Excerpts from issue 44/22 19 August

tractor at sealladh na mara

Sealladh na Mara resident, Peter Stewart, delighted the children on his street on Show Day by bringing his tractor home after winning third place in the best Vintage Tractor section at the Show Field. All the children poured out of their houses to sit on the tractor and Peter kindly and readily gave them all a chance to sit in the driving seat.

Photo:Robin Morton

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Going away

Ileach editor, Katherine Wells writes
When I sat down to write my 'incoming Editor' article in January of this year, I never expected to be sitting down again so soon to write my 'outgoing Editor' piece. It is with a very heavy heart that I leave this full-time position that I had been waiting patiently in the wings for, since I started as relief Editor in 2014. But life takes some unexpected turns sometimes and mine is currently taking my family and I to pastures new, some 400 miles away from Islay. And apparently that's too much of a commute.
My time at the Ileach has certainly taught me a lot - and not just about bikes, although they have featured highly in my education. What I have learnt most about is human nature. I have learnt the truth in the saying, "You can't please all the people all the time."
There are some people who seem to enjoy making life hard for others, but those people are not to be awarded much thought. A few months ago I would have dwelt on the criticism and nasty remarks, but there have been so many more people who have been hugely supportive and encouraging that the good far outweighs the bad.
Islay is full of these good people and I have noticed more recently than I have for a long time how nice it is to be able to to walk down a street and say "Hello" to several people by name. I am just over a week away from a move to a village where only seven people know my name (and three of them are my husband and sons) which makes me all the more aware of the comfort in familiarity we have on Islay.
Living in the community of Sealladh na Mara where all the children play freely together, has shown me the value of good neighbours as a mum of two young boys, something I also experienced as a child growing up in Port Charlotte.
Although I will miss Islay and its people being an everyday part of our lives, the new neighbours and friends, opportunities and experiences that await us are incredibly exciting, not least the fact that Asda is only ten miles away (no offence, Charles).
So, despite the best efforts of our family and friends to change our minds, we will be starting our new chapter in Lincolnshire this month and I hand the Editor's hot seat over to Scott MacCallum, who will be made more than welcome by, quite possibly, the nicest office of staff I have ever hadÊthe pleasure of being part of.
Thank you all for your support.

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Chloe Wood done good
chloe wood

Local girl, Chloe Wood from Octofad, has been employed at Bruichladdich Distillery since 2014 and is all set for a promotion that will take her to the other side of the world.
Having worked her way up from being a Tour Guide, 22 year old Chloe is currently working as Brand Academy Host, welcoming around 350 guests each year, including Remy Cointreau staff and distributors, to Bruichladdich Distillery to learn about the processes of making and selling Bruichladdich's whisky and gin products.
Having always had ambition to travel, dealing with people on a daily basis from around the globe cemented Chloe's determination to see the world, and when the opportunity came to travel and continue doing the job she loves, she leapt at it.
The position for Brand Ambassador for Asia Pacific was advertised externally and attracted applications from around the world, with Chloe securing the contract which will see her leave Islay for Singapore in September.
She will have a month's handover period with Murray Campbell who will return to Glasgow, remaining within the company and then Chloe will be part of the Remy hub in Singapore, taking care of markets in places including Vietnam, Thailand and Australia.
English is the first language in Singapore, but Chloe hopes to learn Mandarin, and will also have a translator to work with if need be.
Chloe said, "It's a big step for me, but I am super-excited about it. I have met some of the people I will be working with when they came to the Academy on Islay so it will be good to see familiar faces. I will still have the same managers and they have all been so supportive and encouraging to me."
Having never travelled to Asia before, Chloe is showing no hesitation in moving so far from home and says that although her parents would like her to be closer, they are "super-proud and excited."
Bruichladdich Distillery is known for its good record of internal promotion, with the current Head Distiller, Adam Hannett, being a good example of this. He, too, started as a tour guide before moving through the ranks to Head Distiller.

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Polar Explorers

Polar Explorers were seen all over Port Ellen last week as the Scripture Union team came to Islay for their 5th summer beach mission. Children had fun exploring bible stories and learning how to leave a kingdom footprint wherever they go, with fun, games, songs and crafts, all on an icy theme.
The mission made its presence felt in Port Ellen as usual. There were up to 50 children every day; making merry, sitting in a group solving puzzles or taking part in animated discussions. Organisers said, "the weather was kind to us in spite of the forecasts, and we even managed our Ceilidh on the Beach for parents, children and random passers-by on Friday night. Great fun!"
A new feature this year was our evening Teens Iceberg café, which was a great success, giving the young people a chance to ask questions and chat, with milkshakes and hot chocolates.
The week concluded on Sunday morning with a colourful service in a packed St. John's Church, sharing a flavour of what had been learned about God's love at Polar Explorers.
SU Beach missions began 150 years ago when a man called Josiah Spiers decided to tell children about Jesus on a beach in Wales, and wrote "God Is Love" in the sand there. To commemorate this, on Friday we introduced escape rooms on the beach, with logic puzzles and icy challenges to escape the melting icebergs, which culminated in writing giant letters along the sea front to spell out GOD IS LOVE. The children had great fun digging up secret boxes for clues, getting keys out of ice-cubes and working as a team.
Parents of the children taking part also joined us on the beach to sing Happy Birthday and enjoy the cake!
Scripture Union Beach Mission leaders said, "Once again we thank all those who helped make the week possible. Those who gave so generously in terms of finance, accommodation, food, tray bakes, bikes, craft supplies, and everything else, including making pompoms (snowballs) and props and to all the families who took part in the week. We especially thank people for their prayers and welcoming us back. Thanks to Islay Baptist Church, The Round Church and Port Ellen's St John's Church for their partnership; we couldn't do it without you all
"Here's to next year!"

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NEXT ISSUE ON SALE 2 September 2017

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islay info

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islay community council

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Islay Diary 2017

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