View from a Croft
Artist: Sarah Helen Dowse
Exhibiting: May & June 2022
Working mainly in pastel on paper or card, Sarah has taken inspiration for her exhibition from the views she sees daily from her home as well as still life studies of homegrown flowers, fruit and vegetables.
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These clips are from the film 'Memories of Gairloch Life Since World War II' by John English of Otoxo Productions. The film is 25 minutes long in total and usually shows in the film theatre at Gairloch Museum.
Please enjoy these selected highlights from the film.
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Credits: Leanne Hayman, Billy Craigan-Toon, Mark Appleton Photography
The videos feature the voices of the following members of our community:
Hector Macdonald, Irene Macintyre, Roy Macintyre, Donnie Mackay, Sylvia Mackay, Alice Mackenzie, Johnny (Occo) Mackenzie, Katie Mackenzie, Jamie Maclean, Michael Maclean, Alice Maclennan.
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A mysterious building appeared in Gairloch in the 1950s. This cold war bunker is now the home of Gairloch Museum.
Everyone in the crofting community helped each other out. You got a sense of satisfaction from getting the work done.
In the 1950s Gairloch was a great fishing ground for the herring and white fish. But by the 1980s, the fish stocks were dramatically in decline.
Things changed when the mains electric came to Gairloch.
The 1960s saw a tourism boom in the Highlands, largely driven by people opening their homes for Bed and Breakfast. People enjoyed welcoming visitors and were glad of the extra income at a time when the fishing was in decline.
Everyone spoke Gaelic to other at home, in school and in the church. There were some wonderful expressions that you just couldn't put into English.
Sylvia Fraser talks about working as a switchboard operator at the Gairloch Telephone Exchange.