bridge of weir memories book

ward 10 Cllr Audrey Doig

LOCAL AREA PARTNERSHIP: Recently there was a virtual meeting of the new Local Area Partnership for the Villages, which covers Houston, Crosslee, and Brookfield, as well as another five of our village communities. The new LAP’s were a replacement for the old Local Area Committees and like the LAC’s the new Partnerships provide vital seedcorn funding for local community organisations and initiatives. So successful has this been that the Villages LAP is sadly always oversubscribed. However, all applicants got around 70% of what they applied for, and this included Houston Community Council. I know the Community Council is still running the Children’s “Design a Streetlight” competition, and I will give them every support in any way I can.

Gowanlea Christmas Tree Recycling

FUNDING: I have become aware that Renfrewshire Council’s has new funds available for any projects to do with creating green spaces and planting trees in order to combat climate change. If any community groups in my ward have any ideas for funding please email me and I will forward the details to you.

Make things easy for yourself and organise getting your Christmas tree uplifted in January for only £7.50. You can either book online / facebook or give us a call on 01505 328921 and we can give you more details. A737 UPGRADING: At the last full council meeting I was pleased to support a motion, passed unanimously, calling on the Scottish Government to provide both a budget and a timescale for the upgrade and dualling of the A737 between the North Ayrshire section and Kilbarchan, very close to Brookfield. I would like to

Bridge of Weir Memories by Irene McCallum

A nostalgic look back on growing up in Bridge of Weir in the 30’s 40’s & 50’s 44 Supernatural, Crime and Punishment, Wartime Refugees, Medical Matters and much more. Poems on B.O.W. Leather, The Cobblers Shop, and Stewart Cook’s Sausage Relive the memories of a childhood brought to you by the Author Irene McCallum, born in the village in 1931 and still going strong. The Book retails at £5 with all profits from the sale going to local charity. This limited addition journal of a by gone time is readily available from the following outlets. •

The Lion’s Paw Gift Shop

Lochnagar Café Gibb Stuart Home Hardware Cutting Crew Hairdressers Kilbarchan Renfrewshire Local History Forum on Facebook thank Brookfield Community Council, in particular, for the support and encouragement it has given to me on this key health and safety issue over many years. My constituents deserve 21st century transport links and the ball is now firmly in the

Pages, over 20 illustrations with 14 chapters on Schools, Shops & Businesses, The court of local MSP’s to act. GENERAL NEWS: We all know that this Christmas will be very different from what we are used to. But I want to wish all my constituents, of all faiths and none, a very happy Christmas and a Good New Year, because 2021 can only be an improvement on this year. CONTACT: Contact Details for Cllr Audrey Doig Councillors are not at the moment having face to face surgeries due to the Covid 19 restrictions. But please email 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.

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THANK YOU LANGBANK

Despite the difficulties of the last 8 months the community spirit in Langbank has flourished and we have enjoyed helping our friends and neighbours. There is no doubt it feels like there is so much which we can’t do and yet we have managed to do so much. During the initial lockdown it was lovely to have a socially distanced conversation with our neighbours after our weekly Thursday evening clap and many villagers deserve our thanks for doing their bit; to all of those who kept an eye on neighbours in need and got shopping, those who did daily prescription deliveries and those litter picking during their daily exercise. Cheerful windows made us smile with rainbows and teddies on display, socially distanced activities to keep villagers entertained during daily exercise, bikes fixed, flower tubs planted, grass strimmed and our Swingpark cleaned - thank you. One big event for the village has been the recent installation of a defibrillator at the Village Hall and we are grateful to those who spent time and donated money to help make this happen.

We’ve just had a very successful socially distanced Halloween Scavenger Hunt which provided a safe alternative to the usual guising and we have been told by one of Santa’s elves that there is likely to be a socially distanced Christmas activity to help keep spirits high. The most important task was, and continues to be, keeping our community safe. So thank you for following government guidelines and doing your bit. We also need to remember community members who have lost friends and loved ones, for they understand most keenly the need for our continued vigilance and care, our thoughts and sympathies are with them. With thanks from Langbank Community Council. For information, concerns or if you’d like to become involved please email CC at info@langbank-community.com

Old Library Centre Kilbarchan

The front of the building at the Old Library Centre has now been repaired and isn’t it looking great! Our hard working volunteers have finished producing the calendar. It shows scenes of the village in bygones days and each image has been graphically enhanced. The calendar is produced in house and is a major fund raiser for us each year. This year is especially important as we have not managed any other fundraising and as our normal activities have had to be suspended our income has been very much depleted. We are producing 2 sizes of calendar this year: our normal A4 is priced at £5 and we are producing a smaller A5 size at £4.

We are also offering this year a PayPal facility and posting abroad. Please email the Centre: kipcokil@ hotmail.com or phone 01505 706070 for further details about this.

Kilbarchan National Women’s Register

The NWR group meets fortnightly on Wednesdays and has a varied programme of speakers and discussion topics. If you’d like to find out more about NWR and the Kilbarchan group, please contact the website: www.nwr.org.

ward 9

Cllr Andy Doig

PARKING: I have been contacted recently by Kilbarchan Community Council regarding inconsiderate parking outside Kilbarchan Primary School at peak periods. I think the solution is through sustained dialogue with the school community, the parent council, and the community council, and with the village as a whole. There is a pilot operating just now at certain primary schools in Renfrewshire to make them a car free zone, so I have written to the council officers asking if this will be extended to other schools. A737 UPGRADING: At the last full council meeting I was delighted to get a motion passed calling on the Scottish Government to provide both a budget and a timescale for the upgrade and dualling of the A737 between the North Ayrshire section and Kilbarchan. I would like to thank Howwood Community Council, in particular, for the support and encouragement it has given to me in my campaign to eradicate the notorious Howwood junction which has been the scene of so many tragic accidents and near misses over decades. The ball in now firmly in the court of local MSP’s to act. CROSSING PATROLS: Also at the last full council meeting I raised the need for Renfrewshire Council to plan ahead and recruit sufficient staff to ensure that all villages like Howwood and Lochwinnoch have their full complement of School Crossing Patrollers. Having supported the campaign to save the one at Bowfield Road in Howwood I tabled an successful amendment called for the Lochwinnoch patrollers to be similarly retained in post at the Key Store in the village. I would like to thank those ward colleagues who supported me on this. FLU JABS: I have been lobbying the Health Board for several months now in relation to them providing local hubs for the many elderly people in my ward to get their flu jag, without the inconvenience and difficultly of having to travel to Paisley. I am delighted that eventually the Health Board apologised and in the face of pressure from Councillors, including myself, agreed to use a number of local pharmacies to deliver the flu jag. This is a victory for the villages and for people power. GENERAL NEWS: We all know that this Christmas will be very different from what we are used to. But I want to wish all my constituents, of all faiths and none, a very happy Christmas and a Good New Year, because 2021 can only be an improvement on this year. CONTACT: 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.

Cllr Bill Binks

FLU JABS: There has been real worries by many people about the establishment of St Mirren Park in Paisley as the most suitable venue for flu vaccination clinics for the over 65’s. Currently there are approximately 30,000 people over 65 in Renfrewshire. It is no hardship people such as myself who have their own means of transport. But, in our ward many rely entirely on public transport only when it is available if at all. Rather than bore you with the details of the rights and wrongs of these arrangements. I have been assured that Local District Nursing Teams, in conjunction with GP Practices, will vaccinate housebound residents. They will also attend residents in care homes. Nursing homes will be responsible for their own vaccinations. As these arrangements are likely to last for at least four months, if you have any concerns at all you can Email:- perl@ ggc.scot.nhs.uk or phone:- 0141 201 4915 / 4540. For Lochwinnoch, adaptations of this model have been made for the over 65’s who are in a GP practise that has two connected surgeries – one in Lochwinnoch and one in Beith. An additional access to a local pharmacy in Lochwinnoch for vaccination of over 65’s has been secured. FUNDING: It is good news that Johnstone have secured funding of £40,000 for the Christmas Lights project. Together with promised repairs to the bandstand, it is hoped that the town centre will be transformed. It’s also good to see the removal of the walkway barriers, after much lobbying, by the Community Council and myself. I understand that some of the new equipment in Thomas Shank’s Park has been vandalised. I notice also that broken glass is everywhere. The next big project must be raising of funds to have complete CCTV installed so that the culprits can be brought to justice. Plans for the area at the Co-Op and Station Road in Kilbarchan have been received. It is hoped that arrangements can now be made for a virtual meeting with members of the Community Council and Mark Higginbotham of Renfrewshire Council to debate the various issues involved. Howwood has seen some smartening up in the village with new flower tubs placed at several entrances to the village. Also the Pathways in the Rhombus Garden have now been tarmaced. Plans for safety rails and a cycle rack are opposite the Boarding House are ongoing. A big thank you to the Howwood Wildlife & Woodland team for their continued efforts to keep the village looking so welcoming. CONTACT: As all advice surgeries have been cancelled because of the current covid19 restrictions, you can still get in touch with me via the following contact details:Email: cllr.bill.binks@renfrewshire.gov.uk Phone: 0300 0300 1423 Mob: 07976 239 949

Cllr Derek Bibby

PARKING: I have recently received correspondence from a number of constituents expressing concern about the ongoing problem of parking, speeding and general traffic congestion around local primary schools. The proposed pilot scheme at 4 primary schools in regard to school parking exclusion zones was discussed at the November meeting of Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure Board. The schools involved in the pilot are in Paisley and Erskine, and it is the current view of the council that while Kilbarchan, Lochwinnoch and Howwood primary schools experience similar problems, they do not meet the criteria for the pilot. I have examined the selection criteria which includes high level of congestion and complaints about irresponsible parking. From this and my knowledge of the problems, it is clear our local schools have a pressing need for action. It is incumbent on the council to revisit their decision, and meantime along with schools and parent groups, look at measures and initiatives that are appropriate to their location and make every attempt to improve safety. RECYCLING CENTRES: One of the many consequences of the pandemic for council services was the closure earlier in the year of the waste recycling centres in Renfrewshire. The subsequent restricted opening hours caused congestion outside the centres, therefore I am pleased to report that from 9th November all sites will be open 7 days a week. ROADS: The Council’s environmental winter maintenance plan has been published. Given that roads within rural areas, as in previous years have yet again been given a priority 4 for gritting, I have stressed that it is crucial that in the likely event of bad weather the grit bins located in our villages are provided with sufficient salt supplies. I have also emphasised that consideration needs to be given to redrafting the council’s priorities for deployment of its gritting teams, to ensure areas that have a significant older population receive the necessary level of service . On a related note, 37% of Renfrewshire’s potholes were completed within timescales during 2019 /2020 ,so there is some catching up to done on this front. LOCAL WRITER: Having lived in Kilbarchan for the majority of my life I was delighted to purchase a copy of a new book, Listen Closely, an oral history of Kilbarchan 1900-2000 by Colin Campbell and Christine MacLeod. The book is a very enjoyable read with its many contributors evoking various aspects of village life in the last century, and will be of interest to habbies and people across Renfrewshire alike. GENERAL NEWS: It is hard to believe that this is the last Advertizer column of 2020; a year that will live long in the memory for all of us. Christmas and the New Year, a time for reflection and to look forward, will look very different this year. I want to pay tribute to all key and essential workers for their tireless endeavours throughout 2020 and to whom we owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude. I am aware that for those in our communities who have been affected by Covid 19 and who have lost a loved one, that this Christmas will be an especially difficult time. At the time of writing it is unclear what restrictions will be in place for the foreseeable future. Whatever transpires, it is my wish that everyone in Kilbarchan Howwood and Lochwinnoch has a peaceful Christmas and a hopeful New Year . CONTACT: Please contact me anytime at cllr.derek.bibby@ renfrewshire.gov.uk or phone 0300 300 1274 or 07534 156007.