The Kintyre Forum

Here is a picture given to me by my good friend George McSporran of Campbeltown.

Great pic! Any idea what year it is and who the preacher is ? Incidentally, I met yourself and Pete Mac after the 2009 Conventicle and will never forget those darn midges !

Oh yes, I remember that Dennis the Manc, I didn't realise it was you. And yes, the midgies were terrible that night, I wrot e on my diary, "midgies awful, absolutely worst ever" ... probably pretty bad on the night the picture above was taken too!

After a bit of research, studying of photos in the church vestry and consultation we think the preacher might well be the Moderator of the General Assembly David Cathels. He was Moderator in 1924 and did visit Southend in August year.

So maybe, as moderator, he was invited to preach at what would have been the 4th Conventicle and liked it so much he came back a couple of months later.

The rest of the pictures in the envelope show Keil School in full splendour. So maybe all came from June 1924, 5 months before the school burned down.

I will get round to getting them uploaded as soon as I can.

Excuse my asking, what is going on here? Is this the site of St. Columba's footprint? I remember my grandparents taking me to see that in Southend. Can you give a little history of photo , and footprint? Always wanted to know. Thx