Campbeltown Courier From Our Files - 11.4.25

TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO
Friday, April 14, 2000

Inventive pupils

Kintyre appears to have a growing number of budding inventors. 

Two of the peninsula’s small rural primary schools have pupils who have designed entries in top science-based competitions.

An entry from Drumlemble Primary School is going forward to the Young Technologist Challenge Grand Final. And Rhunahaorine Primary School’s P6-7 pupils are hoping their ‘glow in the dark’ shoes will make it to the final of the national ‘Be an Inventor’ challenge.

Drumlemble Primary, which is being threatened with closure in Argyll and Bute Council’s latest round of school rationalisation, is one of just 25 schools in west and central Scotland to be short-listed for the final of the Wise Group’s challenge.

Entitled ‘Antarctica Base (Future)’, the entry will go forward to the grand final in the James Moir Hall, Mitchell Theatre, Glasgow, in May. 

Drumlemble’s entry reaching the final is even more of an achievement because most entries usually come from P7 pupils, but the pupils who have designed Antarctica Base are only in P5-6. 

The Rhunahaorine pupils are battling against thousands from schools across Scotland who have risen to the challenge, set by the Glasgow Science Centre to urge youngsters to think about the importance of science and technology. 

Entries have come from 247 classes, representing 167 schools. Pupils were encouraged to participate by coming up with a new product, which has the potential to be sold commercially in the market-place.

Rhunahaorine’s P6 and P7 teacher Fiona Macalister, said: “The children came up with many weird and wonderful ideas but decided to put forward details of shoes that glow in the dark, having experimented with different fabrics. 

“The children aimed to come up with something which meant they could play safely outside until later in the evening, especially in the winter when darkness falls so early.”

FIFTY YEARS AGO
Thursday, April 10, 1975

Fury over plans for council chambers

At the Finance Meeting of Campbeltown Town Council, Ex-Provost George McMillan asked the town clerk if it was correct that Campbeltown Council Chambers was being considered for conversion to office accommodation for the new district. 

On being assured that this was indeed a possibility, the ex-provost declared angrily, (amid cries of support from all round the chamber): “This is a disgrace and a scandal. This is the finest council chamber in Argyll and to use this as an office would be tragic to say the least. I therefore propose that this council make an appeal in the strongest possible terms to the District Council to leave Campbeltown Town Council Chambers intact as a meeting place for community councils and many other local organisations.”

Several councillors spoke in support of the motion and Ex-Provost Daniel McKinven warned members: “Watch this most carefully. We have only two district councillors left to fight this issue for Campbeltown.”

He asked both district councillors present for an immediate assurance of their support in fighting for the retention of “this lovely building”.

Provost A McCallum and District Councillor T Coulson both pledged their support at district level. 

“Don’t let this happen. This is our town’s only heritage left,” said Ex-Provost McKinven.

Councillors expressed their fury and indignation at the very thought of the chambers being used as offices, which was described by Councillor Coulson as “pure vandalism indeed”.

So the fate of Campbeltown Town Council Chambers hangs in the balance, and councillors and citizens alike will await with keen interest the outcome.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO
Saturday, April 11, 1925

Ailsa Craig cleared of rats

For many years it has been widely known that Ailsa Craig has been overrun with rats.

Bird-life on the Craig, so interesting and precious to lovers of nature and always an attraction to tourists, was becoming menaced. 

The state of affairs came under the observation of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and it was realised that something must be done. 

A London firm was engaged to supply what was required and to see the work carried out. In general outline, the methods adopted were on the lines of drawing the rats to certain sections of the island by means of decoy feeding-grounds. 

As the rats became accustomed to collect at these quarters for food, the prepared Rational was laid and eaten ravenously.

Millions of baits were consumed, and it is impossible to compute the numbers of rats thus destroyed. 

Mr Matthew Girvan, who knows every inch of the Craig and can scale the treacherous parts of it with the skill of a mountain goat, took a most enthusiastic and active part in the work and, in his report to the Chief Constable for Ayrshire, states that thousands and thousands were destroyed.

The campaign has been an unqualified success. At the present stage, there is hardly a single rat to be seen about the island, and the cottages and dwelling-houses are entirely cleared.

Cycling without lights

Two lads from the Carradale district were before a JP Court in Campbeltown on Tuesday, to face charges of riding cycles after dark without showing lights. Messrs Donald Armour and Chas MacGrory were on the bench. 

They explained that no carbide was to be had in Carradale on the day in question. One who carried a lamp which was unlit was fined 10s, and the other, who had no lamp, was fined 15s.

Editor’s note: Calcium carbide is used in carbide lamps; water is dripped onto the carbide and produces acetylene gas, which burns and produces a bright light. Your great-grandparents were basically cycling along with a potential small explosion fastened to their handlebars!