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| Frontpage Voice for Arran 7th octoberr 2010 | Visitors |
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Fri 18 May 2012 15:06:30 BST |
Editorial
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Travelling by Tuba at Brodick Hall
On Sunday 16th October, there will be an extraordinary chance to follow an instrument that’s often thought of as comic through its very long history. Virtuoso players Chris Cranham and Stewart Death promise a ‘multi-instrumental extravaganza’ featuring not just the tuba, but wind and brass instruments from all over the world, spanning 15,000 years of music. The journey begins with the natural simplicity of the conch shell then moves on to the Viking horn and didjeridu. The courts of 14th Century Europe follow, with early instruments such as the sackbut and cornet. The serpent, first used in French music in the 15th Century, was the first proper bass instrument, remaining popular for over 200 years. In the 19th Century the bassoon-shaped ophicleide arrived, made of brass with holes covered by keys. The dawn of the Industrial age saw the invention of the valve, which gave rise to a new family of instruments including the tuba.
The programme for the evening includes a wide variety of music, from the Hungarian Dance No.5 by Brahms to a selection of three beautiful spirituals, My Lord what a morning, By and By and Deep River. Handel’s G minor oboe concerto follows, which Chris and Stewart came across as a test piece at a tuba competition in Markneukirchen in 1989. Then there is the fourth movement from a Mozart horn concerto, followed by a set of variations based on Rule Britannia called Fantasia Brilliante. And that’s just the first half!
After the interval the talented pair kick off again with the first movement of Ole Schmidt’s (1928) concerto for tuba. The Danish composer Ole Schmidt started out after the war as a self-taught jazz pianist, but was permanent guest conductor at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester when Chris and Stewart were students there. Chris performed the concerto with the composer conducting the RNCM Symphony orchestra. They move on through a wild mixture that includes a Donald Swann setting of Moods by Gerard Hoffnung, followed by a Scriabin piece and Ol’ man River by Jerome Kern, with countless other goodies. It promises to be great fun.
Please help Sannox Church project
HIFAR (Housing Initiatives for Arran Residents) has been working very hard to bring about a small, affordable housing scheme that will also preserve Sannox Church for community use. It has been moving ahead well, but Triodos bank has now insisted on a further survey of the buildings to support HIFAR’s mortgage application to purchase the site. This amounts to £400 for a quantity surveyor on top of £50 for estate agent valuation, making a total of £450. HIFAR would be most grateful if people could contribute towards this, enabling the continuation of a scheme that will benefit the whole community. Cheques made out to HIFAR should be sent to John Inglis at Red House, Corrie, or else to Margo Wheeler at Springwell, Corrie. People who came to the public meeting held earlier this year sounded willing to contribute, and the need is now urgent. Please help if you can.
Marvellous Mexican film at Corrie Film Club
Regular Corrie film-goers will remember the extraordinary film called Duck Season, shot in a flat in Mexico City where bored teenagers and a pizza delivery man touch on a dangerous and strangely poetic extreme. By the same director, Fernando Eimbcke, comes an equally strange and memorable offering called Lake Tahoe, to be shown on Sunday 10th October at Corrie hall. It opens with a car crash, although we are only shown the result - a red Nissan with its bonnet gently nosed into a telegraph pole. The teenaged driver, played by Diego Cataño, needs a replacement engine part for his father’s car – and quickly. Hunting through the streets of a semi-civilised hinterland, he tries to communicate his need to a series of hopelessly eccentric characters. Eimbcke arranges what one critic called ‘these drowsy, charming diversions’ in the form of static tableaux interspersed with blocks of black screen. At times the experience is so much like riffling through a handful of postcards or watching a slide show that when people move again, it comes as an intriguing surprise.
Technical ingenuity apart, the film tells a perceptive story about how these encounters take the young driver through situations he would rather not confront and land him with a truth he has always half-known. By a director with an astonishing touch for the strangeness that lies within the ordinary, this film is not to be missed. It’s the first one of Corrie Film Club’s new season and starts at 8.00pm. Admission is free, but if you would like to join the club, you get a handsome programme of the year’s events. And your modest £15 subscription goes to the cost of buying and projecting the DVDs. Can’t be bad for a year’s great entertainment.
See below for this years films.. click the month to see whats on..
If you’d like the minutes -
Arran Community Council would like to say, if anyone would like to read the complete minutes of its meetings, they can be e-mailed to your inbox, free. Just contact your local ACC member, or get in touch with the minutes secretary, Jim Nichols of ACVS, on 600611 or Jim.Nichols@arrancvs.org.uk.
No Wildlife Festival next year, but –
The Arran Wildlife Festival has reached the end of its current funding package, but members of the organising committee are keen to continue and build upon the success of the festival. They intend to expand and improve information and facilities for wildlife related activities throughout the year.
Over the last two months Arran Natural History Society, in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Scottish Natural Heritage, National Trust for Scotland and Forestry Commission Scotland has made a start on this and considered various options for the future. This partnership has tried to determine what is both manageable and sustainable within available resources, and has decided that throughout this year its efforts will be put into developing a variety of activities based around the aims and principles of the Arran Natural History Society and the festival. Therefore the decision has been taken that the partnership will not be organising an Arran Wildlife Festival in 2011
Katy Clark MP opposes oil drilling
Arran’s MP Katy Clark said this week, ‘I am very concerned about the potential drilling for oil in Baffin Bay by Cairn Energy. The climate in the region means there is a genuine potential for a disaster on the same scale of the Gulf of Mexico occurring if oil drilling is permitted to take place. Energy companies need to learn the lessons from the Gulf of Mexico disaster, stop taking risks in more and more potentially dangerous areas in the pursuit of new oil discoveries and move towards investing in and developing more renewable energy sources.’
Katy goes on to attack the involvement of RBS in funding this project, saying she strongly believes that ‘due to the amount of Government investment they have received they have a duty to ensure that their investments are in the long term public interest. It is completely inappropriate for taxpayers’ money to be involved in projects such as this and I believe the Government should be looking to step in if RBS are unwilling to withdraw their funding from drilling in Baffin Bay.’
Photograph : Baffin Bay iceberg
Healthy Living
The Art of Procrastination by Assja BaumgärtnerIf universities offered degrees in procrastination, I'd hold a Master’s. Particularly when it comes to deadlines. My bookshelf is a testimony to all the books I ‘simply had to read’ before I could tackle the essay or article waiting to be written. I don't know how many times I’ve hoovered carpets, cleaned windows or walked the dog just to delay tackling a task that, when eventually faced up to, didn't take very long, wasn't over-demanding and sometimes even turned out to be fun. The thought of cramming for exams got pushed away until it resulted in a solid week of staying awake with litres and litres of double concentrated black coffee. It brought the desired marks but also resulted in insomnia and racing heartbeats once the tests were over. That's why I don’t drink black coffee any more.
Most people put off certain tasks out of plain dislike. (I always hated ironing and never did it until the entire contents of my wardrobe was in the ironing basket.) Others delay getting started because they’re not sure of the outcome. I guess the many unwritten books people never got around to starting belong in this category. Sometimes procrastination has to do with wanting to do something absolutely perfectly. Therefore, rather than start with what seems possible, they don’t do it at all. But whatever the reasons for delaying the start on a task, we feel bad about it. Once procrastination becomes a habit, the nagging of things not done makes one feel miserable and a failure. Stern advisers tell you that with a bit of self-discipline the problem is easily solved – but that might be no help at all. Studies show that most procrastinators are deeply convinced that one day they’ll find a clever strategy that will help them finish the next task energetically. But such an ambition might just be little bit too high.
A good step is to simply accept that we are not perfect. If we are ducking the task because it’s too difficult, maybe we have to ask ourselves whether a less-than-brilliant outcome can really be as terrible as we think. Will my friends really laugh if my book doesn’t find a publisher? Will I never find love again if I finish an unhappy relationship?
Much commoner, and easier to deal, with are tasks we simply find ardous. Here, the trick is to take them in small chunks. Ploughing through a boring 1000 page textbook for exams is less daunting it it’s broken down into manageable pieces. From 10 to 10.30am I'll read pages 1 – 15. Then I'm going to have a nice hot chocolate and quick game on my Nintendo DS until 11.00am. After that I’ll tackle page 16 - 30 until 11.45am.
Angling Network wins award
The Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network (SSACN - www.ssacn.org) has won the Dreamstore Active Conservation Award in recognition of its work in helping to conserve inshore fish stocks in Scottish waters.
Dreamstore’s David Hoey praised the network for seeking practical solutions to problems ‘created by inefficient and ineffective fisheries management’ and practices that have destroyed many habitats and wiped out whole species in several areas. He made special mention of their ‘Give Fish A Chance’ campaign, and the very impressive Scottish Shark Tagging Programme (www.tagsharks.com).
Accepting the award, Denis Kelly, SSACN's Secretary said, ‘SSACN was formed in 2006 to focus on conservation issues caused by decades of ineffective and inefficient political and fisheries mismanagement. Our primary goal is to help ensure the regeneration of inshore fish stocks and their environments.’
Why not turn RBS green?
Friends of the Earth points out that for the past two years, the taxpayer has been propping up a number banks, including Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Scotland's largest bank. Juliet Swann, Head of Projects and Campaigns at Friends of the Earth Scotland, says the banks, despite being shored up by millions of pounds of public money, ‘have failed to act in the long-term interests of the planet, its people and its climate.’
The government keeps ‘talking around the idea of a Green Investment Bank’, Ms Swann points out. ‘It is irresponsible of the banks to have stuck to business as usual when that path has led to an economic and environmental crisis’. Friends of the Earth suggest that the government should transform RBS into the Green Investment Bank, thus giving the customer a better deal and ensuring investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and technologies to reduce our demand for power.
Nice idea, we think.
Five hurt on our roads every day
On average, five people travelling in cars are killed or injured on country roads in the Strathclyde region every day. In 2009, some 1,775 people were killed or injured on country roads – and yet, a new campaign has found that many Scottish drivers think the roads are 'low risk' due to the low volume of traffic. In fact, the reverse is true. The West of Scotland Road Safety Forum, working in partnership with Road Safety Scotland, has found there is a significantly higher chance of death and injury on this type of road.
Councillor Duncan MacIntyre, Argyll and Bute’s spokesperson for Transportation and Infrastructure, said that tragically, another person was killed on an Argyll and Bute road last weekend. ‘So this is perhaps a good time to promote the Country Roads Campaign.’ See www.roadsafetywestscotland.com.
The campaign will remind drivers that they are not alone on country roads, and that hazards can be unpredictable. They don’t have to be speeding to go too fast.
Neil Greig, Director of Policy and Research for the Institute of Advanced Motorists said, ‘The IAM supports this vital initiative. We know from our own extensive research that drivers often choose the wrong speed for the conditions on country roads and, in many cases, take more risks because they think it is safe to do so. It is this driving culture which we need to change.’
To find out the number of accidents in Argyll and Bute over the last few years, please go to http://www.dontriskit.info/country-roads/postcode-map/?postcode=PA31%208PG
Rothesay – ‘blooming fantastic!’
In recent years, Rothesay, once the ‘doon the watter’ destination for thousands of Glaswegians, has seen hard times, but this week it walked off with the premier Beautiful Scotland award for the country’s cleanest, most sustainable and attractive community. It beat off competition from across Scotland to win the coveted Rosebowl trophy, as well as the Coastal Resort award.
Argyll and Bute Council’s deputy leader, Councillor Robert Macintyre, said, ‘This is a fantastic feat by the grounds maintenance team on Bute, and I offer my heartiest congratulations to them all. Everyone on our island should feel extremely proud of them – they’re blooming fantastic!’
Another Bute representative, Councillor Len Scoullar, said: “This is a wonderful achievement and I would like to compliment the staff for their hard work and dedication.
“These results have justified the council’s financial investment and faith when restoring Ardencraig Gardens to their former glory.”
Pictures: top the Winter Gardens right the Ardncraig Gardens.
North Ayrshire allotments - DIY
North Ayrshire Council’s Executive committee agreed on August 31 that the new Allotment Policy ‘will aim to help local people to take forward developments themselves rather than the Council directly providing allotment sites.’ In other words, Do It Yourself.
An officer from the Council’s Environment and Related Services will act as ‘point of contact’ and can ‘help interested parties access help and advice on areas such as setting up a constituted allotment association, sources of funding, locations of suitable plots and how to development and manage land.’
The Allotment Policy is available on the Council’s website and the allotment liaison officer is on 0845 603 0590.
Shetland fishermen found guilty of illegally landing fish worth £7 million
At the High Court in Edinburgh this week two fishermen, both masters of the fishing vessel Enterprise, pled guilty to making false declarations about the quantity of fish they lande, in order to evade the annual fishing quota allowed to their vessel.
Between 2002 and 2005, Victor Ralph Buschini made 44 landings, worth £3,220,258.78 and
Hamish Forbes Slater made 47 landings worth £3,976,198.86. Together, the pair netted undeclared landings worth over £7million.
The landings were made at the premises of Shetland Catch Ltd, Gremista, Lerwick. Shetland Catch Ltd previously pled guilty to assisting the skippers in making these undeclared landings.
Speaking after the court hearing, Scott Pattison, the Director of Operations at the Crown Office, said, ‘This is not a victimless crime. The consequences of overfishing on this scale are far reaching and the impact on fish stocks and the marine environment is potentially devastating.’
Sentence was deferred until January 2011.
Picture: Fishing Vessel Enterprise
Book Review
by Assja Baumgärtner
The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney (pictured left)
This novel is set in the wilderness of Ontario in a Scottish settlement near Georgian Bay in 1867. And right from the start, the atmosphere is strange.
'Sometimes you find yourself looking at the forest in a different way. Sometimes it’s no more than the trees that provide houses and warmth, and hide the earth’s nakedness, and you’re glad of it. And then sometimes, like tonight, it is a vast dark presence that you can never see the end of; it might, for all you know, have not just length and breadth to lose yourself in, but also an immeasurable depth, or something else altogether.'
Laurent Jammett, a French fur trader, has been murdered. Mrs Ross, who lives nearly, discovers his body and reports the crime to the local magistrate. Then her 17 year old son, who was the nearest thing to a friend that ‘Frenchie’ Jammet ever had, goes missing. Mrs Ross knows he is likely to be accused of the murder, so she sets out to find him, being convinced that he could never be a murderer. Her search becomes more complex as the need to find the real killer doubles up with the main purpose of finding her son. Steff Penney brings Mrs Ross into contact with a wide range of alarming characters. There is the magistrate Mr. Knox and his daughters Susanna and Maria who tell the story of their two cousins who walked into the wilderness and were never returned. A mysterious Thomas Sturrock arrives to claim an artefact promised to him by Jammett and a team of investigators from the Hudson Bay Company includes Donald Moody, a clumsy young man with mixed loyalties. And, most intriguing of the lot, there is William Parker, a half breed native American who becomes a suspect himself and who guides Mrs. Ross through the icy wilderness in her search for her lost son.
I picked up this novel and have to admit that I couldn't put it down until I had finished it. I was fascinated by the way Penney switches the narrative between the first person voice of Mrs Ross and third person input from anyone else. At first I found this device disconcerting, but the changes in style became more and more compelling. For some time the third person passages seemed more personal than Mrs Ross’s own guarded account, which makes the reader feel she is concealing something. She is not a character you warm up to very quickly, though layer after layer of her secrecy gets lifted away as the plot develops. Tantalisingly, certain secrets remain unveiled even at the end, and linger in the reader’s mind.
The Tenderness of Wolves is not simply a crime mystery. Penney explores the commercial conflict between the large fur companies and the independent traders, and takes a clear-eyed look at addiction, infidelity, and sexuality. Her experience as a film script writer has given her a shrewd eye for setting. The snowy landscape of the Northern Territories with wolves lurking in the dark woods underlines the feeling of isolation most of her characters experience, and the mounting tension between them uncovers a network of interwoven stories that is as engrossing as the main mystery. The atmosphere Penney creates is palpable and real, and yet she has never visited Canada, since she suffers from agoraphobia and would be terrified by its vast spaces. The Tenderness of Wolves deservedly won the Costa Book of the Year Award in 2006 and made it onto the Orange Award longlist the same year.
Diver Loses Consciousness
John Kinsman Marine Editor
On the morning of Sunday,October 3rd, a diver got into difficulties while diving off the wreck of the AKKA at Dunoon. Clyde Coastguards received a call from the skipper of a charter dive boat requesting urgent assistance as one of the eleven divers had lost consciousness after boarding the boat from a sixteen metre dive. The Largs RNLI lifeboat was launched and Greenock, 
Largs and Cumbrae Coastguard Rescue Teams were sent to the scene to assist. Coastguard officers from the Cumbrae team went out to the casualty on the Cumbrae Water Sports vessel, which then brought the diver ashore He was taken to Inverclyde Royal Hospital by ambulance.
The Coastguard always recommends that divers should ensure that they are adequately qualified and experienced for the diving they plan to undertake. The diver's own personal fitness is a top priority for safe diving. The diver should always be familiar with new or different gear before planning deep dives and should dive within his/her limits. A close eye must always be kept on weather and sea conditions. 
The Swedish motor vessel Akka, which sank in 1956, causes a massive obstruction in the Firth of Clyde. It's the largest diveable wreck for sport divers in the river.
It is intact right up to the ladders leading up to the bridge. All that is missing are the two uppermost levels of the bridge, which have been wire-swept away.
The prop was also removed, controversially, which loses a point for this great wreck.
There is, however, a magnificent opportunity to fin around the sterncastle companionway. Marine life is amazing, and there are large schools of big fish. Most of the wreck is encrusted with large orange and white plumose anemones, giving the diver a big hit of colour.
It is only in the companionways that this wreck silts up a bit and beds of brittlestars take over, with only a large colourful dahlia anemone for company. Vis is usually around 5m. The Akka is definitely the best scenic wreck in the Clyde! From www.divernet.com
International chess champion at 8
An Oban primary pupil will jet off to Greece later this month to represent Scotland at the World Youth Chess Championships. Eight-year-old Liam Richmond from Rockfield Primary will be the youngest in the 15-strong squad, which will be at the championships from October 25-29. He has won 11 trophies since taking up chess, and was recently second in a national competition in Grangemouth. His performances caught the attention of Phil Thomas, Chess Scotland International Junior Director, who selected him for the world championships.
The tournament – the largest in the world youth chess calendar – takes place in the Porto Carras Grand Resort in Halkidiki. Some 1,400 players representing over 80 countries will be battling it out in various age categories. Liam, cheered on by his parents (but silently, chess being what it is) will be playing in the Under 8s section, which has 112 entries.
Rockfield head teacher Jack Degnan said the school has run a chess club for over 10 years, aimed at introducing pupils to the game and developing their skills and knowledge. Normally the club is only open to pupils from P3 onwards, but Liam’s mother approached the school when he was in P2 to ask if he could join as he could already play chess. Mr Degnan said, ‘Liam’s skills a player were clearly evident from the start, and he was soon beating most of the pupils in the club including P7s. In his first year in the club Liam gathered enough points in the British Land Chess Challenge to make the Mega final in Glasgow where he won the trophy for his age group.’ He continued, ‘From there, Liam has gone from strength to strength and we are immensely proud that he is playing in the World Youth Chess Championships in Greece. This will not only benefit Liam personally but the Campus Chess Club in general.
On behalf of everyone in Rockfield, I wish Liam every success. And when he returns from Greece, I for one will be demanding a queen off for a start before I play him again!’
Because he lives in Oban, Liam has not even been able to attend the evening squad sessions in East Kilbride in preparation for the trip. Councillor Isobel Strong, Argyll and Bute’s spokesperson for Education and Lifelong Learning, said, ‘It’s fantastic that Argyll and Bute will have a representative at this competition, and I know Liam will be a wonderful ambassador for his school, his town and his country.’ She added, ‘He has been advised that the chess will be at an extremely high level, with most players even having their own personal coaches. But I am sure he will not get disheartened if he doesn’t blow the competition away in quite the way he is used to doing! We all hope Liam has a great time in Greece, and look forward to hearing of his further successes over the next few years.’
Ullapool’s First New Trawler in 25 Years
John Kinsman Marine Editor
The Fleur of Scotland UL 25, Ullapool’s first new fishing trawler to be built in over 25 years, has been launched at the port. Owner Stephen Couper of SRCFoods, Ullapool, was joined by more than 40 family and friends last week to celebrate the launch of the trawler, named after his daughter, Fleur.
Following tradition, the Fleur of Scotland was christened with a bottle of champagne and lowered by crane into the waters of Loch Broom to the sound of a piper playing Flower of Scotland. Apparently, the sight of a piper and a group of fishermen wearing the kilt led tourists to think that a highland wedding was taking place. After the official launch local school children were given the treat of a trip around the loch on Fleur of Scotland.
The new boat is based on a kit from the Cornish boat builders, Buccaneer Boats, and was fitted out at Claypool. It is designed to fish for prawns, crabs and lobsters in and around Loch Broom. Stephen will operate the Fleur of Scotland with his brother-in-law Stuart Elliot.
Ullapool was established as a fishing port in the late 1700’s and has seen historical fluctuations in the fishing industry. These included the bonanza days of the Klondyke fishing industry of the 1970’s and 1980’s, when up to 200 Soviet factory ships were regularly seen anchored in Loch Broom. Today, European Longliners still visit Ullapool.
Pictures: above new boat The Fleur of Scotland - left, 'Fishing Boats in Ullapool Harbour'
Fishermen’s Missions to close
By John Kinsman
The Fisherman’s Mission is to close five of its centres in Scotland, though some may be replaced with new modern facilities. Existing buildings in Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Scarbster, Mallaig and Eyemouth will shut within the next five years. The Fishermen’s Mission, which provides support, refuge and pastoral care to seafarers, said they were too expensive to maintain. However, it hopes that the savings resulting from the closures will allow new centres to be opened in Campbeltown, Oban and Pittenweem, Fife.
Read the September newsletter from COAST at http://www.arrancoast.com/
RBS Screen Machine
Wednesday 13, Thursday 14, Friday 15 & Saturday 16 October - Auchrannie Hotel - BRODICK
BOOK NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT!!
Screen Machine Facebook
MARMADUKE (U) 87mins
Directors: Tom Dey.
Starring: Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, George, Spirit, Emma Stone, Huck, George Lopez.
Genre: Comedy, Family.
Plot: A suburban family moves to a new neighbourhood with their large yet lovable Great Dane, who has a tendency to wreak havoc in his own oblivious way.
Pet-crazed kids will enjoy the CG-assisted scenes of lip-synched dogs surfing and partying. Total Film Magazine
Marmaduke
GREASE SING-A-LONG (PG) 110mins
Director: Randall Kleiser.
Starring: John Travolta, Olivia Newton John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway, Barry Pearl, Michael Tucci, Kelly Ward, Didi Con, Dinah Manoff, Eve Arden
Genre: Musical, Romance.
Plot: The original high school musical is back! (2010 re-release)
It's every bit the great songfest it's hailed as, with bucket loads of innuendo thrown in behind some of the most energetic musical numbers ever to grace the inside of a movie theatre.. 5*. Caroline Westbrook – Empire Film Magazine
Grease Sing A Long
PLEASE NOTE – All u16s MUST be accompanied by a parent/21+ guardian for all Grease Sing A Long shows.
TAMARA DREWE (15) 111mins
Director: Stephen Frears.
Starring: Gemma Arterton, Rodger Allam, Bill Camp, Dominic Cooper, Luke Evans, Tamsin Greig, Jessica Barden, Charlotte Christie, James Naughtie.
Genre: Comedy
Plot: A young newspaper writer returns to her hometown in the English countryside, where her childhood home is being prepped for sale.
Adapted from Posy Simmonds’ graphic novel, itself inspired by Thomas Hardy’s Far From The Madding Crowd, it’s a bucolic caper about a bunch of self-absorbed city folk causing a ruckus in rural Dorset. It’s smart, sprightly and just a little bit dark.
. 4* Neil Smith – Total Film Magazine
Tamara Drewe
PLEASE NOTE All u16s MUST be accompanied by a parent/21+ guardian for all Tamara Drewe shows
The Illusionist (PG) 90mins
Director: Sylvain Chomet
Starring: Jean Claude Dondo, Edith Rankin, .
Genre: Comedy
Plot: As cheeky, boisterous and witty as it is delicately drawn and beauteous to behold, Sylvain Chomet’s second feature film is a winner on every level – the opening movie for the 2010 Edinburgh Film Festival. Our weary hero is an over-the-hill magician, complete with less-than-friendly white rabbit; their adventures are based upon an unrealised script by Jacques Tati, the action of which Chomet transposed to Scotland after he moved here in 2004. Always in search of a paying gig, the illusionist treks from Paris to the Western Isles to Edinburgh – acquiring, along the way, a young travelling companion who sincerely believes in his magical abilities. Rich with visual jokes, seductive 1950s period detail and breathtaking views of city and wilderness alike, this is the work of a master in his field – and one of the most gorgeous evocations of Scotland in cinema history.
Bittersweet, moving and utterly beautiful: a love letter to cinema and to Scotland. 4* Helen O’Hara Empire Film Magazine
Cornish Chicken Pie
By Anne Adams
Ingredients
4 Chicken Portions
225g (8oz) Puff Pastry
150ml (¼ pint) Milk
150ml (¼ pint) Sour Cream
1 Medium Onion
2 Eggs
6 Spring Onions
15g (½ oz) Butter
2tbsp Fresh Parsley
1 tsp Vegetable Oil
Method
Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4
Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan, add the finely chopped onion and cook over a low heat until transparent.
Place the onion in a 1 litre (2 pint )pie dish.
Fry the skinned and boned chicken and cook until lightly browned.
Place the chicken on top of the onion in a single layer.
Place the milk, spring onions and parsley in the pan, bring to the boil, simmer for 2-3minutes and then pour over the chicken.
Cover the pie dish with foil, bake for 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
Remove pie dish from the oven and allow to cool.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until just larger than the pie dish.
Cut a strip from all round the edge of the pastry.
Place the strip on the rim of the pie dish, moisten, then place the pastry lid on top.
Beat the eggs and sour cream together and brush the top of the pie (reserve the remainder).
Crimp the edges of the pastry and make a hole in it to allow steam to escape.
Pre-heat oven to 220C/425F/Gas7.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a light golden brown.
Reduce the temperature to 180C/350F/Gas4.
Pour the egg and sour cream mixture into the pie through the hole.
Shake the dish to spread the mixture. Return the pie to the oven for 15 minutes.
Allow to stand in a warm place for 5-10 minutes before serving or serve cold.
Golf News
Lamlash Golf Club
Jim Henderson
Thursday 30th September
Seniors Medal: from box tees, 4 competed. c.s.s. 61
1 magic 2 from H.Thomson.
1st Ian Grant 89-21-68
Final of Summer Cup, Eclectic and Medal: 23 competed c.s.s. 64
1 magic 2 from D.Robertson, Scratch Neil Young with a 66.
1st C.Maceachen 71-11-60 b.i.h., 2nd T.Jameson 69-9-60, 3rd N.Young 66-3-63,
4th M.Wren 75-11-64
Medal Shield: best 2 scores from 4, T.Jameson 58+60=118, runner-up J.Murchie on 119.
Summer Cup: best 4 scores from all available, Craig Maceachen 60-58-62-60=237, tied with
runner up Todd Jameson also on 237 judged on best five scores.
Eclectic: from all summer competitions Ian Bremner and Neil Young tied on 47 with Dan winning on handicap with .5 of a shot.
Sunday 3rd October
Glenburn Cup, first of winter games: Holiday period affecting entry as only 6 played, c.s.s. 64
1 magic 2 from D.Wales who also won scratch with a 72
1st G.Andrew 73-10-63, 2nd A.Wales 72-6-65
Fixtures:
Sunday 10th October: Stableford at 0930 and Noon ballots.
Thursday 14th October: 9 hole competition (front nine) arranging time with starter.
Whiting Bay Golf Club
John Pennycott
Sunday 3rd October:
Only 7 decided to abandon the Ryder Cup on their tellies for the real deal on the golf course, with scoring remarkably good considering it was a non-counter due to work on the greens. The winner was Colin Nisbet (10)61, 2nd Johnnie Kelso (13)64 and 3rd Jamie MacPherson (4)65. Jamie also won scratch with 69 and there were no Magic 2s.
Preferred Lies are now in operation for the winter months.
Fixtures:
Sunday 10th October: Winter Cup Round 1.
Sunday 17th October: Hamilton Salver.
Apple Pudding
A recipe from Assja
The apple trees are laden with fruits. The right time to make a delicious apple dessert:
1 k cooking apples
5 -6 tbsp sugar mixed with cinnamon
75 g butter, pref. Unsalted
100 g golden caster sugar
100 g fromage frais
3 egg yolks
100 g sliced brown or seeded bread, toasted
50 g chopped almonds
3 egg white
raisins or sultanas
Peel the apples and cut them into slices. Sprinkle the sugar-cinnamon mixture over them and stir with a spoon until evenly coated. Now place the apples in a greased ovenproof dish.
Whisk butter and sugar until fluffy and white. Add the fromage frais. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and lift under the egg mixture.
Crumble the bread and add with the chopped almonds to the mixture. Evenly spread the mix over the apples, and bake for about 30 – 45 mins at 200 C (fan assisted oven 175 C)/ 400 F (325) / Gas Mark 6 (4) in the middle of the oven.
Diving the wreck of the Akka