Monthly Archives: December 2008

31st December: what’s next in the ForArgyll Awards 2008

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We can’t say that the pace slackened on the last day – quite the reverse. We’ve peered at and checked thousands of votes since this contest began and our New Year’s resolution is to visit our opticians without delay.

In the run up to the tape – with the extra ‘leap second’ added in just before midnight – some leads have strengthened and some positions have changed. We have been endlessly fascinated by the kaleidoscope of preferences.

What has been unexpected is the way that the finalists together paint so full a picture of the great strengths of Argyll – its places, its heritage, its cultures, its activities, its wildlife, its huge spectrum of unique and playful events, its natural resources, its people and its communities with their resourcefulness, pride and loyalties.

What has also taken us by surprise is the depth and spread of commitment to Argyll worldwide. Votes in support of very many contestants, the work they do, the services they provide for Argyll and the events they run, have quite literally come from all corners of the world.

We want to record our thanks to everyone concerned – those who made so many hundreds of nominations to get the contest to its final shortlist; those who submitted so many thousands of votes for these finalists – and all of the contestants including those who didn’t make it to the final stage. It is what they do that distinguishes Argyll in the fullest sense. These awards are here to recognise that value.

Here’s the detail of what will happen next:

  • We will be posting on this site in the afternoon tomorrow, 1st January 2009, a video news announcement of the winners in each category.
  • After that we will add a text-based account with fuller details.
  • On 25th January, the start of Argyll’s Homecoming 2009, all winners will receive a Winner’s Button to display on their website. and an individual Certificate with a citation for their work.
  • For Argyll will be in touch with all Winners to arrange to prepare and publish multimedia profiles on them as part of a special Homecoming Argyll series which we will launch on 25th January. These profiles will be published at regular intervals until 30th November 2009.

When the heat of competition is over, we hope that everyone will bombard us with news and ideas – plans, events, concerns, achievements, suggestions – and requests for help and information. ForArgyll.com is a central place to keep in touch with Argyll, past and present – and we want to hear from those outside it as well as those here.

Anyone, anywhere, who has an interest in Argyll is, in their own way, of Argyll and part of a community for Argyll that this site recognises, supports and intends to grow.

Our very best wishes for 2009 – and stand by for some surprises we’ll be unveiling during the year.

And tonight there will be one extra second’s voting time in the ForArgyll Awards

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Tonight the clock’s will add a ‘leap second’ before midnight – just time to hit the ‘submit’ button on a very late vote in the ForArgyll Awards 2008.

This happens because today’s clocks are so accurate that the measure the Earth’s rotationt slightly longer or shorter than 24 hours.

The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) therefore sometimes adds a ‘leap second’ to the world’s timescale at the end of a year. This keeps international stability in timing and in sync with the Earth’s rhythms.

This year is one such occasion and across the world all the key timing services will be automatically adjusted before the bells signal 2009.

In 1978 Callaghan said ‘Heaven help us if there is a war’ but Argyll’s Faslane approaches were a priority

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Documents dating from 1978 and now released under the thirty year rule shown that Britain’s defence forces were quite unable to respond to any serious conflict situation in that Cold War period.

Defence cuts a decade earlier had left the UK’s airbases with no more than one reload of surface-to-air missiles in stock and the RAF’s core fighter squadrons ony had enough ammunition for three days.

The Royal Navy had no more than enough mine-sweeping ships to keep the waters around Faslane in Argyll clear – a priority because this was and remains the base for the UK’s nuclear submarine fleet. Critically, the navy would then have been quite unable to keep clear the supply routes through the English Channel.

The Army would have taken a fortnight to reach full strength and much of the command  and control system was in ‘unhardened’ bunkers vulnerable to jamming and sabotage.

With funds in short supply as Britiain’s financial position spiralled downwards, all the Callaghan Government of the day could do to remedy the situation was to order more ammo for the RAF and buy some second hand missiles from Sweden.

For those still alive in thirty years time, it will be interesting to see what the documents then released will say about the current state of our defences – assuming that the state is giving any information on anything by then.

Former Mull Councillor counts potholes to ram home state of island road

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Alastair MacDougall, a former local Councillor and owner of a garage on Mull has done his own statistical research to prove the conditions drivers meet on the road from Tobermory to Fionnphort.

He has been counting the potholes. He lost count at around 940 potholes in the 48 miles of road between the two towns at opposite ends of the island. He also did a special survey of the area at Pennygheal. In one 30 yard section there he found no fewer than 35 pothoes.

As a garage owner, Mr MacDougall is particularly aware of the damage this sort of surface does to cars. He talks of broken alloy wheels and buckled suspension springs.

Ironically, what drove him to air his anger in public was that, while he was on his way to rescue a motorist whose car had broken down in hitting a pothole, Mr MacDougall’s recovery vehicle was itself damaged. He lost two days work and had to spend £1,500 on a new recovery wagon spring.

As a former Councilor, he remains sympathetic to the finaincial constraints in which Argyll & Bute Council have to operate, saying that they patch the road continually but haven’t got the money to do the radical repair the road badly needs. He blames the Scottish Government for not allocating enough funding to the local authority.

The Government’s resposne has been to say: ‘The maintenance of local roads on the Isle of Mull is a matter for Argyll & Bute Council. The Scottish Goveremnt is investing record levels of funding in local authorities’.

All of which leaves the potholes untreated and breeding more potholes throughout the winter.

30th December: update on voting patterns in ForArgyll Awards 2008

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Remember voting closes at midnight GMT tomorrow (31st December). At the usual sort of time tomorrow night, we’ll publish a final position update; the schedule for the announcement of the winners; and the details of the awards.

Today, as we moved towards the final 24 hours, the ticking clock saw more non-stop voting, a lot of activity and some interesting developments.The twenty-four countries already represented in the vote were joined today by another eight: Azerbaijan; Belgium; Czech Republic; Finland; Iraq; Ireland (Republic); Israel; South Africa; and the first votes from Wales.

Some people are so engaged with the contest that they voted today, forgetting that they had already done so a day or so ago. But nothing escapes our filters – and some of you who submitted votes without selecting your candidate on the form will have had emails from us reproducing the form you’d sent and asking you to confirm your vote. So – to the best of our ability, all votes are fair and no vote has been wasted.

The liveliest action today has been in the following categories: Best Blog; Best Heritage Website; Best Music & Arts Organisation; Best Tourism; Best Event; Best Community Event; Best Achievement; Best Arts Website; Best Sporting Facility; and Best Potential for 2009.

So, category by category, here’s the picture as it is just now, with 24 hours to go:

  • Best Accommodation: After today’s action one vote now separates the two contestants tied last night
  • Best Individual or Group Achievement: One contestant in the lead from a level field in second
  • Best Arts Website: One contestant in the lead now but catchable
  • Best Blog: Biggest action of the day with one clear lead and strong second contestant
  • Best Community Event: More strong voting today with last night’s lead moving further away
  • Best Community Initiative: Last night’s lead strengthened
  • Best Community Website: More lively action with a clear lead from a level field
  • Best ecommerce Website: Last night’s lead strengthened
  • Best Event: Early leader has pulled clear again after being caught last night
  • Best Heritage Website: Late starter moves into respectable lead but is catchable
  • Best Local Newspaper Website: Last night’s lead strengthened
  • Best Music & Arts Organisation: Late starter’s lead strengthened today with strong second also on the move and two others level, not far behind
  • Best Potential for 2009: Last night’s strengthened in more lively voting today
  • Best Renewable Energy Initiative: energetic activity sees last night’s lead hold position
  • Best Restaurant: Looks like a close finish with a strong finish coming in to challenge the leader
  • Best Sporting Facility: A lot of action today sees last night’s leader stronger
  • Best Tourism Website: More busy voting with last night’s leader establishing position
  • Best Village Hall: More support for all contestants but last night’s lead is maintained
  • Best Visitor Attraction: Active category again with last night’s lead still out there
  • Best Wildlife Website:Lively voting but leader for last two days takes a third day

Argyll concerns deepen as troubled Ennstone sees director resign from Board

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Ennstone today (29th December) announced, without explanation, the resignation of non-executive director, Tim Ross from the Board of Ennstone Group, to take effect from 31st December 2008.

For Argyll has regularly covered recent developments in Ennstone’s situation which are of concern in Argyll. The Groups Scottish wing, Ennstone Thistle, operates four Argyll quarries – in Furnace, Dunbeg, Benderloch and Bonawe.

The Group recently sold off a major asset – its Concrete Products business – without making any significant improvement to its trading position and admits that January 2009 will be a testing time.

Tier 3 Regional Selective Assistance Grants can help small Argyll businesses through recession

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Tier 3 Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) Grants are availabe to small and medium sized businesses in Argyll to help in surviving the recession.

Enterprise Minister, Jim Mather MSP, has announced the extension of the scheme to areas previously excluded from it – Edinburgh; Aberdeen – city and county; Perth; and Kinross. Before now the grants were restricted to small businesses in areas of poor economic growth – like Argyll.

Opening up access to the scheme is one of the actions te Scottish Governemnt is taking to get support systems in place in good time before the recession bites down hard.

Mr Mather says: ‘We have decided to extend eligibility for RSA, a tool which – in the absence of tax-varying powers – can be used by the Scottish Government to help small and medium-sized firms, create and safeguard jobs’.

Earlier in 2008 the Scottish Government approved an increase in aid to small companies from 7.5% up to 10%; and for medium sized firms from 15% up to 20%.

Scottish Water warning to stay off iced over reservoirs and waterways

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In the current cold weather, with deep overnight frosts skimming waterways with ice, Scottish Water are rightly warning people to stay on level, solid and obvious pathways and not to walk on frozen water.

In Argyll it is very unlikely that any water will be sufficiently frozen to support your weight. Takig chances can have fatal consequences.

Indeed, any fan of television soap, Emmerdale, will have seen a recent episode where young Victoria fell through ice into a lake and stayed down there long enough to give Tanya Streeter a run for her money – and loing enough to take the hand of a weighted body moving in the current.

All things considered, stick to the paths.

Daily Telegraph publishes excusive footage of a Helmand gun battle by the member of the Argylls who took it

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The Daily Telegraph has published exclusive video footage of a fierce ongoing gun battle near Musa Qala in Afghanistan’s northern Helmand Province.

It was filmed by Corporal Billy Carnegie, a section commander in D Company, the 5th battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland (5 Scots). He has been collaborating with The Telegraph in a communications experiment by sending regular video reports about what life on the front line is like for him and his men during their six month tour of Afghanistan.

See the video, read the article and access the rest of Billy Carnegie’s story.

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