The somewhat irrelevant thought that occurred to me as I, like Peter, watched the Australian Grand Prix yesterday was that there was probably more horsepower available to those 20 drivers that to all the inhabitants of Bute combined 150 years ago. On the topic of who I'd invite for dinner, there really wasn't any great difficulty deciding on my gg grandfather John McKinlay. While the question of what became of his 7 siblings, of whom I can find no trace, I suspect would likely be a very painful subject, and one not to be dwelt on in any great depth, his life and times I think would reveal a lot about the Rothesay community in the early to mid 1800s. John was a fish curer so would have witnessed the decline of the inshore fisheries - in his later working life he had to travel as far away as Skye to ply his trade. In addition, he was involved with the free church following the disruptions in 1843 as well as being Burgh treasurer for a number of years so would have been well aware of the social issues of the time. Although little mention is made in the early histories, the Marquis of Bute was Provost as well as patron of the established church and did evict tenants who joined the breakaway congregation, so it is difficult for me to believe that he did not similarly try to influence the town dwellers as well. Just what was done and how did the town folks react (apart from setting up schools and chapels.) With the rise of the cotton industry, and the influx of outsiders to what was effectively, a very small community, what issues and problems did that create? The other area of major interest would be concerning emigation. In the early 1850s within a very short period of time, his sons and most of his nephews packed up and headed for the other side of the world. Was this part of an organised emigration scheme, following the band, the lure of gold in Australia, escaping the harshness on the industrial revolution, and what was the impact on families and the community that remained behind. This rather sets the time period of the dinner. He himself would have, by the mid 1850s, been too old to look at starting a new life, but hopefully still had all his marbles at that stage. regards, Bill