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16 October 2014

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ferry free again

Yup. Today is a no boat day. In fact, some people are so unlucky they've picked every 'no boat because of the weather' day to try to get away. If anyone is interested they want to leave Coll on 2nd January, so plan on a gale then as well. The only thing worse than not getting away is being woken by some-one who isn't coming back, and they want you to feed the cat, leave the car keys at the pier, paint the living room, and they have to tell you this at 6-30 because they are wide awake and checked out of their b & b and Tescos doesn't open until 8. What did ferry passengers do before Tescos?

Back at the digi darkroom class there were only 6 wimmin this week. We worked our way down the toolbox 'decorating' a piece of 'untitled' artwork. My profficiency with layers meant that when it got too cluttered I opened another one and hid some of the others. I finished up with a garish mess of graffiti; too much practising writing with the paintbrush tool. 2 seats to my right the laptop had a much more pleasing pastel creation. My neighbour was quite amused to see how differently we each used the same tools. We progressed to removing electric poles from a photo. A shame really when you think how much effort goes into putting them up. I rubbed half out quite easily, but then it re-appeared, and again, marching out across the sky. I must repeat the exercise with parked cars and make the village look a bit busier. It is very quiet with half of Coll sitting in Tescos waiting to come back.
Posted on NiconColl at 15:30

Comments

Any word on how the Coll Association evening went?

Buzz from Glasgow


Coll Association dinner went very well, although no-one could remember any details. There is talk of laying on a bus from Oban next year.

Nic from Coll


So I should see if it can stop in my north east Glasgow locality and pick me up as well then? Not moving to Oban just yet although I'll be keeping an eye on the Argyll and Bute Council jobs. Don't imagine they give you a budget for Town Christmas Lighting do they?

Buzz from Glasgow


Arinagour Town Christmas Lights, we'll start a committee right away. Actually it is a bit scary how dark the village is on those rare occasions the ferry comes in after dark and you drive down in the black. To be fair Arinagour has some excellent lights at An Acarsaid, and some on the tree at the Hotel. Am I the only person who can't get paragraphs into the comments section? (Bet it worked this time)

Nic from Coll


Hi Nic - I'm afraid nobody can get paragraphs into their comments at this stage. However, it's something we're working on (see IBHQ Post called Christmas Clear Out).

Anne from IBHQ


I'll swap two types of brackets and all those stupid smiley faces for one paragraph per comment.

Nic from Coll


It's stupid question time, Nic. Are you allowed to, or can you sneak your fully loaded Tesco trolley on to the Coll ferry in Oban Harbour? If so, do you have any abandonned shopping trolleys on Coll???

Duncan from Livvy


Could someone start a campaign to get proper street signs for the 'main street'? I know so many people who have been to Coll who call it 'Main Street', and I was arguing with them that it is indeed Shore Street. Finally this year I asked an elderly Collach who corrected me that half of it is Shore Street (First Port to Dunara) and the other half is Main Street. Not that it matters of course, but Shore Street sounds much nicer anyway.

Buzz from Glasgow


Correct Buzz - it doesn't matter.

Tony from Coll


Can you get some signage for the Post Office? I cannot count the number of visiting kids over the years that I've met outside the Store who've asked me where the Post Office is! Anyway Nic, I hope you're all well and looking forward to a Merry Christmas. If Buzz ever gets to Oban, I'll have to leave my husband and join her I think! Didn't make it up again this year (I tried) but at least I passed my exams after failing to do much study when I was up in the Summer.

Buzz 2 from Glasgow


Signage - good God, do mainland folk need their hands holding in everything they do? What we need is a campain to stop these rediculous ideas as some numpty in the council may agree and act. I believe there's a sign on Tiree, ever thought of going there instead? It might save you a lot of confusion!

Tony from Coll


Duncan from Livvy If a shopping trolley was abandoned here it would quickly be given at least two jobs to do. Calmac allow foot passengers one go up the ramp so all luggage/shopping/babies have to be carried up in one hit. The ramp has steps so you can't overload the pushchair, that has to be carried too. I knew someone who had one 20kg bag of dog biscuits and had to protest quite strongly when he was told that was freight and should be on the van. Freight comes over via Derek Wilson or MacLennans, and isn't cheap. I always shop at Morrison's (aka Island Stores). The shop is very good, it even stocks ghee!

Nic from Coll


I bet the Post Office sign goes up the week before the Post Office gets closed down.

Foxy from stalking the postman


Correct me if I'm wrong Tony, but was it not Nic who thought the airport required additional signage? I once camped from Lewis done to Barra with my cousin. We didn't take a map because as I told my cousin 'we're just going north to south, who needs a map?'. Forgot about the bit where you need to find your way out of the hideous Stornoway first! Can I second Buzz 2 and wish all on Coll a Merry Christmas, particularly Nic after great hotel hospitality this year, and Tony who picked me up when I was walking in the rain back in April.

Buzz from Glasgow


The diverging opinions re: signage and Tesco shopping trolley/ferry is quite interesting and amusing. # Have a nice holiday season, all of you in Coll. I may drop by one of these days to see the island "characters" - if I could be provided with safe passage.

mjc from NM,USA


There may be some divergence in opinions about signs and things but probably not amongst the islanders. Not many of us can be bothered with signs, nor see the point of many of them. Nic did pass an observation once, which has probably been misread, that there are signs to the airfield from Arinagour but not to the village or pier from the airfield. Odd that one, not the observation, but the one-way signage. There has recently been an abundance of expensive news signs (£15 grand each ?) springing up, telling one they are one a single track road – AS IF ONE DIDN’T KNOW ! Just one of these monstrous blue eyesores would have been enough (although probably one too many for me) at the pier where the cars arrive. This wasted money could, in my sad opinion ,have been better spent in supporting almost anything local, e.g. the continuation of the old folk’s weekly dinner – how about a proper surface on the road ! When priorities get out of hand someone has to question. But I think the comment I should have been brave enough to make earlier (but wasn’t) is why to mainland folk want Coll, and other islands, to be homogenised with the mainland view of what is ‘necessary’. Adjust your mind instead.

Tony from Coll


Whatever happened to OS maps? does no-one take them on holiday any more? My bipeds wouldn't go to a strange place without one. Mind you, only 1 of them can actually read the things. This may necessitate mildly illegal use of Passing Places.

Flying Cat from a map chest




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