Speaker for 6th March 2018
Coleraine Probus sail the Western Isles
(with special thanks to Graham for the summary and Ken for the extra photos)
Coleraine Probus members could almost smell the salty air when Dr. Gordon Grey gave a splendid three part talk and slide presentation (yes, real 35mm slides) on his adventures when “Sailing the Western Isles”.
Introductions to the slides from Dr Gordon Grey
Dr. Grey began by outlining his days as a teenager in Larne, where the call of the sea led him into sailing. Starting with small marine ply boats, then to the “Flying 15”, designed by Uffa Fox and finally to the “Nicholson 31”.
Take a look at that double projector!
The first of Gordon's slide shows - uniquely presented via a synchronised double slide projector, that also had an amplifier and built-in cassette tape player - featured the 'Nicolson 31' yacht used by Gordon and his six friends, to sail from Skye to North and South Uist then to Canna, Rum, Eigg and on to Mull and Tobermory in the '70s. Each of the crew-members had their own expertise and a strong and long lasting friendship was forged and many other voyages taken together.
Sit back, look and listen...
The second presentation was an audio-visual screening, based on outstanding photographs taken by Judith Kimber from Bangor. This was complete with a musical sound track composed by Judith herself. A feast for the eye and ear, that must have been many hours in the making and had photographers in the club turning green with envy, or was that the swell of the sea on the voyage depicted?
…what a show!
Gordon's final slide presentation was titled “The Trail of the Dove” and gave an insight into the ministry of St. Columba (The Dove), and his arrival on Iona in 563 AD, to establish a Monastic Settlement. The current 'Iona Community' was founded in 1938 by the Rev. George MacLeod who restored the Abbey as a centre for spiritual refreshment providing a “Thin Place between earth and the Heavenly Realm.”
Not only did the club members thoroughly enjoy the content of the presentations, but were equally enthralled by the form these took. It was a glimpse into yesterday, and a reminder of the skill and patience required, in creating visual works of art well before computers ruled the world.
