The last of the three part series of island stories gleaned from reports on the BBC’s popular news and current affairs show, Nationwide -running from 1969-1983, goes on this Friday, 21st March, from 21.00-22.00.
BBC ALBA has chosen a selection of stories from the West, East and the islands of Scotland in those now long gone days.
The final programme in the three part series is on the isalnds – Nationwide an Alba: Na h-Eileanan / Islands – and takes a look at the most compelling island stories of that time, many of which have only been seen once before, presented by BBC News journalist Alasdair Fraser.
Highlights include Luke Casey’s visit to Rockall in an attempt to raise the Nationwide flag on the rock, discord in Harris at Sir Hereward Wake’s plan to build a bypass around Amhuinnsuidhe Castle and Shetlanders considering the effect devolution would have on them, given the benefits of the oil boom.
Argyll’s Isle of Gigha is featured and, of course, Nationwide had been unable to resist the multitasking life of the islander with 14 jobs, the seemingly impossibly named Seamus MacSporran. Seamus’s name may have suggested parody but he was always for real - a man willing to do anything and everything to keep his family afloat.
Seamus ran a B&B on Gigha and was the island’s sub-postmaster, funeral director, lavatory attendant and Special Constable for six years, during which time he had nor a single crime to deal with.
This report will bring a lot of memories to the surface.
In the programme are also stories from:
Isle of Skye:
A report from 1972 highlights the extended services of the local bus service, which not only transferred passengers about the island but transported sheep carcasses, a sack of salted herrings and a couple of lobsters. The rural bus services were faltering and a money spinning experiment led to a £1m success by the Post Office/Royal Mail whereby the red van would take not only letters but people – including kids to school – bread and fruit deliveries to name but a few.
Isle of Harris:
Harris Tweed in 1977 saw 500 weavers located in Harris and Lewis working in barns and sheds next to their homes where a legal ruling applied that no cloth could be classed as Harris Tweed that had not been woven by hand. With an attempt to allow the cloth to be machine woven, an overwhelming majority of weavers voted no, with the distinctive trademark recognised worldwide in recognition of the importance of this cottage industry to crofters’ lives.
Also from Harris, a report from 1973 offered viewers a glimpse of the life of a successful Englishman who had bought the north Harris estate which today is in community ownership. He had bought it for £105,000 and visited only eight weeks of the year to go salmon fishing and deer stalking. However a public road ran – and runs – right past the estate’s Amhuinnsuidhe Castle, his private retreat and he wasin talks with Inverness Council on trying to reroute the road away from the castle at a cost of £80,000 – of which he’d proposed to pay half. Named Sir Hereward Wake, he gave Seamus MacSporran a run for his money in the stereotype stakes.
Barra and Vatersay:
This 1977 report focused on the islands in the south of the Outer Hebrides – with some of the finest beaches in the world, Barra and Vatersay, where two planes landed daily on the beach – down to one flight a day now but continuing, at least for a time – remains true to its Highland way of life. We hear from Mary McLean who ran a croft, was a cattle dealer and was also a successful playwright, performing to packed houses.
Isle of Lewis:
In 1972, there was a 28% rate of unemployment and a housing shortage. 15 of the 50 business were owned by Asians who were all doing well and making a good living out of the same line of business – general drapery – selling everything from wellies to Sunday-best hats.
Ailsa Craig:
A report in 1975 takes a look at how curling stones are made, their origin and the source from where the granite rock was hewn. The best stones came from Ailsa Craig, aka Paddy’s Milestone; but the source of the rock had moved by then to Trevor mountain in Wales. However, the skilled workmanship was still very much Scottish and the rock was taken to Scotland where it was crafted into the beautifully made curling stones.
Produced by BBC Gàidhlig, Nationwide an Alba, this is the final programme in the three part series and is broadcast on Friday 21 st March from 9pmto 10pm.
