Monthly Archives: May 2011

Cycle for Schools: 19th May, at Skipness School

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Somerset at Skipness

19th May at Skipness: When Somerset took his leave of the lively school at Rhunahaorine (above) he wheeled off to Skipness School in the community around Skipness Castle, pictured below, facing the cliff-locked village of Lochranza across the water on the north west shore of the Isle of Arran.

Skipness Castlw is a 12th-13th centiury establishment, ready for possible aggressive approach but with no great history of major conflict, as we understand it. The Skipness website had some excellent photographs of the castle and its interior spaces.

Every rural primary school in Argyll and Bute is a physical connection to the history of its area. Closing these schools and setting their communities on the road to depopulation is no less than the destruction of a living connection to where Argyll and Scotland has come from.

Skipness Castle by Patrick Mackie. Creative Commons licence.

That evening Skipness School had its formal consultation meeting and the village hall was filled.

The whole community came out and spoke, politely, about the school’s importance to the community.  A report we’ve had says that the first comments made were that the community was not notified of the meeting.  Susan Tyre frm the council said that notice was sent to all the ‘stakeholders’ (GAWD).  The community disagreed.  A senior manager at Highlands and Islands Enterprise  rubbished the council’s population projections – as, regularly, has the Scottish Rural Schools Network.

An interesting insight into how the council manages such meetings is that it sends out the bridge staff on the Starship Enterprise against tiny communities. This is Avatar for real – the machine world, equipped to kill, setting out to destroy the gentle organisms of the natural world.

On the control deck were Clelland Sneddon (Education Director); Carol Walker (Head of Education); Ian Ross (described as a ‘very robust chairman’); Councillor Ellen Morton, Education Spokesperson who has described the current closure proposals as ‘her list’;  Kath Wilkie one of the joke QIOs (Quality Improvement Officers); Don McAllister, another of the said  QIOs;  Malcolm McFadyen, Facilities, Chris Dalgarno-Platt, Finance and Susan Tyre, Education.  Quite an intimidating array for a small community.  We understand that Councillor Ellen Morton didn’t say much, explaining that this was because ARSN had complained about her.

This is the world Somerset’s odyssey is connecting with. Tomorrow he is off to North Bute School at Port Bannatyne on Bute  – via two ferries; and on Saturday he’s being collected from Bute by boat and taken over to land at south Cowal, near Toward School.

After that early meeting, he has another two ferries to take to get to Helensurgh, from where he’ll cycle through to Loch Lomond to his final school on the shores of that legendary loch – Luss. We gather there’s a party waiting.

The full itinerary for Somerset’s ride is here.

The photograph above of Skipness Castle is by Patrick Mackie and is reproduced here under the Creative Commons licence.

Cycle for Schools: 20th May, at Toward School

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Somerset coming in to G=Toward Sailing Club

2oth May 2011: Toward School had promised to pick Somerset up at Rothesay and bring him and his bike across to Toward in the Cowal peninsula by water. They delivered on the promise.

the Actual Reality Outdoor Education Centre based at Castle Toward offerd to help and sent a fast RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) with two doughty crewmen and Carolyne Young, a parent from Toward School, to pick up Somerset from Rothesay pontoons.

Somerset coming ashore at Toward Sailing Club

The weather was ‘brisk’ but dry. The return journey was a little slower to prevent losing our intrepid cyclist overboard, arriving at Toward Sailing School at around 5.00 pm.
toward young cyclists ready for Somerset

A large turnout from Toward Primary school consisting of pupils and their bikes plus parents, grannies, friends and big sisters cheered and hummed the A-Team theme, waving banners as the RIB pulled into Toward Jetty.

Toward kids ready to roll with Somerset

After reassembling his bike, Somerset set off with a large contingent of pupils for the short ride to Toward Primary School.

The Toward Cavalcade to welcome Somerset Charrington

A very impressive convoy of bikers with parents following behind in cars made their way along the road to  the school.

Parents can do it too

The parents felt it was a shame the council couldn’t see this display of a community and their school as one – particularly since Education Spokesperson Councillor Ellen Morton, had spent only half an hour at the schoool before consigning it to ‘her’ closure list.

the handover at Toward - from North ute and to Luss

At Toward School,  Somerset admired the spectacular view the pupils enjoy all year round  – of the Cumbrae islands and Bute – from their classroom windows.

Photos complete with banners and the exchange of posters, cards and photo album for the pupils of Luss School were take to record the ceremonial event.

Toward School

Eventually Somerset headed towards Dunoon for a well deserved rest and a meal, courtesy of Chair of the Parent Council, Alan Stewart.

Somerset brings North Bute to Toward

Tomorrow he heads off to the ferries for the final and probably very wet and windy leg of his journey to Luss school, on the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.

Toward Primary School is anxious to thank the Lads from Actual Reality at Castle Toward -  and of course Somerset Charrington who carries their message to Luss tomorrow.

Cycle for Schools: 20th May, North Bute school

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Somerset at North Bute

Friday 20th May: Today, for Somerset Charrington,  was carnival time at North Bute and Toward schools, with big communal receptions and cycling children to meet him at both places.

NOrth Bute message

As the pace hots up in the run in to tomorrow’s finish of Somerset’s epic Cycle for Schools, a party atmosphere took control.

First, Somerset was met at Rhubodach Ferry on Bute by Murray Doyle of North Bute  Parents Council.

The reception party at Rhubodach

Murray kept him company wheel to wheel, on the way to Port Bannatyne and North Bute school.

They arrived at 1.30pm to a fantastic reception from the 54 pupils – some of the children had even got on their bikes and gone to meet him on route, so that they could cycle back to school with him.

Waiting along side the eager children were Michael Russell MSP, Bute Councillors Robert Mcintyre and Isobel Strong, Cowal Councilor, Ron Simon (showing solidarity), North Bute Parents and members of the local community who all turned out to welcome the lone cyclist and message carrier.

The North Bute children  were sending on to Toward School, across the water in south Cowal, a poster the P4/5 class had made – showing all the things they love about their school – and a card signed by all 54 pupils. Somerset took all of this to Toward School in another adventurous journey later on. (Keep reading for the details).

Somerset at North Bute

Michelle Miller of North Bute School says: ‘Tea, Coffee and Sandwiches had been laid on for our special guest and he chatted happily with his followers until it was time to sprint down to the jetty for his  boat across the water to Toward.
Michael Russelll with Somerset Charirngton at North Bute
‘We would like to thank Somerset for his efforts and dedication and hope he enjoys his well deserved rest after Saturday. He is a Star.’

(And so say all of us.)

Cycle for Schools: 19th May, at Rhunahaorine School

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Somerset at Rhunahaorine 3

Thursday 19th May: Today Somerset Charrington cycled further into Kintyre’s history.

Yesterday he was in Clachan  – the school whose message he carried to the first school he visited today – Rhunahaorine, which, in turn, sent on the message (below) to his next stop at Skipness.

Cycle for Schools

Clachan has its feet steeped in the 1689 Battle of Loup Hill – the last major battle to be fought in Kintyre. This saw local supporters of King James VII,  forces of MacDonald of Largie, McAlester of Loup and McNeill of Gallichoille defeated by the Government side.

Somerset at Rhunahaorine 2

Today the Ulva parent cycling Argyll and Bute, connecting all of the rural primary schools currently under threat of closure, went first (above) to Rhunahaorine near Tayinloan, the port for the ferry over to ‘God’s Island’ of Gigha. There he swopped the message from Clachan for the message to Skipness  – both pictured above.

Somerset at Rhunahaorine 4

Rhunahaorine (pronounced Runa-hear-an). There, half a century earlier than the Clachan battle, in 1647, was the Battle of Rhunahaorine Moss between Covenanters under General David Leslie and Royalist forces led by Alasdair Mac Colla Chiotaich. This took place at Rhunahaorine Point and the Covenanters won.

Away again - Somerset leaving Rhunahaorine

Cycle for Schools: 18th May, at Clachan School

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Somerset at Clachan 2

Wednesday 18th May: Today was the day when Somerset met Ellen.

Councillors at Kilmory, including Education Spokesperson, Councillor Ellen Morton (who claims the current list of schools proposed for closure as her own)  met Clachan’s Ellen first, of course, when she goggled at them in horror through the first floor windowof the council chamber while they voted to send the proposal to close her school to the next stage.

Somerset arrived in Clachan this afternoon, with some filthy weather  – vertical rain rods  – but Clachan , or Ellen, managed to conjure up some some blue sky for him.

Somerset at Clachan 4

He was greeted by the pupils and several parents. He handed over the banner and messages from Minard (top) and was presented with a banner and messages for Rhunahaorine (above).

Somerset at Clachan 3

Afterwards Somerset chatted with parents and children (above) and was introduced to Ellen the Clachan mascot (below left) who has been closely involved in the fight to save Clachan since her début at Kilmory – standing beside the Clachan Green Flag. Somerset was duly impressed by Ellen’s talents for scaling the heights of Kilmory.

Somerset at Clachan 7 Somerset at Clachan 6

After a chat Somerset was shown around the school playground (below) and the children’s garden plots (above right).

Somerset at Clachan 5

He even had a go in the willow tunnel(below). Then it was goodbye and off towards Rhurahaorine, which he will visit in the morning and to which he is carrying a message frm Clachan.

Somerset at Clachan

Cycle for Schools: 17th May, at Minard School

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Somerset, the messages and Minard School pupils

Tuesday 17th May: At lunchtime today Somerset Charrington delivered to Minard School  a literary beanfeast from Achaleven School (published below on Sunday 15th May 2011).

At the same tine he took charge of Minard’s glorious artwork en route for Clachan School.

Somerset in handover at Minard

Perhaps ARSN might consider an exhibition of the messages Somerset’s Cycle for Schools adventure will have wheeled from one school to the next? 

Somerset and Minard pupils with message to Clachan

Somerset coming in to MInardHis ‘chain letter of support’ for the Argyll schools threatened with closure finishes at Luss on Loch Lomond next Saturday 21st May 2011), via, from today, Kintyre (Clachan, Rhunahaorine and Skipness Schools), Bute (North Bute School) and Cowal (Toward School)? His full itinerary for the ride is here.

Today, courtesy of Andy Craven’s photography, Somerset and the Minard pupils look as if they were really enjoying themselves – and they were. For the record the midges were horrendous in today’s overcast damp conditions that they SO adore.

There are more photographs of Minard School and Somerset’s exchange of messages on Andy Craven’s Facebook page and on Minard School’s powerful Facebook Page.

This was Andy Craven (below), the father of two children at Minard School, stopping opposite the entrance to Minard Castle at 12.20 to let us know that we too had been back-footed by a swift Somerset Charrington who was already at Minard School.

Andy Craven of Minard School

Andy had been staked out with his camera at Birdfield, to catch Somerset coming off the forest tracks and out on to the A83 We’d been at the Castle entrance to catch him coming down the long stretch of Minard Hill.

Andy Craven is shortly to email us photographs of Somerset’s exchange of the two messages at Minard School – one he has carried to them from Achaleven School and one he will carry from Minard on to Clachan.

Minard school grounds 6

This, above, was the scene outside the little gate to the school, celebratory with balloons to welcome the cyclist for schools.

We took some photographs of the grounds of Minard School to show that, added to a first class HMIE report, the school is every parent’s idyll of a rural primary school education for their children.

Minard school Grounds 1

The grounds have mature trees that appeal even to the physical  imaginations of those supposed to be beyond the playful. There are both growing beds and a polytunnel for internal propagation.

Minard school grounds 2

There is a dreamlike gravel path wending up the hill to the school where there is a playground behind. Down one side of the grounds a little burn can be heard bouncing its way to Loch Fyne.

Minard school grounds 4

What sort of vandal would even think of closing a school like this? And what sort of a community would Minard be without it?