iain

Members of the Saturday Club should note that we will be restarting after the school holidays on Saturday 25th August.  The Club lasts from 11am – 12noon.

One of our larger ongoing expenses is illumination of the showcases, both electricity and replacement lamps.  We have a scheme whereby supporters of the Museum may ‘Adopt-a-Showcase’ to give us direct, practical and valuable help. This costs £30 annually and we acknowledge the donor in the specific showcase.If you would like to know which showcases would be available to support, please contact us on 01397 702169 or at info@westhighlandmuseum.org.uk.Payment may be through the drop-down menu buy-button at the foot of the Membership page or you could ensure ongoing support by direct debit.Please consider it!

All members should note that our Annual General Meeting will be held in St Andrew’s Church  Hall, Bank Street, Fort William at 5.00 pm on Thursday 31st May 2012.Potential new members will be welcome

After completing some alterations and making some changes, we are open for the rest of the year. The modified entrance and open retail area gives a very different, welcoming atmosphere  which which we know you will enjoy – come to visit us soon!

Well known in Lochaber, being married to Andrew Foggo and as Business Manager with the Fort William Branch of the Bank of Scotland for 25 years, she is actively involved in cycling.  She has competed in mountain biking races and on road and is a member of the West Highland Wheelers.She brings local knowledge combined with her enthusiasm and looks forward to the challenge of the job!

At a meeting of the Trustees on 24 November 2011, the painting by Henry Tanworth Wells, “Letters and News at the Lochside”, was discussed. Last year the Trustees had considered the sale of the painting, which currently hangs in Arisaig House, to raise funds for the Museum – to acquire land for access to build an extension.Richard Sidgwick, Chairman of the Trustees reported that “when the decision to sell was made at the end of last year, we were unaware both of the strength of local feeling and the perception of its importance as part of the Museum’s collection, for which we can only apologise”. For those reasons, we have decided to reverse the decision to sell and are looking again at our long held view that we do not wish to displace existing exhibits to make the necessary space available.Display of the painting in the Museum, or in a planned extension, will secure its long term future and it will be appreciated by the thirty thousand visitors that we are now able to anticipate annually.We have been in touch with the secretary of the Community Council and the owner of Arisaig House. There are no immediate plans to remove the painting and, as previously promised, nothing will change until we fully discuss the position with Arisaig Community Council.”

The Museum will be closing for some essential works for the months of January and February. We will reopen in March next year and anticipate an embryonic Commando Exhibition. More information to followhellip;hellip;

Our 1997 “Longest Strip the Willow in the West” DVD is now available!The “Strip theWillow” was organised to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Museum, just as we reopened after a major refurbishment.Were you one of the 3,000 on the High Street on 23rd May 1997 when Fort William danced the night away on a perfect May evening?Did you hear the kilted gentleman in Cameron Square, who should know, proudly observe “This is the best band to have played in this Square for one hundred years”?Did you see the two grinning Japanese girls who asked “Is it like this every night inFortWilliam”?For all those who were there – and for many who wish they had been – this is a must – and this years DVD is available for purchase at the Museum for £8.

At the end of January we will say goodbye to our Curator/Manager Mairi – who has overseen the major changes in the Museum over the last year. Mairi is taking off travelling and we wish her all the very best.We are presently in the recruitment process for her replacement.

All members and volunteers will shortly receive their invitation to an evening at the Museum for the “premiere” of a DVD made in 1997 at the time of the Museum’s 75th Anniversary. Three thousand people gathered in Fort William’s High Street on that occasion  and by courtesy of the families of the original producers we are able to revisit that memorable night  both for the Museum and the town of Fort William. The “Longest Strip theWillow in the West” DVD will be available for purchase @ £8.Cheese and wine will be served and we are very pleased that, after the DVD, Ian Abernethy will take us on a visual tour ofFortWilliam’s High Street in times past. Please pen the date in your diary – we all look forward to seeing you.The evening is free to Members and volunteers but non members are very welcome if accompanied by a small entrance fee or a large donation!