During renovations carried out at Patmore's house, Acha Farm, this past year, a crumpled and torn page of The Oban Times was found lining the drawer of an old chest.

The date was March 24 1951. Mr and Mrs Patmore found very interesting things to read by the side of Patmore's meticulously hand-built brick fireplace by the light of electricity, while the rest of the island read the same copy by oil or gas lamp, that no doubt, dark and stormy night. For Patmore was the first ever to have a wind generator on the Isle of Coll. He came as handyman to the Castle, his wife nannie to the last Laird of Coll.

The most talked about item throughout the island must have been the announcement of the sale by public roup of the `well known grazing farm of Caolis, Isle of Coll (670 acres or thereby), together with the Island of Gunna (approx. 260 acres) and 28 acres of the moss lands of Friesland.'

The holdings are described as constituting the best grazing subjects in the West of Scotland on which sheep and cattle can be grazed throughout the year without hand feeding and "There is good rough Shooting on the Farm and a bag of wild geese, snipe, woodcock, wild duck, partridges, hares and rabbits can be obtained.'

"The assessed rental, without shooting rights, was £150, the feu duty 12/6d and the casualties had been redeemed. There was a standard stipend of £10 l9s 5d. Upset price £4,000.

A sad end to the charismatic life and career of Buchanan Campbell, last Laird of Caolis. Bon viveur (except latterly when he became almost a recluse, eating out of tins directly) and gambler he ended his days in reduced circumstances but not without wry intelligence.

He had his newspaper sent by post from the mainland; this meant that the postman had to deliver even if there were no other letters or parcels.

(This was the same Buchanan Campbell whose remains turned Hughie and Chrissie back to Oban for a further two days of honeymoon described in last year's issue.)

Other items of interest in that particular edition of The Oban Times ranged from the selling of a fruit and vegetable business in a `seaside town' for £2000 to a Dept of Agriculture announcement advising farmers to apply for grants for `petrol driven Agricultural Machines' immediately if not having done so already.

The Cinema House, George Street, Oban, was showing `John Doe... Dynamite' starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. The Highlands and Islands Film Guild was touring with `Kidnapped' and `Challenge to Lassie', `Adam's Rib' and `Private Angelo'. Sadly the list of locations is torn off so there is no knowing which film Coll enjoyed in the Village Hall, Willie Breacachadh doing his level best to get the reels in order.

Ah, those days of cold feet, flickering screen and ear shattering sound tracks...

Finally it must be recorded that Coll was in advance of her sister island, Tiree, as usual. The renewal of the Coll Hotel licence was granted unopposed. The owner of the Scarinish Hotel, Tiree, was granted a new licence. `This is the first time anyone can remember the island holding a licence.' Well, legally that is...