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

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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