Konect Broxburn July 2016

JULY 2016

broxburn

FEATUREs

James Young, David Livingston and Victoria Falls Local Walk - Ravencraig Wood s& Offer ers h c u vo cal from lo ses s e busin

plus local businesses, community information and more!

The community magazine for Uphall, Broxburn and Winchburgh

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WALK

M e ss ag e fro m t h e e dito r

T

he summer holidays are just about upon us and it’s time to get out and explore West Lothian if you’re not going away this year. The local walk feature takes us up into the Bathgate Hills and our usual columns are here including homes and gardens. Visit West Lothian have some suggestions in their column on how to spend a day exploring locally, A local history feature this month is about James Young, founding father of the West Lothian shale oil industry that shaped most of our local communities; we’ve been looking at a slightly different side of his life, see pages 8-9.

If you have an event on in the next couple of months that you’d like to promote to the local community, or if you’re involved in a club or hobby group, please let me know and we’ll make sure it’s included next month in the community pages at the back of the magazine.

Helen-Jane, Editor hj@konectdirectory.co.uk

FEATUREs James Young, David Livingtsone and Victor ia Falls 08 REGULARS Local Walk Homes Gardens Parenting in West Lothian Recipe and Food Notes

18 22 28 30 32

COMPETITIONS & PUZZLES Crossword

36

COMMUNITY Broxbur n United Spor t Club What’s on Useful Infor mation Clubs & Classes

17 35 35 36

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

38

Advertising Enquiries CHARLENE GAFFNEY 07772 941899 charlene@konectdirectory.co.uk JENNY THOMSON 07824 469266 jenny@konectdirectory.co.uk Advert booking deadline: 15th of the month prior to print.

Artwork/copy deadline: 18th of the month prior to print.

The Konect Directory is delivered to 7,500 homes throughout Uphall, Broxburn and Winchburgh. Copies are also left at the library, post offices, convenience stores and other locations.

Front cover: summer holidays!

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25BRPL16KonectDirectoryFullpage JUNE 2016.qxp_Layout 1 14/06/2016 09:48 Page 1

West Lothian Update

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the “fixed price” sales price has now largely s a property solicitor there’s a question I’m amazed disappeared in favour of “offers over” or “offers in I don’t get asked very often (if at all) and that is: excess of”. The truth is that every property is different How do I buy a house? People never seem to want and has it’s own story behind it. to sit down and talk through the process before launching themselves headlong A good conveyancing solicitor will be able into what will be one of the largest to utilise a variety of information to give financial transactions of their life and you advice on what to bid and will do the what is widely regarded as one of the negotiating for you. I’m still shocked when most stressful. The clients in the best some clients come to me and ask me to position in my opinion are the ones who submit an offer for them telling me “it’s all have spoken to me at the very beginning been agreed with the estate agent”. The of the process i.e. before going to view estate agent selling the house has a house or, if they are selling too, before experience in negotiating property deals Sean MacMillan putting their own property on the so why would you not want to level the Partner market. playing field by instructing your own Aberdein Considine

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FEATURE

Limefield Falls in late summer. Over autumn/winter with more water it looks more like the real Victoria Falls.

James Young , David Livingstone and Victoria Falls

by Helen-Jane Shearer

The founding father of the central belt shale mining industry, James Young, has lent his name to pubs, streets and buildings throughout West Lothian, and you’ll have done at least one school project on him if you grew up in this area.

The Limefield estate near West Calder is a bucolic nook just off the A71 in Polbeth and seems worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the main road. In the grounds the estate you travel back over a century to the time when this was James Young’s residence, one of Britain’s most wealthy entrepeneurs.

Now a private residence, Limefield House was built in 1805, and would be “just another mansion” had it not been acquired in 1855 by James Young.

With his empire expanding, he was already very wealthy when he purchased Limefield, and he undertook a major refurbishment of the property.

Some of the original Georgian features were replaced with what seems to our modern tastes as ostentatious Victorian style. During his time there he also had gas lighting and electricity installed throughout. The staircase with the ornate

Victorian bannisters that James Young chose are still there. The grounds around the house bear all the marks of an extremely wealthy owner.

Young was a close friend of David Livingstone, the missionary and explorer, whom he met when they were both students at Anderson College (now Strathclyde Uni) in the early 1830s. Livingstone was the first Westerner to see the Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke Which Thunders) waterfall on the Zambezi River in 1853, renaming it Victoria Falls.

Livingstone visited Limefield frequently on his trips home from Africa, as Young was a major financial sponsor. In 1864 he planted a sycamore tree in front of the house. It has been well looked after and is still there - grafts were taken from it in the 1970s and planted around Livingston, so when its life has eventually run its course, the seeds of Livingstone’s tree will live on. He also built some small African huts for the amusement of Young’s children, although nothing remains of them today. When Livingstone went missing in Africa in 1871 Young is believed to have helped fund the successful mission to find him. And in 1873 he contributed to another search expedition, which proved too late to find Livingstone alive.

Deeply affected by his friend’s death, Young arranged for Livingstone’s two African manservants, Susi and Chuma, to accompany the body home, and local historians believe that they were brought to Limefield House so that Young could personally thank them. As a tribute

to Livingstone, Young had a miniature of Victoria Falls constructed on Harburn Water, the stream that runs through the estate.

One can imagine Livingstone, on a visit to Limefield, trying to convey the magnificence of the Falls to his friend. Without photos, maybe he sketched them. In any case, the Falls meant a great deal to him and he succeeded in impressing Young, who built Limefield Falls based on Livingstone’s descriptions. It seems likely that Susi and Chuma helped in the construction. They also built a hut made of straw and wood, said to be identical to the one in which Livingstone died. Limefield Falls are still quite impressive today, albeit lower than their original height as they were lowered by the council on health and safety grounds.

Limefield House remained in the Young family for three generations, but as the industry collapsed in the area it lost its value. In 1955, one hundred years after James Young purchased it, his great-niece Alice Tom donated it to the community.

It was used by the council as a care home for many years and West Calder High School was built in the deer park of the estate.

But when a replacement care home was built in Livingston, Limefield House fell into disrepair. Empty and derelict for a decade, it was sold into private ownership in a very poor state of repair. The proceeds were used for various facilities in Polbeth and West Calder and the house was restored to its former glory as a private residence.

A while ago I asked the current owner if there are any ghosts in the House. ‘‘Oh yes, we have lots of activity’’ he said. ‘‘Particularly on the stairs. There’s also a black labrador often seen in the corridors but which never materialises.’’ And on one occasion, a tiler working on the top floor of the house was approached by a man who asked, ‘‘Have you seen the little girl?’’ He wiped his hands and turned round but there was no-one there or anywhere in the house. Many years ago a little girl drowned in Harburn Water on the estate - was it one of her troubled relatives?

Whatever presences there are at Limefield, it’s a very peaceful area. The traces left here by its famous owner, of his private life and interests, contrast hugely with the traces we are more familar with of his industrial empire in the form of the pink shale bings.

Article first published in Konect Calders edition in 2010.

James Young 1811 - 1883 He founded the world’s oil economy, became a billionaire and saved the whales!

James Young was the founding father of the West Lothian shale oil industr y, moving to Polbeth in 1855 as his fortune rapidly mounted. Young applied his skills as a chemist to oil seeping into coalmines and invented a process we now call ‘refining’ to produce paraffin wax, naphtha and various other oils. Natural oil seeps were rare, so Young located his works in Bathgate where there were ample supplies of shale. Eventually he made a fine, light product from shale, and named it paraffin oil. He revealed his process in a patent, which required other companies to pay him royalties. At the time the only oils available for use in houses and aboard ships were derived from whales, plants or animals – dim, smoky and smelly! In 1851 the Bathgate operation was the world’s first oil refiner y, and he subsequently expanded to bigger works in Addiewell, opened by hiss famous friend David Livingstone.

His paraffin is the same as modern heating oil and jet engine fuel, and cheap paraffin was the deathknell of the whaling industr y. He earned the nickname James “paraffin” Young, selling first paraffin, then branching out into many products including fertilisers.

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ProPerty Matters

“Manage Your Investment”

BY CraIg TurpIe Some landlords, especially those who are new to the experience, understandably wish to use a letting agent simply as a route to market in order to find a tenant. However, whilst a return on investment is one thing, sleeping well at night is quite another! A managed service is not just about chasing late rent, resolving disputes and inventory control.

had a “problem landlord” in the past so they tend to stay longer.

When your property is professionally managed, it’s all about accountability.

This means regular inspections to check that your tenant is treating your investment with the respect it deserves.

During these inspections, well-trained staff are able to identify any areas that should be investigated in order to avoid or reduce costs later. An example would be a blocked gutter. Normally, you would only hear about this when the tenant calls you to tell you that water is coming in, plaster has come away from the wall and there is mould on the ceiling.

Call in the dehumidifier, plasterer, and painter – and you have a large bill and an unhappy tenant.

One of the most important considerations is that as property managers, we get to know our clients’ tenants, and have a good understanding of their plans, often pre-empting a premature departure, so we can prepare and let the property in time to avoid it being empty – even for a day!

Many tenants also prefer to rent a property that is managed through a letting agent, possibly because they have

Additionally, no matter how compliant a tenant may seem at the outset, the last thing a landlord needs is someone phoning him/her at all hours with the same minor issue over a draft, dripping tap, clanking pipes, noisy neighbours, etc.

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Community

Lip-reading – what actually is it?

Are you hard of hearing?

Do people seem to mumble?

Would you like to be able to communicate better? Do you find yourself in a situation where you just nod your head or smile, hoping you are doing the right thing?

Do you have to ask people to repeat themselves? Lipreading classes for adults could help.

Various lip reading classes are available throughout West Lothian. The classes: • develop your ability to recognise different lip shapes to fill in the gaps of speech you don’t hear and also to use various clues, such as facial expression, context and anticipation • teach you about other ways to make conversation easier in various situations

• provide useful information about services, organisations and equipment for people with a hearing loss.

• are a good way to meet other people with the same problems and challenges • tips and hints from the tutor and other class members • help you in listening and thinking

• are used to discuss topics of mutual interest

• help improve your confidence, be more positive, and be assertive • are in a supportive environment • are fun also!

Did you know that 1 in 6 of the population are deaf or hard of hearing and it is a higher percentage as people age? It is a very common difficulty, but many feel they cannot tell other

people the best way to communicate with them.

Yet we don’t feel embarrassed in the same way about our glasses!

The classes involve practising lip-reading with exercises, short stories, fun quizzes, and discussing various topics. We learn speech movements, anticipation theory and memory tactics to improve confidence.

Here are some comments from people who have been to lip-reading classes:

“Lipreading classes gave me back my life and the confidence to carry on with life.”

“I am now not afraid to go out and meet with other people – and enjoy myself.”

“It’s fun – and I meet some lovely people and we have a laugh.”

“It opens up a whole new world …. go for it and start living again!”

Classes are free and are supported by the Adult Learning team of West Lothian Council. They are held in various venues throughout West Lothian, and are taught by fully qualified lip-reading tutors.

Participants start off in a six week taster class to learn the basics and then, if they want to continue, move on to classes held every week during term times. If you are interested, or know someone who might be interested, and live in the West Lothian Council area, contact Adult Learning on 0800 7311 831 or contact the Lip-reading Development Worker: bertha.walker@westlothian.gov.uk So go for it – and start communicating better again!

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17

WALK

A ramble in Ravencraig Wood

Karen Murray enjoyed some quiet reflection while wondering around in the mysterious Bathgate Hills

It is probably par for the course that when my busy schedule finally allowed me a spare afternoon to head to the hills and find a new walking route, the lovely stretch of sunny weather we had been experiencing was over.

I was served up a dreich, misty Sunday afternoon, the consolation being that I had the entire walk to myself.

I was headed to the Bathgate Hills having heard of a wooded area planted by the Woodland Trust and looked after by West Lothian Council.

Ravencraig Wood can be found just outside Bathgate. There are two access points the area and I chose the Southern entry, where there is a fairly substantial car park. Take the A89 to

Bathgate. After the Tesco depot roundabout, take a minor road on the right signed to Drumcross farm. At the t-junction, turn left onto Drumcross Road and the car park will be on your right.

Ravencraig has 54.5 hectares of amenity woodland with a series of footpaths criss-crossing the largely hilly, natural environment leading up the ancient Raven Craig cairn and summit. More of that later…

A welcoming sign showed me I had come to the right place and the walk began along a surfaced footpath leading to a small pond full of bulrushes and pond life.

I had read that the site was once used as a deer park from 1750-1805 by land owner Lord Hopetoun and the walls and ditches (known as ha-ha’s) throughout Ravencraig are the remnants of this.

I did find a fair few old walls as I wandered. I had also heard there were once silver mines in the Bathgate Hills and it transpires that in 1875, the land was quarried by the then owner in a vain effort to unearth some of this silver. However, he mined only copper and limestone so I am still to find out if ever silver was mined in them thar hills!

If anyone knows, please do get in touch.

Back to the walk – after the pond, the path appears to split with way markers showing both a 1.25km route and a 2.4km route. It was little unclear which was which but I opted for what I thought was the shorter of the two (on the left) and soon came upon the ruins of a farm steading

18

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to the east. With the low lying mist and the overgrown vegetation, the ruined building took on a somewhat eerie atmosphere. Near to the old steading I noticed a narrow and undulating footpath leading up to a hilly grassland area and figured, despite the weather, I should get a good view. Indeed I did…the whole of Bathgate lay before me, with the Firth of Forth visible to the north east and the Pentland Hills looming up to the south. I retraced my steps back down and continued on the loop appearing once more at the pond. I am not sure if that was the 1.25km loop that is stated as taking 25 minutes as even with the added trip to the viewpoint I had only been walking for 20 minutes.

Mackie

So I started again, this time aiming for the 2.4km walk. Listed as taking 60 minutes I started at a fairly brisk pace. The first bit of this path is grassy but wide and became increasingly wooded with trees hemming in both sides of the path. In the slightly damp and drizzly conditions there was something quite magical about it.

The ends of the new bright green growth on the pine trees were dripping rain water and the almost luminescent fronds of ferns on the edge of the path seemed to be reaching out. It was incredibly quiet and perhaps if I thought about it too hard, maybe a little scary. From the middle of the wooded area, I could not see anything to get my bearings nor hear any traffic although logically I knew I was very close to civilisation.

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Buster the Dog

I had hoped to reach the Raven Craig Cairn – one of the highest points in West Lothian dating from the Bronze Age and discovered in the late 1990s.

However, it was getting late and I decided the 60 minutes was in this case an underestimate so I retraced my footsteps a little, then aimed for some cross country to take a different route back, finding some lovely paths but getting a little lost too. That is where a hilly terrain is helpful. I struck uphill once more to enjoy both the view and see if I could see the car park. Once spotted, I headed straight down, rather wet by this time, and came back to the pond.

All in all, a rather interesting little ramble. I think one could spend several hours trying out the various paths that meander across the hills and through the woods and on a clearer day the panoramic views from the hilltops would be splendid.

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Location, location, location – a buzz phrase which has been endorsed by Alsop and Spencer is undoubtedly your first consideration. If you love the idea of a secluded cottage but need to commute to the city regularly then a cottage in Glencoe may not be the wisest move, unless you’re willing to exchange your Volkswagen Beetle for a four-wheel drive and four months’ supply of tinned sardines and baked beans in case you get snowed in.

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HOMES & GARDENS

The beauty of choosing a home, whether a new build or established, in west Edinburgh or near the M8, is that you can enjoy country living to an extent, but are never far from either Edinburgh or Glasgow; and towns like Livingston or Bathgate have plenty of amenities to suit everyone. That’s the first box ticked then.

Traditional, Victorian or Edwardian stone-built villas present an opportunity to stamp your own character on your home – especially if it’s been modernised internally and you wish to strip it back and rebuilt it with authentic period features. Edwardian properties tend to be shorter in height than Victorian ones as there was very little need for servants’ quarters. Interior décor became lighter and finishes such as cornices became simpler.

With no servants to call on, it was important for the owner (or more often, tenant), to be able to keep the house clean more easily.

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HOMES & GARDENS

Make the Most of Your Garden This Summer With Family and Friends Planning the perfect garden to enjoy the fleeting weeks of sunshine requires a bit of thought.

No matter how much you try to convince yourself, a green wheelie bin filled with iced water does not make a suitable plunge-pool so forget that idea and tune into our suggestions for making your garden a venue for some memorable times with friends and family.

Hide the trash – Speaking of wheelie bins, no matter what pretty colours the council has supplied them in, when you see your bins you’ll be thinking ‘now, is Monday recycling day or is it Wednesday?’ Out of sight, out of mind is the order of the day so invest in a storage box to hide them away until needed. Wooden storage boxes are more expensive but you can get plastic ones which look reasonably stylish or else just use a simple trellis with can be removed on Mondays… or Wednesdays - which day is it now? The same goes for toys and other clutter. Just leave one or two out for the kids to enjoy and pack the rest away. If you want to relax, your garden should be an oasis of calm, at least while entertaining, and not like sale time at Toys R Us. Break out the barbecue – Nothing says summer in Scotland better than cremated sausages which are anaemic inside. It’s almost as if we know

we have about two hours of sunlight left for the whole year so try to bend the laws of physics to our will in order to speed up the cooking process.

Barbecues however, can be wonderful if organised properly, so get the charcoal going an hour before the cooking time then raise your BBQ surface to the highest point to allow slow, even chargrilling, while turning continuously - the food not you – depending of course on how flamboyant a cook you are. If you’re planning to serve poultry, then why not start it off in the oven the conventional way, to cook the inside first before giving it the final crisping on the BBQ? Choose a theme – How about a theme to get your day sizzling? A tapas party for example, can be simple and stress free but can also bring a little bit of Spain to your home. Dishes such as homemade lamb meatballs in a savoury tomato sauce can be cooked in advance and just reheated on the hob. Good quality black pudding (blood sausage in Spain), thinly sliced and grilled with some caramelised onion relish on the side is quick and easy. Pan-fried scallops with a simple leek and cream sauce is just gorgeous. Manchego cheese with chilli jam, juicy olives, crusty bread for dipping in a combined olive oil and balsamic vinegar washed down with chilled cava or Spanish beers to the sound of the Gypsy Kings will give you a fiesta you’ll never forget.

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29

Parents in West Lothian

tween How to tell the difference be and a militant anti-breastfeeder an actual angel Facebook can be a blessing or a curse … it’s a tool that can help you keep in touch with family and friends overseas, stay ahead of the news curve, or take part in special interest groups.

However, it can also be an endless stream of pictures of everyone else’s children, a journey of discovery along which you come to the realisation that some among your long-time friends are horrific xenophobes, and of course it can be a breeding ground for cowardly trolls who bully and persecute …

Over the past few months I’ve seen several shared articles about mothers being labelled as ‘disgusting’ breast-feeders and being shamed publicly for what should be seen as a natural activity.

Before I was a mum, breast-feeding seemed to me to be a no brainer; a cheap, and convenient way to feed a child – why would anyone not do it? I found out how naïve this position had been when my firstborn arrived and for the first two weeks felt like I was being stabbed in the breast at every feed. I don’t know how I persevered but I did.

Our column is West Lothia t: Nicola Jengaenga li ves in n with Quin months an d her hubby n 2, Penny 10 Channa, 33 .

Nicola & Ch anna both w ork, jugglin schedules w ith g their two tin the ever-evolving dem hectic y overlords, ands of in some tim and also sq ueezing e for each ot her!

sleeplessly into the next, wearing yesterday’s clothes and makeup, hair scraped back, and Quinn was starting to get hungry.

I sat down at the open-air Greggs just near the Post Office, and quickly tried to latch him on. He was finally feeding away nicely when I became aware out of the corner of my eye that an older woman was striding straight towards me. Several emotions erupted in me at once: fear; was this woman about to berate me for feeding in public? (bizarrely in my experience those most likely to disapprove of breastfeeding in public are the very people you’d expect support from ie fellow women, nay, fellow mothers) defiance; well if she does speak to me I’m going to give her a piece of my mind, let her know that I don’t really want to watch her masticating her cold sausage roll 3 tables away, yet I respect her right to do so in a public place helplessness; what if I couldn’t hold my own and call her out on her irrational opinions because I was too hormone-ridden and sleep-deprived to form a cogent argument?

Luckily, during those longest 2 weeks of my life, I didn’t see any of these horrid posts or articles – it’s perfectly possible I would have been so discouraged and shamed by them that I might have given up.

A matter of seconds later she was handing me a large bottle of water and an iced Empire Biscuit that she had just bought at the Greggs counter.

She said, “These are for you; you are doing the most important job in the world there and you need to keep your strength up.”

Then something beautiful happened on a random Tuesday when Quinn was only a few months old … I was in the Livingston Centre, feeling sleep-deprived as one day merged

I’m not too proud to say that I very quickly found there was something in my eye. Actually, both eyes. Thank goodness for day-old waterproof k mascara.

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Spend the summer in West Lothian How could you spend a perfect summer’s day in West Lothian? Whether it’s with family or friends – there is something for everyone to enjoy in West Lothian and we would like give you an idea of the type of marvellous things you could see and do in just one day.

Family

10:00 - Take a visit to Polkemmet Country Park for a leisurely stroll through the beautiful countryside.

11:30 - Pop in to visit the spectacular Scottish Owl Centre, conveniently situated within Polkemmet Country Park.

13.30 - Stop off for some lunch at the fabulous 1912, Bathgate for some tasty treats for all.

15:00 - Enjoy a short boat ride from the Linlithgow Canal Centre along the calming waters of the Union Canal.

16:00 - Finish off your day with a visit to the impressive Linlithgow Palace and see where Mary, Queen of Scots was born.

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Friends

11:00 - Take a visit to the fabulous Livingston Designer Outlet and The Centre for some great discounts on top brands and all the latest and greatest products on offer within our brilliant department stores.

12.30 – Enjoy some lunch in any of the vibrant restaurants and cafes available in the 2 shopping centres; including Nando’s, Wagamama or Pizza Express.

15:00 – Visit beautiful Hopetoun House and take a walk through the Grounds to enjoy the scenic views of the spectacular stately home.

18:00 – Visit award winning Champany Inn, near Linlithgow for a lovely dinner to finish off the day.

For the latest on all the great things to see and do in West Lothian please visit: www.visitwestlothian.co.uk facebook.com/VisitWestLothian Twitter. com: @teamwestlothian 31

Recipe & Food Notes

bY Anne Pinkerton

Summer Beets

In cooking having some understanding of why you do something is important.

It enables you to personalise recipes or substitute ingredients and still end up with a good meal. I hope that in this column instructions are not too laboured and that explanations help you to vary things to suit your style, purse, time and skills.

Beetroot is a vegetable of high summer and elderflowers are in full bloom just now so here are some ideas to help you enjoy them. Beetroot can be used in soup, salads, with roast meats, in pickles, muffins and cakes. Elderflowers are delicious made into a cordial which can then flavour puddings, jelly, ice cream or be made into fritters. Later, in autumn, the berries are good in hot puddings, preserves and with game.

Beetroot, Smoked Salmon and Orange salad Looks wonderfully colourful and is great as either a starter for 6 or a lunch for 3 or 4.

• 250g cooked beetroot. Either cook your own or buy plain vacuum packed small beets • 2 oranges, peeled and sliced, either segments or rounds retaining as much juice as possible • 150 g smoked salmon cut into inch strips; buy off cuts they are cheep and taste as good • Watercress, rocket pea sprouts, cut up little gem lettuce or any combination you enjoy • Olive oil, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar Method Slice the beetroot and dress it with the oil and seasonings. Leave it to take up the flavours while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.

Put the chosen greens in the bottom of a salad dish and layer up the beetroot, orange and fish.

An interesting weekly science blog called Compound Interest www.compoundchem.com posts regularly on food and the chemistr y associated with eating, cooking and preser ving. Recently there have been articles on yeast in bread and beer, the beneficial qualities of red, anti­o xidant fruits and veg, how to use elder flowers & elderberries to avoid making yourself ill and why does asparagus make your pee smell. They always tr y to answer the question....Why?

Swedish Beetroot Burgers • 400 g minced raw meet, I prefer half and half pork and beef but you can use chicken or lamb • 1 onion chopped finely• 2 or 3 small cooked beetroot, grated

Elderflower Yogurt Ice • 500ml 5% fat Greek plain yogurt (fat free doesn’t have enough taste)

• 2 slices stale dry bread soaked in milk • 1 egg • Parsley finely chopped or a little dill leaf chopped • Salt and pepper Method Squeeze the milk out of the bread and make it all into a mush. In a bowl mix together all the other ingredients. I do this with clean hands because you can feel if there are any unmixed lumps, but a fork or a potato masher will do.

Form the mixture into burgers and chill in the fridge for an hour or up to a day.

In a frying pan heat some cooking oil, sunflower or rapeseed or a mixture with a little butter.

Fry the burgers turning after 3 or 4 minutes.

Serve with new potatoes and green vegetables.

Ring the changes by flavouring with lemon and thyme or substitute red pepper for the beetroot and serve with a tomato sauce.

• 400g gooseberries stewed with 100g sugar • 3 tbsp elderflower cordial • 150 ml milk Method With a wand beater whizz the gooseberries, cordial and milk together. Taste and see if it is sweet enough or has enough elderflower. The intensity will be tempered by the yogurt.

When all is as you wish mix in the yogurt. Freeze for at least 12 hours. Serve with meringues and raspberries, poached nectarines or peaches or blackberries as the summer advances. Or in the autumn it goes well with stewed elderberries and apples.

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Wednesday 27th July

and Useful Information

Wonderful Wild Wednesday, Winchburgh Join the Ranger Service and other organisations for a day of nature inspired activities, crafts, games and more in parks around West Lothian. Look out for it in your area! Suitable for families. Meet: Craighton Park, off Craighton Place. Time: Drop in between 11am-3pm. Cost: Free.

Macmillan @ Bathgate Partnership Centre opens A new Cancer Information and Support Service for people living with cancer and their families in West Lothian has opened in Simpson Library at Bathgate Partnership Centre.

The new service, a partnership between West Lothian Council and Macmillan Cancer Support, is available for anyone affected by cancer, including the person with a cancer diagnosis, family, friends and carers. It is open on Mondays 10am -1pm and Thursdays 6pm - 8pm.

The service can be accessed at any point in the cancer journey, no appointment is necessary visitors can drop in to use the service. For more information call: 01506 283053 or email: MacmillanWestLothian@ westlothian.gov.uk.

Trained volunteers provide emotional and practical support, access to information materials on various types of cancer and its treatment, signposting to other support services such as benefits advice and counselling, or simply provide a listening ear. The volunteers are supported by West Lothian Council staff.

Councillor Anne McMillan said: “It is planned that during the next 12 months a number of cancer information and support service desk will open across West Lothian. If you are affected by cancer there is someone you can turn to for help. Someone who can help you to find answers to your questions, whatever they may be – Macmillan @ Bathgate Partnership Centre service is available to help.”

Saturday 2nd July Winchburgh & District Children’s Gala Day From 1pm at Craighton Place.

Friday 29th July Family Friendly Badger Watch Join the Ranger Service in Beecraigs Country Park to discover more about these intriguing animals. There will be a short presentation followed by an evening in our badger hide. Wear sturdy footwear and bring binoculars and a torch. Suitable for: Families. Meet: Sutherland Building, opposite the Visitor Centre.

Time: 8pm-9.30pm. Cost: £3.65 adult, £2.50 child.

Book with the Rangers on 01506 844516, email: mail@beecraigs.com To include your event here, please email editor@konectdirectory.co.uk or call 07854 492638.

LIBRARY Information Broxburn Library West Main Street, Broxburn, EH52 2RH. Tel: 01506 775600.

Email: broxburn.lib@westlothian.gov.uk Opening Times: Please note new opening times are: Monday & Tuesday: 10am - 5pm, Wednesday & Friday: 10am - 3pm, Thursday: 10am - 7pm & Saturday: 9am - 1pm.

Bookbug Bounce and Tickle: Free song, story and rhyme sessions for babies, toddlers and pre-school children. Bring a grown-up to join in the fun!

Tuesdays and Wednesdays fortnightly 10.30am.

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35

PUZZLES

CROSSWORD

Solution in the August edition of konect

Across 7 Fruit (6) 8 Echo (6) 9 Sunrise (4) 10 Centuries (8) 11 Far away (7) 13 Type of boat (5) 15 Later (5) 17 Immobilized (7) 20 Correctly (8) 21 Silly (4) 23 Devils (6) 24 Almost (6) Down 1Information (4) 2 Type of seabird (6) 3 Cleaning (7) 4 Intoxicated (5) 5 Coil (6) 6 Attractive (8) 12 Deduced (8) 14 Sickly sweet (7) 16 Hire (6) 18 Noon (6) 19 Quick (5) 22 Trip (4)

clubs & classes

Sports, Hobbies, Learning, Support Groups & more...

BROXBURN Broxburn Woodcraft Club A members Club located within the community wing of the Strathbrock Centre, 189a West Main Street, Broxburn, EH52 5LH. We have a fully equipped workshop supporting all aspects of woodworking including woodturning, pyrography, scrollsawing, the making of toys, furniture, musical instruments, walking sticks and more. For further information use the Contact Us facility on the website: www.broxburnwoodcraftclub. org. Our hours are Mon & Tues 9am-9pm, Wed & Fri 9am-12 noon and 6pm -9pm, Thurs 9am-3pm and 6:00pm-9pm.

Broxburn Children’s Chatterbooks – NEW book group!

Broxburn Library, West Main Street, Broxburn, EH52 5RH. Love to read? Aged between 8-11? Want to join a bookclub? We choose books to read and also activities available. Meetings held every second Friday at 2pm, call the library on 01506 775600 for next date.

Livingston Highland Society Strathbrock Partnership Centre, 189 W Main St, Broxburn.

Monthly ceilidhs on a Saturday evening between October and April. Each month we have a different band and guest artist. £5 each, new members welcome, contact John Sneddon on 01501 770911 for dates and more details Ladies only outdoor fitness sessions Albyn Park, Greendykes Road. Mondays 7-8pm, with Broxburn United Sports Club (BUSC) and Burn-It. Doesn’t matter your size or level of fitness. BUSC and Burn-It aim to create a fun fitness session based outside to enable ladies to meet their goals.

For more info contact Leigh Lauder on 01506 858057 or email l.lauder@busc.org.uk

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Alive & Kickin Albyn Park, Greendykes Road. A programme for older members of the community to remain active. Run by Broxburn United Sports Club and includes: Walking Football Tues 10.30am to 12pm, £3 per session with tea/coffee after. Walking Club on Thurs 10am. Community walk starting and ending at Albyn Park. Free, everyone welcome. Invigor8 Multi Sports Thurs 2-3.30pm £2 per session. Try new sports and learn new skills.

Each session is 1 hour of the new sport plus an inspirational/ informative chat for 30mins. For more info contact Leigh Lauder at Albyn Park 01506 858057 or email ll.lauder@busc.org.uk Zumba for Kids Albyn Park, Greendykes Road. With the Poco Loco crew – learn some rocking dance routines using different styles and rhythms. For girls and boys aged 4 – 12. Fridays 1.15-2.15 (P1-P3) 2.25-3.15 (P4-P7) cost £3 per week. To book please contact Greig Taylor on g.taylor@busc.org.uk or Nina Anderson on nina. anderson@live.co.uk or call 01506 858057.

Broxburn Swimming Club We cater for swimmers from age 3 upwards and cover all levels of swimming from our Learn to Swim programme up to our top competitive squad. Learn to Swim: Thursday night (6:00 - 7:00) - Broxburn Swimming Pool; Friday night (6:30 - 7:00) - Broxburn Academy pool. Squad Swimming: Monday and Tuesday (7:30 - 9:00) and Thursday (7:00 - 9:00) - Broxburn Swimming Pool; Friday (6:00 - 8:00) - Armadale Academy pool. For further information please contact: broxburn_asc@hotmail.com Church Street Baby & Toddler Group 2 Church Street, Broxburn EH52 5EL. Every Thursday from 09.15-11.00 and is based in the Church Hall behind Broxburn Parish Church. Suitable for children from birth to 3 years.

Each session costs £2 per and includes a healthy snack for the children and a cuppa & biscuit for the grown-ups. Visit our Facebook page for more information www.facebook.com/ BroxburnChurchStreetBabyandToddler Craft Cuppa We are a small group of crafters who meet on Saturday afternoons 1-3 pm at Strathbrock Partnership Centre, KONECT

Community Wing, entrance B. We meet to share expertise, have a natter and a cuppa. We would welcome anyone who wants to come along. For more info please email craftycuppaclub@mail. com or just come along!

Strathbrock Community Centre: 189a West Main Street, Broxburn, EH52 5LH. Huge range of groups and classes including: Mondays: Playgroup (am and pm sessions); Tapestry; U3A, Calligraphy group,Computer Drop-in; Keep fit/Line Dance for over 50s; Zumba, Brownies; WRI; Drama group, Karate. Tuesdays: Playgroup; Spanish classes; Card making; Line Dancing; Irish Dancing; Ring Craft. Wednesdays: Playgroup, Tai Chi, Scrabble groupl Chatterbook Book Club; Bingo; Computer Beginners Course; Brownies/Rainbows; Dog Obedience. Thursdays: Playgroup (am and pm sessions); Art Group; Genealogy; Healty Respect; Lip Reading; Access to Employment; Drama; Hoola Hoop Class; Chilren’s Club, Youth Group; Guitar lessons, Tai Chi. Fridays: Playgroup (am and pm sessions); Carpet Bowling; after school club; Computer drop in; Tai Kwon Do; Polish Community Group; New Christian Life; Model Car Club. Saturdays: Guitar lessons; Dance classes; Tae Kwon Do; Computer classes; Weight Watchers.

Please call Strathbrock Community Centre on 01506 771733 or email linda.sayers@westlothian.gov.uk for details of times and more information on any of the groups.

UPHALL Uphall Community Education Centre: Strathbrock Place, Uphall, EH52 6BN. Huge range of groups and classes including: Mondays: Carpet Bowls; U3A Singing for Pleasure; Zumba; Craft Group; WRI; Scottish Country Dancing. Tuesdays: Baby & Toddler; Uphall Outreach; 50+ Friendship Group; Walking Group; Indoor Curling; U3A Art Group; Taekwon-Do; Yellow Teapot Club; Youth Club. Wednesdays: Indoor Curling; U3A Book Group; Cairbrock Association; Parkinson’s Uk; U3A History Group; Tea Dance; Zumba; Fusion Youth Group; Tribe West Belly Dance.

Thursdays: Indoor Curling Adults with Carers; West Lothian Financial Inclusion Network; Line Dancing; U3A Quiz Group, U3A Music Group; Karate; Yellow Teapot Club; West Lothian Y-Cats.

Fridays: U3A Poetry Group; U3A Discussion Group; Children’s Club P3-P6); Reiki; Girls Group (S1 upwards) Please call the Community Centre on 01506 854451 or email denise.doig@westlothian.gov.uk for details of times and more information on any of the groups.

Uphall Playgroup Uphall Community Education Centre, Strathbrock Place, Uphall, EH52 6BN. For children aged 24 months and over. Open Monday to Friday 9:15 - 11:30am during term time. Choose 1, 2, 3 or 4 sessions per week. Each session costs £5 and includes a healthy snack. See http://www.uphallplaygroup.co.uk/ or tel 01506 854451 for further information.

The People’s Café Meets the fourth Tuesday of every month 11am - 1.30pm at St Andrew’s Care Home, St Andrew’s Court, 20 Hawthorn Place, Uphall. For people who have any form of dementia, and their carers, to meet others in a similar situation for support and social contact, a cup of tea or coffee and home baking. Come for the whole session or just drop in.

Broxburn Art A group of enthusiastic amateur artists who meet regularly to paint, draw and chat in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere.

Tuesday evenings between 7pm and 9pm in Uphall Community Education Centre. If you’d like to know more, please email us at info@broxburnart.co.uk Slimming World South Parish Church, E. Main St. Uphall, EH52 5HY. Tuesdays 5.30pm and & 7.30pm. Contact Lisa on 07736 316400. Canon Hoben Hall Wednesday 3.30pm, 5.30pm and 7.30pm; Thursday 9.30am. Contact Alison on 07510 332851.

West Lothian Art West Lothian Art is a group of enthusiastic amateur artists who KONECT

meet regularly to paint, draw and chat in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere on Tuesday evenings between 7pm and 9pm in Uphall Community Education Centre. If you’d like to know more, please email us at info@westlothianart.co.uk West Lothian U3A (University of the 3rd Age) A group of retired people who like to keep their minds active by learning in an informal environment. We meet in Uphall Community Education Centre, Strathbrock Place, Uphall on the third Wednesday of the month at 2 p.m., when we have speakers on a variety of topics. U3A also has a number of interest Groups who also meet once a month, including Art Appreciation, Singing for Pleasure, History, Walking and Cinema.

New members are always welcome – please contact the Membership Secretary Helen on 01506 655976. You will find a list of speakers and a full list of Groups on our website u3asites. org.uk/westlothian

WINCHBURGH Little Flyers After School Club Winchburgh Community Centre, Craigton Park, Winchburgh, EH52 6RW. Open during term time, from the end of the school day until 5.45 p.m. Collecting from Winchburgh and Holy Family Primary Schools. Please contact 07518 176781 for more information or see www.littleflyersnursery.com Winchburgh Community Centre: Craigton Park, Winchburgh, EH52 6RW. Huge range of groups and classes including: Mondays: Junior Youth Club 7.00pm - 9.15pm.

Tuesdays: Slimming World 6.30pm - 9.30pm. Wednesdays: Keep Fit 9.30am -10.30am; Computer Club 9.30am-12noon; Night Art 7.00pm-9.00pm; Dog Class 7.00pm-10.00pm.

Thursdays: Morning Art 9.30am-12noon; Senior Citizens 1.30pm-4.00pm; Little Flyers 3.00pm-6.00pm; Childrens Club 6.00pm-7.30pm; Guitar Club 7.45pm-9.30pm; Table Tennis 7.45pm-9.30pm. Fridays: Little Flyers 12 noon-6.00pm; Scouts 6.15pm- 9.15pm Saturdays: Children’s Activity Club 9.45am12noon; Girls Allowed 7.00pm-9.00pm. For more information on any of the groups please contact the Community Centre on 01506 890348 or email julie.witherwick@westlothian.gov. uk. Winchburgh Community Council meetings are held second Monday of every month except January and July. See www. winchburghcc.org.uk

DECHMONT West Lothian Baking Club We meet approximately every 6th Wednesday 7:30 – 9:30pm in Dechmont Hall to talk about all things baking related. No requirement to be the next Mary Berry! £3 per meeting. Email wlbakingclub@yahoo.co.uk or find us on facebook.

Dechmont 50+ Arts Group This group of enthusiastic amateur painters meet every Wednesday from 13.00 - 16.00 in Dechmont Memorial Hall to practice their art and socialise. There are a few membership places available and new members would be more than welcome irrespective of their painting skills. For more details email dechmontartgroup@gmail.com or visit their website at dechmontartgroup.wix.com/home.

OTHER AREAS West Lothian Gymnastics - NEW! Craigwillow Centre, Craigshill, Livingston. Pre school classes for boys and girls, learn gymnastics in a fun and dedicated full time gymnastics facility. Classes lead by fully qualified coaches and morning, afternoon and weekend classes available for children 18 months - 3 years and 3-5 years with direct progression to recreational pathway age 5 without waiting list. First class free, please contact westlothiangymnastics@gmail.com To include your club or class, email details to editor@konectdirectory.co.uk. Charity and not-for-profit groups are free, there is a small charge for other listings. See our website for details. www.konectdirectory.co.uk

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INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Bathrooms Bathgate Bathroom Studio 27 Duffy McLean 25 Beauty ACT Beauty & Hair Academy 15 Bespoke Beauty Lounge 14 Natrabrow 15 Blacksmith Big Red Blacksmiths 10 Building Supplies MKM Building Supplies 29 Building Surveyor David Hastings 25 Butcher John Lawson Butchers 33 Car Service & Repair D.K’s Autocare 10 LVS Garage Services 5 Car Valet/Wash D.K’s Autocare 10 Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning C and W Cleaning Services 25 Catering Food Creations 34 Children’s Activities/Entertainment Broxburn Air Cadets 31 Cleaning Services Clean Bee Domestics 35 CS Window and Gutter Cleaning 25 Complementary Therapies Access 2 Balance 15 Computer Services Sprint Computers 6 Conservatories Andrew James Windows & Conservatories 26 Dance Supplies Highland Dance Shop 35

Dentist No 9 Dental 14 Electrician Simply Electrical 17 Estate Agent Aberdein Considine 7 Alba Property 40 Turpie 13 Garden & Landscaping Beatson’s 26 Inside and Outside Property & Garden Care 29 JGM Landscapes 29 New Hopetoun Gardens 11 SG Garden Services 29 Woodford Timber 11 Garden Buildings Champfleurie Estate Ltd 20 Golf Retail Golf Nation 6 Gym/Health Club Broxburn United Sports Club 17 Hairdresser Mr Fella & Me. Bella Sassoon 15 Heating Services Capital Heating 24 Duffy McLean 22 Hire (Car/Van/Minibus) AK Stretch Limousines 4 Kilt Maker & Hire The Kilt Studio 4 Kitchens Duffy McLean 25 Leaflet Delivery The Leaflet Lady 39 Locksmith Livingston Locksmith 22

Solution to June Crossword

Across: 1 Famous, 4 Drapes, 9 Grandma, 10 Agree, 11 Taste, 12 Untying, 13 Outstanding, 18 Harvest, 20 Virgo, 22 Wager, 23 Reading, 24 Return, 25 Recess.

Down: 1 Fights, 2 Meals, 3 Undress, 5 React, 6 Portion, 7 Sledge, 8 Manufacture, 14 Upright, 15 Deviate, 16 Shower, 17 Boughs, 19 Error, 21 Raise.

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Mobility Med Ecosse 2 Motorhome (hire/sale) Motorhome Hire Scotland 6 Painter/Decorator Nu Walls 27 Thomson Decorators 4 Plastering Nu Walls 27 Property Maintenance Inside and Outside Property & Garden Care 29 Restaurant Imperial Palace 34 Sports Equipment Golf Nation 6 Taxi & Private Hire All The Fours 21 Vet Mackie & Brechin 19 Window Cleaning CS Window and Gutter Cleaning 25 Premier Reach and Clean 10 Windows 1st Choice Living 23 Andrew James Windows & Conservatories 26 Red Hot Windows 24

Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss, damage or omission caused by error in the printing of an advertisement.The Konect Directory does not endorse any advertising material that appears in this publication. Adverts are accepted on the understanding that descriptions of goods and services are fair and accurate. All material is accepted for publication on the understanding that it is copyright free.The Konect Directory accepts no liability for any subsequent copyright issues. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior consent of the publisher.

Publisher: Lothian Publications Ltd, Overton Farmhouse, Kirknewton, EH27 8DD. Editor: Helen-Jane Shearer 07854 492638 hj@konectdirectory.co.uk

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Picture Courtesy of West Lothian Local History Library

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