Friends of the Ochils Newsletter 18: Spring 2001
Ochil projections
BACK IN EARLY 2000, it was decided to attempt to raise public awareness of FotO by means of an illustrated talk aimed at any interested group or organisation. To this end, 60-plus slides of varied views of the Ochils (predominantly of the southern aspect, it must be admitted) were borrowed from such as Phil Seale of Cumbernauld and David Gordon our inestimable treasurer. An accompanying script was prepared, the writer was appropriately flattered into agreeing to front the show (he's a gullible soul) - and, after purchasing hardware in the shape of a nifty projector and screen, we were in business.
Well, almost. You see, I'm quite happy talking about my own Ochils patch, but show me something outside the immediate environs of Castle Law, Dumyat and the Kips and I become vague to say the least. So, with the date of the AGM fast approaching (at which it had been decided to launch the FotO slideshow on a captive and unsuspecting audience), I was in need of some serious coaching. The other members of the newsletter subgroup - editor Dave Hewitt and secretary David Robertson - rallied round, and after a couple of rehearsals, some tea/coffee and a lot of biscuits, it was felt I was fit to be released on a suitably demure and amenable public ... of a type found at our AGMs. Came the day and came the hour - and, really, it went pretty well. Kind words and comments were in the majority and, having safely cleared this first hurdle, I looked on those to come with a suitably modest degree of confidence.
Inevitably, most groups kind enough to invite me to talk are going to be on the elderly side - not inclined to race up and down the Ochils on the strength of our slideshow. This is borne out by the fact that, AGM apart, I've only addressed one outfit given to walking the hills. Still, there's nothing wrong with this; we are, after all, trying to interest others in what we do and it doesn't matter whether the voice lending us its support is young, old or in between. There's another advantage in talking to older people: they have, in many cases, anecdotal knowledge of things that happened in and around the Ochils years ago.
For instance, in February, I was invited to a meeting of the Alva Ladies' Club and, at the point in the show where a sequence of about four shots of Alva Glen occurs, I went into my routine of reminiscing about the days of the highly popular Alva Glen illuminations - something I remember quite well having attended them on more than one occasion. They took place in the 1950s, round about September/October time - when the nights were drawing in and the often quite spectacular lights showed to greater advantage. I speculated on when and why they ceased as an entertainment and was immediately given the answer - "1956" and "a lack of facilities". It would appear the Illuminations became so popular that Alva was swamped by busloads of tourists each weekend for the duration of the spectacle. Bear in mind that the social attitudes of the 1950s were very different from those of today. The great majority of the trippers flooding in to Alva for "the lights" wouldn't have dreamt of going anywhere near a pub, so those needin' the lavvy had to make use of Alva's hopelessly inadequate public "facilities". Not surprisingly, those overcome by desperation resorted to discreet or indiscreet means of personal relief, to the outrage of the good citizens of Alva. Predictably, the lights were soon to go out forever.
Will the slideshows lead to an increase in our membership? I don't know, but they can't do any harm and at least I'm enjoying them ... so far.