april-16 - Lochwinnoch Online

CHATTERBOX
No 268 April 2016
www.lochwinnoch.info
www.facebook.com/lochwinnoch
Community newsletter produced by Lochwinnoch Chatterbox Trust
What’s On & Dates for your Diaries
Village events, clubs, classes, etc are in the centre pages
Lochwinnoch Art
Group
Our Monday meetings continue
fortnightly in the Space Room of the
Mackillop Institute, 7.30pm - 9.30pm.
as follows.
April 4th: "Still Life in the Garden",
(sketch and paint)
April 11th: Tutor Demo by Ed
Hunter. "Landscape in Oil."
April 25th:
medium)
"Landscape", (in any
We will then be, "on holiday", with no
further meetings until we resume in
September. That doesn't mean that our
paintbrushes will be packed away all
summer. No, they'll be busy on new
paintings for our October Art
Exhibition in the Library!
Let's hope for a summer with sunshine.
Sandra Fowles
Historical Society
Ann Parsonage
"Glasgow Humane Society"
Since its foundation by a group of
Glasgow
businessmen
in
1790,
Glasgow Humane Society has been
dedicated to the preservation of human
life in and around the waterways of
Glasgow.
The Society meets in the Parish Church
guild room on the 3rd Thursday of the
month at 7.30pm from September to
April with no meeting in December.
New members and visitors are always
welcome. Year's membership is £8 and
evening visitor is £2 and includes tea/
coffee, cake & biscuits.
Parish Church
Parish Church Cream Tea
Request from McKillop
Staff
Wednesday 13th April 2.00 – 4.00
Keep the McKillop Clean!
Adult. £2.50
Village residents are asked not to put
items into either the grey bin or the
blue bin which are standing outside the
McKillop. These bins are intended to
be used only by staff for waste bin
emptying on a daily basis
Children Free Biscuits & Juice
Bowling Club
RALPH PETERSEN
Motown Tribute/Hits of today
Saturday 30th April
7pm for 7.30pm
For Tickets £6.00 contact
Margaret 843013
The Chatterbox Trust
Journalism Award
The Chatterbox Trust is establishing
an annual Journalism Award, a prize
for the best piece of journalistic
writing, submitted to The Chatterbox
during the preceding year, by a school
age person.
The Trust wants to reward aspiring
journalists who best demonstrate the
excellent writing and reporting skills
of the print journalist.
Watch this space for further details.
Staff members are now finding that at
times when there is a function, there is
often little space available in the grey
bin in particular.
Bottle collection bins of course are for
use by everyone.
Elderly Forum
This month's meeting on Thursday
28th at 1.30pm in the McKillop is the
AGM, when office bearers will be
elected and we will pay our annual
membership fee of £3.00.
We'll be joined by Councillors Bibby,
Doig and Gilmour whose support we
all appreciate.
Proceedings ending as usual with a
buffet, wine and soft drinks.
Looking forward to a good attendance.
Editor
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
Anne
1
Anne
Lochwinnoch
Roundabout
would
benefit from Fibre Broadband. Some
properties attached to Cabinet 4 are
too far from it to benefit.
Miller Family Tree Search
I know the names Miller and Jamieson
are quite common in the area but after
a long long search I am hopefully on
the right track for William’s 1st Wife.
I am searching for my Grandfather’s
1st wife, named Agnes Williamson b
Kilbirnie. She married William Millar
on the 31st December 1867 in
Lochwinnoch. Both were aged 20. The
marriage was registered on the 1st
January 1868.
from Glasgow to Hartlepool sometime
between September 1886 and January
1889. They were still in Hartlepool on
the 1891 census but were back in
Lochwinnoch on the 1901 census.
James Russell
ED. If anyone has any info please
contact [email protected]
I found 2 children born to them.

1st Robert b 28/11/1868 in Kilbirnie.
d 18/5/1871 Pollokshaws, Glasgow.

2nd
Christina
Jamieson
19/12/1870 in Pollokshaws.
17/7/1871 Pollokshaws.
b
d
Both died from the same illness.
On the certificates for the children
(Births & Deaths) the name Millar
changes to Miller.
William’s parents were Robert Millar &
Margaret
Reid
(Cunningham).
Cunningham was missed out on the
marriage certificate. Parents of Agnes
were Robert Williamson & Elisabeth
Carmichael.
Broadband
Parts of Lochwinnoch are now served
by Superfast Fibre Broadband: other
outlying properties will clearly need
some effort and money to get faster
broadband.
Cabinet 4 services an area that covers
properties within the area roughly
between
Lochwinnoch
Station,
Auchengowan, Belltrees and MidRisk. It seems that properties within
approximately 1,5 Km of the
On the 1861 census William aged 13
was living with his Grandmother,
Christina Jamieson, in Lochwinnoch.
His Father, Mother & his Brothers &
Sisters were all living in Glasgow.
William married in Glasgow for the
2nd time in 3/1/1877 and states that he
was a widower, which means that
Agnes had died before that date, but I
cannot find any trace of her in
Scotland.
William’s 2nd wife and children moved
2
I am seeking expressions of interest in
Fibre Broadband from as many
interested parties as possible in this
area so that Openreach will commit to
providing detailed design solutions and
costings. All the additional work is
done by the Cabinet, and the existing
connections to our properties remain
the same. There is no financial
obligation at this point - we are simply
seeking to get BT to define the costs
and then we can pursue a combination
of private funding, Local Authority
Funding and subsidy from BT
Openreach. I have been in touch with 2
of our Local Councillors who have
indicated both a willingness to help
and that some funds may be available
to sit alongside contributions from the
properties that will benefit.
I have set-up an email account:
[email protected]
and I would ask people to email me to
express interest or tell me that they are
not interested. I would be grateful to
know, to help our case, which of the
properties support businesses or home
working as well as leisure use and I will
need a name or names to complete the
BT Openreach documentation.
I will get in touch directly as best I can
and would appreciate the help of
people in the community to get in
touch with all relevant properties.
The affected postcodes are all PA12 4J
then,G,H,J,L,R,S,Y.
Please get in touch so that we can try
and get Cabinet 4 upgraded.
Keith Lough, Lochside House
Arts Festival Family Poetry
Photos with permission from Zul Bhatia
Obituary
May Harris
May Harris, aged 89, died peacefully
on 3rd March 2016, at Paisley RA
Hospital.
May lived in Lochwinnoch from
1959, initially at High Linthills farm
and latterly in the village from 1985.
May led a full life, raising six
children and working as school
librarian at St Cuthberts in
Spateston. She was an active
member of the Parish Church,
3
Women's
Rural
Institute
and
Lochwinnoch Drama Club for many
years, where she made long lasting
friendships.
The Harris family would like to
express sincere thanks to friends and
neighbours who sent kind wishes and
cards, together with donations to St
Vincent's Hospice.
Gratitude to Rev. Archie Ford who led
Services of celebration for May at
Calder Free Church and Woodside
Crematorium in Paisley
Paul Harris
Lochwinnoch Toddlers
Zoo Tots Day
Zoo Tots visited Lochwinnoch Toddlers
group last month, giving the children
the chance to get up close to the
various
visitors—rabbit,
chicken,
lizard, tortoise, all under the watchful
eye of the experts who care for them….
the animals not the toddlers!
The
Lochwinnoch
Toddlers
Group meet in the McKillop every
Monday and Wednesday during term
time from 9.45 - 11.30am.
All
welcome.
Bag Pack
Anne and Moira Adam with some of
their "recruits" for a bag pack for St
Vincent's at B&M Stores Linwood on
Sunday 13th March.
These two incredible sisters fundraise
tirelessly for the hospice, hillwalking,
cycling, furniture auctions, bag packs
etc. Two local heroes who deserve a
pat on the back and lots of support.
Don't duck when you see them coming
with sponsor forms and consider giving
an hour of your time the next time they
do a bag pack - email the Chatterbox if
you feel you would like to help. Your
details will be passed on.
4
John Delaney IFA
EXPERT, INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVICE ON
RETIREMENT PLANNING, PENSIONS AND INVESTMENTS
For a free initial consultation, without obligation, contact:
01505 844 801 [email protected]
07715 579 312
www.johndelaney-ifa.co.uk
Amazing News for
Lochwinnoch
This is supposed to be a gardening
column. Indeed, last month it was and I,
for one, was mightily surprised that so
many people locally have taken up and
acted on the demented maunderings
therein. Nevertheless, I hope you will
forgive me for not writing a gardening
column this month and, instead, sharing
some wonderful news that will really put
our little town (or large village – it’s a
moot point) on the map.
Many of you will have, over recent
months, noticed the deterioration in the
road to Kilbarchan, especially from
Bridesmill to Gardener’s Antiques.
Indeed, some of us have given up using
it at all, deeming it to make the rocky
road to the Isles look as smooth as the
runway of Glasgow airport. Now I’m
sure that you, like me, thought this was
due to incompetence and neglect on the
part of Renfrewshire Council roads
department. In fact, nothing could be
further from the truth.
My contact in the council, Mr. Fuller
Flugiston, informs me that there is a
well thought out and radical purpose
behind the state of the road, worked up
by the council itself. It seems that there
is a great shortage of roads in truly
appalling states of repair throughout the
United Kingdom and while motor
manufacturers have, of course, a wide
variety of test tracks for vehicles, they
need what they call ‘the real thing’. Our
clever and innovative council has
decided that this stretch of road is a
most suitable candidate for such a
purpose and is, even as I write, in
negotiations with the Society of Motor
Manufacturers to lease them this stretch
of road to that end.
It hardly needs to be pointed out that if
these negotiations are successful, the
road must not be repaired. Indeed, I
understand that the council will shortly
be writing to local vehicle owners asking
them to make all the use of the road
they can, in order to enlarge the
potholes on it as much as possible.
Calder lodge, Newton of Barr, Lochwinnoch PA12 4AR
Positive Solutions (Financial Services) Ltd. is authorised and
regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered as a Limited
Company In England And Wales No. 3276760.
Doing so will be a very public spirited problem or that they haven’t had a
act for the benefit of all of us; the more reasonable time to fix it, they can and
probably will deny liability; and they’ll
craters the better.
also probably get away with it.
The council calculates that there will
be substantial benefits to the local Consequently, if you see a fault in the
economy. Local vehicle recovery trucks roads or pavements, report it to the
will be working as never before. Ian council, either in writing or by email
Brown’s garage will become worth before it causes any damage or injury.
millions overnight. Unemployment Do not phone, as there is some reason to
locally will become a thing of the past believe that such phone calls go
due to the ever increasing demand for mysteriously unrecorded, thus giving the
mechanics and fitters. A scrap dealer council the chance to say that they didn’t
has already expressed an interest in know about the fault and are thus not
taking
over
Struthers
disused liable for damages caused by it. Write to
lemonade factory to use as a wrecking Renfrewshire Council at Renfrewshire
yard. The payments made to the House, Cotton St, Paisley, or email to
council by motor manufacturers will
customerservices.contact@renfrewshire
be enough to cut the council tax
gov.uk.
(though Mr. Flugiston has already
If you write, copy the letter to one of
denied this last as a ‘forlorn hope’).
your local councillors, because otherwise
Such forward thinking on the part of
it may happen that your letter
the council deserves to be applauded
mysteriously goes missing (just like
and supported by us all. Hats off to
phone calls and with the same result).
Densefrewshire Council!
Photograph the pothole, faulty kerb,
pavement or whatever. If repair is not
STOP PRESS!...
made within a reasonable time (two to
LATEST NEWS!...
four weeks), then any car or anybody
The council appear to have abandoned
who is damaged by the fault can claim
the above excellent plan, in favour of
against the council, whether they have
filling the potholes with some sort of
themselves reported the fault or not.
temporary repair, which means that
‘But,’ you may well ask, ‘How will I know
regular users of this stretch of road
if somebody else has reported the fault?’
have been wrecking their car’s
suspension for months on end to no So here’s the answer… Let the editor of
good purpose: What a waste of a this august blatt know that you have
reported a fault, together with the
golden opportunity!
nature of it, and when you did so.
Anyway, a quick (and hopefully
Chatterbox can then publish it for all to
sensible) lesson on what to do if your
see and if somebody trips over a faulty
vehicle, or indeed yourself, is damaged
pavement or road and smashes
by potholes in the road or you fall
themselves or their car up because of it,
because of uneven and/or faulty
there will be a public record of fault
pavements. If there is a fault in either
reporting that all can refer to… and yes,
and you, or your vehicle, is damaged,
we are not helpless in the face of
the council is liable to make reparation
bureaucratic
indifference
and
to you, i.e. pay for the repairs to your
inefficiency.
vehicle and/or loss or pain you suffer.
Graham Lait
However, if the council can claim
either that they did not know of the
5
Donna & Caitlin Kilt Walk
After 4 years of non-stop baking for
charity, Caitlin and I have decided to hang up the aprons for
a while and embark on a new challenge for one of our
favourite charities. We have formed a mum and daughter
team "The Tartan Dolls" and have registered for the 2016
Kiltwalk on April 24th.
LEAP Community Survey Feedback
Your Quotes
It has been a difficult period for Yorkhill Childrens Charity
with the move to the new hospital last year causing
problems with the very well loved and well supported
"brand" reflecting years of work and dedication to sick
children and their families.
Thank you to all the local residents, charities, community
organisations, groups and schools who completed LEAP’s
feedback surveys in February. We received a tremendous
response and are truly grateful to get your feedback about
the benefits LEAP’s work and services have brought to our
villages, residents, families, school pupils, and partner
organisations over the last year. We are delighted to learn
that a resounding 99% of survey respondents support the
continuation of LEAP and would recommend LEAP to
friends, family, colleagues, groups and other organisations!
While we are working on collating the survey reports, we
have presented below a snapshot of the quotes we received
from local residents, schools and partner organisations and
groups: *‘LEAP’s visits helped to bring class topics to life
and engaged pupils in practical demonstrations, creating
opportunities to ask questions from experts and make links
between school based learning and the practical applications
of this.’ *‘I’ve got greater awareness of how I can reduce my
carbon footprint (and save money) by taking practical steps
to reduce energy consumption in the home.’ *‘LEAP events
like the Bikeswap and Clothing swap have made me more
aware about the products I buy and what I can re-use
instead.’ * ‘LEAP has made a significant contribution to
reducing the carbon footprint of residents through
awareness raising, advice, and the provision of services and
physical works to properties and homes.’ * ‘LEAP has
become a fixture in our villages. The car club, and its cars,
and the shop-fronts are the most noticeable features, as
LEAP has become part of the local fabric.’ More feedback
from the survey will be highlighted in next month’s
Chatterbox issue. Get in touch with LEAP on 01505 842
530, 612 034 or visit our website at www.myleaproject.org
for all our services.
The hospital name change caused public confusion with
many believing that the charity had ceased to exist. It was a
difficult decision both emotionally and financially for the
charity to re-brand, but hopefully the launch of the new
name is an opportunity for it to re-invent itself.
Caitlin and I are proud to be undertaking the 2016 Glasgow
Kiltwalk for the newly branded charity. We have been
training hard and still have a few weeks to go to make sure
we can conquer the 26 miles between Hampden Park and
Balloch.
The event is on 24th April and we have had great support so
far from customers at The Heritage Farmers Shop and The
Corner Bar who have been filling our tins.
If you would like to sponsor us and allow the charity to
benefit from gift aid, you could sponsor us on line on
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/thetartandolls
or contact Caitlin or myself for our manual sponsorship
form.
Donna & Caitlin
If you have not heard about the name change…
Yorkhill Children's Charity now
Glasgow Children's Hospital
Charity
‘Sit down for breakfast, stand up for farmers!’ Fair
Trade Fortnight
This year during Fairtrade Fortnight (29 February - 13
March) people and groups were being asked to sit down for
breakfast and stand up for farmers, choosing Fairtrade to
make their breakfast count and using the power of their
shopping baskets to support a fairer deal for farmers and
workers. Millions of farmers and workers in developing
countries work hard to grow the food we eat every day. Yet
many don’t know where their next meal is coming from. As
Martin Luther King famously said, ‘before you finish eating
breakfast in the morning, you’ve depended on more than
half the world’. LEAP was invited to take part in the ‘sit
down for breakfast, stand up for farmers’ at the Rainbow
Turtle shop in Paisley as part of the events held across
communities and schools in Renfrewshire.
Following our move from the Yorkhill site in June 2015 to
the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, Yorkhill
Children's Charity will now be known as Glasgow Children's
Hospital Charity.
Although our name has changed, everything else remains
the same. We will continue to support the 160,000 babies,
children and young people treated at Scotland's largest
children's hospital every year.
It’s thanks to the dedication, generosity and kindness of
people like you that we can continue the care of Yorkhill
Children’s Charity, providing the best possible care to
Scotland’s children and their families.
The ongoing support and commitment of our donors,
fundraisers and volunteers is vital to our work, and we very
much hope that you will support our latest appeal to fund a
surgical microscope for the hospital, which will be the first
of its kind in a children's hospital in Scotland.
LEAP Electric Bike hire kick-starts residents’
cycling experience
There are many different reasons why residents opted to
hire a LEAP electric bike or E-Bike in the last year. Some
hirers wished simply to start cycling again or to embrace a
healthier lifestyle, others wanted to start cycling to work or
On behalf of our young patients and their families, please
accept our heartfelt thanks for your continued support.
Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity
6
Cllr Derek Bibby
At the time of writing
remedial work is taking
place to clear the surface water and
raise the roadway above the flooding
that has affected the access road and
car park at the railway station
to replace a car drive. While all these
factors differed, opting to trial their
cycling experience on an e-bike helped
to kick-start a new cycling experience.
Half of the residents who hired out
LEAP e-bikes replaced car journeys, or
tested out the distance of their
commute to the main train stations in
the villages before they looked into
getting their own bicycle. Others hired
an e-bike to kick-start or re-kindle their
interest in and experience of cycling. If
you would like to find out more about
LEAP E-bike hire, call LEAP on 01505
842530
or
612034
or
at
www.myleaproject.org/contact.
Energy Bill Surgeries get the
Green Light
How much is your home energy costing
you per year and could you make
savings? LEAP has held a number of
Energy Bill Surgeries to help residents
to find out more about how to reduce
their energy bills across the year. We
also recently invited along Citrus
Energy, a registered charity that offers
tenants and home owners who are
considering switching energy suppliers,
more information about the availability
of energy supplier and their options.
There will be more surgeries organised
this spring. Get the green light from
LEAP’s Energy Bill Surgeries and lower
your energy bills! Watch this space for
the upcoming dates across our villages,
or get in touch with LEAP at our
website
www.myleapproject.org/
contact, or on 01505 612034 842530.
Throughout January and February this
had been the source of tremendous
frustration to those villagers requiring
access to the station, and was a
situation that was unacceptable.
Having made representations to both
Scotrail and Network Rail I hope that
the outcome of the work undertaken is
that similar incidents can be
prevented.
One of the biggest changes to affect
Renfrewshire Council and Greater
Glasgow and Clyde Health Board in
many years, takes place from the
beginning of April as the new Health
and Social Care Partnership takes over
responsibility for services to adults
over 18 and older people.
changes, and will keep
informed of progress.
villagers
A full report on the changes and a
copy of the new partnerships strategic
plan
can
be
found
at
www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/integration
At the most recent meeting of
Renfrewshire Council’s Planning and
Property Board, an application for
two solar wind farm developments
nearby Lochwinnoch was rejected.
This had been the subject of much
discussion locally.
Renfrewshire's
Housing
and
Community
Safety Policy Board
approved the councils response to
Police Scotland's plan to strengthen
community policing.
I know that the issue of rural policing
is an important one for many
villagers. The report can be found on
the councils website
Social work services and functions,
and community health services will be
delivered by the new partnership,
overseen by a new Integrated Joint
Board tasked with decision making
and budget responsibility.
The street stuff programme which was
the subject of a report to the most
recent meeting of Johnstone and the
Villagers Local Area Committee, is
designed to divert young people from
anti-social behaviour, by providing
them with activities, and the
programme has been extended to
Lochwinnoch.
The services include care at home
services, care homes, and social work
covering mental health, and people
with physical disabilities, district
nursing services, dental, ophthalmic ,
GP and pharmaceutical services will
also be the responsibility of the new
partnership.
Although incidents of youth disorder
are infrequent compared to other
parts of Renfrewshire, such behaviour
is always a concern, and it is
important that those young people
involved are helped to use their time
and skills in a more appropriate
manner.
The budget for the delivery of these
services will be some £220 million.
Young people and indeed others, who
enjoy cycling will be interested in the
discussion at the recent meeting of
the Clyde Muirshiel Park Joint
Committee regarding plans
to
develop off road cycling routes. This
follows the success of the Pedal in the
Park event last April .
As one of the four
Renfrewshire
councillors on the joint board, I am
well aware of the importance and level
of responsibility arising from these
Mhairi Black MP
If you have a problem or an issue you
would like to raise with me my next
Lochwinnoch Surgery will be held at
10:00am in the McKillop Institute on the
second Saturday of the month.
Alternatively, you can contact me at:
0141 571 4370
[email protected]
It is envisaged the plans will complete
links between Muirshiel and Castle
Semple, and eventually provide a
route link to the Gleniffer Braes.
Cycling is one of the sports across
Scotland that is still growing at a
rapid rate, and there is a sound case
for development, which will also
provide local businesses with the
opportunity to provide servicers for
the additional visitors, that such an
initiative will attract.
Councillor Derek Bibby
7
visit from a male smew – we think it
could be the same bird which has
arrived on the reserve every February
for the past 3 years. These are very
scarce winter visitors to Scotland, so
they have been quite a draw for folk
visiting the reserve!
RSPB Lochwinnoch
We have had a few welcome sightings
of the elusive sun in recent weeks – has
spring arrived? I have started to notice
a few splashes of colour along the trails
– buds on the trees, carpets of
snowdrops in bloom, and bright scarlet
elf cup fungi sprouting from mossy
logs. Many of the birds here at the
reserve are already in their fresh
breeding season plumage, ready to woo
the females.
We have heard
woodpeckers drumming regularly on
trees along the trails, marking out their
territories, and great crested grebes
have been spotted on the loch
performing their elaborate courtship
dance.
If you saw our article in the last edition
of Chatterbox, you may have seen the
news that a redhead (female or
juvenile) smew had been spotted in
Lochwinnoch. We have now also had a
If you’re looking for ways to entertain
the kids during the Easter holidays,
why not pop along to the reserve?
April sees the return of our popular
Make Your Own Mondays events,
where we head outdoors and get
crafty, and have fun exploring the
natural world!
We will also have our new Wild
Challenges running, giving you the
chance to take part in themed
activities and explore the reserve at
your own pace.
If your visits to the reserve inspire
you to give nature a home, our Family
Volunteering sessions are a great way
to get started!
Come along with your children,
grandchildren, nieces, or nephews
and have a go at some practical
volunteering – you’ll have lots of fun
working outdoors, and also gain the
satisfaction of knowing you are
helping to maintain the reserve as a
haven for wildlife! We’ll even offer a
hot drink and biscuit as a thank you
for all your hard work.
If you’re interested in finding out
more about the reserve or would like
to come along to any of our events,
please
get
in
touch
at
[email protected] or call us
on 01505 842 663.
April 2016 Events
Wild Challenge: We’re going on a
bear hunt!
Any time! (visitor centre open 7
days; 10am – 4pm)
Sat 2 – Mon 11 Apr
Spend some quality family time
together at RSPB Lochwinnoch! This
event is not your usual kind – you do it
with your own family in your own time!
Simply pop into the Visitor centre any
time between Saturday 2 and Monday
11 April, where the friendly staff will
give you a map and get you started.
Then, visit different stations along our
main trail to go on a bear hunt! When
you’ve finished, come back to the
centre to complete the challenge and
tell us all about it!
Cost: £3 per child (RSPB members £1)
Make Your Own Mondays: Bird
Food Feast!
11am - 1pm OR 2pm - 4pm
Mon 4 Apr
Come along and make some tasty treats
for the birds! We will also learn about
how hard birds work to feed their
chicks – and get out some binoculars to
see what species we can spot!
Booking essential. Cost: £5 (RSPB
members £3) - Adults go free!
Make Your Own Mondays: Clay
Creatures
11am - 1pm OR 2pm - 4pm
Mon 11 Apr
Channel your inner forest spirit! We
will make clay creatures and green man
tree faces, then create and decorate
stick mobiles to entice woodland
sprites!
Booking essential. Cost: £5 (RSPB
members £3) - Adults go free!
Wild Challenge: Let’s go
hunting...for food!
Any time! (centre open 7 days;
10am – 4pm)
Tues 12 – Sun 17 Apr
Spend some quality family time
together at RSPB Lochwinnoch! This
event is not your usual kind – you do it
with your own family in your own time!
Simply pop into the Visitor centre any
time between Tuesday 12 and Sunday
17 April, where the friendly staff will
give you a map and get you started.
Then, visit different stations along our
8
main tail to go on a bear hunt! When
you’ve finished, come back to the
centre to complete the challenge and
tell us all about it!
Cost: £3 per child (RSPB members £1)
Lochwinnoch Explorer Group:
Re-introductions…
10am – 12noon
Sat 23 Apr
We’ll be investigating animals that
were extinct in Scotland but have now
been re-introduced, or are planned for
re-introduction to the country. Where
will these animals be brought from
and how will they affect the existing
Scottish wildlife? Come along to find
out...
Please wear suitable clothing for being
outdoors.
Ages: 5 to 14 years. Please note that all
children aged 8 and under must be
accompanied by an adult.
Booking essential. Cost: £5 (£3 RSPB
members)(adults go free)
Birds for Beginners
11am – 1:30pm
Sat 30 Apr
Are you a beginner to bird watching?
Join the team at RSPB Lochwinnoch
for a workshop ideal for introducing
beginners to this fantastic hobby!
Learn more about common garden
birds and pick up tips and advice on
wildlife watching techniques. After
this, we’ll head out onto the reserve to
put these new skills into practise and
then top it all off with a hot drink back
at the centre. Please book, as places
are limited.
Cost: Adults: £5; Children: £3 (RSPB
members: £3/£2)
Family volunteering - volunteer
with your children or
grandchildren...
1 – 3:30pm
Sat 30 Apr
Who says volunteering is only for
grown-ups? Definitely not us. Here’s
an opportunity for grown-ups and
children to do something practical
together in the great outdoors, and to
help us Give Nature a Home. It’s a
chance to spend some quality time
with the children in your life, and it’s
free.
Please book. Cost: FREE
Cllr Andy Doig
The RBS ATM in the
village took some
weeks longer to repair
than I anticipated,
but with a mixture of perseverance
and determination I stressed to
regional RBS management that this
repair was crucial to both residents
and businesses in the village. RBS are
very clear that this latest repair
should allow the ATM to serve the
people of Lochwinnoch for some time
to come, and I believe they are
sincere
in
regretting
any
inconvenience caused.
Another big challenge in my civic
postbag over the last month has been
the flooding of the slip road to
Lochwinnoch railway station. This
crucial lifeline for village residents
was blocked off for weeks and the
issue was getting Abellio/Scotrail to
take responsibility and act quickly as
they owned the slip road not
Renfrewshire Council. Along with
support
from
my
Scottish
Parliamentary colleague, Stewart
Maxwell MSP, we persuaded Scotrail
of the importance of draining the slip
road and to carry out remedial works
to ensure this does not happen again.
Since the last Chatterbox was
published Renfrewshire Council has
had its annual Budget meeting and it
was like the proverbial Curate’s Egg,
good in parts. The Budget meeting
was delayed due to a lack of
information
as
the
current
Administration took the erroneous
decision to take Renfrewshire Council
out of COSLA, not the wisest move
which I voted against. Paisley has to
get a new £15 million Sports Village,
and town centres like Paisley and
Renfrew are to get free Wi Fi.
These are positive developments for
the leading town in Renfrewshire but
Paisley is only 75,000 residents
whereas 100,000 people live outwith
Paisley, and there was little in this
budget for them. There were some
new monies for community halls so I
have written to the Chief Executive of
Renfrewshire Leisure asking for an
upgrade to the fabric of the McKillop
Institute. I am also continuing to
work with Mhairi Black MP to
improve the Broadband service in
Lochwinnoch.
9
Local Solicitors
Providing Personal Service
Whether you’re buying
or selling a home or are unsure
of your rights on any legal matter
the experienced team at JJ McCosh
will provide an individual
service from experts
with local knowledge.
Partner, and local resident,
Ian Briggs is more than happy to
consult at your home, and there is no
charge for the first meeting.
Feel free to get in touch to speak
to our team and see how we can help.
Telephone:
01294 832112
Email:
[email protected]
On a brighter note it was a pleasure
for Audrey and I to attend the
Provost’s Community Awards to see
Lochwinnoch’s
inspirational
fundraiser, Corinne Hutton, receive
the Freedom of Renfrewshire from
Provost Anne Hall. This was so richly
deserved as Corinne is an icon of
human strength and courage.
I very much want to make myself
available to local residents in
Lochwinnoch and please note my
Lochwinnoch advice surgery is on the
4th Wednesday of the month, at
7:30pm, in the McKillop Institute,
excluding July. However, I am
available at any time to constituents
who can call me on 07534 148224,
tweet me on CllrAndy4Ward8, or email me at
[email protected].
Yours Sincerely,
Cllr Andy Doig (SNP),
Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, and
Lochwinnoch Ward,
Renfrewshire Council
What’s On

Drop-in T Bar—Lochwinnoch
Elderly Forum. McKillop Institute,
10-12 noon.

Lochwinnoch Art Group—Meet
fortnightly on Monday evenings,
7.30pm, McKillop Institute.

First Friday of Month—Semple
Tones host an open mike session at
Lochwinnoch Golf Club


FitSteps—Lochbarr Centre, 7-8om,
starts 7th March.
Lochwinnoch Choral Society—
Rehearsals on Monday evenings,
Parish Church/ Hall. Juniors 7:158pm, and Seniors 8pm-9.15pm.


Football
Training—St Mirrin
football training, Lochbarr Centre,
4:00-5pm age, 3-6, 5:00-6pm age 612yrs
Lochwinnoch
Community
Walks—Mondays
(ex.
Public
Holidays), meet at 10.30am at The
McKillop Institute.

Lochwinnoch
Toddlers—
Mondays and Wednesdays from 9.45
- 11.30am during term time in
McKillop, new members welcome,
free entry for babies under 6
months, tea, coffee available and free
healthy snacks for children.

Lochwinnoch Writers Group—
Monday from 2-4:15pm in the
Library. Contact 873581

Morag’s Keep Fit—Mondays and
Thursdays from 7pm, in the
McKillop Institute

Positive Thinking Group Meet
every 4th Wed in the Bridgend
Community Centre, Kilbirnie. Cost
£3.50 For further info telephone
Andrea on 07890 181 769

Pulse Dance Academy Lochbarr
Centre
Thu: Juniors 6-7pm, Seniors 7-8pm
Sat: Nippers 2-5yrs 10:45-11:30am

Pulse Stretch Class—Lochbarr
Centre, Sat 12-1pm

ROAR
Lunch
Club—every
Thursday from 11.45am PROMPT at
the McKillop Institute.
Please
Note - ONLY ONE SITTING.

Scottish Country Dance Club—
Every Tuesday, from 7.30-9.30pm,
McKillop Inst.

Sequence Dance Class—Every
Wed 7.30-9.30 at Bowling Club

TaeKwon-Do—Fitness and Selfdefence classes for youths and
adults.
Tuesdays from 5-6pm,
McKillop and Thursdays from 7pm8pm at Lochwinnoch Primary
School. Tel: 01259 210716.

Tai Chi— McKillop Hall, Tues 11-12
noon, Tel 842374

Ukelele Band—Come and play,
any level, Corner Bar, every
Wednesday 7:15pm

Writing Group— every Monday in
the Library 2pm—4:15pm

Zumba—Lochbarr Centre,
Wed 7-8pm—Zumba with Cheryl
Regular clubs, classes and groups

Bokwa Fitness — Masonic Hall,
Thursdays, 7—8pm. Places limited.
Contact Rachel on 07795 100231 or
503362

Bootcamp– Lochbarr Centre Mon
10-10:45am, Sat 9:30-10:15am, Call
Steven 07939 808 629 for
availability

Boys’ Brigade—meets on Tuesday
evenings in the Parish Church Hall.
- Anchor Boys P1 to P3 (6pm—7pm)
- Juniors P4 to P6 (7pm- 8.15pm)
- Company P7 to S6 (7.45—9.30pm)
Tel Mark Brown 842209 or email
[email protected]

Calder Drama Club—Thursdays,
from 8pm-10pm McKillop Institute.

Calder UF Church—Food for
Thought. Last Monday of the month
7.30pm in church hall

Community
Walks—Mondays
(but not public holidays) - meet
10.30am at The Cross, Lochwinnoch

Conservation
Volunteers—
Clyde Muirshiel
- Adult Group—Thursdays 12:303:30pm Castle Semple Centre
- Young Volunteers, 12-18yr old,
Sundays 10-12am, Castle Semple
Centre

Girls Brigade—1st Lochwinnoch
Company, Wed evenings from 6pm9.15pm at the Parish Church Hall for
various age groups.

Hatha Yoga Classes with LauraJane Lawson. Wednesday- McKillop
Inst 7pm-8.30pm.
All levels
welcome. Tel: 07999 862 162 or
Email: [email protected]


Keep Fit—Improving With Age
classes—every Tues from 10-11am
at the McKillop. Tel 842 136

Knitting Group—Mondays 10am12 noon (or longer) at The Loch
House, all levels welcome

Krafty Kids—open to all Primary
School children 1.30—3pm in small
Parish Church room. For bookings
telephone Katharine Billany on
01505 844 944 or 07947 075 622

Personal Service & Quality
Additional Inscriptions
Cleaning & Renovations
SALE ITEMS ALWAYS IN STOCK
42 MAIN STREET
KILBIRNIE
Please Call 01505 685455
www.quinnmemorials.co.uk
Mon & Fri 10am-5pm
Tue-Thur 10am-2pm
Sat By Appointment
Liathach Dog Training—(prebooking necessary). Anne Moss, Tel:
01505
842367,
e-mail:
[email protected]

Linda Margaret School of
Dancing—Tuesdays from 4pm8.45pm, McKillop Institute.
For
details, Tel: 0141 581 9104.

Lochbarr Centre
 Mon 10-1045am—Bootcamp
 Mon 7-8pm—FitSteps
 Tue 7-7:30pm & 7.30-8pm Fat
Burn Extreme with Steven
 Wed 7-8pm Zumba with Cheryl
 Thur—Pulse Dance Academy
6pm-7pm (Juniors 5-8 yrs)
7pm -8pm (seniors 9+ yrs
 Thur—St Mirrin Football
Training
- 4-5pm age 3-6
- 5-6pmage 6-12yrs
 Sat 9.30-10.30am Bootcamp with
Steven
 Sat 10:45-11:30am Pulse Dance
Academy (nippers 2-4 yrs)
 Sat 12-1pm Pulse Dance Academy
Stretch class
Guaranteed
New Memorials
Healing
and
Creativity
Workshops
&
Classes—For
details or to book a place, please Tel
Becky: 0141 8816700 or Libby on:
01505 842604
10
Some activities may cease during
holidays, please check
Upcoming Events
 Friday 1st April—RSPB Local
Group,
McMaster
Centre,
Donaldson Drive, Renfrew 7:30pm
 Monday 4th April—Art Group
Poem from Member of
Elderly Forum
Regular Councillor
Surgeries
Brian - D.O.A.
Cllr Andy Doig—4th Wednesday of
the month, McKillop Institute, 7:30pm
When house insurance we were
buying
"Caricature and Abstract" An
exploration of black line and
colour, 7:30pm McKillop Space
room
The company sent a robot called
Brian
 Sat 9th April—Scottish Model
I think we were a bit deluded
Yacht Championships, 10am—
4pm
To believe
included
 Mon 11th April—Art Group
Tutor Demo by Ed Hunter.
"Landscape
in
Oil."7:30pm
McKillop Space room
that
batteries
were
Brian stood still like an engineless car
 Wed
So we tried to administer CPR
 Fri 15th April—Hear to Help
So down we went to the local Spar
13th
April—Parish
Church Cream Tea, 2-4pm
And given Brian’s head a bash
 Mon 25th April—Art Group
McKillop
28th
Apr—Elderly
Forum, Councillors visit.1:30pm
RBS Mobile Bank
It didn't matter how hard we tried
McKillop Institute
For Brian stood still and merely
sighed
Monday & Friday
Even with new batteries in
 Thur
11:50—12:35
He was only useful for the bin
 Sat 30th April—Bowling Club
We told the Company “Sad to say
Motown tribute night, 7pm, £6,
tel 843013
We've had to put wee Brian away
To the garage for all to see
 Sat 7th May—WoW Camera
Trapping Workshop.
follow
[email protected]
We may as well have saved our cash
April—Glasgow
7:30pm
Cllr Derek Bibby—1st Saturday of
the month, McKillop Institute, 9am
To give wee Brian long endurance
Society Ann Parsonage talk about
"Glasgow Humane Society"
"Landscape",
Space room
[email protected].
uk
We thought new batteries would give
assurance
 Thurs 21st April—Historical
24th
Kiltwalk
Cllr Chris Gilmour—1st Saturday of
the month, McKillop Institute, 9am
Still he wouldn't go very far
Drop-in, 10am-12noon, Sheltered
Housing,
Glenpark
Rd,
All
welcome.
 Sun
[email protected]
And that's where he lies . . R.I.P.”.
Info to
 Fri 20th May—Hear to Help
Drop-in, 10am-12noon, Sheltered
Housing,
Glenpark
Rd,
All
welcome.
CHATTERBOX
Chatterbox is produced and distributed
by Lochwinnoch Chatterbox Trust with
support and financial assistance from
local sponsors and advertisers.
Mr
Joinery: All including Kitchens, Bathrooms, Flooring, Tiling, Garages, Sheds etc. Pain ng/Decora ng/Paperhanging. Fencing: Wooden & Metal. Ornamental Metalwork & Welding Monoblock/Slabbing & Gardening. FREE Es mates/Best Prices Lochwinnoch Chatterbox Trust (LCT)
welcomes all entries for possible
inclusion for publication in print, web or
audio format or any way as thought
appropriate by the editorial team
All views are of individuals. The Editor
accepts no liability for errors or
statements and claims made in
submissions.
LCT is a not-for-profit group run by
volunteers with all profits going to local
groups and clubs.
Tel: 07917 654 857 11
Little Now & Then
I am sad to announce the closure of
Little Now & Then on Saturday April 2.
We have done everything we can to
keep it going but there is no point in
just prolonging the inevitable.
The good news is that there will be a
closing down sale, starting tomorrow,
with all stock reduced by 50% off of
marked prices (with the exception of
Jellycat products and cards and wrap)
so come and bag a bargain while you
can. If you, or anyone you know, are
holding gift vouchers or have money in
the club please redeem them.
Now & Then in Church Street will be
completely unaffected by the closure
and will, in future, offer a limited range
of birth, christening and children's
gifts and a full range of children's and
age birthday and baby congrats cards
etc.
While this is the end of our adventure
it has been a cause for celebration in
the privilege of working with fantastic
staff. Shirley, Janice and Annette - we
can't thank you enough for working so
hard for the past four years.
Sue
Local Shopping
It is a credit to Sue and Colin that both
Now and Then and Little Now and
Then have been such valued places to
shop in the village. It is a real pity that
Little Now and Then is to close, and it
will be missed. But perhaps the best
thing we can do now is take a good
look at what we do have here on our
doorstep.
Many villages have slipped into
becoming commuter dormitories, with
the working age population driving
away in the early morning, coming
home late, shopping on-line and
inadvertently contributing to the loss
of village life. The shops close, the Post
Office, the bank (take note), the
chemist, the café – and on and on, till
there is nothing left. The immediate
and unintended consequences are felt
mostly by children, mothers with
young children, teenagers and older
people, as they are isolated and
deprived of the handy access to shops
we have always taken for granted.
We also have
All the village businesses have found
it particularly tough since the bank
and post office closed - folk just leave
the village to access these services and
then shop while they are out, and
fewer visitors are coming here for the
same reason. There have also been the
various, and ongoing, road closures to
contend with plus the general
competition from supermarkets and
on-line outlets. If we – and this is a
collective WE - don't want to see
closed up shops throughout the
village, which would leave the village
without a beating heart (and
ultimately affect house prices, lest we
forget), then WE need to ‘shop local’.







And why wouldn’t WE? – the list is
impressive;
For an average high street in a town,
this would be a seriously impressive
list, but in a village, it is astonishing.


2 general stores (open long hours)











1 paper shop

3 pubs – THREE PUBS! (2 serving
food)






1 vet practice

1 electrician
2 cafes (1 fish and chip/pizza/icecream, 1 gourmet food/deli/baking)
1 chemist
1 baker
1 gift/card shop
1 gallery/framer
1 charity shop
1 flower shop
1 butcher/deli
1 hairdresser
1 beauty salon/manicurist
2 take away restaurants (1 Chinese, 1
Indian)
1 GP practice
1 dentist practice
1 solicitor/estate agent
1 energy advisor
1 garage (a hidden treasure with no
signage)
And then, just a step away,






1 café by the loch
1 cycle hire
1 sailing rowing/windsurfing club
1 sports club/football club
1 leisure centre
1 garage door business
12
1 library (a threatened species)
1 village hall
3 churches
1 bowling club
1 golf club
and
1 bird sanctuary!
and,

numerous small businesses run from
home, including architect, builder,
child minder, dog walker, electrician,
financial adviser, fuel supplier, music
tutor – and many more.
WE should be celebrating!
WE have been spared the supermarket
takeover! The advantages of shopping
in small, independent local shops are
impressive.
WE can buy the staples (bread, eggs,
cheese, tea, milk and so on) at
economy prices or with specialist,
gourmet, locally produced or fair-trade
credentials, within a few yards of the
centre of the village.
WE can ask the shop keepers if they
can get hold of anything we fancy, from
Polish
pickles
to
pomegranate
molasses, and that lovely bread from
the artisan baker, by tomorrow, please
– and they will do their best to oblige.
And if you don’t want to cook, you still
wouldn’t starve – pies to die for, great
curries, and even some food with fresh
vegetables!
And the unintended consequences? WE bump into friends, hear the best
gossip, find out if the road is flooded
and see that thing we never knew we
needed. The mums and youngsters,
and the old folks can still pop out to the
local shop and buy a paper or have a
coffee in a lively village.
And WE ensure that the shops
continue to offer what WE want,
broaden their stock and our choices,
and bring visitors in – sick with envy at
our wonderful village.
So, maybe WE should really celebrate
( and continue to support ) the great
shops in what is, possibly, the best
independent shopping village in
Renfrewshire?
Editor
Charity’s new look will bring fresh
support for local mental health
Local mental health charity RAMH is scheduled to unveil
their refreshed branding and website, along with the
opening of their social enterprise in Johnstone, on
Saturday 2nd April.
The refreshed branding incorporates the celtic symbol of
inner strength, showing the importance of self-belief and
self-worth in the recovery journey.
RAMH Chief Executive, Stephen McLellan, said “We’re
delighted with the refresh and hope it will encourage more
people to talk openly about mental health.”
“We know that positive relationships and connectedness
are key to recovery and sustained good mental health. With
RAMH becoming more visible, more accessible and clearer
about who we are and what we do, we can help more
people more effectively.”
RAMH supports over 5,000 local people every year by
providing support for all mental health diagnosis from
depression to self-harm, bipolar disorder to anxiety issues.
Visit the new look website for more information ramh.org
Car vs Horse & Rider
Visit the new store opposite Johnstone Town Hall from
Saturday 2nd April onwards for plenty bargains on
preloved furniture, white goods, electrical, textiles, vintage
and collectibles. If you have furniture you would like to
donate to RAMH please call 0141 847 8900 for a FREE
pick up.
Witnesses Sought
for Hit & Run
Witnesses are being sought for an incident where a horse was seriously injured in a road traffic accident. The
rider was uninjured but unfortunately
the poor horse may have to be put to
sleep due to the injuries to his right
leg.
Karen Milne
Business and Enterprise Manager
RAMH
telephone: 0141 847 8900
The driver of a vehicle, believed to be a green 4x4, (possibly
a pale green Nissan X-Trail) collided with the horse and
rider and fled the scene on the B788 Auchenfoil Road, near
Margaret's Mill between Greenock and Kilmacolm at
around 5pm on Wednesday, March 9.
The vehicle is expected to have significant damage. A car
matching the description was seen on the road from
Lochwinnoch to Kilbirnie about 5.30pm on Wed 9th driving very erratically, wing mirror hanging broken and with
the wing of the car missing. If you have seen a damaged
green 4x4 or have any information please call the Police on
101.
Elvis
We have not been able to confirm the sighting of a flock of
Ring Neck Parakeets down on Church St but there has been
a confirmed sighting of Elvis in Parkhill Drive this month.
Constable John Hill from the Divisional Road Policing Unit
said: "The road was reasonably busy at the time of this collision. I would ask anyone who witnessed either the collision itself or the vehicle involved to contact the Police on
101."
Elvis is still around the village - have you seen him?
See if you can spot him here in amongst the pages of
Chatterbox. There are 5 pictures of him hiding here. Can
you find them?
13
THE STIRRUP CUP
ANTIQUES AND VINTAGE SHOP
Antique and Vintage items are an eco
friendly way to furnish your home.
The fun and excitement of finding a
treasure to keep perhaps for a
lifetime. It is always intriguing to
wonder who has previously owned it
and how much it was loved and
admired.
FindusatWestBanksideFarm,justoff
the Largs Road on the outskirts of
Kilbirnie opposite the Kilbirnie Place
Golf Course. Disabled access and
parking at the door. Open 7 days
10.00a.m–5.00p.m.
Telephone Greta on 01505 683338 or
07786720586.
[email protected].
Websitewww.thestirrupcup.co.uk
PostcodeforSatNavKA257LQ
Regional Park
Round Up
Pedal the Park 2016 is here!
On Sunday 24th April Pedal the Park
will happen at Castle Semple Visitor
Centre! If you’re there early, from
08.30 you will see both sportives
leaving in waves. Riders who have
successfully completed the sportive will
be back at Castle Semple from 11.30
hrs onwards! Cheer them over the line
and support the Paralympic and special
olympics stars of the future on the
hand cycle time trial.
See the NEW Semple Trail
Benches!
Take a walk along the Castle Semple
Lochshore path to Blackditch Bay and
enjoy the new beautiful carved
benches! There’s a water life bench,
bird and mammal bench and an
invertebrate bench. Well worth a visit
or see the album of pictures on our
Facebook!
Castle Semple Conservation
Volunteers Shortlisted for Tesco
Award
The group’s Muirshiel Pond Project
was shortlisted for an award of either
8, 10 or 12k depending on how many
tokens received in Tesco’s Bags of
Help campaign. The money will be
used to create a new pond with new
education,
easier
access
opportunities
and
increased
biodiversity. The winning project will
be announced soon!
See our Pictures on Instagram!
Clyde Muirshiel is now on the image
sharing app Instagram. See beautiful
images on your feed by following us search Clyde Muirshiel and find us by
our logo. Tag your Instagram photos
ClydeMuirshiel too so we can see
them!
New Look What’s On Out NOW!
Pick up your new spring/summer
What’s On guide in Centres.
Duke of Edinburgh
Programmes at Clyde Muirshiel
The Park has expanded our range of
expeditions and skills to suit Duke of
Edinburgh
participants
of
all
abilities. Get
in
touch
with
[email protected] if you
know of a group of 14-24 yr olds who
could benefit from a tailored
programme!
Ride 63 Club News
We now have a list of main ride for
2016 the season, from Applecross to
Arran and everything inbetween!.
Email the Secretary at
[email protected] to become
a member, we can send you a form –
it’s FREE.
CMRP Online
Keep up to speed with events and
activities taking place on the Park’s
Facebook facebook.com/
ClydeMuirshielRegionalPark, Twitter
@Clydemuirshiel & Instagram pages.
Regular Events
Mondays (put not public holidays) Lochwinnoch Community
Walks meet 10.30 hrs at The Cross,
Lochwinnoch.
Weekly Volunteer Groups
Newcomers always welcome!
Thursdays Castle Semple
Conservation Volunteers, Adult group,
from 12.30 – 15.30 hrs.
Saturdays Greenock Cut
Conservation Volunteers, Adult group,
10.30 – 14.30 hrs.
Sundays Castle Semple Young
Volunteers, 12-18 yr olds, 10.00 –
12.00 hrs
Monthly What’s On
Sat 2 Apr Summer’s Here!
Summer hours begin, enjoy the fresh
air and stop for a coffee and admire the
beautiful countryside.
WHERE: All Visitor Centres
WHEN: Castle Semple 10.00 - 17.00
hrs daily. Muirshiel and Greenock Cut
11.00 - 16.00 hrs at weekends.
Mon 4 – Fri 8 Apr & Mon 11 – Fri
15 April Junior Multi Activity
Weeks
A full week of activities for 8-15 yr olds
to get active, learn new skills and make
new friends, on land and water! Get 6
or more children together and book
your own course.
WHERE: Castle Semple Visitor Centre
COST: 5 FULL DAYS £160
MORE INFO: tel 01505 842 882 Ex
20 & bookings
Sat 9 Apr Scottish Model Yacht
Championships
Watch the International One Metre
Yachting elite racing at the lochshore.
WHERE: Castle Semple Visitor Centre
WHEN: 10.00 – 16.00 hrs approx
MORE INFO: tel 01505 842 882 Ex
20
Sun 17 Apr Westies Walk
West Highland White Terrier Owners
meet for a walk. West of Scotland
Guide Dogs about too, ready to take
your donations.
WHERE: Castle Semple Visitor Centre
WHEN: 11.00 hrs
MORE INFO: email
[email protected]
Sun 24 Apr Pedal the Park
Cycling Event
The Park host Ride 63 Community
Cycle Club for two Sportive rides and a
hand bike time trial raising funds for
CLIC Sargent.
Helpers needed to
Marshall rides please.
START/FINISH: Castle Semple Centre
WHEN: From 08.00 hrs
14
MORE INFO:
www.clydemuirshiel.co.uk/things-todo/cycling/pedal-the-park/
Tel 01505 842 882 Ex 21
Sat 30 Apr Otterspotter Walk
Join a Countryside Ranger on an early
start to look for otters.
WHERE: Castle Semple Visitor Centre
WHEN: 05.30
–
07.30
hrs
COST: £5 per person
MORE INFO: tel 01505 842 882 Ex
20 & bookings
FOR
MORE
INFORMATION
PLEASE
CONTACT:
FIONA
CARSWELL
Development
&
Marketing Officer, CMRP tel 01505
842 882 Ex 23
Castle Semple Sailing Club
Winter Series
The 2016 winter series must be the
quietest winter series we have ever had
weather wise. The first week was a
little gusty, the second week there was
no wind and racing was abandoned,
the third week saw a small amount of
wind and several boats retired. The
final Sunday in the series turned into a
glorious sunny afternoon with just
enough wind. 11 boats took part in the
series
The first Sunday of the series ended in
catastrophe for the hobie 405 when
prior to the race starting the pin shot
out of the port side shroud and a
worrying creaking noise was heard
from the deck and the boat rocked
from side to side - the helm had fallen
out of the back of the boat - once
hauled back in a capsize was necessary
to avoid damage to the boat, so much
for Crawford wanting to stay dry!
Racing was delayed whilst the boat
was rescued. However once racing
was underway one crew was heard to
say that it was survival out on the
water rather than enjoyable - such
were the gusts. The Xenon had been
borrowed and at one point the crew,
Mark Simmonds, was seen to
disappear over and underneath the
boat whilst Ross McGlennon helming
the boat was busy laughing at his
friend's mishap - so much for a caring
helm!
Racing was cancelled on the second
Sunday due to lack of wind and week 3
saw barely enough wind for 2 races
and several competitors retired. Week
4 as mentioned above was a lovely
spring afternoon with 6 boats racing.
(MV2)
4th Crawford Johnstone and Ross
McGlennon/Dawn Kyne (N12)
Many thanks to Angus for organising
the racing and managing the results.
Sunday 29 May
It is the Club's 50th Anniversary this
year and we are planning a fun day of
events followed by a barbecue. If you
have been a member of the club in the
past and would like to see what we are
up to now please do come a long and
join us on Sunday 29 May
See website for further info on the
club.
www.castlesemplesc.co.uk
The final results were:
Joint first:
Douglas McQuilken and Pamela
Hunter (Enterprise) and Angus
Winchester (Vortex)
3rd Brian Young and Alan Falconer
Join LEAP Car Club – Membership from £5 per month
Rent cars from £3.36 per hour & 21p per mile (Fuel included)
Lochwinnoch, Kilbarchan and Bridge of Weir
For more information, contact [email protected] or 01505 842530
15
heading back to their home
territories after the winter. Some will
be heading back as far afield as
Scandinavia and I do hope we get
some ringing recoveries from these
countries. We will be holding ringing
demonstrations to the public again
this year, with the first being on the
1st of May so keep an eye out for
further details in all the usual places.
Windows on Wildlife
Update
With the success of the WoW Project
in monitoring the local furry
neighbours and with the reduction in
costs of new camera traps making it
easier for people to purchase them, I
have had many requests in the past
from folk asking me if I can show
them how to camera trap.
The Windows on Wildlife Project aims
to bring people closer to wildlife,
gaining a unique insight to the furry &
feathered inhabitants of Castle Semple
Country Park. Countryside Ranger
Hayley Douglas gives us an update.
With that in mind I have set up a
Camera Trapping Workshop which
will take place on the 7th of May. It
will cover all the basics such as the
do’s and don’ts, positioning, how to
find a suitable site etc. I’m just
putting the final touches to the
programme so again keep an eye on
our website for further details.
Wildlife News
As I write the latest WoW update for
you today the sun is splitting the sky
at Muirshiel and the birds are in full
song.
Already there has been
goldfinch, dunnock and the greatspotted woodpecker on the feeders,
many of which have their own shiny
BTO ring on.
I’ve recently been
demonstrating
to
groups
the
importance of bird ringing for
population monitoring and life history
analysis and it’s great to recapture
some of the birds to monitor the
changes in their body condition and
plumage at this time of year.
Places will be limited, with a charge
of £25 so booking will be essential.
Event Updates
April sees the return of our popular
OtterSpotter Walk. Have you tried to
spot one of our elusive otters in the
past? The best time to see then is at
dawn and dusk so why not join me on
an early morning walk to see if we
Many of the birds passing through
Muirshiel are migrants who are
can see them. The next walk takes
place on the 30th of April at 05.30 07.30 hrs meeting at Castle Semple
Visitor Centre. Places are limited, with
a small charge of £5 and booking is
essential. Please phone the centre on
01505 842 882 Ex 20 or pop in to
reception.
More Info…
Details can be found on the Park’s
website page
www.clydemuirshiel.co.uk
or
by
emailing [email protected].
Footage can be viewed on the Park’s
Youtube channel or on the WoW
Facebook page. Talks to groups can be
arranged.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE
CONTACT:
HAYLEY
DOUGLAS
Countryside
Ranger – CMRP tel 01505 842 882 Ex
25.
Renfrewshire CAMRA Pub
of the Year
After a week of voting it was a close run
thing in the end between 3 pubs in the
Renfrewshire CAMRA Pub of the Year
competition.
NEW OPENING HOURS CLOSED SUN MON—SAT 9:30am—3:30pm In third place was Callums in
Johnstone with second place going to
The Inverkip.
Bespoke floral arrangements COME IN & HAVE A LOOK free local delivery, na onal & interna onal delivery order line 9.30 ‐ 3.30 Both meet all the criteria and
consistently have a good choice of
beers which are kept in excellent
condition.
A huge congratulations go to
MON‐SAT THE BROWN BULL
0800 689 0081 for coming FIRST in the competition.
WEDDING FLOWERS & FUNERAL FLOWER SPECIALISTS 5 high street, lochwinnoch, phone: 0800 689 0088, 01505 842 288 web: thequirkyflorist.co.uk, mail: [email protected]
16
A very well done to Laura and Fergus
who own this wonderful pub. I'm sure
you will all join us in wishing them all
the very best as they now go forward to
the regional finals.
St Vincents
Staff and patients were delighted to welcome a local
MP to St Vincent’s Hospice in Howwood today.
Mhairi Black MP was visiting the Hospice for the first
time and during her visit spent time talking with
patients and staff in St Vincent’s In-Patient Unit.
Help Required
Could you spare 3 hours a week to make a difference?
Retail Assistants – Our busy charity shop in
Lochwinnoch needs additional volunteers.
Hospice Kitchen – Helped needed in our busy
Hospice Kitchen
Furniture Transport - Volunteers needed to assist
the Hospice driver with furniture pick-ups around the
local area.
Other volunteer roles available, please call
01505 705 635
or email [email protected] for more information.
Christine Haddock
17
Lochwinnoch International Aid
Everyone had a very good time at the Big Breakfast in the
McKillop in mid-March, as part of Fair-trade Fortnight.
Around 70 people came in for fair-trade tea or coffee and
the variety of home cooking we had on offer. It was good
promotion for Fair-trade but also generated a fair bit of
interest in LIA itself. Money raising wasn't the main
objective but we did raise £200, so thank you to everyone
who made a donation and to everyone who supported the
event.
Remember you can buy fairly traded goods here in the
village – at The Junction and Heritage Farmers Shop - as
well as Rainbow Turtle in Paisley.
Carmen Pieraccini of River City kindly formally welcomed
everyone to the Big Breakfast and outlined the need for
buying fair trade.
Also to mark fair-trade fortnight, members of the
Lochwinnoch Fair-trade Group/LIA made the now-annual
‘banana walk' along the cycle path to the next fair-trade
village – Kilbarchan.
Lesley Scott
18
Lochwinnoch Primary School
House Event
Friday 4th March was our Semple House Event and it was
a resounding success for all involved!
Our house events not only foster a fantastic sense of
community across all stages, but this particular event also
allowed our children to celebrate World Book Day too.
Pupils from Primary 1 to Primary 7 were organised into
house groupings and were given three story books to
choose from (Room on the Broom, The Enormous Turnip,
and Monkey Puzzle).
The children were then given the task of re-telling the story
in whatever way they wished and then recording this onto
an I-pad turning it into a mini movie/play.
The day then finished with the all children in our Assembly
Hall watching their productions, and celebrating their
fantastic, creative successes.
The movies made were extremely impressive, and we are
sure we have some future famous actors and directors in
our midst!
Renfrewshire Schools Cross Country
We were delighted with our pupils' success in the recent
Renfrewshire Schools Cross Country event.
There was very strong competition on the day with around
33 schools competing, however, our wonderful team of
runners brought home three team trophies and three
individual medals.
Team Trophies
P6 Boys Team
P6 Girls Team
P7 Boys Team
Individual Medals
Evie 1st
Freya 3rd
Ben 1st
We were extremely proud of all who took part, and would
like to congratulate our fantastic pupils for representing
Lochwinnoch Primary School so very well.
Target Planning
Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th March were very
exciting days for us as we experienced our second Target
Planning Meetings (formerly Parents' Night).
A number of displays were created for the evening
providing parents with information about various aspects
of school life. These were exhibited in our gym hall which
also housed the book fair and tea and coffee were provided
to encourage parents to meet together informally.
We are committed to making Target Planning Meetings a
positive and beneficial experience for all pupils and
parents / carers here in Lochwinnoch Primary and Miss
Park was delighted to meet with many parents and carers,
and was delighted to receive such positive feedback from so
many regarding how the evening had gone.
World of Work Week
We will be holding a World of Work week during the week
beginning 28th March. The benefits to the children are
numerous, we aim to better prepare our children for the
world of work and bring real life contexts into the
classroom. Education Scotland states that children are
entitled to a learning environment that recognises and
promotes diversity and supports them to understand that it
is everyone’s responsibility to challenge discrimination. They
should develop understanding of the responsibilities and
duties placed on employers and employees and of enterprise,
entrepreneurship and self-employment as a career
opportunity. We have many fun and educational activities
planned and would like to thank all of our parents and
volunteers who have so willingly agreed to give their time in
order to make this event a success.
19
Brigade as it plans for the future.
Names of donors - whatever name the
donor wishes - will be recorded and
framed and hung in the modernised
headquarters. We are looking forward
to having current and former
members, supporters and members of
the public at the Launch.
BB Buy a Brick
PAISLEY AND DISTRICT
BATTALION OF THE BOYS’
BRIGADE
Following the purchase of its
Headquarters in North Croft Street the
Battalion is now pressing ahead with
the refurbishment of the property. The
Battalion needs to raise approximately
£120,000 to upgrade the premises.
Work has already been completed
outside the Building including exterior
painting, lighting, and two new signposts. Internally there is a new ceiling
with improved lighting. Much still has
to be done and we are appealing to
members,
former
members,
organisations and the public to “Buy a
Brick” which costs £10.00, to support
this work.
Raymond Shaw, a member of the
Battalion Executive, who is heading
the campaign assisted by Mr John
McFarlane said:
“This is a great opportunity for current
and former members and the local
organisations to visit the headquarters
building in North Street and see what
has been done to date and support the
Further information and Donor forms
can be had from Boys Brigade
headquarters, North Croft Street,
0141 887 3942 or e-mail or at
[email protected]
RSPB Local
Group
The next meeting of the Renfrewshire
Royal Society for the Protection of
Birds Local Group will be held on
Friday 1 April 2016 at 7.30 pm.
There will be an illustrated talk
entitled Clyde Area Birds - a 30 year
update by Iain Gibson.
The meeting will be held in the
McMaster Centre, Donaldson Drive,
Renfrew PA4 8LX.
Advertising in
Chatterbox
A. Standard size advert – 5cm x 13cm
(or 13cm x 5cm) layout - £30 per
month.
B. Special (customised) advert –
7.5cm x 13cm (or 13cm x 7.5cm)
layout - £40 per month.
C. Quarter page advert – eg 13cm
wide x 12cm high layout - £45 per
month.
D. Half page advert – 20cm x 14cm
(or 14cm x 20cm) layout - £90 per
month.
E. Full page advert – 20cm x 28 cm £180 per month.
e-mail : [email protected]
All welcome.
Eddie Williams
www.rspb.org.uk/groups/renfrewshire
Community Council
The Chatterbox Team would like to
make it clear that The Community
Council is welcome to use pages in
Chatterbox as needed to keep the
village up to date with all their
information and news.
Editorial and Copy for the April
Chatterbox
Let us have your stories, notices, news,
information, events and items of interest
– either hand-deliver them to the
Chatterbox drop-box in the Library or
preferably e-mail them to us at:
[email protected]
Electronic submission with full colour
pictures are preferred.
Tel: 01505 842632
This would of course save duplication
of effort and of course printings costs.
[email protected]
Editor
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