Kings wells Community News a gazette magazine
Issue 21 End Oct - Nov 2016 Free bi-monthly magazine
Open Morning
Saturday 5 November 2016. Starts at 9:30am. Charity no. SC000123
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The Granite City Guerrillas The Granite City Guerrillas are Aberdeen’s leading dodgeball club, having been established since 2012. The club has grown from strength to strength in 2016, expanding from around 12 players to regular weekly sessions in excess of 40 people, including both male and females.
Hi, I'm Robyn Geddes I attend Bucksburn Academy and live in Kingswells I'm 16 and I am an archer for the Scottish Junior team. I train 3 times a week in Portlethen and Laurencekirk. This year I have set my targets high and broken several Scottish records for my age category. I was given the opportunity to represent my country at the British Junior Championships in Lilleshall in July. I won silver, which was one of the best moments of my life. I regularly compete and am looking forward to more successes in the future. I recently was awarded Aberdeen Sports Council Junior Girls sports personality 2016.
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The club, initially set up by Jason McGill as a means for catching up with friends, has developed into winning the Scottish Dodgeball Championship annually since 2013 and having regularly competed in the UK Championships with the best dodgeball teams across the UK. Their team includes one international dodgeball player, Pete Watt, and the club are hopeful for more players to break into the national team over the coming year. The Guerrillas see themselves as an alternative sport to the mainstream football or rugby teams available in Aberdeen and are a true sport for all. No specialist equipment is required to take part and their weekly sessions are open to all players of all abilities. Coaching is also offered by their group of Level 2 qualified coaches. They train in a mixed gender session on Monday evenings 8pm – 10pm at the Jesmond Sports Centre and on Wednesday evenings 8.30pm – 10pm for Ladies only at the Danestone Community Centre. For more information, contact them on: www.facebook. com/granitecityguerrillas
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independent publisher All enquiries : Sue Simpson Disclaimer : Whilst we’d be flattered if you would like to borrow something from the gazette be polite and ask first! Thank you.
We try our hardest to ensure accuracy of editorial content but no responsibility can be taken for any errors and/or omissions. The views expressed within the gazette are not necessarily those of the publisher or advertisers. When replying to offers, competitions and other correspondence, we would strongly recommend that you check published information with each organisation beforehand. All artwork is accepted on strict condition that permission has been given for use in this publication. We thank you for taking the time to read the small print.
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A note from Sue ... Welcome back everyone. How beautiful do the trees look with their autumnal colourings? I do love a nice walk in the Autumn with the dogs, especially if it is nice and crisp underfoot. I’ve now settled into my new home and trying to unpack and get more organised! In between I have had a lovely weekend away in Birmingham! It was dancing of course and very good fun! Then two weeks later and the family had a big celebration. My sister’s wedding. The main reason why the magazine has been delayed this month. We had a fabulous day - despite the horrendous rain showers! Marischal College Registrars, despite being very public was beautiful. Then we headed up to the Chester Hotel on Queens Road. The staff were exceptional. The food - amazing! From the haggis bonbons down to the creamed rice pudding with rhubarb! The speeches were of course cheesy and funny! The bridesmaids were beautiful and the bride - well she looked stunning. A fabulous day and we danced on with Wonderland until the wee small hours! Back to more local items! The BUS! Unfortunately you will realise the meetings have already happened and hopefully you will have a wee flyer inside this magazine getting you up to speed with developments. Due to the large Community Council contribution I’ve not had space for the Gift Guide in this magazine but it will have centre page spread in December! So if you have some nice Christmas Gift ideas send in a pic with brief details, what it is, price and where to buy locally and I’ll get it included. Anyway, enough - go grab that cuppa and enjoy this Autumn magazine.
Until next time,
Sue x
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Rotary International Would you like to be part of an organisation which supports the needs of communities locally, nationally and internationally? If so, becoming a member of Westhill & District Rotary Club could be the thing for you. We are involved with organising Young Musician and Young Speaker competitions, Youth Leadership camps, Senior Citizens Christmas dinner as well as other activities. We are also involved in various local galas and assist at some Highland Games. Wherever there is a disaster (eg earthquakes overseas, flooding at home) the Rotary family supplies aid. Membership of our Club is open to any person regardless of age, sex or creed. The only requirement is a desire to be of service in the community. Whilst most of our members come from Westhill a number come from the wider District. Look at our Website and Facebook pages to find out more. If what we do is of interest then get in touch, you would be made most welcome. Service, Fellowship and Fun are the bywords. We meet every week, 6.15pm on a Thursday, at the Broadstraik Inn in Westhill. Contact person is Colin Currie – currie811@btinternet.com, 01224 741546, 07712 531649
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Christmas Fayre
Bucksburn Academy are holding their annual Christmas Fayre on Saturday 3rd December, 10am to 1pm at Bucksburn Academy. The fun includes a fantastic raffle, stalls, games, tombola, refreshments, entertainment and lots more. Come along and join in the fun and start your Christmas shopping. 8
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Kingswells Primary News Our new Primary 1 pupils have settled in to school very well. They are learning the routines for school and are becoming more independent every day. They have started learning phonics and using Numicon to support their numeracy and are enjoying learning about pirates and people who help us. Our P7 leaders have done a fantastic job as buddies to our primary 1 children. They have supported their younger buddies in the dining hall and in the playground as well as showing them around the school and being a friend to them when they are needed Some quotes from the children: I like playing the doctor because it’s got lots of doctor things. Matthew We like reading because we are reading on the white board and we’ve got books. Alistair I like playing with Jenga blocks because we can build towers and lots of things with our friends. Eloise Dinners are really tasty! Alexa I like break time because it is fun! Nicholas
Loch Insh On Monday the 29th of August I was going to Loch Insh with the rest of my year group. Everyone had arrived at school really early in the morning. Before I knew it we were all getting on the bus. I was super excited. At about nine o’clock the bus left school. It was a long journey to Loch Insh, it took about three hours to get there. After we arrived all we did was put our bags in our rooms and have lunch. I had Eliana, Erin and Gina in my room. Then I headed for my first activity My first activity was paddleboarding. I was really excited but a little bit nervous because I had never been paddleboarding before. Me and my group strolled towards the boat house. I was stunned by the beautiful view of Loch Insh. There were already some enthusiastic, adventurous members of the public canoeing on the calm, dark waters of Loch Insh. The small waves crashed against the pebbly beach while the tall trees blew in the soft breeze. For paddleboarding our instructors name was Sam, he was quite tall and was wearing a black and green wet suit. We each got one of the wet www.gazettemagazines.com t : 07813 964 875
suits. They were impossible to get on but we eventually managed to get them on. We got a large paddleboard and it was black and yellow. “Three, two, one,” shouted Sam and we dragged the paddleboard towards the water’s edge. “Are you all excited?” Sam asked. “Yes!” said everyone in my group. We pushed the board into the water and paddled across the water. There were lots of trees surrounding Loch Insh. The water was freezing cold but my wet suit kept me warm. It took about an hour to paddle out to the middle of the Loch. Then we played some fun games and pushed each other of the board. We paddled back to shore after the games. I had so much fun paddleboarding. We got back to the boat house and got changed. The wet suits were much easier to get off than put on. We had dinner then got ready for our next activity but none of the activities were as good as paddleboarding. I had lots of fun throughout the week but sadly it had to come to an end. On Friday we came home. I was glad to see my family. By Suzanne Whittle e : kingswells@gazettemagazines.com
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Loch Insh 2016 Oh no! I thought as I walked out of Insh Hall and over to the dreaded stairs. As I reached them I took a deep breath and started to count the stairs. One, two, three…sixty six, sixty seven and sixty eight! I panted as I finally made it down. “I made it!” I said to Kirsty. Then we carried on down the hill to the boathouse. Finally we got there. We walked down onto the pebbly beach and got into line behind the sign that said our group name, Stingrays. We waited afew minutes and soon an instructor came to our group for windsurfing. We had Rory who we knew from Paddle boarding the day before but we also had Hammy who we didn’t know yet. They split us into girls and boys and took us, in our groups, to a windsurf board and taught us how to turn and control the board, that took us about twenty minutes. Now it was time… for the wetsuits! We had had some practice at putting on the cold, wet, sandy wetsuits the day before. It wasn’t any easier though. Kirsty, Zoe and Erin and I struggled for about ten minutes and finally got them on! Next we pulled on our wet shoes and walked back down to the beach.
Soon we had all been matched up with windsurf boards and told where the boundries were, so we set off. We first carefully pulled the board into the water and eventually we were in. It was freezing! I warmed up though after we did the warm ups. Then we tried to get onto them. I pulled my board slowly into deeper water. Then clambered on to it. “Kirsty, Erin, Zoe!” I shouted “I’m on the board!” I looked over at them all, they had all managed to get on too. Slowly I rose to my knees, then grabbed the boom. Like Rory told us to. I pulled it up and climbed to my feet. I turned the sail round and zoomed so fast that I ended up in the water again! I tried so many times and finally I did it! I flew across the calm water and reached the boundary, I jumped off into the cold water. I popped my head out of the water and pushed my long thick hair out of my face. I climbed on to the board again, lay down, and paddled my way back over to Rory and Hammy. Soon after we had to go in, so we carefully pulled the boards onto dry land and went to get out of our wetsuits. That took a while to do but eventually we did it. I was so happy! Then I decided that that was the best activity yet, but there were far more to come! By Megan Thomson
Latest News Bus Service You have probably heard by now that First Bus is proposing to withdraw the X40 and 11 buses from its Kingswells service by the end of 2016. Their argument is that too few people are using the service to make it financially viable. Certainly, during non-peak periods the buses are running almost empty. The late-night N23 service will be maintained. Needless to say, this proposal has caused real dismay and annoyance amongst those who depend on the service. It will particularly affect elderly and disabled users, school children and people without cars who need the buses to get to work. In KCC’s view there are clear social and equality reasons why a proper bus service round the village must be maintained. We have carried out a survey of residents’ views about the current service and the plans to withdraw it. The findings, which you can access on KCC’s website (see above) are revealing. Key issues are the unreliability of the buses and the time they take to get people into town. Suggestions made for improvement include: o introduce an ‘express’ service into town from the park-and-ride at peak times, with far fewer stops; o give priority to buses at traffic lights to improve transit times; o run a small but frequent ‘pick-up’ bus around Kingswells to take people to the park-and-ride where they then have a choice of buses;
Readers are reminded that a full account of Community Council business and other local and Aberdeen news is available on our website at http://www.kwells.org
o miss out the park-and-ride stop altogether to save time. At the time of writing, First Bus has still to make the final decision about withdrawing the X40 and 11 buses. It is possible that Stagecoach, which operates the Westhill to Aberdeen X17 and X18 buses through the Kingswells parkand-ride, might offer some alternative. In the meantime, KCC, our local councillors and MSP are pressing hard to retain the current service or find another solution. As a result, Aberdeen City Council has agreed to hold a public consultation about it in the form of drop-in sessions at Kingswells Community Centre. The times are Wednesday 12 October from 4pm to 7.30pm and Saturday 15 October from 11am to 2.30pm. If you miss these sessions, you can email Aberdeen City Council at mayule@aberdeencity. gov.uk about your use of the service, what bus services you would like in the area/minimum service level required, or to enquire about the reasoning behind the proposed withdrawal of bus services and the process being undertaken. The Council will share any feedback you provide with First Bus. Hopefully, in the next edition of the magazine, we can report a positive outcome.
Football Stadium Aberdeen Football Club (AFC) asked people to submit any concerns they have about the building of the new stadium and associated facilities at Kingsford. You can see KCC’s response on our website. KCC will maintain a neutral stance about the development until we
see how well our concerns are being addressed. The stadium will be built after the training facilities are in place. We need to see the full planning applications for both phases before we can make a decision to support or oppose the development. Not least, we’ll want to be sure that the development will bring real benefit to our local community. AFC intend to put in a planning application to Aberdeen City Council before the end of the year.
activity on the development site. Showhouse being erected at Countesswells
KCC is meeting regularly with Westhill & Elrick Community Council to ensure that we are each up to speed with the issues involved. Aberdeen City Council has set up a working group of key stakeholders to look at the traffic issues that may arise if the stadium goes ahead. Both community councils will be taking an active part in this process. Other key stakeholders include NESTRANS and Aberdeen City Council.
Proposed Retail Development on the A944 We previously reported that Drum Group (Prime Four) wants to build a retail park beside the A944 on a large area currently occupied by the Five Mile Garage and part of the Ardene House veterinary site. Drum Group organised a public consultation drop-in event about it on 31 August which some of you may have attended. KCC members found the event to be uninformative as there was no information about how the development might look or what kinds of retail would be included. While some residents may feel the need for more shops nearby, another out-of-town retail development would be at odds with Aberdeen City Council’s aim to revitalise the city centre. We have real concerns about the impact that fast-food outlets could have, especially if they take precedence over quality shops. We are also concerned that a retail park will cause further traffic congestion on the A944. KCC’s official response to the proposals can be viewed on our website.
Countesswells Development By the end of September, there was lots of
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Members of KCC attended the Countesswells Liaison Group on 29 August to receive an update and raise questions with the development team. We were quick to raise the issue of the closure of the road from Kingswells to Cults/Bieldside which is causing great inconvenience to many drivers. The development team explained that the utility providers and Aberdeen City Council had insisted that the road needed to be dug up to put in the various services. However, KCC believes that the developers themselves should have taken greater responsibility and borne the cost of routing the services across the land they now own, instead of under the road. We also expressed our view that Aberdeen City planners could have anticipated and prevented this problem years ago when planning of the new community was at a much earlier stage. The overal boundary of the development site and the projected number of homes (about 3000) is unchanged. However, the northern zone covered by Phase 1 of the development has been extended to include about 200 additional homes. This includes the area closest to Kingswells that will now be developed earlier. A small neighbourhood centre and a new
primary school will be included in Phase 1. The primary school and a temporary medical centre are due to be ready when the first 500 homes are in place, possibly by 2019. Priority is being given to developing the ‘central park’ which will have a small stream running through it. The re-routed road from Kingswells roundabout is due to be opened when the first 400 homes are built, also around 2019. After that, the current road to Cults/Bieldside via Kingshill will be closed to general traffic. Cults/Bieldside will still be accessible from Kingswells roundabout but only through the development. The new access road leading in from the Green Hedges roundabout will be opened when the first 1000 homes are built as part of Phase 1. It is planned to replace the existing roundabout with a signalised junction. KCC has argued that a better solution would be to redesign the roundabout with a flyover to help keep future traffic moving. However, we are pleased to hear that this new access road has been moved away from the Garden of Remembrance at Hazlehead. KCC pressed for this at an earlier stage in the planning. The development team say they are aiming to build about 200 homes a year although the current state of the housing market in Aberdeen is likely to affect this. They expect to have about 50-60 homes built by this time next year.
Vandalism On 9 August considerable damage was done to a wooded area in Brimmond Hill Country Park. Numerous trees were hacked with an axe and several [Vandalism in Brimmond Hill Park] permanently www.gazettemagazines.com t : 07813 964 875
damaged. A group of youngsters had been camping and ‘partying’ on the site, with lots of alcohol containers, a burned tent and other litter strewn about the area. Given the date, was this some kind of ‘celebration’ of exam results? Whatever the reason, this kind of irresponsible camping is not acceptable, especially in a nature conservation area. As always, it is left to others to clean up the mess. The police were notified and visited the site to check out the damage done.
[ ‘Campsite’ near Gillahill] Although this was an extreme case, we know that other parts of Kingswells, for example the woods beside the track to Gillahill and next to the school playground, suffer from this kind of unwanted youth activity from time to time. The locations of these ‘dens’ have been pointed out to the police. Kingswells benefits from being a low-crime area. However, the police must not be led into thinking we are entirely problem-free. Please call the police on 101 if you are being troubled by youth disturbance or trashing in your area.
Car Theft Given recent incidents involving car theft from homes in Kingswells we would urge everyone to ensure that cars, homes, garages and sheds are locked at night and when you are out. Please ensure that car keys are not left lying about in an obvious place where they can be easily accessed if thieves enter your house.
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Street Lighting Now that the nights are drawing in it is obvious that many street lights on roads and pathways are not working, due to blown bulbs or other electrical faults. You may also have ‘day burning’ lights in your area, wasting energy. Aberdeen City Council does not inspect the lighting and relies on members of the public to report any problems. If you see lights that are not working properly please call the Council on 03000 200 292 or use the online reporting form at https://online. aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/faultreport, selecting Street Lighting. The majority of lighting columns have unique numbers stamped on them that show their location.
Dog Waste Bins You may have noticed that some of the black open-top litter bins around Kingswells are now designated to take dog waste as well as litter. Unfortunately, some are at places where people have to congregate and the smell from the bins can be a problem. KCC has asked Aberdeen City
Council to re-designate bins in these places for litter only. We are pleased to report that, with the help of Councillor Delaney, the Council has agreed to remove the dual-purpose stickers from those bins located near shops, at bus stops or beside the school. The existing dog waste bins will remain so that dog walkers will not be inconvenienced. KCC is now pressing the Council to replace a few dog waste bins around the village which are missing or broken. Unfortunately, we still have a few people walking dogs but not picking up their dogs’ mess and putting it in the bins. Some just don’t bother to pick it up at all. Strangely, others go to the effort of picking up the mess and bagging it but then just leave the bag lying around. This practice is not only irresponsible but stupid as the bags will take much longer to decay than their contents ! It’s disgusting for anyone to tread on the mess then carry it into their home. Dog mess also carries all manner of diseases that can cause illness in children and adults alike. Please clean up after your dog and place it in the proper bins.
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BucksburnAcademy news Bucksburn Academy Pupil Success at Children & Young People Services Awards Congratulations to Owen Stephen who won the Physical Achievement Award at the recent ACC
the opening of the Scottish Parliament. The orchestra took part in the Ridings bringing some calypso magic to proceedings and had the massive crowds on the Royal Mile jumping and dancing. Then the orchestra entertained guests, MSP’s and others in the grounds of Holyrood and even torrential downpours couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of our musicians. Bucksburn Academy welcome St Olav school, Stavanger
Children and Young People Services awards. Owen was nominated for his success in being selected for the GB Special Olympics skiing squad who travel to France in March. We are all very proud of this latest achievement. Our Music Department was also short listed in the Creative Learning category for its inclusive approach to pupil participation and its innovative practice in engaging such a high number of pupils in musical activity BASO at the opening of the Scottish Parliament The first weekend of the holidays saw our Steel Pans Orchestra invited to take part in
As part of a twinning project between our school and St Olav’s in Stavanger a group of teachers and students from Norway visited the school and Aberdeen recently. During the 3 day visit students from both schools took part in a number of cultural activities and visits and began planning joint projects they will undertake as part of the project. Our students will be making a return visit later this session Exam Success at Bucksburn Academy Finally congratulations to all those senior pupils who received the exam results their hard work deserved. We had another great set of results including record pass rates at Higher level. Good luck to all our leavers starting new exciting chapters in their lives either in training, employment, further and higher education.
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News from Councillor Delaney... Well where do I start? Clearly it’s the buses again, following on from First’s shock announcement to withdraw the X40 from the end of the year. What are they thinking of? This decision potentially cuts off 1900 individuals and families from public transport. People need buses to get to work, school, university, go shopping and also to socialise. In addition, there’s those who work at the Kingswells shops, the school, the pharmacy, the GP surgery, Great Western After School Club and for others providing services to Kingswells. There’s also grandparents who pick children up from school, contact with elderly relatives, hospital appointments. I could easily go on, but I’d be reading a list which is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Passenger numbers are low, but I have already questioned those supplied, as buses are busy at peak times. My view is that numbers have dropped over time as a result of low frequency and poor timing, combined with the lengthy journey time. However, First does well overall in Aberdeen and surely there must be a moral responsibility to provide a service to all areas of the city? I have been keeping people updated by email where possible. Please get in touch if you’re not receiving these and would like to. However, I recognise not everyone is on email and will ensure that something goes out in print as soon as the situation becomes clearer. In the meantime, I have lodged a motion at Council, seeking to debate this matter on 6th October and I look towards cross party consensus to progress this. Local people have been circulating petitions, both online and traditional and I have
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supported the organisers when requested to do so. I have been in touch with Stagecoach about the possibility of them providing a service to the whole village and have also met with Council officials to look at processes to be followed and possible solutions. There appears to be four possible outcomes. First could possibly be persuaded to continue the service, another operator (most likely Stagecoach but not necessarily) could take over the route, the Council could subsidise a bus service or we could be left with no service whatsoever. Needless to say, there are various possible outcomes from within the first three options but little time to resolve these. My own position is that we need a reliable bus route which serves the whole of Kingswells. I will of course continue to work with local people and a range of organisations towards securing this outcome. Following on from this concerning situation, I have some good news! I’m delighted to say that a community based initiative has been launched to bring Superfast Broadband to Wellside Wynd, Concraig Place and Concraig Gardens. Local residents have approached BT Openreach to explore a co-funded solution to upgrade Cabinet 20 to Superfast Broadband, connecting potentially a further 125 homes in these areas. The initiative is being led by local resident Niall MacDonald who is in contact with everyone living in these three streets and he will update residents as soon as he gets some costings from BT Openreach. It is understood that the cost per
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household will reduce, the more people agree to support the initiative. Unfortunately progress with this has been slow but if it is successful, there are opportunities for similar initiatives in other TPON based areas of Kingswells. So, if anyone living in Wellside Road, Wellside Place, Wellside Close, Wellside Gardens, Wellside Avenue, Derbeth Place, Derbeth Park, Derbeth Manor, Derbeth Grange, Derbeth Walk, Wellside Circle or Concraig Park wishes to investigate a possible community based solution for their area, please get in touch with Niall for information on how to get started. Contact kingswellsbroadband@gmail.com On a completely different subject, over the past five years I’ve had few complaints about dog fouling in Kingswells. We have literally hundreds of dog owners who are by and large decent responsible people. However, I have had a handful of reports of about dog fouling over the past few months. The number has been very low but it’s concerning nonetheless.
Councillor Steve Delaney Home Tel: 01224 694469 Work Tel: 01224 346614 Email: sdelaney@aberdeencity.gov.uk Web: www.delaney.org.uk Facebook: CllrDelaney Twitter: CllrDelaney Wardens patrol the various hot spots from time to time and will issue fines if they observe owners failing to clean up after their dogs. Please call 03000 200 292 or email poll@aberdeencity. gov.uk if you have concerns about dog fouling in your own neighbourhood. As always, please get in touch to raise any concerns you may have.
Regards Steve Delaney
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STAGECOACH
delivers easier bus journeys for passengers through new smartphone APP Journey planning, next-stop information and live bus tracking available Mobile ticketing feature to launch within months Stagecoach Bus App available on Apple and Android mobile phones Action needed on congestion to give bus passengers full benefits Stagecoach North Scotland launched a new app which will make bus journeys even easier for passengers. The new Stagecoach Bus app – available free of charge for Apple and Android mobile phones – offers a range of additional customer benefits, including improved journey information. But the company warned that urgent action is needed on worsening road congestion if the
bus passengers are to get the full benefit of the new technology. The new app offers a simple journey planning tool which uses interactive maps and the smartphone GPS system to help customers identify their nearest bus stop and the most suitable bus service for their journey requirements. They can also find out information on journey length and available fare options. Passengers can also access live running times via their smartphone to check the status of their journey before catching the bus – giving them more time to finish what they are doing before leaving for the bus stop. In addition, the app enables customers to pinpoint their location during their journey, helping them determine where they are on the route at any one time, how far they are from their destination and when to get off the bus. This will be of particular benefit to those who are not regular bus users or people who may be visiting a new location and are unsure of the route the bus will take. Also through the app, within the coming months Stagecoach North Scotland plans
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to offer mobile ticketing on its local bus services for the first time, allowing customers to use one app to plan their journeys and instantly buy and download tickets straight to their smartphone. The move will provide an additional payment option for customers alongside existing smart ticketing and cash payments. The Stagecoach Bus app is part of a major investment by the UK-wide company in its digital strategy which is transforming the journey experience for customers.
Call Neil 07539-462-064 Laptop & PC upgrades/ repairs/internet Collect & return service New computers available Laptop and PC training available ÂŁ20 per hour
In December 2015, Stagecoach launched a transformational new responsive mobile website for its UK Bus division at www.stagecoachbus.com which features the UK’s first nationwide online bus planning service, lets passengers check live updates for their services and enables travel to be bought direct from smartphones.
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Further information on the Stagecoach Bus App visit
MAG OF 2016
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SensationALL news There’s a lot of buzz and excitement at SensationALL Charity in Westhill these days, following the success of our bid for a Community Asset of Transfer for the Old School House on Westhill Road! We are absolutely delighted to share that this accomplishment will enable the charity to continue providing services and support to children and adults with Multiple Support Needs (MSNs) and their families – whilst also being able to deliver relevant training workshops for both parents / carers and professionals who work with those individuals. Furthermore, we are looking forward to the future expansion of opportunities and widening the selection of services available both for our own families and for the broader community. Here’s what’s happening at SensationALL in the next couple of months… For those interested, we will be hosting a Training Workshop Sensory Processing Disorder or Difference on Monday, 7th November from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at the Old School House. This is an interactive workshop where participants can explore diverse sensory processing ‘experiences’ and
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learn to incorporate some more appropriate accommodations or measures both at home and in their own workplaces. Available to Parents / Carers (£15 per person); Professionals (£30 per person). Fees include any handouts, completion certificates and light refreshments. For a booking form, email Karen@SensationALL.org.uk We are planning to run a pilot programme this Autumn for young girls (aged 7 years and over) with MSNs who have anxiety, self-regulation and/or social-related difficulties. If you would be interested in finding out more about the SensationALL Girls Group, please get in touch by emailing Karen@SensationALL.org.uk to book your interest. And finally, we have a very special opportunity for parents / carers and younger (preschool age) children with MSNs who have concerns about their child’s communication skills. We will be running an 8-week Early Communication Skills Group to help parents and carers learn more about how to support and encourage their child’s communication abilities. This is a group led by Speech & Language Therapists and younger siblings are also welcome. For more information or to book your interest, email Karen@SensationALL.org.uk
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wee reminder from Adventure Aberdeen about its Community meeting room. This is within the main body of the building and is hireable by community groups at a very competitive rate. The room is the old gym hall of the school and can accommodate up to 25 people comfortably. The room has a mixture of formal and informal seating, a large screen and digital projector, public wifi, a kitchenette with urn, microwave, dish washer, crockery, there are two toilets, one with disability and baby changing facilities. The room has disability access. It can be booked at any time but is ...in Little Belmont Street generally more available in We have been serving fine italian cuisine since 1977. Extensive à la cartethe menu for lunch and dinner. evenings.
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Freshly baked home mode home made pizzas with lashings of toppings. Tender pasta dishes full of tasty ingredients and luscious cream sauces. Seafood, prime steaks, chicken dishes, all with that extra touch of genius which is true Italian cooking! Open Monday to Saturday: 12 noon to 2.30pm & 5.30pm to 10.15pm
of Italy... A little bi A little Abitlittle of bit Italy...
www.poldinos.co.uk
...
in Little Belmont Street
...in Little Belmon
We have been serving fine Italian cuisine since 1977.
...in Little Belmont Street
Extensive à la carte menu for lunch and dinner.
5 minutes walk from His Majesty’s Theatre and Music Hall been serving fine italian cu We have
- special lunch and1977. pre-theatre menus. Extensive à la carte menu for lunch We have been serving fine italian cuisine since baked home-made pizzas with lashings of toppings. Extensive à la carte menu forFreshly lunch and dinner.
5 minutes walk from His Majesty’s T Tender pasta dishes full of tasty ingredients and luscious cream – special lunch and pre-theatre men
sauces. Seafood, 5 minutes walk from His Majesty’s Theatre andprime Musicsteaks, Hall chicken dishes, all with that extra touch of genius which is true Italian cooking! – special lunch and pre-theatre menus. Freshly baked home mode home m
Open Monday to Saturday 12 noon to 2.30pm and 5.30pm to 10.15pm Tender pasta dishes full of tasty ingr
steaks, chicken dishes, all with that e Freshly baked home mode home made pizzas with lashings of toppings. 01224 647777 Tender pasta dishes full of tasty ingredients and luscious cream sauces. Seafood, primeGift 7 Little Belmont Street | Aberdeen | AB10 1JG Open Monday to Saturday: 12 n steaks, chicken dishes, all with that extra touch of genius which is true Italian cooking! Vouchers
Available www.poldinos.co.uk 7 Little Belmont Street
Open Monday to Saturday: 12 noon to 2.30pm & 5.30pm to 10.15pm
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7 Little Belmont Street | Aberdeen | AB10 1JG
| A
KINGSWELLS PARISH CHURCH As a community and as good neighbours all of us have a responsibility to care for those who are less able to care for themselves; to care for the lonely, those in distress, broken families and any who are in dire need. Each of us have different ways of responding to community and neighbourly needs and our motivation for doing so arises from our common humanity, our beliefs, and an inborn desire to care for our fellow human beings. A healthy community depends on the love and concern we have for others. As Christians our motivation for serving others is also a response to the grace and love of God shown to us by Jesus Christ. This empowers us to love and serve others in his name. Christ’s love moves us to reach out to those who are in greatest need - the marginalised, the poor, the frail, the hurting and the disadvantaged. As a body the Church of Scotland focuses this service through CrossReach. Sunday 9 October is the Church of Scotland’s Social Care Sunday when we will commemorate the mission and work of CrossReach. CrossReach’s mission is ‘to retain and regain the highest quality of life which each individual is capable of experiencing at any given time’. Its services respond to the special needs of those in our society and include the care of children and family, the elderly, the homeless, those suffering from learning disabilities, substance misuse and mental health problems. CrossReach employs more than 2,000 staff and supports some of the most vulnerable people in Scotland. CrossReach has an annual expenditure of £51 million. Most of its funding comes from local authorities, but it also relies on donations and legacies to help continue its vital work and on volunteer workers drawn from
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all walks of life. Visit the Web Site - www. crossreach.org.uk/ So ‘care in the community’ can become a reality and it can come in all sorts of ways. What is vitally important is that we are all aware of the needs of others and, whether religious or not, we give of our time and energy to support those who need our help. As always we welcome all to our services of worship and praise. Our services continue each Sunday at 11.00am For further
information visit our Web Site http://www.kingswellschurch.com The following services will take place over the coming months. Remembrance Service Sunday 13 November at 10.50am Service of Nine Lessons and Carols Sunday 18 December at 11.00am Christingle Family Service Saturday 24 December at 6.00pm Christmas Eve Service Saturday 24 December at 11.15 for 11.30pm Christmas Day Worship Sunday 25 December at 11.00am
For further information visit our Web Site http://www.kingswellschurch.com
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Health checks - your health impacts on your financial plans
Health problems shift peoples priorities and can change financial plans both in the short and long term.
We can’t predict what is going to happen in the future, but what most of us hope for is health, wealth and happiness...
Some financial advisers now suggest that their clients periodically invest the time to have health screens. If you are considering a health check then speak to your financial adviser who may be able to secure preferential rates for screening through group schemes they offer. It may also be worth checking with your current employer as they may provide health screens as an employee benefit.
When we speak to clients, there is often the assumption that good health is a given. Investing a small sum of money to book a health check is something many of us fail to do and yet when we stop to think about it, it should be considered as a priority. A health check can often flag up problems before they become a serious health condition. Silent illnesses, such as high blood pressure or cholesterol problems can be treated hopefully before long-term damage is done to your health. If a serious health concern is flagged up the focus is on treatment, but inevitably, if it is a serious condition, then it can trigger a change in lifestyle.
www.gazettemagazines.com t : 07813 964 875
Phil Anderson Financial Services have relationships with several health care providers to allow for us to offer health screening to both our corporate employer and personal clients, at preferential rates. To find out more speak to your adviser or email admin@philandersonfinancial. co.uk.
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Kingswells SWI August :
Members enjoyed lunch at Da Giorgio Restaurant at Kirkton of Skene. The presentation of prizes for the 2015 - 16 session were handed out INDUSTRIAL 1st Mary Sheran 2nd Margaret Bruce 3rd Margaret Farquhar BAKING 1st Aileen Nicol 2nd Kathleen Hendry 3rd Margaret Farquhar OVERALL WINNER Mary Sheran ENTRIES Mary Sheran
MOST
Honorary Members Certificates & Badges were presented to Shelia Gauld Agnes Mitchell & Ella Murray. September : Photographer James Dyas Davidson (Tarland) gave a talk & slide show on photographs taken locally with some history & geography of the area as well, his unique style of photography was greatly admired.
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Whist at Kingswells
Individual Fruit Crumble 1st M Robinson 2nd P Stuart 3rd K Hendry
Do you enjoy a game of cards? Then come along to the Kingswells Community Centre on Thursday afternoons from 2 to 4 pm for a friendly game of Whist. Any queries to Helen: 01224 744429
TRAGERÂŽ
Indoor Carpet Bowling
Competition winners : Photo of a Building 1st P Stuart 2nd M Farquhar 3rd M Bruce
Massage & Movement Therapy
Come along and give carpet bowls a try... indoor carpet bowling held at the Community Centre.
Neil Bayfield 013398 83631
The group is needing to swell it’s numbers so they can have a decent game every week. No experience required just come and give it a go. They do have spare bowls and nothing in the way of special clothing or equipment is required.
Tornaveen (B9119 to Tarland)
In the first instance to gain more info and words of encouragement contact :
Easier movement Relax the body Free the mind www.trageraberdeeenshire.co.uk Home visits possible
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Ian Sim Tel: 01224 741178 Mob: 07535221718
Please do mention Kingswells Community News when responding to advertisers - thank you
ry
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Aberdeen City Libraries @
WE WILL TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF YOUR HOME IMPROVEMENTS
Kingswells Community Centre
and supply all the services to see the job through start to finish
Aberdeen City Libraries deliver a fortnightly service to the Kingswells community on Fridays from 2.50 pm to 3.50 pm in the hall at Kingswells Community Centre on Kingswells Avenue.
Our promise: To provide our customers with the highest standards of quality, efficiency and professionalism
*DOMESTIC*COMMERCIAL* • • • • • •
Full Joinery Services Doors - External & Internal Finishings, Skirtings & Facings Wood Flooring & Laminate Fitted Kitchens Decking
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FOR A NO OBLIGATION QUOTE OR ENQUIRIES CONTACT: T: 01224 248247 Les: (M) 07961 557 430 Doug: (M) 07983 744 727 www.aberdeencarpentry.com
A selection of books and DVDs, suitable for all ages, are available for loan and library staff are on hand to answer enquiries and assist with reading choices. Reservations may be placed for stock that is not on display. Theme events will take place at libraries throughout the holidays; further details are available at www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/Library
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Library Service dates 2016
Oct Fri 28 |Nov: Fri11 & 25 | Dec Fri 9 For further info : Home Service Library tel. 01224 498930
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Pilates is a series of exercises devised by Joseph Pilates which aim to activate the deep postural muscles improving posture and enhancing mobility. Classes are friendly and allow you to exercise in a non-competitive environment. Numbers are kept low to allow some individual attention, usually a maximum of 10 clients per class.
I
Pilates offers a different way of working with your body it can sometimes be difficult to understand or 'get it' in the first couple of sessions. Don't worry - this is quite common! Do give yourself time, you won't regret it.
There are spaces in the Beginners class at Kingswells CC from Wednesday 26th August at 5.30, classes are 55mins and cost ÂŁ7/class.
Wear something easy to move in - gym trousers/leggings and t-shirt. Shoes are not worn during class so either bare feet or socks.
t’s been a pleasure teaching Pilates at Kingswells CC & Webster Park CC. 3 groups of beginners classes began just after Easter and are about to start their 3rd block at the end of October.
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One Issue £36 Three issues £102 Six issues £156 t: 07813 964 875
Do men do Pilates? Yes. When Joseph Pilates devised the method 60% of his clients were men. Many top male athletes now incorporate Pilates into their training regimes. It is not a 'girl thing'! I have a specific illness / injury, can Pilates help me? Pilates aids in the rehabilitation of many specialised conditions. I'm a teenager / I'm in my 70s can I do Pilates? Yes. Pilates is suitable for all ages and stages, although classes are for over 18s only. I began practising Pilates due to lower back pain and found that it helped enormously and has allowed me to continue doing various activities I enjoy such as running, hiking and skiing. I decided that I would like to teach and share Pilates with others. It’s very satisfying to see others making progress, learning about and strengthening their bodies. www.gazettemagazines.com t : 07813 964 875
Only £5 a class
Your local classes at Kingswells Public Hall 11 am Saturdays with Kerry Davidson
07960 454889
7.50pm Wednesdays with Gillian Low
07808 160728
Drop us a text and come and join the fun! Classes from 25th October Improvers/Intermediate Tues 5.30-6.30 Webster Park, Kingswells 25th October - 13th December Post Beginners Wed 10.00-11.00 GirlGuide HQ, 45 Victoria Street 26th October - 14th December Beginners Wed 5.30-6.25 Kingswells Community Centre 26th October - 14th December Improvers Wed 6.30-7.30 Kingswells Community Centre 26th October - 14th December Mixed Level Thurs 6.30-7.30 FWD Studio, 1 Riverside Drive 27th October - 15th December 1-2-1 or 1-2-2 sessions also available!
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15:48
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our local community policing team is pleased to report that the summer months have on the whole passed without incident. In general terms, the public nuisance and youth annoyance type calls usually associated with the school holiday period have remained low which is very encouraging. Unfortunately there has been a continued pattern in housebreakings, sneak in thefts and associated vehicle related crimes similar to previous months. Previous assistance has been sought from local media to highlight the importance of home and vehicle owners to carry out basic security related measures to ensure that all doors and windows are locked to prevent opportunist offenders from being able to easily gain access and steal property. Offenders continue to target insecure properties to steal vehicle keys which are then used to steal the vehicles, and in some cases vehicles themselves are left insecure and items of value stolen from within. Police Scotland has dedicated teams of specialist investigative officers tackling this latest spate of such crimes and this has resulted in some of these crimes being detected. Every effort is being made by officers from your Community Policing Team to carry out extra mobile patrols in those areas being affected by this type of
Woodburn Walkers Enjoy the countryside, meet new friends, keep fit - join the Woodburn Walkers.
crime and this will continue into the autumn and winter months. With the reduced hours of daylight upon us, I would like to highlight the need for all road users and pedestrians to ensure they are visible and can be seen easily. It is encouraging to see so many members of the public choosing cycling as an increasingly popular method of commuting, given the obvious benefits regular cycling offers to our health and to the environment. I do however strongly urge all road users, and in particular cyclists, to ensure they use suitable lighting in good working order at all times to maintain maximum visibility. This practice greatly reduces the risk of collisions and promotes the positive road safety message within the Kingswells community. Susan Taylor Community Policing Sergeant
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Nov 26/27 and Dec 3/4 2016 Delgatie Castle’s Victorian Christmas weekends have become a legend in Aberdeenshire since they began over 20 years ago. It is the original, biggest and best Victorian Event in the area. We offer a filled visit that is very good value for money. Enjoy an authentic Victorian atmosphere in the decorated castle with staff dressed in Victorian clothing. You will find crafters in the rooms as you explore the castle and children can enjoy a visit to see Santa, who will have a present for every child. After a walk round the castle come down to the award winning ‘Laird’s Kitchen’ to enjoy delicious food and the very best in home baking.
Admission: £5 per head per person Tel: 01888 563479 Email: joan@delgatiecastle.com www.delgatiecastle.com
www.gazettemagazines.com t : 07813 964 875
You can find us off the A947 Aberdeen to Banff Road
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Some individuals may be tempted to ignore local byelaws and drink alcohol in public places. This could lead to Police issuing a fixed penalty ticket or a report being sent to the Procurator Fiscal.
Do not go near bonfires or fireworks whilst under the influence of alcohol.
ALCOHOL DON’T MIX!
> WARNING! FIRE AND
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Information supplied by John Coutts
You can also contact the Dumb Dumpers Stop Line on 0845 2 30 40 90 or visit www.dumbdumpers.org for more information.
Fly tipping during the Bonfire and Fireworks season is a major cause of fire and it is also a criminal offence. If you see fly tipping or know of an area where there is a build up of refuse or combustible material, contact your local authority cleansing or environmental department to arrange uplift.
If you know anything about fires that have been started deliberately in your area, you can call the Crimestoppers Scotland hotline on 0800 555 111. All calls are completely anonymous and do not require names or personal details and you will not be asked to give evidence in court.
It is an offence under Section 56 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 for any person to lay or light a fire in a public place so as to endanger any other person or give them reasonable cause for alarm or annoyance or so as to endanger any property.
> BONFIRES AND THE LAW
Please do mention Kingswells Community News when responding to advertisers - thank you Any bonfire failing to satisfy safety conditions or where people are behaving irresponsibly may be deemed dangerous and as such, subject to being either removed, extinguished or otherwise made safe.
• Never leave a burning/smouldering bonfire unsupervised – make sure it is completely extinguished.
• Sparks, flying embers or burning debris must not endanger nearby property.
• To modify, tamper with or misuse fireworks.
• Smoke from bonfires must not pose a public nuisance, affect visibility on roads or otherwise inconvenience vehicular traffic.
• To cause unnecessary suffering to any domestic or captive animals.
• For anyone other than a fireworks professional to possess display category fireworks.
• For anyone under 18 to possess fireworks in a public place.
• To sell fireworks to anyone under 18.
• To throw or set off fireworks in any highway, street, thoroughfare or public place.
• To set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am (or after midnight on bonfire night).
It is an offence :
> FIREWORKS LEGISLATION
For further information about fireworks and the Fireworks Code visit www.saferfireworks.com
Watching fireworks can be great fun for children. However, figures show that, more often than not, it’s children rather than adults who are injured by fireworks. Over the past five years over 350 pre-school children, some as young as one year old, were treated in hospital for firework injuries. Be safe and always follow the fireworks code.
• Never use flammable liquids to ignite bonfires - use proprietary fire lighters.
• Never throw fireworks on bonfires.
• There is a danger of explosion from pressurised containers or sealed vessels amongst bonfire material or irresponsibly thrown on burning bonfires.
• To reduce the emission of harmful smoke and combustion products bonfires should comprise of untreated wood and paper based materials only.
• Never drink alcohol if you are tending a bonfire or setting off fireworks – remember it is an offence to consume alcohol in a public place.
Visit www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/fireworks/using. htm for guidance and practical advice.
Advice from the SFRS is to attend a safely organised bonfire and firework display. However if you must have a bonfire at home make sure it is well away from buildings, vehicles, trees, hedges, fences, power lines, telecommunications equipment and sheds and you must ensure that smoke does not cause a nuisance to neighbours or flying embers endanger neighbouring property.
> FIREWORKS
> ORGANISING A DISPLAY
> BONFIRE SAFETY ADVICE
Fireworks and Pet Safety As firework season approaches, we are reminding pet owners that this can be a very stressful time for your animals. If you know your pet is likely to become stressed or upset by fireworks we suggest that you seek veterinary help well beforehand as there are several excellent ways of helping them to cope with this. Some top tips for ensuring that your pet stays safe at this time:-
If you cannot move it, turn it away from the open garden to face the house, cover it with thick blankets or a quilt so your pet isn’t able to see the flashes and provide them with extra bedding so they can hide away • Not all animals are affected by fireworks, but if your dog is stressed or upset symptoms can include the following:Salivating and drooling Trembling and shaking
Try to avoid leaving your pet alone – it will feel safer when you are in the house.
Scratching to get into the house or out of a room
If your pet starts to feel anxious, stay calm. This will help your pet understand that there is nothing to fear.
Hiding in corners or under furniture
Make sure your cat or dog stays indoors and keep doors, windows and curtains closed. If your cat is used to going outside provide a litter tray in the house.
Whimpering and excessive or abnormal attention seeking
Turn on the television or some music to help drown out the noise of the fireworks.
Refusal to eat
Ensure that your pet is wearing some form of identification. Microchips are ideal but make sure that you keep your details up to date on the database so that you can be contacted if your pet is found. Collars are useful to assist in restraining dogs as well as for identification. Ensure that any collars are safety collars so your pet doesn’t hurt itself if it gets caught on other objects. Reflective collars are also a good idea. Walk your dog before it gets dark, when it is less likely that fireworks will be set off. With rabbits and smaller animals, it is recommended that owners: Bring the hutch or cage inside to a quiet room, garage or shed
Whining, barking or howling
Loss of bodily functions – bladder and/or bowel
We are happy to discuss possible ways to help your animal through what can be a frightening and upsetting time for them; please ask your vet if you have any concerns.
Alison McLeod
Afterschool Football
Kingswells Community Centre Monday 2.00-2.30 3.30-4.15 4.15-5.00
Pre School
Tuesday 3.30-4.15
P1/2
P1/2 P1/2
Airyhall Community Centre Monday 9.30-10.00
Pre School
Wednesday 9.30-10.00 Pre School 1.30-2.15 Pre School Plus 3.30-4.15 P1/2 4.15-5.00 P1/2
Friday 9.30-10.00 10.00-10.30 2.00-2.45
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Thursday 9.30-10.00 Tiny Tots 1.45-2.15 Pre School 3.30-4.15 P1/2 4.15-5.00 P1/2
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availability - book now! for august 2016 session
For more info contact Alison McLeod on 07824 631 221
www.Aberdeenfootballfun.co.uk www.gazettemagazines.com t : 07813 964 875
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