Campbeltown Courier From Our Files 13.2.26

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
Friday February 16 2001

Traders want to serve food until at least 2am!

A Campbeltown businessman this week failed to get support or disapproval from the town’s community council for his plans to sell food until 2am.

On Monday evening, Gerry Docherty of Doc’s Diner in Longrow asked Campbeltown Community Council for help with his application to extend his licence to serve food. 

He said he was also speaking on behalf of Mota Singh of the Bombay Restaurant in Hall Street, who wanted to extend his licence, but in his case to 2.30am.

Mr Docherty stressed that he had already paid more than £350 for his original licence and said he was told at that time that 1.30am was the latest he could open.

Now, however, he has found out that he can apply for a later licence but will have to pay an extra £52 with no guarantees that the licence will be granted.

On the basis that he had been given the wrong information by the council, Mr Docherty wanted to know why he could not just return his original licence and get a new one for the later time.

Members of the community council, however, did not feel that their meeting was the appropriate venue for discussing the application. They said Mr Docherty must go through the proper channels and apply to the licensing board for the extension. 

There were mixed feelings at the meeting with one member saying they should vote on whether or not to send a letter of support on behalf of Mr Docherty’s application. 

Another, however, felt that as none of the community council members who were discussing the issue actually lived in the centre of Campbeltown, it would be inappropriate for them to speak for those people who do.

Mr Docherty, who wants the later licence for two evenings a week, said he was experiencing difficulties because the pubs close at 1am, giving him just 30 minutes to serve customers with food. 

He said some people had been getting annoyed if they could not get served after 1.30am and were “even chapping your door and flinging stones at the door and windows”.

Chief Inspector Miller advised Mr Docherty that the police were asked to submit their opinions on any licensing applications. 

He said it was Superintendent Brown’s policy not to object to an application as long as there had been no record of trouble.

SIXTY YEARS AGO
Thursday February 17 1966

Summer sailings to Islay

Two steamers will again operate between West Loch Tarbert and Islay during July and August – but only on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays.

Thursdays, however, visitors to Tarbert can have an afternoon trip to Port Ellen, as the Lochiel returns to West Loch Tarbert that evening to take up her morning and afternoon runs to Port Askaig. 

The following day (Friday), trippers taking the 9am sailing can have about six hours on Islay with a bus run to Port Ellen and other places of interest.

The Lochnevis will operate as usual the mail run to Gigha, Jura, Islay and Colonsay, while the Lochiel is doing the extra services.

A special sailing will be provided from West Loch to Islay on Thursday August 11, for the annual Islay, Jura and Colonsay Agricultural Show at Bridgend.

Last year, many Argyll and Kintyre farmers were able to attend the show because of this extra sailing.

Ship’s steward retires

A well-known ship’s steward with Messrs D MacBrayne Ltd, has retired. He is Mr Hugh Lavery, who came from Govan to Islay in 1927. He married in 1929 and made his home in Port Ellen.

‘Hughie’ served on such familiar ships as the Columba, Iona, Chevalier, Lochinvar and many others. He has however served most of his time on the Lochiel.

At Port Askaig on Friday February 5, at a party on board the Lochiel, he was presented with a clock, suitably inscribed, from his fellow crew members and the ship’s company and other officials of Messrs David MacBrayne attended the presentation ceremony when other gifts were handed over.

Although Mr Lavery has retired, the family connection with the Lochiel remains, for his son, Hugh, is an engineer on the steamer.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO
Saturday February 20 1926

Notification of infectious diseases

Sixteen notifications of infectious diseases were received during the last quarter, 2 in October, 4 in November, and 10 in December.

The diseases notified were, erysipelas 1 case, scarlet fever 1 case, non-pulmonary tuberculosis 5 cases, and acute primary pneumonia 9 cases.

The case of scarlet fever was removed to hospital, and 2 of the cases of tuberculosis and 3 of pneumonia (1 of which had not been registered at the end of December) died. 

The cases of pneumonia occurred mostly in the latter half of December, when colds of various kinds were prevalent, and affected mostly very young children.

The new Campbeltown steamer

The directors of the local steamboat company some time ago invited the scholars of the burgh schools of 10 years of age and upwards, to write a short essay suggesting a name for their new steamer now under construction in Duncan’s Yard, Port Glasgow.

In response, 260 essays were submitted: from the Grammar School, 114; Millknowe School, 95; Dalintober School, 35; Saint Kieran’s R C School, 16. 

In all, 91 different names were suggested. The favourite names were Kilbrannan, 37; Bengullion, 26; Kintyre, 16; Dalriada, 15; Kintyre II, 10. Many other original names were given.