I have taken the trouble to talk to some of the perpetrators, and believe it or not, they know they went too far and now regret their actions.
Unfortunately, the biggest loser is the village of Aboyne which has attracted unwarranted headlines of b
eing a place of riotous assembly.
I hope it is an isolated incident and I believe the youngsters hope that too.
I base my hope on my 16 years at the Boat Inn. We had our moments during dances, discos and normal bar nights and have come out unscathed.
Only once during those years did I have to call for police assistance and only then because of "adults" from outwith this area.
I have had confrontations with all the local legends of annoyance from Aboyne, Ballater, Tarland etc. Surprisingly we all still talk to one another and have a laugh about the past.
I think the secret is to highlight stupidity without being personally abusive. All of us understand that with teenagers, action breeds reaction and they will not and should not respect anyone who does not respect them.
Much more important is what to do now. Whatever happened to the money earmarked for the skatepark? Presumably it is still available and perhaps now is the time to involve the youngsters in how to spend it wisely in some sustainable project.
Aboyne is not the Wild West. It is possible to talk to these youngsters.
They do at times make perfect sense. The majority of them want confrontation as little as we do.
Perhaps this unfortunate incident is just the catalyst needed to put out some fires that have been smouldering for years and use it to initiate some meaningful dialogue with all concerned.
I got the feeling on talking to youngsters who were not yet 18 that they were just filling in time till they were old enough to go to the pub.
It must be a reflection on us all, if this indeed, is the height of their ambition.
Yours etc
Wilson Forbes
Charlestown Road
Aboyne
