A GROUP of Garelochhead residents have come up with a unique way to pass the time during the enforced lockdown - by writing a community novel.

The brainchild of Martin Croft, vice convener of the village's community council, the fun project has been taken on by around 20 people so far, with each new contributor adding a paragraph at a time before forwarding on the story to the next person.

Martin said he has been delighted with the response to his creative challenge and he is eagerly awaiting the final result.

He told the Advertiser: "We thought it would be a great way to engage the community and get people using their brains and imaginations.

"To my surprise the uptake has been great and many villagers want to get involved.

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"There is no deadline for completion, we just need to see where it will go.

"It seems to turning into a romantic, murder mystery but who knows where it will go and that's the fun.

"I can't wait to see the end."

The opening paragraph of the as yet unnamed novel, written by Martin, reads:

"It was a fairly mild day being late April, there was a warm south westerly wind causing the boats on the moorings to rock on the gentle swell.

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"A few people walk along the shore, some taking in the scenery, a few walking dogs along the pebble beach.

"The Gareloch can be very pretty at this time of the year, with the yellow and green hills rising above the waters.

"She walked along the shore looking at some of the plastic that was now regularly being washed up with the tide.

"Lost in her own thought she did not hear the footsteps behind her, nor could she have known that in the next few moments her life would change forever."

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With the coronavirus pandemic continuing to limit our normal everyday lives and have a particularly devastating impact on the elderly population, Martin is pleased that his idea has helped offer some form of respite for those who may be struggling in isolation.

He added: "Of course the beauty of this is that it engages everyone in the community.

"People can add as much or as little as they like, a short paragraph seems to be the minimum.

"It also helps connect people and lets us all use a bit of imagination, and of course it is lots of fun. It may also help relieve some stress in this difficult time."

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