Colin Ploughman MBE
Colin Ploughman was awarded the MBE in 2009. He was given the choice where to receive his honour - in London, in Edinburgh, or in Golspie. Very typically, he chose to be amongst his friends in Golspie, at the local golf club. At the ceremony, one of those friends, LESLEY CRANNA, gave a stirring account of his life, extracts of which are reproduced here.
Colin was born in 1920, at home, in George’s Brook, Newfoundland, and died on July 2, 2017, aged 96.
The son of John and Delilah Ploughman, he had seven sisters and five brothers.
His stories of his childhood are wonderful - stories of sailing boats on ice, how he fished with long nets threaded under the ice, along a series of holes bored in the ice, how he and his brother swam out to rescue his sister who had managed to cast herself adrift in a boat which was heading rapidly out to sea….
In 1940, at the age of 19, Colin volunteered for the Newfoundland Forestry Unit. He knew full well what lay ahead of him - a long and dangerous crossing of the Atlantic, at a time when U boats were inflicting heavy losses on shipping, to come to Britain to help to manage our forests.
In the Second World War, there was no conscription in New Foundland, so all the 3000 men in the Forestry Unit were volunteers.
Colin spent eight days on the passenger ship “Antonia”, crossing by the more dangerous direct route, and arrived in Liverpool in June 1940. He spent only an hour there before taking the train to Carrbridge, where he spent two months before moving to Fairburn. He then spent some time in Evanton until he finally came to Golspie in1943.
On arriving in the village, seeing the golf course, the sea and the Ben, he announced to the man sitting next to him “I think I’m going to like this place”.
In 1945 he went to work in the forests of Achnashellach, returning to Golspie when the war finished.
In the same year he married Christina Bain MacKay and their son Eric was born in June 1946.
He was then recalled to Newfoundland and they set off in an old troop ship from Liverpool. Half way across the Atlantic there was a terrible storm and they were reported missing. Colin tells the story of how a whole window unit and the porthole it contained had given way. Water was pouring into the boat, down stairs. Somehow they survived and landed in Nova Scotia where they caught a train for Newfoundland.
Even then their troubles were not over. Their train was held up for four days due to a derailment and for four days they all lived on the train with very young children and washing lines tied from the train to nearby fencing.
They stayed for eight months but decided that they would return to Golspie. Colin worked with Tommy MacKay in the Balblair woods until 1950, when he started work with W R Sutherland. Work which took him over the years to Thurso, Altnaharra, Skye and Kylesku.
He attended the opening of the Kylesku Bridge, together with The Queen, Prince Phillip and Princess Margaret Most people have not been asked for advice by members of the royal family, but Princess Margaret obviously spotted a kindred spirit in Colin and asked him where she could go for a discreet smoke, whereupon he directed her to a suitable spot round the back of a nearby cabin!
Colin came back permanently to Golspie in 1985 when he retired but that was really just another beginning.
So what of Colin’s special qualities? There are many but these are just three.
First of all his voluntary work.
His first involvement in the Big Burn was in 1950, when working for WR Sutherland. They were asked who would volunteer for evening work - and Colin true to form, volunteered. His work up the Big Burn is well known. He is the Big Burn. Maintaining its paths, strimming, sweeping up, putting in temporary repairs the day after the big storm when the trees came down and the paths were washed away.
It was Colin who originally created the new route around the loch - building the boardwalk. Colin with help from Heinz Voight and Norrie Brown shifted huge volumes of aggregate for the paths by rigging up a manual pulley system from the top to the bottom path.
He also greeted visitors and told them all about the Big Burn - much better than an interpretation board.
Colin now has a bridge named after him on the Big Burn - with a beautifully worded plaque written by Ann Barclay. One day in the frosty weather, Colin took a tumble on the bridge, right beside his plaque. Most people would have hobbled off home but Colin hobbled home and came back with sand for the bridge in case anyone else fell.
As well as the bridge there are many other permanent features in the village built by Colin - dry stone dykes, and most recently, “Delilah” the stone boat he built, opposite the war memorial, named after his mother.
Colin was also a regular in the Christmas lights squad; he cut grass for people, he was the chief fire lighter and log provider at the Heritage Centre; he gave people lifts to whist/luncheon club. His voluntary work was phenomenal.
Secondly there was Colin the recycler - a man before his time. Today we hear a lot about the need to look after our planet, to recycle what we use. Colin spent his whole life doing this and was a fine example to us all. The inside of his garages were stuffed to the gunnels with wood that would be used again. And used for making things for other people - tables, fences, projects up the Big Burn.
Going for a walk with Colin can actually be a bit scary. His beady eye would alight on a tree and he’d casually comment “That’s a good tree” and you just know he was not thinking about birdlife or lichens. He’d have another project in mind - he wanted that tree for something else - for someone else - never for himself - he was seeing a table, fences or firewood.
Thirdly, there was Colin, the man who defied old age.
He was a handy man with a chain saw, and a generous man with wood. How often did people come home to find that the firewood fairy had been. The Big Burn wouldn’t be the same without Colin and his chain saw. First on the scene to clear a route through for walkers after the big storm, he featured on the front page of the Raggie - even if it did prompt someone to complain about the lack of health and safety measures such as a helmet!
He was once asked by a visitor (who turned out to be a doctor) at the Big Burn about his secret for long life. He revealed this as three sugars in his tea, and a good dose of salt with his meals!
Colin was quite happy with modern technology. He had a mobile phone long before I ever did. He’s also quite a jet setter and makes regular trips to Newfoundland - he’s off again this year.
Colin also seemed to make a habit of being picked up by women. He was invited to the Garden Party at Holyrood, found himself in a position where he was unable to see the Queen. A substantial lady standing behind him spotted his predicament and picked him up. Problem solved!
Colin was born in 1920, at home, in George’s Brook, Newfoundland, and died on July 2, 2017, aged 96.
The son of John and Delilah Ploughman, he had seven sisters and five brothers.
His stories of his childhood are wonderful - stories of sailing boats on ice, how he fished with long nets threaded under the ice, along a series of holes bored in the ice, how he and his brother swam out to rescue his sister who had managed to cast herself adrift in a boat which was heading rapidly out to sea….
In 1940, at the age of 19, Colin volunteered for the Newfoundland Forestry Unit. He knew full well what lay ahead of him - a long and dangerous crossing of the Atlantic, at a time when U boats were inflicting heavy losses on shipping, to come to Britain to help to manage our forests.
In the Second World War, there was no conscription in New Foundland, so all the 3000 men in the Forestry Unit were volunteers.
Colin spent eight days on the passenger ship “Antonia”, crossing by the more dangerous direct route, and arrived in Liverpool in June 1940. He spent only an hour there before taking the train to Carrbridge, where he spent two months before moving to Fairburn. He then spent some time in Evanton until he finally came to Golspie in1943.
On arriving in the village, seeing the golf course, the sea and the Ben, he announced to the man sitting next to him “I think I’m going to like this place”.
In 1945 he went to work in the forests of Achnashellach, returning to Golspie when the war finished.
In the same year he married Christina Bain MacKay and their son Eric was born in June 1946.
He was then recalled to Newfoundland and they set off in an old troop ship from Liverpool. Half way across the Atlantic there was a terrible storm and they were reported missing. Colin tells the story of how a whole window unit and the porthole it contained had given way. Water was pouring into the boat, down stairs. Somehow they survived and landed in Nova Scotia where they caught a train for Newfoundland.
Even then their troubles were not over. Their train was held up for four days due to a derailment and for four days they all lived on the train with very young children and washing lines tied from the train to nearby fencing.
They stayed for eight months but decided that they would return to Golspie. Colin worked with Tommy MacKay in the Balblair woods until 1950, when he started work with W R Sutherland. Work which took him over the years to Thurso, Altnaharra, Skye and Kylesku.
He attended the opening of the Kylesku Bridge, together with The Queen, Prince Phillip and Princess Margaret Most people have not been asked for advice by members of the royal family, but Princess Margaret obviously spotted a kindred spirit in Colin and asked him where she could go for a discreet smoke, whereupon he directed her to a suitable spot round the back of a nearby cabin!
Colin came back permanently to Golspie in 1985 when he retired but that was really just another beginning.
So what of Colin’s special qualities? There are many but these are just three.
First of all his voluntary work.
His first involvement in the Big Burn was in 1950, when working for WR Sutherland. They were asked who would volunteer for evening work - and Colin true to form, volunteered. His work up the Big Burn is well known. He is the Big Burn. Maintaining its paths, strimming, sweeping up, putting in temporary repairs the day after the big storm when the trees came down and the paths were washed away.
It was Colin who originally created the new route around the loch - building the boardwalk. Colin with help from Heinz Voight and Norrie Brown shifted huge volumes of aggregate for the paths by rigging up a manual pulley system from the top to the bottom path.
He also greeted visitors and told them all about the Big Burn - much better than an interpretation board.
Colin now has a bridge named after him on the Big Burn - with a beautifully worded plaque written by Ann Barclay. One day in the frosty weather, Colin took a tumble on the bridge, right beside his plaque. Most people would have hobbled off home but Colin hobbled home and came back with sand for the bridge in case anyone else fell.
As well as the bridge there are many other permanent features in the village built by Colin - dry stone dykes, and most recently, “Delilah” the stone boat he built, opposite the war memorial, named after his mother.
Colin was also a regular in the Christmas lights squad; he cut grass for people, he was the chief fire lighter and log provider at the Heritage Centre; he gave people lifts to whist/luncheon club. His voluntary work was phenomenal.
Secondly there was Colin the recycler - a man before his time. Today we hear a lot about the need to look after our planet, to recycle what we use. Colin spent his whole life doing this and was a fine example to us all. The inside of his garages were stuffed to the gunnels with wood that would be used again. And used for making things for other people - tables, fences, projects up the Big Burn.
Going for a walk with Colin can actually be a bit scary. His beady eye would alight on a tree and he’d casually comment “That’s a good tree” and you just know he was not thinking about birdlife or lichens. He’d have another project in mind - he wanted that tree for something else - for someone else - never for himself - he was seeing a table, fences or firewood.
Thirdly, there was Colin, the man who defied old age.
He was a handy man with a chain saw, and a generous man with wood. How often did people come home to find that the firewood fairy had been. The Big Burn wouldn’t be the same without Colin and his chain saw. First on the scene to clear a route through for walkers after the big storm, he featured on the front page of the Raggie - even if it did prompt someone to complain about the lack of health and safety measures such as a helmet!
He was once asked by a visitor (who turned out to be a doctor) at the Big Burn about his secret for long life. He revealed this as three sugars in his tea, and a good dose of salt with his meals!
Colin was quite happy with modern technology. He had a mobile phone long before I ever did. He’s also quite a jet setter and makes regular trips to Newfoundland - he’s off again this year.
Colin also seemed to make a habit of being picked up by women. He was invited to the Garden Party at Holyrood, found himself in a position where he was unable to see the Queen. A substantial lady standing behind him spotted his predicament and picked him up. Problem solved!
