THE ANNUAL BBQ held at Colintraive raised the sum of £1,125 for Yorkhill Children’s Hospital.  A super day was had in lovely sunshine with the ‘Saddlebags’, our local Country Western Band keeping everyone entertained.  The food was excellent, as were the teas served inside the hall.  Goods for sale were quickly snapped up and the raffle had a great deal of wonderful prizes.

It was also an emotional day for Alex and Jessie McNaughton, family, relatives and friends who were saying their goodbyes to Brian and Anne McNaughton, Eilidh, Cally and Neily who were emigrating to Australia the following day.  The annual BBQ was normally organised by Anne due to youngest son Neily having been treated at Yorkhill three years ago.  This year the event was organised for Anne by her friends.  Alex McNaughton proposed a vote of thanks to everyone at the end of the day.

In October 2006 John and Kate McEwen (right) relocated to Glendaruel from Paisley where they had been running a successful hypnotherapy practice since 1999. At the behest of The National Society of Professional Hypnotherapist they had added a training school to their services. However a lack of affordable accommodation made this difficult despite a high demand for places. They then discovered and fell in love with Ardachearnbeg where they can offer accommodation for the residential element of the course keeping it all ‘on campus’.

They run training courses at practitioner level twice a year and offer a variety of other short courses including postgraduate training. (for further details see www.learn-hypnosis.co.uk) Some attend the practitioner course for self development. Students report undergoing profound change during the course.

Kate and John are available for anyone wishing to utilise their services. Hypnotherapy uses hypnosis in a therapeutic setting. The ability of hypnosis to bring about behavioral change makes its applications widespread. It can help those trying to break habits such as smoking, over-eating or drug abuse, and can also help achieve relief from irritable bowel, migraine, dermatitis, high blood pressure and many other physical complaints.
It is useful in helping clients to identify inner strengths and raise levels of self-confidence, reducing anxiety related to such areas as driving test nerves, exams, presentations, public speaking and so on.

Those who have attended a ‘Hypnotherapy Information Evening’ at Ardachearnbeg will know a little about what Kate & John do. It is intended to hold further information evenings over the summer. If you wish to attend, please telephone 01369 820272.

For further information and FAQs please visit the website at
www.B9Hypnotherapy.co.uk or www.corsebarhypnotherapy.co.uk
email: info@learn-hypnosis.co.uk

John & Kate McEwen
Scottish School of Hypnotherapy Ltd
Ardachearnbeg Farm Cottages, Glendaruel
The cottages are also available to let as holiday accommodation. www.ardachearnbeg.co.uk

A local team from Colintraive and Glendaruel will be taking part in The MoonWalk Edinburgh on 14th June. Over the last two years this amazing moonlit marathon and half-marathon challenge has already raised over two million pounds for vital breast cancer projects in Scotland. Over 12,000 people will gather at The Meadows this year to raise money and awareness, to get fit and have fun.

The gallant team are needing your sponsorship. Sponsor forms are available at the Colintraive Hotel, Village Shop and The Glendaruel Caravan Park. Alternatively you can call Anne McNaughton on 01369 820175 and make a pledge. The local crew for this year are:

Anne McNaughton
Brian McNaughton
Jelena Finnie
Kirsty McLuckie
Beth Storf
Annie Craig
Heather MacVicar
Fiona Hamilton

When I was a youngster sailing my model yacht, I often looked out to the river on hearing the thunder of large yachts tacking to windward as their sails shook and flapped before settling down on the new tack.
These were the days of Egyptian cotton sailcloth, often a creamy colour, which on fresh days with the yachts well heeled would be wet with spray at the sail’s foot . Then mainsails were large with long booms and headsails comparatively small and never to the masthead. Spinnakers too were comparatively small and seldom coloured. But my lasting memory is of the thunder of sails often heard before the yachts came into view. Now this noise is seldom heard from modern terylene sails which seem to flap less noisily and do not show whether they are wet or dry.
Another sound which accompanied the yachts tacking was the bell like ringing of the sheet winch ratchets as the slack of the jib sheets was taken in.
I remember sitting with many other yachts in the Kyles in a flat calm on a Corinthian Tarbert race waiting for a breeze when suddenly at the other side of the Kyle a new breeze began to fill in, accompanied by the ringing of sheet winches as boat after boat picked it up and began to heel and really slip along in calm water. Oh, the agony of waiting for the new breeze to fill across to us and the other leeward boats. Most of these winches were made by a company called Gibb and were indeed shaped like bells. Today winches are high tech with ball races and almost silent in operation.
These almost forgotten sounds of my youth contributed to the thrill of the sport which for me is the poorer with their passing.
Nicky Tam

John McNaughton has been recording the reminiscences of Hamish at 95. Here are some edited highlights from the ealy years

My mother’s father was shoemaker at Springfield. My other grandfather was the tenant at Feorlinn. When he died my father took it. I was born there in April 1912 on the Sunday before the Titanic went down. I was recalling this to a man in a pub once. He said “Aye, that’ll be two disasters in the one week then.”

Springfield isn’t there now. It fell into ruin. After WW1, MacCrae bought it along with Ardachuple and Feorlinn when prices were high. He thought to make a fortune but prices collapsed.

We moved to Shellfield in 1920 with 300 ewes at £7 a head and just 3 or 4 cows. This was the home farm and my father came in as shepherd. When the prices dropped he was out of a job, so he took the farm when sheep were cheap at £2 a head.

We ploughed to plant the turnips, tatties and corn. We sold eggs and that to the yachts and used to let the house to Glasgow Fair folk in the summer. We fed on braxy and muttonand salted herring. We’d kill a pig and had big hams hanging from the roof.

We had our provisions from MacSimon’s in Greenock. He’d be around each month taking orders that’d come to the pier in tea chests. Niel Black came down with his pony and trap collecting for folk up the Glen.

It was a busy road at Shellfield then. The Glen’s beasts were taken off Ormidale pier and would be kept here overnight.There used to be a lot of goats. I can mind about 30 around here. They ate a lot of grass did those goats and kept shifting around.

When I played shinty in the 30’s we had a lot of folk for the team. Competition was fierce. We were in the final against Kingussie. Ther put me and another out of team and called in two players from Tighnabruaich. We lost 2:1.