WARD 10 cllr Robert Innes

Spring is in the air and it has been so nice to see our days getting longer again and the temperatures rising, even if just slightly. One of the best things about this time of year is seeing our villages filled with colour as nature takes its course and it has been great to see the hardworking volunteers of Bee Happy Houston out and about making the village look terrific as always.

The successful projects for Renfrewshire Council’s #YouDecide campaign were announced recently. Thousands of people across Renfrewshire entered with suggestions for local improvements and these were then narrowed down to a select few in each town and village in Renfrewshire, residents then had the opportunity to vote on what enhancements they would like to see happen.

In Houston a pedestrian crossing near the bus stop on Magnus Road/ Piper Road will be installed along with repairs to the steps up to the Helicopter Park (at South Mound) ensuring the park is accessible for people with mobility issues, prams and bicycles. Speed activated signs will also be installed at the entrance to Brookfield. Well done to everyone that got involved and I’m looking forward to seeing these projects in Houston and Brookfield get underway.

I have been receiving reports of bogus callers and doorstep scammers in the local area. Door to door fraudsters and people attempting to swindle bank details out of susceptible victims via the phone remain a serious problem across the whole of Scotland. Many are affiliated to serious organised crime groups and usually overcharge for work that is either unnecessary and/or substandard. They tend to target vulnerable and elderly consumers. Close the door or hang up on uninvited callers. Don’t feel obliged to answer the door or the phone to a cold caller – it is your home and you should not let anyone in unless you feel comfortable. If you feel you have been impacted by this then please do not hesitate to get in touch with me, the local police or you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Contact info: 0300 300 1253 cllr.Robert.Innes@renfrewshire.gov.uk

Book LaunchFar Field by Jim

Carruth

Thursday 2nd March - 7pmFreeland Church, Main Street, Bridge of Weir

March 2nd sees the launch of Renfrewshire poet Jim Carruth’s eagerly awaited new poetry collection Far Field. This is the third and final book in The Auchensale Trilogy - a sequence that has taken a quarter of a century to complete and follows on from the previous books Black Cart and Bale Fire.

The trilogy is being seen as a modern poetry equivalent of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’ A Scot’s Quair and over three books it tracks the changing rural landscape and capture the lived experiences of those who work there.

Despite being the current Poet Laureate of Glasgow, Jim continues to work part-time on the small family dairy farm and many of his poems responding to the daily struggles and challenges faced. All welcome – a free event with teas, coffees and cake after the reading.