310 OCTOBER 2020 - Gryffe Advertizer

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No.310: OCTOBER 2020 IMAGE: PCPC Raymond Gargaro -Pine Martens

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COVERING: • Bridge of Weir • Brookfield • Houston • HOWWOOD • Kilbarchan • Kilmacolm • Lochwinnoch • Quarriers 24/09/2020 11:46:23

SUPPORT LOCAL

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REMEMBER ALL THE LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES THAT YOU'VE ASKED FOR YEARS & YEARS TO DONATE & SPONSOR YOUR SPORTS CLUBS, SCHOOL EVENTS, ORGANISATIONS, ETC? THEY'RE CALLING IN A FAVOUR.

ANSWER THE CALL. SUPPORT LOCAL. #SCOTLANDLOVESLOCAL #KEEPINGITLOCAL

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PROMOTE YOUR EVENTS!

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e: info@advertizer.co.uk | www.advertizer.co.uk | October 2020

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Normally at this time of year we would be bringing you all the wonderful events leading up to the winter season. Sadly, the annual bonfire and fireworks events are all cancelled this year due to the Coronavirus. Most of the regular sales and fetes are also on the back burner for now. And there will be no pantomimes for 2020 either.

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Thank you everyone for the kind words of ‘welcome back’ that we received after the September issue. It is indeed good to be back, albeit in a slightly different form.

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It’s good to be back! preparing for autumn.....

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Does that all sounds rather gloomy? Well, brighten up because here in Renfrewshire we are very inventive and we still have some events to share with you.

Gryffe Advertizer SEPTEMBER 2020

Contact us!

01505 613340 info@advertizer.co.uk www.advertizer.co.uk @GryffeAds Our office is open but on restricted hours until further notice. Please contact us via email or social media, or leave a phone message, and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

We plan to run regular monthly issues, but delays may be caused due to the ongoing situation.

Please keep an eye on our website and social media for updates.

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As with the summer events, people are getting their heads together and working out how to participate online. Already sold out is a series of Halloween events at Finlaystone, and they are planning more leading up to Christmas. Find out more on their webpage or on Facebook.

Spaces are limited though so get booked asap!

If you’re looking for something to do at the weekend, one kind of event that has managed to restart with safety measures in place is the monthly farmers market. Our closest ones take place in Kilmacolm and Paisley. In fact, the next time the market is on in Kilmacolm, please pay it a visit. We are lucky enough to have some lovely shops and cafes to visit, both for food, essential items and gifts. So while you’re there, pop into the other shops in the village - they would be delighted to see you!

I hate to bring up the ‘C’ word, but with Christmas not that far away, a bit of thinking outside the box may be required this year. Why not do your shopping locally rather than visiting the big, busy shopping centres? A friendly face and less stress can make this whole situation a lot easier to deal with.

Local businesses are offering gift vouchers, which can be ordered online or by phone, and sent directly to your loved one. Or shop for unique and individual gifts in our many lovely shops.

How about putting together a delicious food hamper with produce from our local area? There’s certainly plenty of ideas out there, so best start planning now.

And finally, one benefit of this prolonged ‘stay-at-home’ has been the wonderful countryside that we can all enjoy. The weather certainly has helped, but as a family, we have been able to get out and about on many local walks.

What surprised me though was the number of people in the area who are not aware of many of these easily accessible wanders. Over the next few months we’re hoping to bring some of these to your attention in the magazine. And if there are any you would like us to highlight, please get in touch. Or even better, write up a wee review of the walk with some pictures, and we’ll feature it in a future issue.

We do indeed live in a wonderful part of the world! And remember...

Shop local - Be friendly!

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in this issue.....

Advertizer directory Bishopton Development Trust Christmas Eve Pyjamas classified ads Community Fund events Fun palaces renfrewshire grasping the nettle gryffe camera club HISTORY LEAP Volunteer Opportunity Outdoors local public defib sites Pedal it Purple PETS rascally dinners Renfrewshire Christmas Toy Bank Rotary news Sales & Wants schools & clubs Scottish Huntington’s fundraiser Startup Summit Strictly come prancing 2021 the 11/11 challenge Useful NUMBERS village news your local councillors 02-05 INTRO 310 OCTOBER 2020.indd 4

50 06 10 48 12 36-39 10 39 39 18 08 14-19 47 38 19 39 08 06 & 12 49 40-47 08 10 38 12 44 20-35 47

schools: duchal nursery

Outdoors: SEMPLE STORIES

CLUBs: ranfurly castle golf

community fund

schools: houston primary

Outdoors: clyde muirshiel

CLUBs: kilmacolm golf club

Outdoors: beekeepers

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e: info@advertizer.co.uk | www.advertizer.co.uk | October 2020

Cover image: Pine Martins by Raymond Gargaro

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PCPC: Richard Bennett’s “Bear Family”

Paisley Colour Photographic Club (PCPC) Like so many things, the Pandemic has had an impact on the operation of the PCPC with its 2019/20 season of Thursday meetings brought to a premature halt in March.

The 2020/21 season will be in the format of online Zoom meetings for our usual range of high quality presentations and judging nights. For anyone with a potential interest in coming to join us in these online meetings, details of when and how can be found on the club’s website via this link https://www.paisleycolour.com/programme The Scottish Photographic Federation Portfolio competition comprises entries from all member clubs throughout Scotland, with the best of the clubs’ projected images, colour prints and monochrome prints all under the scrutiny of the judges.

PCPC had a very good set of results, securing first PCPC: Richard Bennett’s place in the monochrome print section and second in “Wren Singing” the projected images. The irony of a club with Colour in its name winning the Monochrome section is not lost on us! Out of 50 images that were submitted for consideration, 43 were accepted for inclusion in the Portfolio. Additionally, 3 of these images: Raymond Gargaro’s “Sliding” and Richard Bennett’s “Wren Singing” and “Bear Family” scored the maximum 20 points and achieved a judge’s choice award.

The three judge’s choice images are shown here...... you might recognise one from our June cover!

PCPC: Raymond Gargaro’s “Sliding”

Villages Investment Fund Villages are communities with a unique sense of identity, history and heritage that requires to be strengthened and enhanced to retain their unique character and integrity.

Environmental or physical improvements, art works, cultural or design features that enhance the character and identity of the village

£370,000 has been ring fenced from the overall £1.87million fund specifically for investment in Renfrewshire’s villages.

Events or features that strengthen the community and bring together people to celebrate the character and history of the village in a sustainable way

Applications can made up to a maximum of £30,000 for the Villages Investment Fund.

Examples of opportunities that communities might consider which strengthen the character, identity and heritage of the community could include: Unique signage and branding for a community, reflecting its heritage and identity Heritage trails or walks highlighting local points of interest that reference the unique identity of the community Reinstatement, renovation or improvement of features within the community that reflect its identity or history or that are of significance to the community

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The examples above are illustrative and not exhaustive. Innovative and creative projects from community groups that meet the objectives of the fund are welcomed.

Constituted voluntary or community organisations from the following communities are eligible and encouraged to make applications to the ring-fenced Villages Investment Fund: n

Bishopton

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Lochwinnoch

http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/villagesinvestmentfund?s=03

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local news Development Trust News 25th ANNIVERSARY Gryffe Valley Rotary was founded in 1995 and is celebrating twentyfive years of community service and enjoyment. More than £267,000 has been raised (60% for local Community and Youth Services, 40% for International service for a total of 435 projects. Eight Founder Members are still active in the club which currently has 34 members, one Honorary Member and four representatives of Corporate Membership. Faced with the rising average age of members, club committees are actively discussing how to sustain the services that the club provides into the future and seeking views and input from around the Gryffe Valley villages.

Watch this space for news of developments and opportunities!

WEEKLY MEETINGS Gryffe Valley Rotary continues to meet weekly on Wednesday using ZOOM. Recent speaker meetings have been very interesting: • Past President Andrew Macleman talked about “Get Oot, Get Active”, a project he ran when he was Police Community Officer in Lochwinnoch.

It engaged with 13 to 16 year old kids at 5 Children’s Units in the area, providing a week’s activities at Castle Semple • Mariela Gaitlan on Rotaract - clubs which bring together people aged 18-30+ to develop leadership and professional skills and have fun through enterprising activities. There are already Rotaract Clubs in Glasgow and Renfrew and if there is interest Gryffe Valley will consider setting up one here.

Forthcoming speakers include: • Derek Porter CA on a Fraud in the Retail industry on Wednesday 30th September • Dr Donald Macaskill, Chief Executive of Scottish Care, on Wednesday October 28th. Scottish Care are the membership body for independent social care and Donald has appeared many times on TV discussing Care Homes generally and the controversial topic of the spread of Covid19.

Potential new members and those interested in a topic - including those interested in Rotaract and potential Corporate Members - are invited to join these meetings. Please e-mail gryffevalleyrotary@ gmail.com to arrange an invitation.

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An exciting new project to transform the Holmpark playing fields into a community sports and recreation facility is underway in Bishopton.

D r a i n a g e improvement works have now commenced and involve constructing a new culvert under the road and the Community Centre car park which will see a new, supplementary 50-metre long drainage pipe installed that will vastly improve the capacity of the existing drainage system and allow areas of the field to be developed into Image courtesy of M. Tomenson new community sports facilities. This is a significant investment by the Bishopton Community Development Trust and forms the first phase of improvements to the Holmpark field. The works are being delivered by Mackenzie Construction with the technical and project management support of BAE Systems. Scott Wilson, Trust Chairman said ‘this is a significant milestone in the development of Holmpark into a sports and leisure hub for the whole community. We have been developing the plans for the Holmpark site in full consultation with the community and local sports clubs over the past year, and now look forward to being able to move onto further phases of the development following the completion of these drainage works’.

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Fundraising for Scottish Huntington’s Association On Saturday 12th September Margaret Moncrieff and a few friends from Erskine and Langbank did a sponsored Walk of Hope along the side of the Clyde at Erskine to increase awareness of Huntington’s disease and to raise funds for Scottish Huntington’s Association (SHA).

SHA is the only Scottish charity dedicated to helping people affected by Huntington’s disease (HD). HD is a desperately cruel condition which over a period of perhaps as long as 25 years reduces an adult to a state of total dependence for emotional and physical support. Other members of the family may have to accept that this is a genetic condition and every child of a parent with HD has a 50/50 risk of inheriting the faulty gene and therefore developing the condition.

Unfortunately the walkers were not lucky with the weather. It poured! But they battled through it and in the process raised a fantastic £1,351.

Very many thanks to all who contributed.

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Charity Trustee Volunteer Opportunity, LEAP The LEAP Car Club is a charitable organisation with a manager supported by a volunteer Board of Trustees. The current board members are now seeking some more people willing to help with the running of the organisation. Joining a board of trustees is not only fulfilling because you can give back to society, but it can also enhance your own skills along the way. As a trustee you will have the chance to support and shape the work and strategic direction of LEAP, currently a car club but which could expand once again into other areas.

The Board of Trustees provides direction to LEAP, making sure that the charity fulfils its purpose to protect and improve the environment. The Trustees safeguard the charity’s assets and make sure these are used well and that the charity is run sustainably.

The Board is not involved in the day-to-day running of LEAP, but does have to make decisions that affects the organisation and there are some tasks trustees must undertake. We meet about once a month for an hour or so (currently by zoom) with emails in between. No particular experience is required.

If you are willing to have a go, please contact the Leap Board on contactleap.board@gmail.com and we can arrange an informal chat about it.

Thank you - Lesley, Martin and Kevin.

LEAP is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation no. SC044019

Renfrewshire Christmas Toy Bank We know Christmas might seem a million miles away, however we have been working hard behind the scenes coming up with ideas and polices for Covid. Already speaking to referring agencies, we now realise we are preparing for our busiest year yet!

If you own a business or know someone who does - we would like to know if you would be up for acting as a drop off point for us!?

We are also looking for volunteers. Whether you have previously volunteered with us or would like to come on board this year we would love to hear from you!

We are looking for drivers to collect donations from drop off points, and people who can come to the unit to support working with our referring agencies. We’re also looking for help in the unit organising all of the amazing donations as well as making up referrals for all the boys and girls.

Please note PPE will need to be worn and will all be provided by the toy bank. We are going to need all the help we can get this year.

Contact us through our facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/renfrewshirechristmastoybank/ or email rctb2018@hotmail. com

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Women’s Aid - Christmas Eve Pyjamas 2020 Following on from last years 250 pairs of pyjamas so generously donated for the women and children staying in the Renfrewshire Women’s Aid Refuge to wear on Christmas Eve – we’ll be collecting pyjamas and fluffy socks again this year.

If you would like to donate pyjamas and fluffy socks for the women and children, then they can be left with a member of staff in the COOP stores in HOUSTON, BRIDGE OF WEIR and KILBARCHAN from 1st NOVEMBER 2020. I run the Renfrewshire Food Bank Donation Bins in these three stores.

Brand new pyjamas and fluffy socks in the following sizes would be most welcome – Women’s XS – XXL (size 6 – 24), Girls and Boys 0 – 12 years and for Teenage Boys (Men’s size S – XXL) Due to COVID-19, I am only collecting pyjamas and fluffy socks this year. I can’t accept any second-hand clothes, toys, books or baby equipment.

For the women and children escaping from domestic violence (often with only the clothes that they are wearing) – a new pair of pyjamas to wear on Christmas Eve in the safety of the Women’s Aid Refuge truly means so much... Jenny x I can be contacted JennyMeadows10@ outlook.com

Fun Palaces Renfrewshire Make your mark on a new Creative Activity Map for Renfrewshire and join in with Renfrewshire’s Fun Palaces Weekend on the 3rd & 4th October 2020!

Fun Palaces is a UK-wide campaign for community at the heart of culture. Fun Palaces are about anyone and everyone sharing their interests, skills and the things that they love doing; bringing people together to make and strengthen local communities.

Here at Renfrewshire Leisure, we have been working with a range of local partners to deliver lots of fantastic Tiny Revolutions Renfrewshire activities - including ideas for creating simple stop frame animations, colourful twisted braids, 2 metre letters and recycled Buddy-the-Lion masks. Head over to our arts projects page for inspiration...

Building on this programme, to coincide with the Fun Palaces weekend, we will be launching a new interactive Creative Activity Map for Renfrewshire on our website!

More details to be announced! Find out how you can be involved. www.renfrewshireleisure.com/opportunities/

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Start-up Summit 2020 is the place for ambitious entrepreneurs and their teams. A two-day deep dive into all things start-up, SUS20 features 50+ world-leading experts, interactive workshops and a virtual networking space filled with all the support and connections you need.

Join us online on 28th & 29th October 2020 to gain the knowledge, information and connections your company needs to succeed!

This year, we’re inviting leaders from internationally recognised companies to share their insights on key themes, including: Marketing & Sales | Finance & Legal | People & Culture | Innovation & Technology | Growth & Scaling Tickets at www.startup-summit.com Twitter - @Startup_Summit_

Join the conversation

Instagram - @StartupSummit_

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The 11/11 Challenge Take on the 11/11 Challenge and support your Poppy Appeal As we approach the 11th day of the 11th month, we’re asking the nation to raise funds to help serving and ex-serving personnel and their families.

If you’re 5 or 105, we have tons of ideas that you can choose from, all can be done within a safe environment and with minimal resources.

You can take on the challenge in a way that suits you, from baking 11 cupcakes or repurposing 11 items, to running up 11 flights of stairs or knitting 11 poppies for 11 friends – the choices are endless!

Join the nation for a 2 minute silence on 11/11 knowing you’ve made a difference to those who need our help today.

Find out more and order your free fundraising pack at https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/things-to-do/ fundraise-for-us/11-11-challenge/

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Affluent Financial Planning Ltd Community Fund 2020 has been very tough year for many small community groups and local charities in dealing with the impact of the Covid19 pandemic. We are still in lockdown and it may be some months before we get back to some sort of new normal. However, these small groups continue to feel the financial effects of the pandemic, with some unable to complete projects and others fighting for survival.

The Affluent FP Community Fund based in Bridge of Weir is open and available to local community groups seeking funding. We have helped a number of local groups including Brighter Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire Foodbank, Whitefeather Charitable Aid and a 2 year sponsorship of St Columba’s School Pipe Band.

Grants of between £100 and £2500 are approved each quarter and an application form for funding can be obtained from our website “http://www.affluentfp.co.uk/community-fund”www.affluentfp. co.uk/community-fund

Rotary Gryffe Valley 25th Anniversary Fundraiser for ENDPOLIO NOW Over the years the club has supported the highly successful Rotary International campaign to eliminate polio worldwide by organising immunisation campaigns. Polio is now endemic in only two countries and the number of cases per year of this dreadful disease has been reduced by 99.9%. In the last ten years, Gryffe Valley has donated nearly £12000 to this cause, much raised through Annual Curry Nights in partnership with the Shimla Cottage restaurant in Bridge of Weir, often organised to coincide with WORLD POLIO DAY (24thOctober 2020 this year). The END POLIO campaign continues with the target of totally eliminating the disease.

Rotary International has set up a remarkable matched funding arrangement that means that every pound donated is matched with five pounds from Rotary Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. So a donation of £20 will be worth £120 to the ENDPOLIO campaign. This is a great opportunity to make a big impact and donations are being encouraged. Please see www. gryffevalley.rotary1230.org or the Gryffe Valley Rotary Facebook page for details how you can donate to secure the top-p funding.

CARRY-OUT CURRY for ENDPOLIO NOW Members and friends will enjoy a Carry-Out Curry (delivered to your door) arranged in conjunction with Shimla Cottage and meet on Zoom for chat, raffles, music and to hear an update on the ENDPOLIO progress. See www.gryffevalley.rotary1230.org or the Gryffe Valley Rotary Facebook page for details how to join the event which will be held on Thursday 22nd October. Book by 16th October please. Due to the multiplier (above) each ticket (price £20) will be worth more than £50 to ENDPOLIO!

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out & about

Clyde Muirshiel News Park Facilities Update

Outdoor Learning with the Ranger Service

All car parks and trails are open for autumnal walks, runs and cycles.

Castle Semple café is open for takeaway limited hours (closed Wednesday). Please continue to keep appropriate distance from other visitors and use good hygiene measures.

The Ranger Service are now available to take bookings for outdoor education. Contact rangers.castlesemple@clydemuirshiel.co.uk for Muirshiel and Castle Semple Rangers or rangers.cut@clydemuirshiel. co.uk for Greenock Cut (and Lunderston Bay) Rangers.

October Week Sailing Courses for Kids

Wildlife Spots

Running in the October school holiday week we have two sailing courses for youths aged 8-15 yrs. There’s a stage 1 that covers all the introductory skills for beginners, Monday - Thursday in the mornings, priced at £100. If you have done a little sailing before there’s a stage 2 in the afternoons, also £100. It would be a great treat with a little adventure in a safe environment with our experienced instructors.

Book online today!

Look out for orpine at the Aird Meadow. This plant may be mistaken for the related ice-plant, but orpine has leaves that are alternate whilst ice plant’s leaves are opposite one another. Devil’sbit scabious can also be seen this late in the season with peacock butterflies and red admirals feeding on it as last minute fuelling for their winter hibernation.

Muirshiel Country Park’s Road Resurfaced If the potholes within Muirshiel Country Park were putting you off visiting, fear no more! There’s now lovely smooth tarmac all the way to the Visitor Centre. Local Cycling Club Ride63 have enjoyed road biking all the way to the main car park.

Volunteers Resume We expect our conservation volunteer groups to resume shortly.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page for information on what the revised sessions will entail.

Join us online: www.clydemuirshiel.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/Clydemuirshielregionalpark Twitter & Instagram @Clydemuirshiel #Clydemuirshiel

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Kilbarchan Smile Kilbarchan Smile volunteers hosted a covid secure Tattie Pick in the Gateway Community Garden and in plots around the village. The group has been hard at work, while observing physical distancing, maintaining the garden patches from the Rose Garden opposite the Weaver’s Cottage, the Barrels on the Green, Steeple Street Garden next to Bobbins, the Traffic Lights Border opposite the Bog Park and the Gateway Garden on Cartside Terrace by the roundabouts.

Colourful Kilmacolm In a year when it seems that virtually everything is being done virtually, Colourful Kilmacolm is no exception. However, although we have held a virtual AGM and several virtual committee meetings, our floral displays have been the real deal. Admittedly we had to work a little harder to source our plants, but in the end we got there and did not have to resort to plastic flowers. (Just a joke, we would never go that far!)

Restrictions have meant that we could not involve our volunteer gardeners, including our helpful local Explorer Scouts, in planting, weeding and watering. Instead, committee members have carried out these tasks while observing social distancing. Most of us would have preferred a sunnier July to September period, but at least it reduced the need for constant watering.

Our displays should continue to perform well into October, before being removed to make way for spring bulbs. It would be nice to think that by the time they are flowering we might be enjoying a more normal life, but whatever the situation Colourful Kilmacolm will ensure that the village continues to benefit from beautiful floral displays.

If you would like to be involved, either actively or by donating, visit www.colourfulkilmacolm.org.uk or phone Peter (01505 872448) or Liz (07963 973031) for more information.

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Semple Stories, Lochwinnoch’s Glories update

Wow, what a journey we’ve all been on recently but the project and its volunteers keep going, in a physically distanced manner, of course! Although the project is nearing the end and COVID has been a major stumbling block there will be self-led walks for Muirshiel and Lochwinnoch that you will be able to access and download information for from the Clyde Muirshiel website. These were intended to be guided but, that’s a wee bit more difficult now. There will also be activities aimed at primary schools and families, again, downloadable from the website and includes peevers, curling (without ice) and an old game called bullets.

There will also be audio posts around Castle Semple Country Park and one at the Muirshiel mine with stories from local residents about living and working in Lochwinnoch.

Three new interpretation boards have just been put in at Castle Semple visitor centre, close to the loch, to whet your appetite about the Sempills and McDowalls and what they did for the Lochwinnoch parish, and one board reflecting on the life of the village with some personal tales.

Keep an eye on the Clyde Muirshiel website and the Semple Stories, Lochwinnoch’s Glories Facebook page for further updates!

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Kilbarchan & District Beekeepers Association The leaves may be falling and the flowers fading but during October nature has one last gift to give bees and other insects.

Ivy in gardens and hedgerows has flowers that produce a precious last source of nectar.

A storehouse of food to help bees prepare for winter and feed those who will survive the coldest wettest months to keep their colony alive. So a plea for gardeners to leave pruning until spring This autumn things have been quite different for members of the Kilbarchan and District Beekeepers Association. No annual honey show is possible, and meetings being planned to continue online after our first successful virtual gathering in September. Over thirty members took part all enjoying an amusing talk on the mistakes beekeepers make! Yet despite restrictions new members have joined the Association over the summer months with the intention of having their own hives and learning how to manage them.

Hopefully, it will be the start of a fascinating and rewarding hobby and they are all being given advice and mentoring by mentors from KDBA. With winter approaching we should be valuing our bees even more and helping them through the dark Scottish months ahead. Meanwhile beekeepers will be completing their honey extraction and making wax into candles and other products.

Nothing is wasted, even a substance called propolis which is used to seal the hives can be used in cosmetics such as lip balm and healing creams, it is said to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

If you are interested in beekeeping yourself, please contact our secretary via helenaj@gmail.com who will provide more detail of our association and how to join. We have a Facebook page which is reserved for members and beekeeping friends, but anyone can follow us on Twitter@KilbarchanBees.

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RSPB Lochwinnoch Nature Reserve We’re open again as of Monday 14th September, and are changing our opening times still 7 days a week but from 10am – 4pm. Our visitor centre won’t be the same pre – covid. But we have made our retail space larger and safer, with our usual and much-loved RSPB products for sale. For visitors that just want to access the trails if we are not set up outside, then we have our own visitor engagement space inside.

Our winter migrants will be thinking about coming to visit us soon, our Whooper swans, Goldeneye, Pochard, Teal and Widgeon.

We have just completed our new scrape; this area will encourage waders to come to feed.

Bridge Of Weir Horticultural Society As forecast, September was a cocktail of weather conditions but a warm spell mid-month helped gardeners get on with an Autumnal tidy up. Late flowering perennials, such as elegant Acteas and frothy Gauras continued with a cheery show, as did the ever-reliable Potentillas and smaller shrubs such as Hebes or Sedums – popular with butterflies.

Some recent wildlife highlights seen at the reserve have been Marsh and Hen harriers, with pink footed geese flying overhead. Also, an American wood duck at Castle Semple, Nuthatch at our feeding station and an otter spotted on the Airds Meadow loch.

So, come and walk our trails, enjoy the beautiful views you never know what you might see!

Coming into their own are Callicarpas, which produce leaves in late Spring, followed by a display of purple-tinted leaves and tiny, pink flowers. These will soon become shiny glaucous purple berries.

Autumn Heathers also provide great ground cover and require minimum care. Foliage plants always lift interest when gardens are between seasons, such as a Phormiums and Acers in a range of reds or maroon shades, silver-leaved Senecio (including the new introduction ‘Angel Wings’ but note, this is frost tender) or shrubs with variegated leaves. Don’t forget Autumnal bulbs such as Nerines and Colchicums. The latter are best in larger gardens because of the foliage which appears after the crocus-type flower is over. The delicate Kaffir Lily, Shizolstylis is also a border brightener in autumn.

Members set themselves the challenge of growing Chillis. These germinated well so members had as many young plants as they could manage, particularly as we were not able to give any to BoW Primary as planned! When growth was compared, they all developed at different rates and some fell by the wayside, after developing white fly/aphid infestations. By now Chillis should be ready for use and more feedback can be found in the Society’s E-Newsletter.

If you don’t feed birds throughout the year, now is the time to buy in mealworms, sunflower seeds and peanuts for the autumn.

Robins are laying claim to their territories, so one will be watching your efforts from a nearby lookout! Blackbirds have stripped the berries from Cotoneasters and other berry-laden trees. Geese are flying overhead on their way North and look out for Fieldfares, large Thrush-like birds, as they feast on berries on their migration South.

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Microchip Details Its always worthwhile to take a minute to check your pet’s details so your furry friend can always be returned safely should they wander away. If you have changed any of your contact details such as your phone number or you have moved house, don’t forget to update your pets microchip details. It could be what helps reunite you with them if they are lost or stolen.

Kilbarchan Litter Pick Kilbarchan Smile’s Big Autumn Clear Up on September the 20th brought the community’s, physically distanced, litter pickers out to work. The discarded face masks have been a new problem this time, but thanks to everyone who gave their time the village is now a cleaner and safer place. Anyone wanting to join the regular ‘doorstep pickers’ can get in touch at hello@ kilbarchansmile.co.uk or 07952 169341.

Local history Johnstone History Society The Museum has now been open two weeks and numbers are beginning to pick up as people become aware we are open. Our opening hours remain the same 10.30am till 4pm Wednesday Friday and Saturday. We are following Government guidelines so face coverings must been worn and hands sanitized .

We are very sorry to announce that until at least the New Year we will not be holding any of our monthly meetings.

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pets Arthritis Arthritis is a painful degenerative condition of the joints caused by erosion of the cartilage in the joint leading to chronic pain and reduced mobility. It is very common in our pets, affecting 20% of adult dogs and 50% of cats over 10 years old.

Arthritis is most commonly seen in older animals but is also more common in certain breeds, in cases of previous joint injury and in overweight animals.

Signs of arthritis can include: •

Limping

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Reduced activity

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Resenting being stroked in certain areas

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Sleeping more

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Increased grumpiness

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Withdrawing from interaction with owners/ other animals

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Increased clinginess

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Chewing or licking joints

Treatment of arthritis is normally with a combination of medication and lifestyle changes.

Joint supplements are used to aid flexibility, protect remaining

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cartilage and may help reduce inflammation. Anti-inflammatory medications are used to reduce inflammation and pain. Additional pain relief can be provided in cases of severe arthritis using opioid medications.

Control of exercise routine to provide regular, gentle exercise helps prevent joints stiffening up. Hydrotherapy (controlled swimming exercise) is a good option for some patients.

Weight management to maintain an ideal body weight is an important factor in control of arthritis as being overweight increases the strain on joints.

Ensuring your pet keeps warm and dry and has a comfortable bed to sleep on can also help reduce joint pain. Aids such as orthopaedic foam beds, ramps, steps, low sided litter trays, etc can also help your pet keep comfortable.

Complimentary therapies such as physiotherapy and acupuncture can be used in addition to medication and lifestyle changes.

In severe cases of arthritis where good pain control is not possible surgery such as joint replacement can be an option.

NOVEMBER DEADLINE WEDNESDAY 14TH OCTOBER INFO@ADVERTIZER.CO.UK WWW.ADVERTIZER.CO.UK 01505 613340

DELIVERY BEGINS 27TH OCTOBER

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village news ward 1 - inverclyde Cllr David Wilson Kilmacolm Our schools are back, up and running full time. The original Scottish Government schools recovery plan was for secondary schools to open 50% and a mixture of times for primaries.

Staff have worked really hard to achieve the current structure, which is best for our pupils. There is much to catch up. School transport in Inverclyde costs £2.4m per annum and is negotiated on behalf of the Council by SPT. The Scottish standard for free school transport is over 3 miles for secondary and over 2 miles for primary schools. We are 2 miles and 1 mile.

We are proud of our Duke of Edinburgh’s Award success having 236 youngsters achieve Bronze, Silver or Gold in 2019. Unfortunately another casualty of Covid 19 this year. Parents were compensated by the council for monies lost on cancelled school trips last term.

Stuart Clark has left PGHS for pastures new in East Renfrewshire. He is a great loss as from day one he impressed with his principle of improving performance and subsequent outcomes for the young people in his keep.

Big shoes to fill. We wish his successor well.

I sit on the Council’s Recovery Sounding Board. We oversee the workings of a multi disciplined structure of Educational, Humanitarian and Economic recovery groups. The latter has significant Inverclyde business leaders on board. As we move on it will be necessary to contemplate the last 8 months for the purposes of learning for the future. The direction from the Scottish Government to block purchase 50 additional beds in care homes across Inverclyde cost a considerable sum. We moved 54 folks from Inverclyde Royal to care homes. The merits or otherwise of this are still to be examined.

The parking restrictions in the village July made under emergency legislation were quickly suspended. This is what can happen without councillor scrutiny.

The B788 at Milton has been completed, the last of the farm roads to be so.

The rubbish bin outside the Co-op has been replaced. Work has stopped on the building, it is rumoured a Bank is involved in the resolution. West Glen Park (the Wee Park) is to have accessible play equipment installed. There was a complaint about dog poo in the park, this is a no no. Our wardens issued 30 fines last year for this offence. We are contacting the owners of Balrossie to have it boarded up. If they do not we will. In the meantime wardens and Police are patrolling the site.

The Cargill has opened under strict Covid 19 national guidance. Names and addresses must be given. No groups or societies yet. The library should have opened on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday basis.

I can be contacted on: david.wilson@inverclyde.gov.uk 01475 741969, 712075 and 07766 992294.

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The Bridge 63 Main Street, Bridge of Weir Good News from The Bridge - On Tuesday 1st September, opening hours of The Bridge changed. We are open for 6 days each week.

The hours will be 10am to 1pm, Monday to Saturday inclusive, and from 2pm to 5pm on Monday.

Post Office - with our banks either closed or opening on a part-time basis please remember you can make cash withdrawals and pay cheques into your bank account through our post office counter. Donald , Stuart and Alison will be happy to assist with your banking needs and all other postal services.

The Bridge preparations are well under way for Christmas.

From the middle of October our selection of Christmas Cards, Wrapping Paper, Tags, Diaries and Money Wallets will be on sale.

Alison Bannerman, local artist and trustee of The Bridge, has designed a Christmas Card for 2020. A further selection of “The Bridge” charity cards will also be on sale as well as a variety of Traidcraft Cards. All cards, including the ever popular individual “Greetings from Bridge of Weir” will be available from our Christmas display.

Our 2021 Calendar is on sale and makes a perfect gift.

Our thanks again go to the members of the Paisley Colour Photographic Club who have provided stunning photographs. The A4 sized calendar incorporates landmarks around Bridge of Weir.

Hearing Aid Batteries - on production of your yellow Hearing Instrument and Battery Record Book and the signing of the battery receipt sheet, the volunteer on duty will issue you with one battery card for each hearing aid.

Please view The Bridge as the place to go for all your postal and general banking needs and your stationery and greeting card purchases.

Finally a big thank you to all our customers and our dedicated team of volunteers. www.thebridgebridgeofweir.com

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Advertising Feature

What’s growing in your gutter?

Are they clear and ready for Autumnal showers? We can remove moss, plants, silt, twigs etc., that can block the gutter and stop the water from flowing down the spout where it should go, causing them to overflow and potentially causing damage to the outside of your home.

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 on 01505 863 863.

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Pirie Information Centre Bridge of Weir Round about 1984 the then Outreach Committee of Freeland Church felt that because of the church’s position on the Main Street, the Church could be more involved in the community. As a result, after a number of years of planning, the Pirie Information Centre was opened in 1986 staffed by employees whose salaries were paid by the Manpower Services Commission. This ran very successfully until 1988 when funding ran out. Financial support thereafter proved difficult to source, so in order to keep the Centre going, 15 volunteers were recruited from the congregation and the wider community and the centre was again established. A co-ordinator (myself) was appointed in 1989.

The Centre provided a range of information and materials ranging from bus timetables to theatre information, limited DSS leaflets, passport forms, Further Education and leisure classes etc. The Centre also provided a village information leaflet outlining all the organisations within the area. At one time it also established a Helping Hands scheme to help housebound people with small tasks around their home but after a few years. this was not in demand as much as it had been at its outset, so came to a stop The Pirie as it became known, also acted as a host to the Credit Union for a good number of years.

However, with more and more people having access to the internet and therefore able to source their own information, The Pirie has become much quieter in the last few years and latterly, most of the inquiries were mainly for bus timetables. Recently, it was felt that closure for a long period of time because of the COVID 19 situation would not help the situation and so after discussion with the Pirie Board of Management, the decision was made to bring this venture to a close.

The Information Centre has served the village for over 30 years in one form or another. It has helped many people along the way, thanks to a wonderful group of volunteers manning the centre initially three mornings a week and then over the last few years, two mornings per week Freeland Church hopes that this venture has been a useful service in the community through the years and thanks everyone who supported it.

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WARD 11 Cllr Natalie Don Having recently chaired The Villages partnership and attended the Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton and Langbank partnership, it was such a pleasure to see lots of local groups and community organisations receive funding for projects in their areas.

Leading on from that, I want to remind people that aside from the Local Partnership funding, the council do have other funding options available for community groups. One of these is the Village Investment fund which aims to support projects that look to promote and maintain village character and identity. I know how passionate people in Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank are about their areas so I would encourage anyone, if you have an idea about something that could utilise this fund, get in touch with me and I would be happy to discuss the options. This is funding to better our villages, I would really love to see residents in the villages get involved with this.

We have just finished Team Up to Clean Up’s Spotless September challenge in Renfrewshire and despite being a year like no other, the effort of our volunteers has surpassed itself one again. Thank you to every single person who has taken the time to pick up, even just one bit of litter.

As our roads are now pretty much back to pre-lockdown levels, I have been getting several complaints about speeding. Kilbarchan Road and Houston Road in Bridge of Weir and Ferry Road, Greenock Road and Old Greenock Road in Bishopton. Speeding should always be reported to the Police in the first instance but I am always happy to report residents concerns to both the Police and the council to look at options available. I have requested further speed checks are carried out in each of these areas but if you would like any further information, please get in touch.

Due to current guidelines, face to face surgeries are still not recommended. As I try to be as accessible as possible and contactable most days, I do find it a bit strange setting a specific time for remote surgeries but it does give residents a guaranteed chance to discuss issues there and then.

My advice surgeries are therefore still taking place on the first Saturday of the month at 10am. I will be available by phone, email, social media chat or if you would prefer online meetings via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, although I would ask you contact me in advance to arrange this.

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Girlguiding needs you!

Bridge of Weir Were you a Rainbow, Brownie or Guide? Do you remember the fun you had at weekly meetings, camps or sleepovers?

Most importantly, do you remember the leader who made it all possible?

Thanks to the dedication and support of 100,000 amazing volunteers girls and young women have a space where they can be themselves, have fun, form brilliant friendships and gain valuable life skills.

Girlguiding in Bridge of Weir and Kilmacolm have units full of girls - Rainbows (5-7 years), Brownies (7-10 years) Guides (10-14 years) and the Rangers (14-18 years).

We are URGENTLY looking for adult leaders for our Brownie Unit in Bridge of Weir, without more adult help the future of the Unit is in real jeopardy.

Kim Cowling, District Commissioner for Girlguiding Bridge of Weir and Kilmacolm said “We’re really looking for people who are happy to give up a few hours every week. Of course, we will be as flexible as possible but just one night a week would be a fantastic help”.

In return, Girlguiding can offer everyone support, specialised training and the opportunity to develop new skills, meet new people and have fun. It has helped many of our volunteers to learn new skills including leadership and organisational planning that might be of use at work or add value to your CV. If you would like to find out more please log on to www.girlguiding.org.uk/interested

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WARD 11

Cllr James Maclaren Recent heavy rain has once again scoured out the pavement on Clevans Road in Bridge of Weir and I have requested more hard core be put down. Replacement drainage is in the pipe line, so to speak. Once new drainage is laid then council has budgeted for resurfacing of the footpath in the current financial year, however there is a stream running onto the road above the new houses and the council officers are trying to get this sorted.

I was recently contacted by a young man about the condition of Horsewood Park and it has certainly gone downhill since I was a boy. I have requested various tasks such as cutting back overhanging branches, repairs to the footpath etc. It is a lovely park that needs some TLC. It would be great to see a basketball court where the old ice rink used to be but I think that would involve the setting up of a Friends of Horsewood Park group to coordinate funding etc. There are other parks in my ward that could benefit from a “Friends of” group. If you are interested then please let me know.

As mentioned last month in my article about plans to let the grass grow.

Council is calling it biodiversity and has held a 3 week consultation. I managed to distribute a leaflet around areas most affected encouraging residents to let the council know their views. There has been huge opposition from the Queens Drive, Lamont and Chisholm Avenue residents in Bishopton but other areas seem to have remained fairly quiet on the matter. Hopefully my leaflet helped to alert people. As there are plenty of areas that have been left to grow wild, I think it would have been nice of the council to try this experiment in one of these abandoned areas before rolling it out where the grass used to be cut.

I thought it might be useful to give you a list of roads due to be resurfaced this year for my ward. Some of these will already have been resurfaced by the time you read this. I am pleased to see that a good few of them are roads that I have requested: Bishopton: A8 - Greenock Road (at Kingston Rd) 2000 sq m; A8 Greenock Road (at Nether Southbar) 3650 sq m; Station Road 1537 sq m; Bruce Road 1350 sq m.

Bridge of Weir: Carruth Road 1513 sq m; Hazelwood Road 3874 sq m; Ranfurly Road (Kilbarchan to Hazelwood) 3549 sq m; Kilgraston Road (Part) 912 sq m; St Andrews Drive (Part) 3,286 sq m.

Langbank: Middlepenny Road 2339 sq m.

Please note my new surgery details: I am available for face to face meetings but am also available by phone.

For the moment my surgeries will be by telephone only. My mobile number is 07534 148794.

If you have problems getting through on the main council switchboard then you can try contacting me by phone on 0300-300-1291 or by email to cllr.james.maclaren@renfrewshire.gov.uk . I am happy to receive messages via Facebook but I do prefer an email. No community council reports at present but hopefully C Councils will be meeting up before too long. More on www.facebook.com/councillormaclaren

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ward 10 Cllr Audrey Doig Congratulations to Jake Fulton and his Houston Litter Crew, and also the Be Happy Gardening Crew, which have consistently been out volunteering to make Houston a brighter and better community. Many others across Renfrewshire have also done the same, and this has led to Team Up to Clean Up having the highest levels of community engagement out of all Council programmes. I know many were sceptical about the Team Up to Clean Up initiative at the beginning, but I have always believed that the Council and our communities should work together in partnership.

I want to put on record my appreciation to all the Council Departments, and indeed all emergency and essential workers, who have worked throughout the Covid 19 Crisis. I do not think we will be really back to anything approaching normal until a vaccine is found, and I especially feel for those constituents who have been shielding for health reasons since March. I ask everyone to be patient with the Council Departments as all the focus of the Council has been on delivering emergency services to many vulnerable groups, so many normal civic activities have halted.

Houston & Killellan Kirk Carnival Despite the carnival being unable to go ahead we have still managed to raise some funds for the church and community projects. We have now finalised the total and we are delighted to share with you that we have raised £4,688!! The money was raised from all the advertising in the programme. There was also a raffle which was done online and very successful. Here is a list of the winners.

• Sue Campbell: Bernies - £20 afternoon tea voucher • Matthew Alexander: Amaretto- £50 voucher • Thomas Langley: Gowanlea Nurseries - £20 voucher • Ian Spearing: Strathgryffe Tennis, Squash and Fitness Club: 3 month family membership • Karen Wyaat: The River Inn - £50 meal voucher • Francis Kinloch: Shimla Cottage - £40 meal for 2 in restaurant • Helen Dunn: Slimming World - 12 week countdown membership voucher • Sheila McHarg: Home Fire Protection Scotland - Bottle of champagne • Irene McLaughlin: Harrods Dry Cleaning - £20 voucher

Soon the results of the Council’s Consultation on Biodiversity Areas will be published. As we try to do everything we can to deal with the challenge of climate change I can see the clear and compelling case for these areas, however, I do think there has to be definite community agreement, through channels like the Community Councils, as to where the Biodiversity Areas should be sited.

• Fiona Calvert: Abbey Nursery - 2 children’s toys

Contact details for Cllr Audrey Doig

• J Haddow: Gibb Stuart - Mystery prize

Councillors are not at the moment having face to face surgeries due to the Covid 19 restrictions. But please e mail me on cllr.audrey.doig@ renfrewshire.gov.uk or call me on 07768 130935 if you have a civic matter you wish to raise with me.

• Fiona Rhodes: Sugar Fairy Cakes - Box of 12 cupcakes

Come Zoom with Me! “Come Zoom with Me!” is a dementia inclusive weekly online sing along which takes place on Zoom every Wednesday at 3pm.

We started the group in May this year and it has continued to grow in popularity as we come together each week for an hour of singing, fun and lots of laughter.

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• Vicky Moon: Gryffe Manor Nursery - Wooden toy • Ruth McGeachy: C Fowler Gas Services - 1 x boiler service • Robert Ross: Ardarden - £20 voucher for the cafe or shop at Ardarden Estate

• Kirsty McKay: Forever - Gift pack • Ann Hall: The Little Flower Shop - Gift arrangement or bouquet • Julia Cree: GRL FLWR - Friday Pick Me Up arrangement • Lorna Brown: Olapip - Double wick candle • Graeme & Kate Jackson: Cafe at the Carrick - £10 voucher • Mary Mgarrie: Julz Hair - 1x cut and blow dry, 1 x spray tan • Ian Griffiths: Houston Hair Salon - Cut and blow dry • Elaine Mills: Rockstar - 2 x 1 month membership voucher • Jennifer Henderson: Houston Inn - £30 food & drink voucher

So far, we have sung along to songs from our favourite musicals, the rat pack, Doris Day, Elvis Presley, and many many more, and we continue to add to our repertoire!

• Dana Stevenson: New Vision - 30% off any complete prescription glasses (ie frame and lenses) that cost £100 or more

No musical ability is required, just a willingness to have some fun and make new friends online!

• Clare Callaghan: Versari - Massage voucher

If you would like more information about joining the group please contact our Family and Community Development Worker, Frankie Greenwood on: familyandcommunity.houstonkirk@gmail.com or phone: 07817 210777.

Thankfully life is a little less strange now than it was back in May however we have no plans as yet for next years carnival as the future remains quite uncertain for large gatherings and events.

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• Victoria Sawers: Pure Dead Glam Beauty Therapy - Gift voucher

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Houston Church of The Nazarene Prayer Garden During lockdown, hearing daily on the news the affect that Covid-19 was having on individuals and families and the losses being suffered, some members of Houston Church of The Nazarene felt moved to provide somewhere for the Houston Community to be able to go and spend quiet time and reflect or remember.

From this came the idea to set up a prayer garden in the grounds of the Village Hall.

In recent weeks, Church members have been busy planting and preparing the area to create a peaceful spot, sheltered slightly by the trees, where anyone in the community can come and spend some quiet time and pray, think or simply be still and relax.

If people want to place a plant or something appropriate to commemorate a loved one, we would invite you to do this and we hope the garden will be a space we can share with the wider community.

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Continuing Despite Lockdown Houston During Lockdown, the congregation of Houston & Killellan Kirk & the wider Houston Community have been enthusiastically supporting the Renfrewshire Foodbank to the extent of over 18,000 meals & this has been covered in a separate article.

Lockdown is also not going to deter the generous folk of Houston from continuing with initiatives undertaken in previous years.

For example, it has become traditional to have a Warm Clothes Collection in November for the homeless, or perhaps no longer homeless, but in need of some warmth in the winter months.

Generally the NEW clothes donated are passed to organisations such as the Simon Community for the vulnerable men & women they support. The plan this year is to accept donations without social contact at the West Halls, Main Street, Houston (Rear Fire Exit door facing the Manse), when open for the Foodbank on Tuesdays during the month of November i.e. 3rd, 10th,17th & 24th November – between 10am & 12noon & between 7pm & 8pm.

It should be stressed that, in the current COVID climate, only new items of clothing can be accepted. Such items as warm underwear, t-shirts, warm nightwear, joggers, jumpers, waterproof jackets & trousers, woolly hats, scarves, gloves & socks, to keep these vulnerable men & women warm & dry, will be welcomed.

Houston Community Quilt

Another tradition has been to have a Christmas Gift Service in December to accept donations for vulnerable children. Again the gifts are to go to CrossReach, the social work arm of the Church of Scotland, supporting the families of prisoners at Perth & Polmont Prisons. This year the plan is to accept these also at the West Halls, again when they are open for the Foodbank but on the first two Tuesdays of December i.e. 1st & 8th December.

Further details will follow next month & on the Kirk Facebook & web site www.houstonkillellankirk.org.

Calling all Houston residents to share something positive that is helping them through the covid-19 pandemic and become part of Houston’s history.

The Houston and Killellan Kirk are launching a COVID-19 Lockdown Quilt Project to help combat the isolation and loneliness that many of us might feel over the winter months given the current restrictions. If you live in Houston, we would love you to share just one word or short phrase that sums up what is helping you get through this period of restriction. It might be something like “neighbours” or “walking in the woods”.

Once we have gathered all of the words we will be looking for people who are able to sew these different words or phrases onto a square of fabric which will then be gathered and sewn together to form a large community quilt to show our resilience and community spirit.

When the quilt is finished, we hope that it will take pride of place in one of the indoor public spaces in Houston, to be admired by many generations to come.

If you have a word or phrase to share, please email Frankie on: familyandcommunity.houstonkirk@gmail.com If you would like to assist our quilting team in sewing the words or phrases on a piece of fabric, please let me know by email, and I will get in touch with you.

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From a Tin at a Time to 18,000 Meals

Old Library Centre, kilbarchan

Houston

News from the Board of Directors regarding the building and when we can open:

Before Lockdown the congregation of Houston & Killellan Kirk were encouraged to bring to the Kirk on a Sunday a tin at a time for the Renfrewshire Foodbank. Since the Kirk building closed, there has been a Foodbank collection at the West Halls every Tuesday. Incredibly, in the 6 months since the start of Lockdown, these donations at the West Halls have provided over 18,000 meals for those dependent on the Renfrewshire Foodbank. This may be described as “very generous, fantastic, phenomenal, dedicated support,” not just by the congregation, but the extended Houston Community.

However, it’s best to quote Elizabeth Alexander, Foodbank Manager: “What a wonderful effort from the good people of Houston. Your support is helping to make sure we can provide parcels of food which contain a good variety of meals and some treats for everyone and the toiletries and cleaning items people need too. We see, on a daily basis, the relief this gives to those people who need our help.”

Sadly, these people continue to need the support of the Foodbank and the donations from those in the Houston Community and other areas of Renfrewshire. The bar has been set very high and the challenge is to strive to continue this phenomenal support. The Houston folk have shown before that they can certainly do it!

Loving!!!

Caring!!!

Sharing!!!

Friends of Howwood Park Friends of Howwood Park held a Litter Pick on Sunday 20th September in support of ‘The Spotless September Challenge’ from Renfrewshire Councils Team Up to Clean Up Campaign, and Keep Britain Tidy’s ‘Great British September Clean’.

A total of 34 people attended and 2 large green bags were filled. Our park is now looking fabulous and litter free.

Our special thanks for the children who attended, including Lucy, Finlay, Evan, Bobbie, Macy, Kyle, Reiss, Sam, Eva, Grace, James, Alexander, Eilish, Charlotte, Lucy and Abbie.

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Following the initial closure of the centre due to covid 19 and the general delays regarding the structural repairs to the stonework etc, it has been difficult to establish when the centre could reopen.

We can now confirm, that subject to any new government health regulations being put in place, work on the stonework repairs will begin at the end of September and is estimated to take two weeks thereafter to complete.

On completion of the stoneworks, it is intended that the new replacement windows to the street frontage of the upper hall will be installed and the hall then redecorated.

It is therefore anticipated if all goes to programme, the building could again, subject to government health regulations in place at the time, be able to be in use early November.

Janis Green, the Wednesday morning yoga tutor has informed us that she will not be able to continue with the class when we re-open. This is a very popular class and Janis will very much be missed and we wish her well. However, the good news is that Elizabeth Hughes, our Wednesday evening tutor has agreed to take the class. People will be contacted when the classes are starting back.

Although the library has been closed some of our volunteers have been busy working. Special thanks go to our garden volunteers for all the hard work they have done during this time and the garden is looking great.

Volunteers have also been busy working on our calendar. This will be ready soon and will be available for purchase when we reopen. We will be making arrangements for posting as well.

If you require any information on reopening or purchasing a calendar the please contact us by phone: 01501 345940 or email kipcokil@hotmail.com. Hope to see you in November.

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ward 9

Cllr Andy Doig At the last meeting of the Communities, Housing, and Planning Board I was delighted to speak up for a recommendation to award the Friends of Howwood Park £10,000 for the Friends to do a feasibility study on taking over the currently unused Howwood Pavilion. I have been in the Pavilion for a tour and the possibilities are endless to add yet another string to the bow of Gillian Whyte and the Friends Group. Their work has rightly earned the gratitude of the whole village community.

I have been involved with supporting the parents and families of Howwood to fight against the retrograde decision of Renfrewshire Council to remove the School Crossing Patrollers from the Bowfield Road crossing to the Primary School. This is one of the most challenging school walking routes in Renfrewshire, and there are signs the Council may be doing the right thing and reinstating them, I sincerely hope so.

The Greenspaces and Village Investment Fund has really taken off.

Kilbarchan Community Council have been awarded £50,000 to upgrade Kilbarchan Public Park. Following a lengthy consultation there are excellent plans to create new features, and I have been approached by some individuals who are interested in doing an asset transfer of the Park Pavilion to put it back into use for the whole community.

Not to be outdone, Lochwinnoch Parent Council have been making sterling efforts to brighten up the environment of Lochwinnoch Primary School. I have asked the Convener of Education to deliver funding to upgrade the playground surface, and this is very likely.

Contact Details for Cllr Andy Doig – Councillors are not at the moment having face to face surgeries due to the Covid 19 restrictions. But please e mail me on cllr.andy.doig@ renfrewshire.gov.uk, call me on 07534 148224, facebook me on Independent Voice/Ward9JohnstoneAndVillages, or tweet me on CllrAndy4Ward8, if you have a civic matter you wish to raise with me.

Kilbarchan Parish Church We are back ! Our Church buildings have reopened for worship.

We are confident that we have put in place all necessary measures to ensure that Government and Public Health guidance is observed so that folk may return to worship. While our capacity may be restricted, and the format of our service will be different from how it was before Covid19, you are still guaranteed a warm welcome each Sunday at 11am We look forward to seeing you in church. If you cannot manage to be with us in person, why not join us for our Online Reflections or our telephone Service http://www.kilbarchan-kirk.btck.co.uk or 01505 805893.

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Cllr Derek Bibby Covid - 19 and the recent new restrictions across Renfrewshire continue to concentrate our minds.

As I write this month’s column a total of 10 schools in Renfrewshire have seen positive tests. It is clear that we live in rapidly changing times, which will result in other measures being taken, and the council has a crucial role in keeping schools open, reassuring parents and children, while supporting the local economy and keeping us all safe.

Despite the latest Scottish Government funding package of £675,000 for the provision of safety cameras on 20 roads in Scotland, Kilbarchan, Howwood and Lochwinnoch have once again been ignored.

The situation in Kilbarchan which is being used as a rat run for drivers travelling to Bridge of Weir and beyond is particularly concerning, and speeding has become the norm. This has to change. I have called on the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland, to increase the funding and treat Kilbarchan as a priority for a speed camera, together with a review of the overall policy and criteria for the provision of such cameras, that takes into account the needs of Renfrewshire’s villages.

The recent decision by Renfrewshire Council to dissolve the Clyde Muirsheil Park Joint Committee is troubling. The committee and its consultative forum made up of councillors and members of the community, provided scrutiny and promoted the best interests of the park. This has now gone, and the decision goes against the principle of local consultation and community empowerment.

Vigilance will be required to ensure that the assets and features of what is a premier visitor attraction are protected.

Howwood residents have expressed relief following the rejection of the planning application for glamping pods at the Bowfield Hotel.

There was strong opposition from local residents to the proposals, and it was made clear to elected members that there would be a negative impact on the village. The overwhelming view is that rejection was the right decision.

I am not presently holding face to face surgeries, however I have been busy on representing constituents on a wide range of issues.

I am available to be contacted by constituents at any time at cllr. derek.bibby @renfrewshire.gov.uk or by phone 0300 300 1274 or 07534 156007.

Kilbarchan National Women’s Register Members continue to meet on Zoom twice a week with topics including “The most terrifying position I have been in” and a “favourite book from childhood”. For further info please see the website: www.nwr.org.uk or phone: 01505 348627.

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Lochwinnoch Community Development Trust Lochwinnoch International Aid Lochhead Avenue Update News The veg has been blooming over summer and there have been regular contributions to food parcels, which is exactly what was intended, so thanks to all who have contributed to these activities. We had a meeting with Renfrewshire Council recently and are negotiating an 11-month lease on the site. This will give us some security to continue the veg-growing, and trial some other initiatives.

Given that the proposed borehole now looks as though it will not be financially viable, at least in the near future, we recently launched a survey into various possible options for the site and around 150 people contributed, thanks to all.

Lochwinnoch CDT are holding two public meetings.

The Future of Lochhead Avenue: October 27th at 7.30pm This is an open meeting (all welcome) and will take place online. The purpose of this meeting is to explore ideas for the use of the land in Lochhead Avenue, outlined in the recent online survey and draw up a plan for the next 1-2 years.

Agenda 1.

Introduction and summary of current position regarding the site. (10 mins)

2.

The results of the survey and descriptions of the options proposed. (10 mins)

3.

Any additional proposals.

4.

In break-out groups, consider the proposals in more detail. The groups may decide to rank the proposals or eliminate some of them. (20 mins)

5.

In a plenary session consider the reports from the groups and develop a plan. (20 mins)

At present the Covid restrictions mean that the meeting is likely to be via zoom or skype. A decision will be made nearer the date. Look out for announcements on Facebook.

Annual General Meeting: Tuesday November 10th at 7.30pm.

At time of writing (early September) we are planning this to take place on Zoom. If the restrictions on gatherings ease, we will re-assess and endeavour to be in person. Please stick this date in your diary! We will post details of the Zoom meeting via Facebook and Chatterbox. The AGM is required for us to function as an organisation. Under our current rules, we require to have 20% of the membership present to be quorate (legal). Our membership is around 170 people, which is brilliant, but that means we need 35 people there. We know this can be difficult, but as a member, you can vote by proxy, assigning your vote to someone else to cast on your behalf. We encourage you to complete a proxy voting form if you are unable to attend, don’t have or like using Zoom, or if you have other things on at that time – I know it is a tricky time for members with children for example. You could assign your vote to the Chair to cast, or you could assign it to another Director or member. Please consider taking this action to help the meeting proceed. If you would like a proxy form please email Lochwinnochtrust@gmail.com More details will be forthcoming, check out our Facebook page @ LochwinnochCDT. We hope to see you at one or both of our meetings. You can contact us any time via FB or email.

Martin Mansell, Chair, Lochwinnoch Community Development Trust.

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The offering of plants for donations has continued to raise funds: many thanks to those who’ve donated plants and/or money. By end of August another £60 had been raised. So as mentioned last month if you are walking down Calder Street towards Bridgend, look out for plants on offer on the left just before you get to the bridge.

Despite not being able to resume our planned fundraising activities, the plant offerings and regular monthly donations meant we had £400 available to give. We had a socially distanced outdoor meet up and decided to give £200 to Positive Action in Housing and £200 to Plan International UK, specifically for the work they are doing to help deal with the aftermath of the Beirut blast tragedy.

Positive Action in Housing is an independent, anti-racist homelessness and human rights charity working in Glasgow dedicated to supporting women, children and men from refugee and migrant backgrounds to rebuild their lives. They are driven by a belief in a society where everyone has the right to live safe and dignified lives, free from poverty, homelessness or inequality. Amongst other things they provide advice and practical help to asylum seekers and emergency support and free shelter to those at risk of destitution through Room for Refugees.

They also try to arrange respite from oppressive situations in Glasgow. To this end supporters outside the city have invited individuals to spend a weekend (or longer) in their homes, including in Lochwinnoch. Some lasting friendships have resulted. These visits are not possible at this time due to covid-19, but hopefully will be able to recommence, probably next year.

Plan International UK is a global children’s charity. Their main focus is working with girls and boys growing up in some of the world’s poorest communities, making sure they have access to the education, health care, clean water and future opportunities they need to thrive. They also respond to significant events which adversely impact on children and their families. The huge blast in Beirut in early August led to multiple deaths and injuries and left over 300,000 people homeless. Plan International is on the ground in Beirut working with local partners to support some of the worst-hit families and children We continue to raise money from our monthly subscription scheme and are always ready to welcome new members. Individual donations are also welcome.

Get in touch through lochintaid@gmail.com or tel 07702 544868.

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events for October PLEASE NOTE:

BY TIME OF PUBLICATION SOME OF THESE EVENTS MAY HAVE CHANGED OR BEEN CANCELLED.

Friday 2nd St Columba’s Virtual Open Days Virtual Event The Senior School event (Transitus to Senior VI) will start at 10.30am and the Junior School event (Early Years to Junior 6) will start at 11.30am. Prospective families are, of course, welcome to attend both.

To register, please complete the online form on our website.

Saturday 3rd Kilmacolm Farmers Market Kilmacolm Community Centre, Lochwinnoch Road, Kilmacolm 10am to 2pm Kilmacolm Farmers Market is held on the first Saturday each month featuring a great selection of local Scottish produce!

Saturday 3rd - Sunday 4th Fun Palaces Renfrewshire Virtual Event

NOVEMBER DEADLINE WEDNESDAY 14TH OCTOBER INFO@ADVERTIZER.CO.UK WWW.ADVERTIZER.CO.UK 01505 613340

Fun Palaces is a UK-wide campaign for community at the heart of culture. Fun Palaces are about anyone and everyone sharing their interests, skills and the things that they love doing; bringing people together to make and strengthen local communities.

Find out how you can be involved.

Www.renfrewshireleisure.com/ opportunities/

Tuesday 6th Foodbank Donations West Halls Main Street Houston PA6 7EL (next to Carrick Centre and Village Hall) 10am – 12noon & 7pm – 8pm Helping to provide food parcels with a good variety of meals, some treats for everyone and toiletries / cleaning items that people need too.

Thursday 8th Grasping The Nettle Virtual Event 7.30pm to 8pm Join ReMode on Facebook Live for a half hour guided studio tour showing the process of transforming nettles from plant fibre to a knitted sample! https://remodeyouth.org/ tc-events/grasping-the-nettle/ and https://www.facebook.com/ remodeyouth

Saturday 10th Paisley Farmers Market The Paisley Centre 10am to 2pm A huge variety of produce for sale.

A leisurely walk round the market provides many opportunities to taste produce and discuss the characteristics and uniqueness of each offering.

Monday 12th Rascally Dinners Virtual Event 11am An icky, sticky, tasty, wholesome interactive online cook-along for children age 6+ and their grownups!

Bookings close on October 5th.

Please log on 10 minutes early at 10:50 am. Tickets £3 - A single ticket is valid for your household. Https:// renfrewshireboxoffice.ticketsolve. com/shows/1173604865?s=03

DELIVERY BEGINS 27TH OCTOBER

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Tuesday 13th Foodbank Donations West Halls Main Street Houston PA6 7EL (next to Carrick Centre and Village Hall) 10am – 12noon & 7pm – 8pm Helping to provide food parcels with a good variety of meals, some treats for everyone and toiletries / cleaning items that people need too.

Tuesday 20th Foodbank Donations West Halls Main Street Houston PA6 7EL (next to Carrick Centre and Village Hall) 10am – 12noon & 7pm – 8pm Helping to provide food parcels with a good variety of meals, some treats for everyone and toiletries / cleaning items that people need too.

Thursday 22nd Carry-out Curry For Endpolio Now Virtual Event Members and friends will enjoy a Carry-Out Curry (delivered to your door) arranged in conjunction with Shimla Cottage and meet on Zoom for chat, raffles, music and to hear an update on the ENDPOLIO progress. See www.gryffevalley. rotary1230.org or the Gryffe Valley Rotary Facebook page for details how to join the event. Book by 16th October please. Due to the multiplier (above) each ticket (price £20) will be worth more than £50 to ENDPOLIO!

Tuesday 27th Foodbank Donations West Halls Main Street Houston PA6 7EL (next to Carrick Centre and Village Hall) 10am – 12noon & 7pm – 8pm Helping to provide food parcels with a good variety of meals, some treats for everyone and toiletries / cleaning items that people need too.

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Wednesday 28th Rotary Gryffe Valley Speaker Meeting With Dr Donald Macaskill, Chief Executive of Scottish Care, the membership body for independent social care will discuss Care Homes in general and the controversial topic of the spread of Covid19. For more information please e-mail: gryffevalleyrotary@gmail.com

Saturday 31st Paisley Farmers Market The Paisley Centre 10am to 2pm A huge variety of produce for sale.

A leisurely walk round the market provides many opportunities to taste produce and discuss the characteristics and uniqueness of each offering.

November Tuesday 3rd Foodbank & Clothes collections West Halls Main Street Houston PA6 7EL (next to Carrick Centre and Village Hall) 7pm to 8pm Warm Clothes Collection donations without social contact accepted at the West Halls, Houston (Rear Fire Exit door facing the Manse), when open for the Foodbank on Tuesdays during the month of November i.e.

3rd, 10th, 17th & 24th November – between 10am & 12 noon & between 7pm & 8 pm. Further details on the Kirk Facebook & web site www. houstonkillellankirk.org.

Saturday 7th Kilmacolm Farmers Market Kilmacolm Community Centre, Lochwinnoch Road, Kilmacolm 10am to 2pm Kilmacolm Farmers Market is held on the first Saturday each month featuring a great selection of local Scottish produce!

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Strictly Come Prancing 2021

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Pedal It Purple

Strictly Come Prancing - Can’t Stop the Beat!

St. Vincent’s Hospice are looking for couples and volunteers from the same household to sign up to take part in their Strictly Come Prancing event in Spring 2021, as the charity begin preparations to allow the event to go ahead in a safe, fun and socially distanced dance spectacular.

St. Vincent’s Hospice is a local charity Hospice at the heart of the community, providing specialist care for those affected by life limiting conditions in Renfrewshire. Every year, Strictly Come Prancing generates thousands of pounds in essential revenue to provide this vital support for people across the community going through some of the hardest times of their lives.

Director of Income Generation for the Hospice, Jackie Young, said: “Strictly Come Prancing is the biggest event on our fundraising calendar, with couples and dance partners coming together in front of hundreds of supporters and sponsors every year, to find out who will be crowned the Strictly Champions.

Cycle your purple socks off this October with by taking park in Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity’s brand new cycling challenge...

Pedal It Purple!

As part of our annual #PlasterItPurple activities, we’ve launched Pedal It Purple - the cycling challenge with a purple twist raising funds for our young patients and their families at Scotland’s busiest children’s hospital.

Your fundraising matters now more than ever, as our vital services continue to be put under strain by the global pandemic. Our young patients, their families and the heroes who care for them are relying on your support.

“With the current pandemic, we have no way of knowing what will be allowed in March: so we are currently working on plans A, B, C and D to make sure that we are able to go ahead in some format. Currently this has involved discussions with venues of limited numbers, doing it across multiple nights, all the way to a live streamed online event. Whatever it takes, to keep everyone involved safe and keep everyone dancing!

How to take part?

“What we do know, is that we need volunteers to sign up and be our dance couples for 2021! So, if you are from the same household or extended household, and want to get involved, learn how to dance, have fun and help out a great cause, we want to hear from you!”

From 1st October, saddle up and see how long it takes you to reach your target. Don’t forget to sport your purple gear with pride when you’re on the road - it could be your purple charity top, purple socks (to really cycle your socks off) or even purple face paint.

Couples who sign up will undergo dance training from experienced choreographers to make sure they are ready to go on the big night in a way that matches their skill level and is sure to wow the judges.

All training will be carried out in line with government guidelines to ensure everyone is safe.

While we take every opportunity to ensure the details for Pedal It Purple are accurate, we always advise that you contact the event organiser before setting out for the event to avoid disappointment.

Jackie added: “This event is open to everyone, with former champions including an 81 year old dancing the tango, so please support St. Vincent’s Hospice and get in touch to find out more.”

To learn more, sign up, or speak to the Fundraising Team call 01505 705 635 or email Info@svh.co.uk.

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Set yourself a distance from our three challenges and start your online fundraising page. Choose from: Lands’ End to John O’Groats - 874 miles Scottish Borders to John O’Groats - 320 miles Glasgow to Edinburgh - 50 miles

Entry is £8 Adults - Free for children and NHS employees. To find out more visit https://www.glasgowchildrenshospitalcharity.org/ support-us/events/246-pedal-it-purple or https://www.facebook. com/GlasgowChildrensHospitalCharity/ All information (whether in text or photographs) is given in good faith but should not be relied upon as being a statement of representation or fact.

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Grasping the Nettle

Rascally Dinners

Join us on Thursday 8th October, from 7.30pm, for a half hour guided studio tour showing the process of transforming nettles from plant fibre to a knitted sample.

Monday 12th October at 11am

ReMode’s Creative Director Gillian Steel will be in conversation with Peter Livingstone from EADHA Enterprises.

The project has been looking at different ways we can explore the intrinsic value of fabric as a creative resource – whatever its origin. This has involved looking at what local resources are available that can be used as raw materials for future projects – whether that be resources from nature such as nettles; waste from local manufacturers; or discarded second hand garments.

We have been working with groups of local people in Paisley to share skills in using discarded fabrics and industrial off cuts from manufacturing to create new garments.

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An icky, sticky, tasty, wholesome interactive online cook-along for children age 6+ and their grownups! Cook along with Rufus Skumskins O’Parsley, the chef famous for creating mingin’ meals like bogey burgers and brown rat roast!

Rascally Dinners makes healthy food fun; dressing it up as disgusting dishes that kids can be proud of. Bookings close on October 5th and you’ll then be sent your shopping list and activity pack to prepare for the show as well as a unique zoom code! On the day itself, we’ll all make a meal of it together; and at the end we’ll tuck in to our devilish dishes with gusto!

Tickets: £3* *A single ticket is valid for your household - On the 5th October we will email you instructions on how to join the event along with a zoom code. Please log on 10 minutes early at 10:50 am* https://renfrewshireboxoffice.ticketsolve.com/ shows/1173604865?s=03

This is a Facebook Live event - join in at https://www.facebook. com/remodeyouth This event is part of ReMode’s “Reel Lives” project – funded by Renfrewshire Council’s CHEF fund.

LEFT: Gryffe Camera Club - Rhona Miller (2018)

Gryffe Camera Club As a Club, we had intended starting back to the 2020/2021 Session on the 2nd September 2020.

As this was not possible due to Covid19 restrictions and guidelines set by the government, the Committee will constantly review our ability to meet as a Group.

As soon as we can advise the start date and the forward programme of meetings and where possible, Speakers and Judges, this will be communicated.

ABOVE: Gryffe Camera Club - Pat Allan (2018) BELOW: Gryffe Camera Club - Matt Johnson (2018)

This session is going to be a challenge and we ask that Members and Potential new Members bear with us during these difficult times as we try to keep the Club moving forward.

Please watch the Website, Facebook Newsletter/E-shots for any further news.

and

Stay safe and keep taking the pictures.

Find us at http://www.gryffecameraclub.co.uk/ or https://www.facebook.com/Gryffe-Camera-Club221339407904347

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clubs & schools Bridge of Weir Primary School

Duchal Nursery

Back to School, by the P6 news team

The term is really getting into full swing now and all of our teddies are becoming familiar with the nursery routine. New friendships are being forged and we are learning what kind of activities are favoured by our new children as well as discovering how much progress our blue teddies have made over the summer months.

The start of this year was a bit different to others (enter COVID-19 stage right) but Bridge of Weir Primary is off to a great start!

With staggered break and lunch times, new seating, and quite a lot of handwashing, this year might feel strange, but our teachers are ensuring the best safety for all of us. New seating arrangements ensure no-one faces each other in class and we are always washing or sanitising our hands. At the end of each day all the desks are cleaned. Cleaners also work throughout the day.

When we go outside, we have a rota of playground zones. There are eight zones which ensure the different classes stay inside their “bubble” groups. Each class also has an outside learning area. We asked some pupils what it is like in class...

“It is quite different but I kind of like it!” said one pupils.

“It feels weird to be in bubble groups right now” explained another.

Some of the learning is different too. An example of this are the “mini topics” (instead of normal, term-long topics) and more outdoor learning.

Because we can’t always stay in for break or lunch, we now prepare for all types of weather with waterproofs! We go outside to ensure all pupils are getting enough exercise after the long summer break. Each class has their own mini zone right outside their class for outdoor learning. We all love to learn outside - as long as it’s a sunny day! It also supplies the best ventilation. The teachers and other staff are also social distancing between each other, and pupils aren’t allowed to walk the corridors.

The first Pupil Council meeting has listened to the views of the pupils.

Feedback has shown pupils are glad to be back in school and understand why things are a little different.

In summary we’d like to say - nothing can stop Bridge of Weir Primary and our learning.

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This term we are learning through colour and shape, we have created blue triangle fish, green smoothies and red fruit kebabs.

We have also been utilising ideas from the STEM curriculum, to make blue rain (falling from shaving foam clouds in a beaker).

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects fascinate young children and it is brilliant to have access to resources which enable us to stimulate their curiosity about the world around them in such simple but entertaining ways.

As a specialist pre school nursery our teachers are dedicated to giving the children the best start in life and preparing them for their school years. With an experienced team of staff our children really do benefit from the low pupil to staff ratio together with our three separate rooms allowing quiet study areas, away from the hustle and bustle of our busy creative areas.

Our extended nursery hours are proving very popular with both children and parents, giving greater flexibility of childcare.

We are now open until 6pm daily during term time. We now offer free funded places, if you would like further information or would like to arrange a visit please do get in touch on 01505 874358 or email info@duchal.com, Please visit our website at www.duchal.com and our Facebook page to keep up to date with all the latest news.

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Outdoor Learning @ Kilmacolm Primary School and Nursery Class

Kilmacolm Primary School and Nursery Class Since returning to school there has been a major focus on Outdoor learning within the school. We have taken full advantage of our wonderful school grounds and have further developed the grounds to maximise outdoor learning opportunities allowing pupils to be work safely outdoors in a stimulating environment.

Each teacher and the nursery team have taken responsibility for developing an outdoor area and this is taking place over the coming weeks. Pupils are enjoying their outdoor learning experiences and the various learning spaces available to them.

The school trim trail has been extended, this has proved hugely popular with all pupils within the school. An outdoor classroom area consists of a large bark area with wooden seating, allowing lessons to be taken outdoors. The school fairy garden has a story telling chair and seats providing magical story telling time. The garden also has tyre swings which have been a bit hit with the nursery and primary pupils. Teachers have cleared the wildlife garden and the school nursery are currently creating a wildlife meadow.

We are so lucky to have the support of our parents and our partnership charity The Haven. The Haven have erected fence poles throughout the school garden which has allowed ten large shelter canopies to be quickly erected, allowing outdoor lessons to take place no matter the weather. Pupils are enjoying working outdoors, exploring their environment and being surrounded with nature.

The school has invested in a variety of outdoor learning equipment allowing pupils to have stimulating learning experiences. New den building equipment provides the opportunity for pupils to work together to design and create their own shelters and they look forward to using the new fire pit to take cooking outdoors.

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Outdoor Learning

Houston Primary School

Thank you to our parents, carers and wider community members who consistently support our school. This month, local tree surgeon Mr McGill of Branch Out, provided logs for our pupils to sit on for our outdoor classroom.

Welcome Back The pupils from Houston Primary School have returned after lockdown and have clearly grown over the past five months . We welcome our new Nursery and Primary 1 pupils and also very many other pupils who have joined us in other stages of the school. We also welcome a number of new nursery and school staff to our team.

Scottish Maths Week 28th September - 4th October This is our fourth year of promoting maths as part of Scottish Maths Week. The aim is to give pupils the opportunity to experience the benefits, joy and beauty of maths in exciting new ways during this week, whilst making links to real life experiences. This year our activities will be a bit different, but just as much fun with online events, our favourite competitions and an abundance of activities for our pupils to do at school, at home or out and about!

Gardening Club Our school gardening club has been unable to resume as yet, due to COVID 19 restrictions, however this has not stopped our inter generational volunteers from harvesting a wide selection of flowers, fruits and vegetables.

Hi5 Awards Four pupils completed individual Hi5 challenges during lockdown and received their awards from Sports Scotland. We are very proud of their hard work and commitment to staying healthy and active during lock down.InkedHi5 photo (1)_LI.jpg

New EL & CC Building Due to lockdown the completion of our new Early Learning and Childcare Centre has been delayed. Completion is now expected to be November.

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St Columba’s Five Ferries Challenge - Our Sports Department recently set out to complete the Five Ferries Challenge. Mrs Bellew and her team cycled over 70 miles, using five different ferries to hop between islands and peninsulas in the West of Scotland. The department raised £1600 in aid of the mental health charity, Young Minds. The charity works to assist young people facing difficulty with their mental health, helping them to feel empowered and supported to overcome life’s difficulties. Thank you to the team for their drive to complete this challenge for a most worthwhile cause!

SVI Team-building - Last week our SVI pupils participated in a team-building day, enjoying a range of problem-solving and creative activities such as creating the tallest structure possible from marshmallows and spaghetti. SVI also spent some time reflecting on the year ahead, considering their new responsibilities, not to mention identifying the values they wish to exemplify this year.

One of the more comedic elements of the day was a task which required pupils to create garments from old newspapers. Corsages of political leaders, some fabulous pleating and darting not to mention haute couture accessory design were all shown to best advantage on our male models. The hilarious ‘fashion show’ brought this busy but fun and insightful day to a close – it was delightful to hear so much laughter emanating from the main hall!

Gilbert Murray Classics Competition - The Gilbert Murray Classics Competition is hosted by the Glasgow and West branch of The Classical Association of Scotland. Academics from Glasgow University assist in the programming of the competition with entries open to any pupils from Scottish schools from Junior 6 upwards. We are delighted to announce that some of our Classicists did particularly well this year. Hilary E-M (SV) and Callum H (SIII) were awarded certificates for excellent contributions. Hilary submitted a piece of work on the topic of medication administered by doctors in the Roman army. Callum H gained a certificate for his contribution of a travel brochure that advertised the town of Pompeii. A certificate and prize were presented to Stella McC (SIII) for presenting alternative interpretations of two different

stories from Greek mythology. Stella was also one of only six pupils nationally who received a prize in this competition.

Sector-Leading Outdoor Education Programme Resumes - We are so pleased that pupils working towards their Duke of Edinburgh Award have been able to resume training. Bronze Award walkers have been out practising their navigation skills and Bronze canoeists have been developing their paddling skills. Pupils completing their Silver Award in walking and canoeing participated in a training weekend, during which both pupils and staff battled the elements to develop and practise the necessary skills for their qualifying expedition. We are thrilled that our sector-leading programme, managed by Mr McConnell is back on track following lockdown!

Summer Fete - Thank you to everyone in the School community who entered our competitions and supported the innovative stalls at the recent Late Summer Fete. No masks, no social distancing and no praying for a dry day were required because this event was run entirely online – no surprises there!

At the heart of the Fete were four very special stalls run by SVI pupils fundraising for their chosen charities: My Name’5 Doddie Foundation; Glasgow Women’s Aid; Starter Packs Glasgow and Look Good Feel Better. The sums raised are yet to be announced but we wish to highlight the determination of our philanthropic (and entrepreneurial) SVI pupils.

Virtual Open Days - We cannot wait to welcome prospective families to St Columba’s online Open Day on Friday, 2nd October.

The Senior School event (Transitus to Senior VI) will start at 10.30am and the Junior School event (Early Years to Junior 6) will start at 11.30am. Prospective families are, of course, welcome to attend both. To register, please complete the online form on our website.

During your brief virtual visit, you will meet some of the key members of staff who will accompany you on your Columban journey, not to mention a number of our teaching staff - the inspirational individuals who make our pupils’ time here so memorable and worthwhile.

We look forward to receiving your registration!

usefuL NUMBERS EMERGENCY SERVICES Police/Fire/Ambulance 999 or 101 (non-emergency) Gas Emergency 0800 111 999 Scottish Water 0800 077 8778 SEPA 0300 99 66 99 Floodline 0345 988 1188 Pollution Hotline 0800 80 70 60 Flytipping 0845 2 30 40 90

HOSPITALS NHS 24 Royal Alexandra Inverclyde Royal Queen Elizabeth Gartnavel

111 0141 887 9111 01475 633777 0141 201 1100 0141 211 3000

COUNCILS Inverclyde

01475 717171 www.inverclyde.gov.uk/ Renfrewshire 0300 300 0300 www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/

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POLICE Crimestoppers Police Scotland

0800 555 111 01786 289070

ROADS R.A.L.F Traveline

0800 37 36 35 0871 200 2233

HELPLINES Alcoholics Anon Childline

0800 9177 650 0800 1111

Citizens Advice 0808 800 1007 Consumer Direct 0808 800 9060 Financial Conduct Authority 0800 111 6768 Missing People 116 000 ParentLine 0800 028 2233 Renfrewshire Care 24 0141 314 7148 or 0141 314 7147 Samaritans 116 123 Trading Standards 03454 04 05 06 Victim Support 0800 160 1985

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Gryffe High News Dance News National 5 and Higher Dance are new courses running this year at Gryffe High School. These courses cover various Dance styles such as Hip Hop, Jazz and Contemporary. There is also an opportunity for pupils to be creative when choreographing their own routines as part of the final assessment.

45

Community Litter Picking We are delighted to support our local community, especially on a Friday to help the village be clean and tidy for the weekend. We have ten teams of pupils, 2 teams out each afternoon. The picture shown is one of our Friday teams.

So far, all dancers involved in National 5 and Higher Dance have made fantastic progress. Despite dancing in the rain, our dancers have worked hard to learn technical exercises in both Jazz and Hip Hop, and they have started the choreography process demonstrating commitment, determination and motivation towards Dance.

Well done dancers, keep up the excellent work!

Ms K. Thornton – Teacher of PE and Dance

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local community, local life ...............

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Regular Meet Classes Move it or Lose it We had hoped that by mid September some of our classes would have been able to recommence. Sadly, things are proving more difficult with guidelines constantly changing and most halls still unavailable.

Kilmacolm Golf Club Our Club Championship weekend saw some outstanding golf from our top players, with our gents and ladies finals contested by four players all playing off scratch handicaps, it is great to have such quality golfers amongst us.

The Gents final was played between 12 times champion Andrew Farmer, and joint course record holder Matthew Clark. Andy aiming to be the first Club Captain to be Club Champion but Matt shattered his dream by outplaying his opponent and lifting the cup for a 3rd time.

The Ladies final was a family affair with the Briggs sisters doing battle. Reigning champion Megan Briggs taking on Curtis Cup player and younger sister Eilidh Briggs. This was a real tussle of a match with Megan sinking a great birdie putt on 16 to retain the Championship for the 17th year in a row!!

Long time Kilmacolm member Roddy Hammond took on the new boy Les Pirie in the inaugural Seniors Championship, playing for the Iain Nicolson Cup. With some great play from both men it was Les who was victorious in the end.

Class members should have received a letter in the post or via email. If you have expressed an interest in returning then I will contact you directly as soon as I have an exact date. If you have not received your letter and would like to return then please contact me.

Take care and stay safe!

Fiona - 07811 766672

Jennifer Sloan Physiotherapy Led Pilates Kilmacolm Community Centre, Wednesdays at 6.15pm - 7.15pm & 7.30pm - 8.30pm For more information or to book a class call Jennifer 07731 303709 or email: jennifer-mcghee@hotmail.co.uk

Zumba Light St Fillan’s Church, Kilmacolm Mondays at 10am

The Junior Final saw a brilliant display of golf by Mackenzie Holmes and Alexander Farmer and despite Alexander shooting a level par round (5 under his handicap) Mackenzie clinched the trophy for the 4th year on the trot on the 18th green.

All the fun and energy of Zumba but at a lighter pace! Fabulous music, full of fun - a fantastic class for for all levels. Contact Mo 07505 126416.

It has been a strange year for our new Professional Stuart Roberts, who joined us in March just before lockdown, so we were delighted that we could finally hold our first big club event of the year with our Captains’ / Pro Day. Over 150 members from all sections of the club took part on a blustery day, but that didn’t affect the golf. We had a hole in one, on the Beat the Pro hole and the Nearest the Pin, generously sponsored by FW Filshill Ltd. http://Flavourly.com, was ridiculously close to another hole in one. Thanks to all the generous donations we are delighted that we raised over £2000 for Down’s Syndrome Scotland on the day.

Rebok Step Class

It has been a fantastic season, and we have welcomed many new members to the club over the past few months, who have all been enjoying the course and facilities, if you would like to join us, we have a range of memberships starting from only £500, there’s something to suit everyone, whether you have time to play throughout the day every day, or if you have work and family commitments where evenings and weekends suit you better. Visit the website for more information: www.kilmacolmgolfclub.com/join/the-club

Freeland’s Church Hall, B of W Tuesdays at 10am - all levels Tuesday at 6.45pm - all levels A brilliant new Reebok Step class. Lots of fun, fab music and a fantastic workout. Why not come along and give it a go? Booking essential. Contact Mo 07505 126416.

Due to current government advice many of the classes which usually feature in this section have been unable to resume for the time being. Check out previous Advertizers on our website for various class details and contact information.

To keep up to speed with the latest news and events follow us on Facebook: www.facebook. com/KilmacolmGolf/

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Ranfurly Castle Golf Club

in the Men’s Singles knockout and also for Alistair Lyle in the Holms Plate.

The clubhouse has undertaken extensive work in the past year and the new professional shop (inside the clubhouse)is now ready for the arrival of a new prate General Managers office has also been moved downstairs, creating a much more welcoming atmosphere.

Finals Day at the Castle!

Good weather finally greeted this years participants on Finals Day at the end of September.

Some wonderful golf was witnessed by some good crowds(all socially distancing of course!) and congratulations go to all the winners and commiserations to the runners up!

In the main events Andy Cunningham beat Darren Christie in the Club Championship Final and Denise Cowan beat Jan McNab to win her 5th Ladies Final. Joy McLeod beat Helen Abram in the Bronze Trophy, and Hunter Paterson beat James Andrew in the Senior Club Championship. There were also wins for Stephen Scott

Local Public DEFIBRILlATOR SITES BISHOPTON The Cornerstone, Greenock Road Bishopton Community Centre

BROOKFIELD

JOHNSTONE Keystore, Spateston Keystore, Corseford Johnstone Town Hall Scottish Fire and Rescue, Thorn Brae

KILMACOLM

Brookfield Village Hall Main Entrance

BRIDGE OF WEIR Co-Op Old Ranfurly Golf Club Ranfurly Castle Golf Club The Gate House, Bridge of Weir Leather Works

ELDERSLIE

Kilmacolm Golf Club St Columba’s Senior School Gym, Birkmyre Park, Kilmacolm Kilmacolm Library (rear of New Surgery)

KILBARCHAN Scout Hall Kilbarchan Bowling Club

Elderslie Golf Club

HOUSTON Outside Church Hall, Main Street Co-Op Strathgryffe Squash & Fitness Club (Reception)

HOWWOOD Howwood Hall, Station Road Christ the King Church, Bowfield Road The Boarding House (opening hours)

LINWOOD Onyx Leisure Centre Spar, Clippens Road Asda

PAISLEY Russell Institute

QUARRIERS William Quarriers House at entrance to Faith Avenue Country View

Some of these may have limited access. Please check with venue for full details.

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47

New caterers too have now started at the Castle and we wish Mandy and her team all best for the future.

The golf course itself has stood up beautifully to the various changes in the elements that have been thrown at it this year, and many thanks go to Craig Drummond and his team for presenting the course so well under sometimes very difficult circumstances.

As we creep nearer towards the end of the golfing season, I know we are all looking forward to 2021 with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Please feel free to come and join us!

Your Local COUNCILLORS WARD 9:

JOHNSTONE NORTH, KILBARCHAN, HOWWOOD & LOCHWINNOCH Cllr Derek Bibby: E: cllr.derek.bibby@renfrewshire.gov.uk T: 0300 300 1274 | M: 07534 156007 Cllr Bill Binks: E: cllr.bill.binks@renfrewshire.gov.uk T: 0300 300 1423 | M: 07976 239 881 Cllr Andy Doig: E: cllr.andy.doig@renfrewshire.gov.uk M: 07534 148224 Cllr Emma Rodden: E: cllr.emma.rodden@renfrewshire.gov.uk T: 0300 300 1431

WARD 10:

HOUSTON, CROSSLEE & LINWOOD Cllr Audrey Doig: E: cllr.audrey.doig@renfrewshire.gov.uk M: 07768 130935 Cllr Alison Jean Dowling: E: cllr.alison.dowling@renfrewshire.gov.uk T: 0300 300 1419

WARD 11:

BISHOPTON, LANGBANK & BRIDGE OF WEIR Cllr James MacLaren: E:cllr.james.maclaren@renfrewshire.gov.uk T: 0300 300 1291 Cllr Natalie Don: E: cllr.natalie.don@renfrewshire.gov.uk T: 0300 300 1426 Cllr Colin McCulloch: E: cllr.colin.mcculloch@renfrewshire.gov.uk Tel: 0300 300 1427

WARD 1:

INVERCLYDE EAST Cllr Christopher Curley: E: christopher.curley@inverclyde.gov.uk M: 07768 460073/01475 712370 Cllr Stephen McCabe: E: Stephen.McCabe@inverclyde.gov.uk T: 01475 712020 (office hours) Cllr David Wilson: E: david.wilson@inverclyde.gov.uk T: 01475 741969 and 01475 712727 M: 07766 992294

Cllr Scott Kerr: E: cllr.scott.kerr@renfrewshire.gov.uk T: 0300 300 1424 Cllr James Sheridan: E: cllr.james.sheridan@renfrewshire.gov.uk T: 0300 300 1425

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local community, local life ...............

business classified WE ACCEPT ANY OF THE FOLLOWING

48

ADVERTISING RATES TRADES/ SERVICES/ PROPERTY/ VEHICLES BOXED AD £8.00* per column cm PHOTO £8.00* (vehicle/property sales only) * Prices subject to VAT

TRADES AND SERVICES

SITUATIONS VACANT

Qualified Gentleman seeks position in caring, driving, befriending, or small jobs, anything considered.

Honest and trustworthy, with high levels of integrity and confidentiality.

References supplied on request.

Tel: 01475 792919, or Mobile: 07748 233 734

HEALTHCARE/BEAUTY

PROPERTY TO LET

CHILDCARE Houston registered childminders. For an informal chat to find your best childcare, call Helen Smith on 07952 390282

Kilmacolm/Quarriers area registered childminders.

P/ t i m e o r F/ t i m e vacancies for u-5’s and after school. T: 01505 873839.

The Business Advertisements (Disclosure) Order 1977 - 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.

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sales & wants ITEMS FOR SALE CLOTHES & SHOES Dickies lined groundwater safety boots, size 11.

Excellent condition as hardly worn. £15. Tel: 01505 672175.

Men’s pair of Frye’s formal black leather shoes, size 10 (come up small, more like a 9). Excellent condition as totally unworn. £50. Tel: 01505 672175.

HOUSEHOLD & GARDEN Cheval mirror dark wood. £25. Tel: 07757 705188.

Le Creuset cast iron square Grillit in Marseille (blue).

Good condition. £40.

Tel: 01505 672175.

Fireside Chair, Forrest Furniture, high seat.

Good condition. Non smoking household. £50.

Tel: 07757 705188.

2 Bar stools cream leather.

Perfect condition. £75.

Tel: 07757 705188.

B e e c h w o o d Ve n e e r Sideboard with 3 doors and ample shelf space.

25.5” (H) x 5ft 2” (L) x 16” (D). £80 ono. Tel: 07934 607953.

Multi circles mirror approx 89cm x 89cm (16 circles in total, each 20cm in diameter). Gold and silver coloured metal.

Good condition. £60.

Tel: 01505 672175.

3 x polished brass window st ays . 2 5 0 m m / 1 0 i n s .

Excellent condition as new and unused. £15. Tel: 01505 672175.

Beautiful large dining table loved for over 50 years.

Very good condition. £200 ono. Tel: 07757 705188.

2 Seater Chocolate Brown Leather Sofa. Very Good Condition. £150 ono.

Kilbarchan area. Tel: 01505 228267.

ELECTRICAL & GAS Philips digital voice recorder (d i c t a p h o n e) . W i t h instructions and cable for downloading digital files onto computer. Good condition. £15. Tel: 01505 672175.

41” Techwood TV. Very good condition. £50. Tel: 07597 913000.

SPORTS Proquip Golf Jacket & Trousers, hardly worn.

Trouser length 29”. £50.

Tel: 07922 339218.

TECHNICAL & GAMES Samsung 31” TV, black, vgc.

Would make excellent gaming monitor. £20 .

Tel: 01505 612769.

Wooden inlaid chess board (approx 45cm x 45cm).

Good condition. Smoke free home. £15. Tel: 01505 672175.

OTHER ITEMS Brand new steel car wheel 6JX15H2 and new Jinyu tyre 185/60 R15. Stored as spare wheel only. £80.

Tel: 07736 067169.

Guess ladies black hand bag NEW. (H) 9.1/2 inches x (W) 13.1/2 inches. £30 ono. Tel: 01505 614503.

Canon EOS 1000F autofocus SLR (not digital) camera with Canon 28-90mm lens (bought new), Canon camera bag and original instructions. GC. £30.

Tel: 01505 672175.

Stainless steel hip flask and 2 collapsible shot cups in a presentation box.

Excellent condition as unused. £10. Tel: 01505 672175.

WANTED ITEMS

Cash paid for Vinyl Records and Music CDs (a few or a lot). Tel: 01505 324683 or 07765 115347.

Old records Wanted 45`s & LP`s CASH Paid. Tel: 07710 777571.

Local lily grower requires the use of a greenhouse/ polytunnel in Kilmacolm area in return for light gardening duties. Tel: Vince 01505 872082.

FREE CYCLE

CONTENT OF THE GRYFFE ADVERTIZER CANNOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PRIOR CONSENT FROM THE PUBLISHER The Gryffe Advertizer is a magazine published by The Gryffe Advertizer Ltd Advertising throughout The Gryffe Advertizer: Definitions: “Standards” means the British Code of Advertising Practice and the provisions of any law applicable to advertising including, but not limited to, the Trade Descriptions Act, 1968, the Consumer Credit Act 1974, the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988, the Financial Services Act 1986, the Business Advertisement (Disclosure) Order 1977 and all amendments and replacements.

It is hereby agreed that: • The placing by the Advertising Client of an Advertisement is deemed to be acceptance of these Conditions of Acceptance of Advertising.

• All Advertisements in this Publication must not contravene the Standards.

• Insertion of Advertisements and/or Editorial is strictly at the discretion of the Publisher.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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.

Garden chair cushions 4 x 15” x 15”, 2 x 19” x 42”.

Cream and candy stripe.

Reply to: 07906 529716.

DELIVERY PROBLEM? PLEASE GET IN TOUCH!

INFO@ADVERTIZER.CO.UK 01505 613340 WWW.ADVERTIZER.CO.UK/DELIVERY-FEEDBACK

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50

ads directory by Category Accountants & Financial Affluent Financial Planning . . 13 CLA Accountancy Services . . . 37

Architectural Services CHG Architecture Ltd . . . . . . . 43 Grid Design Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Automotive Services ABC Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 AK Vehicle Rental . . . . . . . . . 22 Collins Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Bathrooms Affordable Luxuries . . . . . . . 29 Instyle Kitchens & Bathrooms . . 31

Bedrooms Burndale Workshop . . . . . . . . . 13

Blacksmith & Metalwork McLaughlan Metal Fabrication . . 25

Building Services Bencairn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Bridge of Weir Roofing . . . . . 21 Clippens Roofing . . . . . . . . . . 9 I & J Building & Roofing . . . 9 James Kerr Joiner . . . . . . . . . 23 JBC Joiners and Builders . . . 13 KC Roofing & Building Services . . 11 Kilellan Roofing . . . . . . . . . . 36 M Addison Joiners & Builders . . 33 Old Mill Chimneys . . . . . . . . . 25 SMG Roofing & Building . . . . . 25 SW Scott - Joiners & Builders . . 37 Taylor Made Joinery . . . . . . . . 43 Thomas McMaster & Son Ltd . . 43

Cleaning & PowerWash DS Cleaning (Windows) . . . . . . 37 Eclipse Deep Clean . . . . . . . . . 43 Fastclean Scotland . . . . . . . . . 36 Gryffe Carpet Cleaning . . . . . 23

Gryffe Roofing & Cleaning . . 7 KC Roofing & Building Services . . 11 Nutech Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Platinum Cleaning Services . . 31

Cycle Repair F4 Cycles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Driveways A&G Driveways . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Education St Columba’s School . . . . . . . . 45

Electricians GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 MAS Electrical & Security . . 43 Russell Milne Electrician . . 23

Equestrian Integrated Animal Therapy Vets . . 19

Fencing McLaughlan Metal Fabrication . . 25

Firewood & Logs LJX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Old Mill Chimneys . . . . . . . . . 25 W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Funeral Services Beaton Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . 7 John Roach Funeral Directors . . 11

Furniture Restoration Chairbird Upholstery . . . . . . . 37

Garage Doors & Gates Garolla Roller Shutter Doors . . 33 Powerdoors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Garden Service & Design 3D Garden Design . . . . . . . . . . 15 Apple Tree Gardens . . . . . . . . . 15 Bencairn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 CHG Architecture Ltd . . . . . . . 43 Craig Kennedy Gardening . . . . 15 Garden Services . . . . . . . . . . . 15

NOVEMBER DEADLINE WEDNESDAY 14TH OCTOBER INFO@ADVERTIZER.CO.UK WWW.ADVERTIZER.CO.UK 01505 613340

DELIVERY BEGINS 27TH OCTOBER

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Glenmoss Landscapes . . . . . . . . 15 I & J Building & Roofing . . . 9 Lady Grafters Garden Services . . 17 R Williams Tree Services . . . 18 W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 17 West of Scotland Landscape . . 18

Gas & Heating Services

Taylor Made Joinery . . . . . . . . 43 TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Kitchens Affordable Luxuries . . . . . . . 29 Burndale Workshop . . . . . . . . . 13 Instyle Kitchens & Bathrooms . . 31 JBC Joiners and Builders . . . 13 Taylor Made Joinery . . . . . . . . 43

C Hunter Plumbing Heating Gas . . 11 Gasfit Plumbing & Heating . . 33 GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 I D Plumbing & Heating . . . . . 23 Mackie Plumbing & Heating . . 36 Phoenix Gas Services . . . . . . . 29

Locksmiths

Glazier

A Gallagher Painter&Decorator . . 36 Andrew Hay Painter & Decorator . . 21 James Martin - Painter & Decor . . 23 John A Kilburn . . . . . . . . . . . 25 John H Barney . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 M&E Painters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Ranfurly Decor . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

1on1 Double Glazing . . . . . . . . 11 TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Hairdressers & Barbers Arlene Mitchell Hair & Beauty . . 43 Nix Hairdressing . . . . . . . . . . 23

Health, Beauty & Fitness Arlene Mitchell Hair & Beauty . . 43 Decorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Ferringtons Hypnotherapy . . . 25 Kilbarchan Dental Practice . . 29 LaserLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Home Hardware Gibb Stuart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,27

Home Improvements 3D Garden Design . . . . . . . . . . 15 Apple Tree Gardens . . . . . . . . . 15 CHG Architecture Ltd . . . . . . . 43 Instyle Kitchens & Bathrooms . . 31 Kieran Turner Aerial&Satellite . . 25 Nutech Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . 21 The Bath Works . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Home Interiors Burndale Workshop . . . . . . . . . 13 Chairbird Upholstery . . . . . . . 37 Old Mill Chimneys . . . . . . . . . 25

Joiners CLH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 DJY Joinery Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 11 James Kerr Joiner . . . . . . . . . 23 JBC Joiners and Builders . . . 13 M Addison Joiners & Builders . . 33 McGowan Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . 37 SMG Roofing & Building . . . . . 25 SW Scott - Joiners & Builders . . 37

Arco Locksmith . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Elliott Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Painters & Decorators

Pest Control RED Pest Control . . . . . . . . . . 29

Pet Services & Training Contented Cats . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Integrated Animal Therapy Vets . . 19 PetVets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Photographers Your Pets Portrait . . . . . . . . . 19

Plasterers Bryan Slaven Slater & Plaster . . 23 James Kerr Joiner . . . . . . . . . 23 Kilellan Roofing . . . . . . . . . . 36

Plumbers

Special Occasions

C Hunter Plumbing Heating Gas . . 11 Gasfit Plumbing & Heating . . 33 GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 I D Plumbing & Heating . . . . . 23 Mackie Plumbing & Heating . . 36

ABC Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Property, Sales & Let

ABC Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Corum Property . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Dallas McMillan Solicitors . . 21 Hames Estates . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Kingsley Wood & Co Solicitors . . 7 Re-Max . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Refuse & Clearance Clyde Carriers . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Removals @ease Removals & Transport . . 25 Clyde Carriers . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Retail Gibb Stuart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,27 Seasons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Roofing Bridge of Weir Roofing . . . . . 21 Bryan Slaven Slater & Plaster . . 23 Clippens Roofing . . . . . . . . . . 9 Gryffe Roofing & Cleaning . . 7 I & J Building & Roofing . . . 9 KC Roofing & Building Services . . 11 Kilellan Roofing . . . . . . . . . . 36 SMG Roofing & Building . . . . . 25 SW Scott - Joiners & Builders . . 37 Thomas McMaster & Son Ltd . . 43

Solicitors Dallas McMillan Solicitors . . 21 Kingsley Wood & Co Solicitors . . 7

Contact us!

WWW.ADVERTIZER.CO.UK @GRYFFEADS Office Hours:

Stoves Old Mill Chimneys . . . . . . . . . 25

Taxis Tiling Gordon James Ceramic Tiler . . 37

Tree Surgeon Branch Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Glenmoss Landscapes . . . . . . . . 15 Kenmore Tree Care . . . . . . . . . 18 LJX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 R Williams Tree Services . . . 18 W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 17

TV & Satellite Clearline Aerial & Satellite . . 11 Kieran Turner Aerial&Satellite . . 25

Upholstery Services Chairbird Upholstery . . . . . . . 37 Eclipse Deep Clean . . . . . . . . . 43 Fastclean Scotland . . . . . . . . . 36

Window Cleaners DS Cleaning (Windows) . . . . . . 37 Fastclean Scotland . . . . . . . . . 36 Gryffe Roofing & Cleaning . . 7 Matthews Cleaning Services . . 43

Window, Consv & Repair 1on1 Double Glazing . . . . . . . . 11 TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

1st Floor, Neva Place Bridge of Weir, PA11 3PN INFO@ADVERTIZER.CO.UK 01505 613340

Tuesday - Thursday 9am - 4pm Friday 9am - 12:30pm Not open for visitors

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.

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