An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Sruth > Volume 2 > No. 59, 26 June 1969

Sruth, Di-ardaoin, 26 latha de’n Og-mhios 1969
Three
Celtica
A look at Alba — Breizh —
Cymru — Eire — Kernow —
Manmn
By P. Berresford Ellis
All eyes will be on Wales on
July 1 to witness what the more
tolerant Welsh have named ‘y
pantomime ”... the investiture
of Prince Charles as Prince of
Wales. But the good natured
contempt that the Welsh have
shown for “y pantomime” has
now been polarised into a more
bitter feeling due :c the latest
move by the authorities in
Wales. Not content with trying
to incite anti-nationalist feeling
by spreading mysterious hintts
about “extremists” and “at¬
tempts on Princes Charles’ life,”
organising rather weak political
trials and introchicing a large
influx of police from England
into Wales, the authorities
latest move is practically de¬
signed to incite violence.
A series of special by-laws
have been introduced in the
Caemarvan area, covering the
period from the eve of the in¬
vestiture to the day after, giving
the police increased powers to
stop anti-investiture demonstra¬
tions . . . even to preventing
single persons distributing anti-
investiture leaflets.
With a 500 million world
wide television audience looking
on, the authorities are taking no
chances of any expression of
anti-investiture feeling by the
Welsh. In fact, they are making
a deliberate and blatant at¬
tempt to conceal from world
opinion the dissension in Wales.
Specifically the by-laws ban
any processions; “ or an orga¬
nised body of persons”; the dis¬
tribution of printed bills or the
displaying of banners. Under
the terms of these special laws,
two or more persons constitute
“an organised body of persons.”
Philip Mayers, deputy chief
constable of Caernarvon, com¬
mented that with the world
looking on “the authorities are
taking no chances with banner-
waving Welsh nationalists.” To
reinforce these laws 2,000
police from 14 English forces
(stretching from West Yorkshire
to the City of London and
Metropolitan forces) will be on
duty. Also, 2,500 troops of the
three services will be on duty
carrying arms. An army spokes¬
man commented: “Security is
the province of the police but
the Army will help as and when
required.”
The enactment of the special
laws has been carefully ignored
by all newspapers outside of
Wales, especially the London
newspapers . . . even the West¬
ern Mail (claiming to be the
“national” English language
newspaper of Wales) omitted
the item. Now more and more
Welshmen are referring to the
investiture as DatUiadau bud~
dugoliaeth (the conquest cele¬
brations).
★ ★ ★
There is bitter feeling in
Cornwall over the recent Maud
report on local government in
England. Cornwall is not recog¬
nised as a separate Celtic entity
from England as yet, and comes
- today
into the scheme. A bitter attack
came in an aditorial in the June
13 issue of ’’The Cornish
Times” (established 1856)
which read:
“ We in Cornwall pay for
motorways we never use, and
BBC programmes we cannot re¬
ceive. It is the most scandalous
thing that the Redcoats will pur¬
sue such exploitation for as long
and as often as they can. And
when Mebyon Kemow begins
to look dengerous (and the
Cornish have mounted two in¬
vasions of England so historic¬
ally it’s there) the Redcoats will
send for the Prince of Wales
after all, he’s Duke of Cornwall,
is he not . . . and there will be
a blowing of trumpets and
heraldry at St Piran’s Round
and a number of people will be
squared by knighthoods or
damehoods.” (How true!)
★ ★ x
Talks between the Manx and
British Governments are break¬
ing down over the question of
the Manx Radio’s transmitting
power. Manx Radio, now under
Manx Government control,
broadcasts quite a bit in the
Manx language. This interfer¬
ence in an internal Manx ques¬
tion is strengthening the Manx
position at the hearings of the
Constitutional Commission to
prevent interference in Manx
affairs.
★ ★ ★
The Breton political pris¬
oners (alleged members of the
Front for Liberation of Brit¬
tany) continue to Anguish in
Sante Prison, Paris, awaiting
trial in September. Their fami¬
lies continue to suffer and a
fund to help them has been set
up by J. E. Jones (secretary of
the League of Celtic Nations,
Wales) and donations can be
sent to him at 1 Heol Esgyn,
Caerdydd, Cymru.
★ ★ ★
A quick word on that other
pantomime ... the General
Election in the Republic of Ire¬
land. Fianna Fail, Fine Gael,
Irish Labour and Co. continue
to criticise each other’s policies
with true statesmenship and
foresight. Latest intellectual
criticism came from Charles
Haughey (present Minister of
Finance) who summed up Lab¬
our’s policies as those of
“ degenerate Left-wing political
queers”! Actually, they are all
so busy calling each other
names that Fianna Fail has not
even bothered to issue an elec¬
tion manifesto! As an Irishman
I apologise for the three ringed
Dail circus and at the same
time point out that there are
some intelligent people left in
Ireland.
AN L1SEACH BRUIDE1L?
Bho chionn ghoirid thugadh
air falbh am maor-sithe a
bh’ann an sgire Nis ann an
Leodhas. Ach tha muinntir an
aite ag iarraidh air an Ard Con-
stabul an steisean fhosgladh a
rithist. A reir coltais tha
milleadh a’ sior dhol am meud
bho’n dh’fhalbh am maor-sithe.
School For
Young Weavers
Opened
A scheme to train young
people in the skills needed to
keep alive a thriving cottage in¬
dustry in the Outer Hebrides
has been launched by the local
education authority in co-opera¬
tion with the Bradford-based
Wool, Jute and Flax Industry
training Board.
A training school for weavers
in the Harris tweed industry
has been opened at Stornoway
where techniques and method's
traditionally passed on from
father to son can be taught
during a 15-week comprehensive
course.
But though training for cha
industry has now been centra¬
lised, the weaving of Harris
tweed will continue to be car¬
ried out exclusively in some
1200 homes throughout the
islands. Only fabric woven in
this way can qualify for the Orb
mark of the Harris Tweed
Association to certify its authen¬
ticity.
The new training facilities,
based at the Lews Castle Tech¬
nical College at Stornoway,
have been hailed as an import¬
ant development in the industry.
One factor which tends to
discourage young people from
taking up weaving is loneliesss.
“ Many boys do not like the
prospect of sitting alone for
hours in a father dimly-lit
shed,” said Mr Peter Cardwell,
head of the textile department
at the college.
But to some extent earning in
the industry can compensate for
the loneliness. Mr Cardwell
said a trained weaver was paid
about double the rate for a
worker in a mill.
Because the Hebridean wea¬
ver works on his own he must
have a working knowledge of
textile design and be able to
service the foot-powered loom
himself. The course includes
instruction on these subjects, as
well as visits to mills where
yam is spun and the woven fab¬
ric is later put through finishing
processes before being marketed.
Despite the new training
facilities, few of the boys leav¬
ing the college are likely to
regard weaving as their sole
full-time occupation. Tradi¬
tionally, the Hebridean weaver
is a crofter who engages in a
number of activities to earn a
living.
an cruinne
Ma tha Gaidhlig agad
Nochd e, ’s cleachd do
chanan.
are
YOU
fluent in Gaelic ?
learning Gaelic ?
interested in Gaelic ?
JOIN
AN CRUINNE
Badges and Membership
Forms from An Cruinne,
Abertarff House, Inverness.
Highland
(B.E.M.)
ANGUS MACPHERSON:
Sheep farmer, shinty players,
hotel-keeper. Highland dancer,
philosopher, piper—all these de¬
scriptions have been fitting at
one time or other for a remark¬
able Scot, Mr Angus Mac-
Pherson, who becomes a Mem¬
ber of the Order of the British
Empire (MBfE) in the Birthday
Honours List. He is in his 92nd
year.
Known throughout the High¬
lands as “ MacPherson Inver¬
sion ”—he has lived by the
River Shin for almost 40 years
—he inherited his skill in
piping from a long line of ex¬
pert forebears and is still active
as a judge in piping competi¬
tions. Early recognition of his
talent came from Andrew Car¬
negie, the Scottish-American
millionaire, to whom he was
personal piper for eight years
at the turn of the century
During that time he travel¬
led throughout Britain, America
and Canada with the Camegies.
As recently as 1965 Mr Mac¬
Pherson, a son of a personal
piper to MacPherson of Cluny,
won the BBC trophy for the
finest original piobaireachd
composition.
In his youth, he was a mem¬
ber of Kingussie Shinty Club
and played for them against
Ballachulish in the second final
for the Camanachd Cup,, on the
North Inch, Perth, in 198. He
is the last survivor of the
players in that match.
Mr MacPherson has written
a book of reminiscences, “ A
Highlander Looks Back,” pub¬
lished in 1956. One of his most
vivid memories was of playing
the pipes for his father at Dal-
whinnie Station before setting
out on his first journey to
London.
Mr Calum Macdonald (61)—
Coxswain of Stornoway lifeboat
for past 17 years; only holder of
RNLI silver medal in the his¬
tory of Stornoway station.
Walter Elliott, member of
Glencoe mountain rescue team.
Robert Rae, storekeeper, Nor¬
thern Lighthouse Board Depot,
Oban.
C.B.E.
Mr Harry G. Munro has
served National Farmers’ Union
of Scotland as assistant secre¬
tary from 1949 to 1955, and as
general secretary from 1955.
Native of Ardersier, Ross-shire,
was educated at University Col¬
lege School, London; George
Watson’s College, Edinburgh;
Honours
and Edinburgh University. After
service with RAF and before
going to NFU was legal assist¬
ant with Edinburgh Corpora¬
tion and assistant lecturer m
Administrate Law at Edinburgh
University.
O.B.E.
Mr James Sinclair—Direc¬
tor and deputy chairman, A.I.
Welders, Ltd., Inverness; treas¬
urer of Inverness Town Council.
M.B.E.
Mr James Smith — Sheep
farmer, Scalloway, Shetland, is
inventor of fish-gutting machine
which has aroused tremendous
interest at home and abroad.
William James Anderson. For
services to the community in
the Campbeltown area, Argyll,
Gaelic Adviser
To TMSA
Mr John Macinnes, a lec¬
turer at Edinburgh University,
has been appointed Special
Gaelic Adviser to the Tradi¬
tional Music and Song Associa¬
tion of Scotland. Mr Macinnes
was bom in Lewis and brought
up on the island of Raasay and
in Skye. He is a son of the
manse. His work with the
School of Scottish Studies,
Studies, Edinburgh University,
has taken him to many parts of
the Highlands and Islands to
record traditional Gaelic songs
and tales.
The Traditional Music and
Song Association (TMSA) runs
an annual Festival at Blairgow¬
rie, Perthshire, yvhich attracts
many traditional singers and
musicians. Among last year’s
invited guest artistes were the
Lochailort Fiddle Band and the
Angus Strathspey and Reel
Society.
This year’s guest list includes
a Dingwall singer and whistler,
Ian McLennan, 10 Millcraig
Road.
The Festival, which ruin,
from August 15-17, gives
singers and instrumentalists an
opportunity to compare styles.
As well as ceilidhs and concerts,
competition are to be run for
the first time. There will be
classes for the fiddle, accordion,
melodeon, mouth organ, did¬
dling, whistling and singing.
Cups and certificates are to be
awarded.
Details can be had from Jim
Rnox, 49 Kilnbum, Newp >it-
on-Tay, Fife.
LOCH NESS CRUISES
in m.v. SCOT II
Monday to Saturday 10.15 a.m. for 2J hours; 2.15 p.m.
for 3i hours. Monday to Friday 7.00 p.m. for 21 hours
from Muirtown Top Lock, Inverness
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ADVANCE CALEDONIAN CANAL OFFICE, CLACHNAHARRY
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