Down Memory Lane, March 8 2019

A regular Courier correspondent was taken back to the past by last week's two page regeneration feature.

 

In an email, former Courier reporter, Malcolm Speed, wrote: 'The George McMillan story struck a chord with me, because when he was Town Council housing convener, good housing for local people was his mantra.

 

'In the Strathclyde years, from 1973 to 1996, when Campbeltown was a  burgh of the sub-region of Argyll and Bute, Mr McMillan was well respected and liked in the massive council, as was John McCorkindale of Southend.

 

'It is a strange decision to demolish houses instead of renovating them.

 

'Also last week goldsmith, Grant Logan's retirement made me feel my age.

 

'He must be the son of a C & D Mactaggart lawyer, JWG Logan.

 

'I recall he once took me to a Kintyre Presbytery meeting in Inveraray.'

 

Grant confirmed this and said his dad JWG came to Campbeltown from Uddingston and, despite being a keen golfer and often seen in the town on his bicycle, passed away, after a sudden heart attack, in September 1978, aged 57.

 

Also last week the pupils, from Dalintober Early Learning Centre, who had an outside lesson in Craigowan Woods found some graffiti carved on a tree trunk.

 

It referred to, possibly a pair of sweethearts and, although it looked very fresh, was apparently carved in 1958.

 

There was much discussion among the youngsters and the nursery assistants.

 

Who were MMS and JW, the artists, who had left their mark 61-years-ago?

 

There has been much work on the Courier Centre roof recently.

 

During the work a store room was partly cleared to reveal two walls complete with graffiti of names and dates.

 

Its authors who probably never expected their efforts would be revealed in the Courier's pages were: C McAllister 1985, P Docherty, RMC 1953 and the prolific R Armour March 4 1954, Robert Armour 1953 to 1954 and R Mc C 1953.

 

If any of these artists are still living, perhaps they would like to step by the Courier Centre.

 

They may be offered a paint brush to remove their works or perhaps would reveal details about their messages recorded for posterity.

 

Tree graffiti at Craigowan Woods. 25_c10memorylane01_Tree_graffiti

 

Mr McAllister's Courier Centre wall. 25_c10memorylane03_graffiti_Courier

 

Mr Armour's Courier Centre wall. 25_c10memorylane02_graffiti_Courier