Ardfern for Argyll

Sunday 28th. September 08. Easdale Island, West Scotland. The World Stone Skimming Championships. 1st. equal, ‘Old Tosser’, Tony Gill, Ardfern.

‘I’d never have thought it’, said Tony later. ‘I never thought I’d be a world champion anything. I’m quite chuffed’, he said, adjusting the sling supporting his throwing arm, ‘Looking forward to defending my title next year’. Here’s his story in his own words.

The event started in 1983, and re-started in 1997. I’ve remembered it every year, usually when reading about it in the Oban Times four days afterwards. I’ve always meant to enter, but I was always too late – even by Ardfern standards. This year I didn’t have to rely on the OT, for I was reminded on the internet.

I spend a fair bit of time floating around among the islands of Nether Lorne in my RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) and share my tall tales with others on an internet web forum. Tony Hill, who runs passenger trips from Easdale Island on bigger RIB’s than mine, told us all about the Skimming and offered berthing in the tiny harbour on the island. So that was it. No hob nobbing with the hoi polloi for me. I’d arrive in style and enter the competition. And I did.

Arriving early on the day while there was still enough water to get into the harbour and helped by Tony to moor, I landed on Easdale for the first time ever. It was quiet on the island. The hordes weren’t due for an hour and everyone was speaking in whispers on account of the party the previous night. Even so, there was an expectant buzz in the air as local craft stalls and barbecues were being prepared. I joined in and helped carry stones to weigh down the kitchen tables and bits and pieces against the forecast strong winds.

Stones are skimmed across the 65m wide flooded quarry, in a lane between two rows of marker buoys. At noon, or thereabouts, we were under way, with the children going first There are lots of categories – age groups, boys, girls, then ladies, and a new one for this year, ‘Old Tosser’ for those who have ‘gone beyond their fifties’ (what a nice way of saying ‘old’) . It took quite a while to get to my turn to skim. All the time the wind was increasing and so were the waves, white horses rolling between the island and Cuan Sound. I began to wonder a bit about my voyage home, out towards Pladda and down the Sound of Luing. Maybe travelling in style hadn’t been such a good idea? This same wind was gusting down the skimming lane too – which is my excuse for only one of my three allowed stones bouncing enough times to be a legal throw, and of course, the shorter distance than I would have expected. ‘Just a bit of fun,’ I said to myself – but I didn’t really believe that.

To find I was first equal was a real surprise. A medal, a tee shirt and a case of rather nice wine. Super. I see from the website ( www.stoneskimming.com ) that a local, Adrian Laycock, was the other winner. He must have had lots of practice, so I think I did ok. There was no third place. That’s sad. It would seem just the two of us entered our category. There were lots and lots of ‘Old’ people there. You’d have thought plenty of them would’ve been ‘Tossers’ too.

The ferries took the hordes away, the island was quiet again and all too soon I had to leave myself. Buoyed up by pride at my success and by the super people of Easdale Island, and ballasted by my unexpected swag, we (Moon Raker and I) crashed through the waves between Easdale and Pladda, flew down the Sound of Luing, took some dollops and a dusting in the Dorus Mor, and got home in time for tea.

I’m out of traction now and the sling is easing the throwing arm so I can thank all the people of Easdale Island for their hospitality and for organising such a super event. All being well, I’ll be back next year to defend my title – hopefully against a larger entry.

Tony Gill. (joint) World ‘Old Tosser’ Stone Skimming Champion 2008

PS. I got some video and I’ll post it as soon as I can get it edited.

Thoughts on a journey to a foreign land.

This was the fifteenth year of Britain’s largest exhibition of bespoke, designer made furniture. Over the years it has built a reputation of excellence among clients and makers alike. To be invited to offer work for inclusion – and you have to be invited – means it’s considered your work is of a quality suitable to stand alongside some of the best designer/makers in the world. That’s good for the ego.

You can imagine, I was keen to go. I’d been invited for the ’07 event, but one has to have something to exhibit. The sole maker from Scotland who went came back with sales and orders that would have kept me going for a year. That experience persuaded three of us, all members of the Scottish Furniture makers Association (www.scottishfurnituremakers.org.uk) to make the journey this year.

It’s a long way, Cheltenham, and a different world. The streets weren’t paved with gold, but the people seemed to be plated with it. Thirlestaine Long Gallery, Cheltenham College, was the venue. I was interested to see the place. The daughter of a friend of mine was a student there and that gave me a sort of connection. She’s now a well known and successful TV personality. I don’t know her. Like a miniature Buckingham Palace, the Gallery is an impressive building outside and in. Yet for me its grandeur was tarnished by its timeworn exterior and equally grand, though rather grubby interior. It is a school hall mind you, so perhaps that’s to be expected.

The invitation only preview evening was packed solid with people enjoying each other’s company and the complimentary wine. Sales were made, but not by us, and there were some smiles but more glum faces at the end of the evening.

I stayed for the first weekend. Had SFMA’s Edinburgh exhibitions been as quiet as that first weekend in Cheltenham, we’d have been worried. It was quiet. The rest of the show can not have been any better. It was all still there at the end. Luckily my colleague had a van big enough for the both of us, so I only needed to drive to Helensburgh to retrieve my masterpieces.

So there we have it. On the plus side my work was well admired, I met many potential clients and not one of them said wistfully, ‘When I win the lottery’. I met several ‘famous name’ makers and they said nice things too, which always makes one feel good. On the other hand, I sold not a thing – and neither did any of the Scottish contingent. I’d show you pictures of the exhibition, but we weren’t allowed to take any – even the makers, of our own stuff. No video either - sorry Dave.

It must have been the credit crunch and falling house prices. That’s all I can think. I returned home from my journey to the deep south older, wiser and considerably poorer – and mindful of my father’s words from days long ago, ‘Tha’ wants to tek care wi’ them southern folk. The’s plenty of ‘em that’s all fur coat and no knickers.’

So that was Cheltenham CCD08. Tony Gill

The Environmental Health department of Argyll and Bute Council is offering non-means-tested grants of up to £800 to people with private water supplies who are interested in improving them. Phone 01546 604131 for details and enquiries or go to the Private Water Supplies page of the Council’s website.

Tony Gill visits a beautiful, isolated island on the West Coast of Scotland, but he doesn’t have a dog. Produced with Mags Russell, and music by Wild Biscuit studios.

The latest video shot by Tony Gill for the Ardfern Team (with editing expertise from Mags Russell, the team’s Buddy) on the Out There for Argyll project.

Nancy is from San Francisco. Ardfern has worked its magic on her.

Tony Gill, a furniture-maker living in Ardfern, has been invited to show at this year’s Celebration of Craftsmanship & Design Exhibition in Cheltenham. The event, which is considered to be the premier showcase for fine furniture makers in the UK, takes place 16th. - 25th. August 08 in Thirlestaine Long Gallery, Cheltenham College. This is a very significant achievement and For Argyll hopes that he will tell everyone all about the experience here when he gets back.

The Ardfern community had hoped that Fyne Homes would be able to build affordable housing on part of the Glebe land in the village, with other parts of the land used to support games and sport. Unfortunately Fyne Homes do not have the funding to do this at the moment and the scheme is back in the melting pot. A key prompt for this action was the need to provide alternative housing for local families who, in a sort of modern-day Clearances, have had to leave accommodation on Lunga which they had created and inhabited without planning permission.

Caught at the first training day of the For Argyll project way back when: Daniel in the foreground - after a large night locally; Tony in the background and, back to camera, tutor Charles Dixon-Spain. Photo: Lynda Syed from the Furnace team.

Our second video training day took place - er, the other day - and for the first time for many of us we actually opened the camera box and pressed the buttons. Three teams - for there were three cameras available - were created and we all went out and invaded Furnace and its surroundings. Each team had different objectives, such as local signage, people/interviews, local historical sites.

Tony was lucky enough to be assigned the interview team with Dee, Lynda and Mags Russell, who was without doubt our demon interviewer. Ace at extracting more than two words out of a chap building a shed; a long chat with two visitors from Glasgow; a local chap with a spotty dog and, a gift for any photographer, two small children and their attractive young mum talking on the bridge and playing in the river. Under the careful direction of the rest of the team the subject matter gave Tony the best shots of all, though not the one shown above.

Ardfern is renowned, maybe within itself, for producing a plethera of talented, bohemian musicians. Over the last few years, events such as the Elemental Arts Festival have staged a number of ‘Open mic’ nights as well as bringing well known Scottish and International musicians to the area.
Recently there has been a focus on young, new, fresh, up-and-coming musicians, with the introduction of the highly succesful Battle of the Bands competition at the beginning of September 2007.
Since then, the winning group from the battle of the bands has played twice at the incredible party venue known simply as, ‘Rory’s Shed’. This young band, with an average age of 16, has been the catalyst for two incredible nights out, creating a buzz about the potential of a band with, what seems to be, a very good future.
Over the coming weeks and months, Ardfern will be arranging many more music nights, hosting a range of artists, from professional Spanish guitarists to ceilidh bands, barber shop quartet’s to solo musicians and bagpipers to the ever present busker in the pub. All demonstrating again that no matter what type and level of musician (or state of sobriety) a good song will always be appreciated in Ardfern.