Lomond Gift House in Main Road, Balloch, on the Banks of Loch Lomond.
By Bill Heaney
It’s Father’s Day on Sunday, but please spare a thought for all those dads whose children might forget them.
Well, not actually forget them, but fail to get them a present for the big day.
These are the ones who would normally be taking a trip out to Balloch to purchase gifts from the shops there.
Especially the Lomond Gift House, which has a huge stock of appropriate gifts for the fathers and grampas, who thought they already had everything a man could want.
Angela Honthy, who owns the gift shop, said everyone was in high spirits and looking forward to summer until West Dunbartonshire Council came along and spoiled things.
There is a small but excellent mix of shops in Balloch which are normally very busy at this time of year.
The shops are doing not terribly much business this year though – and we are into June already.
The roads from Balloch to Bowling are impassable at certain times of the day.
Angela has complained to the council, to the council leader even, Cllr Jonathan McColl, who represents yes, you guessed it, Balloch for the SNP.
And what has Cllr McColl succeeded in doing for the residents and business people of Balloch?
Absolutely zilch despite him and his Tory colleague, Cllr Sally Page, putting on a meeting to make it look as if they were doing something in St Kessog’s Hall.
“I am afraid nothing came out of that – at least nothing that did us any good,” said Angela who has been emphasising in advertising and post on Facebook that Balloch is still open for business.
One of her customers, Ian May, said: “This has been a travesty from start to when it is eventually completed the road has been stripped down however the pavements are all sloped and with the tiles used.
“This is an accident waiting to happen. I am all for creating a nice pleasant area for the benefit of tourists because they contribute to the economy of the area, but this is a step too far.”he Scottish economy.
Ian May is not the only who considers what the Council is doing in the taxpayers’ name – and with the taxpayers’ money – is scandalous.
Allan Thomson said: “This is shocking. All that is required is a good road surface.”
Allan McVean tried to introduce a bit of humour into an unfunny subject: “Don’t you know the traffic cone has been named a native species and are now protected and multiplying within the NPA area?
“They can normally found roaming in herds but are more commonly found grazing in busy roadways.”
David Ross asked: “How long is this disgrace going to take to finish?”
Since the Council communications department refuses to speak to The Democrat,we thought we would ask Raymond Walsh, left, the director of roads, to comment, but we have been told we are not allowed to approach officials and we have been obstructed from asking questions of the Provost.
Some of the gifts on display at Lomond Gift House, which like the other Balloch businesses has persevered despite West Dunbartonshire Council and kept open for business.