Iain Ferguson
CHRISTMAS PAST AND PRESENTS
This Christmas may well be different to anything we have experienced before. What is usually the time of major family gatherings has been reversed by the Covid pandemic with almost everyone deliberately planning separate celebrations in line with health regulations. One thing that won’t change, however, is the giving of presents and while people in different parts of the country may find they are prevented from physically going to the shops, we in Lochaber will probably find this does not apply. So why not take full advantage of this and shop local. Until quite recently people actually only gave and received things that could be bought
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in the immediate vicinity and very rarely did Santa fail to deliver what children wanted. Adults, too, were well catered for in local shops of the
day and in 2020 the choice certainly equals or is even more diverse than what could be found in Christmas past. Over the years, many well known local shops and names may have been replaced by new ones, but no matter the distance in time they are still present in the minds of local people, triggering happy memories of festive visits to the Fort William High Street of their childhood. Subscribers to the Fort William Historical Society Facebook page mentioned a few names such Marion Weir, Marshall & Pearson, MacLeod’s Top Shop, Peter MacLennan, Reids, Co-op Hardware, Kennedy’s, Toymaster - all of which mean something to someone across all ages. They also shared a few thoughts.
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10/11/2020 15:06:02
