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History
The 1980's
by Donnie Mackenzie Cheese and Wines, Summer Balls and Street Fayres were typical fund-raisers, but the annual mainstays were, from 1973, the Christmas Bazaar (ended in 1986) and the 200 Club (still in existence). Also in 1980 the Carlton Tavern won the initial RNIB Pile of Pennies competition. This fund-raiser was held every two years until 1999 and has raised over £25,000 in subsequent years.
Table celebrated its Tenth Charter Anniversary in March 1982 in the Cabarfeidh Hotel (attended by 122). That year a BBQ was held inside Chairman lain Maclean's warehouse due to inclement weather. The beefburgers and drams were going down well when the fire-brigade came to investigate the large palls of smoke drifting along the centre of Stornoway. After that, BBQ'S were for many years usually held in the car-hire dealers' barn and involved the annual 'mucking-out'.
One of the advantages of Stornoway Tabling has been the existence of our own bar in the County Hotel, Seaforth Hotel, Royal Hotel, Caledonian Hotel and now in the Cabarfeidh Hotel. Table purchases its drinks supplies from the Hotel, a change originated in 1982, and would you believe, in the early years it actually used to make a profit.
In August 1983 Tablers set forth on another overland and overnight sponsored walk, carrying on a tradition of that era which included climbing the Clisham. The group, raising cash for the Highland Scanner, wished they had a radar scanner as the Chairman (Malcolm Macdonald) directed them to spend a night on the rocks at Hamnaway instead of Kinlochresort. The following years walk with Phil Smith, John Kerr, Donnie Mackenzie and Malcolm Macdonald to Hamnaway involved Donnie and Malcolm having a fall-out with Phil. They got lost and if there had been mobile phones in those days they would have called out the helicopter! They ended up at Amhuinnsuidhe Castle , paying a local £5 to give them a car ride to Tarbert. Without their expected lift to Stornoway they then had to thumb a lift to Balallan, walking to Laxay. Phil didn't consider it necessary to pick up his fellow Tablers and as a result Table fellowship was well and truly tested to the limit.
The Laxdale Well restoration was the community project in 1984 and Table hosted a party of Swiss Hornblowers as it tried to re-establish itself after losing so many able and experienced Tablers through retirement. A trip to Skye was called for - and the 10th Charter there in November certainly sorted out the men from the boys! Passports and drams in the Clydesdale Mobile at 9.00 am , followed by a trip to Talisker Distillery. A number of Stornoway Tablers were still in their kilts at breakfast!
The new boys continued to revel in the type of evening synonymous to Stornoway - sea and loch fishing, rifle and clay pigeon shooting, Lifeboat trips, yachting trips, helicopter trips and even raft racing. The majority of meetings however involve speakers, visits to local attractions, pub quizzes and business meetings. The business meetings are renowned for their high quality of debate and volume and new members quickly realise the intensity and seriousness of how the Table conducts its business.
On the active front in 1987 a relay was run from Tarbert to Stornoway which asked the public to guess the time likely to be taken. With guesses like 24 hours, 3 days, 2 weeks etc. the norm, the line was crossed one hour before even the most optimistic of punters had envisaged. The sight of Chairman Ali Mackinnon in 'cut-off' jeans (he couldn't afford a pair of shorts) lives long in the memory along with him trying to prove that you can drink and run. The event raised almost £2,000 to assist with the seeing up of the local committee of the Macmillan Cancer Relief Fund.
The 70's
The 90's
The 00's
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