Islay Memories from BT Engineer

Many years ago I was a BT Engineer on detached duty on lovely Islay, where amongst many other highlights, I was given lessons on how to say "Islay" and many other pronoucations, some totally unprintable but in the best possible taste of-course, now I am a natural. I have now left BT some years ago but I remember fondly, but not to fondly, Willie the butcher in Bowmore, where we bought Willies home made sausages, his minced steak wow!! and fresh corn fed chicken eggs, well thats what Willie told us? and for a treat we purchased the odd sheeps head, oh yes !! sheeps head,where we made wonderfull "Sheeps Heed Soup" in our BT wagons galley (due to the locals pressure group complaints section" about our burning the hair off the heed technic`s and from an Alec Campbell recipy, Billy (myself) was the head cook (pardon the pun) as to the cooking of the sheeps eyes, and brains was my speciality (we tossed a coin for the eyes, in all cases I one the right eye, yes it was my coin. There was a lot of hard graft and we did at times do a lot of engineering in all respects throughout the island, fond memories never to be forgotten, oh !! of-course we did sample some very good -personally bottled- whisky, eh!!! say no more" so to all the islanders that made us very very welcome, I say Thanks to you All ! and you will remain in my memory, forever !!

Billy Neary
(picture Ballygrant around 1950)