Hello and welcome to the July issue of the Voice for Arran. It’s a busy time here – the start of the summer holidays and a month jam packed with activities and summery things to do! We have a wide range of previews for you, ranging from book readings and concerts, to film screenings and farm open days. And in the middle of the month is the first Maker’s Festival at Brodick Castle. There are loads of crafty workshops organised for all ages so head to the Castle between the 12th – 14th July.
For readers not on Arran and unable get to these upcoming events, you can read about news from the Stop the Fish Farm Expansion campaign. The recent highlight, which brought June to a close, was the last leg of Georgina Lepley-MacLean’s swim around Arran. Starting at the beginning of the month (with breaks in between) she came into a misty and thundery north Sannox point on Saturday 29th June. A massive achievement, Georgina set about this swim to show her opposition to the proposals of the Scottish Salmon Company to develop a huge fish farm in this area.
The work of this campaign touches upon the themes that Heather Alberro discusses in her article Utopianism Inspires Change. Heather talks about the place of intentional communities and how groups of people throughout time have striven for a better future than the current conditions of the present seem to permit. Utopianism does not have to mean a fantastical and unreachable paradise but through hard work and sometimes extra human effort, can be the way in which communities make change. Another community in Arran which is working against the social, economic and environmental status quo is Woodside farm. Visit them on their Open Days later this month, as their vision to establish a model of sustainable, resilient and self-sufficient community-led regenerative agriculture is inspiring.
As well as previews aplenty, we have a few other pieces including some reports from Arran’s local MP and MSP, Patricia and Kenneth Gibson, and a post at the end of the issue to highlight an unexpected and worrying visa refusal for Arran resident Lizanne Zeitman. A petition has been set up calling for her right to remain in the UK, which you can sign here.
Finally, our much loved technical editor John Baraclough’s time at the Voice has come to an end and we want to say a massive thank you for his amazing commitment and work over the years. Fortunately we have found a lovely new ‘techie’ which means we will be able to bring the Voice to you for some time into the foreseeable future!
Climate breakdown, mass extinctions, and extreme inequality threaten the earth’s rich tapestry of life and leave our own fate increasingly uncertain.
At a time of such social, political and ecological upheaval, it’s natural to dream of a utopian world in which these problems are no more – in fact, people have been doing it for centuries. Such visions are often dismissed as nothing more than pointless flights of fancy, yearnings for impossibly perfect societies. But these assumptions are largely incorrect.
On Saturday, 29th June, Georgina Lepley-Maclean swam the last five hour leg of her circumnavigation of Arran, returning to the point in North Sannox from where she started at the beginning of June. This amazing effort was to highlight the danger to this unspoiled piece of coastline from the Scottish Salmon Company’s (SSC) proposal to build a huge new fish farm off Millstone point. And this last section saw her swim through the area where the farm would be located.
Woodside Arran: Farm Open Day and Members Only Day
Farm Open Day on Saturday 27th of JulyMembers Only Day on Wednesday 24th of Julyonline shop.Become a member of Woodside ArranOur VisionOur vision is to establish a model of sustainable, resilient and self sufficient community-led regenerative agriculture that protects biodiversity and generates local livelihoodsjoin us
After eight years of overseeing the running of the Voice for Arran and in particular, making sure that all the technical side ran smoothly, John Baraclough has decided it is now time to move on from his position here. We will miss John very much - his knowledge, focus, reliability, and unflappability (in times of last minute deadlines and inopportune computer breakdowns!) has been a great support. It has also meant the Voice has been produced continuously (with perhaps one issue missed) since the start of its online existence. For those readers who may not know John, we have asked him a few questions to give us a glimpse into his life in Arran and his involvement in the Voice over the years.
ARTIFISHAL will be screening at Arran Community Theatre in Lamlash, Isle of Arran. Tuesday 9th July @ 19:00.
Admission by donation.
Open to all.
PatagoniaArtifishalPatagoniapetitionhereCOAST invite you to the showing of Artifishal and join them for a post-screening discussion with guest panellists, including Dr Sally Campbell from Arran and Corin Smith from Inside Scottish Salmon Feedlots.
The Tattoo Toorie is the new book from local author Alison Page, and second in the Corrie’s Capers series.
It follows Corrie on another exciting adventure, this time to Edinburgh Castle. Corrie receives an invitation and a special request from the Queen to join the royal family at the Castle for the Festival Tattoo. But there is one problem. Can Corrie overcome her fear of fireworks? And so we join the wee Westie on a journey, where she enlists the help of her Papa, some friendly knitters, and some freshly baked woofibles to help her along the way! To find out how Corrie gets on you can visit Alison for her official launch in the Glenisle Hotel, in Lamlash, on 19th July from 5 – 6.30pm. Alison will be reading the book and signing copies.
2019 Arran Engineering Competition – to be held in the Church Hall,
Lamlash, on Saturday 20th July 2019.
Entries are invited from individuals or teams of people living on the Isle of Arran.
Moray House websitePlease get your entry in by 13th JulyThe task is to design and build a marble track within an envelope of one metre square and 500mm high. Your marble should travel at least 3 metres on the course and preferably much further. You may use levers, springs or other devices to lift the marble. Your marble may be used to ‘trigger’ another marble which may then take over from the first.
ARRAN HERITAGE MUSEUM 40th ANNIVERSARY OPEN DAY SUNDAY 14th JULY 10.30am to 4.30pm
Entry for that day only by donation
This will be an opportunity for islanders and visitors alike to join in our celebrations and have a look around the whole site, including volunteers guiding and explaining all behind the scenes operations. There will be music performed across the site by local musicians including the Isle of Arran Pipe Band and the Arran Café Jazz band, and lots more.
Last week the Scottish comedian Susan Calman was seen out on the Viking boat in Corrie, as part of a day filming in Arran for the latest Secret Scotland series. In the programmes, Susan uncovers the untold tales behind some of Scotland's iconic locations.
We have been told that while on Arran, Susan spent time on the Viking boat and she also learnt about Arran Aromatics, went kayaking at Pladda and did some foraging as well! The programme is to be aired later in the year, perhaps in December.
By Fiona DoubledayCrafts and CompanyBrodick Castle on 12-14th July 52 Stitched Storiesearththreadsuk@gmail.comIf you are not already a member of the National Trust for Scotland this would be a good time to join. Individual membership costs just £5 per month (families £9 – 2 adults and up to 6 children). This would get you in to the castle and grounds as often as you like and many of their events are free.
Les Trois Blondes are the only band in Scotland specialising in Bal Musette, the French café music of Paris. Perhaps to one’s surprise, there is a very strong tradition with Scottish accordionists of playing this style of music which is mostly in waltz tempo. The band comprises John Burns (lead accordion), George Burns, his brother (2nd accordion) and Fergus Wood (drums and compere). John Burns is the current Musette Champion of Scotland and former All-Scotland Accordion Champion.
North Ayrshire and Arran MP Patricia Gibson reports on another delay in Parliament to a law which is aimed to protect children from accessing pornography.
Amongst the hubbub of the contest to become Prime Minister, it was no surprise to find new evidence of UK Government incompetence.
The implementation of proposals first considered two failed Tory Prime Ministers ago, scheduled to become law this month, have again hit the buffers. Plans for compulsory age-checks on people accessing pornography online - described by the UK Government as a world-first - were designed to stop children viewing inappropriate content, either deliberately or accidentally.
Here local MSP Kenneth Gibson reports on the support the Scottish government provides for the performing arts in Scotland, in particular the Scottish Opera company who regularly bring performances to Arran in their national tours.
Every year, Scottish Opera runs their famous Opera Highlights tour around Scotland to bring a musical mix of operatic gems to venues the length and breadth of the country.
Scottish Opera’s most recent tour set off with a brand new show earlier this year as four singers and a pianist journeyed to 18 venues, which included a performance in Whiting Bay Village Hall.
A call from local MP Patricia Gibson for the UK government to work more closely with Holyrood to achieve the aims set out in the Climate Change Bill, which was recently voted on by the Scottish Parliament.
There is an increasing need for global action to tackle climate change and more and more people now consider their carbon footprint when buying goods. Scotland is leading the way in taking climate change seriously.
We are well on track to meet our challenging target of a 42% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, having already exceeded our target of producing half of Scotland’s electricity from renewables. Scotland was the fourth largest green energy consumer in the entire European Union in 2016, while renewable energy generation in Scotland reached record levels last year, providing the equivalent of 75% of gross electricity consumption.
HOUSE CONCERT~ All welcome! Thursday, 18 July, Whiting Bay.
Featuring Lev Atlas playing Klezmer music. Lev is Principal Viola of the Scottish Opera Orchestra and lecturer in Strings at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. A virtuoso Klezmer and Eastern European music performer, he is a living encyclopaedia of hundreds of traditional tunes and has influenced many musicians across Europe.
Tickets are free, but room is limited so reservations encouraged. Donations welcome. Musicians encouraged to bring instrument and join in.
The film showing on Sunday July 7th at 8 pm (the first Sunday this month) is Waterboys (Director Robert Jan Westdijkr Netherlands 2016. 89 mins. Cert PG).
Waterboys tells a humorous and moving story of the evolving relationship between crime novelist Victor (Leopold Witte) and his cello-playing son Zack (Tim Linde). When Zack is dumped by his girlfriend and Victor is dumped by Zack’s mother on the same day, the two men grieve and briefly console one another before heading off on a trip to Scotland where Victor hopes to promote his latest book and spend some bonding time with Zack. Victor’s selfish tendencies nearly alienate the fragile relationship he shares with his son, and the trip becomes increasingly turbulent as the reasons for the pairs’ domestic troubles come to light.
For anyone who missed it, this wee piece on the Arran Gin company was in the article That's the spirit: discover the Scottish gin distillers making waves in 2019 on 21st June in The Herald.
Arran Gin - the story of an island shopkeeper and artisanal baker, coming together to create a genuinely unique liquid and gin experience. This collaboration between two rural food businesses, both obsessed with foraging local ingredients, has resulted in a bold new taste: "Through foraging, we know it's possible to find citrus notes in a land of no lemons, bitters and spice without exotic flown-in ingredients, or sweetness and perfume from neglected marshland. Common plants with a mightier effect than you might think!"
On 18th June Coastwatch St Monans station were visited by two officers from Aberdeen Coastguards Operations Room. The officers went to St Monans to inspect the Coastwatch station which passed with flying colours. St Monans Coastwatch station is part of the HM Coastguard network and covers an area of 12 miles of coastline. The station is manned everyday with 8 volunteers on 24 hour call.
A petition has been set up to challenge the recent decision by the Home Office to refuse Corrie resident Lizanne's right to remain in the UK.
The petition asks Home Secretary to "Reconsider the decision to refuse Lizanne Zietsman's right to remain in the UK, and allow her to stay in the country with her British husband, John Malpas, with whom she owns and runs (tirelessly) the much-celebrated Sandwich Station in Lochranza; and maintain her position as a valued member of the close-knit Isle of Arran community."
