Blairgowrie & Rattray Autumn 2019 Hub Magazine

Autumn 2019

Sponsored by Stagecoach

Blairgowrie & Rattray

Hub Magazine

In this edition

Cover Image Courtesy of Stuart Nichol

LESILE STREET ART TRAIL HILL KIRK GRAVEYARD

BOOKMARK

COMMUNITY MARKET

NEST - CREATIVE SPACES

BLAIR IN BLOOM

PLUS ALL THE USUAL INFO ON EVENTS AND COMMUNITY MAGAZINE PRODUCED BY THE

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In this Issue...

Page Welcome Calendar

3 4

Community Groups Blairgowrie & Rattray Development Trust Blairgowire & Rattray Community Council Blairgowrie & Rattray Access Network (BRAN) The Heat Project Update Booklore Blair in Bloom Rotary Club

6 8 9 10 11 12 15

Events Bookmark Book Festival Blairgowrie & Rattray Highland Games

17 19

History Blairgowrie & Rattray - Our Heritage Blairgowrie and Rattray Genealogy Centre Constabulary Duty to be Done

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Making your Packed Lunch More Earth Friendly Blairgowrie Community Markets Walking With Blairgowrie and District Next Steps Blairgowrie Free Lipreading Classes Blairgowrie Riding for the Disabled

20 21 23

24 26 27 27 28 29 29 30 31 32 32 33 38 40 42 43 44 46 47 47 48 48 50 50

51 52 54 55 56

Interviews & Contributers Articles 58 58 59 60 61 62

Cllr Bob Brawn Cllr Tom McEwan Cllr Caroline Shiers Pete Wishart MP John Swinney MSP Murdo Fraser

Business & Contacts 66

Useful Phone Numbers

News and Articles A New Guide Hut Blairgowrie High School Berry Pickers’ Ceilidhs Aplles Galore 2019 Kids Page Community Connections Granny Pat’s Autumn Recipe Strathmore Screen Bra Donation Success Blairgowrie & District Ladies Probus Club Blairgowrie & Rattray University of the Third Ages Leslie Street Art Trail Church Notices Growbiz Nest Creative Spaces Blairgowrie Dental Care Takes to the Water The Hill Kirk Graveyard Plants, Friends and Memories Friendship Cafe The Ericht Scottish Country Dance Group Scottish Women’s Institutes Blairgowrie Players The Space Race by Margaret Drummond Climate Cafe

Page

Advertise With Us Please send any adverts or any questions about advertising with us to this address.

Email mag@brdt.org.uk Full page

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Inside back page

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5% reduction in cost for 4 Editions (annual)

Dates for this years Hub Magazine Accepting Articles & Adverts from ...

Magazine Available ...

Winter

11/10/19 - 01/11/19

Last week of November

Spring

17/01/20 - 07/02/20

Last week of February

Summer 10/04/20 - 01/05/20

Last Week of May

BRDT Magazine - Autumn 2019

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Welcome to the 2019 Autumn Magazine We are happy to report that BRDT ( the Trust) is making good progress working with officers of Perth and Kinross Council(PKC). Discussions are ongoing about possible uses for the premises at no 46 Leslie Street – see article page 6 We need YOUR VIEWS!!

The very successful BOOKMARK Festival highlights their event and who will be in their hot seats in October – page 17 Blair in Bloom has submitted photographs and a write up of the new sculptures and displays they have been working on – especially the stunning golf sculpture at the Perth Road end of Golf Course Road – see all on page 12. We wish them great results and hope their efforts will be rewarded – results of judging will be later this year.

The LESLIE STREET ART TRAIL which was first launched last year and has now grown even bigger takes centre stage in the middle of the magazine – please pull out these pages, complete the questionnaire and use it as a guide for the event which runs concurrently with Perthshire Open Studios 7th – 15th September.

We are in need of volunteers to help manage and deliver this magazine. The task involves many people with varied skills and it would be good to share the workload.

The magazine team involves huge input from Jessie Shaw - Co-ordinates the team and manages the throughflow traffic of articles and adverts for the magazine at mag@brdt.org.uk Pat Richards – Secretary to the group – makes and keeps all minutes (Granny Pat too).

Marie Soutar - Sends out invoices to advertisers.

Pat McCarthy – Organises and keeps note of huge band of volunteers who distribute 5000 copies of the magazine to local households and businesses free of charge.

Top Image Courtesy of Stuart Nichol

Margaret Drummond – Seeks our articles and writes and contributes to children’s corner.

Margaret also is our Proof Reader.

Eleanor Rutherford - Principal teacher of English, Blairgowrie High School – brings news of BHS activities.

John Siwek - Our talented graphic designer who puts the magazine together in an attractive and appealing format. No easy task.

We would ask prospective contributors to heed the guidelines – no more than 500 words, good resolution (and separate) photos, and breaking up messages into short bursts with a “pull quote” – makes reading lengthy pieces easier to read.

Finally we do appreciate feedback and suggestions on how we could add to this community magazine.

Thank you Jessie

Magazine articles are the responsibility of the article owner, The Hub Magazine accepts no responsibility for the content.

MAGAZINE DELIVERY Distribution and delivery of the magazine – we are indebted to the many willing volunteers who deliver 5000 copies to every household and some businesses in the town. Without this help the magazine would not be as successful as it has been.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED to deliver

the magazine particularly – Hatton Place, Golf Course Road from Perth Road to Strawberry Bank, High St, Alan Street & Wellmeadow.

IF YOU CAN HELP WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU Contact mag@brdt.org.uk or phone 01250 871120 Page 3

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What’s On? Calendar for Blairgowrie & Rattray

September 2019 1st 3rd 4th 4th 7th 8th 6th-8th 7th-15th 7th-15th

11th 12th 13th

Strathmore Screen - Toy Story 4 (U ) 4pm and Yesterday (12A) 7pm Multiple Sclerosis Society - Buddies @ Blair MS Support Group June The Royal Hotel at 10.30 am - 12 pm Blairgowrie and District Trefoil Guild - Community Centre at 7.30pm Blethers Group September - The Royal Hotel at 10 am - 12 pm Braemar Day - The Wellmeadow Blairgowrie & Rattray Highland Games - Bogles Field, Essendy Road - Events Start a 10am Ramblers - Weekend Away - Dumfries - Time (TBC) Leslie Street Art Trail - Leslie Street and Blairgowrie Town Centre Perthshire Open Studios - Various Venues around Perthshire Whist Club Blair & Rattray Timebank Lifeplus Centre (Old YWCA), William Street - 2pm-4 pm Blairgowrie & Rattray Community Council September Meeting Small Hall, Balmoral Rd, Rattray at 7pm Blair & Rattray Time Bank - SCYD, Wellmeadow House - 10 am - 11.30 am

13th-15th Blairgowrie and District Hillwalking Club Autumn Weekend - Mull at Weekend

16th 18th

Rattray and District SWI September Mting - Rattray Halls 7pm for 7.15pm Illustrated talk by Linda Retson National President Blairgowrie, Rattray and District Climate Cafe - BRDT Office, 1- 3 Wellmeadow - 7pm - 9pm

19th 20th 20th

Crafty Folk - SCYD Cafe, Wellmeadow House - 2 pm - 3.30 pm Ceilidhs @ Clunie - Clunie Hall at 7pm - 9pm Ericht Scottish Country Dance Class Charity Dance - Blairgowrie Town Hall at 7.30pm

25th

Craft n Craic - St Catherines Hall at 7pm - 9pm

27th

Blair & Rattray Time Bank - Community Connect, Rattray - 10 am - 11.30 am

28th 29th

Blairgowrie Community Market September - Wellmeadow, Blairgowrie at 10am - 3pm Strathmore Screen - The Lion King (PG) 4pm and Blinded by the Light (12A)

October 2019 1st 2nd 2nd

Multiple Sclerosis Society - Buddies @ Blair MS Support Group June The Royal Hotel at 10.30 am - 12 pm Blairgowrie and District Trefoil Guild - Community Centre at 7.30pm Blethers Group October - The Royal Hotel at 10 am - 12 pm

2nd

Citizens Advice Bureau - Learning Centre, Recreation Centre at 10am - 12pm

4th-6th

BOOKMARK Festival - Community Campus

8th

Citizens Advice Bureau - Community Connect, Rattray at 10am - 12pm

9th

Whist Club Blair & Rattray Timebank Lifeplus Centre (Old YWCA), William Street - 2pm-4 pm

10th

Blairgowrie & Rattray Community Council Meeting - ARC, Jessie Street, Blairgowrie at 7pm

10th

Blairgowrie & Rattray Forum Mtg - Location TBC at 5.30pm

11th

Blair & Rattray Time Bank - SCYD, Wellmeadow House - 10 am - 11.30 am

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BRDT Magazine - Autumn 2019

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16th 17th 21st 22nd 25th

Citizens Advice Bureau - Learning Centre, Recreation Centre at 10am - 12pm Crafty Folk - SCYD Cafe, Wellmeadow House - 2 pm - 3.30 pm Rattray and District SWI October Mting - Rattray Halls 7pm for 7.15pm Open Night-Beetle Drive/Craft Stalls Citizens Advice Bureau - Community Connect, Rattray at 10am - 12pm Blair & Rattray Time Bank - Community Connect, Rattray - 10 am - 11.30 am

25th

Ceilidhs @ Clunie - Clunie Hall at 7pm - 9pm

27th 30th

Strathmore Screen - Films TBC Craft n Craic - St Catherines Hall at 7pm - 9pm

November 2019 1st 6th 6th 6th 7th

BRDT Fundraiser & Fun Event - Blairgowrie Golf Club at 7pm Blairgowrie and District Trefoil Guild - St Catherine’s Community Centre at 7.30pm Blethers Group September - The Royal Hotel at 10 am - 12 pm Citizens Advice Bureau - Learning Centre, Recreation Centre at 10am - 12pm Blairgowrie & Rattray Community Council Meeting - ARC, Jessie Street, Blairgowrie at 7pm

8th

Blair & Rattray Time Bank - SCYD, Wellmeadow House - 10 am - 11.30 am

12th

Citizens Advice Bureau - Community Connect, Rattray at 10am - 12pm

13th

Whist Club Blair & Rattray Timebank Lifeplus Centre (Old YWCA), William Street - 2pm-4 pm

17th

Strathmore Screen - Films TBC

18th

Rattray SWI Nov Mtg - Rattray Hall, Balmoral Road at 7/7.15pm

18th

Rattray and District SWI November Mting Rattray Halls 7pm for 7.15pm Cupcakes Galore by Alison Jones of Alison’s Kitchens Blairgowrie, Rattray and District Climate Cafe - BRDT Office, 1- 3 Wellmeadow - 7pm - 9pm Citizens Advice Bureau - Learning Centre, Recreation Centre at 10am - 12pm

20th 20th 21th

Crafty Folk - SCYD Cafe, Wellmeadow House - 2 pm - 3.30 pm

26th 27th

Citizens Advice Bureau - Community Connect, Rattray at 10am - 12pm Craft n Craic - St Catherines Hall at 7pm - 9pm

29th 29th

Blair & Rattray Time Bank - Rattray Connect - 10 am - 11.30 am Ceilidhs @ Clunie - Clunie Hall at 7pm - 9pm

This is taken directly from Discover Blairgowrie website www.discoverblairgowrie.co.uk For more information and future events take a look at the Discover Blairgowrie website.

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Community Groups

Blairgowrie & Rattray Development Trust Ltd

One Voice for the Community

BLAIRGOWRIE & RATTRAY DEVELOPMENT TRUST NEWS For some time, the Development Trust has been looking for an opportunity to deliver on facilities that the town asked for in the many surveys carried out, the latest being in 2016.

These were • • • • • •

centre for information about the town and its facilities heritage and culture centre literary centre, focus for arts and crafts, an ancestry facility to trace family history other ideas

The subsequent prioritisation of proposals was carried out after public meetings that were held to identify them, and that in turn lead to the development of the community action plan.

POSSIBLE CENTRE A suitable building, close to the centre of the town would be ideal, if not essential, to provide such facilities. In conjunction with Perth & Kinross Council, we are at a very early stage of exploring the possibilities of the property at 46 Leslie Street.

Very positive and very early discussions are ongoing with officers of the Council, the proposal being that we move into the property and work slowly towards making best use of the front “older “building whilst working up a grand design for full inclusion with the library. Our approach would be to start small and grow big.

If this idea was to come to fruition, we would propose to move forward on a phased basis and in taking this approach we would need to keep two things in focus 1.

We need to secure financial and managerial future of the Trust

2.

We have to confirm the benefit this move will bring to the community.

At this preliminary stage, it would be good to gauge your opinion for such a proposal, so please give us your views. Contact details are at the end of this piece.

To outline what the project phasing could look like, the following is a description of what could happen.

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BRDT Magazine - Autumn 2019

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Phase 1.

We would move in without little or any change to the building except for external signage and internal storage and shelving. This will give a new central office for the trust which includes One Voice Office and the HEAT project, so all the Trust activity is in one place.

We would hope eventually to create a literary centre with the library, a second-hand book shop and develop closer ties with Bookmark festival, to establish a centre of excellence in the town.

We would also develop a focus for a town information centre which will fill the gap left by the Tourist Information centre closing in the town. We hope to develop this into a small retail outlet for local crafts people that will replace that which was on sale in the tourist office, but locally sourced. There would also be guides, maps, and general information.

The registrar will remain based here, so the possibility of a hereditary centre, incorporating the genealogy centre for locals and visitors alike to track their ancestors, would be a vision for the near future.

Weddings will still be able to be held too and we will look to make more flexible use of the “wedding room”, maybe for “pop up” events, art exhibitions, and the like.

We would like to work together with the library service to see if we can make better more flexible use of the library for events, exhibitions etc. to meet the changing expectations the public have of such a service.

Phase 2.

The plan would be to open up part of the ground floor so to create as big an open space as possible, to create space for the muchdemanded permanent home for a heritage centre. This will be the first step in developing this facility and it is intended that a much larger space will be provided later in the project, but this will be a good start.

There may be space for a small retail outlet for the sale of memorabilia, local arts and crafts but we will have to see how the plans develop when we get to that stage.

Phase 3.

At the same time as phases 1 and 2 are under development we will need to determine fully costed proposals for the incorporation of the library in a grand two storey development.

This will double the current floor area of the library and working jointly with the library we will create the “library of the future” and a flexible permanent space for the heritage centre, incorporating all the latest innovative and interactive methods of displaying Our Heritage. The space should be flexible to hold events such as gaming competitions, lectures, demonstrations, and other ideas that will hopefully come forward from the public. The new two storey proposal will enable maximum use of the whole complex with full disability access, heritage centre storage and so forth.

Once completed this will free up space elsewhere in the complex so we can expand the provision of art and crafts gallery and other provisions that may come forward from the public.

Next Steps.

Although these proposed uses came directly from previous studies and consultations, we will need to validate our assumptions with further public consultation and engagement, so if you have views on what is proposed please do get in touch.

Also, we will need volunteers for a range of activities as this project develops and unfolds.

Almost any skills you have will be able to fit, retail, property management, running a magazine, marketing and promotion, running a gallery, interest in history and culture, public service and giving information….the possibilities are vast, so please if you are tempted and want to help us deliver this project for the benefit of locals and visitors alike please, please contact -

Stuart Nichol, Chair of BRDT stuart.nichol2@btinternet.com Or e-mail admin@brdt.org.uk Or telephone BRDT office 01250 876000 FIND OUT more about the trust at

www.brdt.org.uk

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Blairgowrie & Rattray Community Council (BRCC) The current Community Council, along with all the others within the Perth and Kinross area, ends its term later this year on the 7th November. Coincidentally this is the same date set for its last meeting.

Following a PKC area-wide consultation, the term of community councils is reducing from four to three years commencing this November with the newly elected councils. We understand that this move, with a lesser time commitment, is designed to encourage more members of the PKC communities to serve on their councils.

As ours nears the end of its term, we will be doing our bit to encourage folk who have a desire to help our town, to come forward and to seek election. There will be continuity as several existing CC members will be seeking re-election but there will be a number of places to fill and current members plan drop-in sessions at the town library to explain a community councillor’s role, their responsibilities and most importantly how the council can help its community.

These drop-ins will be history by the time that this magazine is published but as the nomination process lasts until its final day on the 26th September (4pm), anyone reading this article will still have ample time to seek nomination prior to the deadline. Any questions may be directed to any of the current CC members, we are there to help.

To counter the often-heard comment of ‘why bother, the community council has no powers and never achieves anything’, council members have listed the many successes notched up over the last 5 ½ years. These include keeping the ever popular River Ericht path (Oakbank Road) open, the adoption of a workable traffic control system in the centre of town, the Town Charrette, being a major influence in the decision to retain the 6 lane pool in our new recreation facility, to name but a few.

The Blairgowrie Advertiser will be running an article that will list all the achievements as an important part of the recruitment drive The council has always maintained a can-do attitude and sought an active engagement with its public and a very good working relationship with our ward councillors.

A mix of old and new blood is usually the best formula to take any group forward and community councils are no exception. A mix of common sense and desire to help the community are the basis of success so if any reader is minded to become involved then make yourself known and have a go!

Ian Richards – Chair BRCC 07787 317022

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BRDT Magazine - Autumn 2019

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Community Groups

Blairgowrie & Rattray Access Network (BRAN) BRAN’s role is, first and foremost, the maintenance of the area’s core footpaths. It also prides itself in being able to undertake project work to enhance walkers’ experience, by improving access to an area, installing steps to improve safety or in the case of the Knockie this year, to build a shelter in which walkers can get out of the prevailing wind and rest whilst enjoying the superb views from this ever popular vantage point.

This, Bran’s most ambitious project, was the brainchild of Bob Ellis. Bob had known fellow runner Ron McGill of New Alyth for many years. Ron, an accomplished dry stane dyker, agreed to help the group by providing much needed direction and tutoring both before and during the building of the shelter. Roughly 20 tonnes of local stone were used during nearly two weeks of construction in May and teams of BRAN volunteers worked every day in all sorts of weather. It was a much tougher job than first anticipated and there were a couple of times when, following unsupervised work, Ron had the group re-work parts of the wall.

The job was finally completed and all the people involved were able to look back on two weeks of hard but very enjoyable work and a shelter to be proud of. Providing that it is treated with respect, it should last for many decades to come.

BRAN will be continuing work around the site, clearing & trimming a few small trees and bushes in order to open up the views across the town and the strath to the Sidlaws. The path from the shelter to the old quarry in the Lornty direction is also being cleared and upgraded.

The group will also continue its work on Oakbank Road and the Riverside areas and assisting its sister volunteer groups when it can.

Needless to say, the usual work of grass cutting, trimming back side and overhead growth and litter picking along the main local paths has continued and will not cease until the growing season is over. Attention can then be diverted to some drainage work on Cargill’s way, maintenance of tools and machinery and topping up the filling of steps at Parkhead and the Cuttle Burn.

BRAN has welcomed several new volunteers over the summer who have made a great contribution to its work.

Although there is always work to be carried out, BRAN’s work parties are also an opportunity to enjoy the company of others and to generally enjoy a good time.

Please contact the secretary for more information about the group and its work.

Ian_richards2007@yahoo.com. 07787 317022, 01250 871122.

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IT'S HERE! 3 WAYS TO SIGN UP OR ORDER

Download: the myrewardcard app Registration Code heatproject

Register online: www.theheatproject.scot/loyalty-card-registration Registration Code heatproject Paper registration: The HEAT Project Office, 1 - 3 Meadow Place, Blairgowrie, PH10 6NQ | 01250 876000

Order your Gi t Cards 1 - Online at www.theheatproject.scot 2 - Through The HEAT Project office 3 - Mitchell's Newsagent, 1a High St, Blairgowrie PH10 6ET For more information follow us on

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BRDT Magazine - Autumn 2019

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Community Groups

BOOKLORE Charity Bookshop 13 Upper Mill Street Blairgowrie Why not drop into our bookshop and savour the delights of our wide range of fiction and non- fiction books, Collector’s books and local photographs. Offers on books change monthly and we strive to keep the condition of the books we sell to the highest standards.

The bookshop also has a range of leaflets and information about local, and Perthshire wide events and our volunteers are always happy to help with information about Blairgowrie and Rattray or try to put you in touch with someone who can.

SEPTEMBER OFFERS……………………….

We are always looking to extend our volunteer force both in the shop and offices as well as the delivery of the free, local, Hub magazine every quarter.

Half price on all gardening and reference books.

OCTOBER OFFERS…………………………..

50% off all art and craft and education books.

NOVEMBER OFFERS……………………….

Half price on all cookery books and annuals.

Please note that offers may change.

If you need information about volunteering please contact us on 01250 871120 or pop into the shop. We look forward to hearing from you.

BRDT Fundraiser & Fun Event Curry Curry and and Quiz Quiz Night Night Friday 1st November 2019

So yo think u you know wher e you live?

at Blairgowrie Golf Course. 7pm 4 s of Team per £20 on. s r e p

Buffet Curry with Photo Quiz & Raffle To book - or for further information Contact

Stuart Nichol - stuart.nichol2@btinternet.com or Pat Richards - pat_richards2007@yahoo.com or Phone - 01250 871120

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Community Groups

Well, that’s judging over for another year. It is always frantic in the run up to their visits, going that extra mile that could make the difference between ‘gold’ and a lower award.

Fingers crossed we have done enough! It is not just about the flowers either. Communities are judged on 3 separate sections, so here is a quick resume on what is required.

•

Horticultural achievement – is the community presented at its best in terms of variety, quantity and colour of plants chosen. Are there any special features or innovative designs included? Are the plants healthy and well maintained? Is there a balance of permanent, sustainable planting and annual planting. What is the condition of public and private gardens.

•

Environmental Responsibility – is there evidence of the steps taken regarding recycling, using peat free compost etc. Have steps taken to improve problem areas, neglected sites etc. Has a contribution been made to increasing civic pride and awareness of local heritage.

•

Community participation – are there plans to develop and improve on the work that has been done. Does the group engage with all sectors of the community and involve them in their efforts. Is there communication with the wider community and have the group addressed the need to secure on-going financial and other support.

Results of judging will be in September. Here’s hoping we can repeat the success of last year.

One example of a special feature is the train at Parkhead, which is positioned at the site of the Rosemount level crossing. Painted in the colours of the original Caledonian Railway, it was beautifully crafted by our committee member Phil Seymour, over many months.

The Thistle Sculpture It is hard to believe that this amazing sculpture started out as a simple sketch by pupils of St Stephen’s RC Primary School of thistles made from golf clubs and balls. This was in response to our competition for a new sculpture at the Golf Course Road/Perth Road corner after ‘Gordon the Golfer’ collapsed with metal fatigue.

Once the design had been chosen by a panel made up of representatives from Blairgowrie Golf Club and Blair in Bloom, we then scratched our heads as to how to make it a reality. Step in David F Wilson, artist, sculptor, designer and all round genius! He took the children’s design and transformed it into this wonderful piece of art which we are sure will be a landmark for many years to come.

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David further explains his involvement.

‘When I was first approached to get involved with the new sculpture, there were a few reasons why I said yes. The children’s concept of using the golf balls and clubs was such a fun and strong idea, I immediately wanted to be the one to help make it. Being a Blair lad myself, getting the opportunity to create something in my home town does not come along everyday!

The chosen site is such a prominent spot as you enter the town, it is a real privilege to be able to help the Bloom Committee realise the project. This little corner of Blair holds more personal memories for me. As a teenager I had a Sunday paper round for Jimmy Gordon’s Newsagents. My route started in the town and wound all the way round Rosemount. At the start, I could barely lift the bag that held all the Sunday papers stuffed with supplements. It was always a massive relief to get to that corner of Golf Course Road/Perth Road, as that marked the end of my Sunday slog. I still sense that feeling of relief every time I pass that spot now, 40 years later. Placing the sculpture there now, new memories and feelings will be added to my own personal story’.

Photo credit: Mary Birch

A friendly and efficient local firm of solicitors and estate agents Property purchases and sales Wills and executries Family law Powers of Attorney Miller Gerrard, Solicitors & Estate Agents The Studio, 13 High Street Blairgowrie PH10 6ET Telephone 01250 873468 Email mg@millergerrard.co.uk

Website www.millergerrard.com Page 13

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Community Groups

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BRDT Magazine - Autumn 2019

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ROTARY CLUB OF BLAIRGOWRIE The Rotary Club of Blairgowrie has had a very busy spring and summer, with a number of big events taking place during this time.

Annual Golf Day at Blairgowrie Golf Club On Friday 7th June the Rotary Club of Blairgowrie hosted its annual charity golf day. Twenty teams competed for a number of prizes, including the chance to win a Honda car from the competition sponsors West End Garage if they achieved a hole in one. For the second year running, in what was a closely fought event, the overall winners of the competition were the Barnyard Birdies.

The day was rounded off with supper and a charity raffle and auction. The auction raised £2000 and the overall event raised a tremendous £5000. The money will be used to support the many worthy local charities, groups and individuals for whom the Rotary club provides assistance.

Classic Car Tour Event raised over £18,000 for Charities The 2019 Drive it Day event, was held on 28th April. In the morning 80 cars paraded through Blairgowrie’s Wellmeadow and then toured rural Perthshire, before visiting Perth airport.

In the afternoon the cars headed up country to finish their day at the Atholl Palace hotel in Pitlochry.

After the success of the event, President Robin Duncan had the pleasure of handing over two cheques for £7300 to Children’s Hospice Association Scotland and Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance respectively. In addition the event also raised a further £3600 for the Rotary Benevolent fund which benefits local and national charities and other worthy causes.

The overall figure of £18.2k was the largest single day amount raised in the event’s three year history.

New Rotary President Grant Findlay takes office Over the past 12 months President Robin Duncan has led the Rotary club of Blairgowrie to another successful year, seeing it raise over £25k to support local, national and international charities and other good causes.

The club, currently of 25 dedicated members, has continued to punch well above its weight, raising large amounts of money year after year to benefit good causes, as well as getting actively involved in the local community.

In three years the Rotary Club’s Drive it Day has raised nearly £70k for its chosen charities.

Year four is now planned for Sunday 19th April 2020 and work on ensuring its success will start in the autumn.

Robin has now passed over the mantle of Rotary President to Grant Findlay for the next 12 months. During his Presidency Grant wants to maintain and build on the excellent work undertaken in the past year. He also wants to ensure that the fellowship between members, which underpins its achievements. is solidified through the many social activities planned for the coming year.

Led by Colin Stewart, the Rotary Club organiser, the success of the event is driven by a dedicated organising team, generous participants, sponsors and support of members of the public.

If you would like to get involved or know more about Rotary, please phone our Members’ Convenor, Norman Jones on 01250-873705 or come to the Royal Hotel on any Wednesday at 6:00 pm where you will be welcome.

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Events

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BOOKMARK BOOK FESTIVAL

4-6 OCTOBER 2019

BOOKMARK’s seventh Book Festival promises to be one of the best yet. From its opening event with the acclaimed writer Ali Smith being chaired by one of her greatest fans, Nicola Sturgeon, to its rousing musical finale with Freeland Barbour and Gerda Stevenson the programme offers something for everyone whether they are readers, writers or listeners.

Novels of all varieties, personal observations and memoirs, history, poetry and nature writing are all part of our exciting programme. Well-known novelists, poets, nature writers and journalists (Louis de Bernières, Kathleen Jamie and Melanie Reid) are coming to Blairgowrie for the first time. Our Chairs include our Patrons Fiona Armstrong, Magnus Linklater and Ken Cox as well as Sally McNair and other well-matched interviewers.

Most importantly, BOOKMARK always encourages new talent. Household names such as Ali Smith and Louis de Bernierès were, after all, once unknown and Book Festivals are the perfect way to introduce new writers. So, we are happy to welcome the best of those - such as acclaimed new novelists Gordon Kerr and Sarah Maine (who won the Waterstones Book of the Year in 2018). Hania Allen discusses her atmospheric ‘Polish’ detective novels set in Dundee. New topics are at BOOKMARK too; Clare Hunter and Esther Rutter in a joint session will be talking about the importance of textiles throughout history. Dean Nelson, a former foreign correspondent, will explain The Indian Art of Problem Solving in a highly entertaining session – which has nothing to do with mathematics!

The Hunterian Poets, on a welcome return visit will showcase more of their work. Alan Riach will chair Bashabi Fraser, Christine de Luca, John Glenday, John Purser and Donny O’Rourke in an illustrated journey of poetry and objects from the Hunterian Museum, Glasgow.

All our events are held in the comfortable, modern venue of Blairgowrie’s Community Campus with professional sound and lighting provided by Horsecross Perth. And to feed the body as well as the mind, refreshments from teas, coffees and cakes to light lunches on Saturday and Sunday are available at the venue.

Dr Johnson said: ‘A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it.’

And now we can say ‘BOOKMARK brings it to life’ Join us!

BOOKMARK Book Festival Patrons: Fiona Armstrong, Ken Cox, Rosemary Goring, Magnus Linklater www.bookmarkblair.com Twitter: @bookmarkblair Facebook: Bookmark

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Events

BOOKMARK comes to Alyth Inside and Out: the art of Christian Small Christian Small lived in the Borders and after her death her family discovered over 90 outstanding paintings which she had hidden in her attic. Gerda Stevenson, singer, playwright, actor, director and poet has written evocative and illuminating poetry to accompany some of these paintings and BOOKMARK is delighted to showcase both Gerda’s poems and Christian’s paintings in a unique and entertaining programme of art and poetry.

With Jenny Alldridge, Christian’s daughter, this illustrated event (with afternoon tea) will take place in Alyth’s Community Centre, St Andrew Street, Alyth PH11 8AX on Saturday 31 August at 2 pm.

Tickets £8 or £6 for members of BOOKMARK Available from: Blairgowrie Library 01250871305; Membership Secretary 01250 876513 More details at www.bookmarkblair.com

Introducing Blairgowrie Curtains & Carpets Part of Howe’s Removals Group WE MEASURE, SUPPLY AND FIT Originally a saddlery firm the company diversified and now specialise in ● Carpets ● Cushion floor Let us introduce you to Lynne our friendly interiors advisor who will come out and measure for flooring, curtains & blinds and offer expert advice.

● Blinds ● Readymade Curtains ● Made to measure curtains ● Cushion covers & accessories For more information on our services contact 01250 872361 or e-mail enquiries@jjhowe.co.uk

Remember about our Local, National & International Removal Service Page 18

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Blairgowrie & Rattray Highland Games Final preparations for this year’s Blairgowrie and Rattray Highland Games are being put into place.

The new committee of volunteers has been working hard behind the scenes since the start of the year to ensure that this popular traditional event takes place for the enjoyment and entertainment of local people and visitors to the area.

New signs for the Games have been put up around the town, thanks to generous sponsorship from Jonny Russell and the team at Balmoral Garage in Blairgowrie and the A Proctor Group. Thanks also to Clare McMicking for supplying the photographs used on the signs.

The Games will feature lots of traditional events such as the dancing and piping competitions and field and track events for everyone to enjoy or take part in. There will also be the popular heavyweight events which see competitors test their strength throwing both for height and distance, hammer throwing and of course tossing that huge caber.

There will also be the fiercely contested tug o’ war competitions - including the community tug o’ war between Blairgowrie and Rattray on what is one of the longest tug o’ war ropes in Europe and which everyone is encouraged to join in with.

The Ardblair Stones are another popular attraction that draws huge crowds. Everyone can have a go and see how many of the increasing heavy stones they can lift on to a barrel, and there is always the chance that the current world record of lifting all nine stones in just 24 seconds could be broken.

The finals of the IHGF Stones of Strength competition will also take place at Blairgowrie & Rattray Highland Games for the second year running and which is another huge crowd pleaser.

As well as the track and field events, there is also a hill race with prizes for the winners, including the first kilted runners to complete the three-mile run.

The Rotary Club of Blairgowrie will once again be hosting a mini Highland Games for youngsters, and there will also be bungee trampolines and a climbing wall for adventurous young people. The vintage fire engine from Pleasanton will be at the Games too.

New for this year is a visit to the Games by the Braveheart Axe Throwing Team, who recently competed at the Scottish Open at Scone Palace. There will be demonstrations and even a chance to have a go yourself.

As well as all the entertainment, there will also be a range of trade stands offering local products, information stands for local charities and organisations, and food and drink outlets.

Tickets for the Games are available to purchase now online at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/brhga or at the gate on the day. Gates open at 10am.

For all the latest news and information on Blairgowrie & Rattray Highland Games, please see the website or follow us on Facebook, Twitter @blairgames or Instagram at blairgowriehighlandgames Photographs copyright Clare McMicking/CraicN Communications Page 19

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History

Blairgowrie & Rattray

The group staged its fifth exhibition (Pop-Up) in the Blairgowrie library in July. Titled ‘Tales from the Riverbank’ it featured many items related to the River Ericht. These included more of the ever-popular photographs from the Fred Oudney collection, the history of its bridges, myths and legends, wildlife, its flora, its mills, fishing and other related items.

There were interesting exhibits on general wildlife and access matters from PKC Greenspace as well as specific displays of information about local bats and our now threatened swift summer visitors.

Interesting engagements with both were organised at locations around the town. There also was some excellent footage of land based and aquatic animals courtesy of Bob Smith and once again a selection of excellent photographs from Dave Gow.

Our Heritage

Kate and Paul Fleming allowed the display of a model of Blair’s most famous fish, a large trout caught just upstream of the A93 bridge by Willie Turner in the early nineties. Willie, sadly now not in such good health, attended the event with his daughter and was photographed proudly admiring his catch. It was so good to see the amount of interest and comment on social media that this generated.

Visitor numbers were high, with many familiar faces but also visitors from outwith our shores, all very encouraging and helping to maintain a high level of interest in and support for the provision of a permanent heritage centre in our town.

Once again the raffle proved to be a great success, the lucky winners being Blair’s Ally Donald and Alison Johnson from Stanley.

Discussions with the local authority are ongoing with a growing expectation that the community will indeed be occupying No 46 Leslie Street as early as the summer of next year.

Whilst there is still a huge amount of work to be done and possibilities to be explored what is certain is that in the event that the transfer to community ownership does occur, Our Heritage will be one of the first groups to take up residence.

Exciting though that prospect is, the group will, in the meantime, continue to offer Pop-Up exhibitions in the library. The next will be held over the weekend of November 2nd to 4th and will be a joint effort, Our Heritage will jointly run the event with the Hamish Henderson Group. The exhibition will feature the lives and achievements of sons and daughters of Blairgowrie and district, who, either locally or further afield, went on to make significant contributions in the fields of entertainment, culture, science, medicine and politics. The most famous of these was Hamish himself who will feature large in the exhibition, his actual centenary will be celebrated the following weekend at an event in the Town Hall. The Genealogy Group have already identified over sixty other worthies whose achievements in many fields of activity will be brought to light over the weekend.

Once again, the Our Heritage Group looks forward to its next event and to welcoming many visitors who it hopes will once again enjoy its offerings.

The Our Heritage Group would like to publicly acknowledge the generosity of Culture Perth and Kinross in allowing it to once again use the local library to host the event and in particular to Craig Dennis and his team who, as always, were so helpful in helping facilitate the temporary transfer from library to exhibition space.

The group would also like to thank the many local people and businesses who contributed to its July event, too numerous to mention individually, they know who they are. Without their help and the help of all the volunteers who worked so hard before, during and after the weekend, the Tales from the Riverbank Exhibition would not have been possible.

Ian Richards – Chair 07787 317022 Page 20

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Blairgowrie Rattray and District Genealogy Centre As a Genealogy Group, we have enquiries from home and abroad, that usually asks for help to trace family connections from in and around Blairgowrie. However, in April, we received an email enquiry from a gentleman from Forfar, who is a Military Historian and collects WWl postcards, asking the Group, if we would be able to trace any living relatives of a family by the name of Findlay, to let them see the family connection to the postcard.

He had purchased the postcard, that had been sent from ‘somewhere in France’ by Charles Findlay, Sapper, Mining Corps, Company 3. His unit embarked from Sydney, N S W, on 20 February, 1916 and he returned to Australia on 19th April, 1919. Charles, who was born in Lunanbank, Forfar in 1891, had gone to Australia and had been employed as a shearer. Charles later enlisted for WW ll.

Charles ‘Scotty’ Findlay married Doris Irene Thompson on 29 Nov 1926, at Geraldton, Western Australia, where they lived until his death on 1st April, 1971, aged 80 years old.

The postcard was addressed to his sister ‘Aggie’ Agnes Helen, a housekeeper, at Drumsheen, Blairgowrie, their sister ‘Bell’ Isabella was mentioned in it. Agnes married William Findlay, we were unable to find any member of her family. Isabella married David Gray Whyte and through Ancestry we managed to contact her grandson. A meeting was arranged so that Isabella’s grandson could meet the gentleman with the postcard. So, a very successful conclusion to an interesting enquiry.

Both parties have given permission for this article to be published.

ALWAYS WANTED TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY HISTORY? The Genealogy Centre Volunteers can help.

Come in and see us at Blairgowrie Library any Tues, Weds or Thurs from 2.00 to 4.00pm or Saturday Morning from 10.30 to 12.00 noon.

CONTACT US - by email at blairgowrielibrary@culturepk.org.uk or blairgowriegenealogy@hotmail.co.uk Or by telephone on 01250 871305 If you can spare 2 hours a week, why not come and join us as a Volunteer.

Please send us your contact details, or come in and see us.

The Geneaology Centre is part of Visit Scotland’s Ancestral Welcome Scheme.

To find out more visit: www.scottishancestraltourism.scot Page 21

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Blairgowrie Mobile Foot Clinic

Treatment in the comfort of your own home for: Nail Cutting Corns and Calluses Fungal Infections and Athletes Foot Ingrown Toenails

For all your Foot-care requirements contact:

MADELEINE MCINTOSH Registered Foot-Health Practitioner Est 2007.

01250 872005 or 07904 382840 S.A.C Dip

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FHTP

FHPP

BRDT Magazine - Autumn 2019

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CONSTABULARY DUTY TO BE DONE

by Alisdair Drummond, Retired Chief Inspector, Tayside Police and Perth & Kinross Constabulary

On a Sunday afternoon in July almost a century ago a 14 year old boy, on holiday from Dunfermline, fell over the high cliff in Moness Den, Aberfeldy. The first 30 feet of his fall landed him on a ledge and he then tumbled over the projecting cliff. Below there was a sheer drop of almost 100 feet but during his fall he managed to grab onto a bush growing from the cliff and call for help. Fortunately his cries were heard by a local man who made an unsuccessful attempt to reach him from the base of the cliff before sending another passer-by into the town to find help.

Sergeant McFarlane and Constable David Smart attended the scene, with the Constable making for the clifftop and the Sergeant going to the opposite side to direct proceedings.

The boy wasn’t visible to Constable Smart because a projection of 30 feet above hid him from view but, according to the official report, the young policeman fixed a rope he brought with him to a tree and immediately scaled down it. At the rope’s end he found he could just reach the boy with one hand while clinging to the rope with the other and in this position he managed to raise the boy sufficiently so that he too could hold onto the rope. Bearing in mind that neither had any support for their feet, they found themselves dangling in mid-air on a single rope which was turning in a circular motion above the chasm.

Nevertheless the Constable managed to grasp the boy between the rope and his own knees and bear the weight long enough to scale back up the rope for some 30 feet until they reached the ledge. He then attached the rope to the boy who was pulled to safety by rescuers gathered above. The rope was lowered back down to Constable Smart who climbed up from the ledge with apparent ease.

Constable David Smart was 26 years of age at the time. He was born in Methven and had joined Perthshire Constabulary three years before, formerly being employed as a farm worker. His gallantry and enormous feat of strength that summer day was brought to the notice of the proper authorities, resulting in him being awarded a Royal Humane Society medal and certificate at a special meeting held in Aberfeldy Town Hall in the presence of local dignitaries. Following the presentation the young policeman asked Deputy Chief Constable Robertson to convey thanks on his behalf. The senior officer did so, remarking that heroes seemed to be peculiar beings as Constable Smart believed he had done nothing more than his duty and didn’t think there should be any fuss about it - but he also felt he would rather go over the cliff again than make a speech!

Fast forward to 2019 and think what the scenario would be today. Firstly, there are no policemen stationed at Aberfeldy to call on for immediate help. Secondly, the Fire & Rescue team, Mountain Rescue and a helicopter would all take time to be contacted, organised and attend at the incident. Thirdly, the safety of these various rescue teams would have to be assessed before they were allowed to go into action.

Makes you wonder if the 14 year old, the bush, or the rope, could have held on long enough.

AW Joinery For All your Joinery Services: Home Improvements Fitted Kitchens Timber Decking Solid Wood / Laminate Floors 01250 870 693 / 07876 133 342 www.aw-joinery.com

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A New Guide Hut Memorable artefacts were discovered within a cardboard box under the stage in the Rattray hall by a group of ex-Girl Guides who had volunteered to help local Guide leaders with the challenge of raising money to replace the now unsafe Guide Hut in Emma street. The artefacts included a letter, dated 1924, outlining how the existing Guide hut grounds had been gifted to them and that they had permission from Colonel and Mrs ClerkRattray to use the grounds of Craighall for a fete to help raise funds to build a Guide hut. This resulting hut has been used for almost a hundred years by many young people, plus other groups involved in Yoga, Kick boxing etc. and as a billet during the World War 2.

Inspection of the hut three years ago revealed serious foundation and flooring problems amongst other things. Repairs being considered too expensive it was decided to demolish and build anew. The aim being to have a fit for purpose, green efficient construction complying with current standards. Any replacement must fit the terms of donation of the land by Sir William Macpherson’s grandfather and be the same footprint as the existing Hut and be owned exclusively by the Girl Guides only.

The archives Minute book further stated that the original Hut had cost £50 before labour, that the cost of electric heating installation back in the ‘60s as £163 and a letter to members of the Committee, asking each of them to run fund raisers, such as “private whist and bridge drives, sell tablet, baking, or garden produce” in order to pay for the heating installation.

Since the Hut closure for safety reasons the thriving Girlguiding groups have continued to meet in a variety of local buildings at cost to themselves. This makes the lives of the various leaders more complicated, with limited storage space and loss of a safe outdoor space at their disposal.

Vicky Anderson, a prominent Guide Commissioner, has offered expertise to help with fund raising and other advice. Vicky has recently completed some local Guiding Huts new build projects. This involved obtaining large figures from institutions such as the Lottery and local Trusts. A local team has been formed under Vicky’s guidance to organise local publicity and fund raising. The team has gained support for their goal from the local Divisional Commissioner for Guiding, Priscilla Wares, and Councillor Caroline Shiers, (amongst others). It will be the aim to employ local tradespeople whom it’s known will endeavour to do their very best in making the new Guide Hut worthy of the future and fit for the next 100 years.

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News & Articles

Planning permission has been achieved. The building plans, incorporating major wishes from Guide Leaders (wi-fi as against Morse Code), include a revolutionary way of providing energy from an Air source, as advised by the Heat Project and are now at the stage of obtaining a building Warrant.

Donations and fundraisers from local people and organisations have so far covered expenses, but movement has stalled as recently the structural engineer announced that his original quote had increased by 50% (now coming in at approximately £250k).

In the hope that our local community will “rally to our cause” we have many fundraising events planned in the months to come starting with an information day Monday 29th July, just inside Sainsbury’s.

Meantime any enquiries can be made to Vicky Anderson. vicky@oldthird.plus.com or to Moira Somerville. eteville@talktalk.net

Garden Design Garden Makeovers Garden consuancy & advice Garden Maintenance 40 years experience Free no obligation estimates

Call Gordon 01250 876835 07949 286 026

www.gcrolllandscapes.com Page 25

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Blairgowrie High School Headteacher Mrs Leslie reflects on the last academic year and looks forward to what the new session will bring.

As we begin a new session it is natural for school staff, parents and our young people to wonder about what the next year will bring. We also take time to reflect on the year that has just passed. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my whole team – teachers and support staff - for their unstinting commitment to the life and work of Blairgowrie High School. We have had, as ever, a busy but fruitful year and we were particularly pleased with the examination performance of our senior pupils this session. However whilst examination results absolutely matter we take time within Blairgowrie High School to instil into young people the core values that allow them to thrive and become responsible citizens.

Visitors to school often comment on how well-mannered pupils are and about the calm and respectful atmosphere in school.

It is always a time of mixed emotions when young people leave school to embark on their

next steps. This year, as we bid farewell to our S6 pupils in June, it was a particularly poignant moment for me as Headteacher as I started my Blairgowrie High School journey at the same time as they did in 2013. Much has happened in the last 6 years but our successes have been helped by the commitment of many partners in the community – from the businesses who sponsor awards and offer work experience; to the third sector organisations who help in school; and to our partner agencies such as the police and health who all have the best interests of our young people at heart.

But as the S6 leave we are preparing to welcome our new cohort of approximately 150 S1 pupils. They will embark on what I hope will be a very successful secondary school journey.

Please continue to support us and watch our endeavours on Twitter by following @BlairgowrieHS Bev Leslie Headteacher Blairgowrie High School

Despite efforts from a small group of teachers and pupils the flower beds at the front of the school are looking overgrown and weedy following the long summer holiday.

We would really welcome help from local green-fingered enthusiasts keen to support the school and local environment to help us create an entrance to the school that we could all be proud of.

Whether you are an individual who can commit time regularly or you would like to help as a one-off, everyone is welcome.

For more information please contact the school office on 01250 872100 or email - erutherford@pkc.gov.uk

Blairgowrie High School Parent Council will be running the charity shop at Howes

on Reform Street, Blairgowrie from Friday 13th – Friday 20th September. Donations can be dropped off at the shop during the first few days. All money made from running the charity shop will go towards helping fund various school projects, clubs and activities in addition to a small pupil support grant that the parent council oversees. In the past few years we have purchased microscopes, website subscriptions to help learning, weather stations, outdoor equipment and helped to support pupils on various trips.

The fundraising work of the Parent Council makes a real difference to the pupils experiences and opportunities whilst at school. We are consistently indebted to the local community for their support and we hope you are able to support us again by stopping by at the shop.

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BERRYPICKERS’ CEILIDHS In 2019 only two ceilidhs were held on 3rd and 17th July. They were hugely successful and were each attended by about 100 young pickers in Blairgowrie Parish Church Hall. All enjoyed the dancing and the cakes and other goodies which are provided by members of the churches in the area.

Plans for 2020 will be discussed at a meeting of the organising committee in September, when it is hoped the uncertainty about the number of pickers who are likely to come will be lessened. Normally about six ceilidhs are held, all much enjoyed by the students, and although there may be only two again next year the committee does not want to discontinue them. They give a taste of Scotland to our young friends from Europe, and are appreciated by the church members as a chance to extend a welcome to the young people who come.

The cost of putting the ceilidhs on is borne by the EPACTS (East Perthshire Action of Churches Together in Scotland) committee. Much of the food is provided by donations but other costs have to be covered, insurance and musicians for example. It was not necessary to hold a fundraising coffee morning this year because of the reduced programme.

It is hoped that more information can be given about plans for 2020 by the time of the next issue of the Hub magazine.

Apples Galore 2019 !

Help! Please come along on these Apples dates!

Sat 31 Aug : Workshop, using remnants to make non-plastic bags for apples, 10am onwards, at The Nest, Reform Street, Blairgowrie. All welcome.

Sun 8 Sept : Blairgowrie Highland Games,

distributing local apples (and other fruit), 10am onwards, at Bogles Field, Essendy Road, PH10 6QU.

Sat 28 Sept : Apple-pressing at Blairgowrie

Community Market, Wellmeadow, 10-3.

Come early, bringing your clean eating apples, and clean empty bottles.

Offers of help on these dates to Kristin Barrett, tel 872634, or to Kay Seal, 874633.

Offers of apples, please deliver to 10 Balmoral Road, Rattray, PH10 7AE, or phone for them to be picked up.

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Kids Page

WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT?

What did the envelope say to the stamp?

Stick with me and we’ll go places Why is 6 scared of 7?

Because 7 8 9 How does the man in the moon cut his hedge?

He eclipse it What did the mummy ghost say to the wee ghost?

Spook when you are spoken to What kind of mistakes do ghosts make?

Boo Boos Page 28

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Community Connections is a project based at Wellmeadow House in Blairgowrie that was funded by the National Lottery Community Fund in October 2018. The project aims to reduce isolation and loneliness in the local area by working in partnership with other local organisations to provide opportunities enabling local people to come together to share experiences, improve social contact, provide support, identify challenges and become more connected within the community.

We have successfully piloted a number of community events, which have become regular features in the community programme, including: - “A Bite ‘n a Blether” – free, informal community lunches held at SCYD’s Wellmeadow House “Café” - “The Comfy Café” – a weekly drop in for a cuppa and a chat with access to support and information from other services.

- “Festive Lunch” – a Christmas meal served in partnership with other local groups and organisations - “Jamming Sessions – A fortnightly group who meet to play guitar, pipes, accordion and other musical instruments in a casual setting - “IT Drop-In Sessions” – A weekly drop-in for the community to gain assistance from SCYD’s young volunteers around technology - “Mens Social Group” – A fortnightly relaxed group for men aged 16+ in the local area to socialise We are always looking for new ideas for events and activities that would benefit the local community, if you have an idea please get in touch.

If you would like more information about any of our activities, or would like to volunteer at any of our activities please get in touch.

Ashleigh Mustard – Community Connections Coordinator

Wellmeadow House, Gas Brae, Blairgowrie, PH10 6AY amustard@scyd.org.uk 01250 872121

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GRANNY PAT’S AUTUMN RECIPE Glamorgan Sausages This recipe for vegetarian sausages has been a family favourite for a long time. Originally made with Caerphilly cheese, I believe, I make them with Cheddar. It is also a good filling for vegetarian sausage rolls. The onion and celery can be grated if you like a finer mix.

You will need: 1 smallish onion finely chopped 75g grated Cheddar cheese 1 heaped tablespoon chopped parsley 1 level teaspoon mustard powder Generous grating of black pepper Flour and breadcrumbs for coating

1 stick celery finely chopped 100g brown or white breadcrumbs 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 1 heaped teaspoon sea salt 1 large egg Butter and Oil for frying

Combine all of the ingredients except the egg, flour and breadcrumbs. Separate the egg and use the yolk to put in the mix. Chill the mixture then shape into sausages or patties. Pass the sausages through the flour, egg white and breadcrumbs (dried for a short time in a low oven but do not allow to colour) then fry in shallow oil, with a little butter added for flavour, until browned. Serve with chips or new potatoes and a green salad. Serves 2.

STRATHMORE SCREEN Strathmore Screen is Blairgowrie and Rattray’s community cinema based in Blairgowrie Town Hall and run by a team of enthusiastic volunteers. We have been showing films locally for nearly 7 years now in partnership with Indy Cinema who bring state-of-the-art equipment and current releases to East Perthshire once a month, on a Sunday at 4pm and 7pm. A selection of reasonably priced snacks are available from the tuck shop and our delicious home-baking, tea and coffee go down a treat in the evening – perfect for those cold winter nights. A warm welcome awaits and as ever we need your support to keep the cinema going so come along and give it a try. We look forward to seeing you there.

Tickets from Mitchell’s and Calutek £6.50, £5.50 conc, £5 kids, £21 family ticket. For more info www.strathmorescreen.co.uk Coming Up...

Sunday 1st September - Toy Story 4 (U ) 4pm and Yesterday (12A) 7pm Sunday 29th September - The Lion King (PG) 4pm and Blinded by the Light (12A) Sunday 27th October - Films TBC Sunday 17th November - Films TBC Sunday 15th December - Films TBC Page 30

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Bra Donation Success ‘Jean Campbell, a Blairgowrie-based Soroptimist, was delighted to pick up more than 100 lightly used bras and several packets of new pants from Top Style owner Jennifer and stylist Rachel recently but the collection continues at Top Style, Leslie Street, Blairgowrie and also at the Beauty Boutique, High Street, Coupar Angus.

This is an exciting recycling exercise because how many gently worn bras of all sizes, including sports and nursing bras, which no longer fit for one reason or another, are lurking at The photograph shows L – R: Rachel, Jean the back of drawer! Please recycle & Jennifer and donate them via Top Style and the Beauty Boutique, to Smalls for All which partners with the Freedom from Fistula Foundation and Kenya Children’s Home making a big difference for women & girls in Kenya, Malawi, Sierra Leone and Madagascar, helping those living in orphanages, slums, internally displaced persons’ camps and schools as well as those in hospital suffering from medical conditions like obstetric fistula.

Please note that Smalls for All cannot accept teen, cropped-top style or bikini tops and by ‘gently worn’ they mean bras that are in good condition and still have good wear left in them.

You could also donate any size of ladies or children’s pants as long as they are new. Those most urgently required are for children aged 3-15 or ladies size 8-14. And while they collect all colours, the ladies’ pants in greatest demand are black – in full brief, midi, mini or high leg (in the smaller sizes). Your donated items will make a difference to individuals and to the environment!

Soroptimists are women who make a difference locally, nationally & internationally.

If you want to find out more about Soroptimist International, call Jean 07947 604 597

Jamie Duncan Aerial & Satellite TV Extensions All types of Satellites installed TV wall mounting Based in Blairgowrie Established 1999 Phone:

07736 551 665 jdaerials@sky.com Page 31

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BLAIRGOWRIE AND DISTRICT LADIES PROBUS CLUB The Blairgowrie and District Ladies Probus Club was formed to promote social contact and encourage common interests among members who are retired business and professional women.

The Club meets twice a month, over the period of September to May, for coffee and conversation, before listening to a guest speaker.

We invite speakers to talk on any subject they choose, and members are always very interested – and sometimes amazed – at the stories they hear. Travel, literature, theatre, music, environment, charities, animals, – these are only some of the topics we learned about over the past few years. We are now looking forward to a new syllabus of speakers for our upcoming September 2019 to May 2020 session.

Our membership is diverse, with women from a variety of backgrounds, including civil service, finance, medicine, education and retail, among others.

If you think you would be interested in joining the Club, please contact Liz Heel on 07982 788830, or by email at liz.heel@gmail.com for an invitation to our next meeting.

We meet at the Royal Hotel in Blairgowrie on the first Wednesday of the month from 2.00pm to 4.00pm, and on the third Wednesday of the month from 10.00am to 12.00noon.

Liz Heel

Blairgowrie & Rattray University of the Third Age (U3A) A new branch of the U3A has been set up to cover Blairgowrie and Rattray and district.

The ‘third age’ is a time in your life (not necessarily chronological) where you have the opportunity to undertake learning for its own sake. There is no minimum age, but most of its members are people who are no longer in full-time employment or raising a family. There are over 400,000 members in more than 1,000 U3As across the UK. Despite its name it is not an academic organisation. There is no formal teaching and absolutely no exams: members learn for pleasure, and the range of things they do is very wide and often not learning as such.

Activities in Tayside groups cover a wide range from Tai Chi and Line Dancing through Photography and Textile Art to Knitting and Scrabble.

It offers people something new to think about and do, removed from the trivia of day-today life. It also provides an opportunity to meet new people: an enormously important factor in the light of the issue of isolation and loneliness for many. One of the drivers for setting up a local U3A is to serve the interests of those who prefer not to travel to Perth or Dundee.

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The U3A will sit alongside other community groups and hopes to complement existing activity. We are now looking for expressions of interest so that we have some idea of how many people want to take part and who would be prepared to lead a group.

Early indications are that we could, from the outset, have groups covering Poetry, Russian Language and Culture, German, Local History and Genealogy and iPad Skills.

There will be a small annual membership fee, probably around £20 to cover the central U3A membership levy (including insurance and a newsletter), costs of hiring venues for group activities, catering etc.

At the moment we are trying to raise awareness through pieces like this and leafleting in the district and are aiming to hold a launch event in the Autumn.

If you are interested in joining the U3A and/ or leading a group, or would like to be kept up to date with what we are doing, please email bandru3a@gmail.com and we will send you a simple registration form. Forms will be available in Libraries for those who do not have access to a computer.

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ALL SET FOR 2019 LESLIE STREET ART TRAIL With just a couple of weeks to go until the start of the 2019 Leslie Street Art Trail, organisers are looking forward to another successful event.

Organised by Blairgowrie-based artist Wendy Mackey, the Leslie Street Art Trail comprises a series of exhibitions in shop windows in the east Perthshire town during the nine-day Perthshire Open Studios celebration of art in September.

Wendy is working with local artists and businesses and organisations on the displays which as well as the art itself will feature details about each of the participating artists and directions to their Perthshire Open Studios venues.

Building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, this year’s trail will feature over 60 artists exhibiting in 29 businesses and organisations in the town. As well as Leslie Street, businesses in the Wellmeadow, Meadow Place, Reform Street, Allan Street and Upper Mill Street are also involved this year.

Wendy said: “I have been absolutely delighted with the response to this year’s Art Trail and the enthusiasm locally for the event.

“People have been so supportive and keen to be involved, both artists and businesses and organisations.

“This year, as well as the artists taking part in Perthshire Open Studios, we also have four budding artists taking part in the Art Trail.

“We really want to encourage that and give people a window – literally – to showcase their work locally in a way that they may not have previously had the opportunity to do so, and we’re keen to build on this further for next year’s event.”

Wendy is also really pleased to be working with Blairgowrie High School’s art department on the trail this year.

Leslie Street Art Trail organiser Wendy Mackey, centre, with Kevin and Pam James from The Dome and Gloria, Perthshire’s most opinionated cow.

She said: “Pupils at the high school will be working on a footprint trail around the participating businesses and both the teachers and students will be exhibiting their work on the trail too.

“And hopefully there will be other art installations around the town that the department has created as well, they have some great ideas that I’m really looking forward to seeing come to fruition.”

Wendy added: “I would like to say a big thank you to all the businesses and organisations for their support for the Leslie Street Art Trail, and to Perth and Kinross Council and the Blairgowrie and Rattray Development Trust, as without all of them this event simply could not happen.

“And I’d encourage everyone to come along and look at the displays, and visit the artists’ studios and exhibitions.

“There are so many very talented artists and creatives in east Perthshire and it is great to be able to support them and their work.”

ARTISTS Nest Creative Spaces Group, Paula Wharton, Trevor Taylor, Mary Brown, Jud Pollock, Kelly McIntyre, Rhona Kirkpatrick, Lorraine Irvine, Tina Gliddon, Rachel Bower (fused glass), Stewart Graham, Aida Grier, Blairgowrie High School art teachers, Ron Dickens, Tracie Dick, Maria Nordgren, Rachel Bower (willow weaver), Wendy Mackey, Audrey Wilson, Kate and Lorna, Sarah Cave, Kirsty Dalton, Anick and Ricky Pitcher, Cornelia Weinmann, Aileen Stackhouse, Jenny Charles, Kay Hood, the Butterstone Artists, Tricia Brown, Sheila Roussel, Shirley McGregor, Wayne Rodgers, the Hazel Court Studio group, Blairgowrie High School students, Angie Wilson, Kathleen Coupar, Leslie Howkins, Wisecraft, Rosemount Framing, Brendan Collins

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GLORIA – PERTHSHIRE’S MOST OPINIONATED COW! ‘Gloria the comments cow’ is based in the Dome Café on Leslie Street itself.

The idea is that while the Art Trail is taking place, visitors will be encouraged to provide feedback on comments on the event on specially designed tags which will then be hung on Gloria’s magnificent horns.

Comment forms will be available in the Dome itself and in Nest Creative Spaces on Reform Street and everyone who provides feedback will be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win vouchers for the Dome, sponsored by Blairgowrie and Rattray Development Trust.

Wendy explained: “Getting feedback on the event is really important to us and we thought this would be a good way to do it.

“Gloria is the iconic symbol of the Leslie Street Art Trail, based on a painting I did a couple of years ago, and features on all the branding for the event.

“She is also a real cow who lives at Bowland Trails on the hills overlooking Blairgowrie!

“All the comments and feedback we receive will be taken on board and used to help shape next year’s Art Trail so it really is valuable.

“And of course you also have the chance to win a voucher for the Dome, so it’s worth commenting just for that.”

WHAT’S UP DUCK? The Leslie Street Art Trail treasure hunt is also back this year.

Last year’s event saw a number of River Ericht ducks dressed up as superheroes who could be spotted in shop and business windows along the trail.

This year six ducks have disguised themselves as other birds, although one couldn’t be bothered, and are visiting the window displays.

Visitors to the Leslie Street Art Trail are encouraged to solve the clues overleaf, find the bird and name the shop or business where they are.

Completed entry forms should be returned to Nest Creative Spaces on Reform Street and all the current entries will be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win a voucher for lovely treats at the Dome.

Wendy said: “The treasure trail was a popular part of last year’s event and we’re delighted that it’s back again this year.

“Good luck to everyone who takes part, and please remember to take care crossing any roads while you are looking for the ducks.”

BUSINESSES, ORGANISATIONS AND SPONSORS Nest Creative Spaces, J&J Howe, Scotts Garden and Pet Centre, TopKnots, Tartan Caledonia, Blairgowrie Library, Gillespies, Hammer God Tattoos, Mak Architecture, Rodney Neil Financial Services, Roy Sim Properties, SNP constituency offices, Cunningham Carpets, Top Style, The Dome Café and Restaurant, J Sandison, Scott James Wealth Management, The Travel Bar, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Davidson’s Chemist, Blairgowrie and East Perthshire Tourist Association; Hodge Solicitors, A&R Robertson and Black, Blairgowrie and Rattray Development Trust, WM Coupar, The Work Basket, One Voice Community Office, Flawless Beauty Salon, Something Special Flowers For further information and updates on this year’s Leslie Street Art Trail, follow Leslie Street Art Trail on Facebook and Instagram or see the new website at www.lesliestreetarttrail.co.uk

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“The duck who couldn’t be bothered” The River Ericht ducks are going to a fancy dress party!

Follow the footprints along Leslie Street Art Trail and look for the ducks. There are 6 altogether and they have dressed up as BIRDS! Solve the following clues, find the bird, and name the

shop or business where they are.

Name of shop/business

1. 10th letter of the alphabet 2. Two dozen baked in a pie 3. What the ugly duckling became 4. Sings “peewit” 5. In hiding from 1st Oct - 1st Feb 6. The duck who couldn’t be bothered

Name Contact Tel.No Please leave completed entry forms in the collection box in Nest Creative Services Reform Street, Venue 20

Leslie Street Art Trail, Treasure Trail Disclaimer The Leslie Street Art Trail, Treasure Trail is entered purely at your own risk; the organiser accepts no responsibility for any accident, injury, loss or damage caused by participation in The Leslie Street Art Trail, Treasure Trail. The Leslie Street Art Trail, Treasure Trail is designed purely for fun and at no point do you need to enter any private property or areas. Small children should be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times, and designated crossing points used to cross the roads.

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News & Articles

CUNNINGHAM CARPETS LTD

Free Measuring Free Estimates Free Fitting 28 - 30 Leslie Street, Blairgowrie 01250 872 376 11 Kenmore Street, Aberfeldy 01887 829 636 07778 117 228 john.cunningham046@gmail.com

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Call 07835341898 or email info@aa-appliances.co.uk Page 37

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News & Articles

Blairgowrie Parish Church (Church of Scotland) The Rev Benjamin Abeledo has now been inducted as our new Minister.

He can be contacted at telephone number 01250-870986.

A warm welcome awaits at Blairgowrie Parish Church.

Weekly Sunday Morning worship is at 11am We have a regular Sunday School and extra Family Services are held monthly from 9.30 to 10.30am before Morning Worship. Also we have a regular Sunday School, Messy Church events and a toddlers’ group called ‘Jump for Joy’ which is held at 10am on Saturday mornings monthly. A Creche is also provided during 11am Morning Worship.

Our other activities include The Guild, Boys’ Brigade, Craft Group, Bible Study Group, Prayer Group, Social Club and Events Group.

Please visit our website: www.blairgowrieparishchurch.org.uk for details and contact numbers.

St Stephen’s R C Church, John Street, Blairgowrie Parish Priest: Gregory Umunna, M.A., Ph.D. Telephone: 01250-872171 E.mail: peacegreg2002@yahoo.com Masses: Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 10 a.m. Wednesday 7 p.m.

Saturday - Vigil Mass 6.30 p.m. Sunday - 11 a.m.

St. Luan’s, Alexandra Street, Alyth - Sunday Mass 9.30 a.m.

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Rattray Church, Church of Scotland.

We warmly welcome all to join us in worship at our pretty church with its Italianate style clock tower and beautiful stained glass windows. Contact: Rev Linda Stewart (01250) 872462

St Catharine’s Scottish Episcopal Church, George Street, Blairgowrie We are currently without a rector since Very Revd Kenny Rathband, our previous rector, moved to become the new rector of another charge. At present services are taken by Revds David and Janice Cameron and our Lay Reader Lis Burke.

Revds David and Janice Cameron can be contacted for pastoral assistance on 01250-873272.

The church can also be contacted via the office in St Catharine’s Centre, on 01250-874583.

The main service each Sunday is a celebration of Sung Eucharist at 9.30am, although whenever there is a fifth Sunday in the month all our local congregations join in a shared service at 10.30am which rotates around the churches.

There is also a short, said Communion service at 11.30am each Wednesday.

More details are available on our website: https://www.abcsaints.co.uk Page 39

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Making Rural Business Digital GrowBiz’s new project - ‘Making Rural Business Digital’ – provides support and advice on how to take advantage of digital solutions for your business or social enterprise.

Supported by Perth & Kinross LEADER programme (more at www.pkleader.org) , the project aims to make Perthshire the most entrepreneurial rural economy in Scotland through helping enterprises with digital skills, and the development of Smart Villages and enterprise ‘hotspots’.

Smart Villages are ‘digital communities’ helping rural enterprises to promote their services, and providing information points for local community groups and organisations. They can also be ‘communities of interest’, and we’ll be developing new platforms for artisan makers and care and wellbeing enterprises in rural areas. Please get in touch with us to find out more.

GrowBiz holds free events throughout Perthshire on a variety of topics. Look on our website www.growbiz.co.uk for information and to book. And we can offer 1-1 meetings for any rural business looking to start, grow, diversify – or just survive!

Running your own enterprise from home can sometimes be a lonely business, so we also offer hotdesking facilities at our Coupar Angus offices. We hope that having a professional environment to work in will help with productivity, motivation and wellbeing. There’s good digital connectivity, peace and quiet – and free tea and coffee! Contact carol@growbiz.co.uk if you’d like to find out more – or just come along to the old Bank of Scotland building in Union Street.

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Gillespie’s Chartered Accountants

Accounting for your future not your past.

Our priority is to deliver first class client service Gillespie Inverarity & Co was established in 2001 and today, we continue to build on our reputation for providing excellent advice and first class service to our business and personal clients alike. We have many clients in the local community and service businesses, small and large, across many sectors.

• Compliance Services • Support Services • Taxation • Consultancy & systems advice • Investments & pensions Telephone: 01250 870718 Fax: 01250 870719 Web: www.gillespiesca.co.uk Email: info@gillespiesca.co.uk Blairgowrie Branch 33 Leslie Street, Blairgowrie, Perthshire, PH10 6AW

London Branch Suite F Rooms 1 – 4 Symal House 423 Edgware Road, London, NW9 0HT

Fife Branch Fife Renewables Innovation Centre Ajax Way, Leven, KY8 3RS

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A newly formed Community Interest Company has taken over the business previously known as Create at Nest in Blairgowrie.

On 1st June 2019 Nest Creative Spaces Community Interest Company was created to ensure the existing services will continue to be available to the creative community for the long term. As a Social Enterprise, all profits will go back into the business to help achieve its’ aims.

Nest is now run by a board of 5 volunteer trustees; Pauline Cropper, Tracie Dick, Kelly McIntyre, Cat Mackay & Aileen Stackhouse. Together they bring a range of skills and experience to manage the business and identify opportunities and funding to enable it to grow further.

Tracie Dick, who was a partner in the previous company and continues the daily management of the business says “our aim is to provide affordable space for creative people to work, teach, learn, sell, collaborate or just get some ideas and meet other like minded people. Our activities will help to reduce social isolation and provide social and networking opportunities.”

As well as the studios and selling spaces available for rent, Nest has an onsite Craft Remnant Shop, with regular donations being received from the local creative community. It also offers volunteering opportunities to help with sorting, pricing and sales.

“Our remnant shop provides schools, community groups and individuals with cheap and alternative craft supplies and the opportunity to reuse and recycle. So many perfectly usable art and craft supplies are being discarded and taken to landfill, and we offer an alternative to that, enabling us to contribute to green actions within Scotlands’ cultural industries and promote sustainable craft making. We would like to thank everyone that has donated time and supplies so far as without them it would not exist!”

Nest is taking part in Perthshire Open Studios and the Leslie St Art Trail in September, and will be hosting a range of classes for Blairgowrie & Alyth Adult Education Autumn/ Winter Programme.

If you are interested in volunteering or any other facilities, Nest is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 2pm, contact Tracie on 07804 240861 or visit the website www.nestcreativespaces.co.uk

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Blairgowrie Dental Care Takes To The Water At Blairgowrie Dental Care we are very lucky to have a superb team of individuals who work hard to ensure that we deliver the highest quality of dental care to our patients. A typical day starts with our cleaning staff who make sure the practice is ready to open before our front of house reception staff and practice manager expertly prepare and coordinate the smooth running of the dental day. Behind the scenes we have an efficient cycle whereby our dental instruments are meticulously cleaned and sterilised by our hard-working instrument processors, before they are prepared by our dedicated dental nursing staff. The dental nurses then assist our dentists in carrying out any required treatments, providing advice and ensuring the highest standard of dentistry. If any part of this chain doesn’t function effectively then the whole system falls apart, it all comes down to teamwork.

With this in mind, we try and arrange a variety of teambuilding events to help our team work closely with each other and of course have fun! This year we organised an afternoon kayaking on Clunie Loch with local outdoor specialists Outdoor Explore. Based in Alyth, Piotr and his team provided the kayaks, tuition on the water, fascinating information about the location history and wildlife all the while making the whole expedition terrific fun. We had a group of 17 people, with many of us having never kayaked before, so there was a good deal of nervous energy before we started. Piotr provided a thorough safety briefing (and some much-needed words of encouragement!) and we set off onto the loch. After a few wobbles and some shrieks of delight/fear we all settled into our kayaks and were able to navigate ourselves around the loch and admire the beauty of the place. Just a 10 minute drive from Blairgowrie, Clunie Loch is a haven for wildlife and history all of which was described expertly by Piotr. We watched ospreys hunt, dragonflies dart around and families of ducks follow our kayaks‌ it was so very peaceful. We stopped for afternoon tea on Clunie island under the shadow of the ruins of Clunie castle. Piotr prepared a campfire, boiled water for tea and we toasted marshmallows and munched local strawberries, perfect! We then set back on the water for more exploring and as we were then feeling like experienced kayakers, we were able to have a race back to the launch site to complete a fabulous afternoon. We all agreed that this was the best teambuilding exercise we have undertaken. The combination of learning a new skill together and the sheer beauty and wonder of the setting meant we all felt closer as a team by the end of the day.

I cannot recommend this activity enough.

Piotr and his Outdoor Explore team were wonderful and we are already trying to work out when we can do it again.

Outdoor Explore offers guided tours and outdoor activities in Scotland, all year round.

For more details check out www.outdoorexplore.co.uk or contact Piotr directly at info@outdoorexplore.co.uk or 07904324102.

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The Hill Kirk Graveyard Kirk Wynd Blairgowrie

Kirk Wynd (Church Street) was the very first road leading in and out of Blairgowrie. It was

an old Drovers Road in latter years and was the site of Mercate Gate (Market Gate) leading in to the town. It was an excellent site for a Kirk (Church) as it overlooked the town, with spectacular views beyond, to the Vale of Strathmore and the Sidlaw Hills.

The present building is the third Church building on this site and the entirety has a lavish history.

During the 7th & 8th Centuries a small monastic institution was based here. From that time through to 1588 various Catholic Priests and Monks, many connected to Scone Abbey, ministered here, in some form of church building.

In 1588 Thomas Cruickshanks became the first Protestant Minister of the Kirk and from this date onwards, several Protestant Ministers officiated here.

In 1767 a second Kirk was built on this site and used until 1824, when an increase in the local population meant a larger building was needed, which is the present building in front of you. From then until 1949 numerous Clergymen officiated here, until The Reverend Alexander Foubister Taylor Young took over and ministered here until his retirement in 1976.

(His daughter still resides in Blairgowrie). The final service took place on Sunday 27th June 1976. The Hill Kirk was dissolved a few days later on the 30th June and remained empty and abandoned for 3 years.

In 1979 a local Drama Group, The Blairgowrie Players, purchased the building, but not the land comprising the graveyard, and continue to use the Kirk for their drama rehearsals.

In 2018, a local voluntary group of enthusiasts, comprising neighbours, the BRAN Group (Blairgowrie and Rattray Access Network), the Perth and Kinross Council Ranger and the Blairgowrie and Rattray District Genealogy Group decided to clear, tidy and go some way to restoring the graveyard. It was severely overgrown and very inhospitable, for local people and those from elsewhere, including overseas, wishing to visit the last resting place of their Page 44

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ancestors. The lower section of the graveyard has now been left more natural than the tended top section, as a colony of rare bats eat small insects from the longer grasses.

Since the improvements, there have many overseas and more local visitors call into the Graveyard, commenting positively about the easier access to gravestones. The oldest stone in the Graveyard is dated 1691!

This great historical site is now a place for relaxation and contemplation.

A spokesman for the group added that the problem they still have is the desperate need for volunteers, during the SUMMER ONLY to cut the grass fortnightly.

Equipment can be supplied and training in strimming is available, via Perth & Kinross East Perthshire Ranger.

If you would like to volunteer, please email - derekballoch@hotmail.co.uk for details.

A lovely sign, outlining the history of the Kirk and Graveyard has recently been acquired, and is awaiting erection on the gates. The sign has been donated by the Sign Shop, Tayside Contracts.

All dog owners using the Graveyard, are reminded to “Bag it and Bin it “, please.

A Green Bin is available in the Graveyard.

Further Information.

Blairgowrie Rattray & District Genealogy Centre, is currently based in the town Library, where a ‘map’ of graves may be seen. Email: blairgowriegenealogy@hotmail.co.uk Further Historical information about the Kirk, to be found at: www.blairathistory.org>hillchurch The Blairgowrie Rattray & District History Trust. Search: www.blairathistory.org For BRAN, who help keep local countryside paths tidy and clear, checkout Blairgowrie & Rattray Access Network on Facebook For information on Bats, please search: http://taysidebatgroup.wixsite.com/batty Artwork by kind permission of Mary McGregor Email: marydmc@btinternet.com Blair in Bloom, have kindly agreed to assist with flowers, to further improve the site and donated a bench.

Email: blairinbloom@aol.com For further information on The Blairgowrie Players Drama Group, check them out on Facebook.

The Noticeboard has been kindly donated by THE SIGN SHOP (TAYSIDE CONTRACTS) Email: signshop@tayside-contracts.co.uk Page 45

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Plants, Friends and Memories As I wrote this article, my intention was to avoid any reference to weather, however we have just endured one of the hottest spells on record and the streets outside are overflowing with rainwater following another summer storm.

I recently attended a reunion of fellow horticultural students down in Windsor, where we were given a talk and tour of the Saville Gardens. The tree expert who showed us round is based at Kew Gardens and he had been on several plant hunting expeditions to China with one of my former students. Mark my friend sadly died a year after our last reunion at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. The two intrepid plant hunters collected many tree seeds and they have since been propagated and planted out in the Saville Garden. We were told that with so many of our current tree species being affected by plant disease and the effects of changing climate that consideration should be given to planting different tree species in the United Kingdom. On my return from the reunion and back to old clothes and porridge, I was in the van and back to day job, with the radio on and who should be on the Jeremy Vine Show but the tree expert from Kew answering listeners questions and concerns about trees.

Another close friend who has sadly passed away recently was the tree officer of close on forty years with Dundee City Council and he too was extremely passionate about trees, while their expertise will be missed by many.

Whilst reading the weekend feature of the Courier the other week, I read of an arboretum at Glenericht House and was very impressed with the tree collection. I had no idea it was there, while the numerous giant redwoods must be approaching 150-200 years. I checked who the original owner of the property was and established that it had been a mill owner from Dundee in the 1800s. The arboretum is open to the public, with money going to local charities.

By the time the magazine drops through the letterboxes of Blairgowrie and Rattray, I will have been out and about in my capacity as a judge in the Take a Pride in Perthshire and Kinross summer gardening competition. This is an opportunity and privilege to observe the efforts of the many bloom groups and their volunteers in enhancing the various communities.

Although I will not have judged the efforts of Blair in Bloom; I cannot help but be impressed with the efforts again of so many who do such a tremendous amount to brighten up our lovely town.

Finally, on a lighter note my good lady is happier that my own back garden has been benefitting from another makeover, as it had been on my list of things to do for rather a long time!

Happy gardening Gordon Croll Page 46

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News & Articles

HAVE A COFFEE WITH US Do you live alone or find it difficult to get out and about?

A change of scene with laughter and friendly company,might be just what you need, come and join us at the FRIENDSHIP CAFE’ on a THURSDAY morning between 10am to 11.30am where we have entertainment,dancing and plenty of blethering and chatting.

Our entertainment list is already made up for rest of the year with a varied programme of SCOTTISH, FOLK,MODERN music and believe it or not A FIDDLERS’ RALLY are all coming.

The venue is BALMORAL ROAD COMMUNITY HALL,RATTRAY - 10am to 11.30am. A warm welcome awaits you any THURSDAY morning. The team would be delighted to see you.

ALY MUIR organiser 01250 873602 alymuir@hotmail.co.uk

THE ERICHT SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE GROUP The Ericht Scottish Country Dance Club are holding the following dances during in the Summer: Teacher: Carol Bisset Contact detail is available on the website: erichtdance.co.uk or Jan McHugh 01250 870975

CLASSES 1st October to 17th December 2019 7th January to 24th March 2020 Beginners Class Tuesday 7.00 - 8.30pm General Class Tuesday 7.30 - 9.30pm

Friday 16th August Summer Dance 7.30pm

Blairgowrie Town Hall.

Cost £6 Non dancers £2.50

Band David Oswald.

Tea and biscuits at interval.

Friday 20th September Charity Dance 7.30pm

Blairgowrie Town Hall.

Cost £6 Non dancers £2.50

Band Frank Thomson Tea and Supper

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Fun and Friendship Start Here Come and have fun with us at Rattray and District SWI. We are a lively Institute with 45 members whose ages range from 20+ to 80+ and part of the National network of Scottish Women’s Institutes (SWI) with over 16,000 members … and a members discount card. At Rattray we all have an interest in life in common and what’s going on around us as well as the SWI interest in arts and crafts and learning and sharing our skills. We meet on the third Monday of every month from September to May with a talk or demonstration and chatter over refreshments. This coming year we look forward to a varied programme starting in September with an illustrated talk from our National President and Rattray member, Linda Retson, who represented our SWI organisation at the Associated Country Women of the World’s Conference in Australia earlier this year. Our other meetings include an “Open Night”, Cupcakes Galore, a magical party Night, Talk on Genealogy, Mercy Ships and Floral Art. Something for everyone!.

Please join us for our first meeting-visitors and newcomers are very welcome on Monday 16th September 2019 7pm for 7.15pm in Rattray Halls, Balmoral Road or any meeting on the 3rd Monday of the month until May 2020 except for the December Meeting which will be on Monday 2nd. We post details on the website www.discoverblairgowrie.co.uk as well as in the HUB Magazine or alternatively you can email rattraypress-secyswri@hotmail.co.uk or phone 873280.

Fun and Friendship starts here!

BLAIRGOWRIE PLAYERS

continue with their busy year. No sooner than ‘Allo ‘Allo is done and dusted are we staging our new Murder Mystery for the first time. You can join us at Blairgowrie Town Hall on Sunday 15th September for a matinee performance of ‘A Nasty Case Of Burns’. This is your opportunity to come along, enjoy the performance and work out Who Dunnit whilst enjoying tea and cake. Tickets are on sale from The Card Gallery on Allan Street, Blairgowrie (01250876444) and can also be bought online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/blairgowrie-players or can be reserved by emailing blairplayers@btinternet.com.

Our Pantomime this year runs from Wednesday 4th December to Friday 6th December at 7pm and on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th December at 2pm. This year we’re bringing Puss In Boots to the stage. Tickets will be available as detailed above, but not till later in the year, watch out for more information. This was a very well attended event last year so make sure to get your tickets early!

Once again, Players are opening our home, The Hill Kirk, to the public as part of Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust Doors Open Days. The ‘new’ kirk was built in 1824, but there have been churches in the same area since the 12th Century. On Saturday and Sunday 7th/8th September we will open our doors between 2pm – 4pm to anyone wishing to visit the former kirk, now our rehearsal and storage space. Stretch your legs and have a walk up the Hill and enjoy the view from the Kirkyard; there are a couple of benches where you can rest and get your breath back!

The internal refurbishment of the Hill is almost complete. It is intended to have an Open Day in the near future when anyone can come and view our improved facilities.

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BRDT Magazine - Autumn 2019

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GLENISLA HOTEL KIRKTON OF GLENISLA

RE-OPENED JULY 2018 Open for Accommodation, breakfast, lunch & dinner, bar meals with a great selection of whiskies, ales, wines, spirits & soft drinks.

VisitScotland 4 Star property, located16 miles north of Blairgowrie, 13 miles from Alyth and 10 miles from Kirriemuir.

For information or to make a reservation, please contact the hotel on 01575 582223 or via email enquiries@glenisla-hotel.com Page 49

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Tread lightly on the Earth sounds easy, THE SPACE RACE

by Margaret Drummond Blairgowrie folk are narking At the lack of proper parking Which literally is driving folk away, As visitors to our town Find the High Street and drive down, Then decide to leave it for another day.

Shopkeepers are despairing, Like the eateries they’re bearing The loss of busy footfall on our streets.

When motorists find a space And a nearby eating place They then find ‘yellow perils’ on the beat ‘What’s On’ page in the Blairie Lists all the events daily, Markets, festivals and more for tourists’ pleasure, But for folk to stick around Long term parking must be found So they can explore oor braw toon at their leisure.

And for the locals no respite As the side roads are packed tight So supermarket car parks seem a haven, But we don’t all want mega shops When our smaller ones are the tops, It’s just some easy parking we are craving.

but look at what we are doing to our beautiful planet. It is bearing the brunt of our human presence more heavily than at any time in history. There is a Climate Emergency here and each of us can, and should, take a share in acting responsibly and sustainably.

Young people now are facing a real mess of an environment, and even in this lovely part of the world, we have pollution and waste in many forms - food waste, fast fashion, food and water “to go”, a tide of plastic waste, toxic emissions from fossil fuels, soil degradation – perhaps now, we see we have to take some responsibility for the causes of Climate Change.

In a recent “Blairgowrie High School Magazine” and in the “Alyth Voice”, there are articles written by pupils setting us good examples of actions which can be taken locally. Congratulations to them, though how awful that they have to highlight what they are doing.

Congratulations, too, to our Local MSP, John Swinney who has just now put Carbon Literacy into the Curriculum.

You can read the article from the Alyth Primary School girls in this edition of the Hub – thanks to them for giving us permission to reproduce it.

Our 4 Climate Cafes in Perthshire continue to highlight how small changes in what we do individually can bring about important change.

Try to - Buy locally produced food, Choose public transport over car journeys, when possible, Buy a reusable water bottle / coffee cup. Local cafes do support this.

Refuse single use packaging – take your own box, most of our local shops are happy to refill. Use the “Refill”App to find participating locations.

If you would like to know more about our local Climate Café, please contact Kay Seal – kayseal@hotmail.co.uk

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BRDT Magazine - Autumn 2019

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Calling all kids and parents! Read on for this month’s tips to make your packed lunch kinder to the environment…..

By Katy Appleton, Amber Chapman, Morven Moyes and Isla Beckett (age 10/11)

Instead of buying prepackaged snacks, such as small blocks of wrapped cheese or individually wrapped salami, it is better and cheaper just buy a big block of cheese or salami and put a few slices in a tub for your packed lunch each day. You could also buy a big pack of biscuits and split it up rather than having an individually wrapped biscuit every day. Did you know that an estimated 6 billion packets of crisps are eaten in the UK every year? Very few of the packets are biodegradable or can be recycled. Popcorn is a cheap and healthy alternative to crisps (as long you don’t cover it in butter and salt!)

- pop your own corn and put it into reusable tubs for a tasty snack!

Do you have single-use plastic in your packed lunch?

If you do it’s time to make a change. Did you know it can take 450 years or more for a crisp packet or single-use plastic bottle to biodegrade? Think how much plastic you use once then throw away…where does it all end up?

Instead of single-use plastic you could try to use other things that are kinder to the planet in your packed lunch.

Here are some examples of reusable containers you could use . . . . · Reusable tubs – you don’t have to buy them, an old margarine tub will do! · Reusable drink bottles – if you want to save money, an old water or juice bottle can be refilled time after time. · Reusable sandwich wraps -you can buy these at shops or online or make your own e.g. https://www.dw.com/en/diy-reusablesandwich-wrap/a-19311511 · Reusable bee wax wraps – available online – they’re GREAT instead of cling film!

Now let’s talk about what you should put in your re-usable containers.

As well as being better for the environment, many of these options will also save you money in the long-term, so we hope you will take our advice and make your packed lunches as green as possible.

We would welcome contributions from other children on environmental issues. Please send your articles, stories or poems into the Alyth Voice – you can also send pictures!

Don’t forget to include your name and contact details.

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Blairgowrie Community Markets Blairgowrie Community Markets are held on the 4th Saturday of the month from April to September in the Blairgowie Wellmeadow and operate from 10am - 3pm. The Markets are in their 15th year.

The Community Market alllows visitors to the market to have access to locally produced fresh produce which includes award winning Jams and Preserves from Bourtree, locally grown vegetables from The Wright Root (Courier Award Winners) , shrubs and plants from Flourish, Allan’s Chilli Products to name but a few. This season, Drumturk Cheeses from Blairgowrie also attended their first market, which can always be a little daunting for any producer. They are a small scale producer of specialist cheeses. Primarily making a selection of hard and soft goat milk cheeses, and related foods. With future plans to make small quantities of cow milk cheeses and mixed milk cheeses. They have a FB Page Drumturk Cheeses.

An enterprising group of pupils from Blairgowrie High School were also looking to boost their fundraising efforts for their World Challenge Trip to Cambodia next year and the Cancer UK Shop, Blairgowrie have also had a presence at this year’s markets.

The Community Market is also an invaluable opportunity for local businesses/craft workers to carry out market research. “You might think your wares are beautiful and unique, but that doesn’t guarantee people will buy them.

In person you can see which of your products draw most attention. You can also learn about customers’ wants.” (WES - Women’s Enterprise Scotland) ) You never know who is going to pass your stall and pick up a business card!

Visitors to the market are also encouraged to spend time browsing the wide range of independent retailers situated through the town and enjoy lunch at one of the local restaurants and coffee shops that use local seasonal produce.

Blairgowrie is also the start of the Cateran Trail and Snow Road, and at the Community Information Stall you will find a wealth of local tourism and community information.

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The Market due in July was cancelled, only the second market cancelled due to weather in 15 years, and was a disappointing day for everyone. After all the alarm about the weather forecast it would have been a reasonable day. Unfortunately that is the hindsight that we didn’t have in advance.

In order to minimise inconvenience, effort and cost to traders we need to make a decision early enough. The forecast that had been followed during the week had always suggested a very wet and potentially thundery day, reinforced by predictions from a range of forecasters. The risk to the public and traders in the vicinity of our metal framed structures is high and even more so for the volunteers erecting and dismantling the market who would have been doing so for an extended period. It is a hard decision which involves us in many hours of phoning round and contacting people, so we do appreciate the inconvenience a cancellation can cause.

What of course makes it more important to consider the safety implications in line with our risk assessment and management, is that while we can hear thunder we are unable to guess where lighting actually strikes, and it can also affect things close to where a strike occurs increasing the hazard. We had already experienced a number of such storms over the last week so safety was a top priority. We aplogise for any inconvenience and difficulty caused.

Unfortunately we are unable to move the venue of the market as our Market Traders Licence only allows us to hold the market in the Wellmeadow and to move the venue at short notice would infringe not only our licence but also have insurance implications.

We are an outdoor market and there is nowhere else operationally suitable to hold the market.

BRDT Magazine - Autumn 2019

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News & Articles For further information about the Market, please contact Sue Cole, Strathmore & the Glens 01828 640763 or email sue@nscdesign.com. Blairgowrie Community Market also has a FB Page where you can also find a wealth of local information.

Our Stall Holders this year have included: Affordable Artwork Allan’s Chillis Products Amelia’s Soaps/Smelleeze Ann Davidson Butchers Ann Rae Knits At Home Hearing The Birkentree Pure Perthshire Birch Water Bourtree Jams and Preserves Alyth Show Preserves Winners Cleaven Gifts - Tablet & Crafts Cancer UK Cairngorm Gifts (Kirkmichael) Clantastic - luxury fudge Drumturk Cheeses Elemental - Fairtrade Flourish - Shrubs & Plants The Heat Project Neighbourhood Food Project Helen of Strathmore - Crafts Lelley Makes

Maddery Micro Gin & Vodka Distillery Peppa’s Paws Perthshire Care & Wellbeing Scented Bliss Candles The Soap Farm Steel-n-Time - garden steelwork Tartan Ted - crochet thistles Trinket Belles - handmade jewellery Wildheath Bakery The World of Icecream & Takeaways - Bread and pies The Wright Root Locally grown vegetables Strathmore Centre for Youth Development Blairgowrie & District Next Steps NSC Outdoor Adventures Blairgowrie & East Perthshire Tourist Association - Visit Cateran Country Blairgowrie & Rattray Community Council

Blairgowrie Stroke Club L

k what we do on Mondays!

10am – 12 noon Activities, Speakers, Art & Craft Workshops, Exercise, Monthly Outings, Indoor Games and lots of chat.

Our Peer Support Group allows those with Stroke-related illnesses to relax in a friendly, sociable and understanding environment.

Where?

St Catharine’s Hall, George Street, Blairgowrie

New Members, Volunteers, Relief Volunteer Drivers - ALL WELCOME Phone: Joyce on 01250 875342 or Jacky on 01250 872224 Email: chssblair@gmail.com

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Sports & Activities Community Groups

Walking With Blairgowrie and District Next Steps Blairgowrie and District Next Steps continues to go from strength to strength. We continue to be one of the biggest in scope and longest standing Health Walking group in Scotland. By using a social model with a range of transition opportunities we can provide something for almost anyone. Our largest group takes part in the Wednesday Stride for Life Walks run from Blairgowrie Town Hall. At this level we provide at least two grades of walk with an option for a further two, one of which is a purely local walk with no cost. The other walks make use of a hired bus so we can visit more distant and new locations from our pool of around 55 different locations. These walks are an excellent way of meeting new people or old friends and our members participate on more than 120 different activity clubs and organisations across Tayside and beyond. This is an excellent way of finding out what is going on and who does it! Due to the extended school holidays for this year we are restarting on 21st August and not the 14th that was previously notified.

Further benefits are access to official standard Skills and Navigation courses. As we run our own minibus we can also offer Council approved Minibus Driver Awareness (MiDAS) courses.

Blairgowrie and District Next Steps is a voluntary run body and receives no external funding, everything we do is one from within our own resources. We started off in 2004 doing the easy one day a week, and from 2005 expanded our operations due to demand introducing the moderate Thursday walks in 2007 introduced the harder Tuesday walks. A number of our participants have been with us since 2004!

Full details are on our website www.badns.org.

Alternatively contact Nick or Sue at nick@nscdesign.com Tel: 01828 640763.

Our extended walks continue to stretch boundaries and capabilities. Our Thursday walks in particular are very popular and we do visit more interesting localities though not involving any significant difficulty, including doing sections of the Cateran Trail, minor hills and so on. If wished we offer multi day wild camping back packing treks, climbing and abseiling, Munro and other hill bagging, with occasional very challenging trips usually based on Tuesdays. The Thursday and Tuesday walks are all led and managed by a professional Mountain Leader as we go into more remote and on Tuesdays sometimes challenging locations.

All our activities are managed so there nobody is left on their own or to their own devices.

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This year we have exceeded 10,000 walk places on our advanced walks and over 19,000 on the Wednesday Walks. We will shortly have done more than 1,000 advanced walks and in excess of 1300 Wednesday walks. Other notable milestones we expect to break later this year will be a collective 100,000km (62,000 miles) walked and having provided 10,000km of walk routes.

Many thanks Sue & Nick Blairgowrie & District Next Steps (aka BaDNS)

BRDT Magazine - Autumn 2019

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BLAIRGOWRIE FREE LIPREADING CLASSES Hearing Loss?

Do you or someone you know have a hearing loss?

Lipreading classes can help.

Lipreading Classes Are fun, friendly and taught by a qualified lipreading tutor.

Advice on Tinnitus, Cochlear Implants, Access to Work.

Benefits and much more.

Learn how….

With guest speakers from:

Your hearing aids work and about equipment to help with your hearing loss:

Deaf Action Action on Hearing Loss Hearing Links Hearing Dogs for the Deaf Fire Service Police Service

Smoke Alarms, Television Aids, Flashing Doorbells Alarm Clocks, Amplified Telephones, Other Hearing Equipment (most of this equipment is free)

Contact

You will also learn about: Communication Coping with the Impact of Deafness Looking and Listening Problem Solving Facial Expression Body Language Relaxation

Susan Brown 01250 872861 07940333924 Facebook: Perthshire Lipreading

Classes start –

Thursday 10 October 2019 Time – 1200 – 1400 hrs Location – A. Proctor Group Dunkeld Road Blairgowrie PH10 6RT

Email: perthshirelipreading@hotmail.com

Care Home, Day Care & Respite Hope Park House provides 24hr care for older people who require various levels of care & support. We pride ourselves on providing high quality care in beautiful homely surroundings.

Telephone 01250 872349

www.hopeparkhouse.com

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Blairgowrie RDA,

a member group of the Riding for the Disabled Association, was founded over 40 years ago. Activities have varied from time to time, but at present we offer riding to children from primary schools in the Blairgowrie area. Up to 30 children take part in riding sessions on Wednesday and Thursday mornings at our base on Golf Course Road, Blairgowrie. Sessions run from the start of the summer term and into the autumn term as weather permits.

Blairgowrie RDA is run by a wonderful team of volunteers who care for the ponies as well as helping out during riding sessions. The Group has received generous financial assistance from local businesses and is enormously grateful for support and goodwill in the local community, including Sir William Macpherson and his family, who have allowed us use of the Golf Course Road site for such a long time.

The field at Golf Course Road has been zoned for housing in the new Perth & Kinross Council Local Development Plan, and we have therefore taken the decision that it is time to move on.

Blairgowrie RDA will be moving to a new base at Easter Rattray during the summer holidays and will be established in time to restart riding for autumn term 2019.

We are looking forward to being able to cater for more riders and offer a wider range of activities at our new home. We will be able to use the large outdoor arena and there will be opportunities to ride out across the farm. There is continued and growing demand for RDA in the area. Some schools would like to send additional children. There are also more schools in the area that are keen that their pupils should benefit from our services. We are also hoping to give private lessons for those who are unable to get to us during school lesson times.

If you would like to join us as a volunteer or want any more information about the group, please contact Linda on 07434 816089 or email blairgowrierda@outlook.com

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BRDT Magazine - Autumn 2019

15/08/2019 23:23:20

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Interviews & Contributers Articles

Cllr Bob Brawn

Scottish Conservative, Blairgowrie and Glens Ward Hello again.

First up to talk about was the fire at the Blackthorn Place development which occurred in the early hours of the morning on 23 May. Thankfully no one was hurt and no occupied properties were damaged following quick intervention by the Fire Service. Understandably, many residents were shaken by this event and I am in the process of organising a public meeting which will be attended by representatives of the Fire Service, Stewart Milne, Hillcrest Homes, PKC Housing Service and local Councillors to answer questions and hopefully allay any remaining fears. I hope this will be held in late August or early September after the holiday season.

At the last full council meeting a motion to declare a Climate Change Emergency was passed with unanimous support from all elected members- recognising the changes that we are already witnessing. It was suggested that we should be in a sense of panic however, given that scientific experts believe the trend can still be reversed, I don’t believe that panic is the right word- we must, however, move with a sense of urgency.

A main area of concern is pollution from cars, and the advent of electric and hybrid cars will bring much benefit. To help encourage the changeover, giving confidence to drivers both residents and visitors alike that they will not be stranded, PKC has received a grant to install further eV charging points all over Perth and Kinross. The goal being to ensure that you are never more than twenty miles from a charger.

Cllr Tom McEwan

Scottish National Party Blairgowrie and Glens Ward ‘The best days of your life’ is an oft used phrase to describe the years you spend at school. Whilst it may, or may not, be the case for our children, for parents the years can be fraught with financial worry. The ‘cost Page 58

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The Community Investment Fund is open again for applications- this year to be run in two parts- with a total of £25000 available now and a further £25000 later in the year.

As you read this, the application deadline will have passed and Ward Panels will have been prepared to consider funding requests.

The much talked about Westpark development is progressing albeit slowly but something of this magnitude will take time. Local business people have met with the architects in what proved to be a constructive meeting airing their concerns, which were taken on board to the extent that there is a determination to have a working co-operation between the town and the development.

The HEAT Project based in the Wellmeadow has now launched its Loyalty Card scheme which operates through a number of businesses in Blairgowrie and the area.

The aim is to reward customers using local businesses on the High Street similar to schemes run by the big stores.

As always, speeding traffic, particularly in the Glens, is an ever existing problem, especially this time of year, which we are all aware of as are the Police who do their best to help. My thanks to them for the efforts they do put in.

So until next time- good luck and godspeed.

As always, if you have a problem or wish to discuss a matter, you can contact me onE-mail - BBrawn@pkc.gov.uk Mobile - 07557 815541

of the school day’ especially for those of us with more than one child, can result in stress and anxiety for everyone involved.

It was this, combined with attempts to address the issue of vast amounts of nearly new uniforms heading for landfill, which led me to contact the various local parent councils and to set up the ‘Re-cycle, Re-use’ Uniform Initiative this summer. Parents were incredibly generous, handing in an amazing BRDT Magazine - Autumn 2019

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amount of outgrown uniforms to various points over the town which were made available during events at Rattray Connect to parents and carers. There were no restrictions; it was simply a case of selecting suitable items from the tables and racks of available jackets, bags, shirts etc. It was indeed a win win situation. The financial burden was eased for many and action was taken to make full use of outgrown uniform items. Thank you to all who donated and to the local organisations who kindly allowed their premises to be used as drop off points.

The whole aspect of what we can do to address the ongoing climate crisis is foremost in the minds of many. Blairgowrie, Rattray and District Climate Café are involved in a local event, the ‘Big Climate Conversation’ which is being held at the Birnam Institute on the 20th August, 10am -9pm. I urge all members of the public to attend and entry is free.

Local businesses are the lifeblood of a community but it can often be difficult for them to match their products to local customers. The HEAT project, have been addressing this issue in a number of ways recently. Firstly, they have established ‘Neighbourfood Blairgowrie and Rattray’; you place an order online once a week, selecting produce from a variety of local producers, which is then ready for collection on a Thursday. Secondly they have been

Cllr Caroline Shiers

Scottish Conservative, Blairgowrie and Glens Ward As always with my summer article for the Hub magazine can I thank Blair in Bloom for all their work to ensure the town looks so beautiful. The hanging baskets, floral displays, and the new additions of the train at Parkhead Road and the installation at the “golfer” bed at Golf Course Road are so eye-catching. The next project is Coronation Corner and that will be something to look forward to for 2020.

In early July I was delighted to welcome Karen Reid, Chief Executive of Perth and Kinross Council to Blairgowrie and Rattray.

My colleague, Cllr Bob Brawn and I spent a

instrumental in the setting up of the Discover Blairgowrie Rattray and the Glens loyalty card. A number of local firms are already onboard with this scheme, where you collect points and enjoy rewards whenever you shop with a local participating member. Please do all you can to support all local businesses remember, money spent locally stays local.

It was great to see that the goal posts have now been reinstated onto Rattray Common.

This is something I have been pushing for with officers for some time and I am pleased that the local children are now able to fully enjoy their games and keep better track of the score!

Finally, anyone who has recently been past the Ardblair junction of Golf Course Road cannot have failed to see and be impressed with the new sculpture. Amazing seems such an inadequate description – well done Blair in Bloom and artist David F Wilson. You have surpassed yourself!

I hold regular open surgeries in the Rattray Connect on the last Thursday of every month from 7pm until 8.45pm, happy to discuss any issues you need my help and support with.

Contact Details: Email - tmcewan@pkc.gov.uk Mobile - 07557815540, Cllr Tom McEwan Facebook Page (https:// www.facebook.com/SNPBlairCouncil17/) couple of hours showing Karen around the town – highlighting the very many positives and discussing challenges and things we want to see tackled. Karen took all these issues on board and will work with the three ward councillors and council officers to see then addressed over the coming years.

One of the areas we highlighted to Karen was the Welton Road Industrial area. There is a need to do more to signpost people to the businesses based there and to improve the appearance of the industrial area. We also raised issues with regards to the recycling site. This facility needs improved to serve our growing community and offer increased opportunities for people to actively recycle as many materials as possible. This is something I have already raised with officers at the council.

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I am delighted to see progress with a number of road safety issues – some of which have been “on the list” since I was elected back in 2007 finally being tackled. When our Administration was formed in 2017 we were determined to get on and address issues which were raised again and again by communities and I am delighted that we are doing so. The crossings on Coupar Angus Road and near the Campus and the speed reduction measures at Rattray Primary School are just some of the projects that we are taking forward. More to follow.

I would like to take this opportunity to highlight to local community groups the exciting new approach Perth and Kinross Council is taking towards community benefits. The core of the new approach is a “wish list” which third sector organisations can submit requests to. These “wishes” then

Pete Wishart MP

Scottish National Party Perth and North Perthshire At the start of August it was a pleasure to be invited to join George and Douglas McLaren at their farm in Kinloch to celebrate their partnership with Ribena and to pick some berries. The annual Big Berry Bash takes place every year and encourages visitors to come and see the picking season in action and to pick some of their own berries. This local farm is one of a network of 38 farms across the UK which produce around 10,500 tonnes of blackcurrants which make Ribena every year. It is said that some 90% of the blackcurrants grown in the UK end up in the drink.

Many of our growers are still worried about access to labour and to the EU Single Market after October. Thankfully the blackcurrants picked on my visit largely stay in the UK market, but for many other food producers and growers, the prospect of a no-deal Brexit is alarming. The National Farmers’ Union of Scotland have stated that their farmers face eye-watering tariffs to export products such as beef, chicken and lamb into the EU if we leave with no deal. The tariff on beef would Page 60

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Interviews & Contributers Articles get passed on to the council’s suppliers who can use it to help them decide what community benefits they are able to offer in their bids. Any groups interested can find out more at https://www.pkc.gov.uk/ article/18613/Sustainable-procurement-andcommunity-benefits MY next surgery is in the Blairgowrie Library on Saturday 24th August and then 28th September from 10am until 11am These are organised to coincide with the Community Market and I would encourage you to support the increasing number of local suppliers who sell via the market I can be contacted cshiers@pkc.gov.uk 01738 553990 (0) 01828 640181 (h) or by facebook or Instagram.

be 65%, which would make high quality Scotch beef deeply uncompetitive on the EU market.

This isn’t even really about whether you voted to remain or leave the European Union, it is about a UK Government which is willing to risk the economic viability of our domestic food producers to achieve a particular and avoidable political outcome. I know how important our agricultural businesses are in Perth and Kinross, and I will always stand up for them at Westminster.

With Westminster now in recess for the summer, it gives me a great chance to get out and about to some of the smaller villages and hamlets in the constituency, which I may not be able to get to at other points in the year. I have a full surgery tour booked and I will be making various visits to organisations and businesses from Errol right up to Glenshee and across to Loch Rannoch. If you want to come and meet with me at one of these advice surgeries, please contact my office on the details below and we will see where the closest venue is to you.

I can be reached at 17-19 Leslie Street, Blairgowrie, PH10 6AH, on 01250 876576 or at pete.wishart.mp@parliament.uk

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John Swinney MSP

Deputy First Minister of Scotland Scottish National Party

I recently met with Sgt Nicky Forrester and members of the local police force to discuss their work and learn more about their daily responsibilities. It is difficult to overstate how important the work of Police Scotland is to our daily lives, and it is right that they are recognised for their significant contributions to Blairgowrie and the surrounding areas.

It was also beneficial to see how new technology is enabling Police Scotland to do their job with more convenience and efficiency, and to speak about issues brought to my attention by constituents.

unlikely to open until 2023. I will continue to hold Perth and Kinross Council to account over this project, and work to ensure that it is delivered as timeously as possible.

I have been supportive of Councillor Tom McEwan’s free school uniform initiative, which allows parents to donate their children’s old school uniforms, which are then available to other families at no cost. This community-based initiative will make the lives of parents easier, whilst reducing our local carbon footprint by promoting re-use of clothing. It also seeks to build upon the work of the Scottish Government to ensure that every family can afford school uniforms. This commitment is best demonstrated by the school clothing grant, which was introduced to help those on low incomes.

I met with the police against a backdrop of positive news, with recent figures released by the Scottish Government showing a significant fall in violent crime across Perth and Kinross. Over the past decade, violent crime across the region has fallen 11%. This fall in violent crime also coincides with a rise of over 6% in police numbers since the SNP came to power – in contrast to England and Wales, where police numbers have fallen by over 21,000.

I was delighted to attend Ribena’s Big Berry Bash event at Bankhead of Kinloch. It was great to meet with berry growers George and Douglas McLaren, and to learn more about the work they undertake to supply Ribena with berries. Agriculture is the backbone of Perthshire’s economy, and it was therefore hugely valuable to gain an insight into the inner workings of Bankhead of Kinloch farm.

I am sure that all those in attendance had a fantastic day out, and I look forward to supporting this event in the years to come.

I have continued to be actively involved in the campaign to secure Blairgowrie a futureproofed, fully funded Recreation Centre. I was disappointed to learn that the centre, which has already had its allocated budget cut by Perth and Kinross Council, is now

If any constituent needs to contact me, I can be reached at 17-19 Leslie Street, Blairgowrie, PH10 6AH, telephone 01250 876 576, email john.swinney.msp@parliament.scot

The Card Gallery (Hallmark) 23, Allan Street, Blairgowrie. 01250 876444

“It’s the Thought that Counts” Come to us for new design cards and gifts that are a little bit different!

Swarovski Crystals and Guardian Angels; Official Whisky Glasses/Sets; 2020 Calendars; Aromatherapy lamps & hand blended essential oils; Scottish Tea Towels; Lewis Chessmen; And much more!

We can cater for Hen Parties if given notice.

Friendly, experienced staff, happy to help.

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Interviews & Contributers Articles

Murdo Fraser MSP Scottish Conservative

Councillors acting on behalf of local residents and ensuring investment is made in tackling road safety issues.

It was reassuring to be told that Police Scotland have added Golf Course Road in Blairgowrie as a Priority Location in terms of speeding after it was found that 34% of vehicles travelling on it had broken the legal speed limit.

Finally, I must praise the way local councillors have supported local businesses in building a dialogue with developers on the Westpark site in Blairgowrie. This has been a very topical issue in the town and will be part of the Westpark expansion.

Inspector Emma Bowman, of Perth and Kinross Local Policing, replied to a letter I had sent her following concerns raised by local residents living in that area of the town about speeding.

The first phase of the project will see discount chains Lidl and Home Bargains build shops at the site.

As a result, police officers carried out covert speed monitoring on Golf Course Road. The results showed that during the period of monitoring, 34% of all vehicles were travelling more than the legal speed limit.

This led to 30% of motorists being given a warning by officers, while 4% faced police enforcement action.

The plan has received a mix response from local residents but I can assure constituents that I am keeping a close eye on proceedings.

As ever, Murdo appreciates the feedback of constituents and can be contacted at the Control Tower, Perth Airport, Scone, PH2 6PL or via email at Murdo.fraser.msp@parliament.scot or via telephone at 01738 553990.

Finding out that 34% of drivers had been speeding on Golf Course Road emphasised the speeding problem on the road, but it’s good to know that the police have now classed it as a Priority Location in terms of speeding, and that it will be subject to regular speed checks by officers.

Hopefully, the fact that police officers will be keeping a careful eye on the speed of motorists on Golf Course Road will deter many from breaking the speed limit.

In her letter to me, Inspector Bowman also mentioned the possibility of looking a introducing a Community Speed Watch Scheme in the Golf Course Road. Councillor Bob Brawn has told me that local Councillors are in constant communication with the police about speeding issues throughout the ward.

Keeping on the road safety theme, I, like many local residents, welcome the various puffin crossings that have been installed on Coupar Angus Road, at Blairgowrie Community Campus, Berrydale Road and near the Co-operative on Coupar Angus Road.

This is a direct result of Scottish Conservative Page 62

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Business & Contacts

The Brambles, Perth Road, Blairgowrie, Perthshire, PH10 6QB Tel: 01250 875566 E: ann-bellingham@btconnect.com

Welcome to Ann Bellingham Financial Services. We are a directly authorised, local, firm established in Blairgowrie, April 2001. We are a specialist and experienced team of Independent Financial Planning Advisers.

We work for you, and our priority is to deliver a face to face, personal service.

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We are a local firm, here to help you!

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Please contact us for an initial chat before we meet, you can call Ann, Debbie or Fiona on 01250 875566. We look forward to hearing from you!

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USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS Blairgowrie Community Hospital Reception ...................... 01250 874 466 Strathmore Older People’s mental Health Team ................... 01250 877 843 GP Unit ....................................... 01250 877 854 District Nurses ........................... 01250 872 030 Health Visitors ........................... 01250 876 668 Blairgowrie Dental Care............. 01250 875 136 Dundee Dental Hospital ............. 01382 660 111 Ninewells Main Number ............ 01382 660 111

POST OFFICES Blairgowrie ................................... 0345 611 2970 Local Delivery Office .................. 01250 872 766

ELDERLY ACTIVITIES Health Community Collaborative Hosptial Day Room ...................... 01250 874 466 Adult Resource Centre ............... 01250 871 910 Social Services Day Care ............. 01250 877 843 Freedom Bus Adult Care Services . 0845 3011120 Care at Home ........................... 01738 476 7000

OTHER UESFUL NUMBERS

Perth Royal Infirmary ................ 01738 623 311

Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Advisor ....................... 01738 562 358

Royal Dundee Liff Hospital ....... 01382 423 000

Anti-Social Behaviour Team ...... 01738 476 173

NHS 24 ..............................................................111

Adult Care Area Office ............... 01250 871 910

CHEMISTS

Homelessness .............................. 0800 917 0708

Blairgowrie Housing Area Office 01738 476 000

Boots ............................................. 01250 872 029

Blairgowrie Library ....................... 01250 871 305

Davidsons ..................................... 01250 870 282

Blairgowrie Registration of Births, Deaths & Marriages ..................................... 01250 871 310

SURGERIES

Childcare Social Work Office ....... 01250 871 330

Ardblair Medical Practice ........... 01250 872 033

Child Protection ........................... 01738 476 768

Strathmore Surgery .................... 01250 872 552

Childcare, Family Info Service ..... 0845 601 4477

VETERINARY SURGERIES

Building Standards Warrants .... 01738 475 300 Community Connect, Rattray ..... 01250 871 538

Blairgowrie Veterinary Surgery . 01250 872 061

Care at Home ............................... 01250 871 901

Thrums Veterinary Group .......... 01250 871 010

Police .................................................................101

LEISURE CENTRES Community Campus ................... 01250 871 967

Scottish Gas Emergencies .............. 0800 111 999 Scottish Water ............................ 0845 6 018 855

Live Active .................................... 01250 871 360

SCHOOLS St Stephen’s Primary School ...... 01250 871 950

These numbers are provided for your convenience. If you have any corrections or suggestions for additions then please let One Voice know on Upper Mill Street

Rattray Primary School .............. 01250 871 980

(01250 871 120)

Newhill Primary School .............. 01250 871 941

Blairgowrie High School ............ 01250 871 200

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with a

nightrider ticket

summer? ewhere new this Fanc y going som throughout the itineraries to places al s ion at pir ins t go e We’v our luxury coache lax on board one of Re . nd la ot Sc of East is summer! and explore more th

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