunks team up for
a crazy cross-country road trip to prevent this happening.
Following a hilarious incident aboard a plane, they find
themselves hotly pursued by a furious Air Marshal (Tony
Hale). Watch out for some great cameos in this latest
outing for everybodyʼs favourite squeaky, misbehaving
chipmunks. They also do a splendid chimpmunked
version of Uptown Funk down in New Orleans.
Thu 24 Mar
6pm
Sat 26 Mar
2.30pm
Dr You – Health and Fitness DVDs
ER
R
A
Alvin and the
Chipmunks:
The Road Chip (U)
Mary Scanlon and CnES Leader Angus Campbell during a meeting with
the local authority. Also pictured is Douglas Ross, the lead candidate for the
Conservatives on the Highlands and Islands list who is set to replace Mary
as an MSP for the region
HA
Goosebumps (PG)
Monsters escape from the Goosebumps books in this
mayhem-filled family horror-comedy with Jack Black.
When his widowed mum Gale (Amy Ryan) gets a new
job in the small town of Madison, Delaware, teenager
Zach (Dylan Minnette) is not exactly overjoyed at
having to relocate from New York. But he perks up
when he meets his attractive new neighbour, Hannah
(Odeya Rush). Unfortunately, her father turns out to be
wildly over-protective writer R.L. Stine (Jack Black), who
lives in seclusion for fear that his spooky Goosebumps
characters could be released from the manuscripts
in which theyʼre trapped. When Zach unlocks one of
the books while fooling around, all hell breaks loose.
Soon hordes of monsters are on the loose, including
an abominable snowman, a werewolf, and a band of
evil garden gnomes! Jack Black reunites with Gulliverʼs
Travels director Rob Letterman for this riotously funny,
Ghostbusters-style family fun ride, which includes 25
different RL Stine monsters.
Wed 23 Mar
5.30pm 2D
Sat, 25 Mar
6pm 3D
In this multi-layered melding of fiction and fact,
Nobel prize-winner Orhan Pamuk reworks and
expands upon themes and characters from his
own novel and museum. Taking his novel The
Museum of Innocence as its starting point, and with
original narration written by Pamuk himself, Geeʼs
film interlaces an account of an intense romantic
encounter, the story of an Istanbul museum packed
with objects pertaining to that affair, a meditation
on the city itself… and Pamukʼs relationship to all
three. Documentary and archive footage, interviews
with the writer, enactments of the fraught erotic
adventure, examinations of the evocative objects in
the museum, travelling shots along the dark streets
and windy waters of the great Turkish city – all
combine to create an elegant, imaginative and
dreamily sensuous exploration of memory and (be)
longing, infatuation and illusion, love and loss.
Turkish with English subtitles.
Tue 22 Mar
8pm
"I bought Harris Tweed in Tarbert and the Stornoway shop to
make gifts for presents in my retirement. I have no further plans for
retirement apart from continuing to knit, sew, do yoga and voluntary
work for the Party."
LEAB
Spotlight (15)
The extraordinary true story of how investigative
journalists uncovered an abuse scandal and cover-up.
Itʼs the summer of 2001 and the Boston Globe has
a new editor, Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber), whoʼs
curious to know why abusive Catholic Priests have
gone unpunished. So he sets the paperʼs investigative
Spotlight team onto the story. This is headed by Walter
Robinson (Michael Keaton) and includes tenacious
reporters Michael Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo) and
Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams). Over the course
of six months, they painstakingly piece together the
horrifying truth about a systematic cover-up of child sex
abuse. Itʼs a fearless investigation that goes on to win
a Pulitzer Prize. Widely compared to the Oscar-winning
classic All the Presidentʼs Men, The Station Agent
director Thomas McCarthyʼs richly detailed, emotionally
involving drama boasts outstanding performances
from its superb cast, who paint a compelling portrait
of investigative journalism at its finest.
Sat 12 Mar
5.30pm
Wed 23 Mar
8.30pm
Innocence of
Memories (12A)
She added: "I was also delighted to visit an old friend, Neil
MacLeod, who has taken up weaving Harris Tweed in his retirement.
Not only was I able to see him weaving but also saw him training
someone on the loom.
HA
Capture the Flag (PG)
A surfer kid flies to the moon to defeat a villain and
reunite his family in this action-packed animation. Mike
Goldwing is a 12-year-old surf-loving kid from Florida
who comes from a family of astronauts. Unfortunately,
his father Scott and grandfather Frank are no longer
on speaking terms. It all dates back to the last Apollo
moon mission. Frank was supposed to be on board,
but had to pull out when baby Scott got chickenpox.
Now thereʼs a chance for reconciliation. Evil Texan
billionaire Richard Carson has hatched a dastardly plan
to fly to the moon, destroy all trace of the landings and
pretend they never happened. That way he can claim
its valuable mineral resources for himself. To thwart
him, the US government revives its space programme.
Plucky Mike sneaks aboard, and finds himself blasted
off to the moon with grandpa! This English language
version of the smash hit Spanish animation is a funpacked ride for all the family.
Fri, 11 Mar
6pm 2D
Sat, 12 Mar
2.30pm 3D
"As usual I got a warm reception from everyone I met during my
last visit to the Western Isles as an elected representative and I'd like
to thank everyone for the support I have received during my time as
an MSP,” she said.
LEAB
Deadpool (15)
Based upon Marvel Comicsʼ most unconventional antihero, DEADPOOL tells the origin story of former Special
Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who
after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves
him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter
ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark,
twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man
who nearly destroyed his life.
Fri 11 Mar
8.30pm
Sat 12 Mar
8.30pm
Thu 24 Mar
8.30pm
Mary said that although she was standing down as an MSP, she would
continue to take a great interest in politics and the Highlands and Islands.
ES .
The Hateful Eight (18)
In Wyoming, several years after the American Civil
War, bounty hunter John Ruth is travelling to the town
of Red Rock with Daisy Domergue to collect a reward
for her capture. Along the way, they encounter Major
Marquis Warren a former union soldier turned bounty
hunter and Chris Mannix who claims to be Red Rockʼs
new Sheriff. When a blizzard forces them all to
take shelter at a stagecoach stopover, the group of
travellers come to the realisation that they may not
make it to Red Rock.
Thu 3 Mar
7pm
Fri 4 Mar
7pm
RI
Room (15)
Since he was born, five-year-old Jack has been
living with his Ma in a room of 11-square-feet. With
a sudden chance to escape, heʼs thrust into a new,
outside, world. Adapted by Emma Donoghue from her
bestselling novel and directed by Lenny Abrahamson
(Frank, What Richard Did), the film explores life in
captivity, the resilience of young minds and the bonds
of parenthood.
Wed 2 Mar
6pm
Continued from page B1
"Often what is right for the mainland will be totally wrong for the
islands and I have tried to be a strong and persuasive voice for the
area, ensuring the views of constituents or the council, or the health
board are listened to by MSPs from across Scotland.”
A
an Lanntair
www.hebevents.com
with the 'Tom Sanderson' towing the stricken boat to the safety of
Stornoway harbour, back alongside at 1445 hours.
News
Leverburgh lifeboat called to
incident in storm conditions
On arrival the lifeboat crew cleared the debris and were back
alongside in Stornoway harbour at 1725 hours.
The lifeboat boys were out again on Saturday, February 20th, when
the RNLI lifeboat launched at 1408 hours in response to a call for
assistance from a 12m creel boat.
The boat had broken down half a mile south of Holm Island and
the ‘Tom Sanderson’ Severn Class all-weather lifeboat was on the
scene within 14minutes.
The Lifeboat was launched in Force 9/Storm Force 10 conditions
and made best speed towards the area.
Weather was poor during the shout, with a westerly Force 9 and
occasional snow and hail showers reducing visibility.
The volunteer RNLI crew were stood down, returned to base, and
the Lifeboat was ready for service again by 1500.
On arrival at the scene, a tow-line was passed between the two
vessels and the fishing boat towed back to the safety of Stornoway
harbour, secured alongside at 1522 hours.
Writing on the Stornoway RNLI Facebook page later that day, on
person from aboard the creel boat praised the local lifesavers saying:
“Good job guys with an extremely fast response.
“Your services were very much appreciated from all onboard
today. Thank you.”
Thank-You Fundraisers!
Members of the Stornoway Lifeboat Ladies Guild were delighted to
receive a donation of £251.10 to the local RNLI from NHS Western
Isles last month.
The funds were raised by staff during December through a
‘Christmas Jumper Day’ and Raffle.
And as winners of the ‘Best Decorated Office’, accountants
Kathleen Maclennan and Nicola Pearson were given the choice of
charity – and decided on the local lifesavers of Stornoway RNLI.
Thanks to Gordon Macrae for this fantastic photo of the Stornoway RNLI 'Tom
Sanderson' lifeboat towing the creel boat casualty to Stornoway harbour
Kathleen has family ties to the lifeboat and the sea. Her brother is a
fisherman and father, John J Maclennan, was a crewman on the lifeboat
for 25 years and is present Chair of the Stornoway RNLI Branch.
Stornoway Shouts
Kathleen's partner is also on the Stornoway RNLI volunteer crew,
and she said: “With all these connections and living in an island
community, we are so thankful to have the station here.”
February saw three shouts for the local lifesavers of Stornoway RNLI
– two coming in on one day.
Ellen MacDonald, Chair of Stornoway Lifeboat Ladies Guild and
Guild Treasurer Maggie Macleod received the donation.
The first call for assistance came on Monday, February 8th, when
the ‘Tom Sanderson’ lifeboat and volunteer crew launched at 1253
hours to the aid of a small fishing boat with a fire onboard situated
around eight miles south of Stornoway.
Ellen said: “We really appreciate this donation. We are very
thankful for everything that the community does to support us, and
for everyone who thinks of the lifeboat, because there are so many
different charities in Stornoway and every penny counts.
The fire had been extinguished by the fishing boat's crew as the
RNLI lifeboat arrived, and a tow line was set between the two vessels,
“Being an island community, everyone is aware of the dangers
of the sea and the lifeboat service is a very necessary part of our
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Pictured with Ellen and Maggie are NHS Western Isles staff – (l-r
back):Chrisanne Campbell; Moira Macaulay; Angela Grant; Kathy
Jennings: Kedar Paul; and (l-r front): Leanne Smith; Maggie Macleod;
Kathleen Maclennan; Nicola Pearson; Ellen MacDonald, and Marion
Fordham.
A BIG THANK YOU also to all who donated to the annual RNLI
SOS Raffle which took place over three days in the Co-op Store,
Macaulay Road, Stornoway, earlier this year. A specially created
RNLI bench and two toadstools, very kindly donated by the Sawmill,
helped boost the raffle total which raised a magnificent £1,250!
Quiz date for your diary
Make sure to mark your diary as full for the evening of Friday, March
18th and come join the RNLI fun at a Stornoway Lifeboat Quiz Night
in Stornoway Golf Club.
Quiz teams of four people are invited and entry is £5 per person. There
will also be a Raffle on the night with some terrific prizes up for grabs.
Stornoway RNLI hope to see you there and make sure you wear
your thinking caps!
How to Help
To donate to the local lifesavers of Stornoway RNLI, or help raise
funds through an event, contact Stornoway Lifeboat Ladies Guild
Chair Ellen MacDonald on 01851 702154, or Guild Treasurer Maggie
MacLeod on 01851 705407.
You can keep up to date with the RNLI at www.rnli.org, or ‘Like’ the
Stornoway RNLI Facebook page to keep up with the local lifesavers at
www.facebook.com, search ‘Stornoway RNLI’
Chance to explore a path through religions of the world
By Eilidh Whiteford
F
riend of Baha'is', Lewis resident Daren Willcock is delighted
to be able to share what he has learnt about the faith at a
public presentation in An Lanntair this month.
Born in London during the ‘swinging sixties’, Daren was immersed
in numerous religions growing up.
“My mother and father were what you might call hippies,
and experimented with eastern religions such as Transcendental
Meditation (TM) and Buddhism,” he said.
“My mother was also into seances, Ouija boards – the 'dark' arts!”
During his late teens, Daren began seeking answers to the meaning
of life, a search that led him to Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist temples,
mosques and various churches.
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“One day a Christian friend lent me a book called 'Evidence That
Demands A Verdict,' which presented evidence that in the Bible the
ancient prophets of Israel made many predictions of future events
which came true,” he continued.
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“From that point on, I have believed in God, and that He does
indeed use inspired men to communicate with humanity.”
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community and a well supported part of our community.”
Twenty minutes later though and the Stornoway RNLI crew were
out again, launching at 1505 hours to investigate reports of a large
quantity of debris floating nine miles south of Stornoway.
At 1320 on February 16th, Stornoway Coastguard requested the
assistance of Leverburgh RNLI Lifeboat with an incident in the
Hoebeg area of North Uist.
At approximately 1410 hours, whilst the Lifeboat was en route, the
incident was resolved by the Coastguard Mobile/Helicopter teams,
who were also on scene.
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
It was when Daren first moved to Lewis ten years ago that he
became aware of the Baha'i faith, following a chance meeting with
Baha'i follower Mina Sheppard on a beach which lead to a strong
friendship.
“The Baha'i faith was the only world religion that I had not come
into contact with prior to moving to Lewis,” said Daren. “Baha'is are
very welcoming to people of all, or no, faiths and I am what is known
as a 'friend of Baha'is'.
“Being among the Baha'is and looking at the writings has given me
insight into God's purpose to bring all mankind together in peace.”
And it is this experience which Daren wishes to share to wider
audiences during his talk, which takes place on Friday, March 11th, at
An Lanntair arts centre, 7pm, and is free and open to all.
Expanding on his topic, he said: “The Baha'i faith is the most recent
world religion to emerge, so we are going to look at the life of its
central figures that started the movement.
“It is so recent a phenomena in fact, that we will even have living
relatives of some of these figures in the audience!”
Daren continued: “What will become apparent is the parallels
between the lives of the Baha'i founders, and the lives of nearly all
the prophets of ancient times, going all the way back to the dawn of
history.
“We will be looking into why these people endured such terrible
suffering, and make sense of much of the trouble in the world, as seen
on the TV every day.
“Finally, we will look to the many promises that great men of God
have made, predicting a time when a unique individual will appear
and bring peace on earth.”
He added: “At some point in the presentation, I will also demonstrate
a small, but significant, miracle in front of everybody present!”
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
Panful of Whisky
By John Dory
Roast Salmon with Malt whisky and Orange Jus
For the Malt Whisky and Orange Jus, I would suggest a light Speyside malt
Salmon:
• Pinch of orange zest
W
hisky in the jar, apart from being the
title of a famous Irish folk song, is easy
to envisage but a Panful of Whisky probably
only makes sense in the context of making a
whisky toddy when the whisky is warmed with
sugar or spices, usually to help a man fighting
the debilitating symptoms of "man flu."
The catalyst for the whisky strand in this
month's column was the 75th anniversary of the
sinking of the SS Politician last month. The saga
of the Politician's demise inspired the legendary
Whisky Galore movie that was based on the
famous novel by Sir Compton Mackenzie.
The SS Politician came to grief on February
3, 1941 in the Sound of Eriskay on its voyage to
Jamaica. Along with a hold full of shoes, Jamaican
banknotes, machetes, pianos and bicycles, part
of the cargo was a large consignment of liquid
gold. In layman's terms this consisted of 264,000
bottles of Scotch whisky.
The ship's crew were rescued unharmed and
over the next few weeks, many bottles of whisky
were also "rescued" from the stricken vessel by
islanders from throughout the Hebrides. I doubt
if much of the whisky "saved" from the Politician
was ever used for cooking although, apparently,
it was used creatively in many other ways.
The marriage between whisky and cooking
goes back many centuries in what has been a
very interesting and compatible union. Whisky
can be used in soups and sauces, alongside
game, seafood and vegetarian dishes and in
many delicious desserts. It can also add a
greater depth of flavour to many dishes without
the taste of whisky dominating. The basic idea
is not to drown a recipe in whisky but to add
a small measure of the "cratur" to enliven and
excite the tastebuds and enhance the final
product. Those with a little knowledge of whisky
will know that Scotland produces a magnificent
range of whiskies from subtle and hearty malts
to robust blends. The challenge with using
whisky in cooking is to find the particular dram
that transforms a good dish into one that is
spectacularly delicious.
Preheat the oven to 190C/ Gas 5
• 4 fillets of fresh salmon about 175g each
with skin on but scales removed
• A little plain flour for dusting the salmon
• Salt and pepper for seasoning the flour
• Olive oil and butter for frying the fish
Wash and dry the salmon and pat dry on
kitchen towel
Dust the skin side with the seasoned flour
Heat a large non-stick pan with the oil and
butter
When hot, place the salmon pieces skin
side down on the pan. Turn the heat down
to medium and fry until the skin is slightly
browned.
Sear the salmon on the other sides and then
transfer them to an ovenproof dish and place
in the hot oven for 5-8 minutes.
The time will vary on how you like your
salmon to be cooked.
Whisky sauce:
• 100ml malt whisky of choice
• 100 ml fish stock
• 100 ml vegetable stock
• Juice of one orange
• Honey to taste
• Salt and pepper
• Knob of unsalted butter
In a heavy-based pan, reduce the fish stock
by half then add the whisky and reduce by
half.
Add the vegetable stock and reduce again by
a half.
Add the orange juice and zest and reduce by
a little.
Add the honey to taste but not a lot as it
should balance the bitterness of the whisky
and the orange.
Season to taste.
This can be prepared earlier and then
reheated. When you are reheating, add a
little unsalted butter to the sauce.
Before serving, grill a couple of Stornoway
black pudding slices and set aside.
Serve with Dauphinoise potatoes or creamy
mashed potatoes and sautéed asparagus
spears.
Put the salmon on top of the potatoes.
Pour a little sauce on to the plate.
Put the asparagus spears on the side.
Add a few black pudding triangles
COMUNN EACHDRAIDH NIS | naidheachdan
Café at CEN is now open
The café at Comunn Eachdraidh Nis will re-open
on 1st February. As well as the usual selection of
delicious baking, you will now have a choice of
coffees to choose from. Staff and volunteers at CEN
spent a very enjoyable morning with Tom Cosgrove
who trained us all on how to create the perfect cup
of coffee. Chris, our resident archaeologist, is now
an expert coffee maker. Don’t be afraid to tell us what
you think!
From Shells to Bells
Saturday 19th March, 10am – 4.30pm, Ness Heritage
Centre & St Moluag’s Chapel sound workshop using
bells cast from world war I brass artillery shells.
With music from John Purser, and artist Mhairi Kilin
and Hugh Watt. Learn about early christian hand
bells and help create a sound work for performance
at St. Moluag’s Chapel later in the day. This workshop
is part of the Re Soundings project, being exhibited at
An Lanntair in May.
This is a free workshop with lunch & transport from
Stornoway provided.
Shop at CEN
The shop stocks a wide range of adult and children’s
books in Gaelic and English, candles and reed
diffusers from Bùth Bheag in Harris and beauty
products by Ishga. Locally produced arts and crafts,
including knitwear and Harris Tweed products
along with the Comunn Eachdraidh’s own range of
publications, cards and other items are now on sale.
6JRLO&KURLV1HVV,VOHRI/HZLV+6617(RI¿FH#FHQRQOLQHRUJ:ZZZHDFKGUDLGKQLVRUJ_2SHQLQJWLPHV0RQ±)UL±SP
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
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Building our communities
Why does a child perform
below expectation in school?
By Iain A MacSween
I
t’s a complex question, but one
tackled head-on as part of an
Challenge’ project set up by the
Education and Children’s Services
alongside Education Scotland.
that’s being
‘Attainment
Comhairle’s
department
Callum Urquhart, Educational Psychologist at the
Comhairle, says that poverty can have a profound
effect on a child’s attainment.
Children from
families with lower levels of disposable income
have been found to experience disproportionate
levels of under-performance and lower levels of
attainment.
However, and perhaps surprisingly, at the other
end of the scale there are also under-performing
children who come from families who have higherthan-average incomes.
Dr Callum Urquhart
The work of an
educational psychologist
By Iain A MacSween
“But that doesn’t mean that all children from
lower income families experience worse outcomes.
We also have instances of high-income families
that require both parents to be working long hours
and away, and that can also impact on a child’s
attainment as they are not getting enough time to
spend with their parents.”
Here in the Western Isles, agencies are not given
information from the government that specifically
links individuals as experiencing poverty. But what
we do have is information that tells us that we have
the highest rate of low disposable income nationally.
O
ne of two Educational Psychologists
employed by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Dr
Callum Urquhart admits he has a ‘fascinating’ job.
“The Currie Report sets out the five
responsibilities an Educational Psychologist has,”
Callum told EVENTS. “We assess children and
provide guidance around effective interventions.
“For example, if a child was suspected of
having autism, through partnership between the
school, learning support service, family and child
themselves we would be part of the professional
team to decide if they did or did not.
“We would also have an obligation to identify an
effective intervention to help them overcome that
difficulty, and we would also provide consultation,
so Speech and Language Therapy might call us up
and ask us what we think about a particular issue.
“We also do training. A school might want to
know more about attachment difficulties because
they have some behavioural concerns about some
kids. So we would go in and train them on how
better to understand and support that.
“And finally, we have a research function.”
That research function, said Callum, involved two
main roles. “One is that we take in research from
elsewhere so that we understand what the most
effective approaches are,” he said.
One such example was ‘Brain Gym’, said
Callum. “People thought Brain Gym would make
a difference but over time it wasn’t having the
impact the people selling it said it would,” he said.
“So part of our role here is to identify areas
where claims like that aren’t valid. Something may
be interesting, but if it’s not having an impact we
could be doing something else.
“We also conduct our own research, designing
a study, analysing the data, and then asking if that
approach is an effective way to do things.”
In the interview with Callum he identified a
number of specific research projects that he was
currently involved with – however, it was clear he
“Research shows that some lower income families
can find it harder to offer the same range of learning
opportunities as other, better-off families do,” said
Callum. “Sometimes there is a lack of opportunity
to access the same range of experiences.
“Although it doesn’t tell us about individuals, it
tells us that as a group this is something we need
to be aware of,” said Callum. “It’s similar to fuel
poverty, where we in the islands have high levels
nationally as a group.”
The Attainment Challenge seeks to sensitively
link poverty to individuals by looking at things
like eligibility for free school meals or clothing
grants. But there are also some children who are
underperforming because of other factors.
“If a child is struggling with English, it could be
that the child has reading comprehension issues,
was hungry for the next project to turn his mind to.
“We have to be sensitive to areas that are of
interest or importance locally and we offer our
research skills to partners to help them identify ways
to better understand issues that matter to them”
Callum felt this service was well used but
hoped to extend that offer to groups who may not
ordinarily have seen themselves as ‘researchers’.
“One of the key improvements I’d like to see in
relation to our research function is collaborating
more with children and young people around
the areas that are most relevant in their lives. Not
only would this help to skill up young people to
gather evidence and advocate for themselves,
it also ensures that the evidence they produce
through their research can be given the attention
it deserves.
Callum asked that any children or young people
who had questions that they would like to explore
through a research approach to contact him at
callum.urquhart@[email protected] or through
twitter at @CnesEdPsych.
difficulty in spelling words, decoding words, or
even a social or emotional difficulty where they are
disrupted because they are up out of their seat all
the time,” said Callum.
All children participate in a programme of
assessment, which forms part of the Attainment
Challenge. On the basis of these assessments,
a group will be identified as not performing as
expected. At this point, in partnership with parents,
the school will seek to identify the types of support
needed. Additional assessment may also take place
looking at factors such as the quality of teaching
and learning, issues to do with health, how safe
they feel, exercise, and reading comprehension.
“Based on whichever of these factors is relevant,
we will then intervene in a targeted way relating to
that specific issue,” said Callum. “At the end of the
year, we go back and do the same assessments to
determine if we have made an impact.”
While accepting that school children in the
Western Isles now have an unprecedented level of
care and attention, Callum stressed that this did not
necessarily impact on outcomes.
“There are so many examples where local
authorities in Scotland have invested in approaches
which haven’t had a positive impact,” he said.
“And because they haven’t been evaluating these
approaches systematically, that investment has
continued.
“Although the children have a high level of care
and attention, it’s not enough.
“Unless you have research and evidence to
show that interventions are making a difference,
you cannot satisfy yourself with care and attention
being of a high level.”
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
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Building our communities
How Dr You project
can work for everyone
By Iain A MacSween
F
or parents and carers of someone with a
health condition, knowing all about that
condition is essential.
And ‘Dr You’ - a new multi-disciplinary
collaboration between the Comhairle’s Education
Department and various other bodies including,
Western Isles Libraries, NHS Western Isles,
Advocacy Western Isles, and Autism Eileanan Siar
– is a recently-established project which aims to
provide just that service.
Hundreds of books have been made available in
the Comhairle library service in the Western Isles to
enable parents, carers, children, or other interested
people to access information about additional
support needs or other types of challenges they
may be facing. The hope is that they will then find
themselves in a more informed position to make
decisions about their care and the types of approach
that they think would fit with them.
Callum Urquhart, Educational Psychologist at
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, explained: “In the past
we’ve had a model where a doctor or other ‘expert’
has explained what is in the best interests of the
person being cared for, and for the carer themselves.
“Actually, this is a very dated approach that doesn’t
acknowledge the contribution the individual can
play in identifying best practice. Part of the Dr You
project rationale is to help people understand more
for themselves, so that when they are engaging in a
discussion with a psychologist, a learning support
teacher or a healthcare provider, the more they
know the more they are able to negotiate a care
package or intervention which suits them.”
With conditions such as autism, dyslexia, and
dyspraxia, said Callum, there were currently
many methods of treatment available. However,
it was recognised that until now, some of those
treatments were hidden under the radar.
“Dr You is also about building resiliency within
carers, parents and their children,” said Callum.
“Because some conditions have complicated
labels attached to them, like autism, ADHD, or
Examples of available books
dyspraxia, parents sometimes don’t feel able to talk
to children about the condition as they themselves
don’t feel they have enough knowledge.
“If the parents themselves don’t feel confident
supporting the child through the additional needs they
are encountering, it makes the situation quite fragile.”
Dr You, said Callum, provides a resource for
parents and carers to feel more skilled and more
knowledgeable about these additional support needs,
so that they themselves could provide that input.
Consumers can use Dr You either by going into a
library and accessing the resources there, or using
online links which detail all available publications.
“If you are unsure of what the diagnosis is,
and you might have a suspicion, this would give
you a chance to have a look at all these books to
read through and then empower you to speak to
professionals about your concern,” said Callum.
The Comhairle’s Psychological Services is
running sessions (details right) for parents and
carers throughout the islands to let them know
exactly how Dr You works.
“We want to guide them,” said Callum. “It’s not
only about making the resource available to them,
it’s also facilitating their use of that resource.”
The books included in the vast Dr You library
are geared towards people of all ages and reading
abilities. There are some books for very young
children, some books for teenagers, and some for
parents and carers, while there are others for the
more medically-minded users.
“I think we have one of the most contemporary
collections in Scotland, which we are constantly
updating. This month we have bought new books
on the basis of feedback from parents and children
about additional support needs they didn’t feel
were covered.” said Callum.
“The focus is on parents and carers, but most
important is the child or person who has the additional
support need. This enables them to take ownership
and educate themselves on their condition.
“Sometimes people view dyslexia or autism
as a negative, whereas these books say they don’t
have to be negatives at all. Yes, there may be some
challenges, but in other areas it can be a positive, and
this project helps to approach certain circumstances
in a different way. Dr You can demonstrate that a
condition can be used to their advantage.”
Dr You will be undergoing continuous review,
with the team looking at which books are being
borrowed, and if more resources are needed in
particular areas. “We have to learn from what we
are doing,” added Callum.
“If we are seeing the majority of books borrowed
are on dyslexia for example, then that says something
to us as a Department that we maybe have to focus
more on that, and how we support parents who have
issues with that particular condition.”
DR YOU SESSIONS FOR PARENTS, CARERS
DATE & TIME
VENUE
3 May 13:00-14:00
Daliburgh Public Library
3 May 19:00-20:00
Lionacleit Public
10 May 13:00-14:00 Stornoway Public Library
10 May 18:00-19:00 Stornoway Public Library
26 May 14:00-15:00 Tarbert Public library
24 May 19:00-20:00 Tarbert Public library
8 June 14:00-15:00
Castlebay Public Library
7 June 18:30-19:30
Castlebay Public Library
Helping children to reach ways to solve problems
By Iain A MacSween
C
hildren are not mini-adults, and cannot be
expected to resolve complex behavioural
issues immediately after they are brought to
light.
This is the opinion of Callum Urquhart,
Educational Psychologist at the Comhairle, who
has recently pioneered a mediation approach to
certain issues identified at Daliburgh School, in
South Uist.
There, incidents which were occurring among
some children were felt impacting negatively
on the learning that was taking place. “It was an
interesting project,” Callum said.
“The first thing was to try to establish where and
in what context were the difficulties occurring.
“The standard approach to this issue would be to
suggest a certain form of intervention, like a particular
game to develop social skills, lessons involving themes
such as bullying or positive peer relationships.
“The problem with that approach is that
sometimes you are led by the intervention rather
than the needs which you are looking to address.”
After an initial investigation it was discovered
that the problems arose during times when there
was a natural lack of structure and scaffold, for
example in the playground and changing rooms.
Where there was more freedom, as in playing
football, the issues were cropping up more frequently.
Auxiliaries within the school were tasked
with recording instances of these incidents, and
then measuring the affected learning that was
happening as a direct result.
“That was the really important case to make, that
link between a behavioural incident that occurs in
the playground, and then the subsequent impact
on teaching and learning,” said Callum. “We were
able to establish that there was a link.”
This research revealed that in general, behaviour
was of a high standard and supported well at
Daliburgh. However, it highlighted the need for
specific intervention for some children, to result in
a sustainable outcome, rather than just fixing it for
that particular day.
“We introduced mediation, supported by the
auxiliaries,” said Callum. “They were trained in a
very specific technique which helped the children
to talk and understand where each other was
coming from.
“We wanted the children to understand what
the problem was and then to help them to come
up with solutions that were sustainable. It was all
about them working together to see how to stop
the issues arising in future.”
This new mediation technique is not a silver bullet
in that it will provide an instant solution, says Callum.
Indeed, there may be many instances where it doesn’t
work right away, and that is to be expected.
“The children need to understand that by
coming together to solve a problem, not always is
it going to succeed first time around,” said Callum.
“But what is important is that they come together
to find a way that works for them. We want to see
an increase in children’s abilities to resolve these
problems themselves.”
The findings of the Daliburgh intervention are
currently being analysed, and Callum says that
this is the most important aspect of the whole
process. “It may seem like a good intervention,
but ultimately it may not be effective,” he said.
“Although initial feedback from staff and pupils
is positive, we need to know whether there is a
reduction in the number of incidents and also
that the impact on learning is reduced. What is
important is that we are evaluating it and we will
know what it does or does not do.
“If it doesn’t work, we can do something else.
Alternatively if it does work we can continue with
it. If you don’t do research and evaluate, you can
never be sure if what you are doing is effective or
not.
“That means that without proper evaluation
sometimes you continue with ineffective
interventions, and other times you stop
interventions that are effective.”
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
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Environmental Health and
Trading Standards Advice
Consumer &
Environmental Services
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Sandwick Road, Stornoway
Isle of Lewis HS1 2BW
Tel: 01851 822694
Fax: 01851 705349
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.cne-siar.gov.uk/envserv/
Facebook: CnES-Consumer-Environmental-Services
Microchipping
of Dogs
A
s of 6 April 2016, it will be compulsory
for all dogs over 8 weeks old in Scotland
to be microchipped under the Microchipping
of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016. This
includes having the dog implanted with a
microchip and having their details registered
on a compliant database.
The person responsible for ensuring that dogs
are microchipped will be the current keeper. After
April 6th 2016, it will be an offence to transfer a
dog older than 8 weeks to live with another keeper
without first ensuring that it is microchipped and
that the details of the current keeper have been
registered. After transfer it is the responsibility of
the new keeper to ensure that the details on the
database are updated.
In the event of an owner failing to comply
with the regulation, a notice may be issued by
authorised officers, requiring microchipping of
the dog within 21 days. Breach of the notice may
result in a report to the Procurator Fiscal which
could lead to a fine of £500.
The new regulations also put a responsibility on
breeders and importers to ensure all puppies are
microchipped before being sold and moved on to
their new homes.
Requirement for dogs
to wear a collar and tag
In the UK, the Control of Dogs Order 1992 states
that any dog in a public place must wear a collar
with the name and address (including postcode) of
the owner engraved or written on it, or engraved
on a tag. Your telephone number is optional, but
is recommended as it would allow anyone finding
your dog to call you and reunite you as soon as
possible.
Taking the dog for a walk?
Don’t forget your bag!
C
omhairle Nan Eilean Siar will be stepping up its enforcement
campaign against dog fouling over the next few weeks to
help combat an increase in complaints.
A spokesperson said “The majority of dog owners are responsible
however there continues to be a number of owners who fail to pick
after their pets. We all know that the mess caused by dog fouling is
dirty, smelly and unpleasant, however it also poses a significant health
hazard, especially to children.
Given the sporadic nature of dog fouling we continue to rely on
information from the public to know when to target problem areas.
We will be increasing our presence in these areas and anyone caught
not cleaning up after their dog will be fined.”
Fixed penalty notices can also be served based on evidence provided
by a reliable witness, meaning that offences do not necessarily need
to be witnessed by a Comhairle officer. Even if a witness is not willing
to come forward, any information that helps identify an offender will
be welcomed by the Comhairle.
The problem appears to be particularly bad in the Stornoway
area and local councillors, who continue to get complaint from
constituents, are fully behind the dog fouling campaign.
The requirement to clear up after your dog applies to any public
open space including pavements, footpaths, roads, parks, recreational
pitches, cycle ways, communal land, closes, and any open land that the
public has access to. If there isn’t a bin immediately available when
you are out with your dog, please clean up after your dog and dispose
of the bagged waste in your residual waste bin when you get home.
The fixed penalty for dog fouling is being increased from £40
to £80 from 1 April 2016.
People can report instances of dog fouling to Consumer &
Environmental Services by calling 01851 822694 or emailing
[email protected]
Food Hygiene
Information Scheme
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar launched the Food Hygiene Information Scheme throughout the Outer Hebrides in 2012.
The Food Hygiene Information Scheme effectively 'opens the door' to the kitchen and/or food areas. This will increase
consumer confidence and help people make informed choices about where they eat or buy their food. The scheme is
designed to give straightforward information about how each food outlet fared at its last food hygiene inspection.
The scheme applies to all food outlets that supply food to consumers in the
authorities taking part in the scheme. Each food outlet is asked to display a
certificate on the door or window of their premises, saying whether they have
passed their hygiene inspection or whether improvement is required.
The scheme was developed by the Food Standards Agency (Scotland) and
provides information on the standards of hygiene in food outlets throughout
most local authority areas in Scotland.
Further information on the Food Hygiene Information Scheme is available at
http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/foodsafety/food-hygiene-scheme.asp
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
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service discontinued
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Design awards launched
S
pecialist teacher provision for music, art, and physical education
is to be discontinued for Primary 4-7 classes from April 1.
The decision to remove the itinerant teacher service was taken at a
budget-setting meeting of the full council in mid-February.
It’s anticipated that the move will save the Comhairle a total of
£465,000 over two years.
Itinerant teachers will now find their working conditions transferred
to fall in line with other teachers.
As such, they will be employed as cover for existing school
teachers, although they may still be deployed in teaching music, art,
and physical education, depending on time available.
Despite a large public outcry over the proposal, councillors were
told that itinerant teaching had already been phased out in a number
of primary schools.
Crucial to the argument was that all primary teachers are now
trained and registered to teach music, art, and physical education
from nursery to Primary 7.
The report stated: “Teachers have had significant opportunities to
build their confidence and skills in these areas working alongside
itinerant specialists and have themselves been responsible for stages
P1 – P3 for a number of years now.
“Most local authorities have withdrawn itinerant specialist
provision in primary.
“In addition, the Comhairle provides significant input in other
ways such as active schools, art and music instruction.”
T
he third Outer Hebrides Design Awards were launched in
February to celebrate high quality developments completed
throughout the Outer Hebrides and will be presented in the
categories of Housing, Business/Non-domestic and Conservation.
“The Design Awards are an opportunity to celebrate the work put
into creating successful developments, and the starting point for
working even harder to have more quality buildings in the running for
the next round of Awards in 2018.”
The Comhairle’s Design Champion, Councillor Gordon Murray has
said: “The Comhairle is proud to announce the launch of the 2016
Outer Hebrides Design Awards.
Nominations may be made by anyone – from the developer
themselves, or architects and designers, builders, community groups,
or any other person.
“Since the launch of the Awards six years ago, the Comhairle has
been taking pro-active steps in encouraging good design in the Outer
Hebrides and the results are becoming more and more evident as
recently designed developments are completed.
Nominations should be submitted on the appropriate Nomination
Form available from the Comhairle offices in Stornoway, Tarbert,
Balivanich and Castlebay, and on the Design and Planning pages of
the Comhairle website www.cne-siar.gov.uk.
“Professional designers, architects and members of the public are
showing a stronger commitment to enhancing the quality of our
buildings to complement the beauty of the natural environment and
tradition of the existing built heritage of the Outer Hebrides. It is vital
that we recognise the high quality developments in the islands.
Nominations should be submitted to [email protected] or to
one of the main Comhairle offices marked for the attention of ‘Design
Awards c/o Planning Service’.
All entries must have been completed in the 2 years prior to the
closing date of 25 March 2016.
Hillcrest Children’s Residential home closure deferred
A
decision to close the Hillcrest Children’s Residential home in
Stornoway has been deferred by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.
The controversial proposal recommended that children currently
looked after in Hillcrest should be placed in foster care, saving
£350,000 in 2016/17.
Councillors decided at their budget-setting meeting that they needed
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more information on the proposal before the facility was wound down.
The SNP group put forward an amendment that instead of talking
about closing Hillcrest, a report should be compiled in relation to the
future of residential and respite care for children in the Western Isles.
However, they were defeated by 22 votes to 5.
The proposal to close Hillcrest will now be deferred until 2017/18.
What we achieved in 2014/15
Planning performance has continued to improve year on year since 2012/13. The
challenging range of planning applications (and long term legacy cases) related to wind
turbines impacted on service performance indicators during 2014/15. The performance
of the Comhairle’s Building Standards service continued to remain above target over the
majority of indicators.
Delivery of the Creative and Cultural Industries Strategy continued. This led to continued
investment in the Harris Tweed industry and significant strategic and financial planning
with key creative hubs, such as: An Lanntair, Taigh Chearsabhagh, Kildonan, Ceolas,
Hebridean Connections and the Uist Digitisation Centre, and the let of Studio Alba in
Stornoway for filming the award winning children’s television series Katie Morag. The
Comhairle made a capital investment of £30k to develop the Studio, ensuring that it
remains an attractive location for filming.
The two year Harris Tweed Training and Development Programme was completed at the
end of March 2015. This £142K programme (£99,400 European Social Fund, £22,600 HIE,
£20,000 Comhairle) was managed by the Comhairle and benefitted 139 participants who
received 171 different training interventions. The training provided included full-time
new weaver training, mentor-led new weaver training, Modern Apprenticeships within
the mills, darning training and loom maintenance training. In parallel with this, support
was given to the Association of Harris Tweed Weavers and work was progressed with
industry partners to address the efficiency and availability of looms.
Support to the creative and cultural sector included the award of 32 revenue grants to
arts organisations e.g. to Rural Nations, for the first Hebridean International Film Festival
and to Regional Screen Scotland, to support Screen Machine mobile cinema tours in
Harris, Uist and Barra. The Comhairle continued to support the Hebridean Celtic Festival,
Ceòlas, Fèisean nan Gàidheal, An Lanntair and Taigh Chearsabhagh through funding
agreements.
March
Màrt
Katie Morag exhibition at An Lanntair.
In September 2014, a cultural tourism partnership between the Comhairle, Outer
Hebrides Tourism, Visit Scotland, Proiseact nan Ealan, An Lanntair and Uist Wool saw
the launch of a pilot cultural festival ‘Hebtember’14’. The project was supported with a
grant of £30k from Creative Scotland and marketed a month long programme of cultural
events, art and craft exhibitions and activities throughout the island chain. This included
specially commissioned tours by musician Julie Fowlis and comedian Fred Macaulay, a
series of seven Ceilidhs which brought highly acclaimed Gaelic singers back to the Islands
to perform and ‘Snàth’ an innovative exhibition of contemporary craft in Artisan yarns by
makers based in the Outer Hebrides. The ‘Hebtember’14’ Audience Survey results showed
a high level of satisfaction with the cultural programme, from both Locals and Visitors.
When asked “How did you rate the Hebtember event/exhibition that you attended
today?” 93% of Locals and 96% of Visitors responded positively with either Very Good or
Excellent.
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
Winter shop opening hours:
11.30am - 5.30pm, Mon - Sat
Fuel 24hrs
www.ravenspoint.net
Kershader, Isle of Lewis, HS2 9QA
A new opening for Ravenspoint Hostel!
Dementia Café comes to Ravenspoint
Visitors to the Ravenspoint Hostel in South Lochs will soon be able to
experience something which the many past occupants of this
schoolhouse and adjoining school building could only have dreamed
of.
For people living with dementia or caring for someone with dementia, spending
time with folk who understand your situation is worth its weight in gold. Having
the services available as close to home as possible is an added bonus. Alzheimers
Scotland and the Muaithebhal Windfarm Trust understand this and are working
together on a new initiative for people living in South Lochs.
A new doorway is being created between the two buildings, which
now operate as a Hostel and Visitor centre. For the first time, guests
will be able to take advantage of a more attractive and accessible
space without having to brave the elements.
On the first Wednesday
afternoon of the month in
the Ravenspoint Café,
Alzheimers Scotland staff
will run an informal and
relaxed get together for
people who are dealing with
the daily realities of
dementia.
Improving the access between the popular community-owned Hostel
and the Centre, with its shop, café and Museum, will provide visitors
with better facilities, as well as offering more opportunites for them
to meet local people and experience the warmth of a Hebridean
welcome.
It’s a time to chat over a cup
of tea, get answers to
questions or perhaps just
catch your breath as you look
out on the lovely views of
Loch Erisort.
Having secured support from the Muaithebhal Windfarm Trust, the
plan is being put into action by a combination of local contractors
and dedicated volunteers.
The major part of the work is due to be completed by Easter, and as
well as offering improved shower and laundry facilities, a larger
sitting-room with beautiful views of Loch Erisort, and a new
entrance, the bedroom provision will be enhanced with an additional
premium room available on the ground floor.
Winter
Opening Hours
Shop:
11.30am - 5.30pm
Monday - Saturday
Lee Gray hard at work in the hostel
Fuel Service:
Petrol and Diesel 24/7
(easy payment by card machine
when shop closed).
Come along and a warm
welcome is guaranteed.
Café:
Closed for the winter. Available to hire for functions
and meetings. Catering service also available.
Call 01851 880236 to book.
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
New minister for town’s Free Church
By Iain A MacSween
Rev James Maciver
O
ne of the most experienced ministers
in the Free Church of Scotland is set to
become the next minister of Stornoway Free
Church.
Rev James Maciver will be inducted to his new
charge on Wednesday March 23.
Mr Maciver, who served as Moderator of the
General Assembly in 2011, has been minister of
Knock Free Church since 1997.
Rev James Maciver said: “This has been a very
hard decision for me to arrive at, simply because of
the sheer quality of people in Knock Free Church
with which I have had such a close bond for the
past 19 years.
“I want to pay tribute to them for all the support
they have given my wife Donna and myself over
these years.
us so many precious memories as we begin a new
chapter of service to the Lord.”
“Serving them has been a privilege and pleasure
and it is no small consolation that we carry with
The former Free Church Moderator continued:
“I am looking forward immensely to being the
next minister of Stornoway Free Church and
Donna shares with me a sense of anticipation and
excitement at the prospect of sharing together in
the work of the gospel there.
receiving a BC from London University and
graduating with a DipTh from the Free Church
College (now Edinburgh Theological Seminary) in
1987.
“I had some insight into the busy life of the
congregation during the short time I was Interim
Moderator prior to their call being signed.
In September of that year, Mr Maciver was
ordained and inducted to East Kilbride Free
Church, and ministered there for a decade.
“I have no doubt that they are eager listeners of
God’s word preached and that the many gospelrelated activities already in place show that they
are ‘doers of the word and not hearers only.’
He accepted a call to his present congregation,
Knock Free Church, in 1997 and in 2000 was
appointed Principal Clerk to the denomination’s
General Assembly.
“The town of Stornoway presents many
challenges and opportunities for the gospel and,
by God’s grace, my aim will be to unite the
preaching of the gospel with all the gifts already
evident in the congregation so as to actively meet
the challenges and grasp the opportunities.”
The 61-year-old was Moderator of the General
Assembly in 2011. He is married to Donna, and
they have three grown-up children.
Mr Maciver is originally from Aird Tong,
and began studies for the ministry at Glasgow
University in 1981 – graduating with an MA in
Hebrew and Medieval History in 1984, before
Gala dinner added to list
of fundraising ventures
The Kenneth Street vacancy arose after previous
minister Rev Iver Martin accepted the role of
full-time Principal with Edinburgh Theological
Seminary, and Mr Maciver will join Stornoway
assistant minister Rev Kenny I Macleod, who has
faithfully served the congregation since 1999.
ROTARY AND
INTERACT CLUB
PROFILES
T
he Hebridean Gala Dinner and Big Ceilidh on Saturday,
March 5th is hosted by the Rotary Club of Stornoway and
The Nicolson Institute Interact Club.
Marion Morrison,
Secretary, The
Nicolson Institute
Interact Club
Raising funds for MND Scotland, CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young)
and Stornoway RNLI Lifeboat, the Black Tie Gala and Ceilidh take
place in the Cabarfeidh Hotel, Stornoway.
MC for the evening is Tom MacIver, with music from Faram and
guest, along with guest speaker Iain McWhirter from MND Scotland.
And the Rotary’s popular Wheel of Fortune makes its return, with
some fantastic prizes – including a Seatrek boat trip for 12 people,
return flights toGlasgow/Inverness and fishing at Grimersta Estate up
for grabs!
Diane Murray,
Secretary, The
Rotary Club of
Stornoway
Tickets are £37 or £296 per table, from Third Sector Hebrides
reception or Orbit Agency, both at 30 Francis Street. Contact 01851
707219 or email [email protected] for more information.
February saw Stornoway Rotary Club hold its third annual
Swimarathon in aid of Rotary International’s End Polio Now
campaign. With the help of teams from MG ALBA, the St Kilda Swim
team, local swimming club and Rotarians, the total of 1,000 lengths
was reached in record time.
Born and brought up in
Stornoway, Diane studied at
Edinburgh Telford
College
and Jewel and Esk College,
completing an NC in Legal
Secretarial Studies and HND in
Business Administration.
Since the End Polio Now campaign was established 30 years ago,
cases of Polio world-wide have decreased by 99%. Yet, although
so close to eradicating Polio from the planet, a new threat to the
campaign has arisen as Taliban extremists are now targeting polio
workers carrying out vaccinations in remote areas of Afghanistan and
Pakistan. More than 70 polio workers have been killed in Pakistan
over the past five years, so the need to End Polio Now is sadly greater
than ever.
The Nicolson Institute Interact Club have also been busy
fundraising as members held a Soup and Pudding Lunch in Sandwick
Hall last month. The event raised over £200 for charity The Gambia
Partnership – a reformed Christian charity working with Christians in
Gambia, offering support and assistance and aiming to spread the
She has over 20 years
experience
in
senior
administrative and executive
support roles in both private
and public sector; and has
worked as a Virtual Assistant
since 2008.
Rotarian Jane Maciver and Interacter Josephine Townsend delighted to
announce 1,000 lengths of the Swimarathon 2016 completed
Gospel in the Gambia. And Rotarians recently enjoyed a tour of the
Lews Castle College UHI facility.
Sincere thanks to Professor Frank Rennie who was an inspiring host
and really opened everyone’s eyes to the amazing facility right here
on the doorstep in Stornoway.
Club members heard how the College delivers education ranging
from SQA Higher level up to PhD/MPhil research degrees, available
to anyone on a flexible and remote access basis, and that the facility
is engaging with students globally using the latest in technology.
Members of Stornoway Rotary Club were impressed by the facilities at Lews
Castle College UHI when they were taken on a tour by Professor Frank
Rennie.
Turning to March, and as well as the Rotary/Interact Hebridean
Gala Dinner and Big Ceilidh, the Rotary Club will also host its first
Primary School Quiz on Tuesday, March 29th. With island primary
schools lining up to pit their wits against each other, it’s hoped for a
good turn out to support the young ones as they get their thinking
caps on!
With
over
15
years
experience
based
in
Stornoway, Diane’s former
posts have included working
as Property Manager at Ken
Macdonald Solicitors &Co;
Project
Management
at
Stornoway Historical Society;
Personal Assistant to Calum
Macdonald MP; Sales and
Marketing at Eolas Media; PA/
Office Manager at Oracle,
Scottish Amicable and other
Edinburgh based clients.
Currently a Director with
the Orbit Agency, Stornoway,
Diane
supports
clients
nationally and in Europe with
business administration and
marketing.
Growing up in Newmarket,
Nicolson Institute Interact Club
secretary Marion Morrison also
spends time with close family in
Borve and Ness.
Sixth-year pupil Marion joined
Interact Club at the beginning
of her final year in school and
enjoys her role as Secretary. “I
like the Club because you work
as one big group to organise
events,” she said.
“It makes it worthwhile
because all events are for good
causes. Also you are made
aware of so many new and
exciting charities and get to be
in contact with the public to tell
them about them.
Marion added: “I became
secretary this year when I
joined the Club and the role has
given me a chance to be more
involved in the Club, and work
on my organisational skills.”
Currently studying maths,
chemistry, health and food,
and hospitality at The Nicolson
Institute, Marion plans to
continue her further education
through Applied Science in
Perth. But she admits: “Careerwise I’m still unsure what I’m
going to do.”
One thing Marion is sure
about however is her desire
to travel, as she added: “I’m
interested in different cultures,
cuisines and languages around
the world and am involved in
a group from the school that
is going to Pendleton, South
Carolina, at the end of March. I
look forward to this greatly and
hope I can travel more of the
world throughout my life.”
www.hebevents.com
Julie Brook shines her light on art
Fearing the lions…the
artist who challenges
life to find meaning
A
rt is capable of transporting you to any time
and place and giving you glimpses into other
countries and cultures. Whether in the form
of a painting, a sculpture or a photograph, each
work has the power to snatch the audience into
another world. Internationally renowned artist,
Julie Brook, will be appearing at An Lanntair from
March 19 - May 1 where she will take her audience
on an adventure that will take their breath away.
J
ulie Brook is many things – artist, filmmaker,
explorer, adventurer... and someone who
dices with death.
It all happened when Julie was searching for
artistic inspiration in the richly-coloured landscape
of Africa. "Our vehicle got stuck in a riverbed,"
relates Julie. "We were in the worst possible
circumstances because you should never stop at
night and you should never, ever stop at night in a
riverbed because that's when and where the wild
animals come down to drink.
“My guide had said there were lions about and
I spent the night lying awake, entirely convinced I
would be eaten by a lion. When I walked out to
get help, I was so sure I was going to die that I took
my passport with me. To get help, we walked for
miles, climbing up on the neighbouring mountains.
The journey was very slow, but we eventually did
find help and I was so utterly grateful we hadn't
been eaten! That was a very scary night!"
Julie has long sought wild and untamed
landscapes to inspire her creativity. "I moved
to Scotland in my mid-twenties and discovered
a landscape that I had a very strong connection
to," she explains. Julie has lived and worked in
Orkney, a cliff arch on Jura and the uninhabited
Outer Hebridean island of Mingulay. With her
partner, Christopher Young of Young Films, Julie
has made her home and her studio on the dramatic
and windswept Isle of Skye.
Lately, however, her quest for inspiration has
taken her to Namibia, Africa - a trip which resulted
in an eight-and-a-half minute-long film entitled
"Pigment." Julie explains how the film-making
adventure came about, saying: "In the Himba area in
the north west of Namibia, the woman traditionally
use pigment on their skin and braids in their hair.
I've used red ochre pigment for 20 years, but in a
very different way from them, so I was excited to go
and see where it was came from in Otijze. I met
three young Himba women who had been wanting
to collect pigment but had no tools. I said that they
were welcome to use my tools and would they be
prepared to let me come with them?"
This chance meeting resulted in Julie
accompanying the girls into a huge cave that
stretched 20 feet into the ground to see the young
women mining their pigment. "All the mining is
done by hand and they slowly chip the pigment
off from the interior of the cave," says Julie. "After
that, it's crushed up into a fine powder and mixed
with animal fat. When I use pigment, I also crush
it up and use it like a pastel on the paper. Our
inherent techniques are very similar, but for very
different uses. I was entranced and asked them
the following year if I could film them. The result
was Pigment - a film about the human endeavour
to find the material."
Comprising a series of striking, richly-hued images
and the mesmerising singing of the girls as they
work, Pigment is part of a series of films that Julie
entitled Intercepting Light. Especially with Pigment
there is a strong human presence. Julie says: "The
girls bowled me over - they were like any young
girls: playful, fun and great to be with. They had a
completely unfettered connection with the land,
which resonated strongly with Pigment's viewers."
Although Pigment is focussed on the mining, the
rest of the films explore the effect of African light
on Julie's sculptures. Her fascination for light in
all its forms is beautifully-expressed in one short
film - that of a sunrise's slow transition from dark
to light against her marble sculpture. "It's very
special to watch," enthuses Julie. "The light is like
a delicate blade. Then, it gets wider and wider. It's
so concrete, because it happens every day, but so
The exhibition, entitled Made Unmade, has its roots
in Julie's experiences in the desert of Namibia. Julie
was struck by the choreography of the landscape and
the effect the environment had on her own sculptural
art forms. "I wanted to share this with an audience,
but I had a problem," reveals Julie. "How do you bring
the physicality of a landscape into a gallery situation?
I had been using photography and film, but I hadn't
fully understood the physical nature of the film that I
could achieve." With the use of enormous screens that
surround the viewer, Julie's films literally envelop the
audience in an intense visual and audio experience
Curved passage Orotjipanga, Purros
not concrete, because it's light!"
To transport her audience directly into the
landscape, Julie arranged for enormous screens
to each play a different film simultaneously - thus
surrounding the viewer with an intense experience,
making full use of audio and visual artistry. Julie
says: "I wanted to bring the physicality of the
landscape and sculptures into a gallery situation.
I want the viewer to feel like they're going out for
a walk - to let their bodies do the thinking and
listening for them."
Julie admits that she was initially drawn to art
because of its unpredictable nature. "At school, I
had an exceptional art teacher. Learning to draw
really well was a revelation - it made me realise
how serious a process it was. It was so different
from the academic structure, which requires
facts and knowledge. With drawing, it requires
practice, but there's always an element that you
can't control. I was 15 and I could understand
the difference between a good, well-observed
drawing and a drawing that is just full of life.
It's a subtle difference, but it's also completely
profound and the difference between a work being
just a work compared to a work of art. I took that
revelation very seriously and knew that I wanted
to explore that. In the process, I realised how hard
it was to find that place where you see something
differently to the normal everyday way, and then
communicate that through art."
What else is in store for the intrepid artist? At the
moment, she is hard at work updating her website,
which is due to be revealed at the end of March
2016. This will coincide with her exhibition on
www.hebevents.com
06/01/16 - 03/02/16
The films give an experience that is simultaneously
soft and harsh. As well as exploring the effect of the
light on Julie's sculptures, they also make full use of the
naturally sculpted landscape - hence the title Made,
Unmade. The balletic bouncing of a rock down a
hillside, accompanied with hard sounds as it strikes
the ground, juxtaposes with the naturally sculptured
form of a riverbank. Julie explains: "I am inviting you
into the landscape, so that you can really explore the
sculpture of places you might not see. As the light
changes, it's almost like a moving drawing
During her An Lanntair exhibition, Julie will be
organising a series of educational workshops for adults,
high school students and primary school pupils. "I am
planning to invite various groups of students to come
to the exhibition, then I combine that with a drawing
workshop," says Julie. "My public talk will give a sense
of context to the desert work. I especially want to see
how islanders relate to the physical materials - as that
is often very close to what they do on their own croft."
Julie Brook
March 19 - May 1 at An Lanntair. She also intends
to return to Namibia for more adventures!
Something very striking about Julie is the sheer
depth of her dedication to her art. The thought she
puts into each piece results in a truly captivating
Photograph by Roz Skinner
experience, teasing the minds of her audience with
unexpected art forms. Her constant endeavour, to
push the boundaries of her own creativity, means
her art takes her on a perpetual adventure - one that
never fails to amaze, intrigue and inspire.
Julie has spent much of her life on various Scottish
islands, including Orkney, Jura and Mingulay.
Although she has made her home in Sleat on Skye, she
has also started working on the west coast of Lewis. "I
have been doing sculptural work there, which will be
included in a BBC Four documentary about land art,"
she reveals. "That will be shown in the spring."
Julie will also be unveiling her brand new website at
her Stornoway exhibition. Packed full of her artwork,
you can sit back and enjoy the experience as Julie takes
you on a very special online journey.
Julie Brook at work
An Lanntair's Head of Visual Arts, Roddy Murray,
expressed his enthusiasm for Julie's upcoming
appearance, saying: "I first met Julie during her visit
to Lewis in the mid-90's. This was shortly after she
had spent three years living in a cave in Jura - an
extraordinary project that got extensive coverage in
the press. After that, she exiled herself to Mingulay and then the Namibian and Libyan deserts for a project
that has been ongoing, re-presented and refreshed
over the years. It's intrepid, uncomfortable and hard
graft, creating art in the raw, bone-chilling wind of the
North Atlantic or the oven-like temperatures of the
Photograph by Roz Skinner
desert. There are few artists who show this kind of iron
commitment. Still, it's that early image and footage
of her cairn on Jura with the fire atop it, about to be
drowned by the rising tide, that reminds me that her
work adds another stone to the cairn of other great
artistic pioneers - such as Richard Long and Robert
Smithson - who made the land itself their canvas and
in whose company she belongs."
Pigment, still from
HD film 8.30mins
If you would like to experience the harsh beauty
of the desert through Julie's films, as well as hear her
unique perspective, you can enjoy her breath-taking
exhibition at An Lanntair on March 19 - May 1.
Divided Block 3, Onjuva Quarry,
Orupembe, NW Namibia
Film Installation at Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh 2013
Roz Skinner talks to Julie Brook, an artist who has spent many summers on Mingulay…and many months in African deserts
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
Island life proves success as Lindy
takes up community support role
By Iain A MacSween
Lindy Cameron-Saunders enjoying a whole
new lifestyle
T
aking up the role of Support Officer at
Third Sector Hebrides is not just a career
change for Lindy Cameron-Saunders – it’s a
whole new lifestyle.
Originally from Bute, Lindy was drawn to Lewis
through her husband Alan, whose family is from
the West Side.
“He passed away last year and it seemed the
right time for us to move here, as it was something
we had been considering for some time.”
Another strand to work carried out by Third
Sector Hebrides is the STARAN project, which
is run to solely benefit the community in which
it operates. “STARAN do various things like
servicing and MOT testing, chimney sweeping and
ground maintenance work,” said Lindy.
The bright lights of Glasgow have been swapped
for the croft here on Lewis, where Lindy has sheep
and admits to having ‘fallen in love’ with working
the land and all it involves.
Lindy qualified from East London University
with a degree in Sports Science, but was keen to
return to Scotland.
“Also, if people are suffering from issues such
as alcohol and drug misuse, they can go along
and do activities at the STARAN workshop. Just
recently a group finished building a skiff boat.
She found work with Glasgow City Council,
before moving on to a health project in Easterhouse,
working with volunteers to assist parents, children,
and mental health patients, as well as providing
advice on growing fruit and veg.
“There are a few different strands to Third Sector
Hebrides,” explained Lindy. “My role as support
officer is to work with volunteer groups that are
either social enterprises, or organisations under
the SCIO categorisation.”
A Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation
(SCIO) is a legal structure which has been purposebuilt for the charity sector in Scotland. It provides
limited liability and a separate legal identity to
organisations that want to become charities but
do not want or need the complex structure of
company law. This means that even the smallest
“Although these groups don’t have a seat at
the table at community planning partnership
meetings, they will be represented, and that is part
of what my job is.
“I plan on getting out into all the different
communities and doing a series of drop in sessions
so that people know what Third Sector Hebrides are
here for, and what services we provide. Ultimately
we are a professional service to encourage, nurture
and support voluntary groups.”
“His uncle, Ruaraidh Calum Saunders, used to
work on the CalMac boats,” Lindy told EVENTS.
She most recently worked as a Health Walks
Development Officer and Countryside Range
with South Lanarkshire Council, mapping out new
walks from Hamilton right down to Abington.
sessions with volunteer groups and they can then
feed that information back to their communities.
“It’s geared for when you are most likely to drink
or do whatever your addiction craves, so that
instead you can meet with like-minded people,
and do something useful that you would enjoy.”
charity can access the benefits of incorporation –
including limited liability and legal capacity.
“A SCIO organisation isn’t regulated as heavily as
a social enterprise, so it’s a wee bit less daunting,”
said Lindy. “Here in the Western Isles, I want to
help groups build their confidence so they feel
capable of doing their own paperwork.
“We (Third Sector Hebrides) are here to support
them filling out forms and sending stuff away,
sorting out all the legal stuff and governance with
OSCR (Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator).
We will help them establish a constitution, and all
our assistance is totally free.”
Third Sector Hebrides are part of what’s known
as a Third Sector Interface (TSI).
Lindy explained: “The government basically
got fed up trying to deal with all the voluntary
organisations that deal with volunteers across the
country, simply because there are so many.
“So there is now a TSI for each local authority.
They are all different, and they all work in different
ways. We work across the Western Isles, and
together with the Volunteer Centre, we gather in
people’s feelings and ideas on what is happening
within communities and feed back up to the
planning partnership within the council.
“Through the Community Empowerment Bill, the
hope is that we can run forums and information
Lindy said she was already aware that there were
many people in the Western Isles who suffered
from issues with mental health, as well as isolation
and loneliness. As such, Third Sector Hebrides
is also about to start a befriending project, and is
now looking for people to train as befrienders.
There are also plans to convert unused building
space at the Third Sector Hebrides base on Francis
Street, to accommodate the Enable project, which
focuses on new beginnings, second chances and
long term development by providing training and
creative learning opportunities.
“Everyone has been so friendly since I started
working here on Lewis,” Lindy smiled. “It’s a
lovely place to come to live and work.”
Pipe Band looks forward to gala event at arts centre
L
ewis Pipe Band is looking forward to a
great year.
The Band hosted its first ever Burns Night at
the Caladh Inn at the end of January, an event
which chairman Sandy Gomez described as
‘hugely successful’.
“The response was fantastic, and we almost
sold out,” Sandy told EVENTS. “We were
joined by Robert Doig, who addressed the
haggis, and John Mackenzie, who read out
Holy Willie’s Prayer.
“We also had Anna Murray, and our
own long-time committee member Donnie
‘Leodie’ Macleod giving the traditional
Toasts.” Together with a raffle and auction, an
impressive amount of money was raised on
the night for band coffers.
Next up is a gala event showcasing the
very best of local talent at An Lanntair on
Saturday April 23. While some acts are still
to be confirmed, already booked for the
concert are Anna Murray and the Nicolson
Pipe Band, Fiona (Chasm) Macleod, Caitlyn
Mackenzie, and of course, the Lewis Pipe
Band themselves.
“The big focus just now is on the concert
in An Lanntair,” said Sandy. “It’s a good
incentive to work hard and put extra effort
in, which will hopefully filter through to our
competitions later in the year.”
The main thrust of the concert – labelled
‘Ar Turas’ (Our Journey)’ - is to inform the
audience of the progress the band has made
in recent years – from competition successes
to status upgrading, to moving in to the brand
new Band Hall which is about to be officially
opened on Bells Road.
That building is almost near to completion,
and it’s hoped that it can be shown off to the
public at an open day in mid-March.
Competition-wise, the Lewis Pipe Band will
this year compete in the usual two events – the
European Championships in Forres, in June,
and the World Championships on Glasgow
Green, in August. “We had hoped to maybe
compete in a third competition this year, but
the cost of travel is just too high,” said Sandy.
“So this year we are going to head down to
the World Championships a bit earlier, on the
Thursday, to soak up all the atmosphere at the
‘Piping Live’ festival which takes place at the
same time.
“After that, we look forward to competing
on the Saturday.”
For more details on the ‘Ar Turas’
concert, check the Pipe Band’s website at
www.lewispipeband.co.uk.
Lewis Pipe Band at the Worlds Championship 2015
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
In January, the Clan MacQuarrie community centre in Borve on Lewis was the
scene of the start of what is hoped to be a revolution in self-help emergency healthcare
in the Western Isles. Around 30 people gathered to hear from representatives of the
Skye-based charity Lucky2BHere about how the spread of knowledge of
resuscitation techniques among local people could save lives.
The group aims to reduce the risks of death outside hospital from cardiac arrests
and is led by Ross Cowie, himself a survivor of more than 10 cardiac arrest incidents
ten years ago, brought on by a genetic condition. He only survived the initial attack
because an ambulance was by chance nearby.
Roz Skinner looks at how the revolution is
working on Skye and Raasay.
Teaching everyone
how to save lives
Our under-9 boys won the overall team shield at the local Cross Country events held in the Castle Grounds
Portree High School pupils Rosie MacLeod, Eilidh Baker, Aedan McCabe, James Pringle,
Caitlin MacLean with Catherine MacDonald, headteacher
Q
uestion: What do the Royal Bank of
Scotland in Portree, the telephone box at
Bernisdale and the Fire Station on the Isle of
Raasay have in common?
Answer: They each house a defibrillator.
Learning how to use these defibrillators is
part of the training organised by the charity,
Lucky2BHere, and received by senior pupils at
Portree High School.
Former pupil, Ross Cowie, established
Lucky2BHere, after he had a sudden cardiac
arrest. Thanks to a passing ambulance, with
skilled crew and life-saving equipment, Mr
Cowie's life was saved. Mr Cowie hopes to save
other lives by providing members of the public
with the knowledge needed to administer CPR and
defibrillation.
In keeping with that remit, Mr Cowie approached
Portree High School to set up training for the
pupils. Portree High School became the first senior
school to receive the Lucky2BHere Emergency Life
Support training programme in 2009. Heartstart
Skye works closely with Lucky2BHere to make
the training available to the pupils, providing free
courses in Emergency Life Support and training in
the use of Automated External Defibrilllators.
The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is
a portable, electronic device that diagnoses lifethreatening cardiac arrhythmias and performs the
treatment through defibrillation, thus allowing
the heart to re-establish its rhythm. However, the
equipment needs an operator - and this is where
the training comes in.
Portree is now one of several other schools in
Scotland receiving training thanks to Lucky2BHere.
Headteacher, Catherine MacDonald, explains
the education process at Portree High School,
saying: "We start with basic first aid with the third
year pupils. The next step is the heart start and
defibrillation training for the seniors. We see our
school as part of the local community and we work
closely with local charities, like Lucky2BHere.
This training gives the pupils valuable life skills
and prepares them for the future."
The pupils themselves expressed enthusiasm
and positivity for the training. "We have a
massive sense of elation - knowing we are able to
potentially save a life," Aedan McCabe says. They
agree that the training takes on special importance
due to the rural nature of the communities in Skye
and Raasay. "This especially applies to me," says
Rosie MacLeod, who lives on the Isle of Raasay.
"We have two defibrillators on Raasay. You have to
know how to act quickly in these situations and we
feel much more confident thanks to the training."
Plans are in place to include more training in the
curriculum. Currently, it takes place once a year.
"Ideally, we would like to do it once a term," says
Catherine. "Our next training is due to be timetabled
in November. Several hundred pupils have already
received the training, but our aim is that everyone
who leaves school should have these skills."
Cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack
which is usually caused by a construction of blood
supply to the heart: in cardiac arrest, the hearts
stops beating completely or beats in such an
erratic way that it can no longer pump any blood
around the body. Without external intervention,
the survival rates internationally are much the
same; almost none, perhaps 0.25 per cent.
A Lucky2BHere defibrillator in
the Jans DIY store in Portree
We recently held a very competitive but fun night of Family Athletics in the Sports Centre. The event was well attended
Stornoway Primary School and Sgoil an Rubha enjoyed a very entertaining Shinty festival at the Sports Centre.
Here we have the Stornoway Primary pupils with their certificates
Murdina Mackay, who worked in the school for more than 20 years, (firstly as an auxiliary and then as secretary)
retired recently. A large turn-out of staff enjoyed a nice meal and banter in the Caberfeidh Hotel to mark the occasion
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
New books at Western Isles Libraries
FICTION
IRVING, John
Avenue of mysteries
General Fiction
OʼRIORDAN, Steven
Whispering hope : the true story of the Magdalene women
Crime
MCLEOD, Chris
Vanished : planes that disappear
Thriller
WEBB, Simon
British concentration camps : a brief history: from 1900-1975
General Fiction
ROBINS, Nick
Coast Lines key ancestors : M Langlands & Sons
JONES, Richard
House guests, house pests : a natural history of animals in
the home
GREEN, Wendy
Arthritis : a self-help guide to feeling better
WIGNEY, Tessa (ed.)
Journeys with the black dog : inspirational stories of bringing
depression to heel
MARSH, Terry
Geocaching : a step by step guide to high-tech treasure hunting with a GPS
ARANGO, Sascha
The truth and other lies
Thriller
KNIGHT, Alanna
Akin to murder
ARMSTRONG, Kelley
City of the lost
Thriller
KOONTZ, Dean R.
Ashley Bell
BARNES, Julian
The noise of time
General Fiction
LENNOX, Judith
The jewellerʼs wife
BROOKE, Amanda
The childʼs secret
General Fiction
MACBRIDE, Stuart
In the cold dark ground
Crime
BURKE, James L.
House of the rising sun
MAY, Peter
Coffin Road
Crime
CAMILLERI, Andrea
The Brewer of Preston
MILLER, Jax
Freedomʼs child
CLARE, Alys
The Night Wanderer
MORIARTY, Liane
Three wishes
General Fiction
COLGAN, Jenny
The little shop of happy ever after
MYERSON, Julie
The stopped heart
General Fiction
CRAIS, Robert
The promise
Thriller
NADEL, Barbara
On the bone
CUSSLER, Clive
The pharaohʼs secret
Thriller
PAGE, Lynda
Let the good times roll
General Fiction
BARRINGTON, John
Of dogs and men
DICKINSON, Margaret
The buffer girls
General Fiction
PARKER, Una-Mary
The Fairbairn fortunes
General Fiction
DAWSON, Simon
Exposure
General Fiction
Perfect daughter
General Fiction
Pigs in clover, or, How I accidentally fell in love with the good
life
DUNMORE, Helen
PROWSE, Amanda
The sty's the limit : when middle age gets mucky
The Dungeon House
Brotherhood in death
DAWSON, Simon
EDWARDS, Martin
ROBB, J.D.
RYAN, Chris
Deathlist
SLATER, Nigel
A year of good eating : the kitchen diaries III
FITZGERALD, Helen
Viral
GREANEY, Mark
Tom Clancy's commander-in-chief
GREGORY, Susanna
HARRIS, Rosie
Thriller
Historical Fiction
Crime
General Fiction
Crime
General Fiction
Thriller
Crime
Crime
Thriller
SANDFORD, John, Ctein
Saturn run
Science Fiction
Thriller
SANSAL, Boualem
An unfinished business
General Fiction
The Chelsea strangler
Crime
SANSAL, Boualem
Harraga
General Fiction
Heartbreak and happiness
Saga
SCARROW, Simon
Invader
Historical Fiction
SEYMOUR, Gerald
No mortal thing
STEEL, Danielle
Blue
STERNBERGH, Adam
Near enemy
TRIGIANI, Adriana
All the stars in the heavens
FEATURED TITLES
Harraga
by Boualem Sansal
In a crumbling colonial mansion besieged
by slums in the old quarter of Algiers,
Lamia lives a life of self-imposed isolation,
communing only with her ghosts by day,
working as a paediatrician by day. Her
family are dead, but for her beloved brother
Sofiane, who has become a harraga - one
of those who risk their lives attempting to
flee the country for a better life in Europe/
elsewhere. Lamia's tranquil, ordered
existence is turned upside-down when a
sixteen-year-old stranger knocks on her door
in the middle of the night. Only because she has been sent by Sofiane,
Lamia takes the girl in. Pregnant, unmarried and dressed in garish finery
like an X-Factor contestant, Chérifa is talkative, curiously innocent, and
utterly unafraid. She enters the house like a whirlwind, and leaves a trail
of destruction in her wake. Lamia must try to teach her, to protect her
against a world where a woman who is not meek, subservient, married is
an affront, where a girl who is pregnant can be killed to spare her family's
honour. By turns funny and lyrical, luminous and sardonic, Harraga, by
the controversial author of An Unfinished Business, is the engaging and
ultimately tragic story of two very different women who become friends
and allies in a patriarchal world.
The lovers
Love and vengeance
in Afghanistan : a true story
by Rod Nordland
A riveting, real-life equivalent of The Kite
Runner: A powerful and profoundly moving
story of a young couple willing to risk
everything for love. "She is his Juliet and he
is her Romeo, and her family has threatened
to kill them both..." This is the heartrending
account of Zakia and Mohammad Ali, a
couple from opposing Islamic sects, who
defying their society's norms have left behind everything they know and
are quite literally risking their lives for their love. She is a Sunni, he is
a Shia, but as friends from childhood Zakia and Mohammad Ali could
never have predicted that their love would anger their families so much
that they would be forced to leave their homes finding refuge in the harsh
terrain of the Afghani mountains. Without money or passports they rely
on the kindness of strangers to house them for a couple of days at a time
as they remain on the run, never deterred. New York Times journalist,
Rod Nordland, has chronicled the plight of the young lovers telling their
extraordinary story of courage, perseverance and love in one of the
world's most troubled countries. This moving love story is told against the
bigger backdrop of the horrific but widespread practices that women are
subjected to in Afghanistan.
Search the library catalogue online –
www.cne-siar.gov.uk/library
Thriller
General Fiction
Thriller
WOOLF, Kalpna
Spice yourself slim : harness the power of super spices for
well-being and weight-loss
KLINGLER, Daniel
Make-up techniques
INNES, James
The interview question and answer book : how to be ready to
answer the 155 toughest interview questions
JONES, Patrick J.
The anatomy of style : figure drawing methods
A-Z of knitting : the ultimate guide for the beginner through
to the advanced knitter
General Fiction
NON FICTION
SIEGEL, Daniel
AUTOIMMUNE cookbook
Mindsight : transform your brain with the new science of
empathy
SCOTTISH Reformation Society John Knox Conference 2014
MONTGOMERIE, Claire
Easy baby knits : clothes, toys, and accessories for 0-3 year-olds
BUCHAN, Norman
101 Scottish songs : the wee red songbook
BLESSED, Brian
Absolute pandemonium: a memoir
SKINNER, Richard
The Busby Babes
LAHIRI, Jhumpa
In other words
WHITE, Andrew
My journey so far
MUNRO, Donald
Records of grace in Sutherland, compiled by the late Rev.
Donald Munro, D.D. of Ferintosh and Rogart
YASSIN-KASSAB, Robin
Burning country : Syrians in revolution and war
SHAPIRO, James
HUGHES, Robert
Walker finds a way : running into the adult world with autism
SWAFFER, Kate
What the hell happened to my brain? : living beyond dementia
DOUGLAS-FAIRHURST, Robert The story of Alice : Lewis Carroll and the secret history of
Wonderland
AUSTWICK, Julian
Amber's donkey : how a donkey and a little girl healed
each other
BENEATH troubled skies : poems of Scotland at war 1914-1918
1606: William Shakespeare and the year of Lear
MANKELL, Henning
Quicksand
WOOD, Levison
Walking the Himalayas
HERBERT, Sir Wally
Across the Arctic Ocean : original photographs from the last
great polar journey
CORNWELL, Bernard
Waterloo : the history of four days, three armies and three
battles
HUGHES, Peter
Visiting the fallen - Arras memorials
MEYEROWITZ, Seth
The lost airman : a true story of escape from Nazi-occupied
France
MONTEFIORE, Simon Sebag
The Romanovs : an intimate chronicle of the Russian royal
family
SOUTHARD, Susan
Nagasaki : life after nuclear war
NORDLAND, Rod
The lovers : love and vengeance in Afghanistan : a true story
EWART, Tim
Queen Elizabeth II: a celebration of Her Majestyʼs 90th
birthday
BENSON-GYLES, Dick
The boy in the mask : the hidden world of Lawrence of
Arabia
LOCAL HISTORY
EARL, David W.
Lost to the Isles : accounts of military aircraft accidents
around the Scottish Isles 1944. Volume 3
KINROSS, John
Discovering the smallest churches in Scotland
NEOLITHIC settlement in Ireland and Western Britain, edited
by Ian Armit
GAELIC
LANG, Alison
An aisling
LANG, Alison
Cho snog's a tha thu
NICPHAIL, Maletta
Iain 'Ain 'ic Iain : from Garenin to the Oregon country
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
Reunion time
after 40 years…
By Eilidh Whiteford
C
alling all 40 years olds – it's time for your
school reunion!
If you were born in 1976 or 1977; were a 4th
year school leaver in the class of 1992; a 5th year
leaver in 1993, or a sixth year leaver in 1994, of
either The Nicolson Institute, The Castle School or
Sir E Scott – then this year is your 40th Reunion.
And plans to make the 2016 reunion weekend
go with a bang are well underway as the organising
committee prepare to welcome old school chums
on Friday, April 1st and Saturday, April 2nd.
“It's actually been brilliant fun organising it,
getting in touch with people we haven’t seen
for years, going over old photos, laughing at old
hairdos and fashions, even remembering the slang
words we used to use,” said Committee Chair
Yvonne MacKay.
“The path has been carved for us already by
previous reunions, but we're putting our own
stamp on it with the decorations – we have an
extremely creative separate decorating committee
who are having a lot of fun styling the weekend
celebrations!
“There's been a lot of people put a lot of work
into the organising and there's a bit for everyone
over the weekend, so we hope to see lots of familiar
faces.”
Indeed, with a 'bit for everyone' to enjoy, the 40th
Reunion 2016 kicks off with the 'Formal Friday',
taking place at the Cabarfeidh Hotel, Stornoway.
Guests are asked to arrive from 4pm and official
class photographs – taken by Malcolm MacLeod
Photography – will start from 4.30pm; and be ready
for pay and collection by the end of the night for
£15.
There will also be a free photo booth on the
Friday night which continues with the Reunion
Dinner and music from Catch 22.
“The Cabarfeidh Hotel have been wonderful,”
said Yvonne. “Debbie at the hotel has been great,
MARCH AT
AN LANNTAIR
she knows her job inside out and has been a
pleasure to deal with – she's put us all at ease.”
She continued: “And the Cabarfeidh has done
a really good deal on rooms for the 40th Reunion
which are filling up fast!
“There are lots of 40’ers coming from the
mainland and further afield – America and Australia
– and a high number who are looking to get ready
at the hotel and not worry about taxi’s home in the
early hours……and who wouldn’t like a fabulous
breakfast cooked for them the morning after!
“Please mention the reunion when booking to
take advantage of the discount.”
IVAN DREVER
Thurs 10 March, 8.00pm, £10/£9/£8
Ivan Drever hails from Orkney and has recorded
a host of albums, both solo and with other
performers. Ivan’s latest album is “Revisited
(the Wolfstone songs)” which was recorded
in Edinburgh in Spring 2015 and features reworkings of material from his career with rock
band Wolfstone.
Moving to Reunion Saturday and it's the 'Fun
Affa' at Lewis Sports Centre from 2pm-3.30pm
with fun for all the family through old school sports
games; Tug of War; Wheelbarrow and Eggs and
Spoon races; football and netball; Bouncy Castle;
Sumo Suit wrestling; Gladiators, and much more.
And on Saturday night is 'Party Night', where
guests can bring their partners to Stornoway Golf
Club for a Hog Roast and Buffet, 90s Quiz and Old
School Disco, with the playlist selected by reuniongoers via the 2016 Reunion website.
Three charities are to benefit from the 2016
Reunion – SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental
Health); CLIC Sargent, the Cancer charity for
children and young people, and the Eilean Siar
Foodbank.
“We'd asked people to nominate charities
through the Facebook page and we picked two
submissions out of a hat to select which to support,”
explained Yvonne.
“We're also keen to help the local foodbank, so
we'll provide a list of items that are needed during
the Friday night dinner and then we're asking
people to bring along donations on the Saturday,
either to the Sports Centre or the Golf Club.”
Further information about all things 40th
Reunion can be found on the 2016 event website
– www.the2016reunion.com – and registration for
the reunion closes on Monday, March 7th.
Freezing boost for town’s fishermen
S
tornoway's new Ice Plant has been fully
commissioned in the Harbour and is now
supplying the fishing fleet, Stornoway Port
Authority say.
The ice production facility, seen right, which
was prefabricated and installed by Dutch company
Recom Ice system, can produce up to 15 tons of
ice per day and store up to a maximum of 20 tons.
Ice is fundamental to the fishing industry,
preserving the catch until landings. The ice plant
will help improve the quality of the local catch
and the increased output and storage will ensure
that ice is always available locally.
Chief Executive of the Port Authority Alex
MacLeod said: “The authority are delighted the ice
plant is operating and supplying what is essential
for the local fishing fleet. We know what an
important commodity this is for fishermen and for
a wide variety of other users and we are glad to be
able to provide this to the community.”
Secretary to the Western Isles Fishermen’s
Association Duncan MacInnes said: “WIFA
welcome the arrival of the new ice plant, as it will
enable both the catching and processing sectors
of the industry to improve the quality of their
catch and be able to better manage landings in
the future. Profitability should increase for fishing
vessels as they can stay fishing at sea for longer
periods, instead of having to steam long distances
Kenneth Street, Stornoway HS1 2DS
www.lanntair.com
An Lanntair Box Office: 01851 708480
0
An Lanntair Café Bar: 01851 708492
email: [email protected]
to land on a daily basis due to lack of ice, in
particular, during the warmer summer months.
The project has been part funded by the
European Fisheries Fund and Highlands & Islands
Enterprise.
HALLAIG - A PLAY BY
IAIN FINLAY MACLEOD
Sat 5 March, 8.00pm, £10/£9/£8
A young man, Sorley, drives north to Raasay to try
to stop the woman he loves marrying another man.
But as Sorley nears Raasay, the memories of his
upbringing in Hallaig Wood return: memories he has
suppressed since he ran away from the island at 14,
never to return.
‘Hallaig’ is based on two poems written by Sorley
Maclean - ‘Hallaig’ and ‘An Roghainn’. It is a story
about unrequited love and how the small choices we
make in life can affect us. It is about loss - of time, life,
love and language. Performed in Gaelic.
MADE UNMADE:
JULIE BROOK
Saturday 19 March 5pm Official Opening
7pm Free Family Cèilidh - everyone welcome!
Short-listed for the Daiwa Foundation Art Prize
2015, this remarkable artist and film-maker has,
over 25 years, spent prolonged spells living and
creating art in remote terrains, from Jura and
Mingulay to the Namibian and Libyan deserts.
The opening for this show will be an open day,
including a free family cèilidh also celebrating
the end of Mòd Ionadail Leòdhais which takes
place earlier in the week.
Exhibition: 19 March - 1 May 2016
Sùil air Am Màrt
March at a glance...
Wednesday 2nd
Thursday 3rd
Friday 4th
Saturday 5th
Room...................................................................6.00pm
The Hateful Eight ................................................7.00pm
The Hateful Eight .................................................7.00pm
Art Club
Drama Club
NTS: A Stage Writer workshop
Hallaig.................................................................8.00pm
Monday 7th
Space: Pre School Event.......................................3.15pm
Tuesday 8th
Space: Pre School Event.......................................3.15pm
Wednesday 9th
Film Club ............................................................7.00pm
Thursday 10th
IVAN DREVER .......................................................8.00pm
Friday 11th
Capture the flag 2D .............................................6.00pm
Deadpool.............................................................8.30pm
Saturday 12th
Art Club
Drama Club
Capture the flag 3D .............................................2.30pm
Spotlight ..............................................................5.30pm
Deadpool.............................................................8.30pm
Monday 14th
Chitral Mantle-Piece Cloth Workshop ...................10.00am
Tuesday 15th
Embroidered Personal Storytelling Workshop .....10.00am
Mòd Ionadail Leòdhais
Wednesday 16th
Beaded and mixed media poetry Workshop .......10.00am
Film Club .............................................................7.00pm
Thursday 17th
Twilling Tweeds: Artist Talk with Adil Iqbal ..........7.00pm
Mòd Ionadail Leòdhais - Evening Concert ............7.30pm
Friday 18th
Saturday 19th
Art Club
Drama Club
Julie Brook Opening ............................................5pm
Free Family Ceilidh..............................................7.30
Tuesday 22nd
International film: Innocence of Memories .........8.00pm
Wednesday 23rd
Goosebumps 2D ..................................................5.30pm
Film Club .............................................................7.00pm
Spotlight ..............................................................8.30pm
Thursday 24th
Alvin & Chipmunks Road Chip.............................6.00pm
Deadpool.............................................................8.30pm
Friday 25th
Goosebumps 3D ..................................................6pm
Dads Army...........................................................8.30pm
Saturday 26th
Art Club
Drama Club
Alvin & Chipmunks Road Chip.............................2.30pm
Dads Army...........................................................6.00pm
Dads Army...........................................................8.30pm
Thursday 31st April Shrapnel: Adapting for the Stage ........................4.00pm
Shrapnel: Night of the Seven Storms ...................7.30pm
Friday 1st April
Shrapnel .............................................................8.00pm
Saturday 2nd April Shrapnel..............................................................8.00pm
A week long programme of workshops and events
by Theatre Gu Leòr & An Lanntair celebrating the
life and work of Tormod Caimbeul culminating in
the last two performances of the world premiere
of Shrapnel.
SHRAPNEL
1-2 April, 8.00pm £12/£10
Adapted from Norman Campbell’s (Tormod a
Bhocsair’s) seminal Gaelic novel with anarchic
humour, animation, subtitles and live music, Shrapnel
is for Gaelic and non- Gaelic speakers alike. Set in the
darkest depths of Leith, Shrapnel follows a man on
the run for a crime he did not commit, as he meets an
array of extraordinary misfits, with the psychopathic
former detective, Walter Shrapnel never far behind.
Over 14s only. 1hour 20 min
Adapting for the Stage
Thurs 31 March, 4.00 – 6.00pm, FREE
Join the writer of the play Shrapnel, Catriona
Lexy Campbell, for a free workshop in adapting
for the stage. Suitable for writers and performers
of all skill levels, the workshop is a chance to try
your hand at creating new theatre.
Night of the Seven Storms
Thurs 31March, 7.30pm, £7/£5
Join us for an informal evening of rehearsed
readings, songs and music celebrating the work
of Lewis writers across the generations. Hosted
by Agnes Rennie with special guest, Marisa
Macdonald, and featuring the cast of Shrapnel.
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
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02/03/16 - 06/04/16
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Crofting
Services
Spring weed control in grassland
T
iming is vital for weed control in grass. If
it has become evident that weed control is
necessary to maintain grass productivity then a
spring herbicide application may be required.
However, timing should be dictated by the stage
of growth of the weed rather than the date as
the effectiveness of any herbicide will be greatly
affected by the age and size of the weed leaf. In
general, spring is the best time for application as
most weeds are at their most vulnerable.
range of chemicals, but where clover is present
amidosulfuron should be applied.
For optimal effectiveness the chemical should be
applied at the rosette stage of leaf growth.
grass density needs to be maximised through
fertiliser application or establishment of clover.
Ragwort is a weed of thin grassland so long term
control will be helped by increasing soil fertility to
produce a denser grass sward.
term control can be obtained from clopyralid plus
fluroxypyr/triclopyr.
The main cultural control is regular cutting, but
this is likely to take a number of years to produce
any significant effect.
Control of ragwort by cutting is not effective in
the longer term as it has the effect of changing its
growth habit from that of biennial to a perennial.
Clover content of the sward also needs to be
considered when choosing the most appropriate
product.
Docks
Keeping on top of docks can be particularly
difficult. Cutting has little effect as the plant will regrow from the crown and tap root. Moreover most
pasture soils have a well established seedbank.
Ragwort
For a relatively young sward, sown in the
previous year, and containing clover, 2-4 DB and
low rate MCPA can be used. For specific clover
control amidosulfiron can be used. Where no
clover is present then options are wider, including
combinations of MCPA, Mecoprop-p and Dicamba.
Alternatively Fluroxypyr on its own or a Clopyralid,
Fluroxypyr, Triclopyr combination can be used..
Maximising control of ragwort is best achieved by
applying an appropriate herbicide at the rosette stage
in its first year and repeating the application before
flowering in the second year. It can be sprayed with
2,4-D or MCPA, but care needs to be taken if clover
is in the sward. Alternatively effective control can
be obtained using citronella oil where the ragwort
is treated at the rosette stage. This is an appropriate
treatment if clover is present in the sward.
For older swards there is a much wider
In order to prevent re-establishment of ragwort,
Scottish
Crofting
Federation
Crofting Development
and Legislation
T
he Crofting Law Group conference will
be held in March and will invite a panel
of candidates for the Scottish Parliamentary
elections to attend and take questions.
One of the five priorities for crofting that,
unsurprisingly, was highlighted by the Future of
Crofting conference in December, was the need to
make crofting legislation fit for purpose. This has
been an issue for decades but has come to a head
with ‘The Sump’ which was formed to collect the
problems and anomalies in crofting law. In all, 126
issues were submitted by lawyers, organisations and
members of the public.
Why is it in such a guddle? I suggest that there has
been too much responsibility put on unqualified civil
servants to do the conversion of ‘Will of Parliament’
into an Act. As well as the many omissions and
anomalies, there is detail in the Act that should be
in the regulations, not in primary legislation. For
example, crofters who comply with the requirement
to register their crofts are bound by the Act to advertise
this in a newspaper for two consecutive issues –
which, if using the weeklies costs the crofter far more
than the registration itself. How did such prescriptive
nonsense get into primary legislation? This was either
ignorance or mischief at play. The moral is, leave it to
crofting lawyers to write crofting law.
We have at last seen a review and a favourable uplift
of the Croft House Grant Scheme, after many years
of campaigning by SCF. In 2004 the loan element
was dropped, much to the dismay of crofters, and
it became a grant-only scheme. The grant offered
had already fallen behind what the scrapped grantand-loan scheme had offered as a package. Since
then the scheme has never been reviewed and so is
now seriously devalued. On top of that it is has not
been targeted to those who really need it – young
crofters. The long over-due raise in grant rates is very
welcome but the review goes further and has made
some important changes which we asked for such
as: the introduction of a selection mechanism to
ensure that support is targeted to those most in need;
that owner-occupiers should be eligible on the same
basis as tenant crofters; that support should be made
available for houses with fewer than three bedrooms;
and a host of other improvements.
The closure of the Stornoway abattoir seems set to
happen. The argument is that it is unprofitable but
there surely is the case for public support of such
a facility. The Austrian government, for example,
took the decision to support having small-scale
abattoirs at village level to enable the mountain
farmers to flourish. In contrast, our government has
systematically centralised slaughter facilities so we
are losing the chance to sell meat with traceability
and provenance. I know that I would much prefer
to buy meat that is known to be heather-fed on the
hill and I am sure that I am not alone in this. We are
losing a vital and growing market.
Rushes
Thistle
On young pasture with clover sown in the
previous year 2,4DB is the most appropriate
chemical for thistle control. Spring application
is advantageous as chemicals are more effective
before flowering. If no clover is present then 2,4D,
MCPA and dicamba can be used. Greater long
Rush control by herbicide application is most
effective during active growth in May to June. MCPA
and 2,4D are appropriate chemicals. However,
to protect any clover in the sward an alternative
treatment is to weedwipe the actively growing rush
with glyphosate.
If looking for advice contact your local SAC
office, 01851, 703103, [email protected]
David Lawson, Crop & Soil Systems, SRUC
Join the SCF
Membership of the Scottish Crofting
Federation is an investment in
the future of crofting.
Your support will strengthen the voice
of crofters, crofting communities
Registered in Scotland as a Limited Company No: SC218658
Recognised
Scottish
Charity No:
No: SC218658
SC031919
Registered in Scotland
as aasLimited
Company
Recognised as Scottish Charity No: SC031919
www.crofting.org
ww
www.crofting.org
01599
01599 530
530 005
005
01599
530
005
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Naidheachdan
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
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àidhlig
Gàidheil òga bho air feadh Alba a’ faighinn
cothrom dèanamh air na slighean sgithidh
Childminding
Information
C
hildminders are able to provide a flexible
childcare service for children of all ages
and are often the only viable form of childcare
in rural areas. Childminding not only supports
families with their childcare needs; it provides
employment and opportunities for individuals
to develop new skills and achieve qualifications.
Many childminders choose this career to enable
them to work from home and care for their own
children at the same time.
New childminders are entitled to:
£250 start up grant
Free business planning advice
Free business start up pack
Free First Aid training
Free food Hygiene training
Free Child Protection training
The Early Years’ service can offer guidance and
support through every step of the registration
process and will continue to be at hand after
childminders are up and running.
If you are interested in becoming a registered
childminder and would like more information,
support and guidance please contact the local
Early Years Office on 01851 822655 or email
[email protected]
Alternatively you can find out more information
from:
SCMA (Scottish Childminding Association)
www.childminding.org/become-a-childminder
The Care Inspectorate www.careinspectorate.
com/.../register-a-childminding-service
F
huair Gàidheil òga bho air feadh Alba
cothrom ùine a chur seachad air na slighean
sgithidh aig toiseach a’ Ghearran mar phàirt
de thuras a chur Comunn na Gàidhlig (CnaG)
air dòigh. Air an turas bha 40 neach òg à
Inbhir Nis, Barraigh, Baile Dhubhthaich, Loch
Abair, Leòdhas agus às an Eilean Sgitheanach a
chruinnich aig Bad a’ Ghiuthais airson sgitheadh
agus cur-seachadan eile.
Thug an turas seo cothrom do dh’ òigridh an cuid
Ghàidhlig a chleachdadh ann an suidheachadh
spòrsail agus taiceil. Bhon chiad turas ann an 2012, tha
CnaG air a bhith a’ neartachadh a’ phrògraim sgithidh
agus a’ comharrachadh nan cothroman comasan
labhairt agus fileantachd neartachadh cuideachd. Tha
CnaG air uidheamachd sgithidh agus meanbh-bhus a
cheannach a tha rim faighinn le buidhnean eile. ‘S e
goireasan air leth a bhios an seo don Ghàidhlig agus
don òigridh. Chaidh a’ mheanbh-bhus a chleachdadh
airson a’ chiad uair air an turas sgithidh.
Bha an turas sgithidh cuideachd a’ togail air
iomairt airson soidhnichean dà-chànanach aig na
h-ionadan sgithidh a chaidh a chur an gnìomh le
CnaG an co-bhonn le Bòrd na Gàidhlig beagan
ùine air ais.
Chaidh Spòrs Gàidhlig, buidheann òigridh ùr
aig CnaG, a chur air bhog aig a’ Mhòd Nàiseanta
Rìoghail san Òban, 2015. Bidh a’ bhuidheann ùr
seo a’ leudachadh nan cothroman don òigridh san
àm ri teachd. Tha prògram Spòrs Gàidhlig ann
an 2016 cuideachd a’ toirt chothroman ùra don
òigridh sa Ghàidhlig.
Tha Campa Deugairean ann an Loch Abair a
bhios traidiseanta le òigridh a’ fuireach ann an
teantaichean fad na seachdain le cothroman gu
leòr airson cur-seachadan a-muigh agus a-staigh
agus ùine le caraidean ùra.
Tha cothrom eile ann, turas rothaireachd eadar
Barraigh agus Rubha Robhanais ann an Leòdhas far
am bi an òigridh a’ dèanamh an slighe fhèin, le taic
agus stiùireadh, gu tuath air na rothairean aca.
Tha cuideachd da champa Sradagan a’ gabhail
àite airson òigridh eadar 9 agus 12, anns Na
Hearadh agus san Eilean Sgitheanach san Iuchair.
Tha àitean ri fhaighinn air na tursan seo agus
tuilleadh air làrach-lìn Spòrs Gàidhlig: www.spors.
scot
Tha na tursan is cur-seachadan sa air am
maoineachadh le Bòrd na Gàidhlig.
The Comhairle’s Multimedia Unit have produced a
short video promoting Gaelic Medium Education
and bilingualism in general. It can be viewed at
the following link: https://youtu.be/Yg-Awm-G9ts
Tha Aonad Ioma-mheadhain Chomhairle nan
Eilean Siar air bhidio goirid a dheasachadh mu
fhoghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig agus mu na
buannachdan an cois dà-chànanas. Faodar sùil
a thoirt air a bhidio seo aig a cheangal a leanas:
https://youtu.be/Yg-Awm-G9ts
Òrain
Na
Òrain Na
Cloinne
Bige
Làrach-lìn agus app ùr bho Chomhairle nan Eilean Siar
Fichead òran chloinne
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
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Finlay & Ruairidh
MacRitchie –
Paible School, North Uist.
Naidheachdan
(Màiri MacRitchie – A Mother’s
Personal Experience of GME)
àidhlig
H
aving been brought up in a Gaelicspeaking home in North Uist, I was
bilingual at four years old. Both my parents
were Gaelic-speaking secondary teachers, and
I always expected that Gaelic would be an
obvious choice when it came to educating my
own children.
Despite having no formal Gaelic education in
Paible Primary School (GME started there in 1990),
but thanks to a number of dedicated teachers who
spoke Gaelic naturally, and faithfully, to all pupils
whom they knew were from Gaelic-speaking
homes, myself and my peers enjoyed much success
at National Mod Singing and Drama competitions
throughout primary school. I graduated with an
Honours Degree in English/Gaelic in 2001 and
went on to become an English/Gaelic secondary
teacher in 2002.
In 2011, we had to make a formal decision as
to whether Finlay – our elder son who has been
spoken to solely in Gaelic since birth - would
start school as a GME pupil. I was undecided…
for months! I knew there were many clear benefits
of GME…but, similarly, I suspected there may be
social disadvantages of distancing him from his
pre-school peer group. Would he have as many
friends as he would have in the equivalent EME
class? Would he suffer, socially? Would a so-called
“language barrier” hold him back? Would he be
seen as “different”?
Around that same time and while attending an
education conference in October 2011, I listened
to the following inspirational lecture from Dr
Antonella Sorace, Professor of Developmental
Linguistics at Edinburgh University: https://
vimeo.com/33168932. Instantly, my concerns
were allayed and my decision regarding Finlay’s
education confirmed.
He commenced GME in Paible School in August
2012 – and was completely bilingual by October
2012! Ruairidh, our younger son, bilingual at four
years old, started GME in Paible in August 2015. I
have absolutely no hesitation in saying it was the
best thing I have done thus far for my children. I
believe Finlay and Ruairidh, to date, have more
confidence than their EME peers and they also
have more opportunities (such as Mòds, Fèis) to
perform and are both immensely proud of their
bilingualism. They are confident in both languages
and the fact they can ‘switch’ from English to
Gaelic easily, better equips them for reasoning
and problem-solving activities. Although English
is not introduced formally to GME pupils until
the final stages of Primary 3, this is certainly not
a disadvantage. In a very recent English reading
assessment, Finlay read at the same high standard
that he reads in his native language: midway
through Primary 3, he has transferred his reading
skills with ease. The same theory applies for
Mathematics. As far as I am aware, GME pupils
are not in any way disadvantaged in Maths by
comparison to their EME peers, in fact they are
often ahead of their EME equivalent.
Our sons have the huge advantage of coming
from a Gaelic-speaking home; they have
knowledge that the learner does not. It is far easier
for children with Gaelic to pick up new sounds –
they understand how the language “works” in a
word. Gaelic-speaking children are also a useful
tool in every GME class – a teacher can have
natural dialogue with the fluent child which in
turn, aids the other learners.
UP FOR The Peoples Projects LOTTERY TV/ONLINE VOTE
T
he Thig a chluich project is one of only five
groups in the STV North area that has been
shortlisted to compete for the public vote and
up to £50,000 of Big Lottery Fund cash in ITV’s
The Peoples Projects TV Competition.
Thig a chluich will make a bid for viewers’ support
to win the £ 50,000, with the public voting online
to decide who wins the prize. On Thursday 3rd
March 2016 Thig a chluich will feature on the STV
North 6pm news. The project focuses on running
bilingual play sessions for 0-3 year olds and parents
throughout the Western Isles. It reaches remote and
isolated communities where families are restricted
to what is available to them and their families. It’s
open to everyone, irrespective of whether they are
fluent Gaelic speakers, learners or families who
are just beginning to show an interest in Gaelic.
Iona Mactaggart the project manager states –
“Our Thig a chluich project aims to reach out to the
H
ere Katie MacInnes, who is a pupil in the
Nicolson Institute, tells about her GME
experience and the many opportunities made
available to her through being a GME pupil.
community and enable parents/carers to come to a
relaxed and informal group in their own local area.
The group encourages the use of Gaelic between
parent and child and by keeping it local it means bonds
and friendships are formed within families in the same
geographical area . Bonds which will hopefully be in
place right through to their school years.
Families living remotely can come along and let
their children play with new resources, develop
self-confidence, enjoy a fun social activity and
make new friends . If we win, the money will be
used to purchase a new Transit van which will
enable us to travel to more areas on a more regular
basis to deliver more fun sessions. So Vote for Us
and let us Grow”
To support Thig a chluich - Come and Play visit –
www.thepeoplesprojects.org.uk
Online voing opens at 9am on Monday 29th
February and closes at noon on Sunday 13th March
Seiseanan eadar-ghinealach
I am currently in 5th year in the Nicolson
Institute and will be sitting my Highers in May.
Before Secondary School I attended the Gaelic
medium unit at Stornoway Primary and I think that
experience has shaped a lot of who I am today.
We were always encouraged to participate
in Mods and Fèisean, knowing the language
through music and song is a great thing. It gives
you a connection to people of different ages and
backgrounds. Today, as well as studying Higher
Music, I am a member of the band Faram and this
has led to amazing opportunities such as playing
at Celtic Connections and at the Trad Awards.
D
h’ionnsaich òigridh ann an Uibhist mòran
mu dheidhinn seann chleachdaidhean cocheangailte ris an sgìre aca fhèin thairis air a’
Gheamhradh seo.
ris a h-uile duine aca! Bha an òigridh math air
ceistean fhaighneachd, an cuid sgeulachd fhèin
innse agus a bhith ag èisteachd ris na h-aoighean
a bha an làthair.
Fhuair iad cothrom èisteachd agus còmhradh ri
daoine nas sìne bhon choimhearsnachd aca fhèin
agus abair gun robh seiseanan èibhinn, fiosrachail
agus gu math beothail ann.
Dh’ionnsaich iad cuideachd mu dheidhinn
Oidhche Challainn agus gu h-àraid, an duan, Duan
na Callaig a bha a’ buntainn ris an sgìre aca fhèin.
Dh’ èist iad ri clàraidhean de dhaoine ag aithris an
duan agus an uairsin fhuair iad fhèin cothrom an
Duan ionnsachadh. Bha iad ag aithris an Duan gu
misneachail ann an ùine gu math goirid.
Chuala iad gu h-àraid mu dheidhinn na diofar
chleachdaidhean a bha ann an Uibhist cocheangailte ri Oidhche Shamhna, mar a bhiodh
iad a’ dèanamh na h-aodannan aca mus tàinig
aodannan-choimheach agus an fealla-dha a bhiodh
aca a’ cluich chleasan air daoine.
Having ability in another language is a strength
and I have never regretted being in Gaelic Medium
Education. When I came to the Nicolson Institute
I carried on in S1 and S2 with Gaelic medium in
classes such as Science, Home Economics, History,
Geography, and Tech. In S2 we had a school trip
to Ireland where we met up with pupils in Irish
Medium in Galway and Connemara.
In S3 & S4 I chose to do National 5 History
through the medium of Gaelic along with National
5 Gàidhlig and in September of last year several
pupils from my History class got an opportunity to
go to Ypres in Belgium with Pròiseact nan Ealan’s
highly successful Sequamur production. Along
with visiting war sites and taking part in the play
we were asked to sing a Gaelic Psalm at the Menin
Gate Last Post Ceremony. This was an incredible
experience and one of the times where I reminded
myself that the main reason for getting such an
opportunity was that I was able to speak Gaelic.
THIG A CHLUICH - COME AND PLAY
Fhuair feadhainn den òigridh cothrom blas de
fhuarag a rinn Ann Marie fheuchainn, rud a bha
cumanta air Oidhche Shamhna. Bhithear a’ cur
diofar rudan dhan fhuarag, rudan a bha airson
comharrachadh tachartasan san t-àm ri teachd,
m.e. fainne a’ samhlachadh pòsadh.
Bha an fhuarag math agus blasta, ged a bha e
follaiseach bhon aodainn cuid nach do chòrd e
This year I took part in the National Gaelic Debate
competition, it was great to be in Stornoway with
twenty other teams from all over Scotland. After
debating in the Council Chambers in Stornoway
we had a ceilidh in An Lanntair making new friends
whom I am sure we will meet with again as we
move into college, university or work.
I think it does not matter who you are or what
you do, having Gaelic just adds to it. Have you ever
heard anyone say “I wish I didn’t speak Gaelic”?
Chan eil ann ach beagan bhailtean ann an
Uibhist & Èirisgeigh far a bheil an cleachdadh seo
beò fhathast agus chòrd e ris an òigridh cothrom
fhaighinn seo ionnsachadh agus dh’fhaodadh gun
tig ath-bheothachadh air an cleachdadh seo ann an
diofar bhailtean a-nis.
Tha sinn airson taing a thoirt do mhuinntir na
sgìre a thug an ùine seachad airson bruidhinn ris
an òigridh agus an cuid eòlais agus fiosrachaidh
innse dhaibh.
Chaidh na tachartasan seo a chuir air dòigh le Liam
Crouse (Ceòlas) agus Màiri Anna Chaimbeul (CnaG).
www.hebevents.com
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
Events in Stornoway and East Lewis
Every day: Phone or email 24/7. Free call from
landline or mobile: 116123. Samaritans of the
Western Isles, 87 Cromwell Street, Stornoway, HS1
2DG. Email: [email protected] / or write to Chris,
P.O. Box 90 90, Stirling, FK8 2SA
Sundays: Prayer Meeting at the Salvation Army
Stornoway Corps, 10-10.30am, 59 Bayhead.
01851 703875
Sundays: Stornoway Baptist Church, Gospel
Preaching Service, 6-7pm, 60 Seaforth Road. All
questions from “Is there a God?” to “What am I
here for?” answered. Surprise yourself and come!
For more information: 01851 704770
Sundays: St Columba’s Church of Scotland, Lewis
Street, Stornoway. 11.00am: Worship, Crèche,
Sunday-school, Bible Class. 6.30pm: Worship
Sun-days: St. Peter’s Scottish Episcopal Church,
Francis Street, Stornoway. Sunday Services: 11am
Eucharist Service; 7pm Evensong. All are welcome!
Our church is open every day for quiet prayer
Sundays: Sunday School at the Salvation Army
Stornoway Corps, 1pm-3pm, 59 Bayhead. 01851
703875
Sundays: Sunday Service at the Salvation Army
Stornoway Corps, 11am-12pm, 59 Bayhead.
01851 703875
Monday - Friday: Adult Literacy Classes, Western
Isles Learning Shop, Town Hall. Free, flexible,
confidential help with reading, writing, general
confidence, preparing for interviews, homework
and learning English as a second language. Later
opening hours 7-9pm on Monday. For more information: 01851 822718
Monday (second Monday of month): Autism/
Aspergers Support Group, 12-noon, Newton
Community Association, Seaforth Road, Stornoway.
We welcome all those who have an interest in Autism
and Aspergers, e.g. people affected by the condition,
family and carers. Teas and coffees served after
meeting. Contact [email protected]
Mondays: Digi-Heb, the Bridge Centre, Bayhead.
Aspiring actors, actresses, filmmakers and writ-ers
welcome. Free
Mondays: Family Fun Night. Games, movies,
jokes, snacks. For all ages. Everyone invited. Make
some new friends too. 7.30pm, 8 Newton Street,
The Church of Latter Days Saints. 01851 706405
Mondays: Leisure Running Group, Stornoway
Running Club, 6pm, Running Track. An opportunity
to get fit and stay fit, running or jogging with other
people. All abilities welcome. For more information: James Mackenzie, 07983718316
Mondays: MiLC Piping School, 7-9pm, Laxdale
Hall. All levels and all ages welcome. Tel. 704241
or email [email protected]
Mondays: Piping School, 6.30pm, Lewis Retirement
Centre, Stornoway. Open to all, under instruction
of the excellent leading piper Larry Ferguson,
students will learn the basics of the chanter and
a wide range of traditional Scots tunes. For more
information: 01851 704241.
Mondays: Point Girls Club, 7pm-9pm, Sgoil an
Rubha
Mondays: Scottish Slimmers, 6.30pm, Caladh
Inn, Stornoway. Call 0800 362636 or visit www.
scottishslimmers.com
Tuesdays: Beavers, a fun club for 5-8 year-olds,
6-7.30pm, Tigh Ceilidh, Gravir. (Term-time only)
Tuesdays: Beavers, a fun club for 6-8 year-olds.
6.30-7.30pm, Stornoway Scout Hall, Keith
Street. See www.scouts.org.uk/beavers/ for more
information
Tuesdays: Boys’ Brigade Anchors and Juniors (ages
5 to 10), 6.00-7.00pm, St Columba’s New Church
Hall, Lewis Street, Stornoway
Tuesdays: Bridge Community Centre P5&6
Club night, 6-8pm, Bridge Community Centre,
Stor-noway. For more information: www.
bridgecommunitycentre.co.uk
Tuesdays (first of the month): Dementia Friendly
Café Stornoway, 11am-1pm, Alzheimer Scotland
Resource Centre, 18 Bells Road. 11-1pm. For
more information phone the Alzheimer Scotland
Dementia Resource Centre, 18 Bells Road,
Stornoway on 01851 70 2123 or email [email protected]
Tuesdays and Thursdays alternating: Lewis and
Harris Riding Club ‘open’ training. Lochside Arena,
6pm-10pm. £5 per person. Members only
Tuesdays: Lunch Club at the Salvation Army
Stornoway Corps, 12-1pm, 59 Bayhead. 01851
703875
Tuesdays: Lunchtime walks in Stornoway, 12.30pm,
meet outside An Lanntair. Now in their seventh
year. Walks are 30-45 minutes duration. New
walkers welcome. For more information contact:
Chris Ryan, Paths for Health coordinator – 01851
702712; 07743507982
Tuesdays (first of the month): 10am-12noon:
Nappucino, Bayhead Bridge Centre. Drop in for a
free cuppa and a chat about cloth nappies. Hire a
nappy kit or simply share experiences with other
cloth nappy users, and enjoy some cake. www.
nappynetwork.org.uk
Tuesdays: Occupational Therapy Drop-in Clinic,
10am-2pm, Western Isles Sensory Centre, Esplanade Court, Stornoway
Tuesdays: Pairc Senior Youth Club, 7.30-9.30pm,
Pairc School
Tuesdays: Parent and Toddler group, 1-3pm, MA
Macleod Memorial Hall, Stornoway Free Church,
Kenneth Street. Open to babies and children under
five. Come along for a chat and a cuppa while the
kids play. Everyone welcome
Tuesdays (first of the month): Stornoway
Astronomical Society. Please see our website
www.stornowayastra.org for details of our regular
lectures and observing sessions with times and
venues etc. Beginners always welcome
Tuesdays: Stornoway Bridge Club, 7pm, Stornoway
Golf Club. Meet for Bridge, chat, competitions and
cheer
Tuesdays: Stornoway Running Club, 6pm, Running
Track junior session. An opportunity to get fit and
stay fit, running or jogging with other people. All
abilities welcome. For more information contact
Seumas Mactaggart, 07766654449
Tuesdays: Stornoway Singers, 8pm, St Columba’s
Old Parish Church Hall, Lewis Street. Come and
give it a go. For more information: 07938590767
/ 01851 706521
Tuesdays: Substance Use Open Access Clinic,
for all those affected by substance misuse,
20-minute slots between 11am and 1pm. For
further information contact: Alcohol & Mental
Health Nurse Elizabeth Shelby on 07768323437
or Community Alcohol Nurse Chris Mina Morrison
on 07825780175
Wednesdays: Bible Study at the Salvation Army
703875
Wednesdays: Bookbug Sessions, 11am, Stornoway
Library. A free story, song and rhyme ses-sions
for babies, toddlers, pre-school children and
their families. For more information: www.
scottishbooktrust.com/bookbug
Wednesdays: Bosom Buddies, 10am-12pm,
Grianan Centre, Westview Terrace, Stornoway. Your
local breastfeeding support group, with a midwife
to help, and a cup of tea
Wednesdays: Bridge Community Centre S2
Club night, 7.30-9.30pm, Bridge Community
Centre, Stornoway. For more information: www.
Wednesdays: Dannsa Eileanach, 7-9pm, Stornoway
Primary School gym. Ceilidh dancing sessions.
Open to all. For more information: 01851 704870
Wednesdays: Girls’ Brigade. Explorers: 6.307.30pm. Juniors: 6.30-8pm. Brigaders: 6.30-8pm.
St Columba’s New Church Hall, Lewis Street,
Stornoway
Wednesdays: Healthy Weighs, 5-6pm, Lewis Sports
Centre. Do you want some help to lose weight, get
fitter and feel healthier? This is a six-week rolling
programme run by a registered dietician and a
personal trainer. For more information: 01851
822800
Wednesdays: Island Archers, 7-9pm, Lochs School.
Indoors: late August to mid May. Outdoors: late
May to mid August. Want to try archery? Equipment
and friendly coaching provided to all ages and
abilities. For further information contact Stuart
Oakley: 01851 643204; [email protected];
www.islandarchers.org
Wednesdays: Parent and Toddlers at the Salvation
Army Stornoway Corps, 9.30-11.30am, 59
Bayhead. 01851 703875
Wednesdays (Last of the month): Stornoway
Library Reading Group, 6.30pm, Stornoway
Library. Contact 01851 822744 for further details
Wednesdays (1st of the month): Stornoway
Quilters, Cuibhrigean Eilean Leodhais. 7.30pm 9.30pm, Grianan, Westview Terrace, Stornoway
Wednesdays: Tap dancing for adult beginners (16+,
12+ also welcome with participating respon-sible
adult), 5.15-6.05pm, Bridge Centre. Drop-in: £5
per class
Wednesdays (1st of the month): RAF Association
Stornoway branch, 7.30pm, TA Hall, Church Street,
Stornoway. Call 705561 for further details
Thursdays: Absolute Youth project, 1-4pm, Pointers,
Stornoway. Learning project for young adults aged
16-21 years. Its aim is to involve young people
in activities designed to develop confidence,
teamwork and literacy skills. The group also works
towards gaining the Bronze level Youth Achievement
Awards. For more information: 01851 707460
Thursdays: Chen style Tai Chi, 7-8.30 pm, the
Bridge Centre. Beginners very welcome
Thursdays: Come and try session, 6.30pm at
Stornoway Bowling Club, Bayhead, Stornoway
Thursdays: Home League at the Salvation Army
703875
Thursdays: Jogscotland, group jogging. Thursday
545-630, Lewis Sports Centre
Thursdays: Knitters on the Edge, 11am till 1pm,
at Wool4Ewe, on Cromwell Street. Local knitters
and holidaying knitters welcome, just bring your
knitting and a sense of humour! More info on our
Facebook page Knitters on the Edge. Tel: 01851
701719 Email: [email protected]
Thursdays: Lunch Club at the Salvation Army
703875
Thursdays: Meeting for Prayer and Bible Study,
7.30pm, St Columba’s Church of Scotland, Lewis
Street, Stornoway
Thursdays: Parent and Toddler Group, 9.45am11.45am, MA Macleod Memorial Hall, Stornoway
Free Church, Kenneth Street. Open to babies and
children under five. Come along for a chat and a
cuppa while the kids play. Everyone welcome
Thursdays (last of every month): Parkinson’s
Hebrides Support Group Meeting, Stornoway Retirement Centre, 2.30pm to 4.30pm. For anyone
affected by Parkinson's, persons with Parkinson's,
Carers, Family, Friends or just in-terested. Tea and
coffee served.
Thursdays: Point Boys Club, 7.30pm-8.30pm, Sgoil
an Rubha
Thursdays: Pointers U-16s group, 7-9pm, Pointers,
Stornoway
Thursdays: Stornoway Running Club, senior
session, 5.30pm, Smith Avenue changing rooms
(winter)/Porter’s Lodge (summer). An opportunity to
get fit and stay fit, running or jogging with other
people. For more information contact James
Mackenzie, 07983718316
Thursdays: Studio 7, Young Musicians Hebrides,
from 7pm. Are you under 18? Interested in being
in a band? Or being a solo performer? Are you in
a band and want to develop your potential? YMH
Studio 7 is OPEN. Contact studio7.ymh@gmail.
com
Thursdays: Westside Yoga, 5.30-7pm and 7.158.45pm, Stornoway Masonic Hall
Fridays: Breakfast Club at the Salvation Army
Stornoway Corps, 8-11am, 59 Bayhead. 01851
703875. Donation at the door. All welcome!
Fridays: Bridge Community Centre P7 Club night.
7–9pm, Bridge Community Centre, Stornoway. For
more information: www.bridgecommunitycentre.
co.uk
Fridays: Cearcall Comhraidh Gaelic Conversation
Circle at the Retirement Centre Bayhead, all
welcome. 4.30-6pm. Use and build on your Gaelic
vocabulary in a supportive environment. For more
information, call Maggie 07554665549
Fridays: Cream teas served every Friday, St Peter's
Church, Francis Street, 12-3pm. All welcome
Fridays:
Dannsa
Eileanach,
7.30-9.30pm,
Stornoway Primary School gym. Ceilidh dancing
ses-sions. Open to all. For more information:
01851 704870.
Fridays: Jogscotland, group jogging, 12.45-1.30pm,
Lewis Sports Centre
Fridays: Junior Club at the Salvation Army
Stornoway Corps, 6-7.30pm, 59 Bayhead. 01851
703875
Fridays: Music and Song at the Retirement Centre
Bayhead, all welcome. 6-9pm. Live music and
Gaelic, Irish and Country songs. More information
Maggie 07554665549
Fridays: Rionnagan Beaga, 10.15-11.45am, Young
Musicians Hebrides, Bells Road, near Tesco. Learn
Gaelic through songs and play - for children
age 0 to 5. All young children, whatever their
level of Gaelic, welcome with their parents and
grandparents. For more information contact June:
01851 709861.
Fridays: Youth Drop-in (14+), 8-10pm, Aird
Community Centre. For more information contact
Erica Campbell: 01851 707816.
Saturdays: Bridge Community Centre S1 Club
night, Bridge Community Centre, Stornoway,
7.30–9.30pm. For more information: www.
Saturdays: Carpet Bowls, 2-4.30pm, Breasclete
Community Centre. Everyone welcome. For more
information: 01851 643485 / 840743
Saturdays: Kids Club, 3.30-6pm, Newton
Community Centre, Seaforth Road. Baha’i Youth
and Children Group, now in its fourteenth year.
Term-time only. For more information contact Mina
Sheppard: [email protected]
Saturdays: Pairc Junior Youth Club, 6.30-8.30pm,
Pairc School
Saturdays (last of the month): Salvation Army
Coffee & Sale, 2-4pm, The Salvation Army Stornoway Corps
Saturdays (second of the month): Stornoway
Currency Club, 7pm, Lodge Fortress, Kenneth
Street, Stornoway. For any-one interested in finding
out more about investing in stocks and shares. See
www.proshareinvestmentclubs.co.uk
Saturdays: Stornoway Running and Athletics
Club, junior sessions, 10.30am–12-noon, Porters
Lodge (winter) and running track (summer). For
more information contact Seumas Mactaggart,
07766654449
MARCH
Wednesday March 2: Tea and Technology at
the Lewis Retirement Centre, learn the basics of
your phone, iPad, laptop or tablet over tea and
biscuits. Learn in a comfortable environment, not
a classroom! Open 2-3pm. Contact Donald McKee
on 07747 166758
Saturday March 5: Martins for Men presents The
Big Breakfast, 9-10.30am, Cabarfeidh Hotel. Guest
speaker Calum ‘Kiwi’ Macleod. Free entry - all men
welcome. www.martinsmemorial.org.uk
on 07747 166758
Thursday March 10: Free-Mic Women’s-Girls’
Night - have fun, meet new people, sing, play an
instrument, recite a poem. All performance skills
welcome - come along and learn new skills.
7-9pm, Bayhead Bridge Centre
Saturday March 12: Coffee & Cake Morning,
10am-2pm, St Columba’s (Old Parish) Church,
Stor-noway. Fancy a relaxing start to your weekend
with a slice of cake and a nice cup of tea or coffee?
Although at EVENTS we try our best to get all up-and-coming events in the paper, it’s
a challenge as EVENTS is only a monthly paper! For all the latest events happening in
Stornoway and East Lewis, go to www.welovestornoway.com and click on ‘Events’.
Send us your events. LISTINGS ARE FREE! E-mail to [email protected] or ring 01851 705749
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
www.hebevents.com
Events in West Lewis
Sundays: (Last of the month) Gaidhlig Service at
Bernera Church of Scotland, Bernera. 6pm
Sundays: Gaidhlig Service at Ness Church of
Scotland, Cross, Ness. 12noon
Sundays: Gaidhlig Service at Uig Church of
Scotland, Miavaig, Uig. 6pm
Sundays: Pol’s Pantry, open every Sunday 11am
to 5pm, Leumadair Gueshouse, 7A Callanish (just
off the main road). Teas, coffees, home baking and
light lunches, contact: 01851 621706
Sundays: St. Moluag’s Scottish Episcopal Church,
Eoropaidh, Sunday services April to September:
1st Sunday of the month, 11am Eucharist Service.
Other services as announced. All welcome.
Mondays (second of the month): Carloway and
Breasclete Gardeners Club, 7.30pm, Breasclete/
Carloway Commu-nity Centre (alternating between
Breasclete and Carloway). For more information:
Kirsty – 01851 643497
Mondays (term-time): Carloway Youth Club Junior
Club, 7–8pm, Carloway Community Centre
Mondays: Gaelic Singing class, 7-8pm, Taigh
Dhonnchaidh, Habost, Ness. For more information:
01851 810166; [email protected]
Mondays: Highland Dancing Class, 6pm, Great
Bernera School of Highland Dancing. For more
information: Karina Macaulay – 01851 612312.
Mondays: Keep Fit, 6.15–7.30pm, Uig Community
Centre
Mondays: Ladies Keep Fit, 8–9pm, Clan MacQuarrie
Community Centre. Open to all ages and abilities –
come along and build up your fitness
Monday–Saturday: Spòrsnis Ten Pin Bowling
Alley, 12–9pm (although later nights can be
accommodated), Spòrsnis, Habost, Ness. A game
for a family of four usually lasts about 30-45
minutes. To book, call: 01851 810039
Mondays: Whist Drive, 8pm, Breasclete Community
Centre
Thursdays (weekly): Zumba with Jemma, Dance
Fitness Classes all welcome. 8-9 pm at Sporsnis. £4
a session. Tel: 01851 810039
Tuesdays: Gaelic in the Home, 7-9pm, Breasclete
Community Centre
Tuesdays: Guitar class, 6-7pm, Taigh Dhonnchaidh,
Habost, Ness. For more information: 01851
810166; [email protected]
Tuesdays: Melodeon class, 7.15-8.15pm, Taigh
Tuesdays: Under-12 football training for boys and
girls, 6.30–7.30pm, Carloway Community Centre
or pitch
Tuesdays: Westside Runners & Fitness Club - Ladies
keep fit classes, 7pm, Barvas and Brue Community
Centre
Wednesdays: Adult Badminton Club, 8–10pm,
Spòrsnis, Ness. All abilities welcome. For more
information: 01851 810039
Wednesdays: Borve Parent & Toddler Group,
1.30pm-3pm, Sgoil Araich Airidhantuim
Wednesdays:
Cairdeas,
1.30-3.30pm,
Uig
Community Centre. An informal get-together club
for the over 60s
Wednesdays: Ceilidh Dancing, 8pm, Shawbost
Old School Centre. For more information: 01851
643485 / 840743
Wednesdays: Ceilidh Dancing Classes, 8.30pm,
Ness Social Club, Lionel, Ness. All abilities come
along and learn the steps. For more information:
01851 810421
Wednesdays: Creative reawakening open studio
sessions, 1pm-4.00pm Blue Pig Studio, 11 Upper
Carloway. Develop your own artwork in a peaceful,
mutually supportive atmosphere. Bring a packed
lunch. For more information: 01851 643225
Wednesdays: Dog Obedience Class, Carloway
Community Centre. Whether it’s an adult dog or a
new puppy, why not book on to one of our courses?
For more information or to book: 01851 710669 /
07748 638108
Wednesdays: Fiddle class, 6.30-7.30pm, Taigh
Wednesdays: Gaelic in the Home, 10am-12noon,
Breasclete Community Centre
Wednesdays (second of the month): Gardening
Club, 7.30pm, Carloway Community Centre.
Everyone welcome. For more information: 01851
643485 / 840743
Wednesdays: Highland Dancing class, 6-6.30pm
and 6.30-7.30pm, Taigh Dhonnchaidh, Habost,
Ness. For more in-formation: 01851 810166;
[email protected]
Wednesdays: Music Night, Lochcroistean Guest
Centre, Uig. For more information: 01851 672722
Wednesdays: Top Tots Parent & Toddler Group,
2–3.30pm, Carloway Free Church Hall. Contact
Chrisann: 07766157015
Wednesdays: Weekly Carloway Sunshine Club,
1.30-3.30pm, Carloway Day Centre. For all aged
Events in Stornoway
and East Lewis (continued)
Welcome along to the St. Columba's Church hall
on the second Saturday of March, where the coves
and blones from the big Coop will be serving you
hot beverages, whilst you can enjoy the finest
local home baking. Any baking contributions
welcome - get in touch on 01851 705005.
All donations go to the Coop's charity, the Red
Cross' Help For Loneliness campaign.
Saturday 12 March: Gig - The New Madrids - back
by popular demand after their gig in November! - a
night of brilliant Americana at Stornoway Golf Club
Monday March 14: Become a Befriender! Spring
training with Befriending Lewis. 6.30-9pm. If you
are interested in becoming a befriender, please get in
touch for more info and an application pack. Email:
[email protected] Call: 01851 702632
on 07747 166758
Thursday March 17: We Came From Wolves,
Highland Tour: BBC Rapal Live Session
Thursday March 17: We Came From Wolves,
Highland Tour, Woodlands Centre
Monday March 21: Become a Befriender! Spring
training with Befriending Lewis. 6.30-9pm. If you
are interested in becoming a befriender, please get in
touch for more info and an application pack. Email:
[email protected] Call: 01851 702632
Monday March 21: Keys to Life Engagement Event
Stornoway, 10.30am-2.30pm, Cabarfeidh Ho-tel. The
event is for you if: you have a learning disability; are a
parent or carer of a person with a learning disability;
are a professional in the field of the learning disability.
Contact: 0141 2483733 or [email protected]
on 07747 166758
APRIL
Friday April 1: Lewis & Harris Reunion - Formal
Friday, Cabarfeidh Hotel from 4pm. Group photos
from 4.30pm. Reunion dinner & live music from
Catch 22. www.the2016reunion.com
Saturday April 2: Lewis & Harris Reunion - Fun Affa,
Stornoway Sports Centre, 2-3.30pm. Old school
sports, tug of war, wheelbarrow race, egg & spoon,
football, netball, bouncy castle, sumo suits, gladiators
and much more. www.the2016reunion.com
Saturday April 2: Lewis & Harris Reunion - Party
Night, Golf Club from 7pm. Hog Roast & buffet,
90s quiz. www.the2016reunion.com
Tuesday April 5: Stornoway Astronomical Society:
Speaker, Donny Mackay BA, BSc, FBRS, AN
Introduction to the Solar System, 7.30pm, Newton
Centre, Seaforth Road, Stornoway
Friday April 8: Natural Skincare Workshop, 7-9pm,
The Woodlands Centre, Stornoway. Contact 01851
706916 for bookings. Herb Walk: 5.30-6.30pm.
Saturday 9 April: Gig - The Carloways, a night of
fantastic Americana music at Stornoway Golf Club
60+; minibus will collect. Speakers, crafts, chat
and a cup of tea. For more information or to book:
01851 643382
Wednesdays: Westside Runners & Fitness Club –
Junior & adults sessions, 7pm, Barvas and Brue
Community Cen-tre. Adults meet at 7pm at the
entrance to Barvas machair for all abilities run / jog
sessions and training
Thursdays: Archive Group, 2-5pm, Ness Heritage
Centre
Thursdays (second of every month): Dementia
Friendly Café Carloway, Carloway Day Centre.
For more information phone the Alzheimer
Scotland Dementia Resource Centre, 18 Bells
Road, Stornoway on 01851 70 2123 or email
[email protected]
Thursdays: Gaelic for Beginners, 7-9pm Breasclete
Community Centre
Thursdays: Harp class, 6.15-7.15pm, Taigh
Thursdays: Keyboard class, 5-6pm, Taigh
Thursdays: Scottish Slimmers, 6.30pm, Barvas and
Brue Community Centre. Call 0800 362636 or visit
www.scottishslimmers.com
Thursdays: Grinneabhat Coffee Mornings at the
former Bragar School. Come for a coffee and good
company, 11-12pm
Thursdays (weekly): Zumba with Jemma, Dance
Fitness Classes all welcome. 8-9 pm at Sporsnis. £4
a session. Tel: 01851 810039
Fridays:
Chanter,
6.15-7.15pm,
Taigh
Fridays (first of every month): Dementia Friendly
Café Ness, Clan MacQuarrie Centre, Borve,
1.30-2.30pm. For more information phone the
Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Resource Centre, 18
Bells Road, Stornoway on 01851 70 2123 or email
[email protected]
Fridays: Folk Group/Session class, 7.158.30pm, Taigh Dhonnchaidh, Habost, Ness.
For
more
information:
01851
810166;
[email protected]
Fridays: Junior Youth Club, 7-9pm Bernera
Community Centre
Fridays: Top Tots Parent & Toddler Group 1011.30am, Carloway Free Church Hall
Saturdays: Bingo, 9pm, Ness Social Club, Lionel.
Saturdays (term-time): Carloway Youth Club Senior
Club, 7–9pm Carloway Community Centre
Saturdays: Carpet Bowls, 2-4pm, Breasclete
Community Centre. For more information: 01851
621214
Saturdays (first of the month): Traditional Music
sessions, 8–11pm, Barvas and Brue Community
Centre. Bodhran, Whistle, Guitar, Melodeon etc.
For more information: 01851 643485 / 840743
Saturdays (first of the month October till March):
Woolcraft and spinning workshops, 2.30- 5pm
Barvas and Brue Community Centre
Saturdays (first of the month): Green Gym,
10am-12pm, Eoropie Dunes Play Park. For more
information: e-mail Jo-anne – niseach@yahoo.
co.uk or call 01851 810357
MARCH
Saturday March 5: 12pm – 2pm Clan Macquarrie
Hall, Borve - Soup and Pudding in aid of Macmillan
Cancer Support
Saturday March 19: 10am – 4.30pm, Ness
Heritage Centre & St Moluag’s Chapel – From
Shells to Bells – sound workshop using bells cast
from World War One brass artillery shells. With
music from John Purser, and artist Mhairi Kilin and
Hugh Watt. Learn about early Christian hand bells
and help create a sound work for performance at
St. Moluag’s Chapel later in the day. This workshop
is part of the Re Soundings project, being exhibited
at An Lanntair in May. This is a free workshop with
lunch & transport from Stornoway provided.
21st-24th March: FREE FuelGood training sessions
brought to you by The Horshader Community
Growing Project, at Raebhat House. The training
session takes 50 minutes with a trainer who monitors
your driving and then advises how you could change
your driving technique to help you conserve fuel,
resulting in you driving more fuel efficiently in the
long term saving you money at the pumps! Spaces
are limited. If you are interested in booking a session
or want more information, get in touch by phoning
701 225, email [email protected] or visit the
Facebook event page: FuelGood Driver Training
Tuesday March 22: 8pm, Comunn Eachdraidh Nis
AGM
Tuesday March 29: 7.30pm - A Tour of First World
War Battlefields – A presentation by John Marr,
Comunn Each-draidh Nis, Sgoil Chrois
APRIL
Friday April 9: Natural Skincare Workshop, 3-5pm,
Old Bragar School. Contact 01851 706916 for
bookings. Herb Walk: 1.30-2.30pm.
Events in Harris
MARCH
Saturday March 5: Women for Mission Soup &
Pudding Lunch, 11am – 3pm, Tarbert Community
Centre
Saturday March 5: Youth Café, 7 - 10pm,
Leverburgh Village Hall
Monday March 7: Devine & Niven Opticians –
TBA, Tarbert Community Centre
Tuesday March 8: Guides & Rangers - 3.45pm –
5.30pm, Sir E. Scott School
Tuesday March 15: Brownies – 3.45pm – 5.15pm,
Sir E. Scott School
Wednesday March 16: Rainbows – 3.45pm – 5pm,
Sir E. Scott School
Tuesday March 22: Guides & Rangers – 3.45pm –
5.30pm, Sir E. Scott School
Tuesday March 29: Brownies – 3.45pm – 5.15pm ,
Sir E. Scott School
Wednesday March 30: Rainbows – 3.45pm – 5pm,
Sir E. Scott School
PERMANENT EVENTS:
Scottish Slimmers: Every Wednesday 6pm, Tarbert
Community Centre.
Ceilidh Dancing: Every Wednesday 7.30-9.30pm,
Harris Hotel, Tarbert.
Choir Singing: Every Thursday 7.30pm, Tarbert
Community Centre. Harris Choir (Coisir Eilean na
Hearadh). New members welcome, no audition.
Contact: John Masterson on 07788 940222 or
01859 530463.
Pilates: Every Thursday: 9.45–11.00am, North
Harris. Pilates Matwork. Prior booking essential.
Phone: Peggy Briggs on 01859 502376.
email:
[email protected].
website:
mikeandpeggybriggs.co.uk.
Obbe Parant is Paiste: Every Monday, 9.3011am, Leverburgh. A new Gaelic parent and
toddler group. Information about the group
and enrolment process can be found on
www.obbeparantispaiste.com.
Send us your events. LISTINGS ARE FREE! E-mail
to [email protected] or ring 01851 705749
www.hebevents.com
02/03/16 - 06/04/16
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