chatterbox - Lochwinnoch Online

Nuisance Helpline
Anti-Social Behaviour
Noise problems
Support and Advice
CHATTERBOX
Every day 9am – 10pm
Tel:
0800 169 1283
ASIST
Anti-Social
Investigation Team
No 178 October 2008
Office 8:45am – 4:45pm
www.lochwinnoch.info
Tel: 01505 325 030
Community newsletter produced by lochwinnoch publicity committee for lochwinnoch cc
What’s On
Scotlind's Gym
See centre pages for club activities,
village events & classes
See back pages for Visitor Centre,
RSPB and outdoor events/activities.
After 8 great years, Scott and Linda
have decided to move on to new
things and have closed the gym. It
will be missed by many but we wish
them well as Linda goes into teaching and Scott develops property, and
maybe even joins the boys in blue no pun intended!
CONGRATULATIONS
On October the 8th, two well-known
Lochwinnoch residents, Willie and
Margaret Wilson, celebrate their
Diamond Wedding Anniversary.
Willie and Margaret met while working
in Joe’s Furniture Works and raised
two sons, Drew and Tom. The couple,
known affectionately as ‘Jack and Vera’
to their family, have played an active
part in village life. Both are longstanding members of Lochwinnoch
Bowling Club and it was only this year
that Willie, age 87, stepped down as
cellerman, to give a younger Mary a
job! He has not, however, relinquished
his reserved seat in the lounge.
Willie and Margaret are very much
loved by all their family, many of
whom are resident in the village.
Although this is your special day
To share with one another
It’s special too, for everyone who loves you
That’s why so many loving thoughts
Come with this wish for you
For everything to make this day
Just perfect for you two.
Happy
60th
Wedding Anniversary
From all the family.
Editorial & copy for Chatterbox
Let us have your stories, notices, news,
information, events & items of interest —
either hand-deliver them to the Chatterbox drop-box in the Library or e-mail to:
[email protected]
To advertise in Chatterbox
Tel: 07899 746403 or e-mail:
[email protected]
Copy Deadline for
November Issue Is
Wednesday 29th October ‘08
In the gym's eight years, they built
up a very loyal customer base and
unlike many gyms theirs was always
friendly, welcoming, supportive and
encouraging; many a runner, cyclist
and weight lifter was encouraged to
go that extra mile.
GO
TEAM LOCHWINNOCH!
A local team of 6 recently took part in
the Pedal for Scotland 53 mile cycle
from Glasgow to Edinburgh to raise
money for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
The team consisted of Scott Isaksen,
Derek Drynan, Scott Milligan, Gordon
Morrison, Gerry Mcdermott and Andy
Gibson.
Scott and Linda also built up a successful home hire business for fitness equipment with customers from
Ayr to Stirling. They sold this in
2006, which allowed Scott a little
more time to develop property
interests.
A memorable event in August 2005
was, of course, Scott and Linda’s
wedding. Many gym members attended the church and then the reception at the golf club. What an array of beautiful, buffed bodies were
on show that day!
Cheers and all the best in the
future then to Scott and Linda.
Scotlind’s Gym was indeed that sort
of place – a friendly place where
everybody knew your name.
Between them they raised an excellent
figure of around £1,700 which will
go towards the new TCT unit in the
Royal Hospital for Sick Children at
Yorkhill.
The cycle was completed in a time of
just over 5 hours including stops
(watch out Chris Hoy!). The team
would like to thank everyone for their
kind donations, and welcome anyone
who would like to join them next year.
WELL DONE TEAM!
MATTHEW NEW & SONS
ROOFING
- ROUGHCASTING -
BUILDING MAINTENANCE
Emergency Repairs, Storm Damage
Insurance Work, New Roofs, Flat Roofs
Roughcasting –UPVC Cladding—Guttering
Tel No 01505 843400
FMB Certificate No 26366
The Lochwinnoch Guide to Stress Free Christmas Shopping
1.
2.
Give the mall a miss and walk into the village.
Browse Now & Then’s huge choice of different, affordable and interesting
gifts - earmarking something for each member of the family.
3. Go for a coffee, lunch or a drink while you ponder your present options.
4. Return to make your purchases, while also selecting from the wide range
of boxed, individual or Lochwinnoch Christmas cards.
5. Decide that you can treat yourself while you are there with the money
you have saved on fuel and from competitive pricing.
6. Return home in a good mood, put your feet up and feel smug. You got
something special, supported village businesses and saved energy.
P.S. Even if you can’t decide, we do gift vouchers !
Gifts Cards Jewellery Leather Home
8 Church Street Lochwinnoch 01505 843311
Open 9-5 Monday-Saturday and 12-4 on Sundays
MASONIC CLUB
EVENTS
PRIZE BINGO NIGHT
On
Friday 17th October
7.30pm at the Masonic Club
Everyone welcome.
FASHION SHOW
On
Friday 31st October
at the Masonic Club.
Tickets available at the door.
(look out for posters
with more details soon)
Lochwinnoch
Art Group News
The latest exhibition by the Art Group
is under way and is well worth a visit.
The exhibition opened with a preview
night and is open to the public from
Friday 26th September until Saturday
25th October.
The exhibition is held in the ' Library
Room ' and is open during library
hours.
Art Group Meeting
The next meeting of the Art Group is
on Monday 13th October at 7.30pm in
the McKillop Institute.
Please note the change of venue. The
meetings run fortnightly and, whatever your ability, everyone is welcome
to come along.
LOCHWINNOCH
INTERNATIONAL
AID
Music for International Aid
Lochwinnoch International Aid is
holding two events in October to
raise funds with the help of local
musicians who are giving their
time and skills to our cause.
All money they raise goes to a
variety of projects around the
world and in the past year these
have included a water supply
project in Malawi and cyclone
victims in Bangaladesh.
CHATTERBOX
On
Saturday, 4th October
Chatterbox is a free community newspaper, produced for the Community
Council of Lochwinnoch through financial assistance from local sponsors and
advertisers and distributed every month
by volunteers. The aim of those involved is to produce an informative and
entertaining journal for those who live,
work and visit in this area.
Richard Mulhearn's Jazz Band
will be playing in the Lochbarr
Football Centre lounge from
8.00pm. Richard plays with the
well-known Republic of Sound
and has established a regular
Jazz evening in the Junction cafe
in Lochwinnoch. Tickets are £6,
half price for children.
The Editor welcomes all items for
possible inclusion but will reserve all
rights over them, i.e. the right to shorten,
edit or not publish any item.
Special request - when writing to us,
please provide your name and contact
details in order that we may get in touch
with you for clarification on any items
for Chatterbox. Your personal details
will not be published unless you ask us
to do so.
Please note, all views are of individuals
and the Editor accepts no liability for
editorial errors or statements and claims
made in advertisements. Thank you.
VILLAGE EVENT
PLANNER
Lochwinnoch Post Office has a wallmounted calendar, where members
of the public can enter details of
forthcoming events.
Please use this calendar to avoid any
clashes when planning dates of
events and, of course, to help publicise your events within the village.
♪ ♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪ ♪
On
Saturday, 25th October
The Shed Inspectors, a fairly new
bluegrass-hillbilly band are appearing at Lochwinnoch Bowling
Club. Based in Lochwinnoch,
they are now appearing all over
Scotland - because they make
great music! Tickets also £6 and
£3 for children.
Tickets for both events are available from Lochwinnoch Paper
Shop, The Brown Bull, Cucina
Minucci or by phoning Peter
Kennedy on Tel: 01505 503080.
Further details about Lochwinnoch International Aid are at
www.lochwinnochaid.org.
Look out for posters
around the village,
which give further details.
Councillor Arthur’s
Report
Congratulations to the following residents who picked up prizes in this the
80th anniversary of the Council’s
Annual Garden Competition, which is
run by Renfrewshire Council’s Department of Housing and Property Services. Renfrew Town Council awarded
the first Garden Competition trophy
in 1928 and there are now over 30
trophies given out each year in a
variety of categories.
Mr & Mrs Parr, 24 Harvey Terrace,
picked up the first prize in the category of Best Flower Garden in Lochwinnoch, with Bert Matthews, 60
Crookhill Gardens, securing a treble of
wins by lifting The Alastair Nimmo
Trophy for Best Garden in Lochwinnoch, the Gryffe Trophy for the Best
Complete Garden in the Landward
Area and first place for the Best
Flower and Vegetable Garden in Lochwinnoch.
As you may now be aware a CCTV
camera has been installed at The
Cross. This has been achieved through
the Lochwinnoch Partnership. The
primary aim of the installation is to
prevent and detect crime and antisocial behaviour in and around the
area. It is designed to record images,
which will be viewed remotely by
Strathclyde Police and Renfrewshire
Council. This information can be used
to prosecute any person committing
criminal or antisocial acts.
The camera will monitor the public area
of The Cross and will not be intrusive
to any household, shop or other premises. The CCTV will help to detect
those who blight our community
through their antisocial behaviour and
is an excellent example of local people,
the Council and the Police all working
together to better our community.
In order to maximise the use of the
CCTV camera, I ask that all criminal
and antisocial behaviour incidents are
made known to both the Police and to
the Council. The system is managed
by Renfrewshire Council’s Antisocial
Investigation Team (ASIST) whose
contact details are at the top of the
front page of Chatterbox.
Other contact numbers, which may be
useful, are Strathclyde Police on Tel:
0141 532 5900 and Crimestoppers on
Tel: 0800 555 111. Useful contact
numbers for other agencies are given
at the end of my report.
Church Street, Lochwinnoch Tel: 01505 842337
EXCLUSIVE
2009 CALENDAR
- - AROUND LOCHWINNOCH - FROM PAINTINGS BY ARTHUR G. CARSWELL
7-Day Newspaper Delivery Service, Fresh morning rolls, Milk from
the local dairy, Newspapers, Magazines, Stationery, Confectionery,
Gifts, Agents for Dry Cleaning, Curtain Cleaning, Ironing, Press only,
Alterations and Repairs, Shoe Repairs, Laundry.
Further information on identifying
antisocial behaviour and who can
help are contained in a special feature later in this issue of Chatterbox.
LOCHWINNOCH
ELDERLY FORUM
At the last Local Area Committee
(LAC) meeting several groups within
Ward 8 were successful in their
grant applications and this included
Calder Drama Club who received a
grant of £450. Application forms are
available by contacting Jean Wilson,
Corporate Services, Renfrewshire
Council, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley PA 1 1TR or 0141
840 3564 or
[email protected]
The Forum is very active and
membership is increasing. Many
aspects of life in the village are discussed and any issues arising are
brought to the attention of the
relevant authorities to try to get
them resolved.
My next Surgery is on Saturday 18th
October but there is no need to wait
for a Surgery. If you require my
help, you can contact me on Tel No:
843507 and we can agree a time
when we can meet.
Councillor David Arthur
USEFUL CONTACT NUMBERS
Strathclyde Police – 0141 532 5900
Johnstone Police – 01505 404000
Johnstone Community Safety
Office – 01505 404023
Trading Standards – 0141 840 3233
Care and Repair – 0141 812 4111
Renfrewshire Council Tel: 0141 842 5000
Anti-social Behaviour Investigation
Team (ASIST) - 01505 325030
Victim Support – 0141 887 0328
Nuisance Support & Advice
Helpline – 0800 169 1283
Crimestoppers – 0800 555 111
Community Safety Office,
Johnstone Police Station. The Forum is open to everyone
over 55 and annual membership,
inclusive of Christmas meal and
any outings, is only £2.
Our Drop in T Bar, open on Tuesdays from 10am to 1pm, providing
tea, coffee and biscuits for 50p, is
very successful.
Off to a good start is the Forum
Lunch Club, organised by our
chairman Alastair Nimmo. This is
open on Thursdays from 11.30am
to 1.30pm, when you can enjoy …
Soup with crusty bread 80p
Choice of sandwiches with
tea/coffee for 80p
Tea/coffee and biscuits for 50p.
Where else can you get this?
Both T Bar and Lunch Club are
held in the McKillop and are open
to everyone, regardless of age.
An opportunity to enjoy
a chat in good company.
Any questions?
Phone Gordon Nicholl on
Tel: 01505 842632.
LOCAL LIBRARY
BECOMES A TIMEMACHINE….. FOR A
FEW HOURS!
Doctor Who’s famous Police Box isn’t
the only time-machine as more than
60 Lochenyochians discovered when
they went to the local Community Library on the 18th of September. At two
o’clock, after they had all taken their
seats in the Museum Room, a button
was pressed and they were taken on a
journey back over half a century in
time.
The time-machine took them back to
renew auld acquaintance with friends
and relatives living in the village in the
early 1950’s. But first the latest streets
and houses in the village were visited
by the time-travellers. Soon after the
end of the second World War new
“pre-fab“ housing had been built in
Glenpark Road and Mansefield Road.
In the early 1950’s more housing was
needed and this was developed on
Braehead, Ewing Road, Semple Avenue, and Calderpark Avenue. The
time-travellers stopped off at each of
these reminding themselves of which
family had lived in which house. They
noticed how much cleaner the streets
were and that every garden was well
tended. In Calderpark Avenue they
met up with Catherine Murray sweeping the pavement outside Number 5,
where she lived with her daughter
Helen’s family. Many of the travellers
then remembered that everyone swept
the pavement outside their houses at
that time and saw how pride and values had changed over the years. In
total they saw only two cars parked in
these streets and one of these looked
as though it might have been the
doctor’s on his rounds so not a permanent feature of that street!
But it was the people they had really
come on this time-journey to see and
their luck was in. This was 1953 and
one of the frequent trips organised by
District Councillor Jimmy Speirs for
the older residents was about to leave
the village. The specially chartered
train with it’s engine building up a
head of steam was at the platform of
the village station where Stationmaster Mr Wylie and his staff were organising the departure to Leven in Fife.
After the train journey the timetravellers joined the day-trippers for a
pre-arranged afternoon tea in Leven
Parish Church hall. Among the old
friends they met again were Mr and
Mrs Mair, Mr and Mrs Smith, Abe
Wales, Gracie MacMillan, Mr and
Mrs Woods, and Mabel Luney. In
total about 100 had made the daytrip.
Another button was pushed and the
time-travellers moved forward to
1955 and another of these wonderful
days-out arranged by Jimmy Speirs.
This time the destination was Dunfermline and more weel-kent faces
were boarding the train for the journey. Old friends like May Campbell
with her daughters Sheena and
Muriel, a young Janette Kerr ( now
Mrs Blair ) with her grandparents,
Bob Harper and his wife, Agnes
Gillies and her daughter Louise, Mr
and Mrs O’Hagan with their grandson Norman and his parents George
and Jean McGinigal, Mr and Mrs
Arthur (grandparents of our present
Councillor), Mrs Gilmour with her
daughter Unity, were among the
many villagers on the trip. Next stop on this journey through
time was 1958 and the timetravellers were able to attend a National Party of Scotland Christmas
Social in the McKillop Institute. The
festively decorated hall was packed
out with villagers all seated at tables
enjoying the afternoon tea and cakes
At the top table, the much respected
figure of Roland Muirhead, then in
his 88th year, was spotted chatting
with his wife. Other tables were occupied by Ossie Eddlestone and his
neighbour Mr McKinnon, Mrs
O’Neil, Mrs Ireland in one of her
trade-mark hats, Gavin Smith, Lizzie
McIntosh, Willie Glen whose farmhouse was then in the High Street,
Mr and Mrs Crisp from Bridgend,
Mrs Edgar from the garage on Johnshill, and many, many, more familiar
faces. Nat Smith was on the stage
entertaining the party with songs in
his rich baritone voice.
By now the time-travellers were in
much need of refreshment so the
time machine was switched off, the
library restored to the present day
and a break for tea accompanied by
the wonderful home baking of library staff and Mima Kilburn.
Memories of the vibrant and cohesive social life of Lochwinnoch in the
1950’s had been revived. The teabreak had also revived the timetravellers for they were again ready
to journey back, for a final time that
afternoon, to see more old Lochenyochians.
The time-machine was in action again
and landed in the McKillop where the
committee organising a Darby & Joan
Social was meeting. It was winter
1956 and in pre-central heating days
so the open fire in the small anteroom warmed the group which included Liza McLauchlan, Billy Brett,
Jock and May Speirs, Margaret
Shaughnessy, and Tom McManus.
The time-machine was then put into
ultra-rapid mode and it moved its occupants across the years and village
locations more randomly.
It gave glimpses of early Calder Glen
and Lochwinnoch Amateurs football
teams with players including Arthur
Graham, a young John McManus,
Lawrence Wylie, and his brother Joe.
Mrs Finnie was spotted chatting with
Mr and Mrs Jack Crisp near Harvey
Cottages. A group of friends including
Barry Ritchie, Anna and Tom Smith,
Anna and Charlie Clelland and Willie
Fenion were seen watching the then
Scottish Cross Country Champion
(Lochenyochian Harry Fenion) receiving his medal. Rab the Bear (alias the
Laird o’ Bogheid) but more properly
remembered as Robert Smith, was
seen outside his cottage at Boghead.
Re-acquaintance was briefly made
with Willie Storrie who had the Men’s
Hairdressers where the Garthland Pub
Lounge stands today.
The time-machine was finally
switched off (or someone didn’t feed
its meter) and the trip back to say
“hello“ to the villagers of the 1950’s
was over. A special thanks was given
to the time-machine operator and organiser of the trip, our Community
Librarian Margaret Sweenie. She had
made the job of the guides for the
tour, Adrian Tharme and Johnny
Mair, a very easy and enjoyable one.
The time–travellers donated
£110 to St Vincent’s Hospice in
lieu of ticket charges.
And so to the truth !!
The time journey was actually made
possible not by a time-machine but
thanks to one Lochenyochian’s legacy
to the village.
In his photographic record of the village and more especially of it’s people,
the late Pat Smith (Senior) has left us
a truly remarkable archive.
Our thanks to his son “ young Pat “ for
making this available to us.
Chameleon Crafts Club
Arts & Crafts for kids age
12 years and up.
The next art workshop for young
people age 12+ is on Saturday 11th
October 2-4pm, once again at the
RSPB (to whom many thanks!).
The theme this month is working
with clay – make your own moneypot or creature to store your bits and
bobs. The work produced will be
fired and available next session for
uplift.
Please note that this is the last workshop before Christmas. However, to
make up for it, there will be 2 workshops in January. Next year’s dates
are: January 11th, January 31st,
February 28th and March 21st. Each
workshop is £10 and covers all materials. If you’d like to join please call
the RSPB (01505 842663) who’ll
pass on a message to Cait, the tutor.
Top Marks ...
were awarded to Lochwinnoch
pupil, Nathan Brackenridge, who
attained 1st in Mathematics and
1st in Craft and Design in the
2007/2008 Johnstone High
School awards.
(Congratulations Nathan, on your
achievements. Sorry for the delay
in publishing your results but we
didn’t have the information last
month. Ed)
Cucina
Minucci
Eat Fresh!! Eat Local !!
at the Junction
Cucina Minucci
www.cucinaminucci.co.uk
There have been several changes at
the caffè over the last few months,
some more obvious than others.
Most of you will have noticed we
have moved the counter back to the
Church Street corner of the room
and created a much bigger reception
area as well as incorporate a small
deli counter next to the till – whew!
We are especially excited about
opening later as of Thursday the 18th
of September. The Caffè menu continues into the evening and there will
be more exciting hot dishes up on
the board. Always freshly prepared
as usual, with some authentic Italian
dishes. With an emphasis on a casual dining experience, you are encouraged to pop in for a coffee and
cake or a glass of wine, some cheese
& olives selected from our deli!!
Richard Mulhearn continues to entertain with his monthly “Jazz at the
Junction” sessions on the last Thursday of every month. Booking is
essential and there is always an
option of £15 for Cold Antipasti or
£25 for a three course meal. Music
starting from 8pm.
In October we also have a special
treat for you all in the form of Neil
Wilson the Guitarist on the Friday
24th – please look out for posters
with more details.
See you soon.
Ivan, Joanna & the Team.
at the Junction
Caffè
Deli
Wholefoods
Homebaking
NEW HOURS
Same Passion for Food
Mon to Wed 9am to 5pm
Thursdays
9am to 7.30pm
Fri & Sat
9am to 8.30pm
Sundays & B/H 10am to 4pm
To book call:
01505 842225
www.cucinaminucci.co.uk
LOCHWINNOCH
SURGERY
31 Main Street, Lochwinnoch
Dr Stephen McLaughlin joined the
practice in August and has an interest in Dermatology and started a
minor surgery clinic.
Flu Vaccine will be available at the
end of September ‘08. If you are
over 65, diabetic, asthmatic or have a
chronic disease, please contact the
surgery and make an appointment
with the Practice Nurse.
Tel: 01505 842200
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LOCHWINNOCH
WRITERS October 2008
A NEET OOT AND A WEE FROG
SATURDAY NIGHT Pat Thomson
S
aturday night again. Sally, Margaret and Susan will be
here in about half an hour, so I better get ready. We’re off
to catch the ten past eight bus to Largs. It’s the Moorings tonight. When we get off the bus we’ll go and get our dance
tickets and a pass out ... Then we’ll go to Nardini’s for a coffee
and a toasted sandwich. The autumn is here so we’ll get it for
sixpence less than last week. Always the same after the
Glasgow September weekend, prices come down.
After our coffee we’ll stroll back along the prom to the
dance hall. By the time we get there, change our shoes, check
our hair and make-up, and put our coats in the cloakroom, it
should be time to go into the hall. If we’re too early the place is
half empty, too late and it’s full, no chance of a seat. Since it’s
a mild night the balcony doors are wide open. With the soft
music and the rush of the waves on the shingle we could
almost be in Italy again.
We usually have a good night down here. It’s Charlie
Harkins and his Kit Kat band as usual, so we’ll get a fair mix
of fast and slow dances with a few oldies thrown in. Sure
enough he’s starting with a slow foxtrot and we’re soon on the
floor. This is followed by a quickstep, then some jive, a
Canadian barn dance, then maybe a waltz. Soon everything
starts to blur and take on a dreamlike quality. The softly lit
ballroom, the multi coloured spinning lights from the glass ball
on the ceiling, the music, in fact the whole ambience of the
place.
“How are you getting home to-night,” asks one of our partners,
“Would you like a lift?”
“No thank you, I’m going home in a big red Daimler, so I
don’t need a lift.”
“It wouldn’t be any bother, I’m passing there anyway.”
“Oh! Are you, where do you come from?”
“I’m from Greenock, didn’t I say.”
“No you didn’t and how come if you stay in Greenock you’ll
be passing through Lochwinnoch? Do you even know where
that is? I don’t need a lift so you can take the straight road
home.”
That’s the girls shouting it’s time to go.
A quick change of shoes and we’re out and off up the main
street to the bus station. There’s a chippie en route and up goes
the cry - anyone want a fish supper!
LCBG
The Struthers Project
Lochwinnoch Community
Buyout Group AGM
A date for this is still to be set but will
probably be in mid-November.
Watch out for notices.
“Where are you going girls,” asks a conductor.
“Lochwinnoch,” we reply. “Third bus along.” So on to the bus, up
the stairs and sit somewhere in the middle.
The fleet leaves on time some going direct to Paisley, some to
Johnstone and the one we’re on that stops at every stop. It only goes
as far as the garage at Milliken Park anyway. Soon there’s a good
going sing song, everything from top of the charts to old favourites
but a must is The Northern Lights, with the whole bus singing their
heads off and the conductor yelling for silence. A waste of breath.
Happy carefree days.
The nursing home sitting room is almost in darkness when the
nurse comes in with a cup of tea. She switches on the lights and is
concerned to see tears coursing down the old lady’s cheeks. “What’s
wrong,” she asks kindly. “Nothing,” replies Myra, “They’re happy
tears, I was just reliving memories of times past.”
GURNEY THE FROG Davie Dougan
Ah’m jist a wee frog, an’ ah live neath a log
Ah’ll eat midges, an’ any wee fly
Ah jist shoot oot mah tongue
An’ although ah’m jist young
Ah kin catch any bug that goes by.
Ah’m dark green like a leaf
Though ah hivnae goat teeth
Ah jist sook aff the bits that taste nice
Then mah tongue goes tae work
Be it daylight or dark
Diz it gie ye the creeps, when ah burp?
Ah’ll eat worms, -- well ah’ll try
Should a fat wan slide by
“Girls! Geeze a wee kiss please, ah sigh?
Cos ah’m really a prince, a wull try tae convince”
(Girls’ Voices)
“Och! Yer jist a wee frog. But ye try”!
THE WRITERS NEXT MEETING
MONDAY 6TH OCTOBER
LIBRARY 9.30-11.30AM
PROFESSIONAL TUTOR!
TEA AND BISCUITS!
MEDITATION AND CREATIVITY CLASSES
Meditation and Creativity Classes on Thursday evenings from 6.30-8.30pm on
9th and 23rd October. Come along, nurture your heart, explore your own truth
and be supported by a small group. All are welcome.
Saturday Workshops from 9.30am-1.30pm.
Sat. 4th October - the web of life; Sat. 8th November - creating sacred space.
Cost £20 or £18 concession (includes lunch).
Call Libby for details on Tel: 01505 842604.
ESTABLISHED 1989
19 YEARS IN BUSINESS AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS GO ON AND ON …
UPVC WINDOWS AND DOORS
MAINTENANCE FREE UPVC
ROOFLINE AND FULL
WINDOW REPAIR SERVICE
OUR PRODUCTS ARE INSTALLED
IN OVER ONE HUNDRED
LOCHWINNOCH HOUSEHOLDS.
HINGES, LOCKS AND MISTED
AND BROKEN GLASS REPLACED.
Tel: 01505 614654
Contact - PETER McGARVEY
UPVC DOORS FITTED FROM £430
From the Parish Church
Because the greatest love of all is happening to me.
I found the greatest love of all inside of me.
The greatest love of all is easy to achieve.
Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.
written by: White, Mark/Fry, Martin Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Whitney Houston’s anthem was released at a time of my life when I
wasn’t very good at loving myself. It is
true that unless we can love ourselves
and accept ourselves warts and all,
that we will not be very good at loving
other people. However, we need to
guard against self love becoming the
only love in our lives – loving ourselves too much is as bad and as destructive as not loving ourselves
enough.
One of the great joys of recuperation
over the past few months has been the
gift of time. The sheer luxury of reading a novel in the middle of the morning has been a joy I have savoured. I
have read many books over the weeks
ranging from the sublime to those
books which should never have been
published. I haven’t necessarily enjoyed all the books, yet if a novel has
made me think, then reading it has
been a worthwhile experience. One
novel I am still not sure about is Ben
Elton’s “Blind Faith”. Set in the
future, some 50 years after global
warming has caused much of the
world to be flooded, the novel introduces us to a parody of 1984. Like
that novel, citizens are no longer able
to have that which we take for granted
– a private life. Cameras are all seeing
and life is lived as though one were a
member of a perpetual reality TV
show, with neighbours able to view
our lives in all the gory detail. The
difference is that in “Blind Faith”
society revolves around a new religion
which is a twisted version of Christianity. It is compulsory to worship the
trinity of the Lord, the Love and
Diana. People are reminded constantly that they are made in the
image of God and as such they must
not only love their bodies, they must
worship them and so must everyone
else.
To that end, people dress in minimal
ways, leaving little to the imagination. Citizens are also encouraged to
indulge themselves in whatever way
they wish leading to destructive lifestyles as ‘people of size’ eat themselves to death. The hero of the
novel, Trafford Sewell, begins to
notice the contradictions within the
faith and as he starts to use his
mind, he realises that everything the
people are told to believe is built on
shifting sand.
I haven’t yet finished this book and
the jury is still out on whether I
would recommend it to others, yet it
has certainly made me think. The
idea of loving ourselves to destruction is quite frankly grotesque, yet
the Bible does encourage us to love
ourselves. What the temple leaders
in “Blind Faith” have done is take
one little part of the Bible and
twisted it for their own ends.
Before we condemn them, let us
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remember that it is easy to twist truth.
We are all guilty of twisting parts of
our faith to suit our own ends. Yes we
must love ourselves, but let us remember that we are to love our neighbours
too. We are called to love our neighbours as ourselves – self love should
not overshadow love of others and
love of others should not lead us to
denying our own needs.
The answer, as with so much of life, is
in finding the right balance.
Going back to that time when I was
finding it hard to love myself, I discovered that the greatest love wasn’t
inside of me. I discovered that it surrounds us all. When I realised that the
Lord of Creation loved me, then I was
able to love myself. Surely the love of
God surrounding and upholding us is
truly the greatest love of all.
Yours,
Rev. Christine Murdoch
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Police Inspector John Laing on new
policing arrangements, Anne
McNaughton on CC support and, recently, Mary Ogilvie on the Renfrewshire Neighbour Mediation Service.
LOCHWINNOCH
COMMUNITY
COUNCIL
Annual General Meeting
This year’s AGM takes place on
Monday 3rd November in the McKillop Institute’s Lesser Hall. Members
of the public are most welcome to attend and also to hear 2 presentations:
one from Oxfam and its fight against
global inequality and the other from a
representative of our local Fairtrade
Group, which aims to guide Lochwinnoch into becoming a Fairtrade Village in the very near future. Refreshments will, as usual, be available in
the form of wine, beer, juices and nibbles …fairly traded, as far as possible.
Treasurer
It is vitally important to the continuation of the community council that a
volunteer from the local area come
forward to take up the role of Treasurer. This is a role that is not too onerous, but needs close attention to detail and a feel for numbers. Anyone
interested should come along to the
regular Community Council meeting
on the 7th October or email the Secretary at [email protected]
If you have matters to bring up to the
Community Council, please either
attend a meeting, send a letter to the
Secretary at 79 High St or email us at
[email protected]
It’s your village …. make it
your community council.
CC activities and
achievements 2007-8
Lochwinnoch Community Council’s
AGM is coming up, so perhaps it’s
pertinent to ask “what does the Community Council do?” I asked a couple of the stalwarts what has been
going on over the past year or so.
CC Chairperson, David Fowles, has
for some time now represented
Lochwinnoch CC on the SRANI
(South Renfrewshire Area Network
Initiative) committee. Working with
the SRANI group, the CC was successful in securing a grant from Forward Scotland under the Community
Environmental Renewal Scheme
towards the completion of the pathway from St. Brydes to Fancy Bridge.
The pathway is now open and it is
possible to reach Howwood from the
cycle path without having to brave a
long section of the Bridesmill Road.
The CC was also involved in the
opening of the section of cycle path
from Lade Bridge to the entrance of
Castle Semple Visitor Centre and
continues to be closely involved with
the forthcoming Conservation
Report commissioned by SRANI.
The CC has been pleased to be able
to offer sponsorship to aspiring
young - and not so young - residents
in their exploits. Tall Ships, Romania, Nepal and the Scottish Polo
Championships have featured in this
and the CC also contributed to the
village Christmas lights appeal.
David also reports that following the
Scottish Executive's decision to decentralise the administration of the
Unitary Authorities, the CC now has
a representative on the Local Area
Committee, which will give first
hand knowledge of all that is going
on in our area.
Finally, David pointed out that various speakers have addressed CC
Chris Gould, CC Deputy Chairperson,
cites one of his areas of activity to be
the ongoing correspondence about the
dry-stane dykes at the Engine Tees,
which might at last result in something (cheap) getting done. This is an
on-going saga where the CC has been
patiently writing to the absentee landlord who is responsible for the drystane wall along the A760 on the approach to the village. The owner’s factor has been very reluctant to take any
action, but it looks as though there’s a
glimmer of hope that the wall will be
tidied to some extent.
Chris has also been actively writing to
any and all of those with responsibility
for the station to consider disabled/
pram access to the down line. Like
much of the CC’s work, it may be quite
a while before this bears fruit, but it’s
work that needs to be done on behalf
of our local community.
Another area where the CC is active is
in the Community Partnership Group
which comprises of the Police, ASIST,
our local Councillor and a representative from the Community Council.
This group has very actively and ably
represented the people of Lochwinnoch to ensure that we are not forgotten, despite being small and the last
outpost of Renfrewshire. This group
has been involved in the CCTV installation at the Cross, with financial assistance from the CC. It is expected
that its presence will reduce antisocial behaviour in a renowned hot
spot.
To round up this snapshot of some of
the work of the Community Council, I
can report that the Community Council has a standing objection to wind
farms being erected in Clyde Muirshiel
Regional Park and always formally
objects on behalf of the village when
an application is notified. This stance
was determined by the outcome of the
very large public meeting held by the
CC when the first wind farm proposal
was made, back in 2006. In June,
representatives from the CC attended
and spoke at a public enquiry into the
Kelburn wind farm application.
Lesley Scott
Secretary
Lochwinnoch Community Council
September 2008
Renfrewshire Neighbour
Mediation Service
Tel: 0800 169 1283
The Anti-Social Behaviour helpline
(number above) is open 9am-10pm.
They can be contacted regarding
neighbour noise (e.g. loud TVs, youth
disorder, street football, noisy parties,
fly tipping). The staff will either advise or refer the caller to, for example,
the police or noise enforcement officers who can issue warning notices, or
the graffiti squad. They can also put
you on to Renfrewshire Neighbour
Mediation Service.
The main part of the Neighbour Mediation Service’s work is early intervention in disputes. They aim to open
channels of communication when perhaps things are so bad, neighbours
aren’t talking civilly. The staff focus
on the future, not going over old
ground. The service is free, confidential and involvement is voluntary.
Referrals come to them via housing
officers, helpline self-referral, police,
landlords. Anyone in Renfrewshire
can refer. RNMS then meet both parties on neutral ground and don’t take
sides but hear the issues from both
points of view.
Mediators are impartial. They facilitate and guide the meetings, keep the
meetings safe and allow speakers their
time. Suitable cases are • the ones that are fairly new disputes as these respond best to intervention,
• where no great fear of violence or
intimidation is present. If there is,
then the matter would be referred to
the Anti-Social Behaviour Team,
• where they are able to negotiate
(i.e. where alcohol or mental health
problems are not an issue) as both parties have to sustain their agreement
where there is no legal action pending
Renfrewshire Neighbour Mediation
Service has an 80% success rate…
most people want to resolve the bad
feeling.
The above is taken from notes made at the
Lochwinnoch Community Council meeting
of 2nd September 2008. The speaker was
an RNMS representative.
Report that pothole
Vee Bee Sugarart
How many times have you been out
in your car or bike and hit a pothole
or narrowly missed a severe pothole
that could result in damage to your
car, bike or yourself? You think to
yourself, “why has someone not reported that pothole, it’s been there
for weeks”.
For all your cake decorating needs
Stockist of Patchwork Cutters, PME, Tinkertech, Orchard, FMM and many more. Christmas cake decorations
now in stock.
Potholes and road defects are more
than just a nuisance to car owners,
they are a danger to cyclists!
I am writing in because I had a serious accident after hitting a pothole
whilst out cycling that left me hospitalised with a head wound, concussion, amnesia and bad cuts and
grazes. I hate to think how bad I
would have been if I had not been
wearing a helmet.
What can you do?
Councils can’t be everywhere, and if
they don’t know about a pothole,
they can’t fill it in. So if you want to
get it repaired, you have to report it.
Cake Stand Hire & Cake Tin Hire Personalised wedding and celebration cake decorations available to suit any occasion! Come along and see our selection. Professional or amateur, everyone is catered for. Opening hours: Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri 10am – 4pm Weds, & Sat 10am – 1pm Ring Judy on 01505 683689 or visit 19 Main Street (The Cross) Kilbirnie, Ayrshire KA25 7BX A very easy way to do this is via the
web site www.fillthathole.org.uk
which contacts the right council for
you, to get the roads repaired
quickly and easily, so you can spend
your time driving/cycling and not
dodging obstacles. The web site
also allows you to see other hazards
that have been reported and a list of
what percentage of holes that have
been fixed in your district. Inverclyde
at present has only fixed 13% of reported holes and Renfrewshire is on
27%.
If everyone who reads this article
could report at least one pothole
then the councils would be forced to
act on the large number of complaints, making the roads a lot safer.
It is a very easy web site to use, simply click on Report a Hazard on the
web site, fill in the questions on the
hazard, click on the map where the
hazard is, which will show up as a
flag on the map, then your name and
address. You can also add photographs to the site. It only takes a
minute to do this and Fillthathole will
do the rest.
Please pass on this web address to
everyone you know in the UK to
make the roads a safer place.
If we don’t report it, the councils will
be less likely to fix it!
Mail Order our speciality.
LOCHWINNOCH
SWRI
Rural meetings got off to a great
start with an excellent slide presentation by John Kinloch. John transformed a neglected one acre garden
into a masterpiece of garden design,
which he opens to the public to raise
funds for cancer charities. The
“before” and “after” slides were
amazing and he had a wealth of
useful tips to pass on.
The competition winners were:
A Floral Arrangement in an Egg Cup
1 A Cochrane
2 P Matthews
3 L Anderson
A Jar of Lemon Curd
1 D Donn
2 P Matthews
3 A Cochrane
The next meeting is on 15th October,
at 7.30pm in the McKillop Institute
when the topic will be Wildlife
Crime and the speaker will be Sergeant J Simpson.
Come and join us!
What’s On
(Clubs, classes and
local groups)
•
Lochwinnoch Community
Walks - Mondays (ex. Public
Holidays), 10.30 am at The Cross.
•
Lochwinnoch Toddlers
Group - For under 5’s, every
Monday and Wednesday from
9.30-11.30 at the McKillop.
(Resumes Wed. 1st October.)
•
Scottish Country Dance
Club - On Tuesdays, from 7.309.30pm, the McKillop Institute.
•
Boys Brigade Anchor Boys and Junior Sections meet on Tuesday nights
and
Company Section meet on
Friday evenings at the Parish
Church Hall. (See notice board
outside the church for more details.)
•
Girls Brigade 1st Lochwinnoch Company
Wednesday evenings from 6pm9.15pm at the Parish Church
Hall for various age groups.
•
Kickjitsu for Kids - Monday
nights, from 5pm-6.45pm in the
Parish Church Hall.
•
Lochwinnoch Gymnastics
Club - For primary school-age
children, every Monday from 5pm
-7pm at the Annexe. Phone Coby
for details on: 0772 9051615.
•
•
Morag’s Keep Fit - Mondays
and Thursdays from 7pm, in the
McKillop Institute.
•
•
Lochwinnoch Choral Society.
Rehearsals held on Monday evenings, Parish Church/Church
Hall. Juniors from 7-7.30pm, Intermediates 7.30-8.30pm and
Seniors from 8pm.
Happy Harminis - Fun for pre
-school children. Thursdays
from 10am in the McKillop Institute. Contact Frankie Plater for
details: 01505 612248.
•
Slinky Strollers - on Thursdays (see back page for details).
•
Lunch Club - Lochwinnoch
Elderly Forum. Every Thursday,
11.30 am-1.30pm, McKillop.*
•
Calder Drama Club—
Thursdays, from 8pm-10pm
McKillop Institute.
•
Scottish Slimmers - Thursdays from 7/7.30pm, McKillop
Institute. Register for free.
•
Lochwinnoch Pre-School
Gymnastics for children from
18 months to 5 years. Every Friday, from 10.15am - 1.45pm at
the Annexe. Details from Coby
on: 0772 9051615.
•
Tai Chi for Beginners Friday nights, 6.45-7.45pm, The
Room, Lochwinnoch Library.
•
Advice Works - Tuesdays 10am
-12.30 at the Library. *
•
Drop-in T Bar - Lochwinnoch
Elderly Forum. Every Tuesday
from 10am-1pm, McKillop Institute. All welcome. For details,
call Reta on: 01505 842054.
•
•
TaeKwon-Do Fitness and Selfdefence classes for beginners, children and adults. Tuesdays from 5
-6pm, McKillop Institute. For
details Tel: 01259 210716.
Linda Margaret School of
Dancing - Tuesdays from 4pm8.45pm, McKillop Institute. For
details, Tel: 0141 581 9104.
Yoga Classes - Day-time
classes on Tuesdays (starting on
7th October), evening classes on
Wednesdays, at the McKillop
Institute. *
Lochwinnoch residents Can I help? If so, please don’t
hesitate to get in touch.
Douglas Alexander, Lochwinnoch’s MP
Write to: 2014 Mile End Mill, 12 Seedhill Road, Paisley, PA1 1JS
Tel: 0141 561 0333. E-mail: [email protected]
or come to one of my advice surgeries.
Godspell
In this issue of Chatterbox, you will
read of the celebrations planned for
the bi-centenary of the Parish
Church building in Church Street.
The celebrations will continue well
into next year and a major event will
be a production of the Rock Musical,
‘Godspell’ on the 26th and 27th
March, in the McKillop Institute.
Godspell (an old fashioned spelling
of the word gospel) was written by
Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael
Tebelak and premiered in New York
in May 1971.
The play follows the stories told by
Jesus (most famously played by
David Essex) and contains well
known songs, such as Prepare ye
The Way of the Lord and Day By
Day. While written for 10 characters, the beauty of Godspell is there
is a place for anyone who wishes to
take part. Castings will take place
later in the autumn for our own production of the musical and a role
will be found for all who come
along.
In the meantime, we need to put together our backstage crew, therefore
a meeting will be held in the Parish
Church on Wednesday 22nd October
2008, for anyone interested in taking
part in any way.
While Godspell is a minimalist production and as such is very simple to
produce, we need help with stage
management, scenery, choreography, costume, make-up, props,
prompting, catering, publicity and a
myriad other tasks. If you have ever
wished to be part of a production
crew, but don’t know where to start,
then Godspell is the answer. Simple
choreography; outlandish costumes
made up of clothes we all have hidden away; outrageous make-up,
which is simple to design and apply;
straightforward props all go towards
creating a production that stimulates
senses.
If you can help in any way, please
come along to the Parish Church, on
Wednesday 22nd October at
7.30pm. Many thanks.
Dates for your diaries
•
Saturday 4th October Concert -“Music over 200 years” with Paisley Abbey Choir at
7.30pm in the Parish Church. *
•
Saturday 4th October—
Jazz with Richard Mulhearn at Lochbarr Football Centre Lounge
from 8pm. *
•
Sunday 5th October Lochwinnoch Parish Church Bi-centenary Service in the
Parish Church at 11am. *
•
Sunday 5th October - Charity Dawg Dawdle - starts at 2pm
from the Glendale Arms, Glengarnock to Lochwinnoch.
(Details on posters around the village.)
•
Sunday 5th October Parish Church Bi-centenary Exhibition opens in the Parish
Church for visitors at specified times during October and will
move to the Library Room for the month of November. *
•
Saturday 4th, Thursday 9th and Thursday 23rd October
- Meditation/Creativity Classes and Workshops. *
•
Saturdays - 4th and 25th October - Krafty Kids group
morning and afternoon sessions at Youth Space, McKillop.
•
Tuesday 7th October - Lochwinnoch Community Council
monthly meeting at 7.30pm, Guild Room, Parish Church. *
•
Monday 13th October - Lochwinnoch Art Group evening at
7.30pm, McKillop Institute. *
•
Wednesday 15th October—Lochwinnoch SWRI meeting at
7.30pm, McKillop Institute. *
•
Thursday 16th October - Lochwinnoch Historical Society
evening, 7.30pm in the Guild Room of the Parish Church. *
•
Friday 17th October - Prize Bingo Night, at 7.30pm in the
Masonic Hall. *
•
Saturday 18th October - Councillor Arthur’s Surgery from
11.30am at the McKillop Institute. *
•
Saturday 18th October - Fete at Lochwinnoch Bowling Club
from 11am-4pm. Bric-a-Brac, Tombola, Tea Room, etc.
•
Friday 26th September to Saturday 25th October Art Exhibition during opening hours in the Library Room. *
•
Saturday 25th October - Bluegrass Night with
The Shed Inspectors at Lochwinnoch Bowling Club. *
•
Sunday 26th October - Champagne Tea and Fashion Show
for Teenage Cancer Trust at Mar Hall Hotel. *
•
Sunday 26th October 2008
British Summer Time ends. Put your clocks back 1 hour at
midnight on Saturday 25th October.
•
Friday 31 October - Fashion Show at the Masonic Hall. *
•
Saturday 1st November - Christmas with a Conscience
stalls at the Parish Church Hall.
•
Monday 3rd November - Lochwinnoch Community
Council AGM at 7.30pm in the Lesser Hall, McKillop Institute. *
•
Saturday 8th November - Ceilidh at Lochwinnoch Bowling Club,
7.30pm for 8pm, Tickets £5 available from Margaret Tel: 843013.
•
Sunday 9th November - Gala Concert in aid of Teenage Cancer
Trust at the Royal Concert Hall. *
* See inside this issue of Chatterbox for further details.
Antiques, Curios and Crafts
A dynamic selection of oils, watercolours and
limited edition prints.
Bespoke crafts by local artisans, vintage and
contemporary jewellery.
Well worth discovering for yourself.
The Barn on the Farm, open 10am till late every day
Contact Greta Logan on Tel: 01505 683338
Mob: 07786 720586
e-mail: [email protected]
www.thestirrupcup.co.uk
West Bankside Farm, Geirston
Road, Kilbirnie, KA25 7LQ
Just opposite the Golf Course
on the Largs Road.
Lochwinnoch Parish
Church
Bi-Centenary Celebrations
Saturday 4th October
Concert at 7.30pm in the Parish Church.
Music over 200 years with Paisley Abbey Choir and organist John Langdon.
Tickets - £5 for adults, £3 for children,
available now from church members or
pay at the door.
Sunday 5th October
Bi-Centenary Service 11am in the Parish
Church. Dedication of the two quilted
and embroidered banners by the Moderator, The Right Rev. Dr. David Lunan.
Bi-centenary Exhibition
Opens in the Church on 5th October and
will be open for visitors on Saturday and
Sunday afternoons from 2pm-4pm during October - i.e. 11th, 12th, 18th, 19th,
25th and 26th October.
The exhibition will then move to the
Library Room and will be open during
normal library hours from 3rd to 29th
November.
Sunday 23rd November
Organ Recital at 1pm in the Parish
Church.
All are welcome.
BEITH
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STAMP OUT ANTISOCIAL
BEHAVIOUR IN RENFREWSHIRE
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CORRECTION
WHAT IS
ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR?
ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
HELPLINE
Antisocial Behaviour describes a
wide variety of actions that can
cause alarm or distress to others.
Here are some examples:
• Abusive
or
threatening
behaviour
• Being drunk or rowdy in public
• Committing racial or sectarian
harassment
• Creating unnecessary noise,
particularly at night
• Vandalism
• Dropping litter or dumping
rubbish
• Graffiti
The Council has set up an Antisocial
Behaviour Helpline. It provides a single, convenient point of contact for all
of the Council’s antisocial behaviour
services.
Some of these things may not seem
serious in themselves, but if they are
repeated over a period of time, they
can make people’s lives a misery.
You can call the ASB helpline from
9am to 10pm, seven days a week. If
you need to report incidents that happen outside these times, you should
call Strathclyde Police on
WHO CAN HELP?
0141 532 5900.
Former Muirshiel miner, Sam Cochrane wrote to us this month, regarding
a couple of items in the Muirshiel
Mines article in July Chatterbox.
“This states I was a supervisor, I was only
an ordinary miner, therefore, had no jurisdiction to order miners to abandon the
mine. The article about my hair standing
on end had nothing to do with a build up
of electricity. Myself and another miner
were sent to work in a particular part of
the mine. On entering, the hair on the
back of my neck began rising and I sensed
danger. We immediately left and I reported it to the foreman. We were given a
different job. Soon after my co-worker
was called by the foreman and he and
another miner were put in the dangerous
spot. About three minutes later the roof
came down, one killed and the other had a
broken back.
The accident was taken to the High Court
in Edinburgh and was found in favour of
the miners.” Sam Cochrane
Chatterbox replies. We are sensitive to
Mr Cochrane’s concerns and are happy to
feature his letter, in full, in Chatterbox.
We would remind readers that items featured in Chatterbox are the views of individuals. Chatterbox can accept no liability for errors, statements and claims.
That depends on the problem. Serious crimes should be reported to the
police. But Renfrewshire Council
better deals with many incidents of
antisocial behaviour. The Council
will be able to advise you whether to
call the police.
The Council provides a wide range
of services that specifically tackle
antisocial behaviour.
These include:
•
Neighbourhood wardens who
can deter antisocial behaviour and
identify problems at an early stage
• The Antisocial Investigations
Team (ASIST) which tackles problems on behalf of residents and connects them with appropriate services,
such as the police
• A mediation service to help
resolve disputes between neighbours
• Environmental services, which
deal with problems such as noise
nuisance, litter and illegal dumping.
All calls to the ASB Helpline on
0800 169 1283
will be treated in complete confidence.
Our trained staff will provide practical
advice, reassurance and assistance, to
help you sort out any difficulties you
have with neighbours or other people
in your area.
DON’T ACCEPT
THE UNACCEPTABLE
The Council and Strathclyde Police
take antisocial behaviour very seriously and are determined to stamp it
out. People in Renfrewshire do not
have to accept behaviour which intimidates them or affects their quality
of life.
If you feel that your life is being affected by the unacceptable behaviour
of others, then call the ASB Helpline
now on 0800 169 1283.
TOGETHER WE CAN
STAMP IT OUT
(This article has been reproduced with
the kind permission of
Renfrewshire Council’s
Media Relations Department. Ed.)
WHAT A STAR !
Well done to Mrs Gurjit Lally, who
ran in the Great Scottish Run (half
marathon) in September to raise funds
for Teenage Cancer Trust. To date,
Mrs Lally has raised
£1,074.43
for TCT and she would like to thank
all her customers at the Keystore for
their very generous sponsorship and
support.
Champagne Tea
And Fashion Show
On
Sunday 26th October 2008
at
Mar Hall Hotel, Earl of Mar Estate,
Bishopton.
Champagne Reception at 3pm
Followed by Afternoon Tea and
Fashion Show, starting at 4pm.
A sparkling, elegant event with
champagne, speciality teas, delectable
pastries, stunning fashion, accessories,
auction and goody bags.
Grand Draw of exquisite Sapphire and
Diamond 18ct gold Ring
All to help Teenage Cancer Trust.
Tickets are £25, available from Karen
Kelly Designs Ltd, by calling 01505
705767 with credit card or online at
www.KarenKellyDesigns.com
Teenage Cancer Trust
Registered Charity No: 1062559
Teenage Cancer
Trust
As you know, Karl Jenkins is making another
appearance at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
on Armistice Sunday (9th November) with his
award winning piece - 'The Armed Man' .
Des and John would like to
thank everyone, once again, for
their donations and support in
enabling us to raise the grand
sum of £6,938 to date, from our
West Highland Way walk for
TCT. There are still a few outstanding Lochwinnoch pledges,
so please get in touch (see next
column for John’s details) or
visit the website, which will
remain open for a further 2
weeks -
We are really struggling for sponsors this year,
due to the ‘credit crunch’ and are dependent on
people coming along and buying tickets. I urge
you to get a group of friends together and book
tickets quickly for a spectacular night out for a
most worthwhile cause.
www.justgiving.com/johndelaneytct
By the time the charity collects the
Gift Aid tax relief from HMRC,
the total should reach £8,000.
Tickets are on sale now from either the Royal
Concert Hall’s website http://www.glasgowconcerthalls.com/whatson/
event/72453 or from the Box Office on Tel:
0141 353 8000. Profits will go directly to building a second TCT Unit at Yorkhill.
Wondering about transport to the concert? John
Delaney will be organising a coach from Lochwinnoch. To book a seat on the coach, contact
John asap on Tel: 01505 844801 or by e-mail
at: [email protected]
Karl Jenkins
The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace
Charity Gala in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust
dedicated to the memory of Andrew Delaney
Scottish Philharmonic Orchestra
(leader Justine Watts)
National Youth Choir of Scotland
(Chorusmaster Christopher Bell)
Conducted by Karl Jenkins
Elizabeth McCormack Mezzo Soprano
Programme includes
Rodrigo ‘Concierto de Aranjues’
Ian Watt Guitar
Peter Cynfryn Jones Conductor
November 9th 2008 7.30pm
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Tickets £27, £22, £17.50
Box Office 0141 353 8000
Lochwinnoch
Library
Why buy
when you can borrow?
New books have now arrived at Lochwinnoch Library. Here’s a sample of
some of the new titles added to library
stock.
Lochwinnoch
Historical Society
We started our 2008-09
session with speaker, Colin
Campbell, who talked about his
book “Can’t shoot a man with a
cold”.
The main purpose of Colin’s
talk was to give wider recognition to the poetry of Lt. E. Alan
Mackintosh MC, attached to
No. 4 company of the 4th Seaforth Highlanders, and who
died on 4th December 1917
during the battle of Cambrai, at
the age of 24.
The story of this young soldier’s
life and especially the reading of
a number of his poems was at
times emotional, telling of the
dedication of Alan Macintosh to
his duty as a soldier and the
sacrifice of millions of others,
who “for your tomorrow, we
gave up our today”.
Colin’s book was available at the
meeting and should anyone be
interested in buying a copy,
please phone me for his details.
Our next meeting is on Thursday 16th October at 7.30pm in
the Guild Room of the Parish
Church. Our speaker that evening will be Joy Blair, whose
talk is entitled - “The Crums of
Thornliebank”.
Annual Membership is still £8
and an evening visit is £2,
which includes tea and biscuits.
For further information, please
contact Gordon Nicholl on Tel:
01505 842632.
Lochwinnoch
Fairtrade Group
We’re well on the way to putting in
our application to have Lochwinnoch
awarded ‘Fairtrade Village’ status.
To get this award we have to show
that folk in and around the village
have a good awareness of the Fairtrade principles to make sure that
people get a fair wage for their labours in producing foods like tea,
coffee, fruits and so on.
We have to show that a reasonable
number of households within the
village buy Fairtrade products.
IF you haven’t signed up as a Fairtrade Supporter, then there are
forms for you to sign on the display
board at the Junction. We need as
many supporters as possible in the
next few months to help with our
application.
We have to show that a reasonable
number of retail outlets stock Fairtrade products. We have already
persuaded a number of local businesses to use Fairtrade products.
Everyone could use Fairtrade
tea/coffee/biscuits at work.
We hope we’ve got enough going in
this village to get us through the application process. BUT we want
more local people to start choosing
Fairtrade products. The more this
happens ,the more support goes to
poor parts of the world. A proportion of Fairtrade income goes towards improving social provision in
poor areas such as health and education support. IF you need more information, then there’s material on
the notice board in the Junction.
Scattered Leaves by Virginia Andrews
When Will There Be Good News by
Kate Atkinson
Land of Summer by Charlotte Bingham
Hold Tight by Harlan Coben
Broken Window by Jeffrey Deaver
Final Breath by John Francome
Remember Me? By Sophie Kinsella
Gypsy by Lesley Pearse
Sail by James Patterson
Renew and Reserve
at
www.renfrewshwire.gov.uk/libraries
Library members can view, renew and
reserve their library loans online. All
you need to get started is your library
membership number and a password.
If you don’t have a password just ask
at any library.
“Your Village”
Want to find out more?
Why not browse through our
collection of local photographs
and step into a very different
world that was … Lochwinnoch.
ADVICE WORKS
Tuesdays 10am –12.30pm
Advisors are on hand to help fill
in claim forms, check and advise on
welfare benefits/money problems.
Advisors can provide expert advice
on a wide range of debt related
topics, such as credit card, mortgage arrears, council tax, etc. The
service is FREE, confidential and
open to all Renfrewshire residents.
LIBRARY OPENING HOURS :
Monday, Wednesday and Friday:
2pm–5pm & 6pm–8pm
Tuesday and Saturday:
10am–1pm & 2pm–5pm
Closed Thursday.
Tel: 01505 842305
“Yoga is for weirdos,
women and wimps…”
Yoga silences the body.
Meditation silences the mind.
5 Church Street, Lochwinnoch
Tel: 01505 842047
Setanta Live Football - 50” Plasma screen
Beer Garden Open
- Families welcome.
Lounge available for private functions.
Meals Served
Monday & Wednesday 12noon - 3pm,
7pm
Thursday 12 noon -
What’s on
Every Wednesday 7.30pm - TEXAS HOLDEM POKER LEAGUE FREE to play!
Every Tuesday - FREE POOL/DARTS
Saturday 4th October
Paisley Gazette POPSTAR KARAOKE NIGHT
(entry forms from the bar)
Saturday 11th October
CURRYOKE
£5 per ticket - price includes Starter, Main Course and Karaoke.
(tickets available from the Garthland Arms)
Saturday 18th October
LIVE BAND - GAMBLE, GAMBLE and DREVER
Far from being a wimp, you gain
more self-respect. People do yoga
because it makes them feel good.
However stiff you are, you will get
more supple.
Yoga was in India as long as 5,000
years ago. The word yoga means
experiencing oneness. With practice, we awaken to the fact that
body and mind are one.
Then you can experience being
connected with everything in Creation. This feels very refreshing.
I often hear “I’m stressed out and
can’t get my head together.” How
can any of us get our heads together when our bodies are full of
physical tension – or when we
sleep badly because our heads keep
racing and the body gets more and
more wound up.
Many people go to a gym to destress. Sometimes this does not
help enough. Weights and gym are
great for getting fitter but they
don’t always relax or heal the body.
Yoga can heal and relax you at a
deeper level.
Friday 31st October
HALLOWE’EN PARTY DISCO
FREE cocktail to all fancy dress party goers - Prize for best cos-
Breathing practice helps calm
the nervous system, helps purify
cells in the body and helps to
ease depression.
Meditation is not easy…..but it is
simple! Sitting in silence brings
automatic effects.
A class consists of warm ups,
posture work, breathing practice,
deep relaxation and a short meditation. Wear loose clothing,
bring mats, blanket and cushion.
Classes
Mondays 7pm–8.30pm Our
Lady’s Hall, Crummock Road,
Beith
Tuesdays 1.30pm –2.40pm
McKillop Institute, Lochwinnoch
(starting on Tuesday 7th October)
Wednesdays 7.30pm – 9pm
McKillop Institute, Lochwinnoch
Thursdays 1pm – 2.30pm
Bridgend Community Hall,
Kilbirnie (near Tesco).
3 hour Workshops:
Kilbarchan Guide Hall
From 1.30pm-4.30pm
Saturday 25th October - theme is
“Release”
Sunday 23rd November – theme
is “Humour”
Sunday 21st December – theme is
“Contentment”
Saturday 17th January – theme is
“Joy”
Mary Laidlaw
British Wheel of Yoga
T: 07971-277870
E: [email protected]
***
Mary moved to Lochwinnoch in
March ‘08 and is delighted to enjoy such beautiful walks from her
doorstep. She has spent the last
22 years in Houston & Bridge of
Weir but you would not know it
from her accent!
Tell us your thoughts
on Parkhill Wood
Bankside Stables is a family run livery yard,
approved by the British Horse Society,
with 24/7 supervision.
Full-time, Part-time and Assisted Livery at DIY
rates offered.
For further details, please contact John Logan
Tel: 01505 685371 Mob: 07990 501240
E-mail: [email protected]
www.banksidestables.vpweb.co.uk
West Bankside Farm, Geirston Road, Kilbirnie,
KA25 7LQ
Just opposite the Golf Course on the Largs Road.
Sky at Night Lochwinnoch
October 2008
This Month’s constellation is actually three.
The Summer Triangle can be seen high in the west
above the Village and is formed by Cygnus, the Swan;
Lyra, the harp which contains the 5th brightest star
Vega; and Aquila, the Eagle. Cygnus is the largest and
does appear as a swan in flight with the head lowermost and the wings outstretched. Lyra is to the right
and Aquila below.
From the Village you can also make out the Milky Way,
which aligns with the body and neck making it easy to
find.
Autumn heralds the return of Orion which rises over
the Braes by midnight. The Orionid meteor reaches its
peak about 1.30am on 21st October. The shower radiates from the top left of Orion. You may see meteors
for a few days either side of the peak but the moonlight
may interfere.
The Moon is Full on 14th October and New on 28th
October. Jupiter is still visible in the evening over
Beith setting over Glenlora.
This and much more will be found
on the Village website www.lochwinnoch.info
Coats Observatory Viewing Nights These start again
on Tuesday 28th October 2008. Public viewing nights
are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6.30pm-9pm.
Night viewings are weather dependent and cannot take
place in rain, high wind or on cloudy nights. Phone
the Observatory, in advance, on 0141 889 2013 to
check that viewings are taking place.
Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park is looking to draw up a plan for
the management of Parkhill Wood to guide work over the coming years. The objective is to improve the wood for wildlife
and for visitors.
We shall be considering aspects such as:
• Enhancing the biodiversity, including control of
non-native species
• Access within the wood
• Recreational opportunities
• Restoration of historical features
We are keen to involve the Lochwinnoch community in this
project and would very much like to hear people’s ideas and
opinions on the current state of the woods and their aspirations
for the future. Our consultations will take several forms so
there are many ways to contribute to the discussion.
Accordingly, a guided walk with Rangers will be held on
Saturday 11th October. Meet at Castle Semple Centre at
13.45pm. More information is given below and another walk
will take place in February 2009.
Additionally, we are hosting an indoor consultation session on
Thursday 6th November at 7.30pm at Castle Semple Visitor
Centre. Tea and coffee will be served. All are invited.
Remember the Fifty Passages?
Autumnal walk to Courtshaw Hill and Parkhill Woods
Saturday 11th October 2008
This Ranger-led walk, leaving Castle Semple centre at 13.45 to
Parkhill Wood, is one with a difference. It will be the first of
several seasonal trips to the area over the next year. The term
‘the fifty passages’ was used by children of Lochwinnoch to
describe the remnants of the maze on Courtshaw Hill.
The walk will be a gentle Saturday afternoon stroll, giving
walkers the chance to familiarise themselves with the area and
its history and taking about 2 hours.
The Park management are seeking some community input into
future plans for the wood, which might involve looking at how
the park might maintain aspects of the designed landscape, and
this walk is the start of this process, allowing a two-way communication. We are looking to maintain and improve the biodiversity of the woodland and its potential for further leisure
use - both active and passive, so the greater the number who
join the walks the more ideas may be generated.
Whatever your interest, the walk promises to be a lovely afternoon out.
THE GHOSTLY
HORSEMAN
by Derek Parker
It was a wet winter night as bus driver
Helen Leitch drove her coach along
the narrow country road between
Lochwinnoch and Howwood.
Howling wind moaned eerily through
the leafless trees with their skeletal
branches. Torrential rain cascading
furiously on to the road was resplendently reflected in the bright glare of
the bus headlamps. All around, the
pitch-black countryside was veiled
with night's sable shroud.
It was a landscape with which I could
easily identify. As a countryisde
ranger at Muirshiel Country Park and
the Barnbrock campsite high in the
hills above Lochwinnoch I cycled that
way every morning and night on my
way to work at all times of the day
and night.
The 'back road,' as it is known locally,
was especially spectral between the
North Gates entrance to Castle Semple small-holdings and Markethill Dairy
about half-a-mile farther up the steep
hill.
So, when Helen called in at the Muirshiel visitor centre and told me her
story, I could understand the terrifying emotions engendered by her dramatic experience that dark night.
She told me how glad she was that
there were a few people on the bus.
Its lights glistened reassuringly like
beacons in the darkness. As the coach
approached the bend in the road at
the North Gates, Helen reduced her
speed.
Suddenly, she was aware of a sharp
drop in the temperature. As the chiil
intensified, she looked to see if the
cabin window was open. But it was
closed. Peering through the gloomy
night and driving rain, she noticed a
shadowy figure lurking menacingly
beneath an overhanging tree.
It was a man on horseback. But there
was something scary about the eerie
apparition. The man wore a long black
coat, dark trousers, knee-length boots
and a dark, broad-brimmed hat. He
was like someone from another epoch
in history.
The grey horse's flowing mane bristled menacingly. The sinister steed
and its ghostly rider emerged from
the darkness like diabolic demons
from the infernal regions. As the
bus approached the phantom figures, Helen looked apprehensively at
the fearsome visitants and was
about to toot her horn to warn them
of her approach. Then she recoiled
in horror.
BECAUSE, AS THE APPARITION
TURNED ROUND AND LOOKED TOWARDS HER, HELEN SAW THE
HIDEOUS HORSEMAN DID NOT
HAVE A FACE. THERE WAS JUST A
BLACK, GAPING HOLE BENEATH HIS
HAT AND COAT COLLAR.
"Did you see that?" she yelled in fear
at her passengers as the bus drove
past the gruesome spectre. But they
shook their heads. No one, except
her, had noticed the phantom on
horseback.
Not long afterwards, Helen gave up
bus-driving. She could not banish
the dreadful vision of the faceless
phantom from her mind. The last I
heard of her several years ago, she
was working in a supermarket.
In the cold light of day, it is easy to
mock ghostly presences in lonely
locations and dismiss them as figments of the imagination. Yet, as
one immersed in the history, folklore
and legend of the area, I was aware
that other people had claimed to see
similar apparitions in the countryside
around Lochwinnoch.
I was also aware that several people
had died violently in the area hundreds of years ago. Among them
was the First Lord Sempill, who built
the historic Collegiate Church on the
shores of Castle Semple Loch in the
early 16th century. He was killed at
the Battle of Flodden in 1513.
The Sempills were also involved in a
fierce family feud with the Cuninghames of Craigends, near Houston,
around that time. They were implicated in the murder of William Cunninghame, the Laird of Craigends,
who was waylaid in the grounds
of HIS estate in 1533 and brutally
murdered by the Sempills and their
accomplices.
Also, on a hillside overlooking Castle
Semple Loch, is the site of a battle at
Muirdykes Mount involving the Scottish Covenanters and the dragoons of
King James VII and II on June
18, 1688. Several men were killed
during the conflict.
During my time as a ranger at the
country park, a sword and some bullets dating from that era were discovered when a field was being drained
near Castle Semple Loch. The finds
were dated to the 17th century Covenanting period.
Archaeologists and historians believed
they could have belonged to a soldier
fleeing from the Battle of Muidykes
and who drowned in the marshes.
Some scholars even think that the
skeleton of the soldier and his horse
could still be lying buried in the murky
depths of the loch to this very day.
Lord Sempill, William Cuninghame and
the Battle of Muirdykes fugitive all
have one thing in common. They suffered violent deaths.
So, could the faceless horseman wandering the Lochwinnoch countryside
be the restless spirit of one of these
three victims of Man's inhumanity to
Man - his face crushed beyond recognition by a weapon, or weapons, during
a fierce feud many centuries ago?
Returned from the grave, galloping
through the gates of death and riding
eternally across Renfrewshire's broad
acres as he once did in days gone by?
RSPB
LOCHWINNOCH
NEWS
SPECIAL OFFER ON MEAT EVERY WEEK
NEW
DISCOUNTED MEAT PACKS - AVAILABLE IN VARIOUS SIZES
SEASONAL GAME - PARTRIDGE, PHEASANT, WILD RABBIT
AND VENISON AVAILABLE SOON
Don’t forget to visit our stall at the Lochwinnoch Christmas Farmers’ Market
at Castle Semple Loch on Sunday 7th December 2008.
39 High Street, Lochwinnoch PA12 4AB
Tel: 01505 844941
SHOP OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
ROLLERSTROLL
Everybody’s doing it! Whether it’s the Pari-Roller Friday night 25 km skate
around the streets of Paris or the London Sunday Stroll and the London Friday
Night Skate, people are taking to skating in their thousands across European
cities.
Nearer to home, over the summer months, skaters have been taking part in a
relaxed, informal skate along the cyclepaths of Lochwinnoch on Wednesday
evenings. This event is aimed at new skaters who have taken lessons or have
previously skated and can manage the basics of stopping to cope with the entry and exit hill next to Castle Semple Centre.
The stroll is a slow pace and allows time for everyone to catch up. Lessons
are recommended for first-time beginners, the event is free, skaters take part at
their own risk and juniors must wear safety pads and a helmet.
From October, the Lochwinnoch Rollerstroll will switch to Sunday
mornings, starting at the Castle Semple Centre car park at 11am,
weather permitting.
If you would like to take part in the Lochwinnoch Rollerstroll
or if you would like more information about lessons,
contact Instructor Don Morton (ICP certified) on 07733 276 902.
Photography Competition
WINNERS !
The votes are in, they have been
counted and verified and the winning
entries from each category are as
follows:
BIRDS
1st place - Heron in Flight by Robert
Beattie
2nd place - Goldfinch by Marie Crum
3rd place - Thirsty Duck by Raymond
Watson
WILDLIFE
1st place - Grey Squirrel by William
Blair
2nd place - Common Blue Damselfly
by John Alexander
3rd place - Looking for Lunch Too by
Shirley Adamson
PEOPLE
1st place - Toddler and Tiddler by
Catherine Frew
2nd place - I Spy by Raymond Watson
3rd place - Enjoying Art by Zul Bhatia
LANDSCAPE
1st place - After the Rain by Robert
Beattie
2nd place - Barr Loch from Path by
Daniel Ferguson
3rd place - Pond View by Douglas
McKnight
UNDER 15’s
1st place - Grasshopper in Grass
2nd place - Swan Drying Wings
3rd place - Blue Tit and Friend
Congratulations to the winners and
many thanks to all of this year’s participants.
A full list of each participant’s placing
in the competition is available on request to the RSPB Centre.
Prizes were awarded for first and second place, with certificates for 3rd
placed entries.
RSPB
LOCHWINNOCH
EVENTS
RSPB
LOCHWINNOCH
EVENTS
Here are further details on some of
our October events.
Fright Night
Young Volunteers
Taster Day
Saturday 4th October 11am-4pm
Do you have kids between the ages of
12 and 18? Do they want to become
more involved with conservation and
the work of the RSPB? Live local to
Lochwinnoch?
Then why not come along to the
RSPB Lochwinnoch’s Young Volunteers Taster Day to find out more.
Please book in advance at the RSPB
Centre or phone us on: 01505 842663.
Wildlife question time
Tuesday 7th October
7.30pm - 9pm
Join us for a discussion about wildlife,
chaired by a variety of local natural
history experts. Please book in advance, submit your questions beforehand and come along to find out the
answers.
Friday 31st October
6pm to 9pm
(walks every 30 minutes)
Join us for a spooky walk through
the woodland, meeting lots of creepy
characters.
Please book in advance. £2 for
RSPB members and 50p for Wildlife
Explorer members. £4 for adults/£2
for children for non-members.
Twilight Talks 2008
Don’t miss our evening events with
a twist during the remainder of
2008.
Shopping and a movie
Tuesday 11th November 5pm-9pm
(film show time 7.30-9pm)
Browse for Christmas presents and
join us for our film show, starring
“The Flying Dustbin - a portrait of
the fulmar”.
Build a Bug a Home !
Friday 17th October
Serengeti National Park
Reserve Manager, Zul Bhatia, gives
us his yearly talk about the wildlife
of the Serengeti.
All children must be accompanied by
an adult. Waterproofs and wellies
recommended.
Please book in advance for all
evening events. £2 for RSPB members, £4 for non-RSPB members.
Sunday 26th October
11am to 4pm
at the RSPB Centre
Join in with lots of activities to help
feed the birds. Pick up tips and information on looking after the birds over
the winter.
FREE EVENT
One of our readers has written in
to us with a great suggestion to make
Chatterbox more accessible to those
village residents who are not able,
personally, to collect a copy of
Chatterbox from the various outlets
around the village and visitor centres.
We know that some of our readers are
unable to negotiate the steep hills in
the village and/or perhaps live alone
and would like to keep up-to-date with
village life and local news and depend
on friends, family or neighbours to
deliver Chatterbox to their homes.
If you fall into this category and you
would like to have a copy of future
issues of Chatterbox delivered to your
door by our volunteers, please complete the coupon below, cut it out
(after you have finished reading Chatterbox, of course!) and either hand it
in or have a friend or neighbour handdeliver it to the Chatterbox Drop Box
in Lochwinnoch Library for our collection.
Chatterbox is a free publication and
we are not in a position to post copies
out to readers. For those living further
afield, Chatterbox is also available in
electronic form on the Lochwinnoch
village website, at www.lochwinnoch.info/chatterbox
Tuesday 16th December 7.30-9pm
Three sessions available:10am—11am,
11.30 - 12.30pm and
1pm - 2pm
Please book in advance.
Feed the Birds Day!
CHATTERBOX
SPECIAL DELIVERY
Tel: 01505 842663
NEW !
Subscribe to the
Lochwinnoch Blog!
For weekly updates about what
is happening at the reserve, visit:
http://blogs.rspb.org.uk/
lochwinnoch/default.aspx
and subscribe using the RSS link.
NAME
……………………………….
(Block Capitals please)
FULL ADDRESS (for deliveries)
……………………………….
……………………………….
……………………………….
POSTCODE ………………..
Contact number (in case of queries) Tel: ……………………………....
News & Events at
RSPB, Muirshiel,
Cornalees & Castle
Semple Centres
•
•
•
Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th
October. Adult Dinghy Sailing
Seamanship Course - teaching the
skills to sail in difficult conditions.
To book in advance, Tel: 01505
842882, Ext 20.
Tuesday 7th October Wildlife Question Time from 7.30
-9pm at the RSPB Reserve.
•
Saturday 11th October Chameleon Club workshop making clay pots at RSPB Centre. Further details inside Chatterbox or
contact, Tel: 01505 842663.
Saturday 11th October Remember the fifty passages?
Two hour, Ranger-led, autumn
walk in Parkhill Wood, visiting the
old maze at Courtshaw Hill.
The walk starts at 1.45pm from
Castle Semple Centre - see inside
for more details.
Saturday 11th to Sunday 19th
October - Lochwinnoch Wildsquare Week. Adopt your own
patch throughout the week.
More details from the RSPB Centre or visit www.rspb.org.uk/wildsquare
Chatterbox is produced monthly for
the Community Council of Lochwinnoch through financial assistance
from local sponsors and advertisers.
The editor welcomes all items for
possible inclusion but will reserve
all rights over them. All views are
of individuals. The editor accepts no
liability for errors.
0141 950 1423 GLASGOW
01505 842176 AYRSHIRE
01786 820130 STIRLING
The Cross, Lochwinnoch PA12 4DB
(10 mins from Glasgow Airport on A737)
•
•
Sunday 5th October - Seeds
and their Needs. Help harvest
wild seeds around the Nature Trail
at Cornalees Centre, 1pm-3pm.
•
•
FREE ESTIMATES
FREE SURVEYS
FREE INSURANCE REPORTS
Roller Stroll. Starting at 11am
on Sunday mornings, weather permitting. A relaxed, informal skate
along the cyclepath. See inside for
details.
Saturday 4th October - Young
Volunteers Taster Day. From
11am to 4pm at the RSPB Centre.
See inside for how to book.
•
Garage Doors . Remote Control Openers
Installation . Repairs . Spares
Slinky Strollers - Thursday
morning walks, starting at 10.30am
from Castle Semple Centre.
•
•
For All Your Garage Door Needs
•
Saturday 11th to Monday
20th October - October Fest.
Autumn Air on bikes, in boats or
on foot. Come and enjoy the
autumn colours, hire a bike or a
boat at Castle Semple Centre.
Running daily from 11am-3pm,
or until poor weather stops play!
Sunday 12th October—
Feeding Fun. Join RSPB staff
for activities to help birds during
winter and get bird feeding advice. At Castle Semple Centre
from 12 noon to 3pm.
Friday 17th October Build a Bug a Home, courses at
the RSPB Centre. To book in
advance, Tel: 01505 842663.
•
Sunday 26th October Feed the Birds Day from 11am 4pm at the RSPB Centre. Join in
with lots of different activities to
help feed the birds during winter
and see demonstrations of bird
care equipment.
•
Wednesday 29th October Conservation Volunteer Session
at Muirshiel Centre from 1pm.
Enjoy some healthy outdoor
work, keep fit and help nature.
Gloves and equipment provided.
•
Friday 31st October - Fright
Night. Meet creepy characters in
the RSPB Reserve’s spooky woods.
To book and pay in advance, see
inside for details.
•
Sunday 2nd November Craft Fair organised by the Regional Park. This event brings
together local craft producers and
runs from 11am to 3.30pm at Castle Semple Centre.
•
Thursday 6th November Tell us your thoughts on Parkhill
Wood. Come along to our consultation at 7.30pm at Castle Semple
Visitor Centre.
•
Sunday 9th November
Hen harrier talk - Muirshiel Wildlife. An afternoon presentation
about the hen harrier and the special landscape protection in place
to safeguard the moors where it
hunts and breeds. Includes CCTV
footage of this year’s hen harrier
family. From 2pm at Muirshiel
Centre. Tel: 01505 842803.
INTERESTED IN FUNGI ?
There’s a small display about fungi
in Castle Semple Visitor Centre.
VISITOR CENTRES
OPENING HOURS AND CONTACT DETAILS
Castle Semple Centre Open daily, 1000-1700 hrs.
Winter Opening hours from 4th November - Open daily 1000-1600 hrs.
Tel: 01505 842882
Cornalees Centre - Open daily, 1100-1600 hrs from April to October.
Open at Weekends only - 10.30am-3pm from Nov ‘08 to March ‘09.
(Toilets open daily.) Tel: 01475 521458
Muirshiel Centre - Open daily, 1100-1600 hrs from April to October.
Open at Weekends only - 11am-3pm from Nov ‘08 to March ‘09.
(Park and toilets open daily.) Tel: 01505 842803
RSPB Reserve - Reserve is open at all times; the Visitor Centre is open
daily from 1000-1700 hrs. Tel: 01505 842663.