Friday 22 April

Another clear if chilly day.
All the group meet for breakfast at 9.00 and Graham offers to store our unneeded items while we are on the island- offer gratefully accepted.
Head off into the lovely town of Oban where we again meet up with some of the youngsters attending the wedding.
Renew our acquaintance with old friends, Doug and Jan Forson from Edinburgh and meet for the first time Andrew and Jan McMorrine who hail from Skye and will be sharing the house on Colonsay.
Big buy- up of food and drink,especially the latter then off to the jetty for the 2 hour trip to Colonsay.
Sea like a millpond and we have the added bonus of seeing The Waverley, the last remaining paddle steamer in operation in this area.
Doug has made arrangements for the soon-to-be bride and groom to visit the bridge, a real highlight for them.
Arrive in Colonsay to be met by a large crowd and a young piper, Lewis who pipes the couple on shore. More of the remarkable Lewis later.
Ian and Trina take us off to Machrins, our home for the next week, where we meet up with the other guests.
Our house mates for the week are:
Ian and Trina
Doug and Jan
Andrew and Jan
Donald and Helen Warden ( Oxford)
Jimmy and Janet Primrose ( The isle of Arran )
Jimmy and Donald are old schoolmates of Ian so it should be a rather raucous week!
Much booze drunk sitting around the kitchen table,including yours truly but when Ian arrives back at the house I decide to retire, but not before Jan McMorrine appears, Lady Macbeth-like to scold us for making such a racket at that ungodly hour.
This reprimand is all to no avail and Andrew, Ian, the Forsons and Donald continue their rebellious ways until 1.00 am ( one of our earlier nights as it later turns out!)

Saturday 23rd April 


WEDDING DAY!

Cold windy day to start with but thankfully dry.
Up by 6.30 for early shower and then off to Machrins Bay near to the golf course.
After lunch get  into our wedding attire and drive out to the beautiful Killoran Bay, the site of the wedding ceremony and Gail prepares herself for her role as chief photographer ( ably assisted by many others)
All going to plan when Ian drops off the first of the bridesmaids in the bridal car, a suitably bedecked Land Rover Discovery. Drama ensues when the mobiliser on the Discovery malfunctions and Ian is forced to evacuate the vehicle, rear end first with his kilt on. Sadly, there was no camera on hand to record this momentous event but it should provide fodder for any number of apochryphal stories in the future.
Wonderful, joyous ceremony overlooking the beach,after which we all adjourn to the Colonsay Hotel for a superb buffet-style meal.
Weather now perfect so many guests take the opportunity to eat out on the hotel lawns.
Short stop back at Machrins and then to the Village Hall for a Ceilidh.
Good speeches all round although noise from the adjacent kitchen made parts of them inaudible to some older guests (such as DFI ). MC for the evening, Andrew McMorrine was at his polished, amusing, best
although his calling on the father of the bride 3 times ( after Ian had already spoken ) somewhat blotted his copy book. ( he had meant to say father of the groom but got his sexes mixed up )
Fantastic band and much participation in the very energetic Scottish dancing.
I win a bottle of quality malt whisky by getting my gold coin closest to the bottle and as I don't drink scotch the signs of affection from my fellow house guests increase markedly, especially from Donald Warden. They noticeably waned as the bottle started to empty during the course of the week!
Home at a relatively respectable hour after a memorable day.

Sunday 24th April


Another fine day so a group of us set off to the beautiful Ardskenish Bay. Gail stays back to help Trina with food preparation.
Back by 2.00 just in time to join all of the other guests for a BBQ in the garden at Machrins. Gavin from the local Pantry cafe had arranged for a marquee, which came in very handy as the day turned decidedly chilly later in the day.
We all retire to the lounge for a very cosy evening get-together in front of an open fire.
Much reminiscing, mouth-organ music from Andrew Mac and LOTS of alcohol made for a memorable evening, interrupted only by Ian and Trina's nephew, Alex bringing in a worse-for-wear American fiancee, Mallory who had come down with some sort of rash and was feeling very fragile. She recovers quite quickly and we all conclude that the fragility was most likely the result of jetlag combined with the demon alcohol.
Not in bed before 1.00 and learn later that Doug and Andrew Mac had stayed up till after 3.00!