Konect Queensferry September 2024

SEPTEMBER 2024

CLUBS & CLASSES: LOCAL ENVIRONMENT:

The NEW monthly community magazine for Queensferry, Kirkliston, and Winchburgh

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Quote “Konect” on your initial enquiry for a 10% discount Applies to services supplied by Taylor Roofs and Taylor Solar

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elcome to the second issue of the Konect magazine for Queensferry, Kirkliston and Wincburgh. Thank you for the great feedback on the first issue last month, as a result there are more clubs and activities included this time. Please do keep the information coming in!

You may have seen high vis motorbikes marked “blood” weaving their way through traffic or zipping along the motorway. They are volunteer riders for the charity Blood Bikes Scotland, which was set up by two Queensferry residents 12 years ago. Now covering a huge area of central Scotland and run entirely by volunteers from within our local communities, they provide the NHS with an incredibly valuable support service. See pages 8-9 and please consider a wee donation.

It’s not been much of a summer weatherwise, but gardeners are irrepressible in their optimism, it’s one thing I love about gardening! In the garden project column, Dougal talks about planning now for spring bulb displays. Even if you don’t have a garden, planting a pot of bulbs to enjoy on your doorstep or windowsill will bring joy now and in the future!

I hope you find the magazine useful this month. Thank you for supporting local businesses and organisations.

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

Wine: A Gavi di Gavi day........................................6 Charity: Blood Bikes Scotland...............................8 Life Coaching: What kind of friendship...........10 Garden Project: Planting for spring displays......................................................................15 Local Environment: Time flies.............................16 C&C: Abercorn Curling Club..............................18 Film Review: The Goldman Case.....................20 Puzzles.......................................................................21 What’s On..................................................................22 Puzzle Solutions......................................................22 Clubs & Classes......................................................23

COVER IMAGE: Blood Bikes Scotland (BBS): Supporting the NHS. See P8-9

Konect is delivered to 7500 households in Queensferry, Kirkliston and Winchburgh.

Copies are also left at libraries, community centres and other locations throughout the area.

It is also available online: konect.scot/subscribe QUEENSFERRY | 3

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QUEENSFERRY | 5

WINE TASTING

Of the five senses, for me, the most important when wine ‘tasting’ is smell! I nose a glass of wine, looking for an aromatic thread to pull. I pull on the thread and start to think about the smells and where I have experienced it before.

The scent causes me to recall memories that signpost what the aroma might be. I can then share that so the people I’m tasting with can relate to it.

Occasionally, when I don’t have a glass of wine in my hand, it works the other way around!

Sometimes the aromas in my environment me remind me of a particular wine!

This month I experienced a Gavi di Gavi day. I took our dog Holly for a walk. The day was warm and the sun had heated up the earth. It was a perfect day and the air smelled clean and fresh. We walked beside a wheat fields and wild honeysuckle was growing nearby. The combined aromas of honeysuckle blossom, dried grass, baked earth, fresh green plants, and an offshore breeze triggered memories of a glass of wine! The smells on my walk held all the amazing aroma’s I'd write about in a tasting note to describe Gavi di Gavi.

Gavi di Gavi is an Italian white wine made using the Cortese grape. It is grown in the gentle hills of Piedmont in Northwest Italy. The wine is unoaked and when I smell it, it reminds me of a summer’s day. Serve it slightly chilled (not too cold!) and try smelling it. Does it remind you of a summer’s day?

The monthly wine tasting column is contributed by Joanne Frette. Joanne lives in Juniper Green with her husband and three children. For wine recommendations, reviews and details of future tasting events, please go to swirlsipsocialise.com 6 | QUEENSFERRY

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BIG Impact

To be included in Konect, please contact us. Our details are on page 3.

QUEENSFERRY | 7

When Blood Bikes Scotland were asked to help with the urgent transport of medication from Birmingham to Dundee, they were part of a critical relay operation to save a life with a ground-breaking treatment.

The cargo was an extraordinary medication consisting of donated human faeces, a life-saving treatment called a faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) which is used to tackle really serious cases of C-difficile. The assignment illustrates very well much of Blood Bikes Scotland’s work sometimes unglamorous, but absolutely essential.

Blood Bikes Scotland (BBS) is a voluntary organisation which supports the NHS by transporting, free of charge, blood and other test samples from wards to laboratories. They also deliver medication to patients’ homes, and support GPs, District Nurses, care homes and community hospitals with transport of small, urgent items.

It was set up in 2012 by Queensferry residents Ron Spalding and Brian Fraser. Starting out with just one motorcycle and a desire to contribute to the community, they’ve seen the charity grow over the past 12 years into a significant organisation making a huge difference to lives every day. Ron is Vice-President and a Trustee. “It has given me personally a great amount of pleasure and satisfaction, just to know that I am able to give

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something back to the NHS,” say Ron. “We all love riding bikes no matter the weather and are all proud to be able to help where we can. It’s what we do.”

Behind every journey made on the bikes, there’s a patient – someone is waiting for a critical test result, medication, equipment or urgent medical notes. And the many thousands of journeys not only save the NHS a significant amount of money, but mean the fast transport network is in place to help save lives, as in the case of the FMT relay.

The bikes can get through traffic quickly – especially useful during rush hours – so they can get pathology samples to labs quickly, or urgent medication to patients who need it. Other items needing transport include surgical instruments and, believe it or not, physical files of patient notes or x-rays urgently needed by medics.

While speed is of the essence for much of their work, the biggest benefit is cost avoidance for the NHS. By being on-call to provide transport free of charge, BBS saves the NHS a significant amount of money that would otherwise be spent on their own vehicles and drivers, external courier services and taxis.

Blood Bikes Scotland cover the Lothians, Forth Valley, Borders, Fife and Tayside, where they have service level agreements in place with each of the NHS Boards. Sister organisations support NHS Boards elsewhere in Scotland and the UK, and they all work together in relays when necessary to cover long distances.

Whilst not blue-light vehicles, the incredible value of the service provided by blood bikes is formally recognised in that, like the emergency services, their vehicles are exempt from road tax.

Riders are out in all weather conditions. A fleet of 15 motorcycles is supplemented by five cars to transport larger equipment (although they have been known to strap a walking frame to the back of a motorcycle on one occasion when it was urgently needed!) The motorcycles

* All figures relate to financial year 2023/2024

are modified to allow for larger loads to be carried, with panniers and a tray on most of them. The Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes (NABB) have recently negotiated with Yamaha to build custom, manufacturer-approved bikes so, like police bikes, they come from the factory ready to ride. The custom bikes are based on the Yamaha Tracer 9GT, and Blood Bikes Scotland will be progressively expanding their use. The fleet also includes one Zero electric motorbike suitable for short fast runs.

A team of 246 volunteer riders and controllers works 70 operational shifts per week across the five regions. BBS delivers its service 7 days a week, including public holidays, and in 2023/24 they received 9001 requests for transport and saved the NHS around £300,000 – money that can be used directly for frontline services instead.

Volunteer riders, controllers and everyone involved provides the service completely free of charge. It’s a fundamental principle of BBS Scotland since its inception that no-one takes a salary.

The monthly overhead for the charity of running the bikes 365 days a year (tyres, insurance, fuel, maintenance and repairs) is around £6000*. The service is entirely dependent on donations from the public, grant bodies and corporate sponsors; they take nothing from the NHS or Scottish Government, so they are grateful for every single donation. You can raise money for Blood Bikes Scotland while shopping online, completely free of charge to you – see the sidebox for details.

They were once called on to take a teddy bear to a distraught little girl in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital who had left it behind and was unable to settle. Teddy promptly arrived by motorcycle (which was on its way anyway with other jobs for the hospital) to the great relief of the girl, her parents and the nurses. There are some things whose value you just can’t measure.

GIVE AS YOU LIVE – free and easy way to raise money Shop with a huge number of retailers via Give as You Live, and a percentage of your purchase value is donated to BBS. Please see www.giveasyoulive.com/ join/bloodbikesscotland Direct donations are also welcome from the public and businesses. See ways to donate at www.bloodbikesscotland.co.uk/donate

VOLUNTEER! Volunteers are always welcome to join the current team of 246 volunteers covering the area including the Lothians, from Tayside and Fife to the Borders and as far west as Forth Valley. Riders need an advanced riding qualification.

Non-riding volunteers are also welcome; every shift needs a Controller, the point of contact between the NHS and the riders.

Please contact BBS at the details below.

For more information see: www.bloodbikesscotland.co.uk Blood Bikes Scotland is a charity registered in Scotland, No. SC049314.

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LIFE COACHING

Throughout our lives we have so many different versions of friendship, from those early schooldays when getting picked for the netball team was the most important thing in our lives, to the friend who let us cry on their shoulder when things went wrong with those first romantic dreams.

When we are young it seems so much easier to make friends, the way we begin relationships and what we take from them can be so much simpler. Sometimes just sharing an experience was enough to build a relationship at that stage.

It can be really difficult to make friends as grownups because we move in different settings once we leave education.

That’s why many adult friendships start in the workplace or in local community groups such as mother and toddler groups or parents groups at our children’s school.

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However, just like the friendships we make in school, all of these have a time limited element and often don’t continue when those activities cease.

Suddenly, we can find ourselves trying to connect with new friends without having those things in common. This can feel really daunting as the natural paths to friendship we always relied on seem to dry up.

This doesn’t mean that we are doomed to a lonely life with no-one for company; it’s more of an invitation to make new friends who fit the life we are living now. It’s liberating to remember that we don’t need to make friends with everyone and if we remember that, we can make space for the right people to come into our lives.

The Life Coaching column is contributed by Francine Orr, NLP coach, hypnotherapist & reiki practitioner. Francine is available for appointments at Forth Physio, Queensferry, and at Linlithgow Chiropractic. She is also available online. See www.orrganise.co.uk

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BIG Impact

To be included in Konect, please contact us. Our details are on page 3.

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IT’S TIME TO PLAN FOR YOUR SPRING DISPLAYS AGAIN! September is the best month to choose spring flowering bulbs for your pots and borders, although if we get an Indian summer you may choose to delay planting them until the summer displays have finished in October.

If you are going to plant some winter flowering pansies on top you should make sure you get them planted by the middle of October at the latest.

This pot has four different bulbs planted in it; they were planted in layers starting with the biggest bulbs at the bottom. It allows you to pack the pot with bulbs to give you this generous display next spring. Each bulb will find its way up between the bulbs above it!

The pink Hyacinth Pink Pearl is wonderfully fragrant, we planted it about halfway down

the pot then covered it with the peat-free Multipurpose with added John Innes Compost. Next in went the Tulip Pretty Princess, the tulip leaves are very dramatic before the flowers appear. Some more compost and then the white Narcissus Thalia. Finally, the little white Chionodoxa, we can only offer the blue one this autumn but you could use Ornithogalum White Trophy if you didn’t want to add blue to your creation.

Pop in some winter flowering pansies to delight you until the bulbs push through in the New Year and then water the pot well and leave it sitting outside.

The gardening project is contributed by Dougal Philip, New Hopetoun Gardens. Inspiring, informing and entertaining, for more than 40 years.

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I can’t believe we’re in mid-August already (as I write this anyway!) One of my favourite seasons of the year is already coming to a close. No, not Summer but seabird season.

It doesn’t feel like it was that long ago we were eagerly anticipating the return of the hardy birds and now they’re leaving for the winter.

I visited St Abb’s Head (AKA New Asgard for the Marvel fans) with friends to check out the seabird colonies found along the cliffs. They’ve got an increasing population of nesting Gannets, which is very exciting.

Despite the impact Avian flu has had, the Bass Rock is now at capacity and the birds are spreading further afield to find new territories. Final breeding numbers for our biggest seabirds aren’t yet known but it does look like 2024 has been promising.

One of the reasons Avian Flu was able to spread like it did is because of how tightly packed these nesting colonies can be.

This picture shows that quite well, with the species mixed in together all squabbling for the best nesting spots, which are usually found nearer the top of cliffs.

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It’s all a cycle though. As we say goodbye to our seabirds, we welcome another species and soon the same shoreline will be covered in Atlantic grey seals returning for pupping season. In 2023, there were 1818 seal pups born on the reserve. I wonder what 2024 will bring?

Ths 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

5a Houstoun Mains, Dechmont EH52 6JU Tel: 07899 649809 • mypetsstuff.com

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Abercorn Curling Club members (CREDIT: M Brodie)

– A WARM WELCOME TO THE ICE! For many folk, curling is maybe something they only become aware of every four years during the Winter Olympics.

But it’s also a popular social sport at local level, with more than 10,000 people of all ages playing in clubs across Scotland including Abercorn Curling Club, South Queensferry’s local club.

In 2023, the Club celebrated its 125th anniversary. An entry in the Linlithgowshire Gazette and Lothians Chronicle from 1897 records a meeting in Abercorn School, where it was agreed to form an official club and become affiliated to the Royal Caledonian Curling Club (the sport’s

A historic Lady’s curling stone from le) the outdoor days (CREDIT: D Nob 18 | QUEENSFERRY

governing body). The Earl & Countess of Hopetoun were appointed as patrons.

Originally the Club was for workers and tenants on the Hopetoun Estate, and they played on an outdoor pond at Parkhead on the Estate. Ordnance Survey maps from the 1850s & 1890s show two curling ponds on the estate that still exist today, albeit overgrown. So clearly curling was taking place before the Club was officially formed. Membership widened to include families from surrounding farms including West & Old Philipson, Gateside, Walton & Trinlaymire at Winchburgh.

The Club still has a historic curling stone saved from the time its members played outdoors. Apparently, in days gone by, it depended on your position within the estate as to the size of stone you curled with! It’s thought that due to its size, this particular stone was a Lady’s stone. Today, all curling stones are the same – and weigh between 17-20kg.

Warmer weather means outdoor curling is pretty much a thing of the

Excerpt from OS map from 1890s showing curling ponds on Hopetoun Estate (CREDIT: Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland) past, and nowadays the Club plays its games at Kinross Curling Rink, a 20 minute drive away, and membership stretches from Queensferry to Linlithgow and the area between. Some current members had parents and grandparents who were in the Club, while others are completely new to the sport.

The curling season runs from September to March and the Club welcomes

n One of the ponds on the Hopetou Estate (CREDIT: D Noble)

people of all ages and abilities - no experience is necessary. If you fancy having a go or finding out more, contact abercorncc@gmail.com or visit the Club’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/ Abercorncurlingclub or visit trycurling.com You’ll receive a warm welcome on the ice!

This feature was contributed by Fiona McLaren, Abercorn Curling Club committee member

ling Club A match versus Fothringham Cur ie) Brod M : EDIT (CR Rink at Kinross Ice QUEENSFERRY | 19

French crime dramas are a huge green flag for me.

How Europe handles courtroom crime is unlike any other.

So, saying The Goldman Case hooked me from the beginning would be an understatement. It is based on the true story of Pierre Goldman, a far-left militant who is sentenced to life in prison for four armed robberies, one of which led to the death of two women. He fully admits to committing three of the four robberies but pleads his innocence for the murder. The film focuses on the re-trial, and we see how the court proceedings unfold.

As mentioned before the film is utterly gripping from the beginning. Every witness testimony or sudden outburst is enthralling. The performances are what make this film. Arthur Arari (who coincidentally co-wrote Anatomy of a Fall) is excellent as lawyer Georges Kiejman.

Seeing him dissect witnesses while can be funny at times and is also truly haunting. Many scenes discuss the racism and prejudice prevalent at the time and especially in hindsight certain actions characters make still lurk in the back of my mind.

However, the true standout is Arieh Worthalter as Pierre Goldman. His performance is stellar and there are many moments where you can feel how charismatic he is. By the end of the film will be on his side.

The Goldman Case is a great film, while some moments are random. The courtroom drama itself is so compelling that by the end I was on the edge of my seat.

In Cinemas from 20 th September 2024 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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Our local columnists are all experts in their fields and provide much-valued expertise and ideas every month.

We have scope in Konect Queensferry for columns on health and beauty, property, money advice and food. We are also open to suggestions for topics that would be of value to the community.

Sharing your expertise via a column is a great way of raising your profile as a business. If you are interested in taking out an advertising package with Konect, and would like to raise your profile via a column, please contact me for information on space available: Helen-Jane, Konect editor,

editor@konect.scot

58mm Vertical [LEFT]

WALKING FOOTBALL AT ORIAM SEPTEMBER CROSSWORD

^^^ Solution in the September edition of Konect

ACROSS: 1. Alcove (6), 4. Pieces of wood (6), 9. Family name (7), 10. Not outer (5), 11. Pry (5), 12. Compel (7), 13. Most definitely (11), 18. Group (7), 20.Malerelative(5),22.Mistake(5),23.Observed(7), 24. Thawed (6), 25. Light wind (6).

DOWN: 1. Fight back (6), 2. Freight (5), 3. Liquid soap (7), 5. Robber (5), 6. Middle (7), 7. Inspect (6), 8. Recalling (11), 14. Impartial (7), 15. Latitude zero degrees (7), 16. Squeal (6), 17. Aggravate (6), 19. Abrupt (5), 21. Form of transport (5).

XX ^^^ Sudoku solution on page 23

SEPTEMBER SUDOKU

Do you miss the exhilarating thrills of playing football and scoring goals?

Many people stop playing sport once they reach a certain age. However, the older we get the more important it is to stay active.

We run a Walking Football Club, established in 2015, for women aged 40+ and men aged 50+. Our sessions, which are very much mixed ability, take place at Oriam Sports Centre, Heriot-Watt University, EH14 4AS, on a Mon, Wed and Fri 12:30-1:30pm.

We already have members coming across from Queensferry and we’d love to see new teammates coming along. Sessions are priced at £4.20 but we do have monthly membership schemes available.

Our brilliant Facilities allow you to play football indoors on world class synthetic pitches.

Book now, grab your boots and get involved!

For more information please contact Deric Oliver on 07803 508401 or dericandjoan@btinternet.com oriamscotland.com/product/walking-football

‘Waste Not, Want Not in Kirkliston - Your Community Fridge Our mission is to save food from going to waste.

Did you know over a third of all food produced globally goes in the bin? Help us save the planet by using the community fridge!

This is a space that brings people together to share food and connect with the local community. Open to everyone to share and take food.

• Thursdays 9.30am – 11.30am • Fridays 12.00pm – 2.00pm Thomas Chalmers Centre, The Square, Kirkliston, EH299AX kccv.org.uk Facebook.com/wastenotwantnotkirky ADD SOLUTION DETAILS QUEENSFERRY | 21

Conservation Volunteers) to welcome Nadia from The Botanical Gardens back, as she guides us through the fundamentals of bug hotel SOLUTION TO AUGUST building! 11.00am - Spaces CROSSWORD limited - get in touch via facebook or website to reserve: Facebook. com/kccvpage or kccv.org.uk

SOLUTION TO AUGUST CROSSWORD SUN 1ST SEPTEMBER West of Kirkliston Village Litter Pick - With the Kirkliston Community Conservation Volunteers. Meet at Leisure Centre 10am to collect equipment and spread out from there. More info on our Facebook page- Facebook.com/kccvpage or kccv.org.uk

ACROSS: 7 Static, 8 Battle, 9 Grim, 10 Envelope, 11 Economy, 13 Untie, 15 Cobra, 17 Cottage, 20 Upstream, 21 Sure, 23 Unkind, 24 Needed.

DOWN: 1 Star, 2 Stamen, 3 Screams, 4 Above, 5 Stolen, 6 Flipping, 12 Chopping, 14 Command, 16 Retain, 18 Tested, 19 Mends, 22 Rues.

SOLUTIONTO TOSUDOKU SUDOKU SOLUTION XX ON PAGE 20

Disclaimer: The publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage caused by error in the printing of an advertisement.

We do not endorse any advertisers in this publication. All material is accepted for publication on the understanding it is copyright free. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior consent of the publisher.

Publisher: Lothian Publications Ltd. Geddes House, Kirkton North, Livingston, West Lothian EH54 6GU. Magazine Design: Alan Stewart Design T: 07729 911858

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TUE 24TH SEPTEMBER Annual General Meeting for Kirkliston Community Conservation Volunteers Open to all - a great opportunity to find out more about what we do and opportunities we have available. We are always looking for more volunteers and committee members! We need help with community engagement, event management, new ideas about ACROSS: 7 Static, 8 Battle, 9 Grim, we 11 can be doing and more!

10what Envelope, Economy, 13 Untie, 157.30pm Cobra, 17at Cottage, 20 Upstream, 21 Sure, the Newliston Arms.

23kccv.org.uk Unkind, 24 Needed.

SAT 7TH SEPTEMBER Groovy Geology Walk - Join us for a scenic ranger-led walk along the Hopetoun foreshore as part of the Scottish Geology Festival! Discover the geological wonders of West Lothian and TH SEPTEMBER SUN 1 Star,29 2 Stamen, 3 Screams, perhaps catch a glimpse of local DOWN: 4 Above, Stolen, 6 Flipping,Village 12 Chopping, North5 of Kirkliston wildlife. Hopetoun House, South 14Litter Command, 16 Retain, 18 Pick - With theTested, Kirkliston Queensferry, EH30 9SL. Tickets 19 Mends, 22 Rues.

Community Conservation and information at hopetoun.

Volunteers. Meet 10am at TOatSUDOKU co.uk. Tickets £8.50/£8.00/£6.50. SOLUTION the layby before bridge on Family (2+2) £27.00. Meet at ON PAGE XX Queensferry Road and fan the old Kiosk in the visitor car out from there. More info on park. This walk will cover approx. facebook.com/kccvpage 3 miles with rough underfoot conditions and requires a good WEEKENDS THROUGH level of fitness. Not suitable for THE SUMMER children under 8.

Canal Cruises - Aqueduct cruises run from the Linlithgow SAT 7TH SEPTEMBER Union Canal centre on Linlithgow Antique Vintage Saturdays and Sundays until and Collectors Fair - Queen 29th September. 2½ hour Margaret Hall, Blackness Road, cruise from the canal basin in Linlithgow, EH49 6JA. Early Linlithgow to the Avon Aqueduct, entry 9am £2. Public entry 10am which carries the Union Canal - 3pm £1. Ample free parking, disabled access, on site catering. over the River Avon. The Avon Proceeds in support of Linlithgow Aqueduct is the longest and Museum tallest in Scotland and the second longest in Britain.

Disclaimer: The publisher cannot £13 accept SUN 15TH SEPTEMBER Adult, £11forConcession, Child. responsibility loss or damage£7 caused Kirkliston Village Market - A and booking online byInformation error in the printing of an advertisement. village market serving locals Wevia dowww.lucs.org.uk not endorse any advertisers in with quality produce and this publication. All material is accepted products from independent forWANT publication the understanding it is TOonINCLUDE YOUR businesses in and around copyright free.

No part of this publication EVENT HERE? COMMUNITY Kirkliston. Third Sunday of every may be reproduced without prior consent of AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT the publisher. month, corner of Manse Road/ LISTINGS ARE FREE OF Liston Place, 11am – 3pm. See Publisher: Lothian Publications Ltd. CHARGE. kirklistonvillagemarket.com SAT 21ST SEPTEMBER Kirkliston Community Garden - RBGE Workshop - Join the KCCV (Kirkliston Community

Geddes House, Kirkton North, Livingston, West LothianEDITOR@KONECT. EH54 6GU. EMAIL

SCOT Design: BY 15 OF THE Magazine MONTH FOR FOLLOWING Alan Stewart Design T: MONTH’S 07729 911858ISSUE. TH

SPORTS, HOBBIES, LEARNING, SUPPORT GROUPS & MORE...

YOGA - Whilst moving our bodies in a way that feels good is important, it’s not the only thing that can improve wellbeing. In this Yoga class there will also be breathwork, discussion, meditation and more. It’s not some obscure practice that only the limber and enlightened can do, this is for everyone who has an urge to connect with themselves and their community.

9am Saturdays, Thomas Chalmers Centre, bookwhen. com/ramyoga.Pay as you feel £1-£10 per class

CLEANFERRY - CleanFerry is a group of local volunteers dedicated to reducing the amount of litter in and around South Queensferry and Dalmeny.

Evidence shows that cleaner environments have a positive impact on people’s wellbeing and more widely benefit the community. Whether you want to do meet new people, do something with friends, gain credit for your Duke of Edinburgh or simply feel good about helping the community CleanFerry is keen to welcome new volunteers.

If interested email cleanferry2@ gmail.com SOUTH QUEENSFERRY BABY AND TODDLER GROUP Thursdays 9.30am – 11.30am at the Church Hall on The Loan, SQ. Mums, Dad’s, Grandparents, Carers all welcome. A small fee of £3.00 is payable to cover the rent of the hall, snack for little ones and tea/coffee for the adults. Just turn up, or for more information join the Facebook group, search “South Queensferry Baby and Toddler Group” WINCHBURGH ART CLUB We meet on Thursday mornings @KonectMagazines

between 9.30 – 11.30 in Winchburgh Community Hall.

Any level, any medium are all welcome. If interested, please contact 07980 321989 or email maureenandjohn1@hotmail.co.uk FRIENDSHIP CLUB - A friendly group that meets at the residents lounge at 40 Shore Road, Queensferry to enjoy various entertainments eg. quizzes, games, occasional guest presenters and tea/coffee/ delicious cake. First Wed of each month, 2.00-3.30pm. £2 per meeting. For more information contact Lorna Russell on 0131 331 5570 or email lorna.russell@ qccc.org.uk WINCHBURGH SPEAKERS CLUB - Would you like to develop your speaking skills, overcome nerves, gain confidence, build strong leadership skills, and improve your communication in a relaxed and friendly environment? Come along or send us a message to find out how Winchburgh Speakers Club can help. We meet fortnightly in Winchburgh Primary School (from mid-August to May). Contact: president@ winchburghspeakersclub.org.uk FRIENDS OF FERRY GLEN - A volunteer garden team that maintains local areas through weeding and planting, as well as special projects. The group also enjoys tours, social outings and events together. Contact Neil mckinlayassociates@hotmail. co.uk KIRKY CRAFTERS - Meet new friends and explore your creative side. Meet Thomas Chalmers Centre, The Square, Kirkliston.

Fortnightly on a Monday except July and August. For more

information please contact Ann on 0131 333 1834 or email ann_ denholm@btinternet.com

SUPPER CLUB - Run by Queensferry Care, for people with a diagnosis of dementia, or other cognitive impairment, and their carer. This could be a family member, friend or neighbour.

This is a unique service in that we support both the carer and the cared for person. It provides an opportunity to meet with others to enjoy an evening meal at The Haven (Queensferry) or a local restaurant. For information contact mail@qccc.org.uk KIRKLISTON LUNCH CLUB - Meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month at the Kirkliston Community Centre, 16-18 Queensferry Rd, Kirkliston EH29 9AQ. It is for any older person who’d like to meet and eat with others. The cost is no more than £5. Run

by Queensferry Care, for more information please contact mail@ qccc.org.uk KIRKLISTON KNITTING GROUP - From beginners to experienced knitters. Meet at Kirkliston Library on Mondays 1.30pm. 16 Station Road, Kirkliston, EH29 9BE TO INCLUDE YOUR CLUB OR CLASS, PLEASE EMAIL DETAILS, UP TO 75 WORDS, TO EDITOR@KONECT.SCOT NOT-FOR-PROFIT GROUPS ARE FREE. THERE IS A SMALL CHARGE FOR BUSINESSES. SEE KONECT. SCOT FOR INFORMATION.

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