Something For The Weekend - The Oban Times

The sun has got his hat on hip hip hooray and we are getting ready for a bright and brilliant  weekend with banter from the Oban Times crew Kathie, Fiona, Ellis and a little extra input from our IT marvel Stephen Day - accompanied by special guests - the builders!    In this week's podcast Kathie catches up with Angie Bird who, along with a group of other mums and supporters, has been taking a daily dip in the sea this month to raise funds for Oban Toy Cupboard. We also  have musical royalty on the show  in the form of a chart topping tune from Moidart's very own ceilidh king Fergie MacDonald and last but not least Ellis manages to gets a word in - ScottishWord of the Week to be exact.

In this week's Something For The Weekend podcast Kathie, Fiona and Ellis catch up for a dose of banter as Oban re-opens its gates to visitors and travel restrictions across Scotland are lifted. In good humour, THE caravan photo from Ganvan Sands comes up for discussion, Kathie goes for a walk in the magical Ballachuan Woods on Seil with the nature reserve's new voluntary warden Ann McKillop and we also have music from the amazing Gunna Sound who hit the headlines last week after Bob MacIntyre chose their signature tune to play as he made his grand entrance at the National Course in Augusta.

The yolks on Kathie in this week's packed edition after the revelation that she over egged the pudding during some Easter chit chat. Our very own water baby also has a wee blether with volunteer Oban lifeboat member Leonie Mead as the crew gets all ship-shape ready for a surge of visitors heading to our coast as lockdown restrictions ease. Inveraray and District Pipe Band Pipe Major Stuart Liddell gets us in the mood for a very special event happening this weekend while Ellis gets his tongue round another Scottish Word of the Week.

Steevie takes the lead for this week's edition in which we have Kathie and her interview with Sally Weir from Mull Safe and Sound about why it is so good to talk, Fiona has news from Manran who will also be giving us a tune and Ellis presents us with another Scottish Word of the Week. There's also chat about a 'wee fringe' event happening on April 5 …its cutting edge - not to be missed -  Stay tuned!

Something For The Weekend with Kathie, Fiona and Ellis brings you boundless banter and positivity with chat about what will be the best-kept bits of lockdown once we make our exit from restrictions. Also we have giddy gastronomical talk about Easter eggs, without too much name-dropping, Also we have a simply joyful tune from Gaelic Gospel Choir Soisgeul as an uplifting treat to start off your Friday so tuck in and enjoy! Not forgetting, well we almost did, Ellis's Scottish word of the week - Collieshangie.

Despite some off air technical issues Fiona, Kathie, Ellis and Steevie celebrate the latest Covid restriction news in this week's Something for the Weekend broadcast. Ellis lets us know what we will be able to do over the course of the next week while Kathie tells us why her anonymous acquaintance was feeling a bit flushed and Steevie gauns for a dauner. Keep Oban Beautiful's Maurice Wilkins gives us some ideas on how to smarten up the town during the Big Spring Clean and there's music from Heron Valley's Abigail Pryde.

Kathie, Fiona, Ellis and Steevie discuss the latest lockdown restrictions from the comfort of their own homes as Martin fiddles with buttons in the SFTW studio. This week there's drama in Benderloch and Connel as director Mike Rowell reveals a new project that will have everyone talking while our musical interlude showcases a stunning new track by Blazin' Fiddles and the Scottish Folk Orchestra, including many local musicians, in aid of Doddie Weir's MND charity, details of which you can find on the Blazin' Fiddles Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/blazinfiddles/posts/251586163193400

Benderloch and North Connel Drama club's play can be heard at

 https://vimeo.com/520992325

And you can visit their facebook page at

https://www.facebook.com/Benderloch-North-Connel-Drama-Club-144716882258775

There's all the usual banter from the team and Ellis has everyone in a bit of a boorach with his Scottish Word of the Week.

Kathie's off sunning herself in the Cote d-Seil this week leaving Steevie, Fiona and Ellis to hold the Fort. Needless to say holiday plans play a big part in this week's chat and you can find out where the team will be jetting off to once lockdown lifts as well as what childhood books they may be stashing in their suitcases. Guests this week include Oban Pride chairman Phill Dexter with news of a new club while Rab and Michelle Wood's provide just the Tonic in the form of a track from their new album.

The weekend is here and March marches forth! And as the light begins to return and lockdown hopefully starts to loosen, The Oban Times team of Kathie, Fiona, Ellis and Steevie have a lighthearted chinwag about the fun-loving four-legged creature putting a smile on the faces of Oban. And what does hilarious voiceover queen Jane Godley have in common with former First Lady Michelle Obama and Norwegian superstar footballer Ada Hegerberg? We also catch up with the cheery Moira Dunlop of the Taynuilt Ceilidhs who has some breaking news about a return to online shindigs, and we also debut a new single by Isle of Lewis-based singer songwriter and former Astrid frontman Willie Campbell whose back with a thoughtful tune called 'Soundtrack To The Life We Leave Behind'.  

Spring is in the air and The Oban Times crew are definitely feeling it in this week's podcast. While Kathie, Ellis and Fiona celebrate nature all the extra chirping and frenzied bird feeding going on in our gardens - Steevie is not so chirpy and is after those pesky squirrels who have been stealing and stashing away his conker collection from which he had hope to sprout some trees. 

Thanks to Edinburgh based Castle Chorus we bring you a sublime recording of their Lullaby of Unknowing, a piece of music created for Argyll's amazing coast and waters - and an official Hope spot - for caring and protecting all the species who make that underwater world their home.

Keeping to the nautical theme, Kathie has a chat with Jack MacGregor who has come to the rescue of stranded North Kerrera residents by putting on a ferry service funded by emergency resilience cash to connect them to the mainland during lockdown and we've also been catching up with mum of two Nikki Wasik who set up Oban Buggy Club, all Covid restriction approved, to throw out a lifeline to new parents and other caregivers for tots longing for a bit of normality at such a testing time.