It was difficult to believe that a year had passed since our very well attended Open Weekend last August! The aims of our Open Weekends are to increase awareness of St Conan’s, demonstrate its value for the community, raise some funds, let people know about the Friends of Saint Conan’s and to encourage new members to join. By promoting the Kirk as a centre for education, heritage and culture the Friends are helping to maintain this valuable resource.

Following last year’s success we had decided to follow broadly the same format : an Arts and Crafts exhibition and sale, local primary schools’ art competition , live theatre, floral displays, live piping, tours of St Conan’s, information about the Friends and home baking available in the Kirk Café. However there were developments in each of these areas.

The number of arts and crafts exhibits was increased and we were once again delighted to have some wonderful sculptures on loan for the weekend from Lucy Campbell-Gray. There was a larger entry of paintings for the school competition. We were so impressed by the high standard this year that we have introduced runners-up prizes. The St Conan’s Cup itself was won by Taynuilt Primary.

The floral displays looked good last year but there were more this year and they were even lovelier! The interior of the Kirk really seemed to have come alive with all the artwork and flowers. Added to this was some wonderful music: three sessions of solo piping by local pipers, Lucy, Selina and Kimberly. Separately, we were treated to some truly magical clarsach (harp) playing by Chris Beveridge. This music suited the wonderful acoustics in St Conan’s so well. The sound seemed to ripple out and fill the building: it was both uplifting and relaxing.

The Three Wee Crows provided great entertainment with two pieces not previously performed in the Kirk: one was the mediaeval tale of the “The Return of the Ring”, based on Kilchurn Castle. The other piece
was based on a book called The Bailie Macphee which Walter Douglas Campbell, who designed and built the Kirk, had written. It was illustrated by his great friend the poet Violet Kennedy Erskine. These both drew a very appreciative response from the audiences. In between performances we offered Kirk tours including personalised tours for smaller groups. Also on offer were large laminated guides for those who preferred to go round on their own.

Another introduction was a film showing a wedding which had taken place in the Kirk in 1936. This was shown with permission of the Service family from Taynuilt. It was fascinating to see the fashions of the day-so many furs! Another visual was provided by a loop of photos of events organised or facilitated by the Friends which have taken place in the Kirk over the last year.
Meanwhile over in the Café, the tearoom team were hard at work providing warming teas and coffees, delicious scones and traybakes and their very popular sponge-cakes (increased variety this year!).

Was the weekend a success? The numbers visiting were down on last year. The roadworks and traffic lights stopping just outside was a problem. These not only blocked the carparks but encouraged people to accelerate away once the lights changed. Perhaps Scottish Power might like to give us a compensatory donation?

However we did have people signing up as Friends, there were good sales of some of the artists’ work, raffle tickets were purchased for the Friends big summer raffle, and donations were given by most (though not all!) visitors. More people have seen how fabulous St Conan’s can be and what a wonderful centre for education, heritage and culture it is. This is most definitely a building which should be saved.