Arran Banner Letters – week 30, 2024

CalMac kindness and consideration

Sir,

We would like, through your paper, to thank most sincerely the crew of Isle of Arran on both car decks and canteen, for their help, consideration and kindness when we very nearly did not get on the 12.30pm ferry recently.

Yours,

Margaret and David Atkins,

Lamlash.

Taylor Swift fallout on Arran

Sir,

The recent Taylor Swift concerts in Britain provided a tidal wave of interest across the media, doubtless some light relief from a rather predictable general election campaign. Needless to say, Swift’s Eras Tour, and its snowballing publicity wagon managed to insinuate itself into our local council chambers:

Cunningham North District Council - Selected extracts from the minutes of the monthly plenary meeting:

1)A member for the three towns stated that his wife, mother-in-law, daughter and granny had all attended the concert in Edinburgh. It had been reported that when the audience in Murrayfield jumped in unison, in time to the music, Goat Fell, on the other side of Scotland, had gone up and down as much as two and a half inches. He wondered what cataclysm would be required in Edinburgh to raise Goat Fell to 3000 feet high, thus becoming a Munro, making it more of a tourist destination.

2) The councillor for Irvine Seagate reported that her daughter had attended the concert and she understood that the sewage outfall from extra portaloos at the concert had caused a ’tidal wave of pollution’ which had eventually ended up on the Bass Rock, washing some puffin nests into the North Sea.

3) The councillor for Hunterston North reported that the tremor generated from the noise of the Murrayfield concert had caused the tidal backflow to block the inlets of the cooling system on Hunterston C power station.

4) The member for Fairlie Roads commented that Taylor Swift’s great-great-grandfather had been the station master at Fairlie High station before the First World War. She had been spotted in a cavalcade of white Mercedes taking selfies around the old station-master’s house on her way to Prestwick Airport and her private jumbo jet. Also in the entourage were two Securicor vans and two black Range Rovers containing her close protection detail.

5) The chair then commented that this was not fixing the potholes and moved the meeting on.

Yours,

Tommy Gilmore,

Brodick.

RNIB reading challenge

Sir,

Summer has finally arrived and here at the Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB), we’re delighted to say it’s time to launch our fantastic library events for children as part of this year’s Summer Reading Challenge.

Developed by The Reading Agency, the annual Summer Reading Challenge encourages children aged four to 11 to sign up at their local library or online at summerreadingchallenge.org.uk. They’ll set a reading goal and collect rewards for their reading – including a certificate when they reach their challenge goal.

The theme of this year’s challenge is Marvellous Makers. RNIB is encouraging local libraries to run events which will get children making and thinking creatively about stories and books. The aim is to encourage more children with vision impairments to join the Summer Reading Challenge and to help sighted children develop an understanding of sight loss. You can find details for the events on the Summer Reading Challenge website in the Library Zone.

Activities include making a pair of ‘sim specs’ which will help show children what it looks like when you have different eye conditions, building a story using a collection of tactile objects, building something from LEGO or writing a nature-inspired story.

To complete the Summer Reading Challenge, children can read any books they like, including from RNIB’s library at www.rniblibrary.com in whichever accessible format they prefer and these will count towards their Summer Reading Challenge.

RNIB has also worked with The Reading Agency to create Amelia, one of the Marvellous Makers - a fictional cartoon creative club who have been created for this year’s Challenge and brought to life by the brilliant illustrator, Natelle Quek.

Amelia is visually impaired and holds a long orange cane to assist her with getting around.

Additionally, RNIB has created a special guide for library staff to help ensure events are as inclusive as possible The guide can be downloaded for free from The Reading Agency’s website.

For more information about the books available from RNIB and to find titles in accessible formats, visit www.rniblibrary.com

For more information about Summer Reading Challenge events happening in your area, pop in to your local library or visit the Summer Reading Challenge website Alternatively head to your library’s website.

Yours,

Lara Marshall,

RNIB.