Kilbarchan Lilias Day

As we are still in a position where we can’t hold a large public event, Lilias Day will once again be postponed for another year. However, like last year, we would love to see the village get into the spirit of things so please do decorate your house, make a scarecrow, pop up some bunting and bring on some Lilias Day cheer on Saturday 5 June!

Whether it be an art ‘home schooling’ project, some fabulous crafting or simply an escape from virtual work /life, we would love to see the village decorated on the day to celebrate our community.

Whatever you choose to do please stick to current lockdown rules and social distancing. Don’t make any unnecessary journeys – use, re-use and recycle what you have to make your creations. Only decorate your house / garden within your household group, and on the day, please do not gather in groups. You can view any creations as part of your daily exercise route.

On the day please share photos of your creations and we will put them on Facebook and Instagram. You can post them on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/liliasday/, message us or send to info@ liliasday.co.uk

If you need some inspiration here is a reminder of some of the fabulous efforts from last year!

Have fun!

We are back ! Our Church buildings have reopened for worship. We are confi dent 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. Because of restrictions on the number of people attending, it is essential that you book a place if you wish to attend. Bookings can be made from Monday until Thursday at 5 p.m. for the following Sunday’s service. Bookings must be made, and contact details provided each time you plan to attend worship. Please book a place by emailing bookings.kpc@gmail.com or by texting or phoning 0787 620 1096. Our regular Sunday Refl ections will continue and can be found via the web-site http://www.kilbarchankirk.org on our Facebook page and on Youtube. You can also access the Refl ections by telephone on 01505 805893. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN CHURCH

Kilbarchan Parish Church Registered Scottish Charity No.SC012123

Our twice weekly zoom meetings continue with several meetings about Spain, the cities ,the culture and the food. If you would like to fi nd out more about NWR, please visit the website: www.nwr.org.uk We in Kilbarchan would be happy to welcome new members.

On Sunday 23 May from 2pm to 4pm

Tidy Up Time! Come and help to clear up litter around the village. Rubbish sacks, pickers, gloves and tabards will be available, set out in a distanced manner, at the car park by the traffi c lights at the foot of Ewing Street. For additional precautions, if people have their own equipment for regular clear ups they can avoid the distanced gathering and do an individual pick. If you are one of the wonderful picker army volunteers it would be helpful if you could contact Kilbarchan Smile by email hello@kilbarchansmile. co.uk, on the facebook page or phone 079521 69341 to let us know which areas you are covering and for any top up supplies. Filled sacks can be left for pickup in the above car park or by council bins and any glass, needles, heavy objects and fl ytipping reported to us to pass on. Partnered with Renfrewshire’s Team Up to Clean Up’s ‘May Makeover’, Keep Scotland Beautiful and It’s Your Neighbourhood.

I was delighted to welcome the awarding of a contract at the last meeting of Renfrewshire Council’s Finance and Resources Board to City Gate Construction, as the beginning of an £800,000 Doig Dividend to upgrade the McKillop Institute in Lochwinnoch. The Steeple Hall in Kilbarchan is also due for a similar upgrade which the Finance Board will award in due course. The background to this investment is that we have a Council of minorities at the moment and the Administration were struggling to get their 2019 Budget through as the combined opposition could outvote them. Following months of negotiation I received a key concession about the upgrade of village halls in Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch as part of the Village Improvement Fund late in 2018. In the last month I have been engaged in some of the hardest civic battles in my nine year tenure as a local Councillor, in relation to standing up for my Lochwinnoch constituents regarding the adoption of the Council’s new controversial Local Development Plan. Not only in Burnfoot Road in Lochwinnoch but also in Elderslie and Johnstone are communities angry about a failed planning system which is letting us all down. 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.

EASTER BUNNIES: The village had some Easter visitors in the shape of wooden bunnies who temporarily took up residence in various front gardens, providing the opportunity for some fun in the sunshine as their hiding places were hunted down over the Easter weekend! A huge thank you goes to everyone who joined in the hunt, all those who hosted a bunny and a special thank you of course to our village ‘Bunny Master’ who made and distributed all 40 bunnies! Those hosting were invited to make a donation to Renfrewshire Toy Bank. It is hoped to run this event again next year - with even more bunnies available!

YOGABELLIES: As restrictions ease, we are delighted to announce two YogaBellies classes will be returning to Brookfield Village Hall this May: • YogaBellies for Pregnancy on Sunday evenings - time to strengthen body and mind, prepare for birth and relax with other Mums-to-be; • YogaBellies for Mum & Baby on Monday mornings - yoga for you, yoga for baby and yoga together, connecting with your body, focusing on the BAPs (Back, Abs & Pelvic

Floor) while bonding with baby. Both classes are suitable for all levels of experience including none at all! Limited places available so contact Lyndsey for all the information on how to secure your spot at: yogabellieslyndsey@outlook.com Further classes for all women (no bumps or babies required) coming soon too! 100th BIRTHDAY: Birthday greetings and congratulations go to village resident Joan Harrison who reached the impressive milestone of 100 years of age on 14 April. Although Joan’s original plans to celebrate were curtailed owing to Covid-19 restrictions, friends and neighbours made sure the occasion was marked with an appropriate social distanced celebration in the garden in the spring sunshine. Members of Brookfield Brass Necks made a brief appearance and played ‘Happy Birthday’ from afar together with village piper Alex Drysdale. SUMMER DRAMA CLASSES: Plans are underway for a children’s Drama Group to run in the Village Hall over the summer holidays. Age range 7 - 13. Classes will be taken by a drama teacher with experience of running her own theatre company and will culminate in a performance. More information to follow but in the meantime, please contact: brookfieldvpa@gmail.com to register interest.

VW BISTRO: The coffee van continues to visit the Village Hall car park on a Saturday and Sunday - now with extended hours from 10am - 4pm. Facebook: brookfieldvillage.org Twitter: @BrookfieldVPA e-mail: brookfieldvpa@gmail.com

As we slowly but surely move back to some kind of normality our local community groups will be finding their feet once again, and in the straitened economic climate of a post covid world, will be looking for crucial funding. One such key source for community funding in Renfrewshire are the Local Area Partnerships, on which all local Community Councils are represented and have a vote, as well as local elected members. The Bridge of Weir, Houston, Brookfield, Elderslie, Kilbarchan, Howwood, and Lochwinnoch Local Area Partnership is the one which covers our area. One of the things that the pandemic has taught us is the value of shopping locally. Not only does this keep money circulating in the local economy but local traders often offer key local employment opportunities, and it also cuts down on air miles which in turn cuts down on carbon emissions. When I think back to how my mother used to shop fifty years ago it was the local shops that were at the heart of the community, and maybe we need to get back to that again. I notice that this year’s Houston Agricultural Show is online, I am not sure how that works in this instance, but I salute the organisers for their determination and verve in keeping one of the key community events in the Houston calendar on the map in these difficult and challenging times. Also in the context of community champions I would like to commend the Houston Litter Crew, led by the formidable Jake Fulton, for all the work they do every Sunday to keep Houston clean and green. Contact Details for Cllr Audrey Doig Please e mail me on cllr.audrey.doig@renfrewshire.gov.uk or 07768 130935 if you have a civic matter you wish to raise with me.

Mon - Fri: Gryffe Manor Out of School 01505 615438. Dance West Scotland enquiries@dancewestscotland.co.uk Coffee Shop: - Mon/Sat 10am - 4pm, Takeaways only due to Covid 19. Please review FB for Sunday and Holiday open times. Coffee Shop/Centre 01505 229 597.

Please contact your Providers for start back updates in line with C19 Regs Bill Haddow 01505 690693, Stewart Scally 01505674277, Barry Walker 01505 614039

Email: thecarrickcentre@gmail.com or hostbookings@outlook.com

Yoga 1pm Mary Laidlaw 01505 229112 TUESDAY

Paint Pot Tots 10am Dawn Campbell 07789 262350 Yoga 7pm M/s Lawson 01505 613690 Councillor Surgery 6.30pm Scott Kerr Councillor Surgery 12noon Allison Dowling WEDNESDAY

Gryffe Melody Makers 7pm 12th /26th Community Council 7.30pm 19th Dance West Scotland MH 4pm - 7pm 26th Dance West Scotland R2 6pm - 7pm Baby Class (MOO MUSIC) 9.30am - 1.45pm THURSDAY

Gryffe Quilting Group 1pm - 3pm Primary Colours 3.30pm – 4m30pm Crafty Friends 7.30pm Folk Club 8pm 07786 078952 iaintdawson@gmail.com Move It Or Lose It 10.30am – 11.30am Councillor Surgery 7.15pm Audrey Doig FRIDAY

Yoga 10.30am M/s Lawson 01505 613690 Dance West Scotland MH 3.15pm - 7pm Dance West Scotland R2 5pm - 7pm M.P. Surgery 12.30pm - 1.30pm Gavin Newlands SATURDAY

Dance West Scotland MH 9.45am - 5pm Dance West Scotland R2 9am - 1.30 pm Councillor Surgery 11.30am - 12noon Jim Sheridan SUNDAY

Baptist Church 11am and 6pm Centre Patrons please advise date or time changes due to Holidays to Centre Management

The Crew have been busy lately. In one morning they took 8 bin bags of rubbish off the streets of Houston, Crosslee, Ardgryffe and the Barrochan Rd. They also went back to the lade where another 18 bags were recovered. It was a productive morning leaving the all areas mentioned looking so much tidier. Thank you for making our area so much tidier!