Issue 49

Iain Clarke, currently at Arran High School, is a phenomenal player of the saxophone, which he studies at the Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow. To our great good fortune, he has teamed up with three other sax students for a mini-tour of Arran. Their first concert is on Wednesday, 4th February in Brodick Church, followed by a second the next night in St Molios' church in Shiskine.

Despite the choice of venue, their programme is a cheerfully eclectic one, with a dash of everything from Mozart to be-bop. Saxophones come in a variety of sizes and 'voices', so this quartet will have a great range of sound to pick from. The concerts should be great fun and crackingly good music, thoughtfully planned to give people on both sides of the island an easy chance to hear them. Tickets are £5, either at the door or from the Book and Card Centre.

The five extremely talented players of Ceol Alba (which is Gaelic for 'Scotland's Music') delighted their audience at the High School on Saturday February 17th. In addition to the resident grand piano, they brought a double bass, a concert harp, a violin and a flute, so the programme was immensely varied. Celebrating the 'auld alliance' between Scotland and France, the quintet mingled traditional Scottish tunes with music by French composers such as Debussy and Poulenc, and the result was a delightful mix. The group divided to provide solos and duets as well as full ensemble pieces, and throughout, they played with meticulous, lively precision that had every foot tapping. Despite the snow, 45 people managed to find their way to the school, and everyone agreed that they had been amply and delectably rewarded.

The next Music Society concert will be on Saturday February 21st at the theatre in Arran High School, starting at 1.30 pm. It features three sparkling players, Jennifer Brown, clarinet, Harriet Davidson, cello and Clair Haslin, piano. As a contrast to the January concert with its focus on traditional music, these three talented musicians field a classic repertoire, with music by composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Bruch and Brahms. All three players have played with leading orchestras and are building a great reputation for their performances as a trio, and the concert promises to be a real delight. Individually, they have been to Arran before and delighted their audiences, so it is a great pleasure to see them return.

Their programme is a wide-ranging one, featuring Beethoven's Trio in B flat major, Opus 11 and Fauré's lovely Elégie for cello and piano. These are followed by the Fantasy Trio, Opus 26 Robert Muczynski and, after the interval, Carl Fruhling's Trio in A minor.

Tickets are £10, which includes free refreshments at the interval, and can be bought at the door or in advance from Inspirations of Arran, or online from Arran Events. Anyone bringing a child with them gets in free, as the Music Society is always delighted to see young people enjoying music.

The AGM of the Arran Music Society will be on Monday, February 9th at Brodick Library, 7.00 pm. It is open to everyone, so if you are interested in music, do please come. We will be discussing some fundamental questions, such as whether lunchtime concerts should be continued during the winter months or whether to revert to evening dates all the year round. Extra hands on deck would be extremely welcome!

Corrie Film Club's annual all-day film fest takes place on Saturday, 28th February. Devoted film buffs tend to arrive with cushions and loungers, settling in for the day, but the less dedicated (or fanatical!) pick and choose as they wish. Some prefer the come-and-go approach, arriving for coffee and a film then going home again, or else joining in for a lunchtime bowl of soup, nipping home to feed the cat and coming back for the evening feature. It truly is Open House, and a lot of fun. Corrie Hall is always a warm centre of activity, where delicious food seems to arrive as though by magic, and all comers are welcome. You don't have to be a club member, this is a completely open event, free to all. See below for the programme.

As Sweet Hereafter, the film scheduled for the January meeting, had not arrived in time for the assigned evening, the one programmed for next month was shown. This was Two Days, One Night, a French film about a woman fighting to retain her job when she has been dropped after having a nervous breakdown. Sweet Hereafter, reviewed in last month's Voice, will be shown on Sunday, February 8th, in Corrie Hall at the usual time of 8.00 pm. No charge, and all are welcome. Meanwhile, don't forget Day in the Dark - a cosy 12 hours of film and food for a winter day and evening.

Best known to Music Society concert goers as a friendly dispenser of interval tea and coffee, Hazel, who died last month at the age of 96, was accurately described by John Roberts in his eulogy as 'feisty'. Hazel was born in London to Scottish parents on 27th October 1918, the middle one of three sisters. Her father was from Skye, but as a quantity surveyor, pursued his career in the big city. Hazel's mother was from the East of Scotland, and Hazel often remarked that her parents had very different views of Scottishness! But their London house was open to countless visiting Scots, so Hazel was very aware of her Scottish heritage.

As she grew older, Hazel wanted to be a journalist, but her father disapproved of that, so she went to technical college following the example of a friend, and began a Domestic Science course. She almost lost her place due to total lack of knowledge or experience, but persisted. In WW2, her father was involved in building various airfields, and Hazel may have helped him. And then, when a friend had to leave her post at a girls' boarding school in Natal, South Africa, Hazel replaced her, and taught for several years at the school at Pietermaritzburg. She shocked everyone when she told them she had voted Labour in 1945, and was outspoken about the colonial situation, predicting a bad outcome for the whites when black people felt able to strike back. On return to England, she taught Domestic Science at various colleges of further education and became Head of Department at the college in Leeds.

Hazel’s connection with Arran began through frequent family holidays in Lochranza, where they stayed in a cottage belonging to an aunt, who bequeathed it to Hazel when she died. Hazel promptly moved in and her two sisters, Louise and Fay, asked to join her. The cottage was not big enough for all of them, so it was sold and thesisters combined resources to buy Cnoc Ranald, a large bungalow off Police Road in Brodick.

Hazel was active in the Arran Civic Trust, and was its chairman until she retired in her eighties. She was vigorous in opposing an over-ambitious development where the houses at Cora Linn Court. now stand, and was also an active member of the Isle of Arran Music Society, and a supporter of the island Labour Party. After the death of her sisters, Hazel lived a rather lonely life and after a while moved into Cooriedoon. Her decision to join an Episcopal congregation went back to her experience of Anglican worship at the school in South Africa, and she became a loyal and contributing member of the congregation. Many people will have cause to miss her.

Ernie, whose full name was Ernesto and who died in Sussex last week, lived in Whiting Bay for some years and quickly became part of the musical scene as a talented player of the clarinet. He was keen to join with other musicians and took part in a small group organised by Owen Swindale and comprising wind and string instruments. After his wife, Eve, left the island he became somewhat depressed, and decided to move to Sussex, to be near to his brother and his nephew, Tony. He kept in touch with at least one of the musical groups on Arran, sending cards with his quirky drawings and often very funny verses, but gradually lost energy. After a bad fall, he was taken to hospital, but died there two days later. His was a strange and creative spirit, and more people than he suspected will miss him.

Ayrshire Opera Experience is a new company, formed in August 2014 when singer David Douglas put together a course at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum to develop the idea of Opera in Scots Language. The result is a vibrant production called Actéon Meets Tam O' Shanter. The production has already received great interest and a scene was premièred on STV Glasgow's The riverside Show.

The Greek myth of Actéon tells the story of a young hunter who, as Tam O'Shanter did, met with a forbidden vision. The French composer, Marc-Antoine Charpentier., wrote a chamber opera based on this stale, but iin this new production, it is given a new twist through a feisty injection of Scottish poetry.

Opera is often perceived as a elitist art form while the Scots language can be looked down upon. This production treats Scots language with the same care and respect as any other, and it's a completely new experience for both the cast and the audience. More news soon on the date of the Arran performance.

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) has a lot of people worried. It's an American-led partnership that regards trade and profit as the most important things in the world,and it wants to see everything, including environmental standards and food safety, into the hands of a corporate take-over. In effect, it is the privatisation of everything.

If passed, it will see huge price rises in such things as medical drugs, because it will bypass government power. Everything will be in the hands of big corporations,most notably those in the US. Already, governments are being sued by large corporations for failing to be sufficiently privatised, and this is the final step in the process of economic domination.

An attempt to push TTIP through in secrecy foundered as people found out and publicised what is going on, but there is no cause for complacency. If we are to resist the proposals, it's going to be a tough job, as the following chart shows. The flow of the world's good and services is inward to America. Scotland, as a small country of independent views, will have a fight on its hands if this goes through.

Sign the petition against TTIP.

South to make three hearts. West starts with three top diamonds.

The famously flamboyant designer has pledged her full support for the Green Party in the fun-up to the election. She said, 'The general public do not trust the current economic system and they don’t believe that official figures bear relation to the reality. The cost of living increases continually. And they care very much about the environment. People ask me what to do. I have decided the best advice is to Vote Green. The other parties are all the same. I call them the bloc. A Green vote is the only non-wasted vote.'

Members of an international group called SumOfUs have voted for Monsanto as the world's worst company. This year alone, Monsanto sued a tiny U.S. state for daring to label GMOs, and terrorised Guatemalan farmers for daring to save their own seeds to plant rather than buying the sterile GM product that has to be purchased afresh every year. As usual, Monsanto goes on using its massive profits to crush public opinion wherever it is detected - but this time, the company's own shareholders are getting uneasy.

A group of SumOfUs members submitted a shareholder resolution demanding change. They want to see an independent chair of Monsanto’s board of directors. Shareholders will have to vote on the proposal very soon, in this run-up period before the company's AGM. Naturally, Monsanto will deploy all its big guns to blow the proposal out of the water, so a petition is running internationally. If you want to sign, hit Control and click here.

Sign the petition asking Monsanto shareholders to demand change at the top.

A delicious recipe from Jan Inglis

Ingredients

1oz butter
A splash of olive oil
1 medium onion
2lbs courgettes, trimmed and sliced
1 tassp. oregano
1 pint vegatable stock - a cube will be fine
4 oz dolcelatte
Single cream

Method

In a deep pan, heat oil and butter until foaming. Add onion and cook gently for approx 5 minutes, stirring frequently until softened but not brown. Add the courgettes and oregano, with salt and pepper to taste. Cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently, until soft, then pour in the stock and brlng to the boil,. Keep stirring! When thoroughly mixed, lower the heat and put a not-too-tight lid on the pan, then leave it to simmer gently for half an hour. Add the diced dolcelatte, stirring until it has melted. If you prefer a cream soup, sieve or liquidise it. Add the cream, stirring over a low heat, and serve.

I usually use St Agur cheese, but any blue cheese will work well. This is a good full-flavoured soup and easy to make.

Fishermen targeting pelagic species such as mackerel now have to land all the fish they catch. The ban on discarding surplus fish has been achieved after a long battle with the Common Fisheries Policy, and UK Fisheries Minister George Eustice spoke warmly about ending 'the shameful practice of discarding perfectly good fish'.

On Arran, COAST welcomed the arrival of an economic assessment for the management of the Scottish inshore fisheries. It supports the exclusion of high impact fishing methods such as trawling and dredging within 3 miles of the shore and suggests alternative uses for these waters that could have huge economic benefits. Banning the 'mobile gear' used by dredgers and trawlers opens the way for better breeding rates among many fish species and could, according to the Scottish Government’s report, see Scotland creating more jobs through tourism, recreational angling, diving and the enjoyment felt by the general public. It was estimated that there could be as much as a £1.3bn benefit for the Scottish economy over the next twenty years and a net gain of 1,490 new jobs.

COAST chairman Howard Wood welcomed the report, saying it showed that 'abrasive fishing methods in our valuable inshore waters' were a mistaken process. An appeal from COAST to the public asked people to e-mail Marine Scotland, asking for this damaging activity to be stopped. Messages should be sent to Marine Scotland. COAST asks to be copied in, on (info@arrancoast.com) and your email should include the short data protection waiver statement. (See link below).

COAST says:

If you would like to help us, the main points to emphasize in your letter are:

1. There should be a complete ban on dredging and bottom trawling within the entire South Arran MPA.
2. The current proposals for a patchwork of management zones within the MPA are unenforceable.
3. Over 1300 people have already supported the exclusion of trawlers and dredgers from the MPA as part of the designation consultation.
4. Allowing dredging and trawling to continue within the South Arran MPA makes a mockery of the designation.

COAST adds:
Please feel free to add your own points, the more diverse the letters are the stronger our case.  If you would like some advice on drafting your letter, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Tel:01770 600656. Or see our website - click here.

Download Data Protection Waiver from the Scottish Government here.

chosen by David Underdown, who supplies the footnote

Katy Clark MP has called on the UK Government to stop supporting seed privatisation in Ghana, as this means that local farmers will no longer be able to save or swap seed varieties. As stated in our report on TTIP, the creeping domination of companies such as Monsanto is forcing small farmers to accept their 'product' or go out of business. Farmers in Ghana, Katy pointed out, may be punished if they continue their age-old custom of swapping seeds between each other and saving seed stock from each year's crop as the basis for the next. She added, 'A number of constituents have contacted me to express their concern about the New Alliance & the Plant Breeders Bill in Ghana. It is wrong that UK aid money could be contributing to the privatisation of seeds in Ghana, Tanzania and Malawi. I believe that the Government should back community led projects instead of ones which help big business and threaten small farmers.'

… or maybe not! Arran is becoming known as the "Poor Man of the Clyde" after an abysmal performance by the CalMac ferry during January. We had the Hebrides for three weeks whilst the Caledonian Isles went for her annual survey and refit in Birkenhead and she suffered almost as many cancellations as she made sailings; and this from a ship which is used to sailing in much worse conditions on the Uig triangle.

The summary of statistics for January show that there were 69 amber and 75 cancelled sailings (25.7%). There were three days with no sailings at all and eleven days when the 07:00 ex-Ardrossan was cancelled so the post and papers were late. One minor consideration was that there were four additional sailings: two evening sailings to return to Brodick and two early mornings to compensate for delays.

The problems of entering Ardrossan harbour in adverse weather conditions are well known, but why is there no viable "Port of Refuge" for the Arran service?

Click here for January statistics.     Click here for performance trends.

The above figures are based on personal observations and text alerts issued by CalMac and have not been verified, but we believe them to be accurate. Note that the additional sailing shown as ex-Ardrossan at 20:30 on Wednesday 28th January was actually an 05:40 sailing ex-Brodick on 29th January (not enough lines in the spreadsheet!).

Sally Campbell sends us this short piece and a photo from a young German friend who evidently had a great time while working on Arran, despite the icy weather.

Hi! I am Clara. I am 15 years old and come from Germany.

I have been regularly visiting Arran in the Summer for a long time. The island is wonderful during the summer time, it is almost like a dream. Waking up to see the sparkling sea and the array of different coloured mountains, only makes me wonder what else the day will bring. This year, for the first time, I visited Arran in winter. It was like a whole new place. It was amazing to see the mountain caps covered in snow. I definitely don´t know what I like more, because Arran is so different in both seasons. This visit was particularly interesting as I was doing a work experience with the National Trust of Scotland. At the beginning I was really nervous as I didn‘t know what to expect. After getting to know the great team, I was so happy to be there. It has really just been such a joy working there.

The work of the National Trust is very varied and so fascinating especially under the different weather conditions. I learned so many different things, which I shall never forget. For example laying hedges, cutting trees, making bonfires, counting birds, working with young children and a lot of other things. Thank you so much for this unique opportunity! I will never forget this wonderful time and I wish I could have stayed for longer. I enjoyed it so much! I learned a lot of things for my life. I have come to know not only about the nature but also about myself. I became more self-confident and I improved my English. I missed my family a lot because I have never stayed away from them such a long time. I lived here with the family Locatelli and that was really nice and funny. Thank you very much for this great time too.

This enchanting baby was born last week, a grand-daughter for Stuart and Heather Gough after three grandsons, so doubly welcome. Her name is Rachel.

Susie Thompson sends these astonishing photos of clouds. What do they remind you of?