Konect Bathgate April 2021

APRIL 2021

PARENTING:

Are you egg-cited for EASTER ?

FEATURE: LOCAL CHARITY:

The monthly community magazine for Bathgate, Torphichen, and Broxburn

P20

W

hen I was in secondary school I used to read for a talking newspaper for the visually impaired – we recorded articles from the local newspaper weekly onto cassette tapes during school lunchtimes. So when I was approached by West Lothian’s talking newspaper – Boomerang - this month I was delighted to help them promote their services for the visually impaired. They are looking for both volunteers and people who will benefit from receiving the talking newspaper – see the article on page 30.

There are a couple of other charity articles in this month – Love to Ride (pages 8 – 9) is an initiative in West Lothian to help people get out and about on their bikes as the days start getting longer – I love their “ride it out” slogan as cycling has been a way many people have coped with lockdown.

Bathgate Thistle Community Football Club share an update too (page 20).

All our usual columns are here and the magazine has Spring-like feel this month – here’s hoping that the feeling of Spring, new life and hope all translate into our real-life experience now as we gradually head back to normality.

Wishing all readers and customers a happy Easter. Thanks for reading Konect and supporting local businesses and organisations.

u can know yo Did you to receive each e subscribissue of Konect e here new Subscrib online? scribe b u scot/s konect.

THIS ISSUE Feature: Love to Ride.........................................8 Property Matters: The Importance of Multi-Channel Marketing................................ 14 Garden Project: Get ahead of the game this month!............................................. 19 Community: An update from Bathgate Thistle Community FC................... 20 Hair: Secret to the perfect wash................... 24 Life Coaching: Spring has Sprung.............. 24 Parenting: Are you egg-cited for Easter?................................................................ 26 Film Review........................................................ 27 Local Environment: Common Frogs............ 28 Charity: West Lothian Boomerang............... 30

Konect is delivered monthly to 10,000 homes in selected areas of Bathgate and Broxburn. It is also available online: konect.scot/subscribe

HELEN-JANE SHEARER Editor & Manager

COVER IMAGE: Love to Ride West Lothian, see our feature on P8. @KonectMagazines

All enquiries, E: editor@konect.scot M: 07854 492638 BATHGATE | 3

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RIDE IT OUT TOGETHER Everyone in West Lothian is invited to join ‘Love to Ride West Lothian’, a fun, free, community platform which supports riders new and regular to cycle.

Since the first lockdown last year, thousands of people have rediscovered the joys and benefits of cycling. The good news is that £1.3m was spent up to March 2021 within West Lothian* constructing and developing projects that will improve the cycle path network, and provide key links connecting communities and encourage active travel. A further 9 projects are planned to build on those foundations.

The main project is the construction of the Armadale to Whitburn Cycleway and although its start was delayed from March 2020 to July 2020, it is progressing well and is programmed to be completed this spring.

Designs are being developed on nine other projects in Bathgate, Blackburn, Linlithgow, Stoneyburn and Whitburn.”

In West Lothian, several organisations offer fantastic services to help you start cycling.

The Bike Library, based in Livingston, has had a busy year. David, the Centre Manager, said, “It’s been an incredibly busy year for us.

The Bike Library has provided 82 key workers with free bike loans; delivered 42 Bikeability sessions to the 3 Summer School Hubs; provided bikes and adapted bikes to the Child Disability Service at Inveralmond; and had a hugely successful Children’s Bike

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Sale last November.” www.wlbikelibrary.co.uk

First Step Development in Linlithgow have repaired or donated over 100 bikes to key workers and people struggling with physical and or mental health during lockdowns. Maria, Development Manager, said, “We really hope this small gesture will help key workers support others and enable people that are struggling to stay safe and well.” Rachel Wackett, who benefitted from the scheme, said, “I’m thrilled with my new bike. I am using it for travelling to and from work and for health benefits. I work in a local pharmacy and I’m so delighted by the patience and understanding from the local community. It’s been a struggle but we are all in this together.”

Local schools have been promoting cycling too. In December 2020, Sustrans ran a ‘Leg it to Lapland Challenge’. Nine schools joined the challenge to travel the (virtual) 2,400 miles from Central Scotland to Santa in Lapland.

45,593 miles were clocked up - a fantastic achievement attributed to the huge amount of dedication and effort pupils and staff put into the challenge.

So many people took to pedal power last year that many bike

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shops, including Andy’s Bike Clinic in Linlithgow, struggled to keep up with demand. Andy says, “During 2020 I completed work for over three hundred happy customers, many of whom were key workers. Despite a very difficult year for all concerned, and challenges securing stock, I’m looking forward to providing more excellent service in 2021”.

With so much happening to help people take up cycling in West Lothian, it’s no surprise that since launching, the local Love to Ride community has clocked up over a million miles. 905 people have signed up, including 232 new riders.

Angus Rodney, the local Project Manager for Love to Ride, says, “It’s been great to see so many people getting out on their bikes. Cycling is great for maintaining social distancing, it frees up space on the roads and public transport for key workers and people who can’t cycle. And it protects our NHS by keeping us physically and mentally fit and healthy’

CYCLING FOR HEALTH A Glasgow University study shows that cycling to work is associated with a 45% lower risk of developing cancer and a 46% lower risk of heart disease.

Before coronavirus, cycling was already increasing across Scotland. 145 million trips were undertaken on the Walking and Cycling Network in 2019, with users spending almost £2 billion in the local economy and supporting 27,500 jobs.

Reduced car travel is estimated to have contributed a further £108 million through improvements in public health.

Love to Ride West Lothian run a year-round calendar of events with 4 main seasonal interventions to support people to cycle. Angus says, “We’re inviting everyone to join us so we can ride this out together. We’ll be sharing the many benefits of cycling - for physical and mental health, for the environment - and the fun and freedom that is so easily accessible when we ride a bike. It doesn’t matter if it’s for fun, fitness or transport - all rides count, and you don’t have to go far or fast. We want everyone to experience the joy of cycling. There are loads of cycling and non-cycling related prizes to tempt people too!”

It’s free and easy to sign up on the Love to Ride website at www.lovetoride.net/westlothian and all registrants will receive relevant information about local cycling services. There will be events in June, September and December to encourage people to keep up the habit and help their friends, family and colleagues to try cycling.

This article was contributed by Love to Ride.

Love to Ride are working in partnership with West Lothian Council to build a friendly and supportive online cycling community for the area and help more people to discover the joys and benefits of cycling. * The projects are being supported through grants from Sustrans (Scotland) Places for Everyone funding and the Scottish Governments’ Cycling Walking and Safer Streets funding. @KonectMagazines

Adapted Bikes

West Lothian Bike Library BATHGATE | 9

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BATHGATE THISTLE Community Football Club

FREE Girls Football Sessions (P1-6)

Whilst there has been limited activity on the football field over the past 12 months, Bathgate Thistle Community Football Club have been working incredibly hard behind the scenes with key partners, local authorities and governing bodies to plan how we continue to grow and develop our community club.

With existing membership of over 350 players, it takes an army of volunteer coaches, secretaries, first aiders and helpers to ensure we deliver fun and safe sessions. We’re delighted to see even more volunteers joining us, giving up their free time to attend Zoom coaching courses and online first aid training sessions to be ready for return to football activities.

WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY - This year we’re looking to support the Foodbank again with a summer collection, continuing our support for S.M.I.L.E. Counselling and expanding our new kit recycling programme, where our members recycle or repurpose equipment, kit and boots within the club, community and beyond.

We have been very fortunate over the past 12 months receiving donations from the wider community of essential equipment, cleaning supplies and hand sanitiser, ensuring we can provide the safest possible environment for our members.

2015 YEAR GROUP (SPACES AVAILABLE) - Last year, despite the challenges, we successfully started our 2015 year group and were delighted with the response and enthusiasm shown by both the children and the new coaches who volunteered to support the session. We still have some spaces in this 12 | BATHGATE

group and welcome enquiries from anyone that would like to attend.

2016 YEAR GROUP (REGISTERING PLACES NOW) - This group will start after the summer holidays this year. Anyone with children born in 2016 who would like to be involved, please get in touch.

We will also be looking for helpers (such as team coach, team helper, team secretary to run this group) when the time comes. All helpers will be fully PVG’d and there will be the opportunity to complete SFA coaching and First Aid courses for those that would like to do so. No previous experience necessary!

FREE GIRLS FOOTBALL! - Our girls section has made fantastic progress over the past 2 years and we now have 2 age groups, Under 7 and Under 9, who train once a week and will once again (when permitted) play in small sided games across West Lothian on Sunday mornings. We’re delighted to be able to offer FREE girls football sessions. If you have girls currently in Primary 1 – 6 who would like to get involved, please contact us. Spaces will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

We’d also love to hear from anyone interest in joining our great coaching team for this group.

For more information on any groups or to volunteer with Bathgate Thistle, please email info@bathgatethistlecfc.co.uk This article was contributed by Bathgate Thistle CFC Executive.

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PROPERTY MATTERS

The importance of multi-channel marketing

...for sellers and for buyers!

In a highly competitive housing market such as we’re experiencing at present, the most successful transactions are ones where all marketing channels – not just property portal websites and signage - are considered to get the very best match between buyer and seller.

Not all available properties appear on portal sites and one often-overlooked channel is the off-market approach. This is the estate agent’s private network of buyers and sellers, where buyers are matched with properties that are not advertised on the open market.

By registering with an agent who has an offmarket portfolio, the buyer benefits from being offered hand-picked properties that are not advertised, often eliminating competition and a potential bidding war.

Sellers who want a discreet private sale benefit from access to these pre-qualified buyers, who are generally able to demonstrate a unique buying position or willingness to pay a premium in order to access the off-market property portfolio. An added benefit for sellers is that without using mass advertising, marketing costs are significantly reduced.

Turpie and Co pioneered the off-market channel in West Lothian and it accounts for many of their successful transactions, particularly for exclusive and unique properties. However it is just one marketing channel. Estate agents should have multiple channels at their disposal when assessing each sales campaign.

Printed media, once the mainstay of property advertising, is often overlooked by agents when promoting property. However the reach and impact of newspaper and magazine publications should not be underestimated.

Many buyers (and agents) rely solely on the

exposure that property portals like Rightmove and Zoopla offer, but advertising only via these channels will only find buyers who are actively searching for property (and who enter the exact criteria for the property you are selling).

A newspaper or magazine advert or targeted social media campaign allows an agent to place your property in front of a specific audience or demographic. Why waste a marketing budget advertising to an audience who may not be looking for a new house would be an obvious question, and for the majority of properties, this type of advertising would be well down the list of marketing channels to use. But for certain properties, it can have a remarkable impact.

There are many examples of successful sales that started with the buyer seeing a property in a newspaper advert that caught their attention for one reason or another and resulted in them going on to purchase it, sometimes when they were not even considering a move or, more often, were not looking for property in that particular area.

In a buoyant property market when demand continues to outstrip supply, buyers might understandably assume that what they see online is the whole of the market which is never the case. The best advice is to be proactive in your property search, register directly with proactive selling agents and explore all marketing channels to give yourself an advantage over the competition.

The monthly Property Matters column is contributed by Craig Turpie. Craig is a director at Turpie & Co Estate Agents and Letting Agents with extensive knowledge of the West Lothian Property Market and over 20 years experience in bespoke sales and marketing.

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Get ahead of the game this month!

Garden centres are selling sweet pea plants now, a month before the more tender summer patio plants are safe to plant.

You can get ahead of the game to create a fragrant vision of summer colour in your garden and also enjoy vases of flowers indoors all summer because you need to pick sweet peas every week to keep them flowering and not going to seed and stop producing new flowers.

You can plant them into your border or into a large pot. Push six or eight 2.4 metres(8ft) bamboo canes into the ground for about 25cm (12”), making a circle. Tie them at the top with twine or a propriety wigwam ring. In the ground add some growmore fertiliser, use fresh compost, like Multi-

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purpose with added John Innes, if you are planting into a pot and this will feed your plants for a month or so.

Sweet peas with Sweet Plant a William and Agastache couple of plants either side of each cane and water well. As the plants grow secure them to the canes using metal plant rings. After six weeks use a liquid fertiliser like a tomato food and sit back and delight in your display. Although in a pot your sweet peas will need regular watering!

The gardening project is contributed by Dougal Philip, New Hopetoun Gardens.

Inspiring, informing and entertaining, for more than 40 years.

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TRANSPORT TO YOUR

COVID VACCINATION Local charity Handicabs (HcL) is offering FREE transport for people with mobility challenges to get their vaccine.

Any person who has challenges with getting out and about due to age, disability, heath issues, additional support needs or geographic remoteness is eligible to use the service for both vaccine appointments.

You do not need to be registered with HcL or have previously used the service to be eligible.

Bookings are subject to availability so they advise to call 0131 447 9953 for Edinburgh transport or 01506 633953 for West Lothian

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as soon as you have your appointment, and they will do their very best to help get you to your appointment and home safely.

Please note you will need to register with HcL but this is free and very quick.

Thank you so much for taking me for my first vaccine this afternoon. I was so nervous, but my driver was lovely and walked me to door of EICC and made sure I was ok. It was so reassuring to see him there afterwards too. This was my first journey to somewhere I don’t know without my friends in years!

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LIFE COACHING

THE SECRET TO THE

PERFECT HAIR WASH

When you get your hair shampooed at a salon it just hits differently right?!

It feels super clean and light and better than it does when you do it yourself.

There are a few reasons for that and I’m going to share them with you.

First of all, in salon we always use two shampoos, the first shampoo is a purifying scalp cleanser. It’s really important that the first shampoo is used to remove dirt, oil, sebum, and product build up so choosing a shampoo to target that is important.

Most dirt and oil will build up around the hairline first of all so that’s where your focus needs to be. Make sure your hair is soaking and apply shampoo to your hands and run over all of the scalp. Then work firmly around your hairline, keep nice strong pressure and cover the rest of the head in circular motions. Be really thorough and firm with this shampoo. Rinse until it has carried all of that build up away.

Your second shampoo should be more targeted at your type of hair. Whether it’s coloured or dehydrated, damaged or of all of the above pick a good shampoo that ticks your boxes. Gently spread over the scalp and into the lengths of the hair using lighter circular movements on the scalp and massaging down into the hair shaft before thoroughly rinsing and moving on to your conditioner.

You’ll find that using this technique you can go longer between hair washes but also that your hair just feels cleaner and lighter, and your blow dry lasts much longer.

The Hair column is contributed by Sophie Laidlaw. Sophie is Director @wonderland Livingston. www.wonderlandlivingston.com 24 | BATHGATE

Spring has SPRUNG This last year has been challenging for so many of us and, despite the constant clamour for a ‘return to normal’, we may have to face up to the fact that there is no normal and that life changes all the time even if those changes are not usually so dramatic and universal.

I know that this can sound scary and daunting, but it also offers new opportunities and adventures.

We often feel anxious if we have to embrace newness in any form, preferring to do what we always do but, the gift of Covid could be that the very changes that we all resist can present us with new opportunities that we may never have thought possible.

Over the last months, we will all have learned so much about ourselves and what we are capable of. Even the dreaded Zoom calls may now have a permanent role in our lives as we explore new ways of working and of keeping in contact with people we previously never saw from one year to the next.

Now is the perfect time to put all that experience and learning into moving forward with optimism and hope as we spring forward into brighter and sunnier times.

The Life Coaching column is contributed by Francine Orr, NLP coach, hypnotherapist & reiki practitioner. Francine is based within Linlithgow Chiropractic on Wednesday afternoons and is also available online. See www.orrganise.co.uk

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PARENTING

Are you egg-cited for Easter this year?

t punny!

That’s no

Are you egg-cited for Easter? Sadly I can’t seem to muster up my usual enthusiasm.

Let’s hope it’s all it’s cracked up to be.

I usually really look forward to this time of year. When the days are longer, the weather has finally cheered up and a couple of weeks off school are the perfect time to come out of your shell and enjoy it.

But this year – even though we’ve not been able to do anything lately other than go for yet another family walk - I am utterly eggs-hausted!

Those weeks of home schooling while working from home have just about finished me off. The last shreds of my sanity and motivation are now completely gone.

While we do now seem to be tip-toeing out of this latest lockdown I’m gutted that it won’t really be in time for the Easter holidays. What I wouldn’t give for some quality time with the kids outside of our own four walls, further than spitting distance from home, when I’m not trying to be their teacher as well as their mum.

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Thankfully my brood are now all back at school so instead of worrying about juggling home schooling all I have to worry about now is hiding my lockdown hair under a hat on the school run and eggsercising off all the food I’ve somehow been consuming.

Let’s be honest this year the Christmas chocolate-eating has pretty much continued right through until Easter with ne’er a gap in between for the usual January New Year resolutions to kick-in. Never mind the eggs it will be me that’s rolling down the hill!

So for now I am taking a deep breath and I will just keep moving forward one small hop at a time. I look forward to the day – hopefully one day soon - when I can meet up with some-bunny special for a cuppa and a chat; when I can hug friends and family and actually invite them in; when I can once again enjoy

exploring the local area because it will be by choice rather than because I’m not allowed to go anywhere else.

If like me any other parents out there are feeling like they are well and truly at the end of their rope, just hold on for a bit longer…a good hare day is on the horizon (albeit still a bit further away than we’d like).

Did all those Easter puns crack you up? So many it’s not even bunny but I figured we need all the laughs we can get right now. So until next month…that’s all, yolks!

The parenting column is contributed by Laura Archibald. Laura lives in West Lothian with her family and their campervan Hank. She is mummy, wife, blogger and full-time personal assistant to her two girlie girls. @KonectMagazines

IP MAN Inspired by the legendary martial art master of the same name, Ip Man encompasses what I love about films. It combines a gripping and engaging story with moments of outof-this-world action, creating a martial art masterpiece to rival even famous Hong Kong classics like Project A and Dragons Forever.

Donnie Yen, who plays Ip Man, is just simply fantastic. He nails both the dramatic scenes and the action scenes perfectly. After watching this film, I kept thinking to myself I want more Donnie Yen in everything. The rest of the cast are also great and portray their characters very well.

But are the action scenes good? They are not good, they are fantastic. Every fight scene is gripping, fast-paced and entertaining. The

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best action scene in the film is when Ip Man takes on 10 karateka. It’s incredibly well shot, edited, the fight choreography is insane, and the soundtrack is epic. All of these aspects combined lead to an action scene that is simply flawless. Hong Kong action legend Sammo Hung did an outstanding job as the action director on this film.

I just simply love this film, as soon as the credits rolled, I purchased all the Ip Man films on 4K. If you want to see modern action cinema done right, well shot action, avoiding shaky cam and quick cuts you can’t go wrong with Ip Man, as well as remembering the story is based on the real-life events of Ip Man. The Film Review is contributed by Robert Ewing. Robert is passionate about film as an art form, and shining a light on films that may not be on people’s radar. Robert is from Kirknewton.

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LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

Common Frogs In Miracle on 34th Street, one of the children asks Santa for a “Peter Polliwog” and I never had any idea what that meant. It turns out, it’s the American word for tadpoles!

Spring is definitely in the air, and one of the sure signs is the appearance of common frog spawn in everything from ponds to puddles.

It takes about 4 months for tadpoles to turn in to froglets, after the female lays nearly 4000 eggs each spring!

Though common frogs don’t hibernate as such, they are starting to be seen more regularly and it creates quite the spectacle as they climb over each other trying to find the best partner.

This fancy looking frog was seen last March at Little Boghead Nature Reserve in Bathgate.

The bogs are surrounded by boardwalks, allowing you some close up views all whilst keeping the resident frogs safe.

In urban areas, it’s not uncommon to find frogs in your garden, and they’re normally lurking under rocks or in shaded areas (or 28 | BATHGATE

under tarpaulin like my neighbour)! If you’re getting the garden ready for Summer, it’s important to keep your eye out for frogs who’ve sought refuge throughout the winter.

Whilst they’ll likely head for ponds or other water sources at this time of year, if you do find frog spawn please don’t move it as it can increase the risk of spreading non-native plant species or amphibian diseases and you may overload the new home with froglets.

This column is contributed by Clare Harte and Kate Stevenson, who grew up in Edinburgh and now live in West Lothian.

Together they run Scottish Sisters Photography and travel around the country to watch and photograph amazing wildlife and scenic landscapes. Follow them on Facebook @ScottishSistersPhotography

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Linlithgow Branch Surgery, 256 High Street, Linlithgow, EH49 7ES Tel: 0131 333 3203 reception@mackieandbrechin.co.uk www.mackieandbrechin.co.uk

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listeners they are quarantined and then sanitised before being recorded on again and are then posted out using the Royal Mail free mail service for the blind.

Do you know anyone who is visually impaired and would benefit from receiving a weekly audio digest of local news and articles?

I spoke this month with Heather Smart, chair of a local talking newspaper charity which is looking to reach more people who would benefit from their service.

West Lothian Boomerang is a free weekly audio publication of news and information, produced in West Lothian for visually impaired people. It’s also available to anyone else who finds difficulty in reading, difficulty in holding a newspaper or turning pages due to other health conditions.

Consisting of around 90 minutes of recorded time, it’s produced by a local volunteer team of readers, along with technical support, in a dedicated studio in Whitburn. News and information from the West Lothian Courier, the Council’s Bulletin, and other articles of local interest are recorded onto USB sticks which are then posted out to recipients weekly.

Items of specific interest to visually impaired people are a regular feature.

Boomerang have been going in West Lothian for 30 years, apart from a brief break last year due to Covid 19. After adapting the studio to be able to continue recording in a sociallydistanced way, they are back to a weekly production schedule.

Eligible recipients receive a player, then a weekly audio stick in the post. Heather explains “This works well as many of our users don’t have a computer. Receiving a usb stick in the post every Monday, rather than simply a link to it online, is a nice touch and means they are more likely to plug it in and listen to it, although it is available as a podcast on our website too.”

When the USB sticks are returned from the 30 | BATHGATE

Boomerang Studio

CAN YOU HELP? West Lothian Boomerang would welcome more volunteers who would like to read, learn the distribution process or be trained as an Engineer. “With the various stresses and difficulties posed by the pandemic, we’ve lost a few of our volunteers, so are looking to rebuild our teams as restrictions are eased,” says Heather. Before the pandemic, they had six teams with six volunteers in each team meaning you read once every six weeks, so it’s not a huge time input for each volunteer but an invaluable service for the recipients.

Due to Covid, there are currently only four teams of two volunteers up and running. The Studio is a dedicated recording space, social distancing is adhered to and each reader has their own recording station, and the engineers have their own headsets.

They have capacity to reach many more visually impaired people, so if you know anyone who would benefit from this service please contact them on the details below.

West Lothian Boomerang Talking Newspaper 211a West Main Street, Whitburn, EH47 0LP t: 07707 830 634 e: wlboomerang.info@gmail.com w: wlboomerang.co.uk West Lothian Boomerang is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC004790 This article was written by Helen-Jane Shearer after speaking with Heather Smart, Chair of West Lothian Boomerang. Helen-Jane is the editor of Konect and lives in West Lothian with her family. @KonectMagazines