Butt to Barra District News

Community Sports Day

Lochs Community Sports Day will be on Saturday 10th September from 2.30pm, at the North Lochs Community Centre, Leurbost. There will be races and inter-village events. Get your entry forms from Lochs Services, a Community Association Committee member, or contact [email protected] The Sports Day will be followed by a barbeque.

The committee of the bi-monthly community newsletter Lochs News will be holding an AGM on Tuesday 13th September at the Community Centre, Leurbost . Contributions for Issue No 6 can be sent to [email protected]

Balallan Recreational Club will be holding an AGM in the Balallan Hall on Tuesday 13th September at 7.30pm.

The hall renovations are now complete and they urgently need a sizeable committee to progress the activities plans.

With the autumn nights now drawing in, several community groups are planning activities Some of the events currently being planned are: a shore clean up, a meal night, Mod Week Ceilidh and an informal monthly music night. Please come along and support the local volunteers managing buildings which are regularly used for community events.

LOCHMADDY / NORTH UIST

Latha na Mara

The 2016 ‘Latha na Mara’ Fundraiser for the RNLI will be held on Saturday 1st October 2016 in Lochmaddy Hall between 11am and 4pm.

The event will include: entertainment from local performers; stalls (RNLI merchandise, Bric-a-brac, Home Baking, Bottle & Can, ‘Bags of Bags’(see below); competitions (‘Lucky Lifeboats’, ‘Guess my Favourite Film’, RNLI Sweepstake, etc); children’s fancy dress (age groups: 2-5 / 6-8 / 9-11) – theme: your favourite character from a children’s book, film or TV programme); main raffle (with lots of lovely prizes) and a special raffle (paintball session for six people at A.C.E. Target Sports / Portree / Isle of Skye); refreshments; and a silent auction.

Lots for the Silent Auction so far include: a Baile accordion with case; an original water colour; Rangers FC signed football 2016 / 2017 season; an original piece of glass work; an axe-throwing or air rifle shooting taster session for four people; half a side of venison; two Stand Tickets for a Celtic FC / SPFL Home Match (subject to availability and excluding Rangers); a pair of pointe ballet shoes, signed by dancers of Scottish Ballet.

On the ‘Bags of Bags’ stall (see above), all sorts of bags (handbags, shoulder bags, make-up bags, purses, holdalls, shoppers, etc) will be available for a donation to the RNLI. All contributions for this, the raffle, and all stalls would be greatly appreciated.

Subject to operational commitments, the Leverburgh Lifeboat – ‘The Royal Thames’ -will be at Lochmaddy Pier.

A full Programme of Events will be available during September in the press and local outlets.

Further information can be obtained from Stella Evans (01876 500306) and Barbara Jameson (01876 500849), who would be delighted to hear from you and to receive any items for this special day and very special charity.

STORNOWAY

Baptist Church

The Baptist Church at 60 Seaforth Rd, Stornoway will be hosting a guest speaker in September, Ibrahim AG Mohamed the Assistant Minister at The Metropolitan Tabernacle London.

The theme of this talk will be ‘The Mature Christian’ (Lessons from book of James)

MON. 12th September 7.30pm Ch .1 Suffering & Trials

TUE. 13th September 7.30pm Ch .2 Obedience & Service

WED. 14th September 7.30pm Ch 3.Spirit Controlled Tongue

THU.15th September 7.30pm Ch 4.Separation from the World

FRI. 16th September 7.30pm Ch 5. Right Attitude while Waiting for the 2nd Coming

SAT 17th September 2pm Special Topic & Testimony

LORDS DAY Morning 11amActs 8.26-40 A pattern of soul-winning

LORDS DAY Evening 6pm John 1.12-13 Becoming a child of God. All are welcome.

LOCHMADDY

Livestock sale

LOCHMADDY, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (August, 31st) sold 3,260 store lambs.Lambs (3,260) sold to £76.50 per head for Suffolk crosses from Trumisgarry, Lochmaddy.

Prize list Cheviot lambs – 1st D. Macpherson, Borve View, £63; 2nd A. Macpherson, 24 Liniclate, £60.

BF lambs – 1st D. MacAskill, 20 Rushgarry, £58; 2nd J. M. MacDonald, Sidinish, £40.

Suffolk cross lambs – 1st I. MacDonald, Trumisgarry, £76.50; 2nd H. MacDonald, 3 Hosta, £73.

Continental cross lambs – 1st J. M. MacDonald, Sidinish, £67; 2nd H. MacDonald, 1 Knockline, £65.50 Overall champion pen & winner of the ‘Fowlie’ prize – I. Macdonald, Trumisgarry (Suffolk x).Reserve champion pen – H. MacDonald, 3 Hosta (Suffolk x).

Other leading prices per head: Lambs: TexX – Druim Torrach, Isle of North Uist, £74, 1 Knockline, Bayhead, £65, 4 Knockline, Bayhead, £64.50; SuffX – Dunskellar, Sollas & Failte, Berneray, £70, 6 Dunganichy, Benbecula, £67.50, 8 Clachan Sands, Lochmaddy, £66; Chev – 24 Liniclate, Benbecula, £65, 10 Sollas, Lochmaddy & 15 Kallin, Benbecula, £59.50; Cross – 5 Gramsdale, Benbecula, £59, 6 Borve, Berneray, £57, 20 Knockintorran, Bayhead, £56.50.

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

Family visit

My Mother and Father arrive on the island next week for a visit.

This will be the second time they have travelled over to see us and I intend taking a few days off to be with them.

My Dad doesn’t get about too well so his needs are few wherever he goes. As long as he can put a wee bet on the horses, have a pint and a game of pool, he is more than satisfied.

My mother on the other hand will want to get out to shops and restaurants and trips around the Island.

She rarely gets the chance to do this as she is aware of my Dad’s increasing immobility and feels that she needs to be in his close vicinity at all times.

Thankfully my wife Sam and I will work together to ensure that they both get most of what they want from their visit.

For those of us who have family scattered across the country, when they visit, we always try to make it special for them don’t we.

We always make an effort in the hope that they will have a memorable time. Sometimes though, I often wonder if that is exactly what they really want, especially if we’ve been apart for a considerable period.

Maybe I should just ask them ‘What would YOU like to do whilst you are here?’ I might get a surprise, I might hear them say, ‘We want to spend time with you, we don’t need anything special, we just need you’ I think maybe that’s what they’ve been trying to say to us for years and…and I’ve never listened properly.

Blessings Always

Reverend Terry Taggart