333 February 2023 - Gryffe Advertizer

Next Deadline

#334 March 2023: Wednesday

15th February

Upcoming deadlines:

#335 April 2023: 15th March

#336 MAY 2023: 12th APRIL

Contact us:

01505 613 340

info@advertizer.co.uk www.advertizer.co.uk

GryffeAds

GryffeAds

GryffeAdvertizer

1st floor, Neva Place

Bridge of Weir, PA11 3PN

Office Hours:

Tues - Thurs 9am - 4pm Friday 9am - 1pm

This Month

I suppose that the saying ‘good weather for ducks’ is appropriate after the last couple months of constant rather wet weather.

Though it’s not all bad. The days are becoming brighter again as we leave winter behind us.

Rainbow Over Castle Semple Sailing Club

by Joe Reilly

Club)

Our front cover image this month was supplied by Joe Reilly of the Johnstone Camera Club and is a stunning capture of a rainbow over the Castle Semple Sailing Club in Lochwinnoch.

Our deadline dates have been updated since the January issue as we start to sort out the year ahead. These can always be found online on our website and at least a couple months ahead in every issue date.

Beloved local, Marion Dawson, also known as Granny D, celebrated her 110th birthday in January and was presented with her birthday card by the Deputy Lord Lietenant from King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla. The 8th annual Pocket Garden Design Competition has launched. Entrants this year should reflect the interlinked themes of A Garden of Celebration, One Planet Picnic and Wildlife Gardening. All types and styles of celebration are welcome from colourful fiesta to proud memorial. More information is available on page 15. Designs must be submitted no later than 5pm on 22nd February 2023 to: oneplanetpicnic@keepscotlandbeautiful.org

We are saddened to hear that Donald Smith of the Bridge of Weir Hillwalkers has passed away. He regularly submitted news and photos of the Bridge of Weir Hillwalkers’ activity. His final submission for the magazine is on page 34 along with a very kind message from fellow member Ken.

We witnessed the power of social media at the Ginger Cat Children’s Bookshop. Owner, Aileen, put out a post on Twitter about the shop being quiet and it was shared by a lot of people to drive up business, including Richard Osman. Another lovely man phoned in and requested to buy a book of Aileen’s choice to gift to the next child who came into the shop. What a lovely gesture! Aileen’s book reviews and heartwarming story are on page 28.

What a lovely community we live in!

• 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. © The Gryffe Advertizer Ltd 2022

• Printed in Glasgow and delivered by a local team.

• McAllister Litho Glasgow are committed to minimising their impact on the environment caused by their use of natural resources and the waste and pollution they create. www.mlg.co.uk/environment/

Advertising in this publication

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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.

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CONTENTOFTHEGRYFFEADVERTIZER CANNOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT CONSENT FROM PUBLISHER

The Gryffe Advertizer is published by © The Gryffe Advertizer Ltd 2022

(Johnstone Camera

Marion Celebrated her 110 th Birthday

Marion Dawson celebrated her 110th birthday with friends and family on Thursday 19th January. Marion would like to thank everyone for all their good wishes and lovely cards. Marion choose St Vincent’s Hospice as her charity to send donations in lieu of birthday gifts. Thank you to everyone who donated. A big thank you also to Morar Care Home in Bridge of Weir for making her party such a memorable occasion.

Pictured below is Marion with Dr Iain Findlay (Deputy Lord Lieutenant) presenting her with her 110th birthday card from King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla.

New Paisley Grammar School

Plans for a new Paisley Grammar School are moving forward – with the state-of-the-art facility expected to be open by summer 2026.

The community campus will replace the existing Paisley Grammar and will contain new facilities, some of which will also be available for the wider community. It will be built on vacant land near the town’s Renfrew Road transforming transport links in the north of Paisley with the creatation of a new road, walking and cycling connections, and create easier and safer access to the new school. The new location will also allow closer co-operation with West College Scotland.

The school building will be a 21st-century environment for pupils, with benefits including outdoor PE facilities, new outdoor areas and a modern set-up for subjects like IT, music and drama.

It will also be designed to support new ways to learn and teach – with breakout and other areas for group work and one-to-one teaching, while being fully accessible for pupils with mobility issues or additional support needs.

Councillor Emma Rodden, convener of the council’s Education and Children’s Services Board said: “The current Paisley Grammar building has served generations of pupils well over the decades and people will have fond memories of it, but it has become outdated, with no room to expand.

“A lot of work has already gone in to understand the future needs of pupils and staff, and to design a building which delivers everything they will need in the decades ahead.”

For more info visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/Paisley-Grammar-School

Advertising Feature

Spring time turns our attention to pressure washing and softwashing ready for the Summer ahead. With over 20 years experience of exterior cleaning systems, we are your local qualified and experienced cleaning company with the state of the art equipment, knowledge and experience to achieve the best results. Whether it is softwashing moss on roofs, algae from render, pressure washing decking, patios, monoblock drives or anything in between, please give us a call for free, friendly information on our services or for a free quotation.

01505 863 863 www.nutechcleaning.co.uk

Speakers

January speakers were our annual update from Jim Dorward speaking on Railway Engineering and on the 25th David Walker on Photography. An enjoyable Burns Supper with 180 guests and speakers was held on 21st January in a new venue the Lynnhurst Hotel, Johnstone and over £3,500 was raised for good causes including Renfrewshire Young Carers and our thanks to all who spoke and attended. Future meetings: February 1st - Stories of my Grandfather in WW1 - Sandy Gibb Stuart, and on February 22nd - Lesley King - Reporter to the Children’s Panel, Paisley with a members Business Meeting on 8th February and a speaker on 15th February

If interested in Rotary come along and find out who we are and what we do e-mail gryffevalleyrotary@gmail.com to arrange your attendance.

Young Chef - Christmas Baking Challenge

While preparing their Christmas bakes, first to third year Health and Food Technology classes in St Benedict’s and Gryffe High Schools competed for prizes of confectionery provided by Gryffe Valley Rotary Club. Pupils designed, baked and decorated a range of truffles, cakes, biscuits and Yule Logs which were judged to select winners in each class and then an overall winner in each year group. The resulting produce looked superb …. hope it tasted as good! Congratulations to all the pupils and especially to the class winners and the overall winners, Alice, Amber, Grace, Maisie and Phoebe who each received an additional award of a Tesco token.

10k Run - Sunday 21st May at 1pm

Need a target for your fitness for 2023? Use the Gryffe Valley 10k, in three months, as your motivation! We encourage people of all abilities to enter, from walkers to elite runners. Finishing times usually range between 35 mins and 2 hours, as the route follows picturesque country lanes around Houston. To be sure you have plenty of support, why not sign up with a group of friends? That way you can train and take part together and perhaps seek sponsorship for your group in aid of CHAS or your favourite charity.

This year there will be an informal Fun Run (2K) for kids at 12.30pm in Houston Park.

Paisley Town Hall to re-open this year

The ongoing transformation of Paisley’s historic cultural venues is moving forward - with Paisley Town Hall set to be the first to reopen later this year.

Renfrewshire Council’s current investment aims to use the town’s unique cultural and heritage story to transform its future, and includes refurbishments of Paisley’s museum, town hall and arts centre, plus a new home for the town’s library services.

Construction work on the town hall is due to be completed in the summer – with the building then handed over to local culture and leisure trust OneRen, who will spend the next few months ensuring the town hall is fully fitted-out and that the building and staff are ready to welcome visitors.

The town hall will be open in time to host events during the Royal National Mod, Scotland’s largest celebration of Gaelic language and culture, taking place across Paisley in October.

The other venue projects are expected to reopen in the following order:

The new Learning and Cultural Hub • being built in a formerly-vacant High Street retail unit. Construction is due to complete in the summer, with library services to be transferred there from their temporary home next to the Lagoon in the second half of the year;

Paisley Arts Centre • is being extended and upgraded, with new modern audience and performance facilities, and a new public space outside the building. Construction work will continue into the summer and the venue is expected to be reopen by early 2024;

Paisley Museum • is being transformed into a world-class destination to showcase the town’s internationally-significant collections and bring visitors and footfall to the town. Construction is due to be complete later this year, before the comprehensive programme of exhibition fit-out starts, with the building expected to open in 2024;

Each building will be operated by OneRen, who – once handed over – will complete the fit-out and get the building ready to operate, while also delivering a programme of opening events.

The venues programme is being complemented by investment in the town centre’s outdoor spaces and historic buildings, with plans to improve Abbey Close as an events venue also moving forward.

Johnstone Mobile Post Office

Monday:

Johnstone History Society

Our February meeting is on Tuesday 14th February at 7.30pm in the Masonic Hall Collier Street. Our second speaker of 2023 will be Dr John Crawford who is Library Research Officer at Caledonian University. His talk is about “Leadhills Library and a Wider World“. We look forward to welcoming a good turnout of members and visitors and all will be very welcome .

The Museum continues to open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10.30am till 4pm. We stock a good selection of books, pamphlets and maps which can be purchased in the museum or online at johnstone history.org and payment can be made via PayPal. This year the last calendar was sold on Christmas Eve so anyone who was disappointed will know next year purchases need to be made early for our very popular Calendar.

Waverley Appeal Launched Amid Funding Crisis

A public appeal has been launched to “urgently” raise funds to enable the historic Paddle Steamer Waverley to afford dry dock fees and re-commissioning costs, and therefore sail in 2023

in 2022 Waverley operated in several areas around the UK coast following the easing of pandemic restrictions, but operating costs soared which has resulted in a lack of funds to survive the winter maintenance period. Despite carrying over 100,000 passengers with sailings in Scotland, on the South Coast and up the River Thames to London there is a cash shortfall.

Paul Semple, Waverley’s General Manager, explained “Waverley must be taken out of the water and dry docked annually before her sailing season begins. She is now booked to dry dock in late-March and then reenter service in May. Due to increased operating costs last season we don’t have enough money to afford this year’s dry dock and the numerous other costs we incur in the weeks before Waverley starts sailing. Last year our fuel costs increased by over 60% or in real terms by over

£300,000. This is a cost which the owning charity hasn’t been able to withstand. We urgently need to raise funds or we simply can’t afford the start up costs for this coming summer season.”

The Dry Dock 2023 Appeal has a target of £180,000 with over £35,000 already raised. Those who donate by 1st March will be entered into a draw to be selected for the unique opportunity to visit Waverley and see her out of the water in dry dock.

Paul commented further, “Operating a historic steamship like Waverley is inherently expensive. We are now spending over £600,000 a year just to maintain her in operating condition. Spare parts for a paddle steamer are rarely ‘off the shelf’ and come at considerable cost. Dry docking the ship is the single largest expense of the winter maintenance work and as things are we can’t afford to dock her. We are asking for help from anyone who wishes to see Waverley sail again this summer to support our appeal.”

Waverley’s outline sailing programme for 2023 has been published with the ship scheduled to start operating in May on the Firth of Clyde. Waverley is also due to visit Oban and the inner Hebrides, the Bristol Channel, South Coast and London. Sailings from Liverpool and Llandudno are dependent on pier repairs being completed at the North Wales resort.

Donations to the Dry Dock 2023 Appeal can be made online at www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk or by calling 0141 243 2224. Those donating online can opt to be included on a Virtual Donor Wall.

Upcoming Events in 2023

1988 - 2023 – We are 35 years old!

We are celebrating St Vincent’s Hospice‘s 35th year with the following fabulous events as we enter 2023.

We are now recruiting for Strictly Come Prancing stars! The main event is being held on Friday 26th May, with rehearsals beginning end February/ beginning March. No dancing experience is required, we will pair you with a partner or you can sign up as a couple. We have had a lot of interest and are particularly keen to hear from MEN!

March begins with a Firewalk – are you brave enough to amble the embers? For only £15 you can sign up to take part in this “mind over matter” motivational session which prepares you to walk the hot coals and amaze yourself and your friends/ family who can all enjoy refreshments in the clubhouse afterwards within Cochrane Castle Golf Club, who are supporting us with this event on Friday 3rd March

New to St Vincent’s Hospice events list is “An Audience With…” being held in the Glynhill Hotel, Renfrew on Friday 17th March. An evening of entertainment hosted by Jed McCabe, with speakers Frank McAvennie (ex St Mirren, West Ham & Celtic) and Gordon Smith (ex Kilmarnock, Rangers and St Mirren – amongst other teams). Guests will be treated to a meal, entertainment and raffle. Also celebrating exactly 10 years since St Mirren won the Scottish League Cup! Our ladies lunch is back with a twist! Let us introduce “Fizz & Fun Afternoon” at Lynnhurst Hotel, Johnstone on Sunday 16th April hosted by the fabulous Edward Reid! Ladies will arrive to a glass of fizz followed by afternoon tea with lots of laughter and fun to be had!

Kiltwalk Glasgow 2023 is confirmed for Sunday 30th April with entry fees slashed to only £20 for the Mighty Stride or Big Stroll and only £12.50 (£6.50 children) for the Wee Wander! Sign up to join up to 10,000 walkers and help raise much needed funds for St Vincent’s Hospice. if you are looking for an even bigger challenge, why not sign up for all 4 Kiltwalks - Aberdeen 4th June, Dundee 20th August, Edinburgh 17th September.

We at Travel Actually would like to thank all our customers for their fantastic support throughout the Pandemic. it has been the most challenging time for many of us in so many ways, with the travel industry hit particularly badly.

We worked very hard to rebook or refund cancelled holidays and we are delighted to say that we managed to refund every single one of our clients who requested it. Others rebooked, in some cases two and three times, and we really appreciate the loyalty, patience and kindness shown to us.

With most restrictions lifted and the Pandemic behind us, travel has resumed in a big way. Having lost 2-3 years people are realising their travel dreams and do not wish to put their ‘Bucket List’ holidays on hold any longer.

We are seeing a significant return to travel agents as many online suppliers simply did not want to know, or even to take calls from anxious customers. Their business model often does not include telephone contact, dealing only by email and with a limited response.

in worst case scenarios some people actually lost money and i have lost count of people asking for help who did not actually book with us.

Although, as many of you will know we closed our shop in Kilmacolm, we are still very much here. Although we are independent, we remain part of Barrhead Travel, one of the most trusted brands in the industry and we are fully ABTA and ATOL protected. We continue to offer a highly professional and knowledgeable service and we would be delighted to assist you with your travel plans.

Most popular at the moment are Luxury Holidays: Multi-Generational Holidays, Cruises and people travelling to Australia and New Zealand to see family, perhaps for the first time in a few years.

Scotland is seeing some new destinations this year including direct flights from Edinburgh to Atlanta; Boston, Calgary, New York and Santorini. From Glasgow there will be direct flights to Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, a new service to Lisbon, not to mention March sees the return of the A380 from Glasgow to Dubai! There is so much to look forward to!

Whatever you fancy, contact Arlene and Team by email or telephone and let us help you to make your travel dreams become a reality!! You won’t be disappointed!!

coming events in February

Farmers Markets

this month

Saturday 4th

Kilmacolm

Kilmacolm Community Centre 10am to 2pm

1st Saturday of the month /kilmacolmfarmersmarket

suNdAY 12th

Renfrew

Robertson Park 10am to 4pm

2nd Sunday of the month /RenfrewMarket

Saturday 11th & 25TH

Paisley

The Paisley Centre 10am to 2pm

/pages/Paisley-FarmersMarket/207097172654332

Saturday 19th

Bishopton & Dargavel

Bishopton Train Station Car Park

10am to 2pm

3rd Saturday of the month

/The-Bishopton-DargavelFarmers-Market109902924512969

Saturday 25th

Gourock

Gourock Train Station Car Park 10am to 2pm

Last Saturday of the month

/The-Gourock-FarmersMarket-112064558070104

SuNdAY 26th

Erskine

Erskine Waterfront 10am to 4pm

Last Sunday of the month

/Erskine-Riverside-Market101613198665127

WedNeSdAY 1ST - TueSdAY 28TH

Wild Attractions - Self-led Family Activity

RSPB, Largs Road, Lochwinnoch

9.30am to 4pm - £3

Take part in the challenges as you go and see if you can find all the hidden letters to unscramble the mystery word before returning to the visitor centre to claim your prize! There is no need to book.

T H ur S d AY 2 N d Bridge of Weir SWI

Cargill Hall, Lintwhite Crescent, Bridge of Weir

7.30pm

Our meeting will be a talk on aspects of forensics by Dr Callum McHugh. Both members and visitors will be welcomed.

Paisley Natural History Society Illustrated Talks

The Wynd Centre, 6 School Wynd, Paisley

7.30pm

The Young Ornithologist’s DreamRebecca Dickson - This talk offers a glimpse into Rebecca’s birding lifestyle, where she will share her exciting encounters within Scotland and abroad. This includes her fieldwork for bird monitoring projects with the BTO and raptor study group.

OUTLOOK Team - Dementia Friendly Inverclyde

Kidston Hall, High Street, Kilmacolm

2pm to 3.30pm

A social community group led by the Community Issues team of Kilmacolm Old Kirk. Meetings traditionally enjoy a guest speaker, or videos, quiz, tombola, easy keep fit. Speaker: Bethan Dunsmore.

S AT urd AY 4 TH

Houston & Killellan Kirk Beetle Drive

West Halls, Main St, Houston

6.30pm

Pop along for family fun. Free tea, coffee, juice and crisps provided.

Tue S d AY 7 TH

HOUSTON &

KILLELLAN

KIRK FOODBANK FOODBANK

West Halls, Main Street, Houston

10am to 12noon & 7pm - 8pm

Donations welcome every Tuesday. Also running 14th, 21st & 28th

T H ur S d AY 9 TH

Houston & Killellan Kirk

“Houston Hello”

Killellan Halls, 13A Kirk Road, Houston

2pm to 4pm

Drop-in group for people living with dementia and carers. Contact Frankie Greenwood 07817 210777 or email: familyandcommunity. houstonkirk@gmail.com

Also running on the 23rd

Sòlas bereavement drop-in group

Kidston Hall, High Street, Kilmacolm 2pm

You will be supported in processing issues of grief and loss by expert speakers as well as each other. For more information, please call Barbara Marshall on 01505 872417 or email: barbara@oochy.com

S AT urd AY 11 TH

Paisley Highlanders Ceilidh

Elderslie Village Hall, Stoddard Square, Elderslie PA5 9AS

7pm to 11pm

Take part in all your favourite dances ... Gay Gordons, Dashing White Sergeant, Strip the Willow, St. Bernard’s Waltz and many more. Call 07710 162087 for further details. £5.

Scout Quiz & Curry Night

Scout Hall, Kilmacolm 7pm

Get your quiz entry and curry for £10. Teams of up to 10 people or join a team on the night. Contact 07789 077749 or any current scout leader for tickets.

Wed N e S d AY 15 TH Howwood Parish Church

Coffee Morning

Howwood Parish Church Hall, Main Street, Howwood

10am to 12noon

Come along for a hot drink, home baking and a chat! A warm welcome will be extended to everyone. Free Entry.

Kilmacolm Horticultural Society Garden Talk

Kilmacolm Community Centre, Lochwinnoch Road, Kilmacolm

2pm to 3.45pm

The theme is “Any Questions” with a panel who will share gardening tips and advice - so come along for some garden chat, plus an informal flower arranging demonstration with a raffle of the results. Refreshments served. www.kilmacolmhorticultural.com

T H ur S d AY 16 TH

OUTLOOK Team - Dementia

Friendly Inverclyde

Kidston Hall, High Street, Kilmacolm

2pm to 3.30pm

OUTLOOK is a social community group led by the Community Issues team of Kilmacolm Old Kirk. Meetings traditionally enjoy a guest speaker, or videos, quiz, tombola, easy keep fit. Visit to Oberammergau with Anne McGregor.

Su N d AY 19 TH

Arkleston Singers Concert

Kilmacolm Old Kirk, High Street, Kilmacolm

3pm

The choir has built a reputation for singing a very adventurous repertoire of modern liturgical music from living composers. They sing acappella, with piano or with The Arkleston Chamber Ensemble. Tickets available at the door. £5

Please note: Please check with venue/organiser. Where we can, we will update our listings to notify of cancelled, postponed and rescheduled events. Event details may have changed by publication.

Tue S d AY 21 ST

Shrove Tuesday Coffee Morning

St Fillans Church, Kilmacolm

10am to 12noon

There will be lovely freshly made pancakes, home baking, big raffle and various stalls. Tickets just £4pay at the door.

Su N d AY 26 TH

Guided Wildlife Walk

RSPB, Largs Road, Lochwinnoch

10am to 12noon

Whether you have a general interest in wildlife, or would like to hone your wildlife watching skills, then this is the walk for you! Stout footwear and clothing suitable are strongly recommended. Call 01505 842663. Cost £5 - £12.50

Wed N e S d AY 1 ST M A rc H

Howwood curling club come & Try Session

Bowfield Road, Howwood

7.30pm

Come along and try out curling, no experience necessary, whatever your age or ability. All equipment provided. Please contact Lachie Carmichael at: lachiedcarmichael@ hotmail.com or call 01294 823643, 07854 328938. £10.

T H ur S d AY 2 N d M A rc H

Paisley Natural History Society Illustrated

Talks

The Wynd Centre, 6 School

Wynd, Paisley 7.30pm

Current reserve warden Dan Snowdon will give a talk on the reserve’shistory,recentmanagement and aspirations for the future.

Mozart’s Requiem

Kidston Hall, High Street, Kilmacolm

Mozart’s Requiem is a great piece for amateurs to sing – especially for Tenors and Basses! Now’s your chance to join the Choral Society of Bridge of Weir and Kilmacolm as they start to

rehearse this masterpiece, for a performance on Sunday 14th May

This long-established choir meets at the Kidston Hall beside Kilmacolm Old Kirk on Wednesday evenings, 7pm - 9pm. We welcome new members, especially if they sing Tenor or Bass. We don’t hold auditions, but we love singers who read music and sing in tune!

Please invite yourself along, or contact our President, Mary Leishman: 07801 981611 or Mary. Leishman@4-consulting. com

Kilmacolm Dramatic Society Rehearsals for our Spring Production are well underway. We’re delighted to be staging ‘The Steamie’ by Tony Roper. First performed over three decades ago, ‘The Steamie’ has become a true Scottish Theatre Comedy Classic.

Set on Hogmanay in 1950s Glasgow, it is a poignant, nostalgic yet hilarious look back to a lost, communal culture. ‘The Steamie’ is directed by John Gilchrist, perhaps better known as our perennial Panto Dame, but that means of course that he can bring his cleaning experience as laundry owning Widow Twankey in Aladdin. Tickets, for what is bound to be a hugely popular show, will be on sale through TicketSource in March. Performances on 20th ,21st and 22nd April. Make sure you don’t miss out!

Paisley Highlanders Monthly Ceilidh

Take part in all your favourite dances ... Gay Gordons, Dashing White Sergeant, Strip the Willow, St. Bernard’s Waltz and many more at Paisley Highlanders’ monthly Ceilidh!

• Saturday 11th February

• Saturday 11th March

• Saturday 15th April (7pm - 11pm)

Tickets £5 | Call 07710 162087 Elderslie Village Hall Stoddart Square, Elderslie PA5 9AS

Eighth Annual Pocket Garden Design Competition launches

Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful has launched the 2023 edition of the Pocket Garden Design Competition in partnership with Garden for Life Forum, calling on budding garden designers from schools across Scotland.

This year the charity are inviting secondary, primary and nursery pupils to design a colourful and sustainable garden. The designers of the best entries will be invited to build and grow their garden at school before filming or photographing it to be displayed as part of an online interactive garden in June.

Entrants this year should reflect the interlinked themes of A Garden of Celebration, One Planet Picnic and Wildlife Gardening. All types and

styles of celebration are welcome from colourful fiesta to proud memorial. The celebration theme could be inspired by a national event such as the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III or more personal connections to inspiring people or local events.

Pocket Garden Design Competition aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Four, Learning for Sustainability and is run by Keep Scotland Beautiful as part of its Climate Action Schools framework. It gives pupils and educators a creative focus for learning for sustainability, STEM skills, and the Curriculum for Excellence.

Designs must be submitted no later than 5pm on 22nd February to:oneplanetpicnic@keepscotlandbeautiful.org

Lochwinnoch Arts Festival & Scotland on Tour

Christine Bovill

Tonight you Belong to Me

Saturday 18th February

McKillop Hall (Bar)

Doors: 7pm, Show: 7.30pm

written and performed by Alan

Friday 17th March

Bissett

Doors: 7pm – Show: 7.30pm

Lochwinnoch McKillop Hall

The self- proclaimed hardest woman in Falkirk returns to the Stage in Lochwinnoch. Tickets £12, available at: The Wee Shop or online at: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/-489857887127

Craft Fair

Art Work, Candles & Melts, Jewellery, Stained Glass, Sewing & Knitting and More!

Enjoy a cuppa in the tea room!

Saturday 18th March

12noon – 3pm

Free McKillop Hall, Lochwinnoch

Saturday 18th March

Doors: 7pm, Show: 7.30pm

Lochwinnoch McKillop Institute

We are delighted to welcome back

Seonaid Aitken, who was voted top jazz vocalist in 2017 and 2018. The ensemble with perform songs from the 2019 album “What Is This Thing Called Love?” and lots of other favourites. Tickets £14 / £12 from The Wee Shop or online at: Seonaid Aitken Ensemble www.scotlandontour.com

Christine will sing some of the most celebrated songs and engrossing stories from the Jazz Age; the era of Prohibition, women’s suffrage, radio, flappers, vamps, A decade of heroes and villains, of sex scandals, literary giants and criminal loves all beautifully bound in the seductive rhythms of jazz. Nominated for best female vocalist at the Scottish Jazz Awards 2020. Tickets £12 from Now and Then Gifts or online at www.eventbrite.co.uk/ e/469007944387

Sunday 19th March

Doors: 7pm, show: 7.30pm

Lochwinnoch Golf Club

Jamie MacDonald is a award winning blind Scottish comedian, writer and voice over artist. Most recently he has appeared on BBC1’s “Have I Got New For You” and BBC2’s “QI”. He won the “Best Presenter” award for his BBC2 documentary “Blind Ambition” at the 2022 Grierson awards. Tickets: £12 from The Wee Shop or online at: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ jamie-macdonald-comedy-tickets-489958467967

Jamie MacDonald

The Bridge, Main Street

Mon to Sat 10am - 1pm and Mon 2pm - 5pm

Your Support – thanks to all our lovely customers for using our post office and shop over the Christmas season.

Café – our café is open for reasonably priced drinks and biscuits. Switch your heating off for a while and stay warm in The Bridge instead!

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, Fiona and Alison will be happy to assist with your banking needs and all other postal services.

Alison – We are sorry that Alison will be leaving the Post Office counter where she has been a real asset for The Bridge. We are currently trying to find a replacement for Alison and if you think that this parttime paid employment might interest you please get in touch.

Films – a variety of films continue to be shown throughout the winter – 7pm 1st Friday and 3rd Thursday of the month. The Hours will be shown on Fri 3rd Feb and Belle Epoque on Thurs 16th. Free entry – give a donation if you can.

The Shop - throughout the year we are continually reviewing our stock of cards and introducing new designs to ensure our extensive selection of Greetings Cards is maintained. The Bridge is the go-to place to buy your essential stationery items, postcards of your local area and pocket money toys.

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. On the last Friday of the month there will be a clinic at The Bridge from 11am – 12.45pm for minor servicing of hearing aids.

Finally, a big thank you to our dedicated team of volunteers.

Job Vacancy @ The Bridge

We are looking for someone to work at the Post Office counter in Bridge of Weir. This is parttime paid employment in a pleasant working environment. The appointed person will be fully trained and paid during training.

To apply please leave your CV at the Post Office counter. If you would like to know any further details, please ask at the Post Office counter or call Paul Birch on 01505 613506.

Next

ward 11

cllr james maclaren

Happy New Year! As I write this article, I am reminded of how bad the roads can get at this time of year with the cold and wet weather causing nasty deep potholes which seem to take an age for the council to get filled, which is no doubt partly down to the holiday period. If you see a pothole then please get it reported rather than relying on someone else doing this. Today I received an angry email asking me what I was going to do about two major potholes on the A761 which had caused 27 cars to have damaged wheels and suspension. This was the first time anyone had contacted me about it, though I had reported it myself on the 30th December. Unsurprisingly one of the potholes was in the stream of water coming out of a gully there which I had reported back in October.

Keeping in touch with what’s happening locally is a vital part of being a councillor. That’s why, as well as taking part in council debates and dealing with the individual issues brought to me by local people, I try and support as many local events as possible throughout the year. I hope that my reports on Facebook and community councils give you an insight into some of the activities that I have been involved with over the period. Your views matter to me, so if there is anything I can assist with or any issue you would like to raise with me, please do not hesitate to get in touch. My contact details are below.

Surgeries: 6.30pm to 7pm - Langbank Church - 1st Monday of the month; Cargill Hall, Bridge of Weir –2nd Monday of the month; Bishopton Community Centre – 3rd Monday of the month.

Contact info: 0300 300 1291 cllr.james.maclaren@renfrewshire.gov.uk www.facebook.com/councillormaclaren

Senior Citizens’ Association

Bridge of Weir Senior Citizens’ Association extend a warm welcome to everyone to their meetings in the Cargill Hall at 2pm on Wednesday 8th FebruaryAlan Docherty and Wednesday 22nd February - The Midges.

Bridge of Weir SWI

Our meeting on Thursday 2nd February will be a talk on aspects of forensics by Dr Callum McHugh. We meet at 7.30pm at the Cargill Hall and both members and visitors will be welcomed.

Councillor Details

WARD 9:

JOHNSTONE NORTH, KILBARCHAN, HOWWOOD & LOCHWINNOCH www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/

Cllr Chris Gilmour: cllr.chris.gilmour@renfrewshire.gov.uk 0300 300 1289 | 07484 064521

Cllr Gillian Graham: cllr.gillian.graham@renfrewshire.gov.uk 0300 300 1268

Cllr Andy Doig: cllr.andy.doig@renfrewshire.gov.uk 07534 148 224

Cllr Emma Rodden: cllr.emma.rodden@renfrewshire.gov.uk 0300 300 1431

WARD 10:

HOUSTON, CROSSLEE & LINWOOD www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/

Cllr Audrey Doig: cllr.audrey.doig@renfrewshire.gov.uk 07768 130 935

Cllr Alison Jean Dowling: cllr.alison.dowling@renfrewshire.gov.uk 0300 300 1419

Cllr Robert Innes: cllr.robert.innes@renfrewshire.gov.uk 0300 300 1254

Cllr David mcGonigle: cllr.david.mcgonigle@renfrewshire.gov.uk 0300 300 1287

WARD 11: BISHOPTON, LANGBANK & BRIDGE OF WEIR www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/

Cllr James MacLaren: cllr.james.maclaren@renfrewshire.gov.uk 0300 300 1291

Cllr fiona airlie-nicolson: cllr.fiona.airlie-nicolson@renfrewshire.gov.uk 0300 300 1253

Cllr Colin McCulloch: cllr.colin.mcculloch@renfrewshire.gov.uk 0300 300 1427

WARD 1: INVERCLYDE EAST www.inverclyde.gov.uk/

Cllr Christopher Curley: christopher.curley@inverclyde.gov.uk 07768 460073 | 01475 712370

Cllr Stephen McCabe: Stephen.McCabe@inverclyde.gov.uk 01475 712 020 (office hours)

Cllr David Wilson: david.wilson@inverclyde.gov.uk 01475 741969 / 712727 | 07766 992 294

brookfield village hall

Karate:

Adults and children welcome (7+ yrs) Gradings held on an ongoing basis.

07850 407442

Johnstone Tora-Kai Karate

Monday 7.30pm - 8.30pm

Zumba®:

A total workout, combining elements of fitness: cardio, muscle conditioning,balance and flexibility. gems_paisley@hotmail.com

Tuesday 6.30pm - 7.30pm

Ballroom/Latin:

New members welcome. Private lessons available.

Stewart 07710 464 969 ballroombasics@live.co.uk

Thurs 7pm - 8pm (Beginners)

Thurs 8pm - 9pm (Intermediate)

Sat 11am - 12.30pm (Mixed Ability)

Yogabellies:

Each class is suitable for all levels of experience including none at all! yogabellieslyndsey@outlook.com

Sun 6pm - 7.15pm for Pregnancy

Sun 7.30pm - 8.30pm Hatha Flow for all Mon 10am - 11am for Mum & Baby

The Ballet & dance Company:

Get in touch for more information or to book a trial. suzanne@balletanddanceacademy.co.uk

Friday 3.15pm - 6.30pm

DDP Yoga:

Full body workout to improve flexibility, strength, balance & cardio fitness.

Laura 07474 443505 energisewithlaura@gmail.com

Monday 6.15pm - 7.15pm

FITNESS Bootcamp

Classes include Circuits, HIIT Training, Meta fit, Boxercise - and more! £5 per class.

Tuesdays 7.45pm - 8.45pm baileyfitness101@gmail.com

ward 10

cllr audrey doig

I wish all my constituents the very best for 2023 and let us hope that it will see a final successful end to the war in Ukraine and a solution to the cost of living crisis. At the last Full Council meeting in December I spoke on a motion which called on all the national energy companies to use some of their substantial profits to re-open shop front energy hubs. This would allow constituents with energy difficulties to actually talk face to face with someone to solve problems they might have either with their accounts or their energy supply. It is particularly true that consumers with pay as you go meters are especially vulnerable and the status quo of energy giants hiding behind call centres is simply not good enough.

I am pleased to report that Renfrewshire Council last year appointed SWECO as the consultant for the new Safe Rural Walking Initiative which will look at ways to stop speeding in Houston. Online surveys and consultations have taken place with Houston residents and Houston Community Council over recent months. The final proposals are being discussed locally at present and I look forward to receiving the views of the Houston CC on the matter as curbing speeding is a serious problem. February will see the annual Renfrewshire Council budget agreed for 2022/23. The Scottish Government has been clear that local government will get significantly less than we have been used to in recent years, and even that, since the advent of austerity economics from Westminster beginning in 2010, was less then Councils received in the nineties and noughties in more secure times. Most Councillors, regardless of party affiliation, entered local government to improve their local communities not to make cuts, but I fear that the new budget will bring hard messages for my constituents.

Contact info: 07768 130 935 cllr.audrey.doig@renfrewshire.gov.uk

fancy learning to dance?

Ballroom Basics is now delighted to offer a new complete beginners ballroom & latin dance class on Sunday mornings in the Village Hall from 11.30am - 12.30pm. Contact Stewart: 07710 464969 or email: ballroombasics@live.co.uk

councillor surgeries

Cllr Audrey Doig: Thursday 9th @ 6.30pm - 7pm

Cllr Robert Innes: Tuesday 21st @ 6pm - 6.30pm

brookfield art club - spaces available

The club meets in the Village Hall on Thursday afternoons from 12.30pm to 3.30pm and is currently looking for new members. Come and join us and develop new skills in drawing and painting in a relaxed and friendly environment. All abilities welcome including beginners. Please call 01505 324169 for further details or to book a place.

brookfield swi

February meetings will take place in the Village Hall on Tuesday 7th and 21st from 10am to 12noon. New members/visitors are most welcome. Email: brookfieldvpa@gmail.com for further details.

Defibrillator Sites

B ISHOPTON

• The Cornerstone, Greenock Rd

• Bishopton Community Centre

B ROOKFIELD

• Brookfield Village Hall

B RIDGE OF W EIR

• Co-Op

• Old Ranfurly Golf Club

• Ranfurly Castle Golf Club

• Gate Hs, BoW Leather Works

E LDERSLIE

• Elderslie Golf Club

H OUSTON

• Outside Church Hall, Main St

• Co-Op

• Strathgryffe Tennis (reception)

• Old telephone box, Houston Rd, Crosslee

• Back of Houston Primary on outside of playground fence

HOWWOOD

• Howwood Hall, Station Rd

• Christ the King Church, Bowfield Rd

• The Boarding House (open hrs)

• Howwood Primary School fence

J OHNSTONE

• Keystore, Spateston

• Keystore, Corseford

• Johnstone Town Hall

• Scottish Fire & Rescue

K IL m ACOL m

• Kilmacolm Golf Club

• St Columba’s Senior School

• Gym, Birkmyre Park

• Library (rear of New Surgery)

K ILBARCHAN

• Scout Hall

• Kilbarchan Bowling Club

L ANGBANK

• Langbank Village Hall

• Doctors surgery, Station Rd (carpark wall)

L INWOOD

• Onyx Leisure Centre

• Spar, Clippens Rd

• Asda

L OCHWINNOCH

• Outside GP Practice, Main St PAISLEY

• Russell Institute

Q UARRIERS

• William Quarriers House (entrance to Faith Ave)

• Country View

brookfieldvillage.org

brookfieldvpa@gmail.com @BrookfieldVPA

H.O.S.T

The Carrick Centre, Houston

Coffee Shop Takeaways only

Check FB Café at the Carrick

Monday - Saturday: 9am - 4.30pm

Shop/Centre 01505 229597

Gryffe Manor Out of School: (Monday - Friday) 01505 615438

Dance West Scotland: enquiries@dancewestscotland.co.uk

MONDAY

DWS 5pm

Diaporama 13th @ 7.30pm

Handiwives 20th @ 7.30pm

Houston Show AGM 6th @ 7.30pm

TUESDAY

Yoga (Laura Jane) 7pm

Hazel Connelly Art Class (not 7th) 1.15pm

DWS 4pm

WEDNESDAY

DWS 11am & 3.30pm

MOO MUSIC 9.45am

Gryffe Camera Club 7.30pm

Cllr Audrey Doig 15th @ 7pm

Community Council 15th @ 7.30pm

THURSDAY

Gryffe Quilting Group 23rd @ 1pm 2nd & 16th @ 10am

Folk Club 8pm

DWS 4pm & 5.30pm

Move It Or Lose It 10.30am

FRIDAY

Yoga (Laura Jane) 10.30am

DWS 3.30pm

Gavin Newlands MP 10th @ 12.30pm

Cllr Alison Dowling 17th @ 11.15am

Mr Mrs McGhee 9am

SATURDAY

DWS 9.30am

Cllr Robert Innes 18th @ 11am

SUNDAY

Baptist Church 11am and 6pm

Centre Patrons PLEASE ADVISE date or time changes due to holidays to Centre Management

Booking enquiries:

Bill Haddow 01505 690693

Stewart Scally 01505 674277

John McDougall 07735 473645 thecarrickcentre@gmail.com hostbookings@outlook.com

Celebrating Houston

In November 2022, Houston and Killellan Kirk were delighted to present “Celebrating the Tales and Legends of Houston Past Present and Future”, hosted by Gryffe High School. The event opened with photo sequences and interviews about Houston Past and Present. The interviews were conducted by pupils of Gryffe High School, and local residents shared their memories of Houston, their favourite place and the best thing about living in Houston.

We then watched two beautiful soundscapes, one for the Houston and Killellan Kirk Men’s Shed, and one for the Bee Happy Gardening Group, capturing the sounds and spirit of these wonderful community groups.

It was, however, the children of Houston and St Fillan’s Primary Schools, a group of whom had worked with singer/songwriter Yvonne Lyons, who stole the show. They performed three songs - “The Magical Place”, about Hugo de Padunian, a Knights Templar whom Houston is named after;

“Granny D”, a tribute to Houston legend, Marion Dawson, the oldest person in Scotland at 109 years old, and finally “Hope for Houston”, an imaginative journey of what the children hope Houston will be like in the future - where “the very coolest thing of all, there was no homework for us at all!!”

Guests then enjoyed home-baking by pupils and staff from the Health, Food and Technology department at Gryffe High School and browsed artwork by nursery school children, primary and high school pupils. This event was supported by the Year of Stories 2022 Community Stories Fund, delivered in partnership between VisitScotland and Museums Galleries Scotland with support from National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Marie Christie, Head of Development at VisitScotland said: “We are delighted to be supporting “A Celebration of Houston Legends and Tales from Past Present and Future” through the Year of Stories 2022 Community Stories Fund. Events play an important role in our communities as they sustain livelihoods and help to celebrate and promote our unique places, spaces and stories.”

Houston & Crosslee SWI

On February 8th we are having our annual meal out. On March 8th we welcome Christine Kyle who will demonstrate “Basic Flower Arranging”. We are meeting this year in The Carrick Centre, Main Street, Houston on the second Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm. Please come and join us, you will be made very welcome. If you would like further details please call 07932 459994.

Dementia Friendly Lochwinnoch

The group aims to reach people with Dementia, their carers or family. In addition, provide social interaction and support for older members of our community and then open to all if numbers allow. For more information please contact 07868 752814.

Friday 10th Feb 2pm - 4pm

Film show Calder U.F. Church Hall

Friday 21st April

Coach trip to Cardwell Bay Garden Centre for afternoon tea (TBC)

Houston & Killellan Kirk

It is always wonderful to know that the generosity of the folk in the Kirk and our wider Houston community really does make a difference, so it was lovely to hear from Elaine Waugh at CrossReach after she collected a van load of Christmas gifts for the children of prisoners. She wrote to Revd Gary saying: “Our heartfelt thanks for your totally amazing donation of over 200 gifts. Our families know that each one of you shine a light in their darkness. On a personal level, our team would come to your Church just for the warmth and friendship you show us.”

Our ever popular Kirk Postie operation was especially busy in December, delivering more than 3,000 cards and raising £983, which was topped up by an anonymous donor to £1,000, for St Vincent’s Hospice.

We were also fortunate to host a Tearfund Christmas Concert on 8th December, attended by over 100 people who enjoyed a wonderful evening of fabulous music. The event raised just over £1,000 for Tearfund.

The traditional Services in the Kirk were well supported, from Lessons & Carols to the ever entertaining Nativity and our Christingle Service, where the children created 47 Christingles to light up the world. We enjoyed mulled wine, mince pies and community singing before the Watchnight Service and Revd Gary got to see the toys our children had received at the Christmas Day Service. The hardier souls made it along to the New Year’s Day Service too.

As we go forward into 2023 there was a real sense of energy and activity in the Kirk, starting with our Luxury Pop-Up Breakfast on 28th January, to raise funds for projects in Mwandi.

Regular events include the Foodbank Collection and Wee Blether every Tuesday, the Men’s Shed every Wednesday, “Houston Hello” on alternate Thursdays, other events organised by Frankie, our Families and Community Development worker, and Sunday Club, for children, at 11am in the Kirk each week. That’s just for starters!

COMING EVENTS in February 2023

Tuesday 7th - Foodbank at West Halls 10am - 12 noon & 7pm - 8 pm

(Every Tuesday in February)

Thursday 9th & 23rd - “Houston Hello” in Killellan Halls 2pm - 4 pm

The old library centre kilbarchan

opening Times:

Monday – Friday: 10am to 12noon & 2pm to 4pm

Monday

Spanish Conversation 2pm3.45pm (University of the 3rd Age)

Tuesday

Craft Group 2pm - 4pm (every 2nd Tuesday)

Book Group 7.15pm - 8.30pm (once a month - next meeting 14th Feb)

Wednesday

Yoga with Elizabeth 10am - 11.30am & 7.30pm - 9pm (waiting list for both classes)

Thursday

Move it or Lose it 2pm -3pm (exercise for over 60’s)

Family History 7pm (once a month)

Friday

Bridge 2pm - 4pm

Members old and new will be made most welcome.

Please phone or email for further information.

We are delighted to be part of the Winter Connections and as such we will be holding free Film Shows and Musical/ Sing along afternoons twice a month on a Wednesday from 2pm - 4pm. Dates are 1st February, 15th February, 1st March, 15th March, 29th March, 12th April, 26th April. Free refreshments. Doors open at 1.30pm. Everyone welcome (We are a dementia friendly organisation)

Kilbarchan Parish Church

Services continue each Sunday at 11am, conducted by Rev. Stephen Smith and coffee and tea are served in the hall after the service. Each service is available to watch by Live Stream by logging on to the church website: www.kilbarchankirk.org All are welcome. Junior Church meets each week.

The Midweek Fellowship is on Wednesday mornings at 10.30am in the small hall, with coffee/tea and chat, followed by a short act of worship.

The Badminton Club continues on Thursdays from 8pm - 10pm in the large hall. Players of all ages and abilities are most welcome.

Kilbarchan National Women’s Register

We will be discussing “Detectives” on TV, in films and in books and how the genre has changed over the years, the spouses of Queen Victoria’s children or grandchildren and an up to date topic from a newspaper as well as meeting for coffee. The Book Group will discuss “Violeta” by Isabel Allende. For details call 703786 or visit the website: www.nwr.org.uk

Kilbarchan Parish Church Guild has 2 meetings in February - on Tuesday 14th a talk by Marjorie Paton on the World day of prayer and on Tuesday 28th World Travels set to music by Vivienne MacDonald, and a Bring and Buy sale. Both meetings at 2.30pm in the hall. All welcome

Friday 3rd March - The World Day of Prayer service will be in Kilbarchan Parish Church this year, at 7pm, followed by refreshments in the hall.

Kilbarchan Parish Church Tots’ Club is on every Monday morning from 9.15am - 11.30am in Kilbarchan Parish Church Hall, off Steeple Square. The club is for tots of 3 years and under along with their accompanying adult. The cost is still £1 per adult, including refreshments. We hope to welcome lots of new babies and tots to enjoy the many toys and bouncy castle and for the adults to make new friends.

Renfrewshire Food Bank is supported weekly by Parish church members and prior to Christmas we filled a “reverse” advent calendar and delivered hundreds of kilos of goodies and a large amount of money.

Our Gift service in December saw 95 parcels delivered to Renfrewshire Young Carers. We also donated to Accord Hospice and Erskine and St Vincent’s Hospice was the recipient of the donations after the service of Nine Lessons and Carols.

Kilbarchan Parish Church Messy Church takes place on Saturday 18th February from 4pm - 6pm in the church halls. Families can enjoy arts, crafts, singing and a meal together - all welcome.

All details of our different organisations along with contact details can be found on the website: www. kilbarchankirk.org

Leisure Classes in Kilbarchan Guide Centre

If you have always wanted to try a FITNESS, YOGA or ART class then you can be assured of a friendly welcome.

Come along and try a class - first one free!

Tuesday mornings Carol leads a low impact fitness class from 9.30am till 10.30am. This is a Hustle Zero class with 0% of the jump impact but 100% of the fun. Great for core strength and balance.

Thursday morning Our HATHA YOGA class with Jacqueline meets from 10am – 11am.

Art Classes

The

On Monday afternoon and then on both Friday morning and afternoon. These are relaxed and informal classes, for the amateur or aspiring artist, led by Ian Richardson (B.A.Hons) who provides friendly guidance and encouragement to help develop skills in your own chosen subject and medium.

For info contact KilbarchanGuideCentre@gmail.com or drop by to enquire in person

www.girlguidingkilbarchan.

The Kilbarchan Singers Pancake & Coffee Morning

Saturday 11th March from 10am - 12noon

Kilbarchan Parish Church Hall

kipcokil@hotmail.com www.kipco.org

Please pop along for a wee treat - The Kilbarchan Singers are looking forward to welcoming you.

Guide Centre is also available to hire for private functions. Visit our website

org.uk for details of our Hall facilities as well as information about joining our Rainbow, Brownie or Guide or Ranger Guide units.

Howwood Parish Church

Well here we are with New Year long past and heading towards Spring. Signs of bulbs growing in the garden which should help towards coming to church and helping the village to grow. February is one of the dullest months in the year so a wee trip to the Kirk would brighten up the month.

Dates for February:-

Monday 13th Women’s Guild

Talk by the Countryside Ranger - “Wee seeds - Big trees”

Wednesday 15th February

Good attendances so come along and enjoy the chat. Tea and coffee and biscuits still free due to a kind benefactor.

Sunday 19th Thinking Day for our organisations.

Monday 27th Gentle exercise with Morag ThowEmphasis on the word “Gentle”

Last months talk by Craig Crawford on slides of Howwood and other “weel kent” places was very well attended and brought out a number of comments from the audience.

ward 9

cllr andy doig

I wish all my constituents the very best for 2023 and hope that it will see a final successful end to the war in Ukraine and a solution to the cost of living crisis. At the last Full Council meeting in December I moved a motion which called on all the national energy companies to use some of their substantial profits to re-open shop front energy hubs. This would allow constituents with energy difficulties to actually talk face to face with someone to solve problems they might have either with their accounts or their energy supply. It is particularly true that consumers with ‘pay as you go’ meters are especially vulnerable and the status quo of energy giants hiding behind call centres is simply not good enough anymore.

I am pleased to report that Renfrewshire Council last year appointed SWECO as the consultant for the new Safe Rural Walking Initiative which will look at ways to stop speeding in Kilbarchan and Howwood. Online surveys and consultations have taken place with village residents and with Kilbarchan and Howwood Community Councils over recent months. The final proposals are being discussed locally at present and I look forward to receiving the views of both community councils on the matter as curbing speeding is a serious problem. I know of one business in Johnstone town centre which has recently closed and sadly two long-established businesses in Lochwinnoch have also closed their doors. On the positive side two new businesses have also opened in Lochwinnoch recently, which is good. To ensure that all our independent local traders get as much support as possible I have written to our local MP, Mairi Black, suggesting that central government establishes a furlough scheme for small businesses so that our local traders can survive the current energy crisis with the support they deserve.

Surgeries: Second Wednesday of the month at 6.30pm, Lilybank Bowling Club, Johnstone, and 7.30pm the Old Library, Kilbarchan. On the fourth Wednesday of the month they are at 6.30pm, Howwood Bowling Club, and then at 7.30pm in Lochwinnoch Bowling Club.

cllr david wilson

McGill’s Buses have cancelled the 530 service from Kilmacolm to the Port Glasgow Retail Park. I am pleased that SPT have stepped in to subsidise McGill’s to continue matters until July. Councillor McCabe is currently leading us on our opposition to a proposed New National Care Service, removing care from Councils and the Community.

Local businessman Puneet Gupta has been awarded the OBE in the New Years Honours. This was for service to business, charity and the community. With regard to the latter, the Village is delighted and relieved that Puneet stepped in to the rescue the failing development at the Cross. He joins his wife as a recipient of this prestigious award. The Church of Scotland is excelling in indecision over the choice of a Sanctuary in Kilmacolm. There is little doubt that the majority of villagers would favour the Old Kirk. Its first Priest/Vicar/ Minister was pre Reformation, Hugh De Parcliner in 1250 and is the traditional parish church. The members who regularly wind up the Village Clock are delighted that the Council will be installing an automatic system. Larch trees at the War Memorial are suffering from Phytophthora ramora, a disease which necessitates felling. The land was donated by the McLay family, who have members names on the memorial. It was placed so that it could be seen from the village and surrounding farms. Parks professionals will decide whether to replace the trees.

We have a £16m gap in our council finances and savings will be brutal in our ‘23-’25 budgets. I will fight to keep the Council Tax increase to a minimum, but this will be tough.

The Kilmacolm Dramatic Society Pantomime was a real hoot. Most enjoyable with John Gilchrist as the Dame stealing the show. The Society thanked the Council for the grant towards lighting. A proper use of community grants.

Surgery: Saturday 18th February, Kilmacolm Community Centre from 10am to 11am

Kilmacolm new Community Centre

Monday

Yoga with Liz 10am – 11am

Yoga with Janis 10am - 11am

Pilates with Emma 6.30pm - 7.30pm

Yoga with Fiona 6.30pm – 8pm

Kilmacolm Bridge Club 7pm – 10.30pm

Tuesday

Rock Choir 10am - 12noon

Qi Gong 12noon – 1pm

Gamata Musical Theatre Class 5.45pm - 8.15pm

Art Club 6pm – 8.30pm

Zumba 6pm – 7pm

Wednesday

Embroidery 10am – 12noon

Move It Or Lose It 10.30am – 11.30am

Pensioners Lunch 12.30pm – 2pm (book via Café) Friendly Bridge 1.30pm – 3.30pm

Yoga 5.45pm – 6.45pm

Pilates with Jennifer 6.15pm – 7.15pm & 7.30pm – 8.30pm

Thursday

Pilates with Jennifer 9.30am – 10.30am

Art Group 10am – 12noon

Acting For Fun 5pm – 8.30pm

Metafit 6.30pm – 7pm

Kettle Bells 7pm – 7.30pm

Friday

Art Class 10am – 12noon

Singing for Health & Wellbeing 11.30am – 12.30pm

saturday

Gail Ashley Children’s Dance Class 9.30am - 3.30pm

Special Events in february

Horticultural Society Talk –

Wed 15th, 2pm - 3.45pm

The Sonic Den Sound Bath www.thesonicden.com –

Wednesday 15th, 7pm - 8pm

Cllr Stephen McCabe Surgery -

Tues 14th 6.30pm–7.30pm

Cllr David Wilson- Surgery -

Sat 18th, 10am – 11am Mini First Aid –

Sat 18th, 10am – 12noon

Centre Opening Times

Monday – Friday: 9am to 10pm

Saturday: 9am to 3pm

Sunday: Closed

Enquiries & Room Hire: 01505 873994

Cafe Opening Times

Monday – Friday: 10am to 4pm

Saturday: 10am to 3pm

Shrove Tuesday Coffee

Morning

Tuesday 21st February 10am - 12noon St Fillan’s Church, Moss Road, Kilmacolm

ward 1

cllr Stephen mccabe

The ‘Warm Space’ in Kilmacolm Community Centre is open to all. The room is available Monday to Friday, 10am - 3pm. Tea and coffee will be provided. For further information pop into the centre and speak to a member of staff.

I have received representations about the 530 bus service, and I have asked Councillor Wilson, the Council’s representative on SPT and one of its Vice Chairs, to try to ensure a bus service to Port Glasgow is maintained.

There

Kilmacolm Show Whist Drive

The Kilmacolm & Port Glasgow Agricultural Society Annual Whist Drive is being held on Friday 17th February at 7pm in Kilmacolm Community Centre. Tickets priced £5 (payable on the night) include a light supper. There will also be a raffle.

Scout Fundraisers

The flooding scheme at Glen Mosston in Kilmacolm is complete. The barrier was in operation on 30th December when there were major flooding incidents across the country. It may explain why there wasn’t flooding in the centre of the village that day. I have asked officers to look at what they can do about the regular flooding hotspot on Port Glasgow Road just beyond the old quarry site. The flood prevention works at Gotter Water in Quarrier’s Village are currently in site.

Inverclyde’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan 20232028 was approved by the Environment & Regeneration Committee on 12th January. It contains a proposal to fund 20 affordable houses at Quarry Drive should the Scottish Government grant planning permission to McTaggart and Mickel for the overall development of 78 units. While I was opposed to planning permission being granted for this site if it is going ahead 20 affordable houses for the village would at least be some compensation for the loss of greenbelt land. It is good to see that things are moving forward with the completion of the housing and commercial development at Kilmacolm Cross under the new owners. I understand the plan is for the development to be finally completed by September this year. Surgery: Kilmacolm Community Centre on Tuesday 14th February from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.

Stephen.McCabe@Inverclyde.gov.uk

10 Victoria Gardens, Kilmacolm, PA13 4HL

Reservations & Takeaway: 01505 874663

Sunday: Closed www.cargillcentre.com

Kilmacolm Scouts fabulous quiz and curry will be on Saturday 11th February in the Scout Hall on Barr’s Brae at 7.30pm. Doors open at 7pm. Tickets includes quiz entry and curry available at £10pp, with bar and raffle on the night. Looking for teams of up to 10 people so get some friends together or come along and join a team on the night. Contact 07789 077749 or any current scout leader for tickets. Kilmacolm Scouts postponed musical evening with 50s/60s band The Dynaglides from December will now be on Saturday 29th April in the Kidston Hall, High Street, Kilmacolm at 7.30pm. The Dynaglides perform a variety of music from this era including songs from The Beatles, Chuck Berry, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner and Elvis Presley and the band includes one of our scout leaders Mo. Tickets £10, available by calling 07789 077749 or from any current scout leader. Tickets on sale now so get in quick and join us for a fun evening of music and dancing.

will be lovely freshly made pancakes, home baking, big raffle and various stalls. Tickets just £4 - pay at the door.

Kilmacolm Old Kirk

The Sòlas bereavement drop-in group will be meeting in the Lounge of the Kidston Hall, Kilmacolm, on Thursday 9th February at 2pm. As always, this meeting is open to all with no pre-registration required. Sòlas supports those from Kilmacolm and surrounding areas who have lost a loved one. It doesn’t matter if it was recently or a long time ago, Sòlas creates a safe place to talk, to listen and to heal. You will be supported in processing issues of grief and loss by expert speakers as well as each other. For more information, please call Barbara Marshall on 01505 872417 or email: barbara@oochy. com

OUTLOOK Team: Thursday 2nd February, Dementia Friendly

Inverclyde, with Bethan Dunsmore. Thursday 16th February - Visit to Oberammergau with Anne McGregor.

OUTLOOK is a social community group led by the Community Issues team of Kilmacolm Old Kirk, extending fellowship and friendship and a warm welcome to everyone. The group meets In Kidston Hall on 1st and 3rd Thursdays monthly from 2pm to 3.30pm. A delicious afternoon tea is provided by the volunteer team. Meetings traditionally enjoy a guest speaker, or videos, quiz, tombola, easy keep fit.

Arkleston Singers: A Concert by the popular Arkleston Singers will take place on Sunday 19th February at 3pm. Tickets, which are priced just £5, will be available at the door. The Arkleston Singers are a small mixed voice chamber choir based in Paisley. They sing a cappella, with piano or with The Arkleston Chamber Ensemble. The choir has built a reputation for singing a very adventurous repertoire of modern liturgical music from living composers. They have often featured works by modern composers which are Scottish, European or, occasionally, world premières.

Sunday Worship takes place in Kilmacolm Old Kirk every Sunday at 11am. All our services are streamed online through our Facebook Page @kilmacolmold and can be watched live or at any point afterwards for those who cannot attend. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram via @KilmacolmOld

Inverclyde Council are currently consulting on a number of options for making savings in Inverclyde Leisure up to the 3rd of February. Please take the time to fill in the survey at www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ InverclydeLeisureBudget2023/. One of the options is closing the Port Glasgow Pool and I have already received representations on this matter from concerned constituents. I share their concerns.

Following public consultation a number of projects are planned at Birkmyre park, including additional play equipment, seating and picnic tables, wildflower display and tree planting within the park. These works should be completed by the summer and should provide a welcome and broad ranging addition to the park.

I am pleased to see that the 530 service between Kilmacolm and Port Glasgow has been saved for the time being and will operate with a revised timetable from Monday 23rd January until July 2023. This service will now be financially supported by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT). I thank Cllr Wilson for his efforts in securing this contract and encourage people to make use of the service to help make the case for retention beyond July 2023. I have suggested previously that there is good case for a bus link between Port Glasgow and Johnstone Stations through the Gryffe Valley, providing an express service which links to the train timetables. COVID has had a long term effect on passenger numbers but we do need to look at how we create more sustainable transport options for Kilmacolm and Quarriers Village.

SurgerIES: Kilmacolm New Community Centre 6.30pm to 7.30pm on Wednesday the 15th of February and at Boglestone Community Centre, Port Glasgow from 6pm to 7pm on Wednesday the 22nd of February.

schools & Sports

Houston Primary School

Bikeability Training

Primary 6 have been taking part in their level 2 Bikeability training. In class, they have been learning how to stay safe when cycling on both minor and major roads. They then put their learning into practice and demonstrated a range of manoeuvres including: safe starts and stops; left hand turns; right hand turns and u-turns.

A huge thank you to our parent volunteers who supported our pupils and to the local residents who displayed caution and courteous driving whilst we were out on the roads.

Skoomobile Visit

All Primary 1 pupils had an exciting trip to the Skoomobile and got their very own book bag to bring home for some bedtime reading.

Scholastic Book Fair

Our pupils have the opportunity to engage in reading for pleasure as part of their daily routine in class. Reading is positively promoted and our pupils demonstrated their love of books when they visited our recent Scholastic Book Fair and made a purchase. We raised an amazing £1,527.38 in commission. This money will be used to purchase new books for our new library, which our pupils helped to design.

Provost Cameron’s Christmas Card Competition

Alexander from Primary 5, entered the annual Christmas card design competition and was delighted to be one of the winners! His design was professionally printed onto cards and sent all around the world. He was also delighted to be given the very important job of switching on the Christmas lights. Provost Cameron was very impressed with Alexander’s design.

Christmas Unwrapped

Primary 6 pupils were invited along to the church hall to take part in ‘Christmas Unwrapped’. Mrs Morrison and her team, shared their knowledge of everything Christmas with our pupils and even engaged in a Christmas version of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’! Our pupils really enjoyed working and learning from members of the Houston community.

Maths Inside Photograph Competition

As part of Maths Week Scotland, our pupils were encouraged to take part in a mathematical themed photography competition. We are delighted to announce that Hope Wilson’s, ‘Seeing Double’ and ‘Spots and Dots’ photographs received First Level Commended and Myla Khouly’s, ‘Perfect Shot’ photograph received Second Level Commended. The photographs were of a very high standard, as were the mathematical links that were made by both pupils.

Outdoor Learning

Primary 3 pupils have been learning how to whittle, cut sticks in half using a saw, make a spark using a flint and steel and light a campfire. They had a wonderful time learning lots of new skills.

Langbank Primary

Royal Statistical Society

P3-5 enjoyed a workshop with Eilidh and Craig from the Royal Statistical Society and University of Glasgow. They worked in collaborative groups to collect, sort and present data using bar and dot graphs. Our children were interested to learn more about their jobs as statisticians and the variety of topics you can explore such as health protection and climate change.

Music Technology with Sonappa

P5-7 worked with Stuart from Sonappa Music to develop composition skills in music technology. They worked in small groups learned how to use the app, Garageband, to create their own piece of music. Our children enjoyed the trial and error approach and created some excellent pieces of music which could have you up dancing, or help you to relax. We are looking forward to further developing our digital skills in this area in 2023.

Christmas Shows

We were delighted to invite our school community to watch our P1-4 Christmas shows. The staff and children worked hard during rehearsals on both drama and music skills. P1/2 presented their nativity ‘Hey Ewe!’ and P3/4 presented their Christmas show ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ and both shows were spectacular! We raised money for school funds through a successful raffle and thank you to local businesses for their generous prizes too.

Duchal Nursery

It has been a busy start to the new year as we launch our “People who help Us” topic. Each week we will discover and explore how different people help us. Whether that be setting up our own doctors surgery, police station, or vets, it is guaranteed the children will use their imagination to the full.

Despite the wet and windy weather, we have not been deterred in our aim to be outside as much as possible. We have incorporated our learning while out and about, with our recent number search as we walked around the park. It is amazing how many different places you can find numbers, keep your eyes peeled next time you are on a walk. It really is a fantastic way to re-enforce number recognition, why not add letter and shapes to your adventures too! We are looking forward to our Chinese New Year celebrations as we welcome in the Year of the Rabbit, as well as discovering more about Robert Burns and exploring more about our Scottish celebrations.

Applications for August 2023 are now open, if you would like an application pack please email info@duchal.com. Places are limited and in high demand so please don’t delay, the deadline for submissions is the end of February. Making that big step to nursery school can be challenging for some children and making the decision on which pre school to choose for their child difficult for parents. Duchal, the only specialist nursery in the area, offers a small caring environment to ensure that children flourish during their time before primary school. For families looking for places in 2024 and beyond, please get in touch to arrange a visit so you can experience Duchal, first hand, to make the decision easier. To find out more about what Duchal can offer, please visit our website www.duchal.com and keep up to date with all the latest news on social media, however the best way to discover more is to come for a visit and see for yourself. Please get in touch to arrange a visit – either email: info@duchal.com or call 01505 874358.

The Ginger Cat Children’s Bookshop Book Reviews

The Gecko and the Echo

ISBN 9781408356074

By Rachel Bright

Illustrated by Jim Field

Hachette Children’s Group

Paperback publication 02/02/23

Goldy the Gecko loves to sing wherever he goes, the only thing that is important to him is to be a STAR! But is fame really all that important? When things start to go wrong for Goldy he discovers that friendship is so much more important than fame. When you treat the world with love, then love will come echoing back. With bright and beautiful illustrations throughout, this is a wonderful rhyming story of love, friendship and kindness from the creators of The Lion Inside. Perfect for ages 3+

Blow a Kiss, Catch a Kiss: Poems to Share with Little Ones

ISBN: 9781839131363

By Joseph Coelho

The Curse of the Tomb Robbers

ISBN: 9781788009652

by Andy Seed

Illustrated by James Weston Lewis

Nosy Crow Ltd in conjunction with The British Museum

‘Welcome to ancient Egypt. The year is 1422 BC, and a terrible crime is about to unfold..’ A gang of ancient Egyptian robbers are planning to raid a royal tomb! Can you help best friends Nub and Iteti stop them and stop the deadly curse from being unleashed?! Decipher hieroglyphics, solve the puzzles and learn about ancient Egypt in this exciting adventure story. Puzzle solutions are included at the end of the story along with a fold out code breaking guide and hieroglyph charts. Highly recommended for age 7+ code breaking adventurers.

“Sometimes Social Media blows my mind!!”

Illustrated by Nicola

Killen Andersen Press Ltd

Over 40 beautiful poems for little ones to join in and interact with by the awardwinning Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho. This anthology of fun and heart-warming poems are perfect for sharing everyday feelings and experiences..

‘Blow a kiss, Catch a kiss when we are apart. Blow a kiss, catch a kiss put it in your heart’

Bunny Vs Monkey: Multiverse Mix-Up!

ISBN: 9781788452922

By Jamie Smart

David Fickling Books

The ever popular Bunny Vs Monkey graphic novel series is back once again and is bringing monkey mischief from every dimension!! The gang are shocked to meet different versions of themselves when they open up portals to a parallel universe. Will they be able to make it back to the woods after travelling to the very ends of existence?! The perfect series for fans of Dog Man and Investigators.

So things have been a bit crazy lately. I posted a similar post on twitter about the shop being quiet and it got picked up and shared..a lot !! Even by a certain Mr Richard Osman which has led to lots of lovely online sales and a couple of phone orders.

A lovely man phoned and said that he didn’t have anyone to buy for, but he wanted to support the shop. He asked if I could choose a book, he would pay for it and could I gift it to the next child to come into the shop. Which is exactly what I did!!

Thank you to the customers who have visited the shop, ordered online or intend to visit, it means so so much Aileen

Top Marks for Lucy

At our first assembly of the new term, we were delighted to be able to congratulate Lucy M (SV) on achieving equal top mark in the 2022 SQA National 5 Physics course. To mark this amazing achievement, the Institute of Physics Scotland presented Lucy with an Excellence in Physics certificate. Excellence Beyond

the Classroom

Many of our pupils also achieve excellence in their chosen activities beyond the classroom.

In December, we were delighted to learn that Callum H and Sophie H (both SV), had been selected to represent Scotland in the World Schools Debating Championships being held in Vietnam next summer. While Sophie has already represented Scotland at this competition, this will be the first time that she will get to experience it in person.

Sophie, along with Anna T (SVI), also won the regional finals of the Cambridge University Debating Competition and will proceed to the finals at Cambridge University in the Spring.

Three teams of Public Speakers took part in the Gryffe Valley Rotary Club Youth Speaks competition. Lucia G, Emma V and Orla O (all SIV) won the Senior competition. While in the Intermediate competition, Cameron R, Oliver J and Oliver N (all SI) were victorious. Both teams now progress to the District finals in February.

The Ethics Cup team were also won their regional heat. Sorcha K (SVI), Grace T, Callum H, Anna L (all SV) and Lilly D (SIV) secured a place in the finals at St Andrews University in May.

Callum H, Emily B and Sasha C (all SV) have successfully auditioned for both the West of Scotland Schools Symphony Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland Symphony Orchestra, Callum on bassoon and Emily and Sasha on clarinet. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest Columban news.

Howwood Curling Club

Come & Try Session

Howwood Curling Club are always looking for new members to join our friendly curling club which meets at Greenacres, near Howwood. It is a great way to keep fit and socialise with people in a friendly atmosphere. Current club members come from Renfrewshire, Glasgow and North Ayrshire. We are now looking for new players to play for the 2023/24 season.

We have organised a Come & Try session on Wednesday 1st March at 7.30pm at Greenacres Curling Club. Anyone who is interested is welcome to come along and try out curling. No experience is necessary. Everyone is welcome, whatever your age or ability. We will provide qualified coaches to give you the tuition you need. You will also meet with our club members and get to play. If you continue to be interested, following the Come & Try, we will invite you to our closing bonspiel for the 2022/23 season on the 29th March. We will provide further coaching then. You will also get a chance to meet and curl with more of our club members.

Regular Meet Classes

Reebok Step Class

Freeland Church, Main Street, Bridge of Weir (Opposite Amaretto)

Tuesday: 7pm

Miss the Original Reebok Step Class? Then come along for fun, fabulous music, full body workout, feel fantastic! Limited spaces available. Mo 07505 126416

Jennifer Sloan

Physiotherapy Led Pilates

Kilmacolm Community Centre

Wednesdays: 6.15pm - 7.15pm

7.30pm - 8.30pm

Thursdays: 9.30am - 10.30am

Jennifer 07731 303709 jennifer-mcghee@hotmail.co.uk

Do

Clyde Physiotherapy Pilates classes

St Machars Church Hall, Bridge of Weir

Monday: 9.30am / 10.40am / 7pm

Booking essential. Zoom option also available.

Yvonne 07786 224 367 yvonne@clydephysiotherapy.co.uk

Zumba

Freelands Church, Main Street, Bridge of Weir (Opposite Amaretto)

Monday: 10am

Come along, have fun to fantastic music and feel FAB. All fitness levels welcome.

Mo 07505 126 416

Move it or Lose it!

Gourock, Bridge of Weir, Greenock, Kilmacolm, Houston, Kilbarchan & Langbank

Classes are aimed at the over 60s. We focus on Flexibility, Aerobic Health, Balance and Strength (FABS) exercises.

First class free for new members www.moveitorloseito.co.uk

Move-it -or-lose-it-with-fiona

Fiona 07811 766672

tiny dancers with terry

All the equipment you need will be provided. The cost on the night for ice is £10.

Please contact Lachie Carmichael if you wish to attend. Email: lachiedcarmichael@hotmail.com or telephone: 01294 823643, 07854 328938.

Ranfurly Castle Golf Club

The New Year brings in 2 new Captains at Ranfurly Castle. At 10am on Sunday 8th January, a small crowd gathered at the 1st tee to watch Club Captain Alistair Howe and Lady Captain Karen Binning Drive In. They were accompanied by Steve Scott, the outgoing Captain, playing in the Captains’ Quaich 12 hole Stableford Competition. Fortunately the weather remained dry for the players and the overall winner was Vivien Howe with 24 points. A good start to the year for the Howe family!

Everyone at the Club is hoping for the rain to stop so that they can enjoy playing on the redesigned holes that the Green Keeping staff have been working hard on during recent months. Here’s to a good year of golf for all.

01505 613340 (Small fee applies)

Carruth Road, Bridge of Weir

Monday: 1.45pm

A new dance class for 3 year olds. Adventures in music & movement and introduction to ballet. Places strictly limited - please prebook a place. terry@feranjo.co.uk

Terry - 07739 497390

Gryffe Valley Rotary 10K Run Sunday 21st May 2023 at 1pm

Route on country lanes between Houston, Bridge of Weir and Kilmacolm, starting from Houston Public Park, for all abilities from serious runners to novices/joggers. Proceeds donated to:

Kilmacolm Golf Club

The inclement Scottish weather has restricted golf out on the course at the start of the New Year, however the benefit of our indoor 2 bay studio has ensured that golf is still accessible to our members for practice, social golf and tuition. It would be nice to see the return of some drier weather so we can get back out on the course a bit more! Our greens team are working hard to prepare the course for the start of the season and doing a great job despite the high levels of rainfall. Looking forward to the full golfing season our ever popular Open Competitions are set to return, these offer a great opportunity to play at Kilmacolm in a fun friendly format, for further details take a look at our website https://www.kilmacolmgolfclub.com/opens/ and in the meantime pop these dates in your diary:

Gents Senior Open ....21st June Gents Open ................... 25th June

Ladies Open 17th Aug. Mixed Open 3rd Sept.

Junior Open .................17th Sept.

Ardgowan Hospice - Free Kiltwalk Spaces

Ardgowan Hospice is excited to announce they are offering supporters free walker places in the 2023 Glasgow Kiltwalk.

The Kiltwalk takes place on April 30th with participants taking on their choice of The Mighty Stride (22.7 miles), The Big Stroll (14.3 miles) or the family friendly Wee Wander (3.1 miles). If someone decides to tackle one of these routes in aid of Ardgowan Hospice, the hospice will cover the cost of the place in return for a minimum sponsorship.

This is the third time Ardgowan Hospice has provided free walker places for supporters with the scheme seeing record numbers of participants signing up to raise funds for the hospice in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

If you want to take on a personal challenge while raising vital funds for your hospice, visit ardgowanhospice.org.uk/kiltwalk2023 to register your interest, or contact fundraising@ardhosp.co.uk.

The Hunter Foundation kindly underwrite The Kiltwalk meaning charities now receive 125% of money raised as the Kiltwalk previously had to retain Gift Aid in order to help pay for the event. This means your hard work goes even further to help support seriously ill people in Inverclyde.

Please be aware that in order to claim a free place, participants must contact Ardgowan Hospice first and should not buy their own place.

Strathgryffe Tennis Squash & Fitness

Strathgryffe have started an exciting new session every Sunday from 2pm - 3pm, available to all ladies who may be new to squash or who are still beginners. Hit Squash is the fun new way to learn the basics of Squash whilst adding a workout / fitness aspect to the session.

Classes are open to all age 16+ and are FREE until Sunday 19th February!

To sign up, scan the QR code.

John G Fleming Bowling Club, Houston

We are looking for new members to join the Club in time for the outdoor season commencing in early April.

The Club has very active Ladies, Gents and Mixed Sections. There are special introductory joining fees available - £50 for a Lady/Gent and £75 for a couple.

Don’t worry if you have never bowled before - we will supply you with free bowls and free coaching!

For more information please contact the Club Secretary, Bill McColgan by email at info@jgfemingbc.co.uk

Paisley Natural History Society Illustrated Talks

Evening talks are held in the Wynd Centre, Paisley, on the first Thursday of every month until April at 7.30pm. Talks last about 1 hour covering a variety of topics from birds and bats to fungi and fossils. Members also have the opportunity to share their wildlife sightings and news. See below for details of our winter programme.

Anyone is welcome to come along and, if they enjoy the talk, they can become a member on the night.

Tea, coffee and biscuits are available after the talk, for which a small donation will be appreciated.

Disposable cups are provided, but we encourage members to bring their own reusable cups if they are happy to do so.

Thursday 2nd February: The Young Ornithologist’s Dream

Rebecca Dickson

Rebecca is an Ecological Consultant at the start of her career with a love for Ornithology (of course) and wildlife photography. Ever since carrying out fieldwork for her dissertation on the humble House Sparrow in 2017, her love and passion for Ornithology has grown exponentially.

This talk offers a glimpse into Rebecca’s birding lifestyle, where she will share her exciting encounters within Scotland and abroad. This includes her fieldwork for bird monitoring projects with the BTO and raptor study group.

Thursday 2nd March: RSPB Lochwinnoch Past, Present and Future

Dan Snowdon, RSPB Lochwinnoch

RSPB has managed the nature reserve at Lochwinnoch for nearly 50 years. Current reserve warden Dan Snowdon will give a talk on the reserve’s history, recent management and aspirations for the future.

Thursday 6th April: 40 years as a Natural History Curator

Richard Sutcliffe, former Natural History Curator at Glasgow Museums

Glasgow Museums has an extensive natural history collection of geological, botanical and zoological specimens. Richard will talk about how he first got interested in museums and natural history and his time as the Natural History Curator and Research Manager at Glasgow Museums. He’ll describe some of the highlights he experienced along the way and show some of his favourite specimens from the museum’s collection.

Lochwinnoch Community Garden

The community garden goes from strength to strength in 2022/23!

We are delighted that the garden was awarded Outstanding from the Keep Scotland Beautiful. The containers in the village have been planted with winter pansies and bulbs so watch out for a show of colour in the spring!

RSPB Lochwinnoch

The reserve is bursting with lots of wildlife our winter migrants continue to grace both lochs. With high numbers of waterfowl on the Barr Loch and the Aird Meadow, wigeon, goosander, goldeneye, tufted duck and teal. Out on the reserve we have seen waxwings, redwing, fieldfare, but we have had some more unusual visitors to the reserve, bittern, smew, shelduck, barnacle geese and green-winged teal.

Even in wet weather the reserve is an amazing place to visit, so why not wrap up get your wellies on and pay us a visit. When you have finished your walk why not come into the centre for a hot drink, a snack and a wee chat.

We also have a few events for February, our Wildlife Guided Walk on Sunday 26th February at 10am this is a bookable event. Our warden will take you around the reserve and will talk about the wildlife that calls the reserve home. Not forgetting our younger visitors our kids self-led activities are Wild Attractions on the 1st - 28th February and the Spring Super Spotter Scavenger Hunt for the whole of March.

Not forgetting our reserve shop, which continues to sell all your bird feeding requirements, books, fancy goods, binoculars and telescopes. For more information about the reserve, please call: 01505 842663 or email us on lochwinnoch@rspb.org.uk We are also on Facebook @ RSPBLochwinnochNR and twitter @RSPBLochwinnoch

Guided Wildlife Walk

Sunday 26th February 2023 - 10am - 12noon

RSPB Lochwinnoch Nature Reserve Largs Road, Lochwinnoch PA12 4JF Tel: 01505 842663 Cost: £5 - £12.50

Explore the wonderful wetlands to be found at Lochwinnoch! Our warden will take you around the reserve and point out the interesting wildlife to be found here.

Whether you have a general interest in wildlife, or would like to hone your wildlife watching skills, then this is the walk for you! Stout footwear and clothing suitable for the Scottish outdoors are strongly recommended.

Additional Date: Sunday 23rd April

ENHANCING OUR COMMUNITY

Although things don’t grow much during the winter months, Brighter Bridge of Weir works all year round to enhance our community. Even before the Christmas lights went up in mid-December, the spring bulbs were planted and the Group had begun to plan for this summer’s flowers. Orders for these will be placed during February and delivery is usually around mid-May.

It’ll be interesting to see how the plants in the reconstructed Woodland Garden look in their first year. We don’t expect too much, but we’ll be able to judge how to develop it for the future. That’s the thing about what we do – the work is never ‘finished’!

Since 2010 Brighter Bridge of Weir has sourced and planted over 100 street planters, from post-baskets and barrier-baskets to free-standing and tiered planters. The Group also looks after about 1,000 square metres of ‘open ground’ planting, such as the Woodland Garden. Readers may be surprised to know that all of it is maintained – all rear round - by about 10 volunteers. And they could use some help. If you could spare an hour or so every now and then, please get in touch. You don’t need any special skills, just a willingness to enhance our community. Find out more on our website www.brighterbridgeofweir. org, message us on our Facebook page - facebook.com/brighterbridgeofweir, or email info@brighterbridgeofweir.org. You can even telephone Neil on 01505 613043 or Dougie on 07810 722806.

Bridge of Weir Horticultural Society

February, and Spring, is beckoning! An old carving fork is ideal for removing random weeds and seedlings, but leave clumps of leaves alone - horticultural opinions now believe we destroy over-wintering butterfly chrysalis and larvae by being too tidy! Also leave last year’s stems and flower heads in situ for overwintering insects. The cold weather has taken its toll - time will tell what has survived. Remember a lost plant creates an opportunity for a new one and right now, gardeners are buzzing with ideas! During dull days, check garden implements and tidy the potting shed. On a sunnier day, turn over and rake borders, cover with cardboard or matting then peg it down. This will help warm up the soil for earlier planting.

If you haven’t got a compost bin, create one. Choose a metal incinerator with the most holes, attach the legs and place in a sunny spot. Sprinkle in some garden soil (an organic accelerant in its own right!) and then add green kitchen and garden waste. A good mix is best –wrap peelings etc in newspaper and drop it in. Left-over cooked vegetables can go in, as long as these are free from oil, butter and sauces (which would attract rodents). Cutting up outer leaves from cabbages or fibrous stalks from broccoli into smaller chunks will speed up composting. Also add coffee grains and tea leaves (no bags!), include cardboard rolls from kitchen paper etc or egg cartons and pull apart to trap air. Don’t worry about slugs – the slightly greenish spotted Leopard Slugs are the ‘goodies’ and eat other slugs. Fruit flies in the summer mean successful composting as does the sight of tiny, red brandling worms! Place a mat or cardboard over everything, replace the lid and let things develop. From time to time, if you can, push a bamboo cane through the holes and move it around to aerate everything. In 6 months you should have lovely dark compost pushing through those holes!

Bridge of Weir Hillwalkers

The Bowers had a fine if lazy December. First of all we attended Rab Hood and the Sheriff of Shettleston (Oh, yes we did!) at Oran Mor and hooted and sang our way through an hour of pure pleasure before retreating to the safe warmth of the Curlers in Byres Road for further celebrations. It was a great turn-out and thanks to Graeme for helping to set it up.

The Christmas outing saw another great turnout as we bussed our way to Arrochar for a walk in very cold, but bright winter sunshine along the trail of the Viking longships and back to the Village Inn for a slap-up lunch and one or two wee drinkies. It was a fine ending to a super year which had only a few weather glitches. Well done to all of you! Thanks too to Boyd’s Coaches and to Edith and the staff of the Village Inn for their huge help in arranging the day out. I only arranged the weather!

(Article by Don Smith)

Fifteen of us turned out for our scheduled Monday walk of the 9 mile Semple Trail. We were delighted that Margaret was able to join us after so sadly loosing her husband Don Smith the previous week, enabling us to chat together and reminisce about the good times we have enjoyed over the years. Don was a great organiser and was instrumental in the founding of firstly, The Gryffe Hillwalking Club and latterly the Bridge of Weir Hillwalkers. Typical of Don, even after an emergency admission to hospital, he insisted that Margaret made sure the Monday walk would go ahead as planned. Don regularly submitted the articles and photos of our walks to The Advertizer and encouraged anyone interested in joining us to contact us via our Facebook page. He had a welcoming nature and was often the first point of contact for newcomers. He will be greatly missed and an extremely hard act to follow.

Photos are by group members

Kilmacolm Horticultural Society

Kilmacolm

Horticultural Society are trialling a slight difference to the traditional evening lecture for February.

We will be holding our ‘Garden Talk’ in the Community Centre, Kilmacolm at 2pm3.30pm on Thursday 15th February. Tea, Coffee to be served.

The ‘Any Questions’ panel will share gardening tips and advice - so come along for some garden chat. Plus an informal flower arranging demonstration with a raffle of the exhibits.

Evening lectures return in March together with the Spring Bulb competition which will include a section for the Amaryllis bulb, always a show-stopper. We look forward to welcoming you to the Kilmacolm Horticultural Society winter events.

Don Smith

Gryffe Camera Club

The last few months have been eventful for the Camera Club, with several competitions and Theme nights, plus excellent visiting speakers. Digital Winners were (top to bottom):- “Cool Wave on a Hot Day” by Hugh

The Themes were “Still Life and Abstract” and “Leading Lines”, examples here are “Cornflower Blues” by Kate Cummings, “Kelpie” by Roger Calvert, “Staircase” by Tim Bailey, “Falkirk” by Arthur Hughes.

Speakers were - George Robertson – “Into the Throne of the Mountain Gods”, giving the Club his travels in the Mountains and Glaciers of North Pakistan.

Hamish Williamson - “Glasgow Inside and Outside” offering an insight into some of the buildings in Glasgow.

When meetings continue in 2023, Tony McNamara will give instruction on “Macro Photography”, Charles Hamilton will show “Street Photography” and Clive Watkins explain “Art & Photography”. The Club meets on Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm in the Carrick Centre, Main Street, Houston.

McMillan; “Rannoch Moor” by Hugh McMillan & “Luskentyre” by Pat Allan

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ITEMS FOR SALE

H OUSEHOLD & G ARDEN

The Business Advertisements (Disclosure) Order 1977

The

Pick

up a copy:

BRIDGE OF WEIR

• upholstery, bed never used. £500 ono. Tel 01505 506385 before 6pm.

Two seat bed settee, floral

• Gibb Stuart

• Bernie’s

• Anderson’s Bakery

• Co-op

Silver Grey Velvet Chaise

• Lounge, brand new. £500 ono. Tel: 01505 506385. Green hut roof felt 10 metres.

• New. £10. Tel: 07900 918392.

Sp ORTS

HOUSTON

• Co-op

• Newsagent

• Curly Coffee Company

KILMACOLM

• Co-op

• Newsagent

Golf clubs including Callaway

• and Taylormade drivers. Ben Ross pure red putter, Donnay irons. Golf bag and Golf trolley (lightweight). £40. Tel: 07900 918392.

O THER I TEMS

• Community Centre

HOWWOOD

• Village store

KILBARCHAN

• Bobbins

• Old Library Centre

LOCHWINNOCH

• massage table with carry bag. VGC. £50. Tel: 07749 010808.

Folding physiotherapy/

WANTED ITEMS

• Castle Semple

• La Dolce Vita

• Key Store

Looking to buy any unwanted

• Celtic and Liverpool shirts you don’t want anymore! Adult sizes only. Cash waiting. Tel: 07983 531321.

Local lily grower requires

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

Deadline Dates

334 March

Wednesday 15th February

335 April

Cash paid for Vinyl Records

• and Music CDs (a few or a lot). Tel: 01505 329638 or 07765 115347.

•

Old records Wanted 45`s &

LP`s CASH Paid. Tel: 01505 873958 or 07710 777571.

For Sale g Wanted g Free g

Name:

Email: Tel: Mob:

Wednesday 15th March

336 May

Wednesday 12th April

337 June - TBC

Wednesday 10th or 17th May

338 July - TBC

Wednesday 7th or 14th June

339 August

Wednesday 12th July

340 September

Wednesday 16th August

341 October

Wednesday 13th September

342 November

Wednesday 11th October

343 December

Wednesday 8th November

344 January 2024

Wednesday 6th December

Get in touch! info@advertizer.co.uk

01505 613 340 advertizer.co.uk/delivery-feedback advertizer.co.uk/local-defibrillator-sites/

Find a list of local defibrillator sites online:

WE ACCEPT ANY OF THE FOLLOWING

Advertising throughout publication

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 Conditions of Acceptance of Advertising.

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

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 appears.

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 publication

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.

CONTENT OF THE GRYFFE ADVERTIZER CANNOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT CONSENT FROM THE

SITUATIONS VACANT

The Bridge are looking for someone to work at the Post Office counter in Bridge of Weir. This is part-time paid employment in a pleasant working environment. The appointed person will be fully trained and paid during training. To apply please leave your CV at the Post Office counter. For further details, please ask at the Post Office counter or call Paul Birch on 01505 613506.

DECORUS of Kilmacolm require a Beauty Therapist who can carry out a variety of treatments, waxing & massage. The successful fulltime candidate will work hours over 4 days. We are a wellestablished salon, having been in Kilmacolm for 35 years. If you are interested in joining our lovely team, please email your CV to: decorusofkilmacolm@gmail.com

Want