Saturday 21st May 2011: Today was journey’s end for Somerset Charrington, at Luss School Continue reading
Tag Archives: Somerset Charrington
Cycle for Schools: 19th May, at Rhunahaorine School
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cycle for Schools: 18th May, at Clachan School
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.
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).
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.
After a chat Somerset was shown around the school playground (below) and the children’s garden plots (above right).
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.
Cycle for Schools: 17th May, at Minard School
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.
Perhaps ARSN might consider an exhibition of the messages Somerset’s Cycle for Schools adventure will have wheeled from one school to the next?
His ‘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 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.
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.
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.
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.
What sort of vandal would even think of closing a school like this? And what sort of a community would Minard be without it?
Cycle for Schools: 16th May, waved off at Glen Lonan by Jamie McGrigor MSP
Monday 16th May
Jamie McGrigor, Highlands and Islands MSP, arrived in Glen Lonan this morning to wave Somerset off on his run south through Glen Lonan and the Loch Awe forests.
bout to wear his ARSN (Argyll Rural Schools Network) badge with pride.
Somerset is due at Minard School tomorrow morning (17th May 2011), cycling through the forest tracks by Loch Glashan and coming on to the A83 south of Tullochgorm (we think) in time to arrive at Minard for an ETA of 12.30.
The full itinerary for Somerset’s ride is here.
Cycle for Schools: 15th May, at Achaleven School
Sunday 15th May: Odyssey in the rain and company on wheels at Ardchattan and Achaleven.
Tim McIntyre – who took this series of photographs below, says: ‘I caught up with Somerset at Ardchattan school and then cycled with him back to Achaleven, taking a few snaps along the way, before he set off for Glen Lonan.
‘There was a nice welcoming group of parents and children at each school bearing cake (Ardchattan) and muffins (Achaleven).
A dossier from Ulva was delivered to Ardchattan, and another from Ardchattan to Achaleven, where a third was collected for onward delivery to Minard.
‘All in all a good (if rather damp) start!’ And Somerset and Tim had a quick stop to look at Adchattan Kirk.
At Achaleven, Jacky Little said: ‘On time and with a break in the weather, Somerest arrived at Achaleven after a ride over the Connel Bridge and accompanied byTim McIntyre.
He was welcomed by village children and parents (children aged from 1 to 15, pupils past present and future). The children showed Somerset round their playground, showing him the hopscotch and games area, the pirate ship and giant standing pencils, and the football area.
The children happily played in the playground while the collection of parents discussed the positive experience that local education brings. The parents all recognised the morale boost that Somerset’s trip was bringing to all the threatened schools. Ardchattan’s letter was passed over and the Achaleven pupils handed over their message to Minard.
The Achaleven message was poster style and included photos of the school,the vegetable garden, the willow tunnel, the rainbow garden, the hopscotch area, the football area, the pirate ship and the school logo. The children had written poems and messages for Minard (below the next photograph) and they and Tim got a last wave from Somerset as he carried their messages off southwards though the rain.
Achaleven is the best,
So is Minard and all the rest,
We hope that we all win the fight,
Local schooling is our right.
by Kate Little
Carry on fighting Minard;We are with you all the way,
Since we are also in one,we can proudly say,
Small schools are the best, so keep the council at bay,
From us at Achaleven, at the end of the day,
Thank you Somerset, for carrying our messages all the way.
by Daniel Speirs
We hope your wee school stays open
Good luck to everyone at Minard
Go for it Minard we know you are trying hard to save your school
Small schools are cool
by Neil MacLean
Achaleven is a cycling school
We think what Somerset is doing is very cool.
by Alan Morrison
Good luck to everyone at Minard
by Adam MacLean
The poster also proudly displayed the ARSN logo and the children had written the names of all the threatened schools on the poster.
Delicious homemade muffins were passed round before Somerset headed off on his way to Minard. Rain held off for Somerset’s visit to Achaleven but started again shortly afterwards.
Somerset’s itinerary for the Cycle for Schools ride is here and so are the contacts for emailing us your sightings and photographs of Somerset on his travels.
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.