Oban Times Letters to the Editor - 17.10.24
Good Samaritans
On Monday September 23 I travelled by train from Middlesbrough to Fort William, arriving two hours late after a stressful 12-hour journey due to delays and cancellations. I then walked 2.5 miles to my accommodation as I’d missed the bus and couldn’t find a taxi. No easy task with my luggage, for I’m in my 80s now.
The next day I walked into Fort William to get the 11.40am train to Spean Bridge to visit Kilmanovaig cemetery, intending to buy flowers at Tesco but the shop wasn’t where I remembered it, and with no time to go elsewhere I got the train thinking I’d buy flowers at Spar shop Spean Bridge as I’ve done before.
However, I discovered they no longer sell flowers, and with none elsewhere, I walked across the bridge deeply disappointed, when I came across a local man with his dog. I asked if he knew where I could get flowers but he couldn’t help, and saw I was upset. Dejected, I walked up the hill, and when I got to the cemetery gates there was the same man who handed me a lovely bunch of flowers which he’d picked from his garden for me to put on the grave. Now, wasn’t that that lovely?
Then, waiting for the 4pm train to return to Fort William, I got talking to a lady called Christine from Spean Bridge who was getting the same train. When we got off the train she insisted on paying for a taxi to take me to my accommodation and when I got there she handed me a boxed cup cake!
Now wasn’t I lucky to have the good fortune to meet two good Samaritans from Spean Bridge that day?
I’m very, very, grateful, hence this thank you letter which I hope you’ll publish please and I’ll pass the favours on.
Mrs M Macnaughton, by message to website.
Keep pressure up over poverty
Rural poverty is a pressing issue that often gets overlooked by urban-led governments.
The unique challenges faced by those living in our countryside must not be ignored. In many rural areas, families struggle to make ends meet, with limited access to essential services, employment opportunities, and affordable housing.
The harsh reality is that rural communities experience poverty differently than their urban counterparts. The isolation, lack of transport, and declining local economies further exacerbate the situation. This isn’t just a statistic; it’s about real lives, real families, and a future that hangs in the balance.
We must demand that our leaders take rural poverty seriously and implement policies that address these specific needs. Local initiatives, investment in infrastructure, and support for agriculture and small businesses are crucial. It is time to ensure that everyone, regardless of where they live, has access to the resources and opportunities they deserve.
Let’s rally together to raise awareness and push for action. Our rural communities are the backbone of our nation, and we owe it to them to fight for a brighter, fairer future. Together, we can make a difference.
Independent Councillor Alastair Redman.
Austerity agenda has a cost
The evidence from the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, estimating the additional cost to the NHS of treating the 262,000 pensioners impacted by the cut in winter fuel payments, illustrates the naivety in Labour continuing the Tory austerity agenda.
The cost to the NHS of treating these individuals has been estimated to be more than £169 million a year and exemplifies the damaging impact of continuing with an economic programme of swingeing cuts. Reductions in public expenditure and investment at the wrong time in the economic cycle are counterproductive, inhibiting growth at a time when it is desperately needed.
Chancellor Reeves intends to fill the financial black hole through a combination of cuts, including those to the Winter Fuel allowance, as well as cutting capital investment programmes.
We need to invest heavily in the new technologies and infrastructure that will drive growth, however compared to the EU and the US our programmes to date have been pitiful.
If the Labour government want to grow the economy, the current approach will only serve to damage it further. It is very much a case of more continuing pain, for less gain.
Alex Orr, Edinburgh.
Sign up to our daily Newsletter
Permission Statement
Yes! I would like to be sent emails from West Coast Today
I understand that my personal information will not be shared with any third parties, and will only be used to provide me with useful targeted articles as indicated.
I'm also aware that I can un-subscribe at any point either from each email notification or on My Account screen.
You may also like
Martin Laing at Large
Thought for the Week: Motherly love
Sign up to our daily Newsletters
Permission Statement
Yes! I would like to be sent emails from West Coast Today
I understand that my personal information will not be shared with any third parties, and will only be used to provide me with useful targeted articles as indicated.
I'm also aware that I can un-subscribe at any point either from each email notification or on My Account screen.
© 2025 Wyvex Media Limited.