From Our Files - Argyllshire Advertiser, February 7 2025

British Red Cross volunteers recognised

 

Ester Agnew from Achahoish, has received an award for spending more than half a century volunteering with the British Red Cross.

 

She was awarded a service badge, alongside other dedicated members, at the charity’s shop on Lochnell Street in Lochgilphead.

 

Esther has committed 55 years to the British Red Cross, joining the Voluntary Aid Detachment at the Anchor Mills in Paisley in 1958.

 

There she learned first aid and nursing before going on to study industrial nursing and beauty treatment for people in hospital.

 

Esther later did a course in therapeutic care, which she continued when she came to Lochgilphead and joined the volunteers in the shop.

 

Other volunteers to receive the badge were Myra Neil, Ardrishaig, for 10 years’ service; Nora McArthur, Lochgilphead, for 25 years’ service, while Catherine Turner was named British Red Cross Shop Volunteer 2014.

 

TWENTY YEARS AGO

 

Friday, February 11 2005

 

Jinty retires after 50 years

 

Although she originally arrived in Inveraray as a temporary locum, Jeanette ‘Jinty’ Smith retired after 10 years full time work in the town last week. 

 

Although she will continue to serve behind the counter of the Apothecary on Main Street West each Monday, Jinty is about to enjoy her first long-term break from working as a pharmacist in almost 50 years.

 

Seventy-one-year-old Jinty, who lives with husband Lindsay in Lochgoilhead, was unsure how she would spend her retirement, after so long working. She said: ‘I’ve never had more than six months off in almost 50 years, even when I had my two children.’

 

Besides her degree in pharmacy, Jinty returned to university in her 50s to study for an honours degree in German and Spanish. She can speak five languages, and has also written five or six unpublished novels.

 

Speaking on her last day as a full time pharmacist, Jinty thanked the people of Inveraray for making her feel welcome over the last decade.

 

She said "When you’re a long-term locum, you think of the shop as your own place and you become a part of the community."

 

FORTY YEARS AGO

 

Friday February 8 1985

 

Golf course concern

 

The Management Committee of Lochgilphead Golf Club has expressed ‘dismay and disappointment’ at the abuse and vandalism that the course has been subjected to during the past few weeks, by persons sledging and ski-ing.

 

On behalf of the committee, club secretary Mr Willie Young, in an open letter to the Advertiser, says that considerable damage was being caused to the greens.

 

"Whilst the club does not mind the area in question being used when there is sufficient snow cover, we do object to the greens being vandalised, the tee furniture being destroyed and the makeshift sledges (polythene bags from the hospital containing used dressings, and soiled articles) which are simply left strewn about by the participants," writes Mr Young.

 

He points out: "Lochgilphead Golf Club is a voluntary run community amenity which exists only through the subscriptions of the members, and therefore cannot afford to returf and replace damaged greens and equipment, without every member suffering the consequences.

 

"I would therefore appeal to those persons who probably quite innocently use the course for purposes other than golf, to spare a thought for the damage they may be inflicting by ski-ing or sledging on the greens and by removing tee furniture."

 

Mr Young’s letter adds that the committee have instructed him to inform those concerned that consideration will be given to legal action for any malicious damage caused to the course.

 

He concludes: "I feel most disappointed that circumstances should force this line to be taken, and trust that those concerned will realise the folly of their ways before it is too late."

 

West Coast prime nuclear target, says council

 

A booklet giving Strathclyde Regional Council’s view on nuclear weapons and disarmament has recently been published.

 

The booklet is called ‘Freedom From Fear - Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear War’.

 

A spokesman for the regional council said that ten thousand copies of the booklet, produced in conjunction with Glasgow District Council, had been printed at a cost of £3,000.

 

The booklet, which runs to 32 pages in colour, says that Scotland is in danger and gives as a reason - "Because of it’s strategic position in the North Atlantic and the number of war bases it contains, Scotland is in the front line of a possible United States attack on the Soviet Union."

 

The booklet continues: "At the same time because it contains these facilities and bases, it is a prime target for a possible Soviet attack on the United States."

 

The booklet says that if America deploys more nuclear weapons, Russia deploys more and vice-versa. 

 

Neither can get out of this ‘dance of death’ because neither side can trust each other. "Forcing the Russians to disarm makes them arm faster," says the booklet.

 

Maps of Strathclyde are provided showing possible targets of nuclear attack.

 

The booklet comments that the most obvious effect of a nuclear explosion would be the immense force of the blast accompanied by hurricane-force winds. This would cause an area of destruction affecting people and buildings from 40 square miles to more than 400 square miles around each explosion.

 

There would be intense heat, radiation and a ‘nuclear winter’ with temperatures failing by anything from 10 to 30 degrees centigrade. 

 

The booklet describes what limited help public services could give. "Few doctors and nurses would survive a nuclear attack as most hospitals are in populated areas," it says. Disease would be rampant.

 

The role of local authorities, as envisaged by central government, is spelt out along with the Regional Council’s disagreement - with central government policy.

 

 "Both Glasgow District Council and Strathclyde Regional have yet to be convinced that planning for a nuclear attack on the West of Scotland is worthwhile," says the author.

 

The booklet goes on to analyse what might start a nuclear war - including a deliberate, full-scale surprise attack. 

 

"While claiming to be maintaining peace both the USA and USSR are racing each other to deploy nuclear weapons designed for a surprise attack," it says. 

 

"Both of the superpowers blame the other but both are equally responsible for the arms race by continually increasing their threats, especially with the new first-strike weapons," it adds. 

 

The author’s say that, first the arms race must be stopped and then the existing stockpiles of nuclear weapons disarmed.

 

The publication gives figures spent on military expenditure. As well as leading inevitably to ultimate annihilation, the arms race is "an appalling waste of human and other resources," say the authors.

 

They add: "The regional council has declared itself a nuclear free zone. Unfortunately, this does not mean that Strathclyde is free from nuclear weapons or facilities - it does mean that the regional council is seeking to have them removed."

 

Nuclear weapons bases, including Machrihanish, make the West of Scotland a prime target in a nuclear attack, according to the authors.

 

The booklet says that the council rejects the concept of the ‘balance of terror’ deterring an enemy from an attack, and claims that most military strategists also reject it.

 

The concept may have been true in the past, say the authors, "but the precision of the current generation of nuclear weapons makes the military believe that there is the possibility of pre-emptive strikes against opposing weapons".

 

"Also there are now so many weapons in existence owned by so many diverse regimes that the danger of accidental nuclear war has greatly increased," it adds.

SIXTY YEARS AGO

 

Tuesday February 9 1965

 

Ex-Moderator dies at Lochgilphead

 

The death occurred at Lochgilphead at the weekend of Rev. Dr Alexander M. Renwick, Minard, formerly Professor of Church History in the Free Church of Scotland College, Edinburgh.

 

A descendant of James Renwick, the Covenanter martyr, Professor Renwick was born at Balbuie, Kintail, Ross-shire. He was 76.

 

Educated at Kilillan School, to which he walked over four miles each day, he entered the civil service on leaving school, and worked in Manchester for two years before entering the ministry.

 

After graduating M.A., B.D., at Edinburgh University, he held charges at Aberdeen and Dumbarton as well as serving as a chaplain in France during the First World War.

 

In 1926 he went to Peru where for 17 years he was superintendent of the Free Church of Scotland Mission. 

 

His services to that country were recognised in 1931 when the University of Lima conferred on him the degree of doctor of literature.

 

During the Second World War he worked for a period for the British Council in Santiago, Chile, as head of the Chilean British Institute.

 

Appointed to the Chair of History at the Free Church College in 1944, Professor Renwick was honoured the following year by his alma mater with the degree of doctor of divinity. 

 

He served twice as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Free Church-in 1931 and 1960—and over a period of many years played a vigorous role in the courts of the Free Church.

 

He was convener of the Church’s committee on the quarter-centenary of the Reformation and wrote a book on the Scottish Reformation which was published about five years ago.

 

Professor Renwick, who came to Minard about two years ago, is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

 

Mid Argyll Savers Increase Their Deposits

 

Mid Argyll savers invested £8,671 during the month of December; it was reported last week by the Argyll Committee of the National Savings Movement.

 

Of this sum savings certificates accounted for £1,465, into development bonds went £1,525, premium savings bonds were purchased to a value of £140 and direct savings bank deposits amounted to £5,541.

 

The total savings for the period throughout Argyll came to £203,292 8s.

 

During 1964 the funds of the Lochgilphead and Tarbert branches of the Bute Savings Bank showed an increase of £9,000.