255 December 2015 - Gryffe Advertizer

December 2015

FRE 1 FRE E C COOPEY PY

No.255 Distributed to: • Bishopton • Bridge of Weir • Brookfield • Elderslie • Houston • Howwood • Kilbarchan • Kilmacolm • Langbank • Lochwinnoch • Quarriers

Wonderful Christmas Window Display at Gibb Stuart Home Hardware, Bridge of Weir photo: Chloe McGinn

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December 2015 No. 255

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Expert Gutter Cleaning With Winter now well and truly here the wind has now blown the last of the leaves off the trees and unfortunately many of them are now lying in our gutters along with moss, twigs, etc blocking the gutter and stopping the water from flowing down the spout where it should go.

We use a state of the art carbon fibre gutter vacuum system which is safer for your gutters and safer for us giving a more efficient & effective clean than old fashioned methods whilst potentially saving you money. Call now for a free quote. 01505 863 863.

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This

Month Fire & Water!

The Knapps Bonfire this year went off with the usual bang; a great success and a credit to all the organisers and volunteers, and of course the patrons.

However, will it be an event we can enjoy next year?

The Bonfire is a not for profit event; I understand that on balance some years make a loss and other years make small profit. The funding for the event comes from entrance money taken at the gate. However, it’s astounding the number of folks who now watch from outside the field, standing on the road, to save themselves a few quid. I know it can get pretty muddy underfoot, which can be a little off-putting, but if this trend continues, the consequence for everyone will be a lack of funding and no more fireworks. So go on, get your wellies on, get muddy and join in next year. It’s part of the fun!

Well, I got myself all fired up on that one, so to douse the flames (pun intended), another topical subject: the rain.

Starting on a positive note, the road improvements and drainage works at Scart Farm, between Kilmacolm and Bridge of Weir, seem to be coping well considering the amount of water over the last few weeks. Remember the floating mini a couple of years ago?

In Bridge of Weir, however, the stretch between Houston and Bridge of Weir is AWFUL! I have witnessed pedestrians being drenched as vehicles plough through the huge puddles, some over a foot deep in places. As this is a designated ‘safe route to school’ I think the Council needs to take a bit of action. I have been in touch with our local councillors, who acknowledge the situation. Let’s hope we see some solutions.

In Lochwinnoch, the flooding continues on a regular basis. Interestingly, our history spot on p28 this month describes how the route, once described as the ‘Wading Place’, has developed over the years from a simple muddy causeway between the two stretches of water into the main route between the village and the A737. There is considerable requirement to make this more robust as it suffers badly every year from flooding.

contact us The Gryffe Advertizer

Neva Place, Bridge of Weir PA11 3PN t: 01505 613340 or e: info@advertizer.co.uk For more information please call us on 01505 613340 or check our website at www.advertizer.co.uk

Next Issue: No.256 January 2016

Deadline: Wed 09 December 2015 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. The Gryffe Advertizer cannot be held responsible for unsolicited materials. The views and opinions by contributors in this magazine may not represent the views of the publishers. The Gryffe Advertizer takes no responsibility for claims made by advertisements in this publication.

contents local news..........................8-12 what’s on..........................14-18 dental blog.............................16 business news.................26-27 it blog..................................26 local history..........................28 financial blog.........................27 on the road........................32-33 pets...............................62-63 pet blog...............................62 village news.......................34-47

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outdoors..........................48-53 photography hints & tips.........53 sports & clubs news.............59-61 sporting blog..........................61 schools news.....................54-58 business classified................64 property classified.................65 church listings....................65 deadlines dates...................65 sales & wants......................66 advertiser directory................67

In Kilmacolm, it must be 10 years ago that we made a complaint to Inverclyde Council that they weren’t maintaining and cleaning the pond in the West Glen Park. To my surprise, this seemed to spark off a decision making process, with little local consultation. The outcome being the pond was no longer required, might even be a threat to life, and would be filled in, thus saving the annual maintenance and cleaning costs. The pond was filled in with some high tech basket system which would act as an underground sump to absorb excess water flow when the burn which filled the pond was in spate during times of high rainfall. However, ever since then, we have consistent flooding at the foot of West Glen Road and all the way down High Street from... the West Glen Park. Previously, the former pond acted as a natural sump. However the new design frequently blocks up and requires several visits from contractors each year to pump out the blockages in the new underground storage system. What was wrong with a pond... good old “elf n’ safety” in action?

Finally, changing the subject, if you wish to change something about your home, you usually require planning permission. This can take many months to achieve and much consultation is required between the planning department, the resident and any neighbours. It can even be refused! So imagine my surprise when I came home one day in October to find a huge yellow box painted on the road slap bang outside my driveway. One week later I got a leaflet through the door advising me that a Bus Stand was scheduled to be sited here; a bit too late. I checked with the neighbours and no-one else had any advance notification. When I asked the council, apparently they are not required to tell residents of these type of changes. Hmmm, ... there’s rules; and there’s rules!

Interestingly, I understand the proximity of the new Bus Stand, of which a Council spokesperson advised was chosen through careful consideration, is scheduled to be dug up since Scottish Water require to urgently upgrade the sewage drains. Great planning!

Anyway, enough whinging from me. I hope you all enjoy a very Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year.

Lots of Festive love and cheer Rona from all at The Advertizer!

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Local Groups urged to apply for Council Communities Fund Cash Inverclyde Council is giving local organisations the opportunity to bid for a share of £150,000.

The Community Facilities Fund is targeted at developing community, play and recreational facilities designed to contribute to the wellbeing of the community.

Grants Sub Committee Chair Councillor James McColgan said: “There are many organisations that make an important contribution to the quality of life of people in Inverclyde. The facilities they operate are key to their being able to make a real difference and the financial support available through this fund is targeted towards helping with costs.”

The Community Facilities Grant, which is for capital expenditure only, is aimed at local community, voluntary and third sector organisations to assist with the renovation, improvement and provision of community facilities. The Grant will also support the purchase of major items of non-personal equipment.

Applications received by Friday 11 December 2015 will be considered by the Grants Committee in January 2016.

Guidance notes and registration/application forms are available from Safer & Inclusive Communities, 40 West Stewart Street, Greenock PA14 1YA, by emailing safer.communities@inverclyde.gov.uk or by calling 01475 714 298.

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Light Up A Life Light a light in memory or in honour of a loved one.

The illumination of our Christmas Lights will take place in the Hospice grounds on Friday 4th December where we will be joined by family and friends on this very special occasion. Prior to the switch on there will be a torch lit procession departing from Mary Russell School at 6.45pm. All are welcome to take part in this. The Christmas Lights and the Hospice gardens sparkle with lights representing the lives of those you have chosen to remember.

When you sponsor a light, the name of your loved one will be entered into ACCORD’s ‘Book of Honour’ and you, or some one chosen by you, will receive a personalised ‘Light up a Life card.

There is no minimum charge for doing so.

Paisley Philharmonic Choir Annual Carol Concert Sunday 13 December, Paisley Town Hall from 7pm.

Tickets £10

The Choir will again have the outstanding Co-operative Funeralcare Brass Band with conductor Bede Williams as their guests.

See also www.paisleyphilharmonicchoir.co.uk

Mrs Claus at Pollok House Saturday 28 November Thursday 24 December 11am - 4pm Enjoy a truly magical family Christmas when you bring the children to meet the awardwinning Mrs Claus at Pollok House!

For further information please call 0141 616 6410

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Important Dates For Santa Sleigh Routes 2015 HOUSTON 1st - 7th December Also...

BRIDGE OF WEIR 11th - 16th December

Brookfield 8th December

Kilmacolm 9th & 10th December

Quarriers 12th December

Santa and his little helpers will also been making collections for charity: 5th December Co-op store, Livery Walk, Bridge Of Weir

12th December Morrisons store, Johnstone

Heart start Sign Up to Save a Life this January 2016! Wednesday 25 January from 7-9pm.

Local mental health charity RAMH has celebrated 25 years of service provision with an evening reception at the Scottish Parliament.

Places are now available for the first Heart Start training session in 2016. They will be held in the Masonic Lodge Hall (Beside Corner Bar), Lochwinnoch. The training is for Lochwinnoch and Howwood residents free of charge. Liz Simpson a cardiac nurse and Morag Thow a cardiac physiotherapist will be running the courses. To book a place call 01505 843183 or Morag.thow@gcu.ac.uk

Over 70 guests enjoyed coffee, cake, and congratulatory speeches from Cabinet Secretary Shona Robison and event sponsor George Adam MSP. Chief Executive Stephen McLellan said “We were delighted to see so many supporters of RAMH present, and of course to have the work we do endorsed by George Adam MSP and Cabinet Secretary Shona Robison.”

He added “We couldn’t have achieved what we have without the exceptional dedication of staff, volunteers and supporters. The development of mental health services locally is testament to a steadfast commitment and belief in a fairer society in which everyone is seen as capable of recovering from mental ill health.”

Among the guests was Allan Dick, Chair of Engage Renfrewshire who said “It was a fitting reflection on the superb work that has been delivered across the last 25 years, and which I am sure will be delivered for the next 25.”

The Holyrood reception was sponsored by George Adam MSP who is a committed supporter of RAMH. Other celebratory events have included an anniversary year launch at St Mirren FC in February, a reception by Renfrewshire Provost Anne Hall in May and finally the Scottish Parliament in November.

RAMH needs your support. Please donate to local mental health services at www.virginmoneygiving. com and search for RAMH under charity. You will be making a real difference to local people, enabling them to recover from mental ill health.

Photo shows RAMH guests in Committee Room 2 (Robert Burns Room) at the Scottish Parliament, marking the 25th anniversary of service provision in the local area.

Washington Irving created the image of Santa’s sleigh.

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National Women’s Register Celebrates 20 Years On the evenings of 9-12 November from 8-10pm, thousands of NWR members across the UK were on their phones trying to obtain clues to solve the next piece of the Telephone Treasure Trail in this annual event that turns 20.

National Women’s Register (NWR) held its first Telephone Treasure Trail (TTT) in 1995 with 231 groups taking part. Its success meant that it turned into an annual event – one of the most popular in the NWR calendar. Now, 20 years on, almost 400 groups got ready to take part over one of four evenings in the 2015 telephone quiz.

Each year, there is a different hidden theme for the quiz which becomes apparent as clues are solved. Over the years themes have ranged from parts of the body to capital cities. Groups taking part are sent their first clue and once they have solved it, they ring an NWR member volunteer clue holder to check if their answer is correct and to be given their next clue. This aspect of the quiz gives groups a chance to speak to other NWR members all over the country, adding to the national feel of the quiz. Once a group has solved 20 clues and their two hours are up, they send their completed answer sheet off to the organising group for marking.

The overall winning group receives £100 with four further £50 prizes for the winning group each evening. There are also two prizes for each night of the quiz for the most nominated clue holders!

Johnstone Pipe Band’s Finest Andy and Audrey Congratulate two of Johnstone Pipe Band’s Finest at Civic Event as World Beaters.

Renfrewshire Council Elected Member for Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, and Lochwinnoch Ward, Cllr Andy Doig, and his wife Cllr Audrey, who is an Elected Member for Linwood, Houston, and Crosslee Ward, have praised members of the Johnstone Pipe Band who won the Grade 2 category award at the world pipe championships in Glasgow this year.

Cllr Andy Doig said: “Following my Photo L-R: Cllr Audrey Doig, Piper Ewan MacLuskie, suggestion to Piper Callum McGregor and Cllr Andy Doig. the Provost that the Johnstone Pipe Band have to be honoured for the great prestige they brought, not only to Johnstone but to the whole of Renfrewshire, Audrey and I were delighted to meet Callum McGregor and Ewan MacLuskie, two of the award winning team, recently at a civic reception to commemorate their great achievements”.

Glasgow Santa Dash 15 The 2014 annual 5k fun run saw more than 5500 people take to the streets in a Santa suit and beard - all in the name of charity.

The Santa Dash has raised more than £100,000 for various charities since it ‘hit the streets’ in 2006 and is now a firm favourite in the city’s events calendar.

This year, the Glasgow Santa Dash will be on Sunday 6th December at George Square, Glasgow at 9.30am.

The 2015 nominated charity is: Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow.

Register online and print off a sponsor form for Santa Dash 2015 at http:// www.glasgow.gov.uk/santadash

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Flowers by Margo Christmas at Gowanlea

Flowers play an important role during the festive period; they can be a perfect memorable gift. Arranging flowers and putting them in a room can uplift the mood and spread a little festive cheer.

Fresh pines, striking reds of poinsettia, the smell of mulled wine and roasting chestnuts pulls together all the attributes of a festive season worth remembering.

We have an array of floral treats and inspiring ideas for Christmas that will make a fabulous gift. Bouquets and arrangements are designed with traditional festive colours of lush greens, vibrant reds, and crisp whites, hints of gold and natural.

Our newer and bigger indoor viewing area will give you a cosy soft lit space to see this years choice of trees.

Our fantastic selection of premium quality trees from the truly traditional Norway Spruce to the modern day Favourite Nordmann Fir, not forgetting the gorgeous smell of Fraser Fir - we have a tree fit for every home, so come out of the cold, relax and let our welcoming staff cater to your every need.

Hand making holly and Fir wreaths for over 30 years, with that special touch and care required to make them stand out from the rest. www.gowanleanurseries.co.uk

Traditional baskets may be adorned with cinnamon bundles reminiscent of mulled wine and copper coated pine cones to reflect the forest floor in winter. Dusted with a little glitter and tied with festive ribbon they add a rustic charm to any home.

The giving of flowers is representative of the kindness heart at this time of year. www.flowersbymargo.co.uk

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our loyal customers, a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Open 7 days Tel No. 01505 328921 - Barrochan Road, Johnstone PA5 8YS

Bags of Smiles at Morrison’s Staff and customers at Morrison’s Supermarket in Johnstone have donated a wonderful £698.01 in aid of local Hospice Care in Renfrewshire, by agreeing to have their shopping packed by charity volunteers.

The bag-pack was in aid of St Vincent’s Hospice in Howwood, where staff and patients are delighted with the result. Louise Strachan, Fundraising Co-ordinator at St Vincent’s said, “We would like to say a big Thank You! To everyone who donated their time or their money on the day and helped us achieve such a fantastic total. Every penny raised at Morrison’s will help the Hospice to care for local people in Johnstone and across Renfrewshire.”

St Vincent’s Hospice is planning a number of bag packs and bucket collections over the coming weeks and would welcome volunteers to assist with them.

If you could spare a couple of hours, please email info@svh.co.uk or call the Fundraising Team on 01505 705635.

Photo: Hospice volunteer Drew Gibson provides a bag-packing service with a smile at Morrison’s in Johnstone

Please Give Blood The Cargill Hall, Lintwhite Crescent, Bridge Of Weir PA11 3LJ Monday 14th December 4pm - 7.30pm Linwood Sports Centre, Brediland Road, Linwood PA3 3RA Tuesday 15th December 4pm - 7.30pm Kidston Hall, High St, Kilmacolm PA13 4BP Wednesday 30th December 4pm - 7.30pm

You can also drop in to give blood at 8 Nelson Mandela Place, Glasgow.

Call today to make an appointment on 0845 90 90 999.

Go on - the only think you’ll feel is good about yourself!

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City Halls Christmas Concert Join us on Saturday 5th December at the stunning City Halls in Glasgow to celebrate the true spirit of Christmas with music of the modern and traditional variety, festive readings and delicious mince pies.

The festive period can be an especially difficult time for people living with cancer, with many having to spend the holiday season in hospital and away from their families. Let’s come together to show our support and to help raise vital funds for the thousands of patients and their families who are treated at The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre every year.

The night will be full of festive entertainment, including very special performances from The Glasgow Rock Choir, Bishopbriggs Academy School Choir, Westerton Male Voice Choir, Barrhead Borough Brass Band and X-Factor 2013 finalist Nicholas McDonald.

Come early to enjoy mince pies, mulled wine and a browse through our special Christmas Craft Market. Giving you the perfect opportunity to do a little Christmas shopping the market will be full of unique gifts for your nearest and dearest.

Tickets are £18 for adults and £13 for children (under 12). Included in the ticket price is some delicious festive treats upon arrival. Doors open at 6.30pm with the concert starting at 7.30pm. Book now for this very popular event to avoid disappointment.

To get your tickets, visit the link below, call 0141 212 0505 or e-mail events@ beatsoncancercharity.org If you require wheelchair seating for this event then please advise our friendly team. Http://www.beatsoncancercharity. org/content/christmas-concert

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Gryffeside Livery Buck Off Cancer 2015 has certainly thrown its fair share of challenges at our Buck Off Cancer fundraising campaign and pretty much all of them have been weather related! Note to self for 2016 – organise some indoor events! But horsey folk are hardy folk and made of stern stuff and in spite of the weather we have had our best fundraising year yet.

We had the right idea at the beginning of the year with a nice, cosy pamper evening. In April we tried something new and had a brilliant time at Irvine beach doing a sponsored ride raising over £3,000. In June we had our annual fun show at the farm (cold but dry!). In the autumn we had a very successful auction with lots of new supporters. We are even trying our hand at producing a calendar! We get so many great photos and memories from the events throughout the year and the calendar is a really special way to capture it all. It also contains some very strong and personal messages to cancer so cancer better watch out because Team Gryffeside will be back again in 2016!

So how much have we raised? At the beginning of the year I set a target of ending 2015 having raised a total of £25,000 since we started fundraising in the summer of 2013. Everyone one at Gryffeside Livery together with some very special local businesses got 100% behind this goal and I am delighted to say that we will reach our £25,000 goal and then some!

So a very Merry Christmas from Team Gryffeside and we will continue our Buck Off Cancer campaign with renewed vigour next year. Every single penny we raise goes to Cancer Research UK. We would be delighted if anyone would like to support us by donating at www.justgiving. com/buckoffcancer

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Vouch For That Houston based entrepreneur, Catharine Anderson, is launching a new gift voucher scheme for Johnstone & The Villages - just in time for Christmas. Similar to a shopping centre voucher, you can buy a “one-for-all” gift voucher online, to be used in any of the participating local businesses in Johnstone and the surrounding villages. If you have a particular favourite, you can also buy gift vouchers for each of the businesses individually. Catharine says “We are urging people to support their local businesses this Christmas by not only shopping local, but gifting local. This is all about connecting online shoppers with bricks and mortar businesses and I am proud to be launching in my local area”. Visit www.vouchforthat.co.uk for more information.

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December events

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Sat 28 November Linwood Xmas Lights Switch-On

Clippens Road Roundabout, Linwood From 3.30pm

Until Sat 19 Dec

Santa’s Parade, followed by entertainment from local talent before the big switch on at 6.30pm

103rd Annual Exhibition and Sale

by Paisley Artists

Renfrew Xmas Lights Switch On

Paisley Museum

Opening Hours Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 4pm, Sunday 2pm - 5pm, Closed Mondays. Free admission. Www.paisleyartists.com

Until Sat 28 Nov

Renfrew Town Hall, Hairst St, Renfrew PA4 8PF

Renfrew gets the chance to enjoy the seasonal spotlight when the town’s Christmas Lights are switched on. Expect a full afternoon of family fun in and around the town hall, with a fireworks finale to mark the big switch-on.

KDS - Mother Goose

Houston & Killellan Guild Victorian Christmas Market

Kidston Hall, High Street, Kilmacolm

Houston & Killellan Kirk, Main Street, Houston 10.30am to 1pm

Tickets available from the Cross Cafe, Kilmacolm & Rosie on 01505 873088. Doors 7pm, show at 7.30pm and an matinee on Saturday 28th (doors 2pm, show 2.30pm). Tickets remain at £10 for adults (including a glass of wine at the interval) and £8 for children under 14. Come along for what is sure to be a brilliant show.

Agatha Crusty and the Village Hall Murders

Kilbarchan East Church, Church Street, Kilbarchan 7.30pm

Tickets, £8, available from Bobbins or in the hall after each Sunday service. Don’t miss this. You might just die laughing.

Fri 27 - Sun 29 Nov Girls’ Day Out

SECC, Exhibition Way, Glasgow The Girls’ Day Out Show is the ultimate celebration of all things fun, fabulous and female and it’s all under one roof. From the hottest fashion trends, latest beauty treatments and a cocktail hour that lasts all day long, what more could a girl want?

Get tickets today from www.secc.co.uk

Sat 28 November Christmas Fayre

There will be a wide variety of stalls. Tickets cost £2 adult and £1 for children to include tea/ coffee and mincemeat pie. Hot rolls will also be on sale, come along and enjoy the Festive fun.

Tickets available from guild members or you can pay at the door.

Birds for Beginners

RSPB, Largs Rd, Lochwinnoch 11am to 1.30pm A workshop session ideal for beginners to birdwatching, followed by a walk to help you learn more about common garden birds and perhaps some rare ones. Please book, as places are limited.

Cost: Adults £5 (RSPB members £3); Children £3 (RSPB members £2). For further information and booking, please Email: lochwinnoch@rspb.org.uk or call 01505 842 663.

Sat 28 Nov - Sat 5 Dec Cinderella

Johnstone Town Hall 7pm Johnstone Phoenix Theatre Group present their 2015 Panto. Evening shows, doors open 7pm, curtain up 7.30pm. Saturday matinees, doors open 1.30pm, curtain up 2pm. Tickets: 07748 827 727. Ad £13, Conc £10, Family £40.

Sat 28 Nov - Thu 24 Dec Mrs Claus at Pollok House

The Couper Institute, 84 Clarkston Road, Glasgow, G44 3DA 11am to 2pm In aid of the charity ‘Bloodwise’ All welcome.

Swan Chat

Castle Semple Visitor Centre, Lochlip Road, Lochwinnoch 2pm to 3pm

There’s more to our swans than eating bread and chips by the lochshore… Come along to Swan Chat to find out more! For more info call 01505 842 882 Ex 20

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Pollok House, 2060 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow, G43 1AT 11am to 4pm

Enjoy a truly magical family Christmas when you bring the children to meet the award-winning Mrs Claus at Pollok House! For further information please call 0141 616 6410

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Sat 28 - Sun 29 Nov

Tue 1 December

Binocular & Telescope Open Day

Christmas Lights Switch On Gourock

15 15

Gourock centre 6pm RSPB, Largs Rd, Lochwinnoch 10am to 4pm Come and peruse a range of telescopes and binoculars, with knowledgeable staff on hand to help you find the right one for you! Our optics are competitively priced, with the added bonus that you are helping conservation. Cost: FREE. For further information and booking, please contact the reserve: Email: lochwinnoch@rspb.org.uk or call 01505 842 663.

Sun 29 November Bird Ringing Demonstration

Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, Calder Glen Road, Lochwinnoch 1pm to 3pm

The mist nests will be out to adorn any passing birds with some leg jewellery! Also known as ID rings to help track their movements. For more info call 01505 842 882 Ex 20

Bishopton Sports and Social Club Christmas Shopping Event

Bishopton Sports and Social Club, Holmpark, Bishopton PA7 5JQ 2pm to 5pm

There will be stalls selling, books, confectionery, perfume, jewellery, tartan goods, cards and many other products to help with those gifts which need a little more of a personal touch. Entry will be £2 this will include tea/coffee and cake. Come along for a relaxed and enjoyable shopping experience at this hectic time.

Christmas Lights Switch On with Santa. Come along and join the fun! All events are FREE! For more information contact 01475 712032.

Wed 2 December Christmas Lights Switch On Port Glasgow Port Glasgow Library 6pm

Christmas Lights Switch On with Santa. Come along and join the fun! All events are FREE! For more information contact 01475 712032.

Thu 3 December Christmas Lights Switch On Greenock Clyde Square, Greenock 6pm

Christmas Lights Switch On with Santa. Come along and join the fun! All events are FREE! For more information contact 01475 712032.

Wreath Making Class

Finlaystone Country Estate - Langbank 10am to 2pm

edfor Xmas. Made Make your own wreath in otime bo k from moss, holly Ful&lyyew from the estate. £12 includes materials. Pre booking essential. Call 01475 540505

Gibb Stuart Late Night Shopping Gibb Stuart Hardware, Main Street, Bridge of Weir - Open ‘til 8pm

Mon 30 Nov - Fri 11 Dec

Kilmacolm and Bridge of Weir stores. Special Discounts and Offers on the night!

42nd Kilmacolm Scout Christmas Post

Freeland Church, Main Street, Bridge of Weir 6.15pm

Kilmacolm Community Centre, Lochwinnoch Road, Kilmacolm

We will deliver Christmas cards to residential areas of Kilmacolm. To ensure the safety of our young people, we can only deliver to residential areas – so no farms or rural properties! Post your Christmas cards in the Scout post box in either The Kilmacolm Community Centre or The Cross Café.

A minimum 30p donation is kindly requested for each card. The cards will be delivered during the weekend of the 12th and 13th December.

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Bridge of Weir Christmas Lights Switch-on

Carol Service in Freeland Church, we then make our way to Livery Walk for the lights switch-on by the Village Gala Queen at 7pm. Santa will be arriving around that time.

Sally Buxton, Psychic

Old Library Centre, 9 High Barholm, Kilbarchan 7:30pm to 8pm

Tickets are £10. Book early to save disappointment.

Doors open at 7.30 pm. For an 8.00pm start and it is BYOB.

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Thu 3 December

Sat 5 December

Sun 6 December

Christmas Fayre

Accord Hospice Christmas Fayre

Bridge of Weir Choral Society Christmas Concert

All welcome.

Home baking, raffle, bric-a-brac, tearoom, facepainting, caricatures, santa’s grotto and much more.

Houston Primary School, Crosslee Road, Houston

Fri 4 December Christmas Lights Switch On Kilmacolm Kilmacolm Community Centre, Lochwinnoch Road, Kilmacolm 6pm

Christmas Lights Switch On with Santa. Come along and join the fun! All events are FREE! For more information contact 01475 712032

Christmas Lights Switch On Quarriers Village Quarriers Village 4pm

Christmas Lights Switch On with Santa at Quarriers Head Office. Come along and join the fun! All events are FREE! For more information contact 01475 712032.

Cheese & Wine Evening Ardardan Estate - Cardross

www.ardardan.co.uk Tel: 01389 849188 for further information. Or see our Facebook page.

RSPB Local Group

Paisley Town Hall, Abbey Close, Paisley 10am to 4pm

RSPB Lochwinnoch Christmas Trees & Festive Fun! RSPB, Largs Rd, Lochwinnoch 10am to 4pm

Face painting, Christmas themed crafts and of course Santa, not to mention real Christmas trees for sale! You can buy your perfect tree surrounded

by Christmas spirit, mulled wine & mince pies.

In addition to our shop offerings, there will also be African jewellery and fabulous craft creations available. Cost to visit Santa: £5 per child (RSPB members £3). Tel. 01505 842 663.

Christmas Concert

Glasgow’s City Halls, Candleriggs, Glasgow, Lanarkshire G1 1NQ 6:30pm

Tickets are £18 for adults and £13 for children (under 12). Ticket includes some delicious festive treats upon arrival. Doors 18.30 concert starting 19.30. Book now for this very popular event to avoid disappointment via the link below, call 0141 212 0505 or e-mail events@beatsoncancercharity. org please advise if you require wheelchair seating www.beatsoncancercharity.org/content/ christmas-concert

Christmas Fayre

Kilbarchan East Church, Church Street, Kilbarchan 10am to 12noon McMaster Centre, Donaldson Drive, Renfrew 7.30pm

There will be an illustrated talk entitled Saving Seabirds Globally by Rory Crawford. All welcome.

Light Up A Life

Accord Hospice, 7 Morton Avenue, Paisley, PA2 7BW

Light a light in memory or in honour of a loved one. Prior to the switch on there will be a torch lit procession departing from Mary Russell School at 6.45pm. All are welcome to take part in this. The Christmas Lights and the Hospice gardens sparkle with lights representing the lives of those you have chosen to remember.

Sat 5 December Christmas Fayre

Kilbarchan East Church, Church Street, Kilbarchan 10am to 12noon

Admission, Adults £2, children free, includes refreshments.

Food Festival

Ardardan Estate - Cardross www.ardardan.co.uk. Tel: 01389 849188 for further information. Or see our Facebook page.

Dental Blog

by Sheila Macintyre, Practice Owner,

Christmas food & baking, tearoom, Christmas tins & bottles, crafts, mini silent auction, red & gold stall, toiletries.

Sat 5 - Sun 6 Dec 42nd Kilmacolm Scout Christmas Tree Sale & Christmas Fayre

St Columba’s Church, Duchal Rd, Kilmacolm 7.30pm

Christmas carols, old and new, together with choruses from Saint-Saens’ Christmas Oratorio.

Tickets are £8 available from choir members and on the door. Following the concert, tea, coffee and mince pies will be available as we raise funds in support of MND Scotland.

Capture The Christmas Spirit In Langbank Langbank Village Centre Varoius Times

3pm – 5pm - Village Christmas Fayre in Langbank Village Hall. 5.15pm - Santa Parade from Langbank Village Hall to Langbank Parish Church.

6pm - Christmas Tree Switch On at Langbank Church Car park. All welcome.

Christmas Sparkler Ladies Lunch Grand Central Hotel

See main advert on page 20 of this issue.

Wed 9 December RSPB Winter Talk: The Wildlife of Tanzania, by Zul Bhatia RSPB, Largs Rd, Lochwinnoch 7.30pm to 9pm

Lochwinnoch reserve manager, Zul Bhatia, gives us his yearly talk about Africa. Please book, as places are limited. Cost: Adults £5 (RSPB members £3); Children £3 (RSPB members £2).

Tel. 01505 842 663

Tinsel Walk

Scout Hall, Kilmacolm

Free tree delivery by the Scouts! If you would like a tree bigger than 10ft, please place an order with one of the leaders before that weekend. Leaders are always around the scout hall on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. While you are at the scout hall, why not have a browse for some last minute Christmas gifts or stocking fillers at the Christmas Fayre inside the scout hut.

Castle Semple Visitor Centre, Lochlip Road, Lochwinnoch 11am

Sun 6 December

Thu 10 December

Glasgow Santa Dash 2015

Wreath Making Class

Even if you haven’t registered to enter, why not go down to George Square and support the hundreds of people taking part today. The 2015 nominated charity is: Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow.

Make your own wreath in time dfor Xmas. Made okethe bofrom from moss, hollyu& estate. £12 llyyew F includes materials. Pre booking essential. Call 01475 540505.

George Square, Glasgow 9.30am

The annual event returns to Lochwinnoch, wear your tinsel and warm up your vocal chord. Allow approx. 2 hrs. Tel: 01505 842 882 Ex 20.

Finlaystone Country Estate - Langbank 10am to 2pm

With Christmas almost upon us this is the perfect time to remind everyone about how to best to enjoy festive food and drink and look after your dental health.

If you can, avoid sugary drinks and drink plenty of water instead. Red wine can stain teeth so stick to white if you are partial to either. Cheese is an ideal accompaniment to wine as it contains calcium and helps combat the damaging effects of acid. Dried fruit is high in sugar and gets stuck to your teeth so maybe brush your teeth after eating mince pies, Christmas pudding or Christmas Cake and try and eat these after a meal too.

Of course Christmas is a time to let loose and indulge, but we think you can have the best of both worlds if you are just a little bit sensible.

Remember to leave it about an hour or so after eating before brushing your teeth.

Try to avoid too much eating between meals, but if you do snack stick to the crudites and nuts rather than sweets and chocolates. Nuts are a great alternative to crisps as they contain calcium and vitamin D that both have dental health benefits. Try and enjoy your sugary treats after a meal and brush your teeth after main meals.

If you are still looking for Christmas present ideas the latest electric toothbrush is always a popular stocking filler and our gift vouchers have become popular to put towards teeth whitening and facial rejuvenation treatments (please note an initial consultation is needed prior to treatments).

Kilbarchan Dental Practice

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Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year from all at Kilbarchan Dental Practice!

For any more information or advice call Kilbarchan Dental Practice on 01505 704969 or click www.kilbarchandental.co.uk where you’ll find lots more free tips.

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Paisley Abbey Recitals Saturday 19 December - 12.30pm in Paisley Abbey

e: info@advertizer.co.uk

Thu 10 December

Sun 13 December

Gibb Stuart Late Night Shopping

Festive Crafts – Natural Decorations

Abbey Brass with John Wallace - Programme of Christmas Music. Tickets £5 at the door.

Paisley Abbey Church – Registered Charity No. SC007633

Gibb Stuart Hardware, Main Street, Bridge of Weir till to 8pm

Kilmacolm and Bridge of Weir stores. Special Discounts and Offers on the night!

Thu 10 - Fri 11 Dec Sleeping Beauty

Elderslie Village Hall 7pm

every Monday

3rd Friday monthly

Lochwinnoch Community Walk

Hearing Aid Clinic

The Cross, Lochwinnoch 10.30am

This event will not take place on public holidays.

every Tuesday Bishopton Belles Line Dancing Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Hall 6.30 - 8.30pm

Beginner/Improver class. All welcome. Call David or Mair 07886 034037.

every Wednesday Knitting Group Three Sisters Bake, Quarriers 10am - 12noon

Knitters of all levels welcome!

every Thursday

The Bridge, Bridge of Weir 1-2pm

Personnel are at The Bridge for the issue of hearing aid batteries and hearing aid checks.

2nd Saturday monthly ‘Brunch & Browse’

Duchal Christmas Sunset Concert

Table Top Sale Linwood Parish Church, Blackwood Ave 11am1pm

1st Sunday monthly

Conservation Volunteers - adult group. Newcomers always welcome.

Messy Church

Conservation Volunteers, adult group. Newcomers always welcome.

Freeland Church, Bridge of Weir 4pm-6pm

Free entry for all ages. Meal included. Just turn up. Tel: Catherine 07980 649377.

@GryffeAds

Weekly Volunteer Group Castle Semple, Lochwinnoch 10am - 12noon

Youth volunteer Group - age 12 - 18 years.

Newcomers always welcome.

1st & 3rd Thurs monthly

1st Saturday

‘Outlook’

Cargill Centre, Kilmacolm

Social activities group for the community in Kilmacolm. Guest speakers, afternoon tea, local issues of interest. Everyone welcome.

10am-2pm (“The Square”)

1st & 3rd Sunday

2nd Wednesday monthly

Loch Lomond Shores

Inverclyde Carers Outreach

2nd Thur & last Sat

Cargill Centre, Kilmacolm 11am-2pm

Email enquiries@inverclydecarerscentre.org.uk or call: 01475 735180.

2nd Thursday monthly Solas Bereavement Support Group The group meets in the Kidston Hall. 6.30pm to 8.30pm. Everyone welcome.

Duchal Nursery School - Kilmacolm 3.45pm

10am-3pm Tel: 07977 179 861

Paisley Cross

10am-2pm Tel: 01655 770217

3rd Saturday Erskine Garden Centre

10am - 2pm Tel: 0141 814 4626

Wed 16 December St Columba Musical Celebration Greenock Town Hall, Cathcart Square, Greenock PA15 1LS 7pm to 9.30pm

Enjoy a magical evening of festive music from the pupils of St Columba’s School, Kilmacolm.

Soloists, ensembles, choirs, orchestra and pipe band. Tickets £10 (4 for £35) inc light refreshments. www.st-columbas.org t: 01505 872238 e: ddickie@st-columbas.org

Sat 19 December Christmas Decorations

Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, Calder Glen Road, Lochwinnoch 11am to 2:30pm Get that festive feeling by making Christmas crafts using natural materials. 1 hr slots at 11am, 1pm and 2.40pm. £5 per person. For more info call: 01505 842 882 Ex 20 booking essential

Sun 20 December

Sat 12 December

Castle Semple Visitor Centre, Lochlip Road, Lochwinnoch

Candlelight Winter Guided Walk

Christmas Crafts

Make a festive decoration for your home using natural materials. 1 hour slots at 11am, 1pm & 2.30pm. Cost: £5 per person. Tel: 01505 842 882 Ex 20 booking essential

Christingle Carol Service RSPB, Largs Rd, Lochwinnoch 5pm to 7pm Make and decorate your own lantern to take out on the trails and enjoy an extra special guided walk by candlelight. Hear stories about the reserve and experience wildlife in a unique way. Please book, as places are limited and due to the popularity of this event, please pay at time of booking. Cost: Adults £5 (RSPB members £3); Children £3 (RSPB members £2). Tel. 01505 842 663

RSPB Wildlife Explorers EventFestive Fun and Games RSPB, Largs Rd, Lochwinnoch 10am to 12noon

Whacky wildlife games and quizzes for a winter’s day. Remember to bring a horrible question to test the leaders. Ages 5 to 14 years. Please note that all children aged 8 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Booking essential.

Cost: £3 (£2 RSPB Members) (adults go free). Tel. 01505 842 663

A Night At The Movies

Kidston Hall, High Street, Kilmacolm From 4.30pm Kilmacolm Old Kirk Sunday School invite you to a night at the movies. 4.30pm up to 5 yrs, 5.15pm family supper, 6pm all age movie. All welcome.

Sun 13 December Paisley Philharmonic Choir Annual Carol Concert

Paisley Town Hall, Abbey Close, Paisley 7pm The Choir will again have the outstanding Cooperative Funeralcare Brass Band with conductor Bede Williams as their guests. See also www. paisleyphilharmonicchoir.co.uk

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Make a beautiful Christmas wreath or yule log for your home. £5 per person. For more info call: 01475 529 543 booking essential

Featuring the local “Angel Voices” Choir, and Duchal pupils. Come along and enjoy the festive spirit, refreshments will be available from Nardini’s Café. All proceeds raising money for Yorkhill Children’s Charity.

regular updates

every Sunday

Kidston Hall, Kilmacolm 2pm-4pm

Kilbarchan East Church, Church Street, Kilbarchan 7.30pm

last Saturday monthly

Castle Semple, Lochwinnoch 12.30pm 3.30pm

Greenock Cut Visitor Centre 10.30am - 2.30pm

Kilbarchan Singers Christmas Concert

Home made soups, home baking, tea, coffee, books & lots of stalls. Great value! Disabled access. £4.

This is a free event. Call 01505 328802 for details.

every Saturday

Fri 11 December

The Singers will again be joined by Kilbarchan East Church Junior Choir. Tickets are priced at £8.50 and £5 (for full-time students). This will be the first Concert in Kilbarchan conducted by Kilbarchan Singers’ new Musical Director, Edwin Hillier.

St Fillan’s Hall, Kilmacolm 10am-2pm

Weekly Volunteer Group

Weekly Volunteer Group

Johnstone Phoenix Youth Theatre present their 2015 Panto. Doors open 7pm, curtain up 7.30pm. £8

The Cut Visitor Centre, Cornalees Bridge, Greenock 1pm to 3pm

Village Hall, Main Street, Houston 7pm to 8:30pm An invitation to a Carol service with Christingle Theme: Christ the LIGHT of Christmas. Mulled wine (non-alcoholic) and mince pies will be served with Santa appearing at the end.

Tues 22 December Breakfast with Santa

Bernie’s Cafe Deli, Bridge of Weir. 10am Come along to Bernie’s for Breakfast with Santa!

Tickets £4 each and include: Kids - a breakfast roll, a cup of juice and a gift from Santa. For adults – a breakfast roll and a tea or coffee.

Thu 24 December Christmas Eve service

Village Hall, Main Street, Houston 11:30pm Houston Church of the Nazarene

Sat 26 December Boxing Day Dip

Lunderston Bay, Cloch Road, near Gourock PA19 1BB 12pm tbc

Join CLIC Sargent for their annual sponsored dip to help children with cancer. For more info email katie.grier@clicsargent.org.uk or tel 01292 692 113.

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Deck The Halls With Orchard Flooring Looking for a stylish floor that lasts? Now is the perfect time to invest in your dream floor.

Karndean is inspired by nature and looks and feels spectacular. It comes in wood and stone effect, but unlike natural wood or ceramics it doesn’t crack, dent or chip!

Tired of your pets’ mucky footprints and juice spills from the kids? These are easily mopped up so staining and fading are not an issue.

Perfect for busy homes, it is easily maintained, but will still look great in years to come.

With a large choice of styles to choose from you can tailor the look to suit your own decor.

Karndean even adjusts to temperature and will be cool in summer and warm in winter.

With up to 20year guarantees you can relax for many festive seasons to come knowing that your floor is looking its best.

Orchard Flooring have 15 years’ experience in fitting Karndean and Amtico and are happy to offer advice on picking the best options for each room. With a home sampling service why not give us a call and be on your way to a stunning floor from Orchard Flooring.

You can contact Scott on 01505 22 9584 or 07563 633 432 E: sjmproducts@hotmail.com website- www.orchard-flooring.com

Paisley back on the map with 2021 bid Paisley has put people at the heart of its bid for UK City of Culture 2021 as plans have been unveiled to place its museum on an international stage and support the local arts and cultural community through an innovative creative fund.

Paisley’s internationally-significant museum collections, and its one-time place at the heart of the global thread industry, have inspired the plans to turn the town’s museum into a national showcase of textile and design by 2021.

The museum is the flagship project of Renfrewshire’s long-term regeneration plans for the town. They include: • £56.7m plans to transform the museum • a £3.7m world class museum store to support an internationally-significant museum and open up access to all of the museum collections for education and research in the heart of the town centre - a first for the UK • £2.7m earmarked to support investment in developing Paisley’s lending library service, and • a new £500,000 culture, heritage and event fund to tap into the town’s creative potential.

Visitor numbers to the museum could triple to hit 150,000 with almost 250 jobs created and up to £89m generated for the local economy as a result of the cultural and economic regeneration brought about by the museum transformation alone. They will support Renfrewshire Council’s wider economic, social and cultural regeneration strategy.

The plans were unveiled to coincide with a twoday event to officially launch Paisley’s UK City of Culture 2021 bid.

A social media campaign to back the bid using #Paisley2021 has started and a new Paisley 2021 website has been set up to rally public support.

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Paisley Entertainment Paisley Artists 103rd Exhibition Until Saturday 19 December. Paisley Museum, Paisley This is a free event

Jack and the Beanstalk Fee Fi Fo Fum, it’s time to have some panto fun!

Will Jack make it up the beanstalk?

Will Dame Dot stop greetin’ about losing her coo?

And just how big is this Giant?

Friday 27 Nov - Saturday 5 Dec Tickets £8.75 to £10

Aladdin Aladdin features a star studded cast including Mark Cox from Still Game and Keria Lucchesi from River City plus Ryan Fletcher (Gary Tank Commander) as the eponymous hero!

Friday 11 Dec - Sunday 3 Jan 2016 £8 to £18

Stewart Francis: Pun Gent The star of ‘Mock The Week’, ‘Michael McIntyre’s Roadshow’ and ‘Live At The Apollo’, embarks on a brand new stand up tour with a fantastic and hilarious new show!

Age restriction - 16+ only Tuesday 15 Dec £17.50

It’s a Wonderful Life The heart-warming American family classic. ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is brought to the stage in a Live Radio Play. Featuring live sound effects and live music from Johnny and The Jingle Belles this performance is a rare opportunity to see how a 1940s radio broadcast was produced.

Friday 18 Dec - Sunday 20 Dec 2015 £7 to £8

Nearly New Year Hogmanay Show Join us for our Nearly New Year Hogmanay Show starring Alan Beck (Caledon) and his wife, the fabulous Polly Kirwan Beck. Accompanied by one of the country’s top ceilidh bands, the sensational Flung Aboot.

Thursday 31 Dec £18 to £20 BEACON ARTS CENTRE, CUSTOM HOUSE QUAY, GREENOCK, PA15 1HJ INFO@BEACONARTSCENTRE.CO.UK TELEPHONE: 01475 723723

Local art society, Paisley Artists, once again promise a colourful display of Renfrewshire’s artistic talent. Always a great success with visitors, this exhibition promises a rich diversity of styles, subjects and media with most exhibits available for purchase.

There will also be an opportunity to vote for your favourite painting.

Sleeping Beauty Until Thursday 31 December. Paisley Arts Centre, Paisley From £9.50

With a reputation for producing some of the best family pantomimes in Scotland PACE promise to bring you a show you will never forget.

Stewart Francis: Pun Gent Wednesday 9 December, 7.30pm. Paisley Town Hall, Paisley Price: £15.50 (£13.50 conc) + booking fee* Suitable for ages 16+

The star of ‘Mock the Week’, ‘Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow’ and ‘Live at the Apollo’, embarks on a brand new stand up tour with a fantastic and hilarious new show!

Christmas Crooners Friday 11 December, 7.30pm. Paisley Town Hall, Paisley Price: £16 (£14 conc) + booking fee*

Now in it’s 10th record breaking year, the Christmas Crooners show is jam packed with festive favourites, including the Christmas hits of Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra.

Christmas Baby Disco Thursday 17 December, 10.30am - 12pm. Paisley Museum, Paisley Price: £2 per adult + booking fee* (children go free)

Join in the fun with dancing and games as well as art activities and video animation. Music will be provided by our DJ with a mixture of Disney, nursery rhymes and pop music.

Suitable for ages 0 - 5.

Christmas Carol Service Sunday 20 December, 6pm - 8pm. Salvation Army, Mill Street, Paisley This is a free event

Traditional, family carol service with the Salvation Army - carols, brass band, Christmas bible readings, children’s nativity production and more... everyone welcome to celebrate Christmas in a vibrant family service that always draws a capacity congregation. Come early and get a seat!

For booking or further information, please call: 0300 300 1210 or book online at https://boxoffice.renfrewshire.gov.uk

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Grand Fountain wins Icon Conservation Award The project to bring Paisley’s Grand Fountain back to life has been honoured at a prestigious conservation awards ceremony.

The 2015 Icon Conservation Awards in London - which celebrates the highest profile conservation projects in the country - saw the Grand Fountain project win the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Award for the Conservation of an Industrial Heritage Artefact.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Mark MacMillan was delighted with the recognition and said: “The Grand Fountain is one of the finest examples of Paisley’s outstanding architecture and it is fantastic to see that being recognised at a UK level.

“As we look towards our UK City of Culture 2021 bid, our heritage will be fundamental to its success and the fountain is a terrific link to the town’s textile-making past.

“The project required a lot of effort and teamwork with significant community involvement and the award is for all who were a part of the fountain’s redevelopment.”

The fountain – notable for its distinctive walrus sculptures – was gifted to the town by the Coats family in 1868 and has been the centrepiece of the Fountain Gardens ever since – but had fallen into disrepair over the years.

The intricate cast-iron A-listed structure – one of the town’s architectural treasures – was painstakingly returned to its original Victorian-era condition last year.

The judging panel said of the project “It encapsulates the concept of engineering as both science and art, and provides a sense of pride and a feel-good factor. The people behind the restoration of this grand Victorian vision of civic joy demonstrate a belief that engineering enhances human well-being.”

The £650,000 project included funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Scotland and Renfrewshire Council– and was delivered with great support from local groups Friends of the Fountain Gardens and the STAR Project.

You can find out more about the Grand Fountain Restoration Project by visiting http://bit. ly/1XBrWHb

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We are delighted that “Three Sisters Bake” in Quarriers Village has very generously agreed to display our knitted dolls and collect money from the raffle for us, in aid of Save the Children.

Renfrewshire ranked in top ten in UK for quality of life Renfrewshire Council Leader Mark Macmillan has welcomed the findings of a survey which has named Renfrewshire as one of the ten best areas to live in the UK. The survey by uSwitch named Edinburgh as the best placed to live out of 138 areas in the UK. Renfrewshire was ranked joint 10th – after an amazing rise of 102 places since the last survey in 2013.

The survey analysed a range of economic, environmental, housing, employment and educational factors.

Councillor Macmillan said: “The fact that an independent national survey has ranked Renfrewshire so highly is further evidence of some very positive trends and achievements.

“Renfrewshire is pioneering new approaches to the regeneration of our traditional town centres.

“Just look at the revival of confidence in Paisley. People are coming back to live in the town, and a vibrant events programme is boosting the local economy and attracting tens of thousands of visitors.

“We are reviving Paisley’s outstanding architectural heritage which features the most Grade A listed buildings of any town in Scotland apart from Edinburgh.

“Renfrewshire is also getting behind the drive to make the town UK City of Culture 2021.

“On jobs and investment, over 800 firms have participated in the council’s multi-million pound Invest in Renfrewshire programme which has helped over 3000 people into work.

“Youth unemployment in Renfrewshire is also below the national average.

“There’s more good economic news on the way through the £1.13billion City Deal programme bringing jobs and investment across the West of Scotland.

“Renfrewshire will benefit through improved transport links to Glasgow Airport, a business investment zone around the airport, and a new bridge as part of the Renfrew Riverside development.

“Overall, there’s increasing recognition that Renfrewshire offers a combination of strong traditional communities with a forward-thinking outlook on growing opportunity for all.”

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Christmas L ights Switch On with Provost Robert Moran & Santa Gourock Tues 1 Dec - 6.00pm

Port Glasgow

Kilmacolm Fri 4 Dec - 6.00pm

Wed 2 Dec - 6.00pm

Community Centre

Port Glasgow Library

Inverkip

Greenock Thurs 3 Dec - 6.00pm Clyde Square

Quarriers Village Fri 4 Dec - 4.00pm Quarriers Head Office

Fri 4 Dec - 6.00pm Inverkip Primary

Wemyss Bay Fri 4 Dec - 7.00pm Community Centre

All events are FREE! For more information contact 01475 712032

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Visiting Our Villagers’ Green Homes

One World Celebration Hosts LEAP’s Knitting Competition Presentation of Prizes The One World Celebration Event in Bridge of Weir on the last day of October kindly hosted, amongst all their other events and activities, the presentation of prizes for LEAP’s Doug the Draught Excluder Knitting Competition. Lilian Delaney from Home Energy Scotland, the sponsors judged the 10 entries and presented the £50 Rainbow Turtle Voucher prize for the Best Doug, aptly named Big Doug for its 5 foot length, to the Johnstone based Knuts4Knitting group. The ‘simply a draught excluder’ £25 prize went to Lochwinnoch resident, Anne Thomson, who not only knitted a very easy to make home Draught Excluder, named Calder Doug, but also penned a knitting pattern for fellow Helping Hands Craft Group members to use.

Mc Doug of Castle Semple Loch won the £25 prize for Most Creative Doug and the Lochwinnoch knitting group winners, Sally, Linda and Maggie have kindly donated their tartan home sewn with fetching tammy to any resident who might need a draught excluder this winter. A Big Thanks from LEAP and Home Energy Scotland to all the competition entrants for their incredible response to this competition and to download the simply Doug knitting pattern or express your interest in finding a good home for McDoug, visit the LEAP website on www.myleapproject.org or our Facebook page.

Photos – Lillian HES presentation of Best Doug prize at One World Celebration Event Lochwinnoch Knitting Group - Most Creative McDoug.

Make it Happen for Friends and Neighbours Now that winter has arrived, it is vitally important for us to look out for our family and neighbours to make sure they get access to the services they might need help with this December. LEAP’s makeit-happen service allows our energy team to carry out free home repairs and draught proofing to improve the warmth and comfort at home for those who need it most. We’ve already helped over 30 local homes free of charge including work such as filling holes around doors and windows to cut out draughts, fixing and insulating leaky pipes, adding secondary glazing to single glazed windows.

If you or someone you know might need help to make their home more cosy and secure, get in touch with us on 01505 842530 or 612034 or by email to info@myleapproject.org. All enquiries are treated in the strictest of confidence.

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More than 20 people took to the bumpy terrain of the villages by minibus to visit the Green Homes and meet their owners, who were on hand to showcase their hard work and investment in integrating renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in their homes and gardens, on their roofs, in their walls and windows and as part of their general everyday household interior decoration. Lined curtains behind potentially draughty doors were on display as well as remote and rooftop solar heating panels with graphs, energy monitors, information boards and fuel bills to demonstrate how wall insulation had warmed their homes like an extra blanket and a couple of pairs of socks in bed. Determined to prove that the sun actually did shine on their homes during the spring and summer this year, monthly calculations had been kept on the actual benefits of reduced energy bills and improved home comfort and warmth. As the latest design in AGA cookers was unfolded to a gasp, the green tourists were keen to gather more information about modifications to earlier designs, learn more about sealing off skirting boards around the kitchen units to prevent draughts and to understand how simple mechanisms such as fans can spread heat from wood burning stoves to other rooms in the house. Questions were asked of the merits of LED lighting, about the opportunities there might be to improve the heat loss in homes from a range of renewables, energy saving systems using both the natural resources and new innovative technology. Expect future tours and information sessions on our villages’ Green Homes next year. A Big Thanks to all our Green Homes householders and to the Green Homes tourists for making the tours fun and informative.

Photo – Reflections on Green Homes Tour by participants

LEAP’s BIG Energy Saving Week - a BIG Success What happens when you mix a LEAP Green Homes Tour, a Biofuels visit with 3 Bill Energy Surgeries, a Bike SWAP and a knitting competition, all in the name of Energy saving? It’s a difficult question to answer! However the response to LEAP’s Big Energy Saving Week at the end of October was outstanding! Residents, householders, local companies, social enterprises, one world organisations, community groups, the Scottish Government and Renfrewshire Council all participated in the weeklong events. Records were broken when sponsors Home Energy Scotland were presented with a 5 foot caterpillar draught excluder crafted by 10 knitters, just to make sure that no draughts entered our homes this winter. During our Bill Energy Surgeries, we launched LEAP’s new energy switching service and four householders switched their energy suppliers to an alternative, saving them an estimated total of £1000 in the first year. Our Houston Bikeswap attracted a whopping 66 bikes with over half of these swapped by families and children looking for an alternative sized bike to ride off with. 12 people participated in the cycle maintenance workshops to learn and understand more about how to maintain their bikes.

A Big Thank You to all the primary schools that helped to spread the word and distribute the flyers about the bike swap in Houston and to the partners and local people and groups who supported and took part in all our Big Energy Saving Week activities.

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Experienced Personal Assistant Now an Independent Contractor providing ALL PA/Admin services to clients, accommodating your business needs.

Let me manage your diary/ calendars - travel - emails - events letters - accounts - expenses to free up your valuable time.

Next Issue January 2016

Deadline Wed 9th December

Contact Kim on 07843 627584 or Email: mclarenva3@gmail.com

with Colin Fyfe of Colcom With Christmas coming, it seems to me from firsthand experience that the activity in telephone scams is increasing. I may be wrong, but it is like they might think we actually have more money at this time of year?!

Here are some bullet points to copy down and place by your phone, or perhaps give to anyone you think may be particularly vulnerable to these. To be perfectly honest, if caught unaware we are all vulnerable to these as they get more convincing every time I encounter them.

Telephone scammer’s top traits include • They will display an extreme sense of urgency • They may appear to be calling from the UK • They will say they are phoning from Microsoft or your I.S.P. • They will know your name, maybe your email address and your actual address.

• They will tell you that your computer is sending E-mail or viruses or that it is broken • They will ask tell you to allow them access to your PC • They will sound VERY authoritative.

• They will show you some stuff on your computer to underline their point.

• They will repair the non-existent problem and ask you for money.

• On refusal of payment they will break your computer.

• You can expect them to call you back again and again if you hang up.

• They will offer you their employee number, their name and contact details or even their manager’s details for your credence.

If you do encounter one of these calls over Christmas then don’t be tempted to allow them access to your computer. My best advice is to hang up the phone then take it off the hook for half an hour while you boil the kettle and make yourself another turkey sandwich.

Merry Christmas.

unkn ow calle n r

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250th Anniversary of the Founding of the Kilbarchan General Society Saturday 14th November saw Renfrewshire Council hosting a Drinks Reception at Johnstone Town hall for the Kilbarchan General Society prior to the Societies 250th Anniversary Dinner.

Provost Anne Hall was the guest of honour; the Reverend Ian Millar and Councillors A and A Doig joined current Preses (President) Andrew Connell and VicePreses Norman Kerr and there wives at the top table.

photo: Anne Hall and Preses Andrew Connell

Many former Preses, members and guest of the society were in attendance and stood for a minutes silence in remembrance of the victims of the Paris Massacre before dinner.

As part of the 250th anniversary celebrations a specially blended bottle of whisky had been commissioned and was raffled. Mr Ian Mac of Salford won the prestigious bottle. photo: Norman Kerr presenting the special bottle to Ian Mac

The evening was a great success and a considerable sum was raised for local projects.

Action on Hearing Loss: Last month I was visited by the

charity Action on Hearing Loss Scotland, who shared their top tips with my staff and I to help us become more aware of the individual communications needs of constituents who are deaf or have hearing loss. One in six people in Renfrewshire have some kind of hearing loss – including more than half of people aged over 60. The key thing I learned is that deaf awareness is about good communication and taking the time to consider whether you can do or say something differently to make it easier for someone who is deaf or hard of hearing to take part in conversations. I had great fun learning some basic BSL and fingerspelling, which we’ll need to keep practising to welcome visitors from the Deaf community. The hearing loop in my office was also tested to ensure it is working, and I want all constituents who have a hearing aid to know my office is equipped and able to help.

Carers Allowance: Carers make a huge contribution to our society, however,

Financial Blog

by Carl Melvin,

Affluent Financial Planning Ltd

Bank Failure Protection Limit set to fall If a UK Bank goes bust, savers with cash are protected up to £85,000 under European Law. However, this will to fall to £75,000 on December 31st 2015, the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority has confirmed.

The level of protection offered to savers is set by a European directive at €100,000 and is recalculated every five years. Due to the strength of Sterling against the Euro, the sterling equivalent of €100,000 for British savers is now £75,000.

Following the banking crisis in 2008, the risk of a bank going bust is very low. However, what measures can you take to ensure your savings are working hard for you while remaining protected? You could consider the following; • Don’t keep all you savings with one bank if you have more than £75,000. Consider using different providers to hold your cash to keep your money protected.

• Interest rate - check the interest rate on your savings. If you currently receive less than 1% annual interest, you may get a better deal elsewhere. You can compare best buy accounts online.

• Access - check how easily you can get your cash. If you don’t need instant access, you may get a better interest rate if you are prepared to give notice.

• Service is important – a good rate is welcome but not if you have to spend ages in call centre telephone queues.

We have had low interest on cash savings for nearly ten years, so it is worthwhile checking your interest rate frequently, as rates change over time. When new accounts are launched, the high rates offered to new savers are subsidised by the low rates paid on old savings accounts.

Call for a FREE financial review on 0871 702 9490 or pop into the Affluent office opposite Amaretto restaurant on Main Street, Bridge of Weir. www.affluentfp.co.uk

the support they receive in carers’ allowance is the lowest of all working age benefits - this is simply unacceptable. I was therefore delighted last week when Nicola Sturgeon announced that once the Scottish Government has the power to do so, the SNP will begin to increase the allowance to bring it to the same level as jobseekers’ allowance. This will be welcome news for carers’ across Renfrewshire, who for too long have been given an unfair deal

by Westminster.

Underground Coal Gasification: The Scottish Government have always ensured a cautious, considered, evidence-based approach to unconventional oil and gas. I therefore welcome the announcement last month that a moratorium has been placed on offshore underground coal gasification in Scotland. I have been contacted by dozens of constituents regarding this issue, and I know that the considered approach being taken by the Government will be welcomed by them and also by communities across Renfrewshire and Inverclyde.

Finally, as this is the last edition of 2015 may I wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and best wishes for 2016 when it arrives.

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LOCAL

history

Miss Frances Barrow “Rosemount” Bridge of Weir

The History Spot

Donations to Paisley Art Institute

Once the water in Castle Semple Loch was lowered, the locals took a shortcut across the centre of the loch at the ‘Wading Place’ to Lochwinnoch. But this was a dangerous route. In the winter of 1767 a young lady and her footman were drowned there, in full view of her mother, brother and fiancé. Later a causeway was built and the crossing became the modern road from Lochwinnoch station to the village. Over the years, the gradual development of this road split the single long stretch of water into two lochs, Barr Loch and Castle Semple Loch.

Drownings in Castle Semple Loch and holding Mill Owners to Ransom

Paisley Museum and Art Gallery is hosting a free art exhibition which runs until 24th January 2016 .The collection on display showcases a variety of new discoveries including one of only two examples left in Scotland of a ‘Reform Dress’.

This dress was made at Glasgow School of Art by the daughter of the Paisley Art Institute founder and was a Miss Frances Barrow Scottish response to the tyranny of corsetry and bustles. The (16/12/21-1/3/15) Reform Dress design concept even accompanied Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald to Germany and Austria.

Readers may be interested to know that it was actually Miss Barrow’s mother who made this dress, which was donated to Paisley Art Institute for their Centenary display.

Frances, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, often fondly reminisced about her mother studying at Glasgow School of Art alongside Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Her grandfather James Anderson also an artist was a founding member of Paisley Art Institute. It is a great pity that due to her illness she did not fulfil her wish to see these items displayed but am positive she will be looking down, proud as can be that some of her family treasures are now where they rightly belong.

Oil paintings and pastels took pride of place in Frances’ lounge, and she had a collection of Paisley Art Gallery Exhibition Programmes dating back to the 1920s. Some of Frances treasures also included some delicate and intricate crochet and embroidery which she herself and family members had completed.

Frances spent her childhood in Bolerno Cottage in Bishopton which had been her mother’s family home for some generations. The Barrows moved to Bridge of Weir when Frances was in her teens.

Not long afterwards Frances’ mother had a debilitating stroke and Frances devoted much of her life to caring for her mother, and later her father, before going on to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy.

Frances was a very well known, respected and loved figure in the village, where she had many friends.

Alison McCarley, Support Worker, Your Care at Home Ltd, Howwood, had the privilege and pleasure of being her support worker and friend for 3 years before she passed away, and she put this little piece together with help from her very good neighbour & friend Jenny Jackson, Rosemount (with the permission of the Care Home).

There was another bigger difficulty for the locals. Back in 1680s, when the Semples had begun to drain the loch, they had drawn up a legal agreement that any new dry land created around the shrinking loch would become their own property. Once McDowall took control, he tried to enforce the old agreement to the letter of the law. Defying fairness and common sense, he attempted to prevent access to the shrinking loch by all those living around the perimeter, even to water their cattle.

McDowall’s desire for privacy and improvement created barriers at every turn for the local population, when going about their daily lives.

McDowall also enclosed all the land along the loch and blocked the public road. The purpose was two-fold, to create separate enclosed fields, and to keep the local riff raff away from his mansion. This process of wealthy landowners denying access is familiar today, but in 1730 it was one of the earliest challenges to the public’s right to roam. The locals took McDowall to Court of Session and unexpectedly, they won. McDowall was forced to reinstate the bridges across the narrows of the loch.

The third big scheme was by McDowall’s grandson. From the 1770s he rebuilt the old dam at the east end of the loch and start of the Black Cart. His initial purpose was to re-flood the loch as a landscape feature, with man-made islands fronting his mansion.

But from the early 1790s he had other reasons. By this time the loch had become a reservoir for six new water powered cotton spinning mills down the Black Cart at Johnstone and Linwood.

McDowall closed the sluice in the dam and held the mill owners to ransom. They had no choice but to pay him fees in proportion to the size of their mills. ©2015, Stuart Nisbet, Renfrewshire Local History Forum Renfrewshire Local History Forum’s next Archaeology Lecture takes place in the Shawl Gallery, Paisley Museum at 7.30.on 10th December.

Archaeologist Tertia Barnett will give a talk on her work in the Libyan desert, entitled An engraved landscape; rock carvings in the Libyan Sahara. Visitors are always welcome at our lecture meetings.

Johnstone History Society Johnstone History Society have their December meeting on the 8th of the month as usual it will be in the Masonic Hall Collier Street at 7.30pm.

This month our speaker will be Jennifer Giles and she will be speaking on Modern Collections in the National Library of Scotland. Last month we had a very informative and enjoyable talk on Flanders Field from Alexander Hall this was well attended by old members and a number of new members .

The Museum continues to open Wednesday Friday and Saturday from 10.30am till 4pm. The Museum is situated in Morrison’s at the Collier Street end. We have a number of maps and books for sale also our Johnstone Calendar for 2016 at the very reasonable price of £7. These can also be purchased online at www.johnstonehistory.org

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A special gift this Christmas For something just a little bit different this year, the DVLA has millions of personalised registrations starting from just £250.

Browse and search the DVLA website at http://dvlaregistrations.direct. gov.uk and try different combinations to find the perfect gift or even treat yourself. Buying directly from DVLA means there’s no extra charges as the VAT and fee to put a registration on a vehicle are included in the price.

When you buy a personalised number, you’re buying the right to assign the number to a vehicle. The vehicle can be registered in your name, or in the name of someone else (‘the nominee’).

To get a personalised number, you need to: • buy a personalised number from DVLA Personalised Registrations • assign the registration number to your vehicle • get your personalised number plates made up DVLA Personalised Registrations also auctions some exclusive registration numbers. Auctions are held about 6 times a year and reserve prices start from £130. You can see a list of the numbers coming up for auction online.

You can bid in person, by phone, in writing or online. Find out more at http:// dvlaregistrations.direct.gov.uk/auction/

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LEAP Car Club puts Rural Community Car clubs on the map LEAP Car Club recently featured in Carplus’ October 2015 Car Club report which highlighted the growth of the car club sector and its increasingly important role in rural transport and the changing landscape of car club communities.

Based in Lochwinnoch, Bridge of Weir and Kilbarchan, LEAP Car Club has over 50 members and provides convenient and affordable access to pay as you drive vehicles including plug-in electric vehicles (Evs). It offers individuals, families and employers the opportunity to experience EV technology first-hand and in doing so is changing the way people travel, by reducing dependency on privately owned cars and fossil-fuelled transport.

Gordon Nicholl, from Lochwinnoch, joined the LEAP Car Club just over two years ago when it came time to replace the car he then owned. He now walks or uses his bus pass for most journeys, and appreciates that being a car club member saves him from worrying about unexpected repair bills.

He would never have considered trying an electric car unless one had been available through the LEAP car club and now this is his first option when booking out a car club car.

Mike Callaghan, the LEAP Car Club Co-ordinator welcomed the Scotland wide publicity from Carplus.

‘It puts our rural community car club firmly on the map in Scotland and highlights our role in sharing transport resources and reducing carbon emissions locally.’

To read more about the Carplus report or find out about becoming a LEAP Car club member and the savings of operating your own vehicle, including insurance, tax, fuel, cleaning and servicing, contact mike@myleapproject.org or on 01505 842530. Annual and temporary memberships are now available.

Driving in Bad Weather You should pay extra attention to planning your journey in bad weather.

Before travelling you should: • • • • • • • • • •

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Check the weather forecast and road conditions Consider whether you need to travel right now or if you can wait until the weather improves Consider alternative routes Consider alternative modes of transport Allow extra time for your journey Ensure that your vehicle is ready for a journey in poor weather Carry an emergency kit Consider what changes you need to make to your driving style to suit the weather or conditions Tell someone at your destination what time you expect to arrive Visit the traffic scotland website to identify any problems on trunk roads

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Gryffe Valley Rotary Club TALKING TO ROTARY Most of the regular meetings of Gryffe Valley Rotary are illuminated by a talk given by an invited guest, and it has been estimated that there have been some 600 such talks since the club was set up 20 years ago, covering almost as many topics. Occasionally a member will deliver a talk, if for example a guest has to call off. Over the past few weeks there has been a good mix of the guest/member genre – a good chance to compare the two!

Gryffe Valley welcomed 4 pupils and 2 teachers to get feedback on their summer World Challenge trip to Tanzania – the club had made a contribution to the costs involved. The pupils (Emma, Bethany, Emma and Callum) talked with enthusiasm about their trip – fundraising and preparation, the 3 weeks in camp visiting local schools and providing cash for essentials like cutlery and pens, experiencing first hand the local Maasai culture, and the challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Overall they described the trip as emotionally challenging, a real team effort and the best thing they had done in their lives.

The teachers (Jennifer and Gail) confirmed that the pupils themselves had undertaken all of the planning, budgeting and implementation required.

Member Andrew Macleman spoke about autism, a condition he had encountered in his voluntary work in support of less able youngsters.

Stressing that he was by no means an expert, nevertheless he gave a useful insight to a topic we all know of but know little about. It affects some 1% of the population, with 4 males for every female. It is in fact a spectrum disorder, and Andrew described the various types and degrees of social impairment occurring, many of which he had experienced in his work with youngsters.

He also made reference to Albert Einstein and Alan Turin who suffered from the condition.

Tom Johnston enjoyed a very successful career in commercial real estate and he spoke about some of the highlights and his ongoing role in the Paisley Chamber of Commerce. He was involved in the development of Braehead in

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1979, though he did not think it caused the inevitable demise of shopping in Paisley. Tom spoke of the role of the Chamber as a partner in the City Deal to rejuvenate Glasgow and the wider Clyde area, his hopes for a transport link to Glasgow Airport, and Paisley’s ambition to become City of Culture in 2021.

Past President Angus Matheson stepped in to talk about the Carrick Centre in Houston. He described how, after years of lying empty, the Houston Old School Trust (of which he is a member) saved the listed building from demolition. Angus told of the fund raising efforts and the difficulties of the restoration works required to provide a facility to serve the village community.

He described the central role of the café, some of the current uses made of the hall, and the plans for classical concerts and further works on the premises.

Tony Fitzpatrick is a well known former St Mirren footballer, and he spoke about his rough upbringing in the east end of Glasgow before eventual success in football. He was fortunate to have played under some renowned managers including Sir Alex Ferguson and Roy Hodgson, and he had a raft of amusing anecdotes to illustrate his long and successful career. After a brief spell in management, Tony described in moving terms how the death of his young son inspired him to work to reduce violence among young people. He has written a book, and he encourages youngsters to challenge themselves – very much a lesson learned from Sir Alex!

Member Dan Mungin was a last minute substitute, but he was manifestly up for the task when he spoke about cruising, a subject that he had diligently studied over many years! With particular reference to his recent trip around the Western Mediterranean, he reeled off a string of stories about his experiences and about cruising in general, displaying a breadth of knowledge which reflected his personal investment of time and monies!

So who came out on top between the guest speakers and the member speakers? The “Beginners Guide to Diplomacy” suggests that it’s a question that is best left unanswered! Suffice to say, all the speakers were informative and entertaining, and did much to enhance the ambiance and fellowship of Gryffe Valley meetings.

Roads Report - Kilmacolm Enforcement of the 30 minute waiting limit and irregular parking in the carpark continues to cause angst in the village. I am putting a motion to Full Council on 3rd December to totally suspend parking enforcement activities until the 2 hour waiting time is implemented in May 2016. This, if passed by the councillors, would commence on the 15th December. My colleague, Councillor McCabe, put a motion to Policy & Resources Committee on the 17th November to suspend enforcement for the 4 Saturdays in December, this motion I supported. The wardens visited the village on the September, October and November Farmers Market Saturdays. The move to 2 hours was agreed at a meeting of traders and council officers in February 2015 but the statutory process takes 15 months.

Major Street Lantern Replacements (high wattage) are taking place in Bridge of Weir, Lochwinnoch and Port Glasgow Roads. Similarly improvements will happen in 11 roads in Quarriers Village including the Craigbets, Craigends, Gotter Bank, Torr Avenue, Juniper Avenue and Laurel Way. I am investigating, on the request of Quarriers, further dog waste bins in the village. I observe that those who walk several dogs mostly collect the waste and deposit in the bins provided. It has been brought to my notice that a minority do not. Our wardens do patrol regularly, offending areas that are brought to their attention.

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Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer was the product of a department store advert in 1939.

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Bank of Scotland changes The opening hours at the Bridge of Weir branch of Bank of Scotland are changing on Monday 7 December 2015.

The branch will now only be open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week, open from 10am till 4pm.

If the new opening hours of the local branch are not convenient, the Bank advises customers to use the Johnstone branch, which is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and Saturday 9am to 1pm.

The Johnstone branch address is 56 High Street, Johnstone PA5 8AL. Customers are advised to call on 0345 300 0268 or 0131 549 8724 if they require further advice.

Bridge of Weir Christmas Lights Switch-on

The Bridge, Bridge of Weir

The switch-on of the Christmas lights will take place on Thursday 3rd December.

Over the past couple of months we have had problems with the operation of our entrance door. Please accept our apologies for this inconvenience. By the time you read this all should be resolved!

A Carol Service will take place in Freeland Church at 6.15pm, we then make our way to Livery Walk for the lights switch-on by the Village Gala Queen at 7pm. Santa will be arriving around that time.

Light refreshments will be served in the Royal British Legion Club until 8pm and children will have the opportunity to see Santa.

Collection buckets will be around for donations as this event is wholly funded by the Community Council. Please give generously.

In Indiana, America there's a town called Santa Claus.

Show your support for The Bridge this Christmas – send some “Christmas Sparkle” with our individually designed charity Christmas Cards. View local scenes throughout 2016 in the Bridge of Weir calendar. Also in stock are the popular “Greetings from Bridge of Weir” cards, Traidcraft and relation cards, Christmas paper, gift tags and your essential diary for 2016.

Use your local Post Office to send your postal items. Christmas stamps and a range of gift cards are now available – Donald, Pat and Anne will be delighted to ensure you are well supplied.

Within our stationery section you will find a wide variety of padded and postal bags, boxes, wrapping paper, string and wrapping tape to ensure your gifts reach their destination securely wrapped.

Switch on of Christmas Lights - Late night opening - We look forward to serving you free tea and coffee between 6.15pm and 8.15pm on Thursday 3rd December.

To all residents of Bridge of Weir we wish you a happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2016.

Our grateful thanks are extended to our wonderful volunteers and our ever supportive customers.

The Bridge – Your Community Centre Shop and Post Office Opening Hours: Mon – 9am to 5pm (PO closed 12 noon to 12.30pm); Tues & Fri – 1pm to 5pm; Wed & Thu – 10am to 2pm; Sat – 9am to 1pm)

Closed 25th and 26th December 2015 and 1st and 2nd January 2016.

Christmas Concert Bridge of Weir SWI Sunday evening 6th December at 7.30pm Everyone is welcome to Bridge of Weir Choral Society’s Christmas Concert in St Columba Church, Kilmacolm. Our guest artists include the Renfrew Borough Band. Carols old, carols new, some from the Choir and some with you.

All of this and readings too. £8 a ticket will get you through.

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Following a very interesting and informative presentation

by Marc Herbison in November, we will be holding our Christmas party at his cafe/deli, Bernie’s on 3rd December. Our evening will commence at 7.30pm, and entertainment will be provided by Music Box. Our party will take place once everyone has had chance to enjoy the switch on of the Christmas lights earlier in the evening.

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Special Delivery of Christmas Cards in Bishopton & Erskine Monday 7 to Sunday 20 December Christian Aid was founded 70 years ago in response to the Refugee Crisis following the Second World War. It is really sad that there is a current Refugee Crisis.

Bishopton Christian Aid Group and their band of supporters will again be providing a special delivery of Christmas Cards in Bishopton and Erskine, including the new houses in Dargavel .

During December your cards may be handed into: •The Co-op, Costcutters and KeyStore Express in Greenock Road from Monday 7th until Noon on Sunday 20th.

• The Salon in Greenock Road from Monday 7th until Noon on Saturday 19th • The Cornerstone on Saturdays 12th & 19th 10am to 2pm and Sundays 13th & 20th from 12.30pm until 2pm • After Church on Sunday 13th and 20th.

The requested donation is 20 pence per card. Help make it Christmas in the Developing World

Brighter Bridge of Weir

According to the dictionary a hoe is a long-handled, hand-held instrument with a light blade used to till soil and eradicate weeds. Some of Brighter Bridge of Weir’s volunteers have the blisters to prove it. Who’d have thought that weeds could grow so vigorously at this time of year? Maybe it’s been the unseasonal warmth and the copious amounts of water!

But now it’s time to concentrate on light work. Specifically, Christmas light work.

Brighter Bridge of Weir volunteers have been popping up throughout Main Street adding to the Community Council’s recently redeveloped display in Livery Walk. We’ll keep you posted on our Facebook page and our website (maybe even an occasional tweet!). After that, all that remains is to wish all readers and residents a Merry Christmas and we’ll be back next year.

St Mary’s Bridge of Weir Concert The Resurrection (Voskresenije) Choir from St Petersburg gave a fine performance of both sacred music and Russian folk songs in St Mary’s Episcopal Church Bridge of Weir on Monday 9th November. The Choir of eight members are each gifted singers and professionally trained in Russia. As an Ensemble, their voices beautifully blended together, singing unaccompanied, under the leadership of their Conductor, Jurij Maruk. The Choir is currently touring Scotland and delighted at the warm welcome they received here. In spite of the wet and windy weather a lovely audience packed St Mary’s and were treated to a most memorable performance and enjoyable refreshments. We hope the Choir will return next year!

From 1659 to 1681, it was a crime to celebrate Christmas.

Langbank Scottish Night “Singalong and Scones” We are holding an evening of Scottish songs and entertainment in Langbank Church on Friday 5th February 2016.

The evening is a celebration of Scottish music, with community singing and performances by the Langbank Singers and local musicians.

All are welcome, all ages, and included in the ticket price is a supper of Scottish treats, including both sweet and savoury handbaked scones, clootie dumpling, shortbread and tablet. Tickets costing £5 adult and £2 child, will be available in early January from Church members. Signs for all the events in the village will be posted on the new noticeboard in the Church car park.

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bishopton, langbank & bridge of weir Capture The Christmas Spirit Sunday 6 December • 3pm – 5pm - VILLAGE CHRISTMAS FAYRE – Langbank Village Hall Langbank Primary School and the Parent Partnership are hosting a Village Christmas Fayre at the village hall. There will be a number of stalls to kick start your Christmas shopping, a BBQ and a guest appearance from Santa at his outdoor grotto. Tickets can be purchased from the school / Eileen Mather / Jayne Lasley or Jacqueline Doherty and are £2.50 per adult and £1 for kids (£1.50 to visit Santa). ALL WELCOME.

• 5.15pm SANTA PARADE – Langbank Village Hall to Langbank Parish Church Follow Santa on his 21st Century sleigh in a torch light procession from the Village Hall to Langbank Parish church for some Christmas carols led by The Langbank Singers. ALL WELCOME

• 6pm CHRISTMAS TREE SWITCH ON – Langbank Church Car park The Langbank Christmas tree light switch on will take place at 6pm at the church car park. Langbank Under 3s will be selling mulled wine, hot chocolate and mince pies. ALL WELCOME! We hope to see you there.

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I have been raising the issue of leaf clearing with the council. Council is happy to fire fight the problem rather than maintain our streets. Leaves block the gullies causing flooding issues and excess water damages the roads and property. Any number of gullies are blocked on a permanent basis. All this undermines new resurfacing work in the area yet the Council congratulates themselves over the measures they have put in place for climate change!

The ongoing flooding problems that exist on the Houston Road in Bridge of Weir and on Station Road and Main Road, Langbank, amongst others, is disgraceful and am pushing to have them resolved.

The council is recruiting crossing patrollers for various locations. Bridge of Weir Primary School is one short at present. If interested, it is essential that you have strong communication skills and a friendly, outgoing approach. Post hours are 10 per week to be worked Monday – Friday, 8.15am – 9.15am and 2.45pm – 3.45pm. See more at: https:// www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/councils/renfrewshire-council/ jobs/school-crossing-patroller-part-time-permanent-32963 or contact myself.

Did you know that it is possible that insurance companies will bump up your premium if your neighbours get broken into? That is why I want to encourage people to join a Neighbourhood Watch Group. Neighbourhood Watch is not just about reporting crime. It is about ensuring that communities are safe. This might include such diverse subjects as road safety, doorstep safety and internet safety.

I will be happy to help get a group started up in your area.

Please contact me.

I hope you all have a very Happy Christmas and a good New Year.

Surgeries: Bishopton Community Library - 1st Monday of every month (6.30pm), Cargill Hall - 2nd Monday of every month (6.30pm), Langbank Parish Church Hall - 3rd Monday of every month (6.30pm).

Contact: 0300-300-1291 or email cllr.james.maclaren@ renfrewshire.gov.uk . Also on Facebook: www.facebook. com/councillormaclaren “Working with you and improving our local area”. Please feel free to contact me with any of your concerns, and I am happy to meet with you at a mutually convenient time.

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Bridge of Weir Memorial Society The Bridge of Weir Memorial Society is holding an Open Day on Saturday 9th January, and inviting anyone to come forward with knowledge of those who served in the Great War, either in the armed forces or as VADs. The Society has researched those who died but is also keen to produce a full Roll of Honour of those who served, as was done for Kilmacolm in the 1920s. Society Chairman, Gordon Masterton, said “From local newspapers, service records and internet searches we have 140 names, including the 72 who were killed, but statistically there should be over 400 who served in the armed forces from Bridge of Weir. We’d like to find them. But we need help from those with long village memories.

Santa Sleigh Routes 2015 HOUSTON 1st - 7th DECEMBER Tuesday 1st: South Mound, Glenartney, St Fillans Dr, Manse Cres, Hagart Rd, Spiers Rd, Glebe Gdns, Four Windings, South St, North St, Fleming Road, Burnlea Cres, Houstonfield Quad, Houstonfield Rd, Kirk Rd, Kilmacolm Rd, Fields Lane, Cricketfield Lane, Old School House Lane, Barochan Rd. Wednesday 2nd: Crosslee Cres, Leeburn Ave, Craigholme Woodside, The Beeches, Birch Grove, Riverside, Broomfield, The Meadows, Brackendene, Crossways, Neuk Cres, Neuk Ave. Thursday 3rd: Crosslee Park, Dunnet Dr, Whirlie Rd, Back o’Hill, Strawberry Fields, Whirlie Dr, Pine Grove, Mill Brae, Crosslee Gardens, Brierie Hills Court and Road, Brierie Lane and Gdns, Goldenlee View, Brierie Hill Grove, Earlsgate, Brierie Ave. Friday 4th: Leman Dr and Grove, Alwyn Ave, Bream Place, Viking Cres, Cormorant Ave, Forties Rd, Claymore Dr, Piper Rd and Ave, Ninian Ave, Brent Cres, Murchison Rd, Hutton Ave, Hewett Cres, Dunlin Cres, Berl Ave. Saturday 5th: Locher Cres + Gdns + Ave + Way + Gait, Gryffebank Ave, Gryffewood Cres and Way, Gryffebank Close + Way + Close, Cunningham Gdns, Crawford Rd. Monday 7th: Netherburn Ave and Gdns, Craigburn Ave and Place, Locherburn Place + Ave + Grove, Craigburn Cres, Woodburn Place, Hillside, Hillfoot, Fulton Gdns, Beatrice Gdns..

BRIDGE OF WEIR 11th - 16th DECEMBER Friday 11th: Torr Rd, Horsewood Rd, Fetlar Rd, Kennbank Cres, Kennbank Rd, Thriplee Rd, Lomond Cres, Barrcraig Rd, Carruth Rd, Lawmarnock Rd and Cres, Glen Brae, Troon Dr, Glendentan Rd, Turnberry Dr, Barassie Dr. Sunday 13th: Elm Rd, Loch Rd and Place, Mill O’Gryffe Rd, Mimosa Rd, Lintwhite Court and Cres, Moss Rd, Broom Place, Gryffe Gate, Gorse Cres, St Machars Rd, Hillview Rd, Church Rd. Monday 14th: Clevans Rd, Donaldfield Rd, Thornwood Dr, Southbrae Ave, Rosemount Lane, St Andrews Dr, Dalmahoy Cres, Belleisle Cres, Sunningdale Dr, Prieston Rd, Gryffe Rd, Kilbarchan Rd. Tuesday 15th: Eldin Place, Hazelwood Rd, The Grove, Shillingworth Place, Earl Place, Ranfurly Rd, Bonar Cres, Watt Lane, Montrose Terr, Kilgraston Rd, Watt Rd, Ranfurly Place, Bankhead Rd, Kilbarchan Rd. Wednesday 16th: Glengowan Rd, Strathgryffe Cres, Kilmacolm Rd, Kilallan Ave, Woodside Ave, Warlock Rd, Beech Ave, Castle Rd, Park Rd, Southview Cres, Freeland Dr, Warlock Dr, Houston Rd.

Kilmacolm (North) Wednesday 9th Dece mber Kilmacolm (S outh) Thursday 10th December

Brookfield Tuesday 8th Dec

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Quarriers Saturday 12th December 19/11/2015 15:27:49

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Bridge of Weir Community Council The Police informed the September meeting of Bridge of Weir Community Council of a considerable increase in reported incidents since the previous month. Matters of serious concern was a Police chase where the culprit was driving a 4X4 Range Rover reaching speeds of 60 – 65mph on Prieston Road and beyond 100mph on the Kilmacolm Road. The vehicle was eventually discovered outside The Pullman in Kilmacolm, where the driver had absconded.

The car proved to have been stolen and was bearing false number plates.

A Police assault in the vicinity of The Gryffe Inn resulted in a female being arrested. A number of incidents occurred at a location in Mimosa Road the Police are investigating these matters, Councillor Brown said she would speak to the Housing Department. Headlights were stolen from a car parked in the car park at Livery Walk.

Bridge of Weir Public

Photos: BoW Community Council Chairman Sandy Clark and Secretary Sandra Liddell with Jonathan Muirhead, Chairman Scottish Leather Group & Chairman Sandy Clark and Vice-Chairman Tom Fulton with Rev Kenneth Gray, Freeland Church.

Bridge of Weir TARA The latest meeting of TARA was once again well attended, with a number of local issues discussed. Our thanks go to Councillors James MacLaren and Maria Brown, Police Inspector Cassie Glass, Andy Summers Amenity Service Manager with Renfrewshire Council and the members of Renfrewshire Wardens Service.

The Police report showed that in the past month nine crimes were committed within the village with five detected. These crimes included a common assault, a breach of the peace which also included an assault on a police officer, a shoplifting, a theft from a house, the attempted theft of a wheelie bin and three vehicle related offences.

The local Police are going to take a look at road traffic management regarding Bridge of Weir Primary School on Warlock Road after a number of complaints from residents about the behaviour of drivers whose children attend the school.

The Wardens report showed that there were five people fined for dog fouling and there were three incidents of fly tipping at Livery Walk, Sunningdale Drive and Barcraig Road.

After presentations to the Council from Councillor James MacLaren and TARA the hole in the wall at the bottom of The Glen, although not fixed, has been fenced off for now on safety grounds. It is hoped that work to repair the hole will not be long in the offing.

The flooding at Houston Road Park which is now running out onto the road, is proving to be a rather complex matter for the Council to get to the bottom of, as it requires further investigation that the water is hampering. It is the Council’s intention to tanker some of the water away in the near future, but as the priority for now is protecting homes threatened by flooding this may take a bit of time to implement.

The next meeting of TARA will be in the Pirie Centre at Freeland Church on Tuesday 19th January 2016 at 7.30pm. In the meantime TARA would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The Planning Convener reported that a Proposal Consultation Meeting of Application Notice (POAN) has been lodged

by Gladman Developments Ltd confirming their To be held by the of the intention to apply for planning permission to developers Kilmacolm Road site develop land lying to the north of Kilmacolm Road for residential use. The proposal indicates that in Bridge of Weir on they will hold a public meeting on the Wednesday 2nd December in the 2nd December in the Cargill Hall, details of which Cargill Hall in advance will be published in the local press at least seven of submitting a planning days prior to the meeting. There is no detail application. contained in the application on the number of houses envisaged, but it is likely to be substantial since the site covers approximately 4 acres. Any subsequent detailed planning application for this site will be published in Renfrewshire Council’s weekly planning lists. This process is the same as that undertaken for the Whitelint Gate application for which no formal planning application has so far been received. Neither of these sites is zoned for residential use in the current local development plan.

The Community council has also learned that Barrett Homes are considering an application for 55 houses on the land lying to the east of Joe’s Brae. More on this when the application is lodged.

Drew McNab Renfrewshire Councils Transportation Manager addressed the meeting and matters for discussion were the Council’s reluctance to do works to prevent the flooding in Houston Road Park which now encroaches on to the road.

Speeding at the entrances to the village was once again raised and we await the results of the recent survey taken by the speed indicators positioned on Klmacolm Road at Strathgryffe Crescent. It is expected that the kerb stones at Livery Walk car park will be painted a distinctive colour.

The Fund Raising Convener reported on a successful valuation day with TV personality Anita Manning, monies raised will be utilised to enhance the Village Christmas Lighting display.

Since the last meeting the Community Council have asked Renfrewshire Council to repair the collapsed pavement on the Johnstone Road near St Mary’s Church.

Councillors have been approached to see if anything can be done to make the Private Roads from Loch Place to Main Street more accessible.

Come and meet Santa at the Christmas Lights Switch-on The Switch-on of the Christmas Lights will take place on Thursday 3rd December. A Carol Service will take place in Freeland Church at 6.15pm, we then make our way to Livery Walk for the Lights Switch-on at 7pm by the Village Gala Queen. Santa will be arriving around that time.

Light refreshments will be served in the Royal British Legion Club until 8pm and children will have the opportunity to meet Santa.

Bridge of Weir Community Council are delighted that for this year’s Christmas Lights Fund we have received donations from Bridge of Weir Leather £400, Freeland Church Outreach £250 and a grant of £400 from the Local Area Committee, we are extremely grateful to all.

Collection buckets will be around for donations as this event is wholly funded by the Community Council. Please give generously!

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Bridge of Weir Messy Church It will be Christingle time again at the next Bridge of Weir Messy Church on Sunday 6th December from 4pm until 6pm. Facebook - Bridge of Weir Messy Church.

Entrance is free and people of any age are welcome. Just turn up on the day.

Langbank SWI

At 4pm until 5pm we will be making the Christingles as well as a variety of other activities which will involve honey and glitter (not deliberately mixed).

Christmas Party on Thursday 17th December at 7.30pm in The Village Centre. Please remember NOT to have an evening meal at home as we will be serving a Christmas Buffet. Please also remember to bring your Secret Santa gift (value £4).

Competitions for the evening are:1) Small jar of Pineapple Chutney. 2) Homemade Christmas Napkin Ring.

3) A piece of Christmas Jewellery.

Development on the former ROF site continues apace – there are now over 350 homes occupied on the site and work has begun on the new link road connecting the northern and southern areas of the development – this is expected to open in the Spring. The developers will be holding a public consultation event on 15th December in Bishopton Community Centre in advance of submitting a planning application for a further 350 houses. The event will also give residents the opportunity to be given a general update on the development.

I have reported a number of faulty streetlights across the Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank and requested repairs. The council’s major investment in LED streetlights will make a huge difference both in terms of durability and reducing maintenance needs and on the energy costs to taxpayers. However in the meantime the maintenance programme needs to continue to ensure pedestrians are safe.

I am pleased the shrubbery at the junction of Gryffe Grove and Main Street in Bridge of Weir has been cut back which improves sight lines for vehicles and the wall on Houston Road will be considered for repair. In addition a number of potholes are scheduled for repair – these are particularly dangerous when there is wet weather as drivers cannot see them.

We will then move through to the church for a short candlelit service with the Christingles. After that it will be time for a party tea to celebrate.

As well as raising money for the Children’s society, we will be collecting unwrapped Christmas presents to be distributed to children by the Salvation Army. The idea of the Christingle began in Marienborn Germany in 1747. Bishop Johannes de Watteville was looking for a simple way to explain to the children about the happiness that had come to people through Jesus. He gave them a lighted candle wrapped in a red ribbon to represent the light shining into their lives given as a gift.

It was adapted in 1968 by The Children’s Society and now involves decorating an orange with a red ribbon, dried fruits and sweets and placing a candle in the middle to be lit during the service, representing Jesus the Christ child coming into the world to shine his light into the darkest corners.

Although each church and school celebrate differently, the spirit of Christingle is about coming together as a community to celebrate the joy of Christmas whilst also helping children in desperate need of support.

Please come and celebrate with us.

Due to the way the month falls in January, we have decided to move Messy Church from Jan 3rd to Jan 10th.

Bishopton Public Consultation Meeting

It was an absolute pleasure to attend the opening of the expanded Cairellot Nursery and Learning Centre To be held by the developers of the former ROF in Bishopton. I know Rosie and her team took a lot of site on 15th December in Bishopton Community advice about what would work in the best interests of Centre in advance of submitting a planning the children in the design and layout of the extension application. and worked closely with the builders to ensure as little possible disruption to them during the construction phase. A huge well done to all involved.

Can I take this opportunity to wish everyone in Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank and happy and joyous Christmas and peaceful new year. Lang may yer lum reek!

E-mail: cllr.michael.holmes@renfrewshire.gov.uk Surgeries: 4th Monday: Langbank PS (from 6pm) and Bishopton Library (from 6.45pm) and Cargill Hall, Bridge of Weir 4th Wednesday (from 6.30pm). Tel: 0300 300 1295.

Hogmanay Party Bring in the bells at the Legion in Bridge of Weir. When the band will be ‘Waterloo Sunset’, the evening starts at 8pm. Tickets will be £10 and can be obtained at the bar.

Please note that after 8pm anyone in the club must have a ticket.

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kilmacolm & quarriers Please, please HELP...

Have you seen my great GREAT grandmothers ring?!!....

On the morning of the 12th of September this year (a very rainy soggy morning!)

I was pushing a double buggy up to St Columba’s church trying to get my 3yr old to ballet on time... Manic... Very manic...

And in the frantic off-loading of my child/ children, either at the church hall or by the car parked in Market Place, or perhaps during the walk between the two locations, I LOST my Great Great Grandmother’s ring! It just slipped off... And I’m devastated (my mum’s not very pleased either!!.) Alice Matilda was my great great grandmother and was the first generation of my maternal family to settle in Australia (late 1800s). The ring was special because she had brought it with her from Europe.

It is over 100 years old. Although of tremendous sentimental value, it is of little monetary value.

Kilmacolm Community Council Christmas Shop Window Competition - Friday 4th December Free Kids Competition- All Ages “Find the Christmas Santa” Entry Forms from the New Community Centre 9.30am - 5pm. Winners from each age group will be drawn at the Christmas light switch on, 5.30pm.

Raffle - Win a Christmas Hamper. You can buy your tickets from the Community Centre all day on Friday 4th December. The winning ticket will be drawn at the Christmas Light switch on. Proceeds from the raffle to be donated to a local charity.

It is made of rose gold and has two large light blue gem stones. There are claws missing from each setting.

I’ve tried to mock up a picture of it...

All our local shops will be open and have specially decorated Christmas windows so please come along and support our local businesses and community.

Please please please let me know if you’ve seen it. Thank you! Amanda Mobile 07482 620 205 ***REWARD £100***

Remember if we don’t use them, we’ll lose them!

Thank you!

The Kilmacolm Friends of Ardgowan Hospice Committee would like to say a big thank you to everyone for their generous support and donations for their Christmas Fayre and Coffee Morning. Folk were enjoying good company with their morning coffee and home-baking and buying from a good variety of stalls.

The magnificent sum of £2,166 was raised and an additional £600 from the sale of Christmas Cards.

Every penny raised goes directly to the Ardgowan Hospice in Greenock.

If you may be interested in taking part in fund-raising events please contact Agnes (01505-874913) or Sandra (01505-873126).

St Fillan’s Angel Voices St Fillan’s Angel Voices Community Children’s Choir recently held an ‘Angel Voices’ got talent’ night. It was fun but also aimed at encouraging the choir members’ confidence to sing in public – as a choir and also to give solo performances in singing and playing an instrument.

The Choir are preparing for their Christmas events and competing in the Inverclyde Music Festival in January 2016. We welcome new members (girls and boys aged 7 years and upwards) at anytime of the year. Contact Maureen Russell (01505-872905)

Agricultural Whist Drive Kilmacolm and Port Glasgow Agricultural Society Annual Whist Drive Friday 19th February at 7.30pm in New Community Centre Kilmacolm. Tickets £3 includes light supper.

Outlook....

The Kilmacolm community group formed for friendship and fellowship, meets in Kidston Hall at 2pm until 4pm on first and third Thursdays monthly.

Thursday 3 December: We look forward to welcoming Dr Peter McEnhill as our special guest speaker, always a special event, to be followed by afternoon tea, table tennis and community issues.. 'The Ghosts of Christmas Past' will discuss 'Ministers in the Media', from I.M.Jolly to The Vicar of Dibley. To be followed by afternoon tea, and community issues. This is not to be missed, come along and bring your friends!

Thursday 17 December: OUTLOOK invite you to their Christmas Party, everyone welcome. Games, Quiz, with prizes and a party tea, ending with singing of carols together, joining Sandra at the piano. LOOK OUT for the January-April programme for the New Year, we return on Thursday 7 January 2016.

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Bespoke Hampers Our bespoke hamper and gift service has been established out of our love of gifting luxury hampers to our friends, family and associates on special occasions. For many years now we have had great enjoyment creating exquisite hampers to wow and spoil the recipient, tailoring them to their individual tastes and preferences. Giving and receiving hampers has become a magical festive tradition for our loved ones, a tradition that lights up their faces making their eyes sparkle time after time.

The festive season is a time of indulgence. We source a variety of inspired gifts and create exceptional gourmet hampers filled with exquisite surprises and delights.

for. Whether you need a one-off luxury present for a special friend or for a whole family you can be confident that we will fulfil your requirements.

Guided by your brief and budget we can create bespoke hampers to please even the most difficult to buy

All you have to do is to let us know a little about each recipient and we will hand select appropriate gifts for them. We cater for special dietary requirements and food preferences. Based in Kilmacolm we have a dedicated delivery team covering the local area.

Christmas at Mount Zion Church, Quarriers Village We offer a warm welcome to anyone from the area wanting to celebrate with us this Christmas.

• Sunday 20 December: Family Service at 10.30am • Christmas Eve at 7pm: Carols

By Candlelight, including traditional carols, musical items, special blacklight finale and seasonal refreshments

Christian Aid A gift from Christian Aid, for you, this Advent season.

A small red booklet, of daily reflections plus a few bible readings to guide you through Advent and Christmas, to Epiphany. At the back of the gift is a chance for you to make a gifted financial donation to Christian Aid, which the UK government will match - so you can make double the difference to helping the poorest people in the poorest areas of the world that need it most. The booklets are available at Kilmacolm church doors, and the Kilmacolm New Community Centre. And a huge thank you for the help which so many people reading this today have given to Christian Aid during 2015.

And we wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!!!

• Christmas Day: Family Celebration at 10.30am Our congregation have already begun preparations for Christmas by filling and wrapping nearly 40 shoeboxes for Blythswood Care, who distribute the Christmas gifts in countries such as Hungary, Pakistan, Ukraine and Serbia.

You can see our completed shoeboxes in the photo below.

Our young people have also begun rehearsing for the Christmas Eve service. This Carols by Candlelight service was well attended last December, and the blacklight performance has a powerful visual impact. Please do come and join us. We pray God’s blessing on you at this season.

Kilmacolm Spiritualist Church

Kilmacolm Community Centre, Lochwinnoch Road, Kilmacolm.

Help every Tuesday @ 7.30pm (doors open 6.45pm)

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Bridge for Beginners Classes continue on Wednesday evenings from 7.15pm – 9.15pm in the Kilmacolm Community Centre.

This class is suitable for beginners and those with a little experience in the game.

Further details phone 01505 872345.

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kilmacolm & quarriers Councillor Wilson's road report is on p33.

It is proposed to release 7 selfbuild plots in Leperstone Avenue. The piece of land has been earmarked for housing for 17 years but I disagree with the decision to allocate them to those who live outside of Inverclyde. I have had several people unsuccessfully approach me in the past 8 years enquiring if the council had some land available to allow them to build their own house.

PG Paper had their new office opened by Scottish Minister Humza Yousaf at the refurbished Customs House in Greenock. Poonam and Paneet Gupta have run the business since 2003 at the Stables, Auchenbothie. I spoke on behalf of Inverclyde Council and it was a delight to do so and have watched this Kilmacolm business grow to now employing 17 people locally. Well done to the Guptas.

I attended an “Any Questions" run by Woodcraft Folk, a national group for youngsters. The panel was Patrick Harvie Green MSP, Ronnie Cowan SNP MP, Dr Lucy Pickering a lecturer in Sociology at Glasgow Uni, The leader of the Glasgow Anarchist Movement and myself. Held my own until a question came up about fox hunting. I tried to defend farmers and their lambs, but to no avail, not only was the audience agin me but also the panel. Got a real doing.

The Memorial Service on Sunday the 8th was conducted by Rev Peter McEnhill and both the vicars from St Fillans. Many wreaths were laid and it was good to see the Girl Guiding and Scouting movements laying their wreaths in the worst of weathers. Thanks to Mrs Carson and the Bridge of Weir Royal British Legion for the formalities. I have been very critical of Scottish Water, but to their credit they manned the traffic signals to allow speedy passage of cars down Lochwinnoch Road to the service.

I met on site with Jim Brennan, the site manager for the development of the Old Institute. Found him most helpful and given the deadlines he is working to in relation to A. The timing of the start of his next project amd B. The desire of an early entry date by the Cooperative, I do not think that the project will slow in going up.

The massive pole outside KPS in Churchill Road is a temporary radio mast and will be removed at the completion of the refurbishment. The decant has gone well with only a few communication blips, which are now fixed.

In my praise of Glasgow Airport and what I believe is the unfair public money being spent on Prestwick Airport by the Scottish Government I omitted to mention the cancelling by the same Government in mid stream, the Glasgow Airport Rail Link. Glasgow is one million passengers to date, up on last year.

They should be given a level playing field by the Scottish Government. At a recent board meeting a member said “anybody who thinks that security at Glasgow Airport is slow, must be a first time traveller".

My surgery is December 12th 10-11 at the Cargill. I can be contacted on 01475 712727 and 741969 and 07766 992294 email david.wilson@inverclyde.gov. uk.

Kilmacolm Unofficial Running Club (KURC)

42nd Kilmacolm Scout Christmas Post Once again we are pleased to announce that we will be providing a Christmas card postal service. We will deliver Christmas cards to residential areas of Kilmacolm. To ensure the safety of our young people, we can only deliver to residential areas – so no farms or rural properties! From Monday 30th November until 4pm on the 11th December you can post your Christmas cards in the Scout post box in either The Kilmacolm Community Centre or The Cross Café. A minimum 30p donation is kindly requested for each card. The cards will be delivered during the weekend of the 12th and 13th December.

Thank you to everyone in the local community who supports the Kilmacolm Scout Group.

Diaporama It was ‘David’s Night’ at this month’s meeting. He described it as a ‘mixed bag’ and it was certainly full of variety including some of his characteristically ‘quirky’ look at sequences combining good images, music and both written and verbal commentary as appropriate.

He used a combination of his own images and some from the internet to meet the needs of some of the sequences such as ‘ Das Boot’ - a look at underwater warfare and ‘Grim Glory’ about the Blitz taken from his father’s book. Also based on his family was a ‘quiz’ about stamps from a family stamp album and one of a series of Avs about his working life in the family business.

He covered the funeral of Ewan Haldane, well-known biker, Sikh wedding in his road, a visit to Abbotsford (Sir Walter Scott’s house and garden) and a look at Glasgow’s Riverside Museum.

He showed a very informative sequence about the Inverclyde Tourist Group Support Network - its setting up and development.

We had a ‘shippy’ story about the ‘Sealand Performace’ - a condemned container ship’s journey from Scotland to its final place in the middle east. We ended with ‘A Trip on the Waverley’ with fantastic weather!! It was an evening enjoyed by all both for the quantity and, probably more important, quality of David’s sequences.

In September a local running group held a charity race night in Kilmacolm Cargill Community Centre. A grand total of £4930 was raised for the Beatson Cancer Charity, a cause close to many of our hearts.

The running group wish to thank all the local businesses who generously sponsored races or donated some great raffle prizes.

Special thanks to Saffron who provided food for the evening. And finally, many thanks to all those who supported this fantastic event.

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Our next meeting is our Christmas night’s competition with the usual Christmas fayre. We meet in the Carrick Centre, Houston, 7.30pm on Monday 14th December. Everyone welcome.

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New street lights have been ordered for Port Glasgow, Bridge of Weir and Lochwinnoch Roads in Kilmacolm and throughout parts of Quarrier’s Village as well as other parts of Ward 1. I am told the new lighting columns will ensure streets are better lit.

Equally pleasing it was great to learn that the Three Sisters Bake in Quarrier’s Village, founded only four years ago, has been reported as having its most successful year to date. Well done to the local business and here is to even more success in the future.

Inverclyde councillors have agreed to extend the half hour parking in Kilmacolm to two hours stays. Though, due to red tape this will not happen until about spring 2016. It really was unworkable to only have half an hour parking in the village. Comparisons with other urban areas in Inverclyde was unfair. It has had a detrimental effect on the village shops, for shoppers and village residents. I raised this with officials when the new parking system was first being considered. As I write my monthly article thankfully following complaints by Kilmacolm traders and the Kilmacolm Community Council a late report is going to the council’s Policy & Resources committee where it is requested a temporary lifting of the half hour parking limit occurs for the four Saturdays in December, covering the Christmas/New Year period. I am sure this will be agreed on but I feel it would be better if this temporary removal of the half hour restriction was removed entirely in December.

Recently Stephen Hampson stood down as Chairperson and as a member of Kilmacolm Community Council. Stephen was a very good chair and member of KCC. He will be a hard act to follow. I wish Stephen and his family all the best for the future.

I was delighted to hear that Kilmacolm company PG Paper, now based at Greenock Custom House building, have been shortlisted for the prestigious Scottish Family Business Awards. I believe the local business is up for two categories in the national awards. I wish them every success for the awards and at their new location.

This year’s Christmas lights switch ons will take place on Friday 4 December.

The event in Quarrier’s Village will begin at 4pm, with the Quarrier’s Voices Choir leading the community signing. There will be refreshments in Carsemeadow afterwards. The Kilmacolm event will take place in the community centre at 6pm, with Kilmacolm Primary School choir performing. Again there will be refreshments after the lights are switched on.

The Council’s annual budget consultation is now underway. Details of how you can respond can be found on the Council’s website www.inverclyde.gov.uk.

There is also a public meeting in Kilmacolm Community Centre on the evening of Tuesday 1 December. One of the options being considered for closing the Council’s budget gap is a 3% increase in the Council Tax for the year beginning 1 April 2017. The last time the Council Tax was increased in Inverclyde was on 1 April 2006. A 3% increase would raise £750,000 and add 69 pence a week to the charge for a band ‘D’ property.

We have received a number of representations about parking regulations and enforcement in Kilmacolm from residents, traders and members of the Community Council. Councillor McCabe raised these representations at a meeting of the Environment and Regeneration Committee on 29 October resulting in officers bringing a report to the Policy & Resources Committee on 17 November proposing to suspend on-street waiting restrictions on Lochwinnoch Road, Bridge of Weir Road, Port Glasgow Road and Market Place on the four Saturdays in December to encourage trade in the run up to Christmas.

Meanwhile the Council is consulting on a revised traffic regulation order (TRO) for the village centre, which will provide 2 hour waiting with no return within 30 minutes. This arrangement would operate Monday to Friday rather than the current 30 minute waiting Monday to Saturday. Subject to there being no objections this new TRO is likely to be effective from May 2016.

We wish all our constituents a happy and peaceful Christmas when it comes.

Councillor McColgan: I have one surgery this month on Tuesday 15 December, 6pm – 7pm in Boglestone Community Centre.

You can reach me on 01475 712727 (during office hours) and 07881280016 (anytime) or by emailing me at james.mccolgan@inverclyde.gov.uk. Alternatively you can write to me at Inverclyde Council, Municipal Buildings, Greenock PA15 1LY.

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Kilmacolm Primary School pupils and staff have successfully decanted to the former St Stephen’s High School in Port Glasgow while the village primary is refurbished. I recently contacted the new KPS Head Teacher Mrs McCredie and she told me the move had gone well. I am glad that the new head teacher has finally been appointed. Thanks must go to Mrs Reid who had done a great job as acting head teacher. I congratulate Mrs McCredie on her recent appointment.

It is that time of year again on the run up to Christmas when the festive lights are switched on throughout Inverclyde’s towns and villages. This year the Christmas lights switch on will take place in Quarrier’s Village and Kilmacolm on Friday 4 December. The lights will help brighten up the dark nights in December.

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and all the best when the New Year comes.

For my next surgeries please see my announcement in the local newspaper and surgery posters. If wanting to contact me please phone me through my office at 01475 712727 (office) or 07747 765 839 (mobile) or by emailing me at jim. macleod@inverclyde.gov.uk or writing to me at Inverclyde Council, Municipal Buildings, Greenock, PA15 1LY.

howwood & elderslie Can I first of all correct my mistake in the November issue, I mentioned I was at a school award ceremony. It was of course at St Benedicts and not St Cuthbert’s a senior moment!

As I write this, Renfrewshire Council is launching its bid for Paisley to be the UK s city of culture for 2021. If this is awarded it would mean a huge boost not only for the town but for the rest of Renfrewshire. I wish the bid team all the best.

Whilst that was being launched, I was attending the Carers Forum in Paisley which helps and gives advice to carers throughout Renfrewshire. They are a well organised group and have a good grasp of issues that concern carers. They can be contacted on 0141 887 3643.

The council as ever is preparing for winter with workers ready to mobilise if things get bad. If you are concerned about flooding, road gritting, transport or any other issue during this time do not hesitate to contact me on 07717 432899.

I am still concentrating on the issue of increasing Broadband speeds in the village. A lot of progress has been made but there is still much to do and I am working along with council to get the village up to speed so to speak.

Late News - planning permission has been granted for 126 new homes on the site of the former St Cuthbert’s school.

My surgery for the 24th December has been cancelled. Can I take this opportunity to wish the people of Howwood a great Christmas and peaceful New Year.

Howwood SWI Tuesday 15th December: Christmas Get Together with Taste and Try, Santa Bag - give and receive. Competition - Christmas Napkin. Vote of Thanks - Anne McCallum. Please note that tonight we will start at 7pm, Howwood Village Hall. Subscription £18 per annum.

You can keep up to date with my work as a Councillor by visiting my website: http:// jamesmccolgan.com. You can also follow me on Twitter @jamesmccolgan.

Councillor McCabe: I only have one surgery this month, on Tuesday 8 December, 6pm - 7pm in Boglestone Community Centre.

You can also contact me directly to discuss any matters that are of concern to you by telephone on 01475 712020 (during office hours) and 871368 (home) or by email to Stephen.McCabe@inverclyde.gov.uk. Alternatively you can write to me at 10 Victoria Gardens, Kilmacolm PA13 4HL. You can keep up to date with my work as a Councillor by visiting my blog: http://councillorstephenmccabe.blogspot.com/ and follow me on Twitter @ CllrSMcCabe.

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houston, crosslee & brookfield Houston Community Council A new community council was elected in Houston in September and we held our first meeting on Wednesday 21 October.

We now have 17 community councillors dedicated to listen to the views of Houston and pass them on to Renfrewshire Council and other public bodies. We are also fully committed to acting in the best interests of all the residents of Houston. The other new community councillors are Carol Murray, (vice chair,) Marion McEvoy (secretary,) John Chambers (treasurer,) Sharon Chambers, Caroline Wengel, Mark Arthur, Helen Parker, Gordon Wright, Bob Finnie, Sandra Brown, Janet Mason, Kathy McFall, David Dunlop, Anne Findlay, Elizabeth Dalgetty and Andrew Calverley.

Our inaugural meeting was held on 21 October and was well attended by Houston residents who expressed their concerns regarding the Local Government Boundaries Commission Scotland (LGBCS) proposal to split Houston old village and Crosslee into one electoral ward along with Bishopton and Langbank and Craigends into a different electoral ward with Linwood. A motion was passed that John McEvoy would work with Mr Angus Matheson and Dr Robert Simpson to prepare a submission to the LGBCS on behalf of the Community Council. This submission would reflect the expressed views of the residents of Houston.

A further public meeting was held in the Carrick Centre on Friday 30 October attended by 226 Houston residents, at which the unanimous view was we should reject the proposal from the Boundaries Commission to split up the village in this way. Many residents submitted their own objections to the LGBCS and John McEvoy submitted a response on behalf of the Community Council that reflected the views of those who attended these two meetings. This could not have been done without the enormous hard work done by Mr Angus Matheson and Dr Robert Simpson, who both worked tirelessly on this submission.

Police Report - The Police Report was given by Sgt. Coils. There were 8 reported crimes during the period, of which 2 were detected. He warned us to be aware of people going round doors in white vans selling their wares. Also that 2 community police officers had now been given responsibility for Houston, Bridge of Weir and Lochwinnoch. In answer to a question, he encouraged us to report any speeding or parking issues and the police would do their best to respond.

The issue of speeding in Houston village centre and in Magnus Road was also brought up, but because we did not have enough time to give this important issue the attention that it deserved we agreed to postpone discussion until the next meeting.

All Houston residents are invited to find out more about their community by joining our Houston Community Council Facebook public page. Please get involved.

All Community Council meetings are held in public.

The next meeting will be held in the Carrick Centre, Main Street, Houston at 7.30pm on Wednesday 16th December. This meeting will be devoted to routine community council business.

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Houston & Killellan Kirk at Xmas Kirk Creations are making fresh 12” holly wreaths ready for delivery or pick-up on Friday 11 December from West Halls. They are priced at £16 each and if you would like to order one please fill in Order Slip at rear of the kirk or telephone Liz Campbell 01505 612569.

Scottish Country Dancing Group Christmas Ceilidh will be held in the West Kirk Hall, Main Street on Wednesday 16 December starting at 7pm.Members not already on the Christmas Ceilidh list and wishing to come along and join in the Festive spirit please let me know.

Marilyn (01505 61308).

Sweet Treats Christmas is coming! Chocolate truffles, tablet and shortbread – great for an after-dinner treat, for a Christmas gift or just to indulge yourself! Use the order form in church on Sundays 29 November or 6 and 13 December, for collection on 20 December – or phone 01505 690636 to order.

Shortbread-7 biscuits or 14 Petit fours £2.50, Truffles-8 for £2, Tablet-8 pieces £1.50. Go on – you know you want some! All proceeds to the New Hall fund.

The Guild are having an evening of Christmas Celebrations and Fun on Tuesday 8th December in the West Halls at 7-30pm .

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Boundary Change Proposals - I need to say a few words of thanks and congratulations to the Houston Community Council and their supporters who organised the excellent public meeting regarding the proposed local council ward boundary changes.

Many residents contacted me raising concerns and requesting information regarding the proposals from the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. This is the body responsible for consulting, setting and reviewing boundaries for local council ward boundaries.

As many readers will know, proposals relating to Houston involve a Linwood and Craigends ward and a Houston, Bishopton and Langbank ward. This ignores the fact that Craigends is very much part of Houston. It is the boundary commission which is the statutory body responsible for conducting a public consultation on this. But due to the limited information circulated and the level of confusion I wrote to all households in Craigends to ensure residents were aware of the proposal and to explain how to submit views. Alongside many local residents I have formally objected and due to the sterling efforts of members of the local community it was clear from the public meeting that the community is against this. I hope the boundary commission see sense.

Litter - I recently held talks with the Head Teacher of Gryffe High School and some fantastic senior pupils to discuss how we can reduce the litter which is generated around Houston. The pupils have a number of excellent ideas which I will support them in taking forward.

Crosslee Park Access Upgrades Following the fantastic work of the Houston Playpark Improvement Group, I am pleased that work will be commencing in the next few weeks to install a path and other access improvements as a result of council funding. With the wet weather affecting ground conditions I am sure this will be welcomed by local residents who have made such great use of the park following its upgrade.

To keep up to date with my work for Houston, please feel free to ‘like’ my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CouncillorStuartClark. I will also hold surgeries at the Tweedie Hall in Linwood on Thursday 15 December at 7pm and the Carrick Centre in Houston on 16 December at 6.30pm.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful and enjoyable New Year.

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houston, crosslee & brookfield Houston and Killellan kirk Postie Sunday 13 - Thursday 17 December Raising money for Renfrewshire Christmas Lunch, a local Charity who are hosting a Christmas Day lunch for unpaid carers and people who are on their own at Christmas.

Http://christmas-lunch-renfrewshire.weebly.com/ For a donation of only 20p a card the Kirk Postie will deliver anywhere in Houston, Crosslee and Brookfield.

The Sorting Office, in the West Church Halls, Main Street, Houston, will be open from 10am to 12noon and again from 7pm to 8pm every day from Monday 14 to Thursday 17 December.

Cards may also be taken to the Church on Sunday 13 December.

Delivery is guaranteed not later than Tuesday 22 December.

H.O.S.T. The Carrick Centre, Houston What’s on December 2015 Monday to Friday, Woodlands Out of School 01505 615438

MONDAY Embroiderers Guild (7th & 14th) 10am – 12noon Yoga (7th & 14th) 1pm Mary Laidlaw 01505 610217 Rockstar Tumbling Class (7th & 14th) 4.15pm Roz Hart 07734714131 Diaporama 14th 7.30pm TUESDAY Paint Pot Tots (1st 8th & 15th) 10am Dawn Campbell 07789 262350 Musical Theatre (1st 8th & 15th) 3.30pm 5.45pm Yoga (weekly) (1st 8th & 15th) 7pm M/s Lawson 01505 613690 Agric Discussion Soc. 8th 7.30pm WEDNESDAY French Class (2nd 9th & 16th) 3.15pm F. McDevitt 0141 886 6282 Galaxy Dance (2nd 9th & 16th) 4pm Lauren 07974285102 Councillors Surgeries 16th 6.30pm Gryffe Melody Makers 2nd & 16th 7pm

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Houston & Crosslee SWI At our meeting on Wednesday 9th December we will be celebrating our 86th Birthday when we will have an evening of fun with a “Snowman Drive”. We start 2016 with an “Audio Visual Spectacular” given

by Angus Johnston on 13 January. All our meetings are held in The Compass Centre, South Street Houston at 7.30pm. Come along and join us, you will be made very welcome. For further information please contact, Arlene McKay on 0141 884 6210.

WEDNESDAY Camera Club (2nd & 9th) 7:30pm Houston Community Council 16th 7.30pm THURSDAY French Class (3rd 10th & 17th) 4pm F McDevitt Crafty Friends 3rd & 17th 7.30pm Folk Club (weekly ext 24th) 8pm Paddybullen@live.co.uk FRIDAY Galaxy Dancing (4th 11th & 18th) 4pm Lauren MP Surgery (11th) 12:30 – 1:30pm SATURDAY Galaxy Dancing (weekly ext 26th) 9.30am Lauren SUNDAY Baptist Church (weekly) 11am and 6pm Booking enquiries to Ian Simpson, 01505 612203 Sandy Young 01505 331488 Bill Haddow 01505 690693 hostbooking@outlook.com or The Coffee Shop

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kilbarchan & lochwinnoch Lochwinnoch Pre Christmas Craft Fair A Great Success

Goodbye to Kilbarchan Golfer Moira Hogg A much-loved golfer from Kilbarchan died at the end of October. Moira Hogg, previously of Brookfield and Hillington, was aged 82 and was still dancing and out on the golf course until earlier this year. Much of her childhood was spent in Lamlash, Arran because of evacuation during the Second World War. Moira retained a love of Arran throughout her life and once swam from Lamlash to the Holy Isle - about 1.5 miles.

She worked as a book keeper and cashier but it was as a sportswoman that many will remember her as she competed at a high level in swimming, tennis, badminton and golf and officiated at badminton matches at the 1970 Commonwealth Games. Moira was a life member at the Old Ranfurly Golf Club in Bridge of Weir, making many good friends there. Moira was a also a keen dancer at the RAFA club and played bridge for Ashley Bridge Club for many years. She also managed to take part in para gliding and white water rafting in her 70s by lying about her age as the age limit was 65!

A great Pre Christmas Craft Fair was held on Saturday 7th November as one of Lochwinnoch Arts Festival outreach events. The Johnstone High School students made over £300 from their tea room and raffle. Well done, a great effort for a great cause.

On Saturday 7th November, a great Fall Ball Ceilidh with, for the first time, the ‘White Cart Ceilidh Band’. Over £400 was made to share between the Glenpark Sheltered Housing Sheltered and Lochwinnoch International Aid.

Lochwinnoch SWI As we do not have a meeting in December, we would like to take this opportunity of wishing all members and friends a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We look forward to everyone in January

welcoming

Kilbarchan East Church Tots’ Club The club has its on Monday 21st Santa will pay a the Kilbarchan club resumes on 9.15am.

Christmas party December when visit. In January, Parish Church Monday 11th at

Kilbarchan NWR

Moira was treated for her myeloma in the Haematology Department of the RAH and had nothing but praise for the efforts of the Doctors and Staff who cared for her. She was a day visitor to St Vincent’s Hospice and £425 was raised for the hospice from donations at her funeral. She is missed by family and many friends.

There is one meeting scheduled for December - “Funny Poetry”, which should be a humorous evening to put us in the Christmas spirit. We also have a Christmas party to look forward to. Our new session and new syllabus will begin in January.

For further info please see the website: www.nwr.org.uk

Country Dance Classes

As we are now well into the winter months, the weather can bring its own challenges and concerns for our village communities like Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch. At the last meeting of Kilbarchan Community Council it was recognised that residents in Station Road and Churchill Place have had a particularly raw deal over the decades from the frequent failure of the Combined Sewage Overflow to the job it is intended to do. I raised the point that a more focussed approach is required to bring Renfrewshire Council, SEPA, and Scottish Water, together to work collaboratively to give Kilbarchan a sewerage system fit for the 21st Century.

Accordingly I was pleased to be co-opted onto a new CC Sub Committee to specifically address this issue.

Tuesdays in the McKillop Hall, Lochwinnoch at 7.30pm.

We always have great fun and it's good exercise too!

Phone Lorna Black 01505 843048 for more info.

The Old Library Centre Kilbarchan Sally Buxton, the very popular amazing Psychic, will be returning to the Library on 3rd December. Tickets are £10. Book early to save disappointment. Doors open at 7.30pm for an 8pm start and it is BYOB. Our new class FIRST LOVE MUSIC is suitable for toddlers ages 1-3. and is under the guidance of Fiona B. – Tel: 07811 766672. This class has brought delightful youngsters to the Centre and the sound of laughter and fun while the toddlers benefit from access to music from an early age which is great for children’s language development, listening skills, early maths skills and social development.

We are hoping to start one or more computer classes in January. This will be for people who have no confidence is using computers and for those who have personal development requirements. Phone the Centre on 01505 706070 to register your interest so that we can schedule classes to suit.

The Old Library is open to all from 10am until 12noon and from 2pm until 4pm from Monday to Friday. However, the volunteers are taking a holiday of Christmas and New Year. The Centre will close on Wednesday 23 December and re-open on Wednesday 6 January 2016.

We hope you all have a wonderful festive season and that 2016 will be a Good Year.

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In Lochwinnoch, the continual need for the frequent cleaning of the gullies and drains is essential in the winter months to prevent flash flooding from threatening homes and businesses, as recently happened on Lochlip Road. At the last meeting of Lochwinnoch Community Council I informed the meeting that I have written to the relevant Council Officers calling on them to formulate an Action Plan to systematically clean out and maintain the gullies. The residents of Lochwinnoch deserve no less.

Christmas will soon be upon us and I would like to publicly thank all those individuals and groups who do so much to keep the fabric of community life alive in Lochwinnoch and Kilbarchan all the year around with their efforts. I also want to say that serving my Ward of Johnstone North, Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch, as your Councillor, is a great privilege and a pleasure, and I wish all my constituents and their families a Happy Christmas and a Good New Year in 2016.

My advice surgery in Kilbarchan is on the 2nd Wednesday of the month in the Steeple Hall at 7.45pm, and my advice surgery in Lochwinnoch is on the 4th Wednesday of the month in the McKillop at 7.30pm, excluding July. But I am also always available to constituents who can call me on 07534 148224, tweet me on CllrAndy4Ward8 or e-mail me at cllr.andy.doig@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

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Kilbarchan Singers appoint a new Musical Director Annual Christmas Concert - Fri 11 Dec Kilbarchan Singers will be holding their annual Christmas Concert at 7.30pm on Friday 11 December in Kilbarchan East Church, Steeple Square, Kilbarchan.

The Singers will again be joined by Kilbarchan East Church Junior Choir. Tickets are priced at £8.50 and £5 (for full-time students).

This will be the first Concert in Kilbarchan conducted

by Kilbarchan Singers’ new Musical Director, Edwin Hillier.

Edwin is a conductor, composer and singer, coming to Kilbarchan following a musical education at Christ’s College, Cambridge and the Royal College of Music, London. His professional career includes Principal Conductor, Christ’s College Music Society; Head of Singing, Five Valleys Music Centre, Gloucestershire and Director of Music, St Michael’s Church, Camden. Edwin is also currently the Composer-in-Residence at the Handel House Museum, London.

Edwin brings a freshness and excitement to rehearsals and the Singers look forward to a long association with Edwin. Kilbarchan Singers rehearse at 7.30pm on Monday evenings at Kilbarchan East Church from September through to May. The choir would welcome new singers who might like to join them, particularly tenors and basses. If you are interested, please go along to any of their rehearsals in January 2016.

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In the October Advertizer,I highlighted the fact that tutorial cover for computer classes at the Old Library Kilbarchan had been withdrawn. Since then I have been working with West College and Renfrewshire Council, to get the problem resolved, and I am hopeful that a solution can be found to enable this important provision to resume in the not too distant future.

Staying with the theme of technology, I am pleased to report that Kilbarchan has been connected to fast broadband.

Villagers join more than 11,300 homes and businesses in Renfrewshire who are now able to access fibre broadband through Digital Scotland’s 418 digital rollout scheme.

Residents and businesses should contact their service providers as soon as possible to start reaping the benefits.

I recently joined the campaign organised by Guide Dogs Scotland for all new buses to become talking buses, which give both audio as well as visual information and announcements on next stop and final destination.

Kilbarchan General Society 250th Anniversary Dinner Pictured right is a photo of Mr Drew Connell, Preses of the Kilbarchan General Society, Provost Anne Hall of Renfrewshire Council and Cllr Andy Doig at a recent 250th anniversary dinner which the Provost put on to commemorate their charitable work.

At the dinner they raised over £1,200 for local charities.

Kilbarchan Churches The Service of Union of the West and East Churches in Kilbarchan will take place on Tuesday 15 December at 7pm in the West Church and from that date will be known as KILBARCHAN PARISH CHURCH and will meet in the former East Church buildings.

The dates, times and places for services in December are as follows:-

Such information is already available on trains, and such a development would be a major help to blind and partially sighted people who can experience significant difficulties in travelling.

Sunday 6th December – East Church, Sacrament of Holy Communion at 11am and 6.30pm.

Locally I have written to the bus companies that operate in Renfrewshire, asking them to consider introducing such a facility for any new vehicles.

Tuesday 15th December – Service of Union in West Church at 7pm.

In regard to the matter of provision for the disabled, I and many others in Lochwinnoch are still awaiting an answer from Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government as to why there are no plans to provide a facility for access for the disabled at the railway station, similar to that recently provided at nearby Milliken Park. Residents are right to take the view that this is wrong, and more than justified in believing Lochwinnoch should be fairly treated.

Sunday 13th December – Separate services in both West and East at 11am.

Sunday 20th December – 11am – Kilbarchan Parish Church, Steeple Square.

Nativity Presentation by Junior Church and FEWsion. 6.30pm – Service of Nine Lessons and Carols.

Thursday 24th December – Christmas Eve. 6.30pm Family Service, 11.30pm Watchnight Service Both services in Kilbarchan Parish Church.

I will keep villagers up to date with any response I receive, but rest assured I will continue to campaign to get this issue resolved.

Friday 25th December – Christmas Day - 10.30am – Short Family Service in Kilbarchan Parish Church.

My surgeries are on the 1st Saturday of each month except January and July at 9am in the McKillop Institute and 10am in the Steeple Hall.

Sunday 27th December – 11am – Kilbarchan Parish Church.

Meantime please contact me at anytime by phoning 07534 156007 or 0300 300 1274 or e mail cllr.derek.bibby@renfrewshire.gov.uk

in the East Church Halls on Saturday 5 December from 10am - 12noon. Come along and do your Christmas shopping, visit Santa and have a cuppa with friends.

Entrance is Adults £2, children free and includes refreshments

As this is the last Advertizer before the start of the festive season may I wish everybody in Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch a Happy and Peaceful Christmas.

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Kilbarchan Churches are holding a Joint Christmas Fayre

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Volunteers’ raced to beat ‘Abigail’ Five hardy volunteers from Bank of Scotland have been engaged in a race against time to beat Storm Abigail and get the new Community Garden at St Vincent’s Hospice in Howwood ready for winter.

The volunteers made short work of planting well over 2000 bulbs – bluebells, snowdrops, daffodils and winter aconytes in the garden’s wildflower areas, as well as various Alliums, muscari, pushkinias, Eranthis, Camassia, and Erythroniums in the flower beds. The garden is now well set up to burst into life in spring.

Hospice Fundraiser, Katrina Vine, who worked alongside the Bank of Scotland gardening squad said, “We are so grateful to these volunteers for all their efforts – especially in such blustery, uncertain weather.’

“Everyone who visits the garden appreciates its wonderful, peaceful atmosphere, but there have been comments upon the large gaps in the flower beds. This is partly due to financial constraints but we have also had to wait for the right time of year to plant bulbs and bare root trees.’

‘St Vincent’s Hospice relies on the support of local companies and supporters, both financially and for volunteers. With our Garden Project this is especially true, and recently we have been very fortunate to have been the recipients of many donations from local supporters, including W Gibb Stuart and the Flightpath Challenge Fund. This has allowed us to start buy many more trees, shrubs, plants and bulbs,” said Katrina.

Katrina Vine and the volunteers from Bank of Scotland battle the elements to get the Community Garden ready for spring.

With a large area to tend, there is always plenty of work to be done so if you would like to join the growing Volunteer Gardening Team, please email the Hospice at info@svh.co.uk for information or phone 01505 705635.

The Community Garden at the Hospice on Midton Road in Howwood is open to visitors every day and the Barn Tea room is open Mon-Fri 10am til 4pm.

BOW Horticultural Society Louise Bustard, Asst. Curator, Education at Glasgow Botanic Gardens, was our November guest speaker and gave the Elmer Wallace Memorial Lecture. The subject was ‘Horticulture in Holland’ and, as always, Louise gave a lively talk about her visit to a selection of gardens. The Floriade show, held every 10 years, runs for months and is Chelsea on a grand scale with full-scale buildings and gardens. There is something for everyone. The Dutch are very “hot” on solar energy and design solar panels in the shape of tree branches or solar lily pads which float in a stream. Every opportunity is taken to go green and plants are inserted into walls and on rooftops. Other nooks and crannies are filled with bug hotels or beehives. Louise also showed an image of a tunnel, through which visitors could walk, demonstrating soil horizons and root runs.

The Delft Botanical Gardens are in the heart of Delft.

They have a wide selection of cacti and succulents on display. Their main focus is research, from saving endangered plants on the “red list” to discovering plant-based cures for illnesses. Here can be found the Dovaston Yew from which taxol was obtained and used in researching treatments for ovarian cancer.

Louise was impressed by the range of neatly tended pot plants outside the front doors of the Delft Alms Houses, particularly as these are now student accommodation.

The Children’s Garden in Delft is a very successful project offering schools areas of rough ground for the pupils to cultivate.

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Every year the canal gardens of Amsterdam are opened to the public at the end of June. This is similar to our “Yellow Book” gardens scheme. Land is very precious which is why properties are usually tall and narrow and every garden is well tended and neat. Visitors can walk around the long, narrow gardens and compare layouts.

Some of the gardens are very formal; others less so. Many have formal boxed hedge borders and one massed display of Sedums and Hostas was particularly striking with its contrasting greenery.

The Dutch are very fond of Hydrangeas and every garden has at least one. Others are filled entirely with Hydrangeas and in colours of pink, white and blue.

On 10th December we hold our AGM in The Legion at 8pm. Once the formalities have been dealt with, members’ photos of gardens or holidays or general interest will be on display, accompanied by our usual festive fayre.

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Thank you to everyone who joined us on our Guy Fawkes Night a great night was had by all, to everyone who missed out on tickets remember to book early for next year’s event.

David our head gardener has been working very hard in the gardens which are a lovely place for a walk on a brisk day. We will be open every day except Christmas Day and New Years Day over winter. The waterfalls often look particularly fine at this time of year – especially if we have snow.

Half price winter membership is still available, Just £33 for a family (Two Adults and children) or Grandparent (Two grandparents and up to four grandchildren) and £15 for a single ticket. This is great value, valid until the end of March and only needs a few visits to pay for itself.

SANTA’S GROTTO We are proud to announce that after a wonderful visit from Santa last year he is back again at Finlaystone, he will be visiting every weekend in December! Spaces for Craft Stalls are still available, and don’t forget our cut your own Christmas tree sales.

Follow the woodland trail to find Santa in his forest Grotto. Visit includes an individual present from Santa specific to each child and a festive arts and crafts session. We only have a few slots on the 21st, 22nd December remaining Advance booking is required for this popular event, tickets are available now and cost £12 per child (1 accompanying adult free) Call Norah on 01475 540505.

Upcoming Events Thursday 3rd and 10th Dec Wreath Making Class 10 – 2pm ARE BOTH FULLY BOOKED Make your own wreath in time for Xmas. Made from moss, holly & yew from the estate. £12 includes materials. FULLY BOOKED.

Gryffe Camera Club In early November we had our second competition of the session, Titled “Scapes” it attracted one of the biggest number of entries for some time and was judged by Guy Phillips from Helensburgh.

Xmas tree sales Throughout December Bring the family along and pick your own tree, cut it down and have it wrapped to go all sizes available.

Prices start from £24 for under 6ft.

Winter Waste Local household waste and recycling centres will be open during the festive season as follows. Both centres will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Renfrewshire: Middleton Rd, Linwood (nearest postcode PA3 3DP) November to 29 February: Monday to Sunday, 8am - 4.45pm

The Digital winner in the A group was R Bolton with “Anchor Reflection” and in the B group it was Malcolm Martin with “Tranquillity”.

Inverclyde: Pottery Street, Greenock PA15 2UH October to March: Monday to Sunday, 8am – 6pm

42nd Kilmacolm Scout Christmas Trees and Fayre Saturday 5 - Sunday 6 December Scout Hall, Barr’s Brae, Kilmacolm

Anchor Reflection by R Bolton

Tranquillity by M Martin

The best colour print in the A group was by R Bolton and in the B group Y Goldie. The Mono Print section was won by R Bolton.

In Mid November Pat Allan gave us a presentation of her Travel Photography.

Venice in Winter being particularly interesting.

In December, we will have the 3rd competition of the session, which will be judged by members. We will also meet Dalry in the GDPU Digital competition.

Only a short hop to Xmas, when Members can take a short rest before starting again in the New Year.

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During the weekend of the 5th and 6th December, the Scouts will be selling Christmas trees at the Scout Hall. Whether you would like a simple 6 footer or a fantabulous 14 footer, look no further!

You will find no better service - free delivery by the scouts! If you would like a tree bigger than 10 foot, please place an order with one of the leaders before that weekend. Leaders are always around the Scout Hall on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

Free Delivery Pre-order for Trees

While you are at the Scout Hall, why not have a browse for some last minute Christmas gifts or Large stocking fillers at the Christmas Fayre inside the Scout Hall.

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Gryffe Camera Club Langbank Camera Club

November’s print competition was “Slooow Shutter speed Photography” which required images to be taken with an exposure of greater than 5 seconds. There was a variety of entries of night and day time images but it was the night time shots which took the awards. First and second place was awarded to James Goodall for his excellent images, ‘Blue Dusk’, Bowling and ‘Erskine Gold’, Erskine Bridge. Third place was awarded to Alf Todd for his image ‘India Tyres’, India of Inchinnan building.

Once again Gryffe Camera Club has been delighted to receive an excellent entry from the four Primary Schools who take part in the Annual Photographic Competition. After an initial presentation in May to introduce the competition and give tips on photography the children have worked very hard through the summer to take their images. The entries are collected in September and then the work begins to select winners, print certificates, prepare the winning images for presentation, write crits for every entry and finally announce the winners at each school.

The second part of the competition is to judge the panels for each school that are made up with the three main winners. This year the trophy was won by Houston Primary with Roma Crichton’s winning photograph being awarded the judges choice for best overall entry. This is only the second time this award has been presented so well done to Roma. St Fillan’s were runners up in the panel competition.

The panels can be viewed at each school and in the summer will be displayed at The Bridge in Bridge of Weir where the public will be able to see the amazing talent in the area.

The main meeting was treated to a selection of images from Gary Ramanthan’s library and then followed up with a presentation by Derrick McPherson on photo file management essentials with demonstrations of the utilities and tools required to ensure the management and safe keeping of precious photographs. The presentation was well received and prompted much discussion and questions.

Last month’s PDI meeting (held on the last Monday of the month) was well attended and provided excellent images of animals from around the world.

The festive season is upon us and, since this will be the last club news of 2015, we would like to wish all readers of the Gryffe Advertizer a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The camera club would like to thank The Rotary Club of Gryffe Valley for their continued support by providing the money for the winners vouchers.

The main December meeting will be held as usual on the second Monday of the month, 14th December at 7:30pm. Please note there will not be a PDI meeting in December. The print competition topic for December is “High Speed Motion Photography” - colour or monochrome.

Club meetings are held in Langbank Church Halls, Langbank. Visitors are always welcome at any of our evenings.

Membership of the club is only £10 for the first year. If you wish to find out more about Langbank Camera Club please visit our website: www.langbankcameraclub.weebly.com or contact Derrick McPherson at langbankcc1@gmail.com with your enquiries.

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december 2015

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Windows on Wildlife Update The Windows on Wildlife Project aims to bring people closer to wildlife, gaining a unique insight to the furry & feathered inhabitants of Castle Semple Country Park. Project Officer Hayley Douglas gives us an update.

Wildlife News There are now huge flocks of Redwings and Fieldfares stripping the berries off all the Hawthorn trees in the local area. There is also talk of Waxwings appearing in the North of Scotland. Will this be another Waxwing year?

Keep an eye out for these buff-coloured birds with yellow and pink tips to their wings on Rowan and other berry-bearing trees. Otter sightings have been few during the last month so hopefully all is well with Rob and Co. Please remember whilst commuting on the A760 to keep an eye out for them, especially as it is now dark at peak traffic times. The badgers are fair piling on the weight in the woods and if Tufty has mated again with Old Boy, she will fall pregnant during December. Badgers have an unusually reproduction system were the females go through a period of delayed implantation. This means they can mate at any time of the year and the embryos will become fertilised but they will not implant in the womb until December with cubs being born from February. Female badgers are extremely sensitive to disturbance at this time. This year’s two cubs, Salt and Pepper, are a mixed bag. Salt is certainly thriving but Pepper seems to be staying small and is often seen during the day. She is a good weight but just doesn’t look like she is growing and is half the size of Salt. I’m keeping a close eye on her just in case she needs any extra help. She certainly appreciates the peanuts I put out for her. I will keep you up to date with how she gets on.

As the weather has been so mild I believe it’s worth repeating the info I gave out last month about Hedgehogs as many have not started to hibernate. If you see a hedgehog out in the day then there is a problem. Often it will be an autumn juvenile trying to find food to help it put on weight. More often than not these individuals are too small to survive hibernation and will often

die as they attempt to do so. If you find one please put it in a box with some newspaper and an old jumper and phone or take it to Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue. They will look after it during the winter and can be contacted on 01505 502415. Remember hedgehogs cannot tolerate milk so please do not give them any as it can make them ill.

Details of events can be found on the Parks website page www. clydemuirshiel.co.uk or by emailing wow@clydemuirshiel.co.uk. Footage can be viewed on the Park’s Youtube channel or on the WoW Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/WindowsonwildlifeatClydeMuirshiel. Talks to groups can be arranged if you are interested in finding out more about your furry and feathered neighbours.

For more information please contact Hayley Douglas Windows on Wildlife Project Officer – CMRP tel 01505 842 882 Ex 25.

Welcome to Scotland’s largest Regional Park Success for Disability Programme!

Pedal the Park 2016 – Sun 24 Apr

Clyde Muirshiel’s Senior Instructor David Hill last month won the Renfrewshire Community Sports Award for Disability. This is in recognition for all his hard work securing specially adapted kit, boats, funds, and training for over 600 clients with disabilities to take part in sailing, cycling and other watersports and activities at Castle Semple Centre and beyond! David was also responsible for the pre commonwealth games legacy event Race 2 the games on the River Clyde last year. Well done to David and the team!

The popular cycling event is back!!! This year we will have 2 exciting sportive options Classic 75km and a Challenging 100km! Also returning will be hand cycle ride and mountain bike ride. Put Sun 24 Apr in your diary now and check Ride 63’s facebook page for when entry goes live soon!

Jump Start January!

If you’re thinking ahead to those resolutions already we at Castle Semple are happy to help! We’ll have a range of activities, events and ideas to help you get healthy this January! Keep your eyes peeled on the notice boards and our facebook/website for what’s going on.

Christmas Opening Hours All of the Regional Park’s trails, tracks and car parks remain open over the festive season. Castle Semple Visitor Centre will close early on Christmas Eve at 2.30pm and will reopen at 12noon on Boxing day serving teas coffees and snacks to warm you up after your family winter stroll! Muirshiel and Greenock Cut Cafes remain closed for winter however the walks, trails and toilets are open.

New Pontoon Arrives at Castle Semple Eagle-eyed visitors will have noticed works by the lochshore throughout November, this has been the installation of our new pontoon! Demand for accessing the water has increased so much that the new pontoon was essential to maintain growth of ours and the local clubs’ activities!

Gift Vouchers Available Now! Do you have an adventurous family member? They might appreciate an outdoor activity voucher for your choice of sport or even mixed sports!

Choose from canoeing, kayaking, sailing, rafting, cycling, archery or powerboating! Plus our December lucky dip will be starting on 6th December along with our yummy mince pies.

Duke of Edinburgh Programmes at Clyde Muirshiel The Park has expanded our range of expeditions and skills to suit Duke of Edinburgh students of all abilities. Get in touch with dofe@clydemuirshiel. co.uk if you know of a group of 14-24 yr olds who could benefit from a tailored programme!

Ride 63 Club News See facebook for details of what is going on. The group meet on the last Thursday of the month and a new time of fortnightly on a Sunday morning.

Full details on Ride63 facebook. Email the Secretary at ridesixtythree@ gmail.com to become a member or email the Park at routes@clydemuirshiel. co.uk for more information.

Regular Events Mondays (but not public holidays)

Saturdays

Lochwinnoch Community meet 10.30am at The Lochwinnoch.

Greenock Cut Conservation Volunteers, Adult group, 10.30am – 2.30pm.

Walks Cross,

Weekly Volunteer Groups

Sundays

Newcomers always welcome!

Castle Semple Young Volunteers, 12-18 yr olds, 10am – 12noon

Thursdays Castle Semple Conservation Volunteers, Adult group, from 12.30pm – 3.30pm.

Keep up to speed with events and activities taking place on the Park’s Facebook facebook.com/ClydeMuirshielRegionalPark or Twitter @Clydemuirshiel pages.

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Kilmacolm Camera Club Camera Clubbers took their cameras out for an evening by the Clyde. Close to the Armadillo, Hydro, Bell’s Bridge and Finnieston Crane, we were spoiled in our choice of dramatic, floodlit architecture.

We enjoyed another of our audio-visual evenings, with a varied selection of image sequences, set to music.

Images which included Antarctica, St Petersburg, the Hebrides and Scottish hillsides drifted by, along with some relaxing music. A good night out at the flicks, even though the popcorn was in short supply!

The first of our league competitions was judged last month by Stuart Strachan, of Kilmaurs

Camera Club. The Prints winner was Jane Robertson, with a lovely shot (shown left) entitled “Devotion” Bill Ham claimed Second and Third, with “Iconic Rail Bridge” and “Arched Alleyway, Durnstein” (shown right, top).

In the Digital Section, Tina Marr came First, with “Gomeran Resident” (shown right, bottom). Second and Third places went to Jane, with “Spirit of Sydney” and Tina, with “Catherine’s Palace.”

So Jane, Bill and Tina have inched ahead, as the League season gets under way!

Impressed by some of the images? Come along and see them in their full glory on our big screen. You might get some ideas!

Venue: Kilmacolm New Community Centre, Room 1.01 Tuesday evening, time 7.30.

Contacts: Billy Blair, Tel: 873383; Janice Stevenson, Tel 873595.

Website: clikpic.com/kilcamclub/

After a mild October, November definitely took a turn for the chillier and wetter!

Despite the cooling weather, there were still bats to be seen at the end of October. We saw several soprano pipistrelles hunting in the light of the street lamps, during our bat-night walk.

When conditions aren’t ideal, bats often congregate in the same places, where as on nice warm still nights, they are more likely to spread out. So don’t discount the cooler, mistier nights of late autumn!

The whooper swans are now back on the reserve so winter is definitely on it’s way, which means Christmas is in the air. If you are looking for a real Christmas tree this year and don’t won’t to go trekking too far for it, then why not pop along to the reserve on Saturday 5 December? There will be a nice selection of good quality trees, including firs.

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Top 10 jobs for december 1 Check your winter protection structures are still securely in place 2 Check that greenhouse heaters are working 3 Prevent ponds and stand pipes from freezing 4 Prune open-grown apples and pears (but not those trained against walls)

6 Harvest leeks, parsnips, winter cabbage, sprouts and remaining root crops 7 Deciduous trees and shrubs can still be planted and transplanted 8 Take hardwood cuttings 9 Keep mice away from stored produce 10 Reduce watering of houseplants

5 Prune acers, birches and vines before Christmas to avoid bleeding

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PHOTOGRAPHY HINTS & TIPS

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Paisley Colour Photographic Club “Robert Fulton’s image “Lofoten” wins at Paisley Colour”

With The Studio Bridge Of Weir

SHUTTER SPEED - Capturing the ACTION The shutter is the mechanism that controls the amount of time the film or chip sees the light coming through your lens.

Modern cameras can have shutter speeds as short as 1/8000th sec and can have the shutter held open for as long as 30 seconds. That is a huge amount of variation and control.

Fast shutter speeds are most common in bright light conditions.

Slow shutter speeds are required to capture dimly lit scenes, such as night scenes or indoors.

Fast shutter speeds are used to freeze action, from moving cars or kids to bikes and windmills. For action you need a speed of 1/500th of a second or faster to “freeze” the action and stop the movement. The speed required to freeze any movement is dependant on the speed of the action.

Paisley Colour Photographic Club were very pleased to welcome Elspeth Fear (Ayr) to judge the first of the session’s three bimonthly competitions recently held in the McMaster Centre in Renfrew. Club members could submit up to three digital images each and a very considered and sensitive critique was given to each of the eighty-four entered images by Elspeth.

She admitted that she had a difficult task of having to rank the top images which covered a wide range of subjects in each of the three categories: Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced.

In the Introductory section “Tawny Owl” by Kathy Giddings was awarded third place. In second place was “Pont Du Diable” by Ken Dow and the winning image in this section was the superbly lit and composed car engine shot by Ken McArthur entitled “Miles from Home”.

1/640th Second

240 Seconds

To convey a sense of movement in an image it is often useful to have a little bit of “motion blur”, such as the spokes of a bike wheel blurred otherwise the image looks very static. This takes a bit of practice to get the correct shutter speed for a specific subject.

If your shutter speed is too slow, i.e. Below 1/60th of a second then normal movement of people can create blur and nothing appears to be sharp.

Typically if you are using shutter speeds below 1/60th sec you should be using a monopod or tripod to stabilise the camera and prevent camera shake.

Every Month The STUDIO – Bridge of Weir (07904 419578) will bring you hints and tips to improve your photography - regardless of what kind of camera you have.

More detail on each tip can be found on the Advertizer web page http://www.advertizer.co.uk/blog

According to the Guinness world records, the tallest Christmas tree ever cut was a 221-foot Douglas fir that was displayed in 1950 at the Northgate Shopping Center in Seattle, Washington

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Linda Rodger was awarded the top position in the Intermediate section for her striking studio portrait image “Laura”.

After the many opportunities for photography during the summer break there was a range of fantastic images vying to be highly ranked in the Advanced section of the competition.

Elspeth judged Bill McCance’s beautifully lit and composed portrait shot “Blond in Black“ to be in third place in the competition. Mike Cruise’s wonderfully detailed, coloured capture “Kingfishers” was placed second whilst the top position in the Club’s 1st Bimonthly Competition of the session was awarded to Robert Fulton for his dramatic Norwegian landscape composition “Lofoten”.

Club meetings continue on Thursday evenings with a variety of lectures and competitions. Visitors are always welcome. For further details about PCPC and updated members galleries please view: www.paisleycolour.co.uk.

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Kilmacolm Primary We are now happily settled in our new home in Port Glasgow for the next year.

Staff worked extremely hard to create a bright and welcoming environment for our pupils and we have been delighted to receive many positive comments from parents who have visited. The children are happy in their newly decorated classrooms and getting on with the business of their learning. Can we please thank the many parents who have helped with our unpacking - your help was invaluable.

every Monday Lochwinnoch Baby & Toddlers

McKillop Hall. 9.30am-11.30am £2/

family fee includes tea & children’s snacks.

St Columba Playgroup

St Columba Church Hall, Kilmacolm, 9.30am-11.40am

Howwood Baby & Toddler Group

Howwood Parish Church. 10am-12noon.

Kilbarchan East Tots Club

East Church Hall. 9.15am-11.30am

every Tuesday Bridge of Weir Toddlers

Cargill Hall, Lintwhite Cres, BoW

Pop along and see us from 9.30-11.30am

Baby Social

Three Sisters Bake, Quarriers Vill. 11am Meet mums, drink coffee & eat cake.

St Columba Playgroup

St Columba Church Hall, Kilmacolm, 9.30am-11.40am

Howwood Playgroup

Howwood Church Hall 9.45am-11.35am

every Wednesday St Columba Toddlers

St Columba Church Hall, Kilmacolm, 10am - 11.30am

Duchal Nursery

Lochwinnoch Baby & Toddlers

We’ve had a very busy few weeks. Firstly we were excited to make the “Guy” for the top of the bonfire at the Knapps Firework Display, and made some fantastic firework pictures. The children also learnt about safety around the house and outside, which combined nicely with our visit from the Road Safety Officer.

For children from birth to 3 years.

McKillop Hall. 9.30am-11.30am

£2/family fee includes tea and children’s snacks.

Howwood Playgroup

Howwood Church Hall 9.45am-11.35am

every Thursday Houston Toddlers

Church Hall, Main Street, Houston

Pop along and see us from 9.30-11.30am

St Columba Playgroup

St Columba Church Hall, Kilmacolm, 9.15am-11.40am

Howwood Playgroup

Howwood Church Hall 9.45am-11.35am

every Friday Langbank Under 3’s

Church Hall, Langbank 10am-11.45am For children from birth to 3 years

1st & 3rd Friday Renfrewshire Inverclyde Twins Club McKillop Hall, Lochwinnoch 1011.30am £3. Bring a mug along for a cuppa.

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We had a wonderful visit from Dr Geetika Likhith a former Duchal parent, to discuss Divali and made some fabulous clay candle holders!

As the end of term gets closer we start to get in the mood for the Festive season – and can’t wait for our annual trip to the Tron Theatre in Glasgow for much Christmas hilarity. There are lots of Christmas decorations busily being made and preparations are well under way for our annual Nativity and Christmas party.

There are a few limited spaces in the nursery at present, if you are looking for a place for 2016 onwards please do get in touch. We are happy for visits to see our facilities and meet the teachers at any time, please contact Head Teacher Jean McCarthy on: Tel. 874358 to arrange a convenient time. Also visit our website at: www.duchal.com or find us on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest news To round off our term and get us in the Festive mood Duchal Nursery School presents a Christmas Sunset Concert on Friday 11th December at 3.45pm outside the Nursery at Birkmyre Park.

Featuring the local “Angel Voices” Choir, and Duchal pupils. Come along and enjoy the festive spirit, refreshments will be available from Nardini’s Café. All proceeds raising money for Yorkhill Children’s Charity.

We look forward to welcoming you for this magical evening.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas from all at Duchal Nursery.

Kilbarchan East Church Tots’ Club

The club has its Christmas party on Monday 21st December when Santa will pay a visit.

In January, the Kilbarchan Parish Church club resumes on Monday 11th at 9.15am.

There is a waiting list at present for the club and priority will be given to Kilbarchan mums and tots.

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december 2015

Kilbarchan Primary School

Bridge of Weir Primary

Rebel the rabbit

This month has seen the school invite family and friends to attend various open days. Feedback has been excellent. P3 shared their knowledge of the ancient Egyptians and looked splendid in their authentic headdresses.

P4 have been studying the Vikings and one parent commented that much effort had gone into making the boats and that the quiz was a lot of fun!

Rebel paid his first visit to our local vets this week. Hannah, the veterinary nurse, reminded us what Rebel should be eating. He should be eating lots of hay because it has lots of nutrients.

“Rebel was nibbling a carrot at the vets. He was super calm when we were waiting in reception,” said Angus.

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The Scottish Wars of Independence has been the topic for P5, with William Wallace and Robert the Bruce being popular historical figures with the children. P5 visited Bannockburn this month where pupils were involved in a 3D battle reenactment, which Finn described as ‘epic’.

A big thank you to Cath (Kilbarchan Veterinary practice) for agreeing to sponsor Rebel.

“He was quite scared when he was getting checked over and we got to hear his heart beat and it was really fast!” Said Skye.

“It was awesome because I’ve never been to the vets before. Hannah was nice and she checked Rebel to make sure he was healthy and happy,” said Logan.

We got his worming medication and shown how to administer it. He was very wriggly.

St Fillan’s Primary School This has been a busy term for all at St Fillan’s. Our Fairtrade Singing Group took part in the Bridge of Weir ‘One World Day’, Celebration in the British Legion Hall on Saturday 31 October. They performed their song to their families and other visitors who attended this event. They also performed to everyone at school during our assembly time. Well done to all our brilliant singers and to Mrs J McKay who leads our Fair Trade committee and who prepared the pupils for their participation in this celebration.

Our next Fairtrade Coffee morning takes place on Friday 4 December at 10am. All Welcome.

Our P6 and 7 pupils were involved in the Road Race event and enjoyed building up their stamina to allow them to run for prolonged periods of time.

P6 regaled parents with details of Mary Queen of Scots and children in P7 have been telling parents of WWII and the Holocaust in the form of a mini concert. P7b have been reading ‘Hana’s suitcase’ which is a non-fictional story of a girl executed in Auschwitz. Euan commented that he has found this particularly interesting and thought provoking and he shares hopes that Hana’s story will continue to tell children all over the world the terrible history of the concentration camps. Highlights of the presentation to parents were songs of the era, poems written by pupils and the performance of a piece for piano, violin and xylophone which was specially composed by Primary 7 teacher Mr Graham Duffy.

On their usual good form the girl and boy teams who participated in the road relay races have done well, with Jess proudly stating that the P7 girls’ team took first place. Well done to all participants!

Finally, we are very proud of four senior pupils who recently gave a presentation on dyslexia to the whole school at assembly. They spoke with great confidence about some of the difficulties they have experienced in learning to read. They explained how individual brains work in different ways and highlighted some of the many famous people with dyslexia who have achieved great things. They also talked about their own achievements and how dyslexia has made them even more determined to succeed and finished by asking everyone to show understanding towards people who might find learning to read, write and spell challenging.

St Columba Toddler & Playgroup

Everyone attended the cinema as part of National Film Week, we saw The Book of Life’. This was thoroughly enjoyed by all and the pupils and staff are now looking forward to our next whole school event in December when we will be attending the Arts Centre for the panto ‘Sleeping Beauty’.

I wonder what this young man will be when he grows up? Maybe an engineer or a mathematician? He is certainly concentrating hard today on his measuring and pouring skills and having a wonderful time doing it. The water play is great fun at Playgroup and an opportunity to pour and slosh water, catch fish and admire the various sea creatures at the bottom of the pond. Combined with the sand tray, sponge painting and the very popular shaving foam, these are great opportunities for tactile play which you might not want to do in the house, but which greatly enrich the children’s vocabulary and awareness of their senses. And sometimes it’s just good fun to get messy! Please remember we are open any time to visitors so please pop in for a look on a Monday, Tuesday or Thursday morning in the lower hall of St Columba Church, Kilmacolm. For more information, contact Emma at emma@kehoes.com.

A special mention must go to Anna in Primary 5 who had her long hair cut off for charity. She donated her hair to the ‘Little Princesses’ charity who make wigs for little girls who, for various reasons, have lost their hair.

Our Baby & Toddler group runs on Wednesday mornings from 10am to 11.30am, for children aged 0 to 3 years. For more information contact Beth at thebbles@hotmail.com.

Heart Start Training took place last week for all our P7 children. This was a full morning’s work where children learned how to deal with various emergency incidents such as choking, heart attacks and resuscitation.

Our whole school will be taking part in health related activities later on this month.

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St Columba School Athletes Race to Success St Columba’s athletes were on winning form at two recent events.

The Inverclyde S c h o o l s ’ Cross Country Championships saw Primary Girls, Primary Boys, SI/II Girls and SV/VI Girls win team gold.

SI/II Boys and SIII/IV Girls won team silver and SIII/IV Boys won team bronze. The Individual results saw several gold medallists in their respective age categories; congratulations go to Josh Hendry, Laura Stark, Oliver Patton, Eilidh Gibson and Jack Patton. Niall Maclean won silver and Poppy Pitts, Ella Dominguez, Elliot Nixon and Iona Miller won bronze.

e: info@advertizer.co.uk BBC Children in Need Junior School pupils and staff had lots of fun dressing down and fundraising for Children in Need. We are delighted that a fabulous £1,242.17 was raised for such a great cause; well done to everyone who was involved.

Pipe Band at Port Glasgow Remembrance Day Service Due to poor weather conditions the traditional Port Glasgow Remembrance Day Parade had to be cancelled and the service moved indoors to the Town Hall. Despite the high winds and driving rain, a scaled down St Columba’s Pipe Band of twenty musicians led a march of representatives of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders the short distance from the Town Hall to the Cenotaph for a wreath-laying ceremony.

Beyond this, two of our senior pipers, Pipe Sergeant Lewis MacRobert and Pipe Major Keir Brown, fulfilled duties requested by the Inverclyde Branch of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders by playing solo pipes at two commemorative services that same morning – one at the Argylls’ Memorial in the grounds of Finlaystone; the other at the Cairn Memorial in Woodhall Community Park, Port Glasgow.

The Scottish Schools Road

Race Championships in Falkirk saw tremendous Individual results with Eilidh Gibson and Laura Stark both winning gold and Iona Miller winning silver.

The SV/VI Girls won team silver and the SI/II Boys won team bronze.

Well done to everyone who took part.

Birkmyre First XV And so the Bears march on with their season. With only a single loss to a very good Millbrae side, the team has continued to grow and develop. With the additions of a couple of key signings this season the Senior XV are aiming an assault on West League 3.

The team is playing a new style of rugby being ably taught by Matt Duncan and although we rugby players sometimes aren’t the quickest to learn new things, the transition has been relatively simple. Do you your job on the pitch, compartmentalise the game, know the routes you need to run, execute them and finally making sure you support, support, support.

IISPSC 2015 A group of debaters travelled to Canada to take part in the International Independent Schools Public Speaking Competition, hosted this year by The York School, Toronto. Alex Schellekens was declared the best overseas student, won Parliamentary Debating and came second in Extemporaneous Speaking.

Since returning from Canada, Jessica Curry has been selected to join the Scottish Debating Team.

You can read more news at www.stcolumbas.org

It’s not hard to play rugby, it’s not hard to learn the game, but put the hard work in and the rewards are exponential. Pain is temporary, glory is eternal, long live the Birkmyre bear revolution. Training continues on Tuesday at 7.30pm-9pm at Port High Sports Hall and Thursdays 7.30pm-9pm at St. Columba’s Astroturf.

If you would like to return to the game or are brand new to it please contact: Team Manager - Donald Hall 07799 154597 or First XV Captain - James Halpin 07912 575680.

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Houston Primary The nursery children visited Finlaystone Country Park to take a closer look at the changes outdoors during autumn. They collected items and carried out counting activities.

P1 have been studying the story ‘Owl Babies’. They were very lucky to have a special visit from some furry friends and all had the chance to hold an owl! P2 have been learning about the solar system. They have made models of the Sun, Moon and Earth and have even learned the order of the planets using a handy pneumonic. P3 have begun developing their running skills with the goal of running a team marathon where each child in the class will run part of the 26 miles needed to achieve this. P 4 enjoyed a trip to Muirshiel Country Park as part of their minibeast topic. Hayley, one of the rangers showed us how to tag birds and some of us were even lucky enough to hold the birds and set them free again. P5 have been learning about the Solar System. They have been busy researching information about the planets and the stars.

P6 have really been getting into the Hallowe’en spirit this year. They’ve been making pumpkin lanterns out of glass jars. They put a tea light inside and they looked fantastic when lit up on Hallowe’en.

Houston Primary also held the scariest Hallowe’en Disco ever! The scary corridor returned this year and it was scarier than ever. The best costume award went to P7 Morgan and Angus.

World Challenge 2017 In the summer 17 pupils and 2 staff members from Johnstone High made their way to Borneo for the school’s 2nd World Challenge expedition.

There was jungle trekking, river rafting and a great deal of cultural immersion centred around the construction of a waste incinerator for one jungle primary school and the renovation of a church in another.

On Thursday 4th November pupils from Primary 6 and 7 took part in the inter-school road race at the ON -X. Pupils from 30 Renfrewshire schools took part in this very exciting, but exhausting event. Houston performed extremely well in all of the categories. Jamie Newton gained 1st place for the Primary 6 boys race and Lily Caldwell also gained 1st place for the Primary 6 girls race. The pressure was on for the Primary 7 pupils! Douglas Boyd gained 3rd place for the Primary 7 boys race and Cate Meiklejohn gained 5th place for the Primary 7 girls race.

Christmas Events - Christmas Fayre - 3rd December. P1-3 Christmas Concerts – 4th, 7th & 8th of December. Nursery Christmas Show – 10th December. Carol Concert – 18th December

Cooking for the Teachers Gryffe High School S5 & S6 Higher Health, Food and Technology As part of the course work for the Higher HFT class this year, we were set a task to plan and cook lunch for teachers that we were allowed to invite. This was to develop our research skills by looking up what recipes we could make by looking at cookbooks and the internet. We also conducted a questionnaire for the teachers we were inviting to find out what they like. We were all paired up and got to invite 2 or 3 teachers, with one group even inviting the head teacher himself. Our task was to make a soup and a sandwich for both the teachers and ourselves, which involved having to plan out what to make in the morning, and figuring out how we should serve the food when it came to lunchtime. Everyone sat down in the computer room next door which was adorned with table cloths, and we all socialised with our guests. The teachers and pupils thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the task will be repeated again next year in the Higher course.

Article – Adeel Rasul S5 Photographs – Charlotte Stuart S3

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Johnstone High School

The latest intake of S4 and S5 pupils and 36 pupils have eagerly signed up for an adventure that will culminate in a trip to Southern Tanzania in the summer of 2017.

Right now, they are incredibly hard at work on a whole range of fund raising ventures and team building experiences that will help to make the trip the incredible success that both previous World Challenge experiences have proven to be for the school. Dar Es Salaam here we come!”

S5/6 Halloween Dance Almost 120 senior pupils attended the annual Halloween Dance.

A wide array of costumes were on show from the ghoulish to the hilarious. The Senior Management team also got in on the act transforming into film characters, vampires and even a lucky leprechaun!

Quality Awards 2015 Vanessa Barry, teacher of Home Economics, was nominated for an award at the recent Children’s Services Quality Awards which were held at Paisley Town Hall. Vanessa made it all the way to the final three of the category – Bridging the Gap.

PE Johnstone High School recently took part in the Renfrewshire Rugby 7-aside tournament in which we entered four teams- S1/2 and S3/4 boys and S1/2 and S3/4 girls totalling a number in the region of 60 pupils! The school enjoyed a hugely successful day in the event and all of our teams secured 1st place in their respective tournaments. Our Rugby teams continue to excel in local and regional tournaments.

Congratulations to all pupils who recently took part in Scottish Schools Swimming Qualifiers at the ON-X in Linwood. Johnstone High has always had some exceptionally talented swimmers within our midst and the current batch is no different. Lewis Philp, Amy Whyte, Rebecca Adams, Lucia Bassano and Mabel Wylie represented the school with distinction and secured medals on the day. Special mention goes to Rebecca who won both her events to guarantee her progress to the National Schools competition.

19/11/2015 14:17:15

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1st Houston and Crosslee Scout Group

Gryffe and St Columba’s sweep to the Final

The new scouting year has begun again and has seen over 100 children enrol in the various sections within the local group. Unfortunately the younger sections require waiting lists which are caused by the lack of additional volunteer leaders. However the ongoing success of the Houston Scout Group is in no small part due to the small number of very willing and enthusiastic leaders who give up lots of their spare time to make sure that the children of all age groups receive a varied timetable of activities and badge work throughout the year.

The recent Winners and Runner Ups of the Inter Schools Speech Competitions from Renfrewshire and Inverclyde areas went forward against opponents from East Renfrewshire Schools in a Grand Final held in the Normandy Hotel on Wednesday 25 November.

The explorer scouts have been busy enjoying a session of bubble football.

They have also been busy with Duke of Edinburgh Award work and recently took part in a hike around the Pitlochry area including a joint night hike with Kilbarchan Scouts.

The other sections were also busy with the scouts enjoying outdoor cooking activities when the weather was good. The beavers and cubs also welcomed the new boys into the section with parents invited along to see the boys fully enrolled into the group.

The Beavers, Cubs and Scouts also had excellent Halloween parties with the boys excelling themselves with fantastic costumes. Again thanks to all the leaders for decorating the hall.

Future events include the Armistice Parade and visits to the local Christmas Pantomime in Johnstone.

The Annual Christmas Fayre takes place on Saturday 5th December at the scout hall starting at 10am.

This is the main fundraiser for the year and we hope to build on the success of the last 2 years.

Girlguiding Renfrewshire Annual Review On Monday 9th November Girlguiding Renfrewshire held their annual review. The following leaders were acknowledged with Long Service Awards 5 years - Alyce Russell: Leader 1st Bridge of Weir Guides & Bridge of Weir & Kilmacolm Senior Section.

5 years - Eilis Murray: Bridge of Weir & Kilmacolm District Guider & Secretary 10 years - Alison McCaffrey: Leader 3rdA Bridge of Weir Brownies 10 Years: - Alison Aiston: Bridge of Weir District Leader Young people recognised on the evening were 3 Guides from 1st & 3rd Kilmacolm Guide Unit (Molly Garrett, Nicola Craig & Kirsty Donnachie) who gained their BP Award during the last year – the highest award in the Guide Section.

Milla Gibson, who won the County Challenge Competition for the Brownie Section was presented with a plaque.

Mila designed a new badge for Renfrewshire County. Mila is pictured here with her Brownie friends Sarah Lyle and Grace Gibson along with leaders Diane and Rebecca from the 3rd Bridge of Weir Brownie Unit.

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Why not 614080.

The winning t e a m Renfrewshire was from Gryffe High School shown in the photograph with their teacher Jennifer Higgins, Chairperson B r o d i e Carmichael, Main Speaker Bethany Craig, Hannah McLean who carried out their Vote of Thanks and the Chairman Bill Leeming.

The Runners Up team from St Andrew’ Academy shown in the photograph are Chairperson Ellie Burns Sweeney, Main Speaker Ross Boyd and Aiden O’Donnell who carried out their Vote of Thanks.

In the Inverclyde Heat the winning team was St Columba’s High School Team No 2 and they are shown in their photograph with their Main Speaker Iona Tormey, Chair person Adam Heron holding the Inverclyde Heat Competition Trophy and David Stevens who carried out their Vote of Thanks.

The Runners Up team from St Stephen’s High School shown in the photograph are Chairperson Jennifer Hagan, Main Speaker Louis Hurrell and David Curley who carried out their Vote of Thanks.

With 3 topics to choose to speak from the winning team St Columba’s Team No 2 chose: Do we really need the Royal Family and associated aristocracy, or are they purely an anachronism? Whereas the Runners Up Team from St Stephen’s High School chose: Are Food Banks a necessary evil in today’s society?

The winning team Gryffe High School choseCelebrities seem to be mainly people famous for their face-lifts or weight loss-are there no worthwhile role models who might help to inspire young people? Whereas the Runners Up Team from St Andrew’s Academy Team No 2 chose -Do we really need the Royal Family and associated aristocracy, or a they purely an anachronism?

The Renfrewshire Competition Heat Chairman was Bill Leeming from Renfrew Speakers Club and the Inverclyde Heat Chairman was Tony Cowden from the Greenock Speakers Club. The Chief Judge of the judging panel was Hunter Wilson from Renfrew Speakers Club. The Chief Judge complimented the teams for their efforts and gave constructive advice to improve their public speaking ability. All of the teams taking part in the Competition were awarded book tokens and a Certificate of Achievement which should be useful for any future applications.

19/11/2015 14:17:19

Brookfield Curling Club www.advertizer.co.uk

december 2015

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.

Why not fill up those long winter evenings with a new sport or revive old skills? Interested in taking up Curling? All standards welcome. For information, telephone 01505 614080.

Old Course Ranfurly Golf Course Ladies Prize Giving

No 1 in Scotland for Strathgryffe’s Liam O’Brien

Mairi Milne took over as Captain of the section from Anna MacDougall.

Nine year old Strathgryffe tennis member Liam O’Brien has finished top of Scotland’s leader board in the age 9 & u category for the second year in a row. He had a fantastic weekend at the beginning of November winning the prestigious Grade 2 TC National 9 & u Tour Event which was held at the Wirral in Liverpool. He beat Kyle Presario (South Wales) 7-2, 6-8, 7-1 in the final.

Anna then presented the prizes to a number of ladies including Mairi Milne, Vice Captain-Hazel Kirkland for getting a hole in one at 16th and Erin Morrison who won the prize for the lowest score in a competition as well as being named ‘Rookie of the year’ We look forward to a successful year ahead, with great golf and great weather too!

Liam has had an exceptional summer season winning five regional tournaments including Edinburgh’s Waverley Highland Spring Junior Open, Shepherd Tennis Tayside Open at St Andrews University, Newlands Junior Open, Tennis World Summer Open in Cleveland and the East Lothian Tennis Open. He finished runner up in Scotland’s only Grade 2 National tournament taking in 16 of the best players from across the UK and also finished second out of the 737 boys competing in the 9u category in the entire UK for his regional performances over the season. A remarkable season for Liam!

Liam although still eligible for the 9u category for another season has started playing in the 10u category and is already sitting as Scotland West No 1 for his performances so far, bagging a win in this category already and runner up at the Gleneagles open last week.

Any ladies who are interested in joining the club as a golfer or social member should contact the secretary at the club on 01505 613612.

Beatson Cancer Charity We were thrilled to passed on a cheque of almost £5,000 by Kilmacolm Unofficial Running Club!

The group of local runners held a Race Night in aid of Beatson Cancer Charity in September in memory of one of their members, Robert Vosper. The night was a huge success and raised an incredible £4680, and RBS are very kindly donating an extra £250 which brings the grand total to £4930! The group are pictured with Robert’s wife Paula and his two sons Xander and Logan.

Strathgryffe Squash Players Play Danish Junior Open Strathgryffe squash junior Beth Moglia had a very successful trip to Denmark at the beginning of October finishing runner up in the Girls under 13 Event losing out to fellow Scot Orla Young in the final.

The trip organised by Strathgryffe Head Coach, Martin Woods, included three other juniors from the club, Findlay McDougall, Ruadhri McDougall & John Meehan who also performed very well in their respective categories. Strathgryffe is keen to encourage any youngsters/adults who may be interested in playing squash. Please email: squash @strathgryffe.net

Huge thank you to the Running Club and all involved for their hard work and generosity. Our vital work could not exist without our amazing fundraisers, and this fantastic donation will make a huge difference to cancer patients and families.

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Gleddoch Ladies Golf Club – End Of Season Report

The Club is now at the end of the Golfing season and has been enjoying the Indian summer weather.

The ladies of Gleddoch have made the most of the good weather over the past few weeks and have had a number of great days on the course.

On 21st October the Ladies held their Annual Dinner at the club and the evening was enjoyed by the 40 ladies in attendance. Medal prizes were presented along with prizes for the Fun Charity competitions that were held during the summer months.

On Friday October 23rd, Gleddoch Ladies held their annual Prizegiving Dinner. An enjoyable evening was had by all.

The main prizewinners were: Winter League: June Lockhart.

Medal Finals: Roisin Black.

Gleddoch 2-ball : Winners: Margaret Adams and Roisin Black

On Friday 23rd October the Gents Annual Prize Giving Dinner was held.

60 members attended and were entertained after dinner by Kenny Clark.

Kenny is a local Solicitor and a former Category 1 Football Referee.

Runners up: Shirley Back and Isabell Donnelly. Mixed Fours: Winners: Isabell and Michael Donnelly.

Runners up: Trixie Brown and Iqbal.

Jagger Rosebowl: Winner: Roisin Black. Runner up: Jackie Gray. Club Champion: Shirley Back. Runner up: Roisin Black.

Congratulations to all the prizewinners.

Also many thanks to Captain June Lockhart, Vice Captain Jackie Gray, and Secretary Marion Dornan for all their hard work organising the various competitions.

All Competition Trophies were presented by the Captain Alan Gordon.

The Winter League has started, and the weather has been great so far – better in November than in June!

Renfrewshire L a d i e s County Golf Associations J u n i o r S e c r e t a r y, A u d r e y MacKenzie, organised a visit to the club for a group of Junior girls.

Next report in the spring!

Saturday Sweep Curling Whether you’re a curling know-it-all or a novice, come on down to our Saturday Sweep Sessions at intu Braehead!

Every Saturday until 2 April 2016. From 11.45am - 2.15pm at intu Braehead, Renfrew. Price: £10 in advance and online only. £15 on the day, subject to availability. Ticket includes introduction to curling, warm up and game.

Please bring a warm jumper, clean pair of trainers and a sense of fun!

The curling rink is located on the upper mall of Braehead Shopping Centre between McDonald’s & Pizza Hut. Open to all standard of curlers from beginners up to expert level.

On Sunday 25th October 14 girls from various clubs enjoyed the facilities of the golf course and the practice ground. 5 of the older girls with handicaps played 18 holes

Brookfield Curling Club while the younger developing golfers played 6 holes. They will be playing various courses over the winter months.

Why not fill up those long winter evenings with a new sport or revive old skills? Interested in taking up Curling? All standards welcome. For information, telephone 01505 614080.

Table Tennis Houston Village Hall on Monday nights from 7.30pm - 9.30pm.

All welcome. Donation £2. Call Mark on 07968 052538.

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19/11/2015 14:17:28

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every

Monday

Kilbarchan Athletic Club On-X, Linwood, 7pm

All abilities welcome. Tel: 07941 686990.

5-a-side Football

Powerleague Paisley 6pm Tel: Jim on 01505 874215; or jimbretherton@aol.com

Bridge of Weir Ladies Badminton Cargill Hall, Lintwhite Cres, 7.30pm

Callanetics

Brookfield Village Hall, 7.15pm

Strathgryffe Motorcycle Club

The Trust Inn, Kilbarchan 9pm-10.30pm Visit www.strathgryffe.org for details.

The Shotokan Karate Club

Woodlands Primary School, Linwood, 7pm - 8pm & 8pm - 9pm. www.linwoodkarate.co.uk

every Tuesday

Bridge of Weir Walking Group Outside the Co-op, BoW 10.30am

1 hour walks. Call Senga on 0141 842 3000.

Gryffe Badminton

Strathgryffe Tennis Club, 8pm

Football Training

Johnstone High School 6pm-9pm Call Ali on 07775 578795 for details

every

Wednesday

Greenock Hockey Club

The Kilmacolm-Mérignies twinning took another big step forward on Wednesday 6th November when 2015 Captain Jim Hood and 2014 Captain Malcolm McDonald visited France and signed a formal twinning agreement with Merignies Golf and Country Club. Jim and Malcolm received a fantastic welcome and hospitality and the entire Town Council led by Mayor Francis Melon attended the signing.

The twinning aims to promote friendship between the communities of Mérignies and Kilmacolm through golf, schools and other social activities, consistent with the spirit and principles of the Twinning Agreement between the two villages signed last year.

This is also another step towards Kilmacolm Golf Club becoming the “Course of Choice” in this area and provides a range of benefits for the membership. Among other things, the agreement provides for reciprocal free golf at each others courses and the intent to hold regular matches between the two clubs. A group of golfers from Merignies will be coming to Kilmacolm in 2016 to play a match as part of KGC 125th anniversary celebrations.

The Country Club is relatively new and 27 of the planned 36 holes are now complete. They have a top class restaurant, clubhouse and practice facility, and they plan to open a superb hotel and spa complex in 2017.

Contact Liz Baldwin, mobile 07944 607005

Callanetics

every Thursday

Kilbarchan Athletic Club On-X, Linwood, 7pm

All abilities welcome. Tel: 07941 686990.

Sporting Blog

by Lesley Handley

Winter Is Here!

3. HIIT indoors at home.

High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a workout that can be done anywhere and often with very little or no equipment. You can complete a HIIT session with just a mix of bodyweight exercises and a stopwatch, meaning you don’t even need to leave your house to exercise.

www.linwoodkarate.co.uk

Unfortunately winter is here and it’s more important than ever to stay focused on your fitness goals and to keep fit and healthy. Often motivation drops off at this time of year; the cold, dark and usually wet mornings and nights put people off leaving their house or getting up early to head to the gym or train outdoors. So, I thought I would give a few tips to try and help you keep your routines going over the winter.

Football Training

1. Consistency/Planning.

Kilmacolm Walkers

Birkmyre Park Pavilion, Kilmacolm 10am David 01505 874192 kilmacolmwalkers@talktalk.net

Callanetics

Brookfield Village Hall, 9.15am & 10.30am

The Shotokan Karate Club Woodlands Primary. Linwood 7pm - 8pm & 8pm - 9pm

Johnstone High School 6pm-9pm Call Ali on 07775 578795 for details

every

Friday

Callanetics

Brookfield Village Hall, 9.15am & 10.30am

18 Movement (Tai Chi) Chi Kung

St Fillans Church Hall, Moss Rd, Kilmacolm 10.15am-11.15am Gentle, relaxing exercise class. 0141 954 2456.

every

Saturday

Adult Tap Lessons

Cargill Centre, Kilmacolm. lunchtime.

Call Gail Ashley on 01475 531336 for details

every

Sunday

Birkmyre Rugby Club, Kilmacolm Youth Rugby Section 11am-1pm www.pitchero.com/clubs/birkmyre

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Kilmacolm Golf Club Signs Twinning Agreement

Inverclyde Academy, Greenock, 6.30pm-8pm

B rookfield V illage H all , 5.15, 6.15 & 7.30pm

december 2015

You might have spent the last few months in a great routine and being consistent in your training and diet. So why should this change? It shouldn’t. Just because it is darker and colder should not stop you.

Keep planning your workouts and diet in advance and prepare things the night before. If you always went to the gym in the morning, organise your stuff the night before so you aren’t searching for anything in the cold and dark mornings and keep going.

2. Invest in winter clothing.

“There is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.”

- Sir Ranulph Fiennes It is really important that you have some good clothing for the cold, especially if you are training outdoors.

This will help prevent you skipping workouts, blaming the weather. The investment in good clothing will be well worth it for the comfort, motivation and assist in keeping you injury free.

4. Get a training partner.

Training with someone else can be a great way to motivate yourself and help you stick to a training schedule. This is one of the reasons that training with a Personal Trainer can be so successful. If you commit to training with someone else you are less likely to skip a workout and you can also push each other to train harder.

5. Stay Hydrated.

Most people love hot drinks when the weather is cold and wet outside. However swapping those glasses of water for cups of tea or coffee will do you no good. Good hydration increases the body’s ability to burn fat so it is still important to keep that water intake up. So don’t forget to continue drinking water throughout the whole day, just consider having it at a higher temperature or drinking things such as green tea instead to keep well hydrated over the winter months.

Lesley For more information or any aspect of nutrition or personal training contact me on 07736 274 925 or email Lesley@fitsmartfitness. co.uk. For online personal training options visit www.fitsmartfitness. co.uk.

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‘Mylo’ by Al Goold Photography, The Studio, Bridge of Weir

Pet Blog

by PetVets

Puppy Socialisation Socialisation is a term often used when discussing introduction of a new puppy, but what does it actually mean?

Puppies are not born with the social skills that they require to live with their family, be that a dog family or a human one. Socialisation means the learning process that a puppy must undergo in order to learn key life skills to ensure that it is happy and confident in its environment, and can communicate effectively.

Socialising your pup means ensuring they have pleasant social interactions with adults, children, dogs, other animals and of course vets! They should also have careful exposure to different situations in the environment like traffic, crowds, travelling in

the car, vacuum cleaners and any sights and sounds they will have to cope with in life.

It is very important that this is done when your puppy is still young enough to happily accept new things. The main socialisation period in pups is from birth up until 16 weeks of age. After the age of 16 weeks pups are more likely to approach new events or experiences with caution or even fear rather than curiosity.

In order to become a good family pet it is also important that you teach your puppy to understand right from wrong. Everyone in the household should agree to a set of rules which everyone must follow consistently. You should take every opportunity to praise your puppy for good manners and divert it from undesirable behaviour. Attending a good training class can also be very beneficial both for socialisation with new people and dogs and for teaching good manners and basic commands.

Putting in the time and effort with socialisation and training in the first few weeks with your new pup can help him grow into a happy, confident dog.

Missing Cat - Please check all of your outbuildings

Carmela, a treasured brown Burmese feline companion missing from Churchill Road, Kilmacolm since 27th October.

She is chipped with the number 981000004 5 4 4 6 0 1 and has a tag inscribed with ‘Smith’ and phone number ‘01505 874806’.

Would anyone with any information please contact this number.

Is This Cat Yours?

Male neutered cat about 3years old appeared at our house in GRYFFE Road, Kilmacolm about 2 months ago and has become a more and more regular visitor.

With the weather getting worse he has started to stay over night. He is not chipped and has a distinct white mark half way along his black tail.

Who does he belong too?

Please call Craig Barclay on 07721 058004 with any information.

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Rescue Centres Dogs Trust Glasgow: 0141-773-5130 - www.dogstrust.org.uk Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue: 01505-502415 - www.hessilhead.org.uk Johnstone Cat Rescue: 01505 337321 Cat Protection: 0141-779-3341 -www.cats.org.uk/glasgowac/adopt-a-cat Scottish SPCA: 0141-882-1688 - www.scottishspca.org These centres are always on the lookout for donations and fundraising.

If you can help, please get in touch with any of the centres above.

19/11/2015 14:21:54

of Weir

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Re-homing Pets Can you offer a home to any of our featured pets?

Moxi - 5 yr old female domestic Moxi is looking for a home with her son Meatball because they are so close and love each other. They are truly adorable and lovely natured wee cats and love being brushed and can be homed with older children and other cats but they don’t know about dogs. They would like a wee garden to potter about in.

Simba - less than a year old domestic Simba arrived at the adoption centre with her friend Busby. She is a wee bundle of energy and love. Busby is so loving too, but a bit shy and needs her. They would like a wee garden to potter about in and can possibly be homed with older children and other cats, but they have never met any dogs.

Cardyke Farm, Langmuirhead Road, Auchinloch, Glasgow G66 5LD Telephone 0141 779 3341

S c a r l e t and Ruby Terrapins Scarlet & Ruby are eating very well and love basking under their heat lamp.

Terrapins need constant electricity if living indoors in the way of a filter, heater and basking lamp. They also need an adequate tank or pond to live in. Their new owner should have the knowledge to care for them or have researched this species before rehoming. Terrapins makes very enjoyable and interesting pets.

december 2015

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Wildlife Crime Strathclyde Police has a team of Wildlife Crime Officers who specialise in investigating wildliferelated crimes. To report a suspected wildlife crime or speak to an Officer, please call: Your local Police Office or Strathclyde Police HQ, 173 Pitt Street, G2 4JS or call 101 or 999.

LOST PETS If your pet has gone missing and you would like to place a notice in The Advertizer, please call 01505 613340 or email info@ advertizer.co.uk.

We can also put updates on our website & Facebook.

This is no charge for this service!

‘Christmas Sausages’ by Barking Mad

Einstien - a 3-4 month old crossbreed rabbit Einstien is a lovely youngster who arrived in our care as his owner could no longer care for him and is now looking for his forever home. He would be suited to owners who can devote lots of time to his handling and care so he can grow up and become a fantastic companion.

To contact the centre about any animals, please call 03000 999 999 or visit www.scottishspca.org/rehoming

Mitzy - 2-5 year old Labrador & Sheba - 8+ yr old Labrador Mother and daughter Mitzy and Sheba must be rehomed together. They love walks in the park and can live with children who are 8 years old or over a n d need a secure garden to practice their positive training in. Someone who is at home most of the day would benefit them and help them settle and get used to her new home.

Johnstone Cat Rescue If you can help us with fundraising or donations, please call Sheena on 01505 337321.

Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre, 315 Hamilton Road, Uddingston, Glasgow, G71 7SL. Open: 12noon - 4pm (inc weekends); 12noon- 7.30pm on Tuesdays; closed: Wednesdays

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19/11/2015 14:22:03

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TRADES & SERVICES Black & White ads only Lineage: up to 20 words £12.50* Boxed ad: £7.00* per column cm PROPERTY & HOLIDAY HOMES CARS FOR SALE Lineage: up to 20 words £12.50* Boxed ad: £7.00* per column cm Photo: add £7.00* (colour) *all prices subject to VAT

ADVERTISE HERE FOR ONLY £16.79 PER MONTH (incl. VAT)

CHILDCARE Kilmacolm/Quarriers area registered childminders. P/time or F/time vacancies for u-5’s and after school. T: 873839.

Houston registered childminders. For an informal chat to find your best childcare, call Elizabeth Waddell T: 614925

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PROPERTY HOLIDAY HOMES

HOUSE TO RENT

L O CA L IN F O R M A T I O N community council

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follow The Advertizer on twitter and facebook for regular updates t: @GryffeAds f: www.facebook. com/GryffeAds

BRIDGE OF WEIR: Cargill Hall: 1st Tues at 7pm. www.bridgeofweir.org

KILMACOLM & QUARRIERS: Last Tues at 7.30pm, Kilmacolm Cargill Centre (NB: No meetings: July or Dec) www.kilmacolmcc.co.uk LANGBANK: Church Hall: 2nd Wed at 7.30pm LOCHWINNOCH: Parish Church: 1st Tues at 7.30pm

community halls to let Bridge of Weir, Freeland Church. Tel: 612245 Brookfield, Village Hall. Tel: 335562.

Houston, Carrick Centre. Tel: 612203 / 331488 Houston, Compass Centre. Tel: 615441 / 612617 Kilbarchan, Guide Centre. Tel: 702758.

Kilbarchan, Old Library Centre. Tel: 706070 Kilmacolm, Cargill Centre. Tel: 873994 Kilmacolm, Brownie/Guide Hut. Tel: 874428 Kilmacolm, Masonic Hall. Tel: 873059 Linwood Masonic Hall. Tel: 07825 222944

Please add your community hall details to our list email to info@advertizer.co.uk

local

councillors

RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL: www.renfrewshire.gov.uk

Ward 7 - Johnstone South, Elderslie & Howwood: Cllrs John Caldwell, John Hood, Stephen McGee and Iain McMillan Ward 8 - Johnstone (North), Kilbarchan & Lochwinnoch: Councillors Derek Bibby, Andy Doig and Christopher Gilmour Ward 9 - Houston, Crosslee, Brookfield & Linwood: Councillors Stuart Clark, Audrey Doig, Anne Hall and Allan Noon Ward 10 - Bishopton, Bridge of Weir & Langbank: Councillors Maria Brown, Mike Holmes and James Maclaren INVERCLYDE COUNCIL: www.inverclyde.gov.uk Ward 1 - Inverclyde East (P.Glasgow, Kilmacolm and Quarriers Village): Cllrs David Wilson, Jim MacLeod, Stephen McCabe and James McColgan

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• The Publisher shall not be liable for any loss or damage incurred by the Advertising Client as a result of any failure, negligence or omission by any party in the course of the distribution or circulation of the Publication in which the Advertisement is scheduled to appear.

• In the event of any error, misprint or omission by the Publisher in the printing of an Advertisement, the Publisher will either re-insert the advertisement, adjust the cost or provide a refund. This does not apply if the Advertisement has been approved by the Advertising Client prior to publication. The total liability of the Publisher for such an occurrence shall not exceed the amount of a full refund for that particular Advertisement.

• Readers are reminded that when purchasing items or services advertised in the Publication that the Publisher cannot be held in any way responsible for the quality or correctness of the items or services included in the Advertisement.

BROOKFIELD: Brookfield Village Hall: 7.30pm in February, April, June, August, October and December on 2nd Thursday of the month.

KILBARCHAN: Steeple Hall: monthly at 7.30pm. www.kilbarchan.info/community_council.html

• Insertion of Advertisements and/or Editorial is strictly at the discretion of the Publisher.

• The Advertising Client agrees to indemnify the Publisher in respect of all costs, damages or other charges falling upon the Publisher as the result of legal actions or threatened legal actions arising from the publication of the Advertisement, or any one or more of the series of Advertisements, published in accordance with the copy instructions supplied to the Publisher.

BISHOPTON: Primary School: 1st Thurs at 7.30pm www.bishoptoncouncil.com

HOWWOOD: Village Hall: 2nd Tues at 7.30pm. www.howwood.com/community-council.php

CONTENT OF THE GRYFFE ADVERTIZER CANNOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PRIOR CONSENT FROM THE PUBLISHER

Advertising throughout The Gryffe Advertizer:

Visitors are welcome at these monthly meetings.

HOUSTON: Carrick Centre: 3rd Wed at 7.30pm www.houstoncommcouncil@yahoo.co.uk

65 65

The Gryffe Advertizer is a magazine published by The Gryffe Advertizer Ltd

Wed 09 Dec

January ‘16 ISSUE: • Deadline: 09 December • Delivery: 30 December February ‘16 ISSUE: • Deadline: 15 January • Delivery: 29 January

december 2015

churches

BRIDGE OF WEIR

Freeland Church: Rev KN Gray BA BD. Morning Ser vice 10.30am. Crèche, Sunday School, Lynx and Cornerstone.

Eveing Service 7pm www.freeland.org.uk St Mary’s Church Scottish Episcopal Church: Delighting to praise God; Showing Christ’s love; Growing in faith.

Services Sundays at 10am. we have a regular cycle of prayer for those who live and work in Bridge of Weir. For further information, to ask for special prayers, or in pastoral emergency, please call the Rector on 01475 705378 St Machar’s Ranfurly Church: Rev Suzanne Dunleavy BD DipEd. Sunday ser vices 10 . 3 0 a m . H e a r i n g a i d loop system. www. stmacharsranfurlychurch. org.uk All welcome.

Hope Hall: Sun 1pm Sunday School, 4.30pm Gospel Service; Mon 6.30pm Investigators for Kids, 8pm Bible Study and Prayer.

ELDERSLIE

Elderslie Kirk: Sunday service every week at 11am. Minister Rev Robin Allison. All welcome.

Weekly meetings:- Monday Club every week from 12noon - 2.30pm. Light lunch and a varied activity programme.

Midweek Fellowship will meet every Wed from 10.30am for Tea/Coffee followed by a short Service of Worship at 11am.

HOUSTON

Houston Baptist Church at Carrick Centre: 11am Family services with SS for children age 5-12; 6pm Eve Service; Mid-week Home Bible Study; For more information contact; R e v D S n e l s o n 01 5 0 5 612722.

Houston and Killellan Kirk: Church of Scotland, Scottish Charity no SC 012822. www. houstonkirk.org. 6th Dec 2nd Sunday in Advent 9.45am Early Service The Sacrament of Holy Communion, 11am Morning Worship Gift Service.

13th Dec - 3rd Sunday in Advent 11am Morning Worship, 7pm Service of Readings and Carols. 20th Dec - 4th Sunday in Advent 11am Morning Worship, Sunday Club Nativity Play 7pm A Service of Remembering.

24th Dec - 11pm Christmas Eve Service of Carols and Watchnight service. 25th Dec - 11am Christmas Morning Worship with all the family and your presents. 27th Dec - 11am Last Morning Worship of 2015.

St Fillan’s, Main St, Houston: Sun Masses: Vigil (Sat) 5 p m , 9 . 3 0 a m & 11 a m .

Weekday Mass: Tues-Sat 9.30am except Thurs, 7pm.

Re c o n c i l i a t i o n : S a t 10 10.30am and after Vigil Mass; Thurs 7.30-8pm. Exposition: As announced. Baptisms: 1st & 3rd Sunday of the month by arrangement. Parish Priest: Rev Daniel J McLoughlin, Dip. Th.,MA Pastoral Assistant: Sr Mar y Frances Collett, RNDM (Tel 01505 613514).

“Abbotsfield”, St Fillan’s, Main St, Houston, PA6 7EL. T: 01505 612046, F: 01505 610556. E: parish@stfillan. org.uk. www.stfillan.org.uk Church of the Nazarene: Village Hall, Main St, Houston PA6 7EL. Rev Benito S Coetzee.

Family services at 10.30am with full toddler, children & youth activities running concurrently with the service.

Youth meets at 6.30pm-8pm on Sundays. Word and Table Quiet Service held from 9am9.30am every 3rd Sunday. www.houston.nazarene.org.uk

Editorial throughout The Gryffe Advertizer: The opinions of the Contributors to this Publication are not necessarily the official views of the Publisher. The Publisher reserves the right to edit or refuse any material submitted for publication.

HOWWOOD

Howwood Parish Churc h: Sunday Service will start at 10am and there will be a prayer meeting at 3 Bowfield Way on Fridays at 7.30pm.

KILBARCHAN

Services at 11am and in the East and West Churches as intimated in the Kilbarchan village column. The Midweek Fe l l ow s h i p m e e t s o n a Wednesday at 10.30am in the West Church Session House. All services conducted by the Rev Stephen Smith.

Creche, Junior church and FEWsion/Bible Class meet at 10.45am.

KILMACOLM

Kilmacolm Old Kirk: Church of Scotland (Charity n o . S C 0 0 9 2 91 ) . w w w. kilmacolmoldkirk.org.uk.

Minister Rev Dr Peter McEnhill (01505 873174). Morning Worship - Sundays 11am, all welcome Sunday School & Crèche available.

St Columba Church of Scotland: ( c h a r i t y n o S C 0 07 9 9 2 ) Morning Worship Sundays at 11am.

St Colm’s Catholic Church, Smithy Brae Kilmacolm.

The Ver y Rev Canon William McDade. Family mass Sundays 10am with children’s liturgy followed by tea and coffee. Weekly rosary Tuesdays 6.30pm, prayer group Thur sdays 7.30pm. Eucharistic service Thursdays 10.30am. Mass on Holy Days 7.30pm. All welcome. Information about parish events/contact details at www.stcolmsparish.co.uk Grace Church Kilmacolm: in association with the Free Church of Scotland - Sunday S e r v i c e a t 10 . 3 0 a m i n Kilmacolm Scout Hut - all welcome.

Buddhist meetings: Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin. Phone Margaret on 01505 871343 St Fillan’s Episcopal Church (in Anglican Communion): Everyone welcome at our Church in Moss Road. The Rector is the Revd David Gifford and the Associate P r i e s t t h e Rev d H e l l e r Gonzalez (resident in Kilmacolm Rectory). Regular Sunday Service 11.30am with monthly Evensong on last Sundays at 6pm. Family Service 11.30am on the last Sunday of the month. Contact Maureen Russell (Pastoral Assistant) 01505 872905.

LANGBANK

Langbank Parish Church: Rev Dr Ken Forrest. Sunday Services 10am with Sunday School, Creche and young people’s group, the Welcomers. Tea/ coffee af ter the service.

Church ser vice star ts at 10am. Come along and meet in the Hall from 9.50am.

Charity No SC015085.

LOCHWINNOCH

Parish Church: Rev May Bell.

11.30am Morning Service Sunday School and Crèche.

Calder United Free Church: (Church St Lochwinnoch) S u n d ay : 11 a m M o r n i n g worship with Sunday School and Crèche. 6.30pm Evening Fellowship group, 7.30pm ABC’s Teen group. Wed 6.30pm-7.30pm.

Spiritualist Church,Lochlip Rd: All services commence 7.30pm.

QUARRIERS

Mount Zion Church: Law View Road, Quarriers Village. Rev Andy Lunn BSc, 10.30am with Junior Church and Bible Class.

Wednesdays prayer and bible study at 7pm. Fridays prayer and bible study at 10am. Why not come and discover the heart of Christianity with us?

20/11/2015 11:26:40

66

the advertizer

Items For Sale Baby Equipment Graco electric swing with music choices. Mains/ batteries. Unique audio experience with MP3 plug in connection. Features music to sooth baby - 15 tunes. Audio input for MP3 player. Detachable toy bar with 1 toy. £50.

Tel: 01505 872761.

My First Trike (Morrison’s) Brand new, boxed £10.

Tel: 01505 690688.

Mamas and Papas Rocking horse. Immaculate condition and comes complete with saddle, stirrups and reins. Would make ideal Christmas present.

Comes from smoke and pet free home. £80. Tel: 07540 596415 (Langbank).

Travel Cot used only 3 times. £15. Tel: 07866 923306.

Clothes & Shoes 34L Dress trouser black. £15. 34 “ waist. Tel: 07810 815137.

40” Dinner jacket regular. £20. Tel: 07810 815137.

40” Black jacket regular. £10. Tel: 07810 815137.

Gents dinner suit. Jacket 44” chest. Trousers 42” waist. Inside leg 32”. Excellent condition. Cost £200, will sell £25. Tel: 01475 744504.

Ladies size 8 Ted Baker “Neon Poppy Print” dress. This season - still in shops! Cost £159 will sell for £100. Tel: 07752 431 135.

Ladies size 10 Red velvet Monsoon dress. £40. Tel: 07752 431 135.

Household & Garden

Folding bed, excellent condition. Cost £129. Sell £70. Tel: 01505 842075 Brass log box £10, Tel: 07954 364125.

Mattress, single sprung, new condition. Cost £94.

Sell £65. Tel: 01505 842075 DFS two x two seater green leather couches with wood trim and drawers.

Good condition. £200.

Tel: 01505 329309 Kudox Type 21 double panel radiators, 2of 500x800, brand new still wrapped, £60 the pair. Tel: 07939 692722.

Vintage/Retro Beithcraft/ MacIntosh, mahogany extending dining table, with 4 chairs & 2 carvers, easily seats 8, 10 at a push, excellent condition, hardly used. Matching items available. £150. Tel: 07954 364125.

Ikea Corner Work Station - Black/Brown £55. Tel: 07940 719828 or 01505 843485.

Console Table: Beautiful Marks & Spencer dark wood console table, immaculate condition, measurements 75cm tall, 35cm depth, 125cm wide.

Cost £550 sell for £100.

Tel 01505 690658.

Mahogany traditional style computer desk with inlaid leather top. £100ono - Tel: 01505 613489.

Ikea Office Swivel Chair - Red £15. Tel: 07940 719828 or 01505 843485.

6 plain antique dining chairs, in need of upholstering. £50. Tel: 07752 431135.

Quality secondary glazing unit, 3 panel horizontal slider, style is Protec SS3 Reveal Fix with 6mm glass. Colour is Light Oak. Unit size is 115cm x 173cm. £50 Ono. Tel: 01475 540110.

Porcelanosa tiles, sufficient quantity to tile to half wall height a cloaks / wc £40. Tel 07540 596415 (Langbank).

t: 01505 613340

Electrical & Gas Bush retro style radio (Brown/Cream). Mint condition. £60 new, will accept £20. Tel: 01475 744504 Sm a ll f la t scre e n TV / DVD player. Alba make.

Ideal for kitchen/child’s room. £25. Tel: 07951 010557.

Cannon Oakley Gas cooker. Single oven and grill.

White. £50. Tel: 07866 923306.

Black cast iron free standing bottle gas stove. £180.

Tel: 01505 345629.

Fujitsu Lifebook Laptop Windows7 Home Premium 8gb RAM 678gb HDD New Battery Mouse Bag etc £150 ONO Tel: 01505 873 729 Pets Lots of genuine Rotastak hamster housing and includes the starter unit, the maxi mansion and other tubes and sections. It is in very good condition and can all be connected to make a magnificent hamster house. £25. Tel: 01505 613585.

Genuine Rotastak hamster housing. This is the superpod with running wheel and some extra tubes.

It can be connected to any other Rotastak products and is in extremely good condition. £15. Tel: 01505 613585.

Aquarium Tank Aqua one 620T Fresh water or Tank with cabinet to match, comes complete with internal lighting, filter integrated in housing, heater, Gravel & rocks and a few extra’s. £100 secures.

01505 705665.

Large hamster cage - lot of extras. Great condition. £20. Tel: 07951 010557.

Rabbit Hutch - A Good size with separate sleeping area 104cm x 52cm. Comes with waterproof cover for outside use. £20. Tel: 01505 873488.

Sports Girls Riding Boots - Black Leather Jodhpur Boots size 13. £5. Tel: 01505 873488.

Bicycle 27” wheel (black/ white) as new, only been on the road to put under cover. Have safety certificate. Sale due to illness.

Cost £199, sell £135. Tel: 01505 872239 Full set Slazenger golf clubs, Bag/golf master trolley. £125ono. Tel: 0141 840 1760.

Girl’s bike, Apollo Ivory, 20inch, burgundy/white, suit ages 7-10, superb condition, little used, £35.

Tel: 07718 915359.

Kids Apollo Bike (20 inch) - ideal for child age 5 - 8.

Excellent condition, as good as new. Cost £120 sell for £30. Tel: 01505 690658.

Junior Babolat tennis racket 21” blue/white/black. Like new - hardly used. £15.

Tel: 07951 010557 Gents Raleigh Bicycle, upright, with three speed gears. In good condition. £20. Tel: 01475 540752.

Girls White Galaxy Ice Skates size 1 and size 2 £10 a pair. Tel: 01505 873488.

Toys/Games/DVD Boys Red Raleigh Scooter with 12” wheels. Good condition. £25. Tel: 01505 706855.

Megablocks Halo Unsc Rocket Warthog (boxed). £10. Tel: 01505 706855.

Megablocks Halo Covenant Wraith (boxed). £15. Tel: 01505 706855.

Megablocks Halo Covenant Phantom (boxed). £30.

Tel: 01505 706855.

Lego Technic Buggy Model No 8048 (boxed). £20.

Tel: 01505 706855.

Childs Radio Controlled Plane - unused £18. Tel: 07940 719828 or 01505 843485.

ADVERTISING sales & wants ad rates:

UP TO £200 ....... FREE £201 to £500 ..... £5.00 £501 to £1000 ... £10.00 OVER £1000 ..... Call for details.

Use our Sales & Wants form and post to The Gryffe Advertizer, Neva Place, Bridge of Weir, PA11 3PN. or email your items to info@advertizer.co.uk The Business Advertisements (Disclosure) Order 1977

NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS

The Law requires that Advertisers selling goods in the course of a business MUST include the word Trader, Dealer, Agent, Breeder or appropriate wording in the Advertisement to distinguish from private advertisers.

64-67 CLASSIFIED_255_DEC15.ind.indd 66

e: info@advertizer.co.uk Scrabble board game - still wrapped. Age 10+. £7.

Tel: 01505 706855.

Minotaurus Lego Game. £7. Tel: 01505 706855.

Kids French for Beginners Book with CD. £5. Tel: 01505 706855.

Set of 8 Weird & Wacky History box set. £5. Tel: 01505 706855.

Toy Story child’s bike with stabilizers, suit 2-3 year old. Very good condition. £20. Tel: 07517 447946.

“Wave” scooter. Great condition. £10. Tel: 07951 010557 *8* Nerf guns. Great condition. 2 very large ones - all bullets etc. £60 for bundle. Tel: 07951 010557.

3 Hex bugs and track.

Great condition. £15.

Tel: 07951 010557.

Army vest and hard helmet - camouflage. Great for dressing up. Vest is very “real” looking - lots of pockets and adjustable straps. £15. Tel: 07951 010557.

Mini micro scooter, blue.

Used, but in great condition, with mini micro bag and bell £25. Tel: 07791 072282.

Children’s Play Kitchen - a great little pretend play kitchen with accessories. £10. Tel: 01505 873488.

Child’s John Lewis wooden desk (opening lid) and chair. Suit up to 6yrs. £15.

Tel: 07718 915359.

Large football table, solid wood, 5’ x 3’, under 1 year old, excellent condition. £150. Tel: 07478 861147 Bridge of Weir.

Other Items Makita 5704 - 190mm 240V circular saw. Tungsten tipped blade. With case and all in mint condition as used for one small decking project. £60 only.

Tel: 01505 874345.

Hanimex slide carousels (5) and 2 Kindermann carousels, all for 120 slides.

Original boxes. £2 each.

Tel: 01505 321720.

Lightweight foldaway 4 wheel Rollator walking frame with seat, lockable brakes and bag.

Hardly used. £40ono. Tel: 01505 842977.

Electronic cash register Casio SE-C300. Cash till as new. £200 ono. Full instruction manual. Ideal for bar or hospitality use.

More details available.

Tel: 01475 540327.

Simon and Patrick Luther acoustic 6 string guitar.

Woodland spruce model with hard case. Quality guitar with lovely tone and action. £250. Tel: 07951 140842.

Wheel trims 16” new, two tone silver including cable ties. £16. Tel: 07761 114567.

Bike rack for car, as new. £30ono. Tel: 01505 842977 Bosch PFZ 500 E MultiSaw - mint condition.

Complete with case and spare blade assortment. £25. Tel: 07546 562981 (Kilmacolm).

Erbauer ERB380 2100W Router 230-240V - 1/4” / 1/2” collets. Complete with kitchen fitters boxed bit set and 700mm Worktop Jig. All mint condition. £65. Tel: 07546 562981 (Kilmacolm).

Makita 5704RK 190mm Circular Saw 240V. Complete with case. Mint condition, tungsten tipped blade as new. £60. Tel: 07546 562981 (Kilmacolm).

5” enamel elbow 45 degrees for wood stove.

Brand new cost £44, accept £30. Tel: 07517 447946.

2 x 205/50/17 runflat Tyres.

These tyres are NEW Goodyear ultragrip, £120 ono. Tel: 07885 100077.

After 6pm.

Yamaha PSR-175 Portable Keyboard - excellent condition £55. Tel: 07940 719828 or 01505 843485.

Yamaha Keyboard Stand £12. Tel: 07940 719828 or 01505 843485.

Folding Music Stand - £7.

Tel: 07940 719828 or 01505 843485.

Wanted Items

Cash paid for Copy of book Castles and mansions of Renfrewshire and Buteshire by AH Millar. Tel 01505 331094.

Old records Wanted 45`s & LP`s CASH Paid. Tel: 07710 777571.

Black dining room table.

Tel: 01505 506385.

Cash paid for Music CDs ( a few or a lot ). Tel: 0141 882 5594 or 07765 115347.

Yamaha DT 175 MX & DT 125 MX. Yamaha RD 250, 350 & 500 - running or not. Cash waiting. Free collection. Tel: 07951 227767.

3 bed house to buy with garden in Castle Road// Park Rd/Southview Crescent area close to Bridge of Weir Primary School.

Negotiable on assisting with home report costs upon successful completion of sale. Tel: 01505 613642.

Hermes Scarves wanted by collector. Cash paid. Call: 07740 121004.

Free

Cy c l e

Free - Indoor cage for guinea pig. Good condition.

700mm x 450mm. Tel: 01505 873501.

20/11/2015 11:26:42

www.advertizer.co.uk

december 2015

67 67

Advertizers - A to Z

by category Accountants & Financial

Driving Instructors

Home Hardware

Property, Sales & Let

Affluent Financial Planning . . 27 Cheetham & Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 CLA Accountancy Services Ltd . . 26 Fergusons CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Fiona Christie Accounting Serv . . 27 Stewart Independent Financial . . 1

Alistair McMahon Driving . . . 45 Alistair Stewart - Driving Ins . . 3 Paul Ferguson - Confidence . . 7

First Domestics . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Gibb Stuart Ironmongers . . . . 23,37

Education

Casa Homes & Gardens Architect . . 7 CRW Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Ideal Flooring Service . . . . . 5 Orchard Flooring . . . . . . . . . . 19

Baillie & Baillie Estate Agent . . 27 Corum Property . . . . . . . . 29,30,31 Kingsley Wood & Co Solicitors . . 1 Lind Letting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk

Architectural Services Architectural Drawings . . . . . 27 Casa Homes & Gardens Architect . . 7 Grid Design Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Art, Gifts & Flowers Bespoke Hampers & Gifts . . . .

Crafts of Calder Gallery . . .

Paisley Artists Annual Exhibit . .

Vouch For That . . . . . . . . . . . .

41 14 19 13

Audio & Music Services Beneli Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Automotive Services Affordable Car Leasing . . . . . 33 AK Vehicle Rental . . . . . . . . . 1 Chips Away . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Collins Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Gryffe Garage Motor Engineers . . 33

Bathrooms Affordable Luxuries . . . . . . . 7 CRW Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 G Woods Bathrooms . . . . . . . . . 6

Bedrooms Burndale Workshop . . . . . . . . . 10

Blacksmith & Metalwork McLaughlan Metal Fabrication . . 44

Building Services A O’Hare - Building Services . . 5 BOW Stone Works . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Bridge of Weir Roofing . . . . . 6 DJD Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49,51 I & J Building & Roofing Serv . . 2 James Kerr Joiner . . . . . . . . . 8 JBC Joiners and Builders . . . 19 Kilellan Roofing . . . . . . . . . . 16 M Addison Joiners & Builders . . 3 MBS Roofing & Building Contrac . . 4 SMG Roofing & Building Contrac . . 2 SW Scott - Joiners & Builders . . 15 Taylor Made Joinery . . . . . . . . 28 Thomas McMaster & Son Ltd . . 57

Business Services Laptop and PC Repairs . . . . . . 26 McLaren Virtual Assistant . . 26

Catering Gadds Gourmet . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Charity Accord Hospice . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,24

Cleaning & PowerWash CleanDryCarpets . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Come Clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 DS Cleaning (Windows) . . . . . . 14 Gryffe Roofing Services . . . . 15 MattVac Carpet & Upholstery Cl . . Bk Nutech Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Old Mill Chimneys . . . . . . . . . 39 Platinum Cleaning Services . . 5

Coffee Shops Bernie’s Cafe Deli . . . . . . . . . 39 Cross Cafe Kilmacolm . . . . . . . 40 Willow Cafe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Computer, IT & Web ColCom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Computer Repairs . . . . . . . . . . 1 Laptop and PC Repairs . . . . . . 26

Councillor Gavin Newlands MP . . . . . . . . . 8

Driveways A&G Driveways . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk

St Columba’s School . . . . . . . . 41

Electricians Bell Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Lamont Electricians . . . . . . . . 3 MAS Electrical & Security . . 2

Fencing Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 McLaughlan Metal Fabrication . . 44

Firewood & Logs Auldton Stoves . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,9 LJX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Miller BioFuels Ltd . . . . . . . . 6 The Firewood Barn . . . . . . . . . 45 W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Framing Crafts of Calder Gallery . . . 14

Funeral Services Beaton Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . 47 John Roach Funeral Directors . . 3

Garage Doors & Gates Powerdoors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk

Garden Service & Design 3D Garden Design . . . . . . . . . . 50 A Peebles Landscape Contractor . . 49 Apple Tree Garden Design . . . 52 Casa Homes & Gardens Architect . . 7 Craig Kennedy Gardening . . . . 22 DJD Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49,51 DMG Garden Services . . . . . . . . 50 Garden Services . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Glenmoss Landscapes . . . . . . . . 49 Gowanlea Nurseries . . . . . . . . . 11,11 I & J Building & Roofing Serv . . 2 MJ Lawnmowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 R Williams Tree Surgeon & Grou . . 52 SP Groundcare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 48 West of Scotland Landscape . . 53

Gas & Heating Services A&J Plumbing Heating & Gas . . 15 C Hunter Plumbing Heating Gas . . 2 GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 I D Plumbing & Heating . . . . . 5 JBM Plumbing & Heating . . . . . 2 Mackie Plumbing & Heating . . 15 Phoenix Gas Services . . . . . . . 1

Glazier 1on1 Double Glazing . . . . . . . . 3 Cloudy2Clear Windows Glasgow . . 5 JayBee Double Glazing Repairs . . 15 TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Hairdressers & Barbers Arlene Mitchell Hair & Beauty . . 40 Ashes Hair & Beauty . . . . . . . . 41 Bridge of Weir Barbers . . . . . 38 JR’s Hairdressing . . . . . . . . . 2 Nix Hairdressing . . . . . . . . . . 40

Health, Beauty & Fitness Arlene Mitchell Hair & Beauty . . 40 Ashes Hair & Beauty . . . . . . . . 41 Bluewater Dental . . . . . . . . . . 10 Clyde Physiotherapy and Pilate . . 59 Decorus Beauty . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Ferringtons Hypnotherapy . . . 3 Kilbarchan Chiropodists . . . . 46 Kilbarchan Dental Practice . . 17 LaserLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 NLP Positive Changes . . . . . . . 18 Sole Solutions Podiatry . . . . 40 The Osteopaths . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

never miss an issue again! visit www.advertizer.co.uk or http://free.yudu.com/library/18833/Gryffe-Advertizer-issues

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64-67 CLASSIFIED_255_DEC15.ind.indd 67

Home Improvements

Removals @ease Removals & Transport . . 45 The Right Move . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Home Interiors

Restaurant & Bars

Baytree Interiors . . . . . . . . . 5 Burndale Workshop . . . . . . . . . 10 Old Mill Chimneys . . . . . . . . . 39 The Furniture Barn . . . . . . . . . 45

Bernie’s Cafe Deli . . . . . . . . . 39

Home Security Bell Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Brookfield Alarms Ltd . . . . . . 13

Joiners CLH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 DJY Joinery Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 2 James Kerr Joiner . . . . . . . . . 8 JBC Joiners and Builders . . . 19 JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 M Addison Joiners & Builders . . 3 McGowan Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . 14 SMG Roofing & Building Contrac . . 2 SW Scott - Joiners & Builders . . 15 Taylor Made Joinery . . . . . . . . 28 TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Woodburn & Beattie Joiners . . 15

Retail Alexander Barr Coal Merchant . . 6 Gibb Stuart Ironmongers . . . . 23,37 McDowall Butchers Ltd . . . . . . 12 Saks & Hart Country Living . . 8 Seasons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 The Furniture Barn . . . . . . . . . 45 Vouch For That . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Wild Rose Flowers Ltd . . . . . . 6

Roofing Bridge of Weir Roofing . . . . . 6 Bryan Slaven Slater & Plaster . . 42 Gryffe Roofing Services . . . . 15 I & J Building & Roofing Serv . . 2 Kilellan Roofing . . . . . . . . . . 16 MBS Roofing & Building Contrac . . 4 SMG Roofing & Building Contrac . . 2 SW Scott - Joiners & Builders . . 15 Thomas McMaster & Son Ltd . . 57

Kitchens

Solicitors

Affordable Luxuries . . . . . . . 7 Burndale Workshop . . . . . . . . . 10 CRW Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 G Woods Bathrooms . . . . . . . . . 6 JBC Joiners and Builders . . . 19 Taylor Made Joinery . . . . . . . . 28

Affinity Family Law Experts . . 3 Kingsley Wood & Co Solicitors . . 1

Locksmiths

Special Occasions ABC Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk

Stoves Auldton Stoves . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,9

Taxis & Minicoach hire

Arco Locksmith . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Elliott Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Houston Locksmiths . . . . . . . . . 3

ABC Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk Johnstone TOA Taxi Co . . . . . . 45

Tiling

Painters & Decorators A Gallagher Painter&Decorator . . 15 David Kennedy Decorator . . . . 3 Ian Livingston Decorating . . 16 James Martin - Painter & Decor . . 3 John H Barney . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 John Morgan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 M&E Painters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 McDonald Decorators . . . . . . . . 44 Ranfurly Decor . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Pet Services & Training Barking Mad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Happy Rambles . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 PetVets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Smart Dog Grooming . . . . . . . . . 62 Suzanne’s Grooming Pad . . . . . 63

G J Tiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Gordon James Ceramic Tiler . . 14 Scott Russell . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Travel Agents Travel Actually . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Tree Surgeon Branch Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Glenmoss Landscapes . . . . . . . . 49 LJX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 48

TV & Satellite Derek McBride Aerials . . . . . . 7 Kieran Turner Aerial&Satellite . . 3

Upholstery Services P Thomson Upholstery . . . . . . . 2

Plasterers

Window Cleaners

Bryan Slaven Slater & Plaster . . 42 Charlie Orr Plasterer . . . . . . 5 James Kerr Joiner . . . . . . . . . 8 Kilellan Roofing . . . . . . . . . . 16

DS Cleaning (Windows) . . . . . . 14 Gryffe Roofing Services . . . . 15

Window, Consv & Repair

Plumbers A&J Plumbing Heating & Gas . . 15 C Hunter Plumbing Heating Gas . . 2 G Woods Bathrooms . . . . . . . . . 6 GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 I D Plumbing & Heating . . . . . 5 JBM Plumbing & Heating . . . . . 2 JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Mackie Plumbing & Heating . . 15 Shower Expert . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

1on1 Double Glazing . . . . . . . . 3 Art Windows and Doors . . . . . . 13,Bk JayBee Double Glazing Repairs . . 15 TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

@ease Removals & Transport . . 45 1on1 Double Glazing . . . . . . . . 3 3D Garden Design . . . . . . . . . . 50 A Gallagher Painter&Decorator . . 15 A O’Hare - Building Services . . 5 A Peebles Landscape Contractor . . 49 A&G Driveways . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk A&J Plumbing Heating & Gas . . 15 ABC Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk Accord Hospice . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Affinity Family Law Experts . . 3 Affluent Financial Planning . . 27 Affordable Car Leasing . . . . . 33 Affordable Luxuries . . . . . . . 7 AK Vehicle Rental . . . . . . . . . 1 Alexander Barr Coal Merchant . . 6 Alistair McMahon Driving . . . 45 Alistair Stewart - Driving Ins . . 3 Apple Tree Garden Design . . . 52 Architectural Drawings . . . . . 27 Arco Locksmith . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Arlene Mitchell Hair & Beauty . . 40 Art Windows and Doors . . . . . . 13,Bk Ashes Hair & Beauty . . . . . . . . 41 Auldton Stoves . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Baillie & Baillie Estate Agent . . 27 Barking Mad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Baytree Interiors . . . . . . . . . 5 Beaton Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Bell Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Beneli Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Bernie’s Cafe Deli . . . . . . . . . 39 Bespoke Hampers & Gifts . . . . 41 Bluewater Dental . . . . . . . . . . 10 Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 BOW Stone Works . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Branch Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Bridge of Weir Barbers . . . . . 38 Bridge of Weir Roofing . . . . . 6 Brookfield Alarms Ltd . . . . . . 13 Bryan Slaven Slater & Plaster . . 42 Burndale Workshop . . . . . . . . . 10 C Hunter Plumbing Heating Gas . . 2 Casa Homes & Gardens Architect . . 7 Charlie Orr Plasterer . . . . . . 5 Cheetham & Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Chips Away . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 CLA Accountancy Services Ltd . . 26 CleanDryCarpets . . . . . . . . . . . 43 CLH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Cloudy2Clear Windows Glasgow . . 5 Clyde Physiotherapy and Pilate . . 59 ColCom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Collins Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Come Clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Computer Repairs . . . . . . . . . . 1 Corum Property . . . . . . . . 29,30,31 Crafts of Calder Gallery . . . 14 Craig Kennedy Gardening . . . . 22 Cross Cafe Kilmacolm . . . . . . . 40 CRW Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 David Kennedy Decorator . . . . 3 Decorus Beauty . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Derek McBride Aerials . . . . . . 7 DJD Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49,51 DJY Joinery Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 2 DMG Garden Services . . . . . . . . 50 DS Cleaning (Windows) . . . . . . 14 Elliott Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Fergusons CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Ferringtons Hypnotherapy . . . 3 Fiona Christie Accounting Serv . . 27 First Domestics . . . . . . . . . . . 14 G J Tiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 G Woods Bathrooms . . . . . . . . . 6 Gadds Gourmet . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Garden Services . . . . . . . . . . . 50 GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Gavin Newlands MP . . . . . . . . . 8 Gibb Stuart Ironmongers . . . . 23,37 Glenmoss Landscapes . . . . . . . . 49 Gordon James Ceramic Tiler . . 14 Gowanlea Nurseries . . . . . . . . . 11 Grid Design Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 7

contact

The Gryffe Advertizer All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

The Gryffe Advertizer cannot be held responsible for unsolicited materials. The views and opinions by contributors in this magazine may not represent the views of the publishers. The Gryffe Advertizer takes no responsibility for claims made by advertisements in this publication.

Gryffe Garage Motor Engineers . . 33 Gryffe Roofing Services . . . . 15 Happy Rambles . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Houston Locksmiths . . . . . . . . . 3 I & J Building & Roofing Serv . . 2 I D Plumbing & Heating . . . . . 5 Ian Livingston Decorating . . 16 Ideal Flooring Service . . . . . 5 James Kerr Joiner . . . . . . . . . 8 James Martin - Painter & Decor . . 3 JayBee Double Glazing Repairs . . 15 JBC Joiners and Builders . . . 19 JBM Plumbing & Heating . . . . . 2 JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 John H Barney . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 John Morgan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 John Roach Funeral Directors . . 3 Johnstone TOA Taxi Co . . . . . . 45 JR’s Hairdressing . . . . . . . . . 2 Kieran Turner Aerial&Satellite . . 3 Kilbarchan Chiropodists . . . . 46 Kilbarchan Dental Practice . . 17 Kilellan Roofing . . . . . . . . . . 16 Kingsley Wood & Co Solicitors . . 1 Lamont Electricians . . . . . . . . 3 Laptop and PC Repairs . . . . . . 26 LaserLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Lind Letting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk LJX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 M Addison Joiners & Builders . . 3 M&E Painters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Mackie Plumbing & Heating . . 15 MAS Electrical & Security . . 2 MattVac Carpet & Upholstery Cl . . Bk MBS Roofing & Building Contrac . . 4 McDonald Decorators . . . . . . . . 44 McDowall Butchers Ltd . . . . . . 12 McGowan Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . 14 McLaren Virtual Assistant . . 26 McLaughlan Metal Fabrication . . 44 Miller BioFuels Ltd . . . . . . . . 6 MJ Lawnmowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Nix Hairdressing . . . . . . . . . . 40 NLP Positive Changes . . . . . . . 18 Nutech Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Old Mill Chimneys . . . . . . . . . 39 Orchard Flooring . . . . . . . . . . 19 P Thomson Upholstery . . . . . . . 2 Paisley Artists Annual Exhibit . . 19 Paul Ferguson - Confidence . . 7 PetVets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Phoenix Gas Services . . . . . . . 1 Platinum Cleaning Services . . 5 Powerdoors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk R Williams Tree Surgeon & Grou . . 52 Ranfurly Decor . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Saks & Hart Country Living . . 8 Scott Russell . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Seasons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Shower Expert . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Smart Dog Grooming . . . . . . . . . 62 SMG Roofing & Building Contrac . . 2 Sole Solutions Podiatry . . . . 40 SP Groundcare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 St Columba’s School . . . . . . . . 41 Stewart Independent Financial . . 1 Suzanne’s Grooming Pad . . . . . 63 SW Scott - Joiners & Builders . . 15 Taylor Made Joinery . . . . . . . . 28 TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Firewood Barn . . . . . . . . . 45 The Furniture Barn . . . . . . . . . 45 The Osteopaths . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 The Right Move . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Thomas McMaster & Son Ltd . . 57 Travel Actually . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Vouch For That . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 48 West of Scotland Landscape . . 53 Wild Rose Flowers Ltd . . . . . . 6 Willow Cafe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Woodburn & Beattie Joiners . . 15

us

Neva Place, Bridge of Weir PA11 3PN t: 01505 613340 or e: info@advertizer.co.uk For more information please call us on 01505 613340 or check our website at www.advertizer.co.uk

Next Issue: (#256) January ‘16 Deadline: Wed 09 December

20/11/2015 11:26:43

68

t: 01505 613340

e: info@advertizer.co.uk

December 2015 No.255

Distribu

• Bishop • Bridge • Brookfi • Eldersl • Housto • Howwo • Kilbarc • Kilmac • Langb • Lochw • Quarri

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Santa’s Sleigh will arrive: HOUSTON 1st - 7th December Also...

BRIDGE OF WEIR 11th - 16th December See inside for full details.

01+68 COVER_255_DEC15.ind.indd 68

19/11/2015 14:44:23

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Brookfield 8th December | Kilmacolm 9th & 10th December | Quarriers 12th December