Carolyne and Somerset Charrington’s Treshnish Farm on Mull has won the UK-wide Continue reading
Tag Archives: cycle for schools
Local Hero’s Treshnish Farm wins Scotland RSPB Nature of Farming Awards
And Argyll folk can vote for it to win the UK award.
The circle unbroken: Ulva pupils open the last message from Luss
And this really was the last moment of Local Hero, Somerset Charrington’s inspiring Cycle for Schools Continue reading
Cycle for Schools: 19th May, at Skipness School
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.
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, North Bute school
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.
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.
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).
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.
‘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: tracking Somerset
Saturday 21st May 2011: Today was journey’s end for Somerset Charrington, at Luss School Continue reading
Cycle for Schools: 15th May, At Ardchattan School
Sunday 15th may 13.45: The handover at Ardchattan School: with one hand Somerset Charrington hands over a message from his own children’s school at Ulva on Mull while, with the other he accepts a message from Ardchattan that he will shortly carry to Achaleven School in Connel on the far side of Loch Etive.
The people who had gathered to meet Somerset stayed in shelter while the photocall party made a dash in the wet to satisfy the lens – and our’s and everyone’s thanks for the record.
This is the cycle journey linking the schools across Argyll and Bute currently threatened with closure by their council, each receiving a message from the school Somerset has cycled to before them and each sending a message on to the one he is to visit next.
Along with this photo Susan Bland from Ardchattan has sent a message to Somerset. On a dreich day, she says: ‘Thank you Somerset for braving the weather and visiting Ardchattan.’
Cycle for Schools: at Craignure for the ferry to Oban
Sunday 15th May early: Somerset Charrington pictured at Craignure, 
about to catch the ferry for Oban on his way first to Ardchattan school in North Lorn.Following the suggestions in the comments on this story about getting him a notice for his back, here is evidence of the Charrington capacity for improvisation.
Until someone comes up with something different for him en route, this will excite curiosity and spread the word.
The Argyll Rural Schools Network (ARSN) could not hope for a more selfless ambassador for the cause of rural schools.
Cycle for Schools: The first message from Ulva School
Saturday 14th May: After leaving home, Somerset Charrington picked up the first message from Ulva School on Mull – for Ardchattan in North Lorn. The Ulva kids put together a wonderful booklet of pictures of their school world with a letter of support composed by the older children themselves.
Then Somerset wheeled away east on his way to Craignure in the north west of Mull, for the ferry to Oban in the morning.
Cycle for Schools: Saturday 14th May, leaving home
This was Somerset Charrington at 11.00am this morning (14th May 2011), riding away from home at Treshnish Point, near Ulva on the west of Mull, headed for Craignure in the north east, to catch the ferry to Oban tomorrow morning (15th May 2011).
His itinerary for the ride is here - as he carries messages of support from school to school on the list of those Argyll and Bute Council currently threatens to close. This article also suggests ways you might support and meet up with him and gives you contacts for sending us news and photos of sightings and inventions and meetings during his week long challenge.
This is the first way you’ll generally see him,coming towards you, before he leaves, as he left above this morning, for his next school of call.
We’ll keep you up to date with news from Somerset himself, via Carolyne who is on communications duty for the week; and we’d love to get your news and photos.