Issue 48

Following his successful Bond Street show, Tim spoke at the Douglas Hotel on December 3rd about his work and what it means to him. A rapt audience listened to a remarkably open and self-aware outline of how he came to be a sculptor and everyone realised just what intense work - both physical and mental - is involved. The stories of hauling marble from Carrara quarries that are little changed from the time of Michelangelo were riveting, as were the sheer technical difficulties. Tim’s well-loved font in Glasgow’s Catholic Cathedral seems utterly tranquil, yet functions through hidden vents that depend in turn on narrow, precisely-engineered drainage channels. These had to be calculated with absolute precision, allowing no room at all for error.

The mammoth technical problems of handling massive blocks of stone would daunt most people, yet Tim’s work always seems imbued with reflective stillness. As slide followed slide, we watched, fascinated to have some insight into the constant demands made by the creative life. The stringent disciplines that it imposes are a world away from the all too popular concept of the artist as a Bohemian dabbler. Though working with massive blocks of stone that have lain under the earth’s skin for countless centuries, Tim’s skill is as detailed as that of a surgeon, and runs a similar risk that one slip of hand or mind might ruin everything. He lives and works dangerously, and yet - necessarily, of course - with extraordinary calm.

Tim will be running a workshop for Arran Visual Arts on Saturday, 14th February, on the interesting craft of drypoint etching. It will be at the Rangers’ Centre, Brodick Castle, and bookings can be made through the AVA website.

Corrie Film Club is showing the Canadian film, The Sweet Hereafter, on Sunday January 11th. The title is ironic, as the plot centres round a disastrous accident when a school bus skids into a lake, killing several children. Their grieving parents are approached by a lawyer, Mitchell Stephens (Ian Holm), who persuades them to file an action against the bus company for negligence. Nicole Burnell, a 15-year-old now paralysed from the waist down, had been an aspiring songwriter before the accident, and she overhears an argument between two parents, one of whom distrusts Stephens and wants the case to be dropped. In the pretrial deposition, Nicole unexpectedly accuses the bus driver, Dolores Driscoll (Gabrielle Rose) of speeding,and this halts the lawsuit. Both Stephens and Nicole’s father know she is lying but can do nothing.

The showing is in Corrie Hall, beginning at 8.00pm. As always, there is no charge for admission, though donations towards the hall’s costs are welcome.

The National, published daily from Monday to Friday at 50p, has arrived with astonishing energy and expertise, born of the Yes campaign and continuing its robust pressure for Scottish independence. Its tabloid format is well designed and thoroughly professional, with good photographs and lively writing, and it found a ready readership at once. The four days of December gale prevented it (or anything) from reaching Arran, but no doubt its success is continuing on the mainland.

Lucy Cartledge sends us the final part of her astonishing story.

Gordon Davidson, who lives part of the time in Corrie, has for many years been involved with supporting orphans in Nepal, and goes out there frequently to see them. Talking to the Voice before he flew out to rejoin the children in the orphanage, he spoke with great love and enthusiasm about Nepal and its people. Gordon sells his own paintings in order to raise money to help support the orphanage, and also teaches children the skills of developing their own drawing and painting. Asked if he could speak Nepali, he shook his head ruefully and fished out a piece of paper from his notebook. ‘This is as far as I’ve got,’ he said, showing the Nepali words for colours. A good start - and for the rest, art has its own language, and his communication with the children comes from mutual liking and willingness.

selected by David Underdown, who supplies the footnote

Sonnet

by Alice Oswald

For everyone who knew her, Sheila Stewart, folk singer of the Travelling people, was a source of amazement and inspiration. I met her many years ago when recording the songs and stories of Travellers for a BBC radio programme. She was living then in a ferociously overheated flat above a betting shop in Arbroath, taking protective care of her increasingly frail mother, Belle, who was huddled in shawls and blankets in a deep armchair by the fire. When we had talked for a while Belle suddenly began to sing, and the moment was magical, for her voice was as clear and strong as that of a young woman.

Later on, Sheila came to talk to a mostly female group from the Scottish Society of Authors, and took charge of the proceedings with absolute authority. ‘Where do you think your soul resides?’ she demanded. Tentative fingers went to the head and a few to the mid-chest, at which she nodded. ‘We are not talking about thinking here, we are talking about being.’ To her, the difference was fundamental, and she defended it with ferocity. Travelling was a working philosophy, as deep and subtle as Hinduism or Buddhism, and she campaigned throughout her life for the rights of Travellers to go on with their traditional way of life.

Living on the fringes of orthodox society, Travellers have to evolve a particular kind of skill, and I came to understand that it was a deeper thing than a simple trusting to luck. Luck, in fact, is a fairly reliable system, based on an perceptive understanding of people. While disillusioned about house-dwellers, Sheila was never unkind or dismissive, for she recognised that the settled community has its needs and hardships despite its relative affluence. Her outlook, though laced with tough humour, was profoundly humane, and her sometimes disconcerting wisdom was deeply perceptive and compassionate. Added to her fluent, highly talented musicality, it made her one of the most impressive people I have ever met.

On the afternoon of Saturday 17th January 2015, the Isle of Arran Music Society presents Ceol Alba, which is Gaelic for Music of Scotland. Their concert will be in the High School Theatre, beginning at 1.30 pm. It features five players, and will be a delight to anyone with a taste for the mixture of folk music and the tuneful airs found in the classics.

This talented quintet features Louise Burnet on flute, Angus Anderson on violin, Rhona MacKay on harp and David Inglis on double bass, together with pianist Walter Blair - which is why the concert will be in the Theatre, to take advantage of the lovely Kawai grand piano. All the players are expert soloists in their own right, and between them they cover a range of musical styles from the sixteenth century to the present day.

Their programme is called The Auld Alliance, and contains a wonderful mixture of the traditional Scottish music, laced with lovely pieces from France, our historic ally. Bizet, Debussy and Poulenc blend happily with Scottish tunes and dances, and bring the historic connection between the two countries into fresh focus.

Admission at the door costs £10, inclusive of interval refreshments, or tickets can be bought from Inspirations of Arran or online from the Arran Events website. The intended programme appears below.

Arran’s MSP Kenneth Gibson sends us news that the Scottish Government has decided to provide healthy school meals to all pupils in Primaries 1, 2 and 3, free of charge. This will save families at least £330 a year for each child. The £114 million package for young people will be in place for two years, beginning in January 2015, and on Arran, 129 children are eligible.

In August this year, the Scottish Government also introduced free childcare provision for every two year-old from a workless household in Scotland. As a result, around 8,400 children have benefited. In August 2015 free childcare provision will be extended further, reaching 15,400 children – 27% of all two-year-olds in families that receive benefits such as Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Mr Gibson said:

‘I was pleased to vote for the rollout of healthy free school meals to all children in Primaries 1 to 3 and a significant expansion of childcare provision. It means that every Arran child in P1-P3 is guaranteed a nutritious, healthy meal. Not just that, it removes the perceived stigma from the 20% of children who are already entitled to free school meals.’

South to make four spades. West leads the ♦J.

We received the following enquiry from one of our readers. If you know of this artist then please contact us by email or through our contact form and we will pass on your message.

I am trying to find information on an artist who lived and painted in Whiting Bay. I bought an oil painting from her in 1977, the subject was Rosa Burn and Goat Fell.

She signed her paintings ‘De May’. I was wondering if anyone may have information about this lady. Thanks.

As many of you will know, the Valdete Trust was formed several years ago to help an Albanian girl have medical treatment in Scotland. They have now opened a centre in Albania and have sent us a Christmas newsletter.

Please click here to see it.

Highland musician Findlay Napier is launching his new album VIP: Very Interesting Persons at Celtic Connections this January with an all star cast including Boo Hewerdine, the album’s producer and co-writer, Hamish Napier, Findlay’s brother and an award winning musician in his own right, Gillian Frame, Findlay’s wife and also an award winning musician, Admiral Fallow’s Louis Abbott and Kevin Brolly and pedal steel maestro Alan Train.

Anyone on the train from Ardrossan to Glasgow recently may have noticed with mild interest that Ardrossan Town has morphed into Cambuslang. ‘This stop,’ the recorded announcement assures us, ‘is Cambuslang.’ This might provoke a pantomime chorus of ‘Oh, no, it isn’t,’ but in fact, it generally seems to be received in silence. Is surrealism becoming the norm? Discuss.