Clare McLoughlin and Simon Thoumire at Easter-Preview
Item Posted: Monday 26th April , 2004
EASTER EVENTS AT LOCH GOIL.
Mark Morpurgo, who edits the village newsletter, is understandably enthusiastic about Lochgoilhead’s Easter festivities. Events vary from an exhibition of historical and modern photographs, a music concert, and traditionally popular coffee mornings; so there is something for everyone during the weekend. “The renovations to the recently extended village hall are now complete, and there has been an upsurge in clubs and groups putting on events in the village,” he told us, “and hopefully the events at Easter will prove an attraction not only to residents and tourists who would be here anyway, but to those who are living elsewhere in Cowal”.
On Sunday an exhibition of photographs, maps and artifacts will be on show all day, and free, in the Village Hall. Recently a villager on a research trip to Edinburgh unearthed a small collection of pictures from the 1880’s that have not been seen since in the village. These, together with photos, post cards and artifacts from the 1900’s on, will be able to be contrasted with their modern counterparts, showing how the village looks now. Some of the photos, by well-known landscape and portrait photographer, Derek Prescott, will be on sale or can be ordered on the day.
A group of villagers are hoping to use the weekend as a springboard to set up a loch goil local history society to “record, preserve and disseminate information about the area”. The success of the “Here and Now” project at Cairndow shows the interest that can be generated by a small group of enthusiasts, and the value a local community can get out of its own history, as well as being a valuable asset to tourism. “Each time a local resident dies,or moves away, we lose a little bit more of both our oral and written history. We can, at the very least, halt this decline. It may be that there are readers of the Dunoon Observer who have memories of Loch Goil, or who, historically, had connections with the village. We have old censuses back to 1851, and even earlier church records- so we might be able to help people trace their family tree,” a spokesperson told us.
On Easter Monday the Fiddle Workshop have arranged for two top-class professional musicians to visit for a concert. Clare McLaughlin is the fiddler with “Deaf Shepherd” who are described by Living Tradition music magazine as “a young band producing lively and entertaining music, which is a delight to listen to.” Clare will be joined by Simon Thoumire on concertina. He is an acknowledged virtuoso and composer. Since winning the coveted BBC Young Tradition Award, he has dazzled audiences across Europe, Canada and the USA, as well as being commissioned to compose music by Celtic Connections and the Glasgow Jazz Festival. The Workshop’s recent concerts have had full and enthusiastic audiences, and because it is the holiday weekend this concert is likely to be full to overflowing, so it would be an idea to book in advance.
The village is also hosting two coffee mornings – for the RNLI on Saturday and the Conservative Party on Monday. These sorts of mornings not only provide fundraising opportunities, but are often a focal point of many villages. Lochgoilhead’s coffee mornings are popular venues for swapping news and views, and give newcomers the chance of meeting neighbours, as well as encouraging tourists and holiday home owners to become involved in village life.
For more information on the above events, or to tell us about a link you have with Loch Goil phone 01301 703559 or email markgoilreport@btopenworld.com