Argyllshire Advertiser - From our files - Friday May 8

TWENTY YEARS AGO

Friday May 12 2006

 

Late night fire strikes Lochgilphead’s Victoria Hotel

 

Fire crews from Lochgilphead and Tarbert were called to a blaze at the Victoria Hotel, Lochgilphead late at night on Thursday May 4.

 

Strathclyde Fire Brigade received a call at 11.42pm that a fire had started on the second floor of the hotel.

 

Four fire fighters with breathing apparatus and a hose reel jet went to work on the blaze before it was brought under control at 1.20am.

 

All residents and staff were able to get out without being seriously hurt.

 

The second floor has suffered smoke damage and the upstairs flat where the hotel’s manager lived is now unoccupiable.

 

It is not known how long it will be before the rooms are back in business.

 

Some of the hotel’s residents were homeless and were living there as a form of temporary accommodation until Argyll and Bute Council could find houses for them.

 

Some of the homeless people are now sleeping on the couches of friends and others have been offered alternative accommodation.

 

Many have lost clothes and possessions to smoke damage.

 

A spokesman for the council said: ‘Four homeless households were affected by the Fire.

 

All of those who have requested alternative accommodation have been offered this.

 

Argyll and Bute Council is maintaining close contact with all four households so that their permanent housing needs can be addressed.’

 

Hotel management were hoping to have the public bar reopened.

 

To date it is not clear what caused the fire.

FORTY YEARS AGO

Friday May 16 1986

 

Ardrishaig voice in Mexico

 

Among the thousands of Scottish supporters cheering on our international side when they kick-off in their fourth World Cup finals in Mexico in a few weeks will be Ardrishaig’s Dave Clark.

 

Dave, an architectural assistant, will fly out from London on June 1 with his brother Sandy to spend the three weeks in World Cup country.

 

And, as far as he knows, he’ll be the only Lochgilphead or Campbeltown voice among the crowd.

 

‘I haven’t yet heard of anyone from this area who is going along,’ he told The Advertiser last week, ‘and obviously it would be great to hear about anyone who will be there.’

 

Dave has been saving for a long time to pay for this trip - his first visit to the World Cup finals since he went to West Germany in 1974.

 

‘I missed the Argentina games, it was a bit too far to go,’ he said.

 

‘Then at the time of the finals in Spain I was involved with the ‘It’s Knockout’ competition here in Lochgilphead.

 

So, I am really looking forward to this trip and seeing the team in action.’

 

As well as enjoying the football Dave is also keen to see some of the Mexican sights and learn something about the culture there.

 

Once he and his brother arrive in the country, they will look for somewhere to stay.

 

They know a ‘friend of a friend’ in one of the towns where Scotland will play, and they may be able to find accommodation there.

 

Or they may try to find somewhere in Mexico City.

 

This trip is something of a switch in interests for Dave, who usually spends most of his free time playing rugby as a member of the Mid Argyll Rugby Club.

 

Dave’s plan is to see as many Scotland games as possible and also take in various parts of the country.

 

And he will wait until he gets to Mexico before buying tickets for any of the matches.

 

‘When I went to Germany, I got the tickets before I left,’ he explained, ‘but when I arrived there, I found people selling them at face value.

 

Supporters who went to Spain didn’t seem to have any trouble in getting tickets, so I’ll just wait until I’m in Mexico.’

 

He will fly to Mexico City via Houston and has plans to advertise his hometown by the well-known international method of carrying a banner during the matches.

 

‘I want to put a special message on it, for the benefit of people at home who may see my banner among the others on TV.

 

But just what it will say is to be a secret until then!’

SIXTY YEARS AGO

Tuesday May 6 1966

 

Shortage of tradesmen holds up housing

 

Progress on Lochgilphead Town Council’s ninth housing development is being held up because of a lack of plasterers and joiners on the site.

 

Mr Gordon Stewart, Lochgilphead representative of Messrs W. G. Crerar, consultant architects on the site, told the council on Friday that only two houses had been plastered.

 

But the other trades have improved greatly, said Mr Stewart.

 

Many of the houses have been tiled and glazed and six are now ready for plastering.

 

In another part of the scheme 10 houses are ready for glazing.

 

The site staff amounted to six joiners, two plumbers, two electricians, 11 labourers, three plasterers, two rough-casters, one apprentice, and one labourer.

 

By Monday there would be 10 more men on the site altogether, he added.

 

At this point, Councillor D. L. MacKellar asked Mr Stewart about the walls which were being built in front of the blocks of houses.

 

They were not in keeping with the rest of the scheme, he said.

 

Bailie D. Wilson agreed with Councillor MacKellar and added that these ‘baffle walls’ hid the light from each house.

 

Mr Stewart replied that the walls were part of a porch with glazed doors at one end and glazed screens at the other.

 

‘They are for weather protection,’ added Mr Stewart.

 

He showed a sketch depicting the houses and the walls when finished.

 

‘We intend to render this wall in a different colour from the others,’ he explained.

 

Councillor MacKellar replied that he was well versed in this scheme and that he did not like ‘this big blank wall.’

 

It would add to the cost of the houses and would make the ninth housing development far more expensive than any other scheme in the burgh.

 

Mr Stewart countered that the walls had been on the plans from the start.