NEWS FROM HOLWICK - STRATHMORE ESTATES

Issue Number 30
Summer 2010
Welcome to the Summer 2010 Newsletter
Inside this issue
News from Holwick
1
New Website
2
Fond Farewells
3
Game Department
3
Castle News
4
Changes at Chapel
5
Balgownie Mill Sale
6
New Ticket Office
6
Post Office
7
Last word
7
Having experienced one of the longest, coldest
winters for many years we are now in the middle of a long period of very hot weather. Although very welcome, we are in need of rain,
not least for the Strathmore Farming Company’s
vegetable operations and indeed keeping our
many livestock watered. The Castle Opening
has also been affected in that a very large marquee has been up for some time on the west
lawn so the grass will need to recover.
At the time of writing Colonel Emson and Andrew Dent inform me that the grouse prospects
are looking promising at Holwick and routine
repairs to the Lodge and various lines of butts
are continuing. Joan Bush has very sadly had to
retire from her post as housekeeper at the Lodge
due to ill health. My thoughts are with her and
her family and I thank her most sincerely for
nearly 20 years’ loyal hard work she has given to
both family and guests.
Trading at David Irons is a little slow at present
due to the recession affecting most high street
retailers but Barry Watson and his team are
working hard and have just opened our new
garden showroom. Finally, can I thank you all
as usual for all the hard work and loyalty you
put in to keeping the various enterprises going.
Lord Strathmore
NEWS FROM HOLWICK by Colonel Emson
Future Dates at Glamis
Castle
August 22nd
Living History
Interpretation
September 4th & 5th
Scotland’s Countryside
Festival
October 30th & 31st
Halloween at Glamis
Christmas at Glamis
Events throughout
December
The team at Holwick are gearing up towards this
season and have being working hard to build a
new line of wooden butts. The butts are being
positioned at Hag Worm and have been constructed by the keepers Craig Lowes and Andrew Dent and outside contractors (pictured top
left). The grouse season looks promising for this
year and the run of good weather over recent
weeks has helped the hatch significantly such
that the broods are well advanced and in good
health . The House team, Leigh Taylor, Robert
Laidlaw and Richard Laidlaw (pictured bottom
left) have also been busy and no doubt will make
all the shooting guests as welcome as usual.
STRATHMORE ESTATES LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE
Strathmore Estates recently announced the launch of its new
website, aimed at informing clients and the wider public of
the services on offer.
Created by SBP Creative Solutions in Edinburgh, the new
Strathmore Estates website combines a user friendly and informative site with sophisticated charm. The excellent photography viewed through a series of slide shows on each
page, illustrates the diversity of the estate and provides the
visitor with an attractive, enjoyable experience.
The site is broken down into the following key sections, each
reflecting the diversity of the Estate’s business areas: Forestry, Farming, Field Sports, Developments and Property. The Field Sports section is a particularly useful feature
containing an image gallery of shooting parties and stalking
guests that have visited the Estate. The Developments section describes in detail some of the exciting new building
projects that the estate is currently undertaking. Examples of
some of the pages on the site are pictured right and below.
The new site reflects the essence and values of the progressive Estate business. As the Estate lies in the middle of the
beautiful Vale Strathmore, the website conjures up everything that makes up Strathmore and the local community
The website is now live and forms an integral part of the services the estate provides to its client base.
Visit the new website at www.strathmore-estates.co.uk
Fond Farewells
Head Gardener George Crighton
April saw the farewell reception for
George Crighton who retired as
Head Gardener after 35 years looking after the extensive gardens and
grounds at the Castle. George was
presented with a Mackintosh Patrick scene of Glamis village at a
drinks reception in the Dining
Room. Pictured below, George is
surrounded by his family and wearing a very large smile!
GAME DEPARTMENT NEWS by Stephen Stubbs
The game department has had a very busy
2010 so far, with the new rearing system in
place and the roe deer stalking well under
way.
We have moved onto a different rearing
system (pictured below), using larger
brooder
units
with
more
pheasant/
partridge chicks per unit. This cuts down
on rearing costs and man hours. Anyone
who would like to see the rearing field at
its busiest time is more than welcome, and
the keepers are happy to talk anyone We are pleased to note that the ospreys
through the rearing programme, from returned in early April this year, and judghatching through to releasing the birds ing by the noise they have bred successinto to the woods and beyond. (Clean wel- fully again. They have plenty of local fishlies required)
ing opportunities and are regularly seen at
Forfar Loch.
Finally, at the beginning of this year we
were awarded some funding through the
Scottish Rural Development Programme to
implement a formal trapping programme
for grey squirrels. Unfortunately the greys
Castle Guide Consuelo Clark
Consuelo Clark, one of the longest
remain a constant threat to our native reds
serving castle guides, retired after
have had much success with this so far
28 years enchanting Brazilian, Por-
and have removed nearly 100 to date. This
tuguese and Spanish visitors. Consuelo is pictured with Lord Strathmore and her colleagues. She was
presented with some figurines during a special ceremony at the Staff
welcome back day.
and need to be dispatched humanely. We
The roe deer stalking, which we took back
in hand this year ,has been a huge success
with several first class medal roe bucks
being shot on the estate. Our clients, which
are mostly Danish, have thoroughly enjoyed their time stalking around Glamis
and are in awe of the quality of the roe
deer here. We are lucky to have an ideal
mix of habitats to help produce this quality, including a rich variety of woodland
and arable ground available.
One particular roe buck which was living a
charmed life around the Mains of Glamis,
had grown a huge set of antlers, which
when measured turned out to be an impressive gold medal head, (one of four
gold medals this season).
programme will continue for a minimum
of five years and the ultimate goal is to rid
the estate of grey squirrels completely. No
mean feat indeed!
THE CASTLE NEWS by Libby Reynolds
January - February
Routinely, restoration work takes place over the winter
months when the castle is closed. One of the main jobs this
year was to repair a leaking dome in the lower hall; but by far
the most intricate and expensive project was the restoration of
a Victorian walnut and marquetry breakfast table. The table
was severely damaged by water and was skillfully and painstakingly restored by Jeremy Gow. The table is back on display
in
the
Draw ing
Room
of
the
Castle.
New staff joined the various departments and we were delighted to welcome back some familiar faces from last year.
Gislene Rodriguez and Florain Haslar are back for Summer
and will be a huge benefit to groups; between them they conduct tours in Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch and English. Laura Porro joins us for the first time as a valued Italian
speaking guide. Local ladies Anne Lamont and Elaine Wilson
joined the guiding team and will take tours in French.
Another new staff member was recruited for the Gardens and
Grounds; Michael Armstrong has in fact re-joined the team.
He first came to Glamis as part of a college Tourism Course
placement, and was based mainly in Marketing and Admin,
however, after spending a number of weeks with Allan and
Jenny he was inspired to change course completely and study
horticulture. Having spent 3 years learning his trade at Trentham Gardens in Stoke, he is delighted to be back at Glamis,
and we are delighted to have him back.
M a r c h
.
The cleaners did their usual fantastic job of spring cleaning
and in the second week of March we were ready to welcome
back the seasonal staff. We were graded in March by the
Green Tourism Business Scheme and were thrilled to keep
our gold award for the 3rd year running. Part of our commitment to going ‘Green’ was the installation of Dyson Hand
Dryers which will save 300,000 paper towels per year going
to landfill. Another project was to install an eco friendly
pump in the Italian Garden fountain (£576 thrown into the June
fountain last year has been donated to Children’s Hospice A compliment and testament to Glamis hospitality is that the
Association Scotland).
two very large corporate events for Mearns & Gill that took
place last year, chose to return again this year. The marquee
accommodates 400 guests each night and takes two weeks to
April – May
The volcanic ash cloud threw the world into chaos for a few build and decorate (pictured below)
weeks, at the beginning of April. Two Private Dinners had to
be cancelled, because of flights, however, thankfully both rescheduled and the dinners went ahead later in May. The season started fairly slowly with independent travellers being
affected more by the ash than domestic coach groups.
One couple who didn’t let the ash cloud interfere with plans
was American astronaut Jim Reilly and Allison Benjamin
(pictured below). The couple first met at the castle 3 years
ago, and were married in the castle by Cannon Dendle
French. Allison and Jim were so touched by the spirit of
Glamis that they presented Lady Strathmore with a Christian
cross made with silver flown on the Space Shuttle Atlantis.
The cross is now on display between the Chapel and Billiard
room.
July
This July we marked the 60th anniversary of the Castle being
opened to the public and it is the Centenary year for the construction of the Italian Gardens. In order to celebrate the first
opening to the Public in July 1950 we gave the first 60 visitors
on 26 July 2010 entry for 12½p - the modern equivalent of the
1950 entry price of 2/6d. The first two visitors were from Fife
and were met by the Dowager Countess and Lord Strathmore. Lord Strathmore also held an evening cocktail reception in the Italian Gardens to celebrate its anniversary with
around 120 guests.
We hope to see you soon!
ALL CHANGE AT THE CHAPEL
As most of you are probably aware, 2010 has seen the departure of the Reverend Canon Dendle French from the Chapel at
Glamis Castle. It is with much sadness that we wave goodbye to him and his lovely wife Margaret, but warmly welcome the
Reverend Canon Joe Morrow who has taken up the appointment. Below we hear from them both.
Joe Morrow - Only Over the Hill
Dendle French - Getting Tied Into Notts
I was delighted to be offered and take up the Appointment
to the Chapel in Glamis Castle after the retirement of the
Reverend Canon Dendle French. As many of you will know
I have some history with Glamis and lived in the village for
some 10 years prior to moving south where I am now based
at Tealing. I have kept up my links with Glamis since leaving the village and on several occasions have been back to
speak at the Burns Supper in the Masonic Hall and also to
preach in the Kirk on occasions when the Minister was on
holiday.
We’ve been here nearly two months and have settled really
well into our new home. The Nottinghamshire landscape is
very different from Angus and we miss the hills but there
are other compensations – being near to family is a major
one. Painful though it was to leave Glamis it was the right
time to move – with the summer ahead giving a chance to
get out and about to explore the area, work at the garden
and now to look forward to joining some of the many village
organisations in the autumn. We have already been introduced to some lovely people with similar interests to our
own.
I have for nearly 30 years been an Episcopal Clergyman
working in the city of Dundee and gave up my last Charge
St. John the Baptist in Albert Street, Dundee some two years
ago as I had been the Clergyman there for some 25 years. I
have reached the conclusion it was time for me to move on
and to take up a new Ministry. Therefore you can imagine
my delight when I was offered the job as Chaplain to the
Castle. It is an honour and a privilege to be able to serve in
such an historic setting and the Chapel itself is a wonderful
building. It is a privilege for me to carry out this work on
the Estate and also to follow Dendle French who is a man of
great depth, humanity and understanding.
Please do not hesitate to contact me on 01382 380501 or by
email [email protected]. I would be happy to hear
from you on any occasion should you require any assistance
from me.
The Reverend Canon Joe Morrow
Collingham is a delightful village with almost all we need
within walking distance – a Medical Centre, Pharmacy, Library, several shops, three pubs and three churches! Six
miles away is Newark our nearest town, famous for its huge
Antiques Fair and for its central role in the English Civil War
to which its battered castle bears witness. There is a fine
market square, medieval buildings and a railway station
where we shall be catching a train to Dundee in August. We
hope to see some of you when we visit the castle when I am
to officiate at the blessing of Gill’s marriage (which took
place in January in the USA). We are looking forward to that
greatly.
From day one we have felt at home in the bungalow – and
pride of place in the study/spare room is the magnificent
picture of Glamis Castle by Macintosh Patrick so you are
always very much in our thoughts and memories.
With warm greetings to you all from Dendle & Margaret
SALE OF BALGOWNIE MILL, EASSIE
The estate is offering a unique opportunity to purchase a traditional former mill near Eassie. Full planning permission
has been granted to convert Balgownie Mill into a beautiful
three storey family home, set within 0.70 hectares (1.73 acres)
of land (REF 09/00683/FUL).
Located alongside the Ewnie Burn, the property enjoys
views over the Strathmore Valley. Bell Ingram are the selling
agents and can be contacted on (01307) 462516 for more information. Alternatively you can download the full particulars from our new website www.strathmore-estates.co.uk .
NEW TICKET OFFICE AT GLAMIS CASTLE
Most of you who have visited the Castle recently will have noticed the new ticket office at the top of the drive. It was built by
Ron McGregor and his team over the course of a couple of weeks and is an excellent example of the work that the team does
(pictured below during work and on completion).
The purpose of the ticket office was to deter the vast amount of cars coming down the drive, enjoying the view and taking a
photo, and then turning round and driving out. The existing ticket office will stay where it is and deal mainly with coach
groups. It has already become popular with visitors and staff alike and has been very productive in increasing the revenue
that the Castle generates.
GLAMIS VILLAGE POST OFFICE
This month sees the village wave a fond farewell to
Hugh and Ann Nicol of the Corner Shop and Post Office (pictured right). They have been at the centre of the
village for almost seven years, but have decided to
move on and sell the business to pursue other interests.
You will all be pleased to know though that they are not
moving far and will be staying in the village for the
foreseeable future.
The new postmaster is Mr Michael Stoker and he and
his wife Margaret are now learning all the intricacies of
running the business.
We wish them all well in their new ventures and look
forward to getting to know Mr & Mrs Stoker.
LAST WORD FROM THE FACTOR.........
My very first task is to thank Dendle enormously for all his office at the top of the drive is a good example of the skill and
hard work in preparing two Newsletters per year for the last care which he and his team take. It is solidly and carefully
29 issues. It was a lot of hard work but a very significant built and I am sure everyone will agree sits very well in its
achievement. I am glad to read he and Margaret are enjoying location at the top of the drive. I am sure it will stand the test
their new home and look forward to them visiting Glamis in of time and am glad it is now operating successfully as part of
August. Thank you also to Charlotte for taking over the role the Castle business.
of Editor and I am sure you will all agree congratulations are
due on this her first issue.
I am also very grateful for her The Castle team, although severely reduced in staff numbers,
enormous assistance in the design and preparation of the new are working hard to keep everything running smoothly and
website which I hope everyone will enjoy.
my congratulations and thanks go to everyone concerned. It
is easy to think it all ‚just happens‛ but when I stood in the
As always, it is sad to see people depart but nice to welcome ticket office for an hour the other morning it is a revelation to
new faces. George Crighton was a huge help to me over the see just how much is going on and has to be handled at once.
last 15 years and for many years before that he had super- Bus parties arriving; people losing cameras; visitors wanting
vised the Castle grounds in a neat and efficient fashion. Hugh tickets upgraded to tour the Castle; tour groups not arriving
and Ann Nicoll at the Corner Shop and Post Office have been at the head of stairs for their tour;
stalwarts of the community and I am delighted they will be change for the tills;
shops requiring more
a couple presenting a complimentary
staying in the village. It is also good to see Michael Arm- voucher for tickets; the new phone system deciding to go on
strong back in the gardens’ team once again and I hope Mi- strike and a disabled lady complaining she never realised
chael and Margaret Stoker will enjoy village life at its hub in there were so many stairs! – and just remember like many
the Corner Shop/Post Office.
businesses it runs 7 days a week!
So often over the past 29 Newsletters I have been asked to Continued over the page
comment on the maintenance department run by Ron
McGregor. It is always difficult because much of his team’s
work involves ‚just another new window‛ but the new ticket
LAST WORD FROM THE FACTOR......... (cont)
It was great to see the large marquee for the two oil company
ing northwest over the sand quarry (avoiding the SFCo pigs!)
dinners back again this year, both of which ran very success-
and eventually touched down towards Alyth around two
fully. The client was happy and we hope may repeat once
hours later. I enjoyed the opportunity to take a lot of photo-
again next year. Pictured below is the view from the main
graphs (pictured below) and was interested to see some of the
conservatory style entrance, complete with trees!
forestry plantations and Powmyre Quarry from directly
above – not a familiar viewpoint.
Sadly, we had to decide to drop the Prom Concert for this
summer but are committed to finding a new event organiser
and reinstating the Prom Concert for 2011. The SVVC vintage
vehicle extravaganza went very successfully in July (pictured
below) and we look forward to the Countryside Festival at
the beginning of September.
Finally, it has been decided to have an annual Newsletter in
future so by next year I am sure we will have lots more fresh
news. For the meantime, I hope we get the desired rainfall
and that the grouse at Holwick are up to expectations and as
good as last year.
Virgin Balloons have an agreement to launch from the front
of Glamis Castle and depending on the weather managed to
take off around 30 times in the summer season. Due to some
cancellations I and some of the SFCo staff were able to enjoy a
flight several weeks ago. There was very little wind which
allowed us to make a very slow departure from Glamis head-
Please refer all future articles and photographs to
the Editor
Name
Charlotte Gilfillan
E-mail
[email protected]
Telephone
01307 840242