Sources say that two councillors are battling behind the scenes to block any supermarket ever selling fuel here. We wonder if this table of the price of fuel supplied by the same tanker, the Sarnia Liberty, has anything to do with that.
Unleaded petrol per litre. August 28, 2012
Sandwick Road, Stornoway 144.9p
Campbells Service Station 145.9p
Manor Service Station 146.9p
Tesco, Dingwall 129.9p
Posted in fuel rip-off, Western Isles
All that pallaver over Prince Harry showing his little ginger botty
brought back memories of 1963 when his father went a little, er, off the
rails in Stornoway. Prince Charles was only 14 at the time when he
wandered into the Crown Hotel and went on the bevvy.
It wasn’t a half and a half either, or even a pint of heavy. He started
on the cherry brandy – because it was the only drink he could think of.
Big mistake. That stuff knocks your block off.
Nine years ago, to mark the 40th anniversary of the incident, a crowd of
us gathered in the Crown to recreate the ambience of that day when the
jovial teenage prince strode in and announced: “Mine’s a large one.”
Entering into the spirit of the sombre occasion, Effie, the boss of the
Crown, kindly handed us cherry brandies. That was nice – it is certainly
not a cheap drink. Boomph. They went straight to my ankles which then
took on a mind of their own and decided not to support my body any more.
I was flat out on the carpet before I could say: “Gosh, that tastes like
something the cat would have done.”
As I lay there, trying to get the heavy-duty Axminster out of my mouth,
my head was spinning and I began to imagine things. We had earlier been
wondering aloud whether HRH himself would pop in to mark the occasion
and, in my befuddled state, I thought he just did. No, it was just a
plumber from Point who had the biggest ears I’ve ever seen on a
commoner. I suspect he has royal blood. He certainly liked the prince’s drink of
choice.
Desperately scrambling to get back to my feet, I knocked over a trayful
of cherry brandies. Oops, mistake. They had belonged to Seonag Monk, the
afternoon platter-spinner on Gaelic radio, who had cheerfully eschewed
her usual brandy tipple for the auspicious anniversary of the illegal
royal swigging.
She has never forgiven me. Do you know what; that woman has hardly spoken to me since. It was an accident, a’ Sheonag. Honest. Back in ‘63, the story of the prince’s under-age tippling also went round the world. There were furious denials from the palace about the irresponsible press making up stories – and then they had to admit it was all true.
I was talking yesterday to someone who was in that very bar when the
prince ordered the drink. Maybe he’ll tell me what actually happened at
the next anniversary in about 10 months time. Poor Charles was carpeted at Gordonsoun School and he got a rocket from his mother. He has said that, even to this day, the two words cherry and brandy make him wince. In Harry’s case, the two words to make him shudder will probably be strip and billiards.
Despite his experience in Stornoway, the heir to the throne didn’t go
off the rails – not half as much as people from that town often do. He
went on to marry and live happily ever after. OK maybe not quite, but every marriage involves ups and downs. My wife made me change my name. Well, not change it exactly but she made me insert something to remind her of how good a kisser I was. That’s how I became Iain X. Did you not know that?
Then she took to just calling me X. That was not a kiss – no, that was
her warning me that that I was now her X husband but could easily become
her ex-husband. How subtle was that?
Now I’m just not so sure what my princess gets up to when I’m not in
residence at our own palace. My neighbours keep telling me of tall, dark
strangers calling at all times of the day and night while I’m off
earning a crust. She always has some excuse, of course.
“Och, that was just the meter reader working late.” “That was just the coalman with a special delivery just for me.” Or her latest one: “That was just the man from the Free Church (Continuing). He was concerned for my soul.” Oh heck. If she took her shoes off, what else was off? Why do people come round after 11pm when I am away yet never when I’m home? Something’s going on.
Years ago, women who were up to no good while their menfolk were away
would put a packet of washing powder in the window. It was always a
packet of Omo. That was the sign. They were saying: “Old man out.”
The hussies always denied it, of course. They were just very busy, they
had to put the Omo somewhere, they had no idea what it stood for. Yeah,
right. Everyone knew Omo meant “old man out”.
They don’t make Omo any more but my neighbour Angry Annie tells me that
when I was away last week she spotted something in the living room
window that I should know about.
It was a cube of Oxo.
Posted in P&J column, royals
PRESS RELEASE – DAVID MACBRAYNE LTD
29 August 2012
ARCHIE ROBERTSON STEPS DOWN
The following statement is from David MacBrayne Ltd chairman Peter Timms:
Archie Robertson has decided to step down from his role of Chief Executive and has left the Company with effect from Friday 24 August 2012. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Archie for his contribution to the business and wish him well for the future.
ENDS
So there you have it. But why? This well-researched article from the For Argyll website from yesterday (Tuesday) may help readers to understand the reasons for the sorry state CalMac is now in.
Official: David MacBrayne Group’s CEO ‘has not resigned’?
Posted on August 28, 2012 by newsroom, For Argyll
by Lynda Henderson with Julian Penney
Towards the end of last week For Argyll made several attempts to talk to Archie Robertson, Group Chief Executive for David MacBrayne Limited, or DML.
DML is the parent company for subsidiaries CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL), Argyll Ferries Limited and David MacBrayne HR (UK) Ltd, a human resource subsidiary.
We were looking for clarification of some corporate issues from Mr Robertson.
On each attempt to reach him, we were not asked who we were or what we wanted to discuss but were told that he was not in the office that day. When we asked when he was due back, we were told that they were not sure.
This all seemed rather odd.
We then asked, through official channels, if Mr Robertson had actually left the company.
The answer was: ‘As of 24th August Mr Robertson is on annual leave and he has nor resigned’.
Further questions on whether or not a resignation was expected could not be answered.
This would seem to indicate that a possible resignation cannot be discounted.
Before the fools’ chorus starts chanting, this can be nothing to do with the Gourock-Dunoon ferries kerfuffle.
Whatever the distasteful and gratuitous political bullying that has gone on over this matter, it has never been more than noises off from the political equivalent of the peasants Shakespeare described as ‘the rude mechanicals’ in the wings of the big stage.
The Clyde and Hebridean Ferry Services
The real issue that confronts the David MacBrayne group is what the government plans to do with the Clyde and Hebridean Ferry Services which Calmac Ferries Limited is currently contracted to deliver.
The signal of Scottish Government intent was obvious to everyone when it awarded the ferry service contract for the Northern Isles, not to NorthLink, its own in-house company but to the major UK and international public sector supplier, Serco.
Serco quickly announced its ambitions to get involved in the Scottish west coast ferry services.
As a ferry operator Serco has experience of running only the little cross-Thames ferry at Woolwich – but expertise and local knowledge is of no account to a Scottish Government that does not understand what ‘best value’ should encompass.
The RMT Union, led by Bob Crow, is still in discussion with Serco, seeking guarantees on no redundancies and on pension rights.
Archie Robertson handcuffed and in the stocks
Archie Robertson has been in an impossible position.
He is effectively a government employee.
The corporate group for which he is Chief Executive is state owned and can be used and abused at will.
An example of this in action is the quite bizarre situation with the Gourock-Dunoon passenger service.
The Scottish Government:
Transport Scotland is known to have become the most politicised department of government, with weak civil service leadership, an obsession with media stories and therefore experiencing a constantly distracted internal performance that would make a headless chicken look as if its control tower was still in place.
But what can Archie Robertson do except take the wet sponges fired by a rabble led by his own single shareholder and employer who have locked him in the stocks?
Moreover, Archie Robertson has his hands bound in all sorts of ways through the government network of less than hands-off state owned ferry related companies.
At the rowdy wild west of a public meeting in Dunoon in November 2011, on the Gourock Dunoon ferries situation, Archie Robertson told the audience that they would get a ‘world class’ passenger service.
His intention was to see first class shore-based facilities at each destination to support the service.
Unfortunately this is not within his control.
The way EU law forced the separation of the service provision from the infrastructure – the boats, piers and harbours and shore facilities – means that Mr Robertson has to negotiate and pay for for the provision of shore facilities for ferry routes with the asset holding and leasing company, Caledonian MacBrayne Assets Limited [CMAL]
The October 2011 minutes of the Board of that company – also state owned, also with Scottish Ministers its only shareholder – record a rather sneering reference to Mr Robertson’s ‘world class’ ambitions for the service on this route and an abrupt refusal to do anything to develop the shore based facilities beyond their current agricultural level.
It’s the west coast ferries, stupid
From the public information available, it has been clear since the publication of the Ferries Review, reinforced by the award to Serco of the northern isles services, where the Scottish Government was going with the west coast routes – and therefore what Archie Robertson is facing.
David MacBrayne Limited currently contains three subsidiary companies, as noted above: CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL); Argyll Ferries Limited; and the human resource facility, David MacBrayne HR (UK) Ltd.
Of these, only CalMac matters. It is THE operator of Scottish west coast lifeline ferry services.
Argyll Ferries runs a single passenger service and David MacBrayne HR (UK) Ltd is only an internal facilitation outfit. CalMac itself has one wholly owned subsidiary – Caledonian MacBrayne Crewing (Guernsey) Limited, which employs and supplies all sea going staff (around 770) to CalMac Ferries Limited.
If CalMac either loses its service contract – or most of it – it becomes a desolate rump and the David MacBrayne Group becomes – what exactly? A low rent bottom feeder. It would be no more than an envelope with a single sheet of paper – Argyll Ferries – until 2017. Why not dispense with the envelope?
This is not where any experienced and capable CEO sees their future.
CalMac and the Scottish Government policy on the west coast ferry routes
The Scottish Government, since it published the Ferries Review document, has been promising a policy statement on the west coast ferry services. This has still not materialised.
It cannot be long now.
CalMac’s contract to deliver these services runs out in September next year, 2013.
Between now and then, the Scottish Government must produce tender specifications, put them out to tender and award the contract or contracts – presumably in good time before the start of the new contract term. Best practice, were it observed, would dictate this.
The choice the Government has is binary:
The second scenario would see CalMac as a rump operator of a rag bag of small and wholly uneconomic routes scattered across the west coast, with high overheads to match.
The overall west coast service is a ragbag of different types and sixes of boats, with different berthing requirements and different berthing facilities.
If the government were going to unbundle and rebundle the routes, it might:
The former approach would leave a bidder looking at a fleet of internally incompatible boats that could not cover each other’s routes were that to be needed; but it would simplify their shore-based and crewing operations.
The second approach would see it more feasible for a successful bidder to swop boats on routes – but would see the costs of their shore bases and crewing arrangements increased by being stretched over a wide territory.
The greatest risk of unbundling to the communities dependent upon the internationally recognised and approved ‘lifeline services’ is the loss of CalMac’s ability, as sole service provider, to juggle appropriate ships between routes to cover service, refit and emergency absences.
All successful bidders would, as a contractual obligation, lease the boats for their routes from CMAL.
Say an Islay boat goes out of service. Can CMAL instruct the operator of, say ferries to the Uists, to lend a boat to the Islay operator at the cost of loss of service to their own business?
Would CMAL retain a core ‘one of each’ fleet of unleased boats, available to charter out for short term emergencies to any route operator? Such boats would have to be maintained in a permanent state of readiness.
How much would it cost to maintain unused boats at fighting fit level? How would that stack up with any savings made in another set of tenders issued on an 80% cost 20% value basis? Remember all the money for this – costs and revenue – ultimately goes in and out of a single pocket, the Scottish Government’s – ours.
The Ferries Review Evidence
Ideally, the government would prefer to hive off all of the west coast routes to the private sector. But several will not be attractive because they are endemic loss makers.
We believe that it will offer all of the routes for tender, with the fall back position that CalMac can be deployed to pick up the leftovers.
Won’t it be interesting if, in such circumstances, CalMac are sufficiently independent to decide not to bid for some routes, as they did in 2006 with the unsubsidised tender for Gourock-Dunoon?
It was striking that the Ferries Review was keen to lose some small services where the cultural and utility links are crucial – like, for example, Claonaig (north Kintyre) -Lochranza (Arran).
Look at the picture arising from shooting the Claonaig-Lochranza (Arran) service and the Review’s touting of the possibility of making the Ardrossan-Brodick (Arran) service a tripartite one to include Campbeltown.
This looks like the scenario for tendering the Arran service as a single operation. The loss of the Lochranzs service with the addition of a link to Campbeltown would see Kintyre-Arran traffic catered for – but all driven to a single service, extending the revenue earning potential of the Arran route.
Proof of how complex an issue is the unbundling of the routes can be seen in looking at Oban.
Oban is a base for ‘big boat’ ferries – to Mull, Islay once a week, the Atlantic Isles of Colonsay, Coll and Tiree, and the southern Outer Hebrides.
Superficially simple. Shoot the little ferry to Lismore and leave Oban a big boat harbour, with its routes clustered for tender.
Clustering the entire Islay service with these routes would make boat flexibility possible but would leave a bidder with two sets of shore facilities to pay for – Kennacraig and Oban.
Not so simple.
The CMAL evidence
Another piece of interesting evidence of intent is that since early Autumn 2011, CMAL has been engaged in replacing its previous single contract – used for CalMac’s operations, with a fleet of separate contracts, each covering one of the service elements it provides.
CMAL Board minutes for October 2011 show item 5.2 as:
‘CHFS 2 Contract. GP reported that Biggart Baillie has forwarded draft Contracts for further consideration by the CMAL team which had then been returned with comments. GP explained that it was the intention to have separate contracts covering Harbour Operations, Access, Property and Equipment, Fleet Charter, Branding and use of the Heraldic Device. Once the contracts were in a more mature state they would be circulated to the Board for consideration and further comment. The Board discussed the paper proposing the methodology for charging vessel charter fees and harbour dues from the next contract period. The Board were satisfied with the methodology proposed and it was requested that an updated paper was provided showing the proposed charter rates for each individual ship.’
If a single bundle containing all of the routes was envisaged, why would CMAL go to the trouble of moving to the complex and expensive issuing of a plethora of contracts instead of a single one? Unless, of course, it was envisaging a major preferred bidder that might negotiate not to avail itself of all of its services?
This has all the signs of preparing for a ‘pick n’ mix’ outcome to what they refer to as CHFS 2 – the second tendering of the west coast, or Clyde and Hebridean, Ferry Services – the first having been in 2006.
Since that October 2011 Board, the draft separate contracts have been produced, approved and passed to the Scottish Government for its approval – an action demonstrating the short distance of hands-off in this operation.
The RMT evidence
The RMT Union told us this morning that there is a meeting on 6th September between Transport Minister Keith Brown and the RMT – which will be represent4ed by leader, Bob Crow and another senior figure.
This meeting’s purpose is to discuss bargaining on pay, conditions and pensions in the event of the CalMac routes being broken up.
It has also emerged that, since 20th August, with a closure date of 12th September, RMT is balloting its CalMac members on possible strike action.
RMT’s posiiton is that once a lifeline service like calMac;s is taken out of public ownership and handed to a private sector operation with shareholder dividends to pay, safety and jobs are inevitably at risk.
They see the continuation of CalMac as a single provider of west coast ferry services as beiog the best overall option for all interests. Logic is on their side.
The Archie Robertson evidence
There can be no doubt that Archie Robertson will have internally fought with passion for the retention of the single bundle of west coast routes that is the only responsible way to run these subsidised lifeline services.
The question over his continuation with the company suggests that he has lost the argument.
Before the constant grumblers on anything and everything raise a muted cheer and before those who have been making Mr Robertson’s professional life more difficult join in – be careful what you wish for.,
It is not Archie Robertson and CalMac that are the ultimate losers in what can only be a major error of government judgement in a situation rife with ministerial interference – and indeed, this government’s disgraceful modus operandi – the energetic smearing of the reputation of those who oppose.
It is us, the users, those who need the lifeline services, who will suffer, whether CalMac loses the lot in a single move or becomes a minor league rump operator.
We will not, we cannot, see better services for all of us arising from what the government clearly intends to try – but we can thank Archie Robertson who has clearly done his best to argue in our interests.
The future is looking very like a Serco shoe-in.
Posted in ferries, transport, Western Isles
PRESS RELEASE
Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MP Angus Brendan MacNeil is writing to Ken MacQuarrie, the controller of BBC Scotland and John Boothman, the head of news and current affairs, to protest at the planned dismemberment of the BBC Highland Service, which was decimated in 1993.
Mr MacNeil said: “I am flabbergasted that an area the size of Wales is to lose half to three quarters of its BBC reporting staff. In fact, I wonder if there will be anywhere else in the world as poorly covered by the BBC English language service as the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
“The BBC is savagely cutting its already paltry service in the Highlands and Islands, under the guise of “delivery quality first”. It really has to be asked what if anything they will be delivering now through their English language service. The centralisation of a BBC that is already famous for its south-east of England news bias with anything south of Dover or north of Watford struggling to be reported is now seemingly being replicated by centralisation in Glasgow.
“Scotland needs quality journalists throughout the country. We do not want to suffer more stodgy news with greater and grimmer coverage from a variety of sheriff court buildings within driving distance of BBC Headquarters in Glasgow.
“BBC Highland has on very limited resources, been delivering a quality news service that has been greatly valued by its audience and is should remain unless the BBC are renouncing their claim on all of Scotland.
“My complaint about the BBC over many years is that we have not had a Scottish Six giving us international news from a Scottish perspective and now we are in danger of not getting Scotland news from a Scottish perspective. Licence fee payers in the Highlands and Islands deserve better.”
Posted in fuel rip-off, Western Isles
Trusadh : Count Robin – Uachdaran Bheàrnaraigh
BBC ALBA, Monday 27 August, 9pm
As the community of Great Bernera starts deciding how they can control their own future after the death of Count Robin de la Lanne Mirrlees, the story of one of the Western Isles’s most memorable former lairds who died this year will feature next week on BBC ALBA. Trusadh: Count Robin – Uachdaran Bheàrnaraigh explores the life and times of Count Mirrlees, aristocratic owner of Great Bernera, who died almost penniless in June after years in the island’s tiny care home.
Count Robin in the council-run care unit on Bernera
The documentary follows journalist Iain X Maciver as he hears some of the Count’s more colourful accounts, from his early years in the European Royal set and claimant to a principality in Dalmatia, to the time he inspired one of Ian Fleming’s James Bond characters in the novel ‘On His Majesty’s Secret Service’. He even shares his own views on his luck with some of the most beautiful women of the day.
Featuring contributions from the island community where he came to live, and which he purchased ‘on a whim’ in the 1960s, it forms a fitting tribute to a man whose 87-year Riches to Rags journey never extinguished his joie de vivre.
BBC ALBA offers another chance to gain a fascinating insight into the life and times of Count Robin. Trusadh: Count Robin – Uachdaran Bheàrnaraigh was produced by MacTV for BBC ALBA.
Posted in Great Bernera, Western Isles
When someone told me my wife was showing off one of her big ones in a national newspaper, I was afraid she had somehow got mixed up with Prince Harry in Las Vegas. You can see her big one for yourself on page 15 in The Herald today.
Posted in Uncategorized
While I can’t be bothered with any stupid game which merely involves running after a piece of leather and pretending some kind of skill is involved in getting it past a galoot of a goalie, I do sometimes tell my spies to go to games just to see who is following which teams and how they are behaving.
My sleuths had a field day at Dingwall on Saturday with some of the Western Isles’ most colourful Celtic supporters there to gulp gallons of coke and cow juice and then be faced with the dilemma of how to dispose of it all. Of course, matches in the Highlands are much friendlier affairs although even they could not avoid the temptation of singing some very funny songs about the dire situation in which a certain former top Scottish team now finds itself.
My lookouts had no sooner arrived at Victoria Park than they spotted a strong Lewis contingent – more of them Celtic fans than Ross County, I guess. Funny that. Among them, over at the Ross County end, was a pair of jolly afficianados of the beautiful game who, despite the broad smiles, had perhaps not gone to such an effort to enter into the spirit of the occasion as the others. Not for them the raucous singing, the scarf waving or the bawdy jokes about Duff and Phelps and words that rhyme with Staggies.
Rev Duncan
I can now exclusively reveal that, if the two descriptions I have been supplied with by my undercover operatives are accurate, the pair were none other were two Free Church of Scotland ministers. Yep, Reverend Duncan Macleod, from Carloway but nowadays of the parish of Dornoch, and Breasclete-bred Reverend Alasdair Macaulay, who will, as from Friday, be of Tain and Fearn parish.
Ministers have to be careful at football matches. No colours. No collars.
Having known Duncan for more than 40 years, I know him as a man of the people and as willing as anyone to get stuck into the Bovril with all the unintended consequences that people of a delicate alimentary system inevitably suffer. He and I both worked in Inverness hotels – he in the posh Columba, I think – through our summer holidays and many is the tale I could tell but let me make it clear that none of them involve anything that could cause distress to any bodily functions. I, meanwhile, was based out at Daviot, free to get up to whatever I chose away from the prying eyes of relatives in the Free Church. Party on.
A former radio announcer in the Reithian tradition, Alasdair too has put behind him the stuffiness and dickie bows of the corporation to grapple with sin, sinners and, apparently, Staggies’ strikers’ strategies. But what could they be talking about at the County end?
Rev Alasdair
Soccer is not really mentioned very much at all in the Bible although Luke 11:31 does promise good things for a certain Dumfries side where it says: “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them …” However the Good Book does plug various other activities that we know as sports today. Rock climbing, for instance, because Moses was up and down Mount Sinai like a yo-yo and horse riding and archery are both in I Kings.
Wrestling and fishing are there. So is swimming because is that not what saved those poor souls who were shipwrecked with Paul? And of course it mentions cricket. Yes, it does. It says: “In the big inning ….” Anyway, they were probably discussing Alasdair’s induction on Friday and, if my spies embedded deep in that church are correct, Duncan will be officiating. So it’s bound to go smoothly.
Phew. A Free Church induction in Tain on Friday and then Runrig playing in Inverness on Saturday. All in all, a busy weekend for the Highland Gaels. I hope that both men of the cloth will enjoy their times at their respective parishes and I also hope that they will not witness what another unfortunate minister who must be nameless had to.
He was giving it laldy with the fire and brimstone when a small seven-year-old girl who was in church with her mother began to feel ill. She kept urging her mum to leave but mother thought she was playing up. Then the girl said: “Mum, I think I am going to throw up.”
Even that didn’t move the mean mother. She told her daughter to go out the front door and around to the back of the church and if she had to throw up, she should do it there. Off she went. After a minute or two, she was back.
“Did you throw up?” the mother whispered. “Yes,” the wee girl, said sheepishly. “How could you have gone all the way to the back of the church and been back so quickly?” “I didn’t have to go out of the church, Mum,” the little girl replied. “They have a box at the front door and it says on it: ‘For the sick’.”
Posted in P&J column
Just posted on Facebook in the last hour:
“A police officer just announced over the pa system in Tesco that if customers did not park properly they would be shamed on the Sty Parking page on Facebook. Great policing…”
Posted in Isle of Lewis, Stornoway, Western Isles
