Campbeltown Courier From Our Files - 14.2.25

TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO
Friday, February 18, 2000

They did us proud at the Dome

Eighty young people from Kintyre were the pride of Argyll and Bute last Friday when they represented the area at the Millennium Dome in Greenwich, London.

Argyll and Bute Council chose Campbeltown to represent the area because this year also marks the town’s 300th anniversary of becoming a Royal Burgh.

Months of hard work proved to have been worth all the effort when the youngsters took to the stage at the Dome to tell Campbeltown’s ‘Our Town Story’ during three packed performances in the 500-seat McDonald’s theatre.

Laughter, sadness, drama, music and dance enthralled the audiences which included hundreds of mums and dads who had travelled south on special coaches and trains for the once in a lifetime opportunity.

The huge amount of talent in Kintyre was on display throughout the show and during sessions by Campbeltown Brass Band at the entrance to the Dome and playing by local pipers and musicians. There was also an exhibition and video on show.

Campbeltown’s ‘Our Town Story’ saw school pupils aged eight to 18 from Campbeltown Grammar School and Carradale, Castlehill, Dalintober, Drumlemble, Gigha, Glenbarr, St Kieran’s and Southend primary schools tell the story of Campbeltown from 1700 to the present day in the special stage production told through the eyes of local boy ‘Argyll Campbell’ and his new friend Ronald McDonald. 

FIFTY YEARS AGO
Thursday, February 13, 1975

Andromeda launched

Campbeltown Shipyard’s first launching of the year took place on Monday when an 80-foot seiner/pair trawler went down the slipway at Trench Point.

She was named Andromeda by Mrs Isabel Campbell, wife of Skipper Jim Campbell who owns the new vessel in partnership with Mr Hamish Mackenzie and Mr Hamish Macpherson.

Andromeda is the third vessel of this type built at Campbeltown Shipyard for the Campbell family. 

Skipper Jim Campbell’s brothers, Skipper William Campbell and Skipper Andrew Campbell have the Ajax and Argosy, two of the most successful vessels in Scotland’s north-east coast fishing fleet.

The tenth all-welded steel boat built to the yard’s Campbeltown 80 design, Andromeda’s principal dimensions are: LDA, 79’ 11’; LBP, 70’ 43’ breadth moulded, depth moulded, 11’ 0’; design mean draft, 8’ 0’. 

Her main engine is a Caterpillar D379TA of 565 BHP de-rated to 500 BHP at 1,225 rpm driving a four bladed fixed pitch propeller.

This engine, fitted with a box cooling arrangement, has a power take-off shaft at the front end. It powers two Transmotor generators of 110 volts and 24 volts, for the vessels dual electrical systems in addition to a hydraulic pump for net retrieve.

The auxiliary engine, a Volvo MB70B, also drives Transmotor generators of 110 volts and 24 volts as well as a Desmi 5A80 bilge pump and a Dowty hydraulic pump with clutch. The main bilge pump is also a Desmi 5A80 model, driven by a 110 volt electric motor.

Andromeda’s general arrangement is typical of the Campbeltown design, with a net and gear store in the fore-peak over a fresh water tank, insulated fishroom of approxi-capacity with seine rope bins at the fore end; engine room and accommodation aft for the crew of eight.

Her deckhouse contains a messroom, galley and toilet in addition to the wheel-house.

On deck where an aluminium gutting shelter is provided, equipment includes a Sutherland seine/trawl winch with Dowty hydraulic equipment working in conjunction with a Beccles No. 2. coiler arranged to feed the rope bins below. There is also a 24-inch Rapp powerblock.

The vessel’s equipment includes a Decca navigator, plotter and 450M autopilot; Sailor 400 watt SSB radio-telephone and VHF radio-telephone; two Kelvin Hughes Type 17 radar sets with VRM, an MS44 echo sounder with bottom lock, a Mark 9 fish loop and an Amplidan talkback system with four stations.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO
Saturday, February 14, 1925

Public urinals

The Public Health Committee recommended the conversion of the Sanitary Inspector’s Office at the head of the Old Quay into a urinal at an estimated expenditure of £170, and the removal of the existing urinal there. 

It was agreed to delay meantime the erection of a new urinal at the junction of Roading and Millknowe. Colonel Mactaggart, as convener of the committee, moved the adoption of the report.

Hon Treasurer Smith seconded, and commended this proposal as a step in the council’s policy to modernise the existing urinals in the burgh.

Mr M’Grory moved an amendment against the proposal. He objected to £170 being spent in this way, maintained that the existing urinal is now well kept and sufficient, and that it would be madness to spend so much money at this juncture, when in a few years the whole question of the weigh-house would require to be tackled. 

At present, the weigh-bridge could not take on a motor lorry of four to five tons, and as this mode of transport was likely to increase the council would ultimately have to make provision for weighing vehicles much larger than they were at present. 

The weigh-house created congestion at the head of the quay, and if they enlarged the weigh-bridge matters would be made worse. It would be squandering money to spend £170 on a building that in five years’ time would probably have to be removed.

Mr M’Nair seconded the amendment, expressing agreement with agreement with Mr M’Grory on the point that the removal of the weigh-house would be a question with which the council would be faced at no distant date.

He had in mind the triangular piece of ground opposite the Albert Halls as a suitable site for the weigh-house.

Colonel Mactaggart said this was not his pet scheme; he did not even suggest it, but he considered it would be a desirable improvement. 

It was desirable that the council should bring these places up to modern sanitary conditions. The existing erection was not the clean, salubrious place Mr M’Grory had tried to picture it. It was a very ugly old pepper box. 

If the Town Council was prepared to spend £170 they could get a urinal there, modern and up-to-date, and if it could not be described as a credit to the town, it would not be a discredit.

He agreed with the policy of going on replacing old urinals with modern ones.

They might possibly someday need a new weigh-house, but as it stood at present the building was a safeguard for motor traffic.

Mr Fisher supported the proposal, and considered that for £170 it would be well-hoped at the same time that the committee would consider the opportunity this improvement gave of beautifying the Quay Head by forming plant and flower beds round the building.