Care homes issue causes upset

Sandy Park and another senior councillor visited a care home in Fort William, the visit didn't seem to go down too well:

'John McIntosh of Grant Place, Claggan, the founder of a campaign group initially established to save it from closure, was unimpressed by what he heard.
“It was rather heated, actually.
“They weren’t listening. And we had one old friend who was in tears today, asking ‘are they going to take my home away?’ It’s so sad.”

Are the Highland Council administration preparing to drop a promise made? More on the P&J site.

Tilda trying to save MacKenzie and Cruickshank

According to the Daily Telegraph Tilda is pitching in with a letter of support for the popular Forres business:

'Moray Council plan to spend more than £40 million on developing the Forres flood alleviation project.
But local firm Mackenzie and Cruikshank say the project which goes to inquiry next week would force them to close their doors after almost 130 years in business.

The garden centre sits on the site of the new project and would lose land under the plans as well being surrounded by engineering works for two years. Its owners say that would leave them with no option but to shut up shop. '

More details on the Telegraph site. The Telegraph sites Nairn as in Morayshire. This observer has heard a couple of individuals state 'wish we were etc' recently.

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'Award winning hotel manager set to further cement Nairn as world-class travel hotspot'

The Oxford Hotel and Inns group have a news article on their website detailing the hopes the New General Manager of the Newton Hotel has for his new role:

'New General Manager Don McGregor has over 20 year’s managerial experience in the hotel industry. He joins Newton Hotel from the largest banqueting property in Scotland, the Thistle Hotel in Glasgow where he achieved three awards during his three years as General manager – he scooped Best Banqueting Venue, Best Bedroom Design and the Managers Gold Medal award for Service Excellence at the 2009 Scottish Hoteliers dinner.

Mr McGregor said: “I was attracted to Newton Hotel as it is in a first class location - Nairn is perfect for exploring the highlands, and the travel website, Trip Advisor recently put Nairn in second place, behind Troncones in Mexico on the list of the world’s top emerging travel hotspots. So my plan is to further cement this prestigious title by establishing the Newton as the best hotel in the area.” '

More on the Oxford Hotels and Inns site.

Hole in one for David Ellen

After 78 years of trying, more in the P&J. And signings for Nairn County mentioned in another P&J soccer round up article.

Bad parking concerns in Leopold Street/High Street area

A concerned Gurnite contacted us with this picture of inconsiderate parking in Leopold Street. Some motorists show no consideration to other road users and pedestrians in this bottleneck area.

The matter of dangerous and inconsiderate parking in these areas was recently raised at a River Community Council meeting where Highland Councillor Graham Marsden promised to take the matter up with the authorities.

Pookie nearly goes to sea

Meanwhile make-believe notes from Nairn's infamous make-believe character (thanks Pookie):

I) When Mr. Boneyard suggested going out on his yacht, I accepted. His name’s Barnard, but having met him, ‘Boneyard’ is more appropriate, and the yacht is a dingy with aspirations of grandeur.

“Fetch me a drink…” I crooned, and as he tottered off below decks, I gazed desperately into the darkness of the harbour, with it’s little boats bumping together.
“Lager or cider?” he barked, as I leapt nimbly into the freezing water, my thoughts only of home.
Sadly, the pink velour tracksuit I had chosen to wear, quickly became waterlogged, dragging me deeper and deeper into the abyss…

II) She couldn’t resist the idea of being perched aboard a yacht, clutching a pina colada, or something equally classy. But being stone cold sober and in a state of shock, words failed the former glamour model, as she climbed aboard the good ship ‘petit pois’. The aperitifs consisted of cans rather than bottles - not a drop of bubbly in sight. There was only one thing for it. If only she hadn’t been wearing a huge pink sponge!

III) “Fetch me a drink, Mr. B…” she crooned, breathing a huge sigh of relief as the ageing car salesman disappeared below decks. What to do? What to do? She looked wildly about her for a means of escape. There were plenty of other boats in the harbour, but most of them even more ridiculous than this so-called yacht she had been invited onto, by that fiend in human shape, Adrian Barnard, or Mr. Boneyard, as she had mentally renamed him.
“Lager or cider?” he bellowed. She rolled her eyes. Just when she had thought things couldn’t get any worse! There wasn’t any point in answering. She had to act now and fast, or her entire evening would be in ruins. And what, she pondered in horror - what if someone were to see her aboard this crate, clutching a can of Strongbow, making inane chit-chat with a man who could barely speak? That was it. Her mind was made up.

Adrian Barnard appeared on deck just in time to see his date disappearing over the edge of his boat and into the harbour.

“Pookie…!” he screamed in alarm.
“Pookie! Don’t worry, I’ll save you…!”

Sunset yesterday (31 05 10)

Earlier yesterday evening the prospects for a good sunset looked good but then cloud quickly came in from the west. Hardcore sunset watchers were rewarded with a last minute turnaround however and a spectacular finish to the day. Thanks to Tommy for the pictures.

NSC open day pictures

NSC pictures have now been put on line by Bratach

Right wing press gunning for Danny?

So Danny Alexander didn't pay some tax because he knew how to slip through a loop-hole. Anyone else in Nairn ever done that? The Telegraph and now the Mail seem to be taking pot-shots at him. Are they simply trying to attack the ConDem coalition however? Their tactics to undermine Danny might be having some effect if you analyse a few 'vox pops' in the Inverness Courier today. Danny's meteoric rise to political fame is obviously a double edged-sword and his career will obviously either proceed magnificently or he'll crash to the ground if the wings melt from flying too close to the sun. Interesting times.

Today the Mail states:

'New Treasury minister Danny Alexander has charged taxpayers more than £13,000 for his wife to make 62 journeys between London and Scotland.
The Chief Secretary, who stepped in after David Laws resignation for abusing his expenses, ran up the highest bill of any MP for using the little-known perk last year.
Mr Alexander's wife, 35-year-old magazine writer Rebecca Hoar, used public money to travel between Westminster and their family home in the North-East Highlands.
The average cost of the trips – by rail and by air – between London and Inverness was £209'

Full article here.

Big deal, he's trying to lead a normal family life between the big city and Aviemore where he has his first home. If the right-wing press have any real dirt on Danny then they should put up or shut up.

Here in Nairn there are those who are upset that they voted for Danny and received a Tory government, that will be the first hurdle that Danny and his fellow LibDems have to get over and of course Nairn LibDemmery has to answer for its part in sacking Liz MacDonald. Of course no one knows just how the coming brutal cuts will pan out over the next few years. With ConDem Danny, one of the chief lumberjacks now and LibDems in Glenurquhart Road preparing for the massacre that lies ahead then ultimately that party might suffer badly every time Nairnites go near a ballot box.