snorbens_caleyman

The windsock for the airport.

5 hours ago, Caley Mad In Berks said:

Bit off topic but reading that these cars were owned by a Dr Kerr, it reminded me that, in my youth, a Dr Kerr lived in a very imposing house on high ground at the junction of Culduthel Road and Old Edinburgh road, (just at the top of the hill at the top of Castle Street).  I remember it because it had a cannon in its garden pointing roughly in the direction of the castle.  Anyone else recall this house?  Just wondered if it might be the same family of Kerrs.

I used to live up Culduthel Road, so I do of course know it.

Another thing about the house is the observatory-like dome on it. When I was in Inverness about 6 weeks ago, I noticed that the sun was glinting off the dome - I don't think I'd ever seen that before.  The picture below won't win any awards - I have a cheap phone and it was into the sun - but here you are anyway!

10 hours ago, Charles Bannerman said:

I don't know who originally registered ST1 but by the 60s it had got into the acquisitive hands of ex-Provost Robert Wotherspoon...  It was said that the company that produced The Saint tried to buy ST1 off him for use in the programme but he wasn't selling although he gave permission for the number to be used.

My Mum used to work at M&Js, and said that whenever the Saint's car was being taken on the road for filming - usually in the leafy lanes around Elstree, just down the road from where I am now - they used to phone to find out where the real ST1 was, in case of confusion. One was a big black Bentley saloon, and the other was a white Volvo P1800 sports car - so there wasn't much scope for confusion!

RW also used to own JS1, the first Ross & Cromarty plate, and M&Js staff were under standing instructions to decline politely whenever a certain Mr Savile used to phone up to try to buy it.

Thanks, Charles. 

My Dad always referred to Lamont Graham as Scoobs, never Scoobies, so it seems odd to me to see that name.  Probably everyone except my Dad called him Scoobies!

Thanks, bughtmaster.  It was "Herb" that I wasn't sure about, and Bill rings a bell with me. 

I wonder who Herb was. Sadly there's no one I can ask.

Can't see any new signings being made until everyone knows who the manager will be next season.  And that's (probably) not going to happen overnight.

15 minutes ago, oats said:

... surely he knew the budget before he signed his contract, so to them come out and complain seems stupid. He made his position untenable at that point 

Indeed. Almost sounds like a cunning plan to exit with a payoff.

Three short, silent films of BB activities in days gone by. They were on a videotape which belonged to my late father, John (Jock) Smith of the 5th company, and which I have recently digitised.  I hope that they will be of interest to some of you here.

Inverness Battalion Camp - Carrbridge, 1950 - 11 minutes.  The only person that I recognise is my father, ducking his head at 09:34-09:35 as the camera sweeps along the line of people.

Inverness Battalion Camp - Carrbridge, 1953 - 6.5 minutes.

• 01:16 - Lamont Graham - Scoobs - walking backwards, directing the litter pickers
• 02:13 - line-up of officers includes Scoobs, Herb MacDonald?, George Fraser, Ian (Flash) Reid and Jimmy Robertson
• 06:14 - Scoobs again, watching the cricket

Inverness Battalion 50th Anniversary - New Colours and Church Parade - 04 & 05 June 1960 - 5 minutes

Ironically, the most recent film has the worst quality of the three. It looks like there was a parade to and display at the Northern Meeting Park, followed next day by a march past at the Town House and a service in the Methodist church on Union Street. I don't recognise anyone in it.

I don't have any more films like this.  I have many large boxes of still photographs which I intend to digitise over the coming months (years, probably), so if I find anything which may be of interest I'll post it here.

Garry Smith

1 hour ago, caleyboy said:

Ya beauty! Was that before or after the live greyhound race with Mapples at half time.

On more than one occasion I watched him weave his way into the box... and then fall flat on his face.

Sorry for going off topic here.

11 hours ago, Charles Bannerman said:

Yes I remember you well Garry. Red hair, lived in Culduthel Rd, sister called Judy, dad called John who - like mine - was involved in the Boys' Brigade?

Grey hair now, live in St Albans (Snorbens), sister is still called Judi, and my Dad died about 13 years ago. He had a long association with the 5th BB - in fact he decided it was time to resign as an officer when I reached BB age.

He was also secretary of Thistle for a couple of years in the late 60s, and I played the records on match-days at Kingsmills during that time. They wouldn't let me do the announcements because my voice hadn't broken. Although my heart was with Caley, it was great for a young kid to see a football club from the inside, and to watch Thistle turn into a free-scoring goal machine - Tony Fraser, Ian Stephen, Johnny Cowie, Bobby McLean, et al. My Dad didn't get on with Jock McDonald, so he resigned after a couple of seasons, before the Jags actually won the league.

Dragging this back on topic, Dad worked for the Highland Health Board, so my first golf, before I joined IGC, was round the mountainous course at the Craig.  The only course where you needed crampons rather than spikes!

13 hours ago, 12th Man said:

I once saw a drunk bloke throw his pie but it disintegrated over spectators before it reached the pitch, like a meteor breaking up in the atmosphere but with out the flames, or the spectacular lights, or the noise, or trail that follows, 

My late father used to talk about a supposed actual event at Grant Street Park.

The stand-side lineman felt something strike his shoulder, and when he glanced down, he saw something roughly circular on the ground. He assumed it was a pie ... until it started to move off.

Someone had lobbed a live tortoise at him.

34 minutes ago, Tichy_Blacks_Back said:

I assume these are modern photos of the same 6th green shown in the 1983 photograph with a hedge at the back of the 7th tee box?

Looks like it, though I have not been down there for 25 or more years.

Originally, the burn meandered along the right-hand side of the 8th almost as far as the green. It crossed the 9th just in front of the tee. You didn't have to cross the burn to reach the 6th green.

In the 70s, they straightened out the burn - and turned it into a raging torrent - and constructed a new 6th green so that you had to pitch across the burn to reach it. The burn then crossed the 9th at the bottom of the slope leading up to that green.

1 hour ago, Charles Bannerman said:

Schooldays 1968-74? Assuming you are not Laurie Chancellor himself, did you play at Culcabock at all with Laurie?

Oh dear, it's like when you used to catch me coming in late. 

My name is Garry Smith and I did play golf quite a bit with Laurie, including in the IRA team.  I last met Laurie, and his wife Tina who was also a classmate, at the IGC Xmas Eve dinner back in December.

I was in the same year as Laurie, Billy Urquhart, Dave Milroy, et al - and also one IHE, who I'm pretty sure won't remember me.

On 08/05/2016 at 0:11 PM, Tichy_Blacks_Back said:

... Interestingly none of the trees that run along the burn or elsewhere on the course today appear to have been planted yet in the old photograph.

Those trees have had a chequered past! The IGC centenary booklet doesn't contain many pictures, but it does contain three of approximately the same area, around the 6^th, 7^th and 8^th. (I acknowledge the violation of copyright – IGC please forgive me.)

The first picture below, from 1912, shows the 6^th green and the burn. In the distance, on the left, is Old Mill Lane and what is now the 8^th tee, featured in the pictures earlier in this thread. In 1912, IGC did not own the land on the other side of the burn, hence the reference to the “original course boundary wall”.

The 1920 picture below is from near the 7^th green, above and to the right of the women teeing off in TBB's original picture. The trees are still there.

Chronologically, the next picture is TBB's original picture of the women teeing off. I am not a fashion expert, but guess that it is from the 1930s. In that picture, the trees are gone.

Now fast forward to 1983. Young trees are growing along the burn, and presumably these are now the mature trees in TBB's colour picture.

I played at Culcabock mostly during my secondary school years, 1968-74. During that time, the club planted lots of trees around the course – including between the 1^st and 18^th, on the 3^rd, 4th and 5^th, and in the angle between the 6^th and the 7^th. At the time, they were in fenced-off plantations from which you got a free drop, but nowadays you'd just have to play out. Frankly, the course now looks terrifying compared to the one that I used to hack around!

2 hours ago, Tichy_Blacks_Back said:

The opening of the temporary Culcabock golf club course at the Longman (source: Am Baile) - Am Baile states 1895 but the course was opened in 1893 according to Inverness Golf Club history page

1895 is correct but I think that may be at Culcabock.  I have the centenary booklet that Inverness Golf Club produced in 1983, and here's what I have found. 

The club had originally started at Culcabock, but they set up the Longman course because they didn't have enough land at Culcabock.

The Longman course was opened on 15th April 1893, and a clubhouse at the Longman was opened on 16th March 1895.

However, "the end of this year [1895] also saw a clubhouse built and formally opened at Culcabock." The booklet contains a much poorer reproduction of the Am Baile picture above, labelled "Opening of first Clubhouse Culcabock 1895".

So it looks as though by the end of 1895 they had two clubhouses, one at the Longman and one at Culcabock. The booklet later refers to "expenditure on the clubhouses at Culcabock and the Longman", so whoever wrote it definitely believed that they had two.

The club later acquired more land at Culcabock, building a new clubhouse there in 1908 to replace the clubhouse which had existed for only 13 years.

Yup - that's the 8th tee, in the south-west corner of the course. The photographer was standing on Old Mill Lane.  That's the clubhouse on Culcabock Road above the seated woman.

32 minutes ago, Caley Mad In Berks said:

.... But, now we can relax for last four games ....

It was indeed a massive result, and a much needed three points.  But everyone has been saying "Beat Killie and we are safe!".

Unless I am missing something, we still need one more point to be absolutely sure.  If Killie won their last four games they would have 44 - but our goal difference is much better. Unlikely, I know, but so are Leicester City...

Am I missing something?

"There is a monster in Loch Ness, A fact ye cannae hide,
It's got mair curves than a movie star,
An a wiggle three miles wide
An a wiggle three miles wide"

Carried the graffiti "Here lies Hector, belted by the Rector".

Room 36 or 37 ?? - next to the Rector's office.  Mr Dougherty - who drove a Borgward Isabella, IIRC - tried to teach me English there.  We had a mutual loathing, so fortunately it was for only one year.

4 hours ago, Alex MacLeod said:

If we dont want to keep Brill why are we giving him development league time?

To put him in the shop window?

Not even Liam's Frankenstein impersonation could cheer up the Staggies' fans on Saturday.

9 hours ago, IBM said:

....  A lot of interest at Benzies sale...

Benzies summer sale - and just look at the weather!

Plus you could help yourself to a baby from the selection parked outside in prams.

My wife - not in Inverness - was once left like that. Shortly after she was born, her Mum was out shopping - arrived home thinking "I know I've forgotten something", and then remembered "****!  I've got a baby!".

Was there nearly 30 years ago!   Unfortunately it was a Wednesday, and most of the place was shut - and we were going home the next day. 

I remember that parts of it did remind me of Sneck - I remember an Argyle Street. The only souvenirs we got were a couple of baseball caps from the local store.

I'll let other folks figure out where it is.

Another reason why it's not going to happen is that Hughes and Rice are signed until the end of the 2017-18 season.

Sack them now and we wouldn't be able to afford a new manager or any new players.