The latest news from Tong, Upper Coll, Coll, Vatisker, Back and Gress
COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR 2022
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Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed the festive period; however you spent it. After a couple of miserable Saturdays, which forced the unfortunate cancellation of the popular Santa Run, in the lead up to Christmas, we’ve enjoyed some quite unbelievable weather. Is this one of the best winters in recent memory?
What are your hopes and plans for 2024? Our dreams for another appearance at the Highlands and Islands Media Awards were dashed in December, as we missed out on a nomination this time round. However, we wish those who were picked all the best. We’ll be rooting for our friends in Harris as their paper Dè Tha Dol? has been selected for the shortlist for the first time. We’ll try again next year!
Looking ahead, we are feeling optimistic. The last few issues have been fit to burst with content and I do think we published some of the best-ever issues of the paper last year. However, our sales have been down a bit, and we’re keen to find out why. If you have any suggestions on what we can improve on or add that would make more people pick up a copy, do let us know.
We’ve recently welcomed two new members to the LATN team: Dawn Morrison (nee Maclean) has joined our committee and will be helping in the first instance organise the hardback binding of some more of our past volumes, copies of which will be presented to both local schools in due course, to add to their libraries. This is a tradition that has been in place since the inception of the newspaper, and we are happy to carry it on. We also welcome Catherine Macdonald (‘Bubbles’) as the latest correspondent to cover the Tong patch. Please send all your Tong village news to Catherine—her contact details are on the right.
I’ve been asked a couple of times in recent weeks how much we charge to put something in the magazine…the answer is—and always has been—absolutely nothing! The only thing we charge for is business adverts, and we are very grateful to those who choose to advertise with us. It helps keep our price as low as possible, so that everyone can access the paper for as low a cost as possible. We only raise our price when we really have to (for example, if our printing starts to cost more). So, wedding photos, new baby photos, birthday photos, graduation photos, anniversary photos and everything else is entirely FREE to submit! Our aim is to capture what is going on in the area and record it for future generations to look back on. We do not aim to create a treasury—any small amount of money we do make goes towards things like the book binding of past volumes to donate to the schools, small contributions to other local endeavours (e.g. the Gaisgich Sgìre a’ Bhac book) and any travel costs we incur to attend things like the media awards, and of course the day-to-day costs like software subscriptions. So, there’s nothing stopping you putting in that daft photo of your aunty on her 18th birthday or sticking in your favourite pet pic to Pet Corner. Go on, I dare you!
On that note, I will make another appeal for old photos. Our cache of old photos is very low now, so please do send us some more (preferably ones that haven’t appeared in these pages before). Some tips on how to submit are below.
HOW TO GET THEM TO US? Scan and email is the best way. If you are unable to scan them yourself, we can do it for you and return the photos immediately. Sometimes, it is even OK to take a photo of the picture with a good mobile phone—a scanner might not even be needed! Make sure there is adequate lighting, the picture is on a flat surface and there are no shadows. If you ARE able to scan or photograph them yourself, please email the files (at as high a resolution as possible) to the Editor at latneditor2@outlook.com
If you ARE NOT able to scan or photograph them yourself, please send an email to the above address to arrange pick-up or drop-off with the Editor; alternatively, you may contact your village correspondent for help.
We require DETAILS of the photos you are submitting—as many as possible
Preferably, all the names of those in the photos, addresses or village names, location and year (even if it’s an estimate), and the circumstances in which it was taken.
Patronymics (nicknames) on their own are not ideal—please include proper names and nicknames where possible. Do not assume we know who is in the picture!
We would especially welcome old photos from Tong as we rarely receive any, and all the other villages as well.
Jayne
This is an excerpt from the latest issue. Pick one up from your local stockist, or if you want Loch a Tuath News delivered to your door, why don’t you subscribe?
Tong Recreation Association (TRA) and Back Community Council are excited to announce the appointment of a new Community Development Officer.