Davy Duff tape service reaches 25 years
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Isabelle Calderwood of Dornoch is unable to read her local newspaper, The Northern Times because she is blind.
But that doesn’t mean the 82-year-old can’t keep up-to-date with everything that’s happening in her community.
For Isabelle is one of around 40 blind or partially sighted people in Sutherland and beyond who either regularly or intermittently receive a taped copy of The Northern Times.
It’s all thanks to the Davy Duff Tape Service, which this year celebrates its milestone 25th anniversary.
Isabelle, a former shorthand typist and primary school secretary from Perth, lost her sight in 1994 due to macular degeneration.
It was a severe blow but one which has over the years been softened somewhat by the tape service.
She says: "On the very rare occasion I don’t receive the tape of TheNorthern Times, I am really disappointed.
"I can listen to the world news on television but I also like to know what is going on in Brora and Ardgay and all these places.
"Listening to the tape is just like opening a newspaper. I can picture the pages."
Over the last 25 years, The Davy Duff Tape Service has come a long way from relatively small beginnings.
It was started by the late Davy Duff, the former lead singer of local country and western band Colorado, in the back room of his house in Ross Street, Golspie.
Davy, a hairdresser who became blind as a result of diabetes, had "became hooked on the idea of talking newspapers," according to an article unearthed in the 1986 file of The Northern Times archive.
The article goes on to give a hint of the singer’s feisty approach to his disability.
It reads: "During the setting up of his talking newspaper version of The Northern Times, he had to be reminded that he would have to get hold of volunteer readers as, being so involved in the project, he had planned to do the reading himself and it was only when the difficulties were pointed out to him that he remembered that he himself was blind!"
It was Davy who came up with the idea of starting each tape edition with a jazz piece called "The Black and White Rag," in homage to the NT’s nickname.
Retired teacher Anne Barclay, Golspie, has been involved with the tape service since it started.
She recalls: "In those early days, recording the paper was the easy part.
"There was a rota of people reading in pairs and, for all of us, it was a fun evening as we read through the events, paying particular attention to the descriptions of weddings, the winners at the local shows and, of course, the news from the courts.
"The hard part was duplicating the master tape and Davy devoted Thursday evenings to that task. The tapes went into the post on Friday morning."
Sadly, Davy died in 1989 just as he was embarking on a fundraising drive to purchase a more up-to-date copier which could copy two tapes in four minutes.
It was decided it would be a fitting tribute if the service into which he had poured so much energy and passion was to continue.
The fundraising drive he had started was successful, with enough money raised to buy two copiers plus other recording equipment.
His widow, Ann Duff, remains a trustee of the service and an active participant, cleaning and re magnetising the tapes.
After his death, the tape service moved out of Davy’s home and for a time operated from the language lab at Golspie High School.
In 1991 it found a permanent home in the gallery of Fountain Road Hall, courtesy of the Board of St Andrew’s Church.
The new studio was officially opened that year by Anne Duff, accompanied by Caleb, Davy’s guide dog.
Donations to build and equip the studio came from the Colorado Fan Club, local groups, the Co-op Community fund and individuals.
Anne says: "The recording of the paper these days still takes about two hours but now 11 tapes can be copied in three minutes thanks to more modern equipment.
"The next improvement will be to move to a computerised copying system and we are researching this at the moment."
* If you, or someone you know, is blind or has trouble reading this article, then you could receive a copy of the "Talking Raggie" by contacting Mary Nicol on 01408 634442 or Anne Barclay on 01408 633405. The service is free.
