St Andrews in Focus Issue 65 Jul Aug 2014

St Andrews in focus • shopping • eating • events • town/gown • people and more

July/August 2014 Issue 65, £2.00

the award winning magazine for St Andrews www.standrewsinfocus.com

Barbara Forrester writes: I have been a member of the St Andrews Art Club for many years. I enjoy the classes it offers, but more especially the friendship and fellowship of the other artists.

I love colour and like to paint sunshine into my pictures. My work is mainly with pastel and oil. I prefer to use palette knives when using oil, although small brushes are useful for intricate and fiddly bits.

Round the Back is my impression of the garden of a friend who lives in South Street. It is a

sun trap, sheltered from the wind, hidden from view, where she can relax in a haven of peace and quiet. I greatly enjoyed painting this picture and hope that it conveys the atmosphere of the garden.

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St

Andrews in focus • shopping • eating • events • town/gown • people and more

From the Editor

Keys…objects so important, yet taken totally for granted. Opening your door, driving your car, do you ever think what a mighty object you are using?

Perhaps you do if you lock yourself out, or lose your car keys. Then it comes home sharply. The word itself is used in so many ways: the key to someone’s heart, the key to solving a problem, the key to success, a key structure, a key consideration, and so on. Why am I thinking of keys anyway?

Because I’m trying to find the key to the future of this magazine. And maybe, too, you might deduce this as the key to who I am, forever wanting to unlock the puzzle of how to turn this magazine into a thriving town business. But you’ve read about this many times! Perhaps it’s time I stopped looking for that particular key? Then what? But summer’s here, a different key suggests itself, the key to new pleasures. Unlock your summer and may it turn out well for all of you!

Flora Selwyn

******** The views expressed elsewhere in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor. © St Andrews in Focus (2003) JULY / AUGUST 2014 EDITOR Flora Selwyn Tel: 01334 472375 Email: editor@standrewsinfocus.com DESIGNER University of St Andrews Print & Design (printanddesign@st-andrews.ac.uk) PRINTER Winter & Simpson (ken@wintersimpson.co.uk) DISTRIBUTER Drop 2 Door (billy@drop2door.co.uk) PUBLISHER (address for correspondence) Local Publishing (Fife) Ltd., PO Box 29210, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9YZ. Tel: 01334 472375 Email: editor@standrewsinfocus.com SUBSCRIPTIONS St Andrews in Focus is published 6 times a year.

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Contents

FEATURES • Community Council • CC’s Historical perspective • Kaleemuddin Haquani • Wines from the wild • Why St Andrews?

• Homage to Betjeman • Birthday Girl • Ask the Curator • Moses • Speedie • Italian cats • Gavin White’s response • Reviews – Unsettling Wonder – Hidden St Andrews – The Sailing Bear – Fantasies, Fables, Fibs, and Frolics

4 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13

EVENTS • Cambo for children • Local artists exhibit • The Art Fund Programme • Crail Festival • Car Rally • Notices • Selected Events

14 15 16 16 16 16 17

CENTRE SPREAD FEATURE • Jungle Ride

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SHOPS & SERVICES • The Tax World Cup! • Regal Chauffeuring • The Keys Bar • Home Reports • Golf Swings • Nando’s • Roving Reporter

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

ORGANISATIONS • Statue spin-off • BID for St Andrews • St Andrews Photographers • Carbon conversations

28 28 29 29

TOWN & GOWN • G & S Day • Broccoli for all • Car club for St Andrews?

30 31 32

OUT & ABOUT • Felonious fishing • Plea • Craigtoun Park update • Nick Hunter’s new website • Hidden Gems

33 33 34 34 35

NEXT ISSUE – Sept/Oct 2014 COPY DEADLINE: STRICTLY 28 JULY

All contributions welcome. The Editor reserves the right to publish copy according to available space.

Cover: Round the Back, original oil painting; Competition Winner, Barbara Forrester

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FEATURES Kyffin Roberts, retires as Chairman of the

Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council The Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council has elected Howard Greenwell as the new Chairman. I resigned as Chairman at the annual general meeting in May. I stood down to devote more time to help The Friends of Craigtoun secure the long-term future of the park. I regard the establishment of the Friends of Craigtoun, initially as a subcommittee of the Community Council, as one of the successes of my time as chairman.

The Community Council is made up of volunteers who are prepared to give up their time and energy to work for the community. The conveners of subcommittees work hard to ensure the success of their particular aspect of Community Council business.

The subcommittees are the Planning Committee, Recreation Committee, Health Education and Welfare Committee, and the Rail Link Committee.

In addition, members also represent the Community Council on many other groups and organisations in St Andrews.

It is the work of the Planning Committee that makes the news more often than the efforts of other committees. However that is hardly

surprising, as St Andrews with its two lights ceilidh are other highlights that conservation areas and green belt to spring to mind protect, will inevitably have to deal with Having said that, there is no doubt contentious planning matters. that it is planning matters and in particular The Recreation Committee organises the siting of the new Madras College coffee mornings, the garden competition, that have dominated the headlines and the bandstand concerts, overshadowed other the Community Council subjects in my final year It is the role of the civic reception and the as chairman. The debate Community Council “jewel in the crown”, as regarding the new Madras to try and represent far as the committee is College has been robust, the views of the concerned, the Senior forceful and vigorous, community as a whole Citizen’s Christmas treat. therefore it is inevitable This popular event goes that at the end of the day from strength to strength. The guests and there will be joy or disappointment when organizers alike enjoy the treat as it sets the construction work begins, whichever off the festive season in style. site is finally chosen.

The success of the Recreation It is the role of the Community Committee events relies heavily on Council to try and represent the views the community spirit in the town when of the community as a whole. I have CC members and volunteers work discovered in recent times, that is not an together for the benefit of the event. easy task. I hope that in time community That community spirit was best seen groups will resolve their differences of in 2011, when the Community Council opinion, agreeing to work together for the worked closely with the University and benefit of the people of St Andrews. others on the very successful Royal It has been a privilege to be the Wedding Breakfast. I had hoped that the Chairman of The Royal Burgh of success of that event would lead to more St Andrews Community Council for 3 “community” events taking place and years. I wish Howard the best of luck in to some extent that has happened. The dealing with the challenging issues that Olympic torch event and the Christmas go with the role.

Patrick Marks, Secretary of the Community Council, provides

A Historical Perspective To a great extent the wide range of work regularly undertaken by the included the St Andrews Partnership, the St Andrews Community Trust, Community Council has remained little known or appreciated by more the Cosmos, and St Andrews in Bloom to name but a few. There are than a small percentage of local people. also subcommittees within the St Andrews Community Council which Community Councils were set up under the Local Government Act deal with the responses to planning, or organising an event such as the (1973) when there was a major reform of local government and local Old Folks Treat. These committees and representatives report back to Town Councils disappeared to be replaced by Regional and District the main monthly meeting of the Community Council. Members have a Councils. The act defined the purpose of the new choice about how they develop their roles as Community Community Councils as: “to ascertain, co-ordinate and Councillors.

Please support your express to Local Authorities for its area and to public Community Councils can act as a sounding board Community Council authorities the views of the community which it represents, for local concerns and generally welcome requests from in relation to matters for which those authorities are members of the community to speak on a topic of interest responsible”. It is however only in relation to planning matters that to the community. Meetings are regularly attended by Fife Councillors who Community Councils have a statutory right to have more than a nominal can be questioned about issues of concern and who will in turn report on say on issues important in their local area. their activities.

Community Councils can vary in size from rural communities with only I think that the role of Community Councils over the past 40 years a few hundred inhabitants to the largest, like St Andrews. The number of has on the whole been beneficial in many ways to the local community. councillors is also dependent upon size with St Andrews being allowed These benefits have included a huge range of local initiatives; a survey the largest number with 20 councillors. The funding of Community by the Association of Scottish Community Councils identified over 1000 Councils in Fife is the role nowadays of Fife Council. A budget is allocated different activities which Community Councils have undertaken. However, on the basis of population, but is not more than a couple of thousand as bodies supposed to be elected, the public appetite for involvement has pounds a year for the biggest. In the last couple of years this has been been disappointing. This may be partly because local people are unaware reviewed with the larger Community Councils seeing a reduction in of the potential to do useful activities under the banner of the Community their grant. The grant is allocated to pay for rental of premises to have Council to support the community. This lack of interest or awareness can meetings, administrative costs, and to pay towards a range of other costs, create difficulties in getting a good balance of members with a good range such as supporting local initiatives or publicising local issues. of skills who can work together for the common good.

The activities which a Community Council undertakes does depend Please support your Community Council. If you are interested in such upon the skills, experience and enthusiasm of the individual community a role there will be an opportunity later this year to put your own name councillors, as Kyffin Roberts sets out. Community Councillors can be forward, when elections take place for Community Councils. involved with other local organisations on their committees and this has

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FEATURES Flora Selwyn met

Kaleemuddin Haquani Uncle Robert had wanted Kaleem Kaleem has lived a kaleidoscopic life, mainly in three countries, Pakistan, to go to Winchester, his father wanted the United Kingdom, and the Philippines, but with travels all over the him to go to Rugby, but his mother said world, apart from Latin America and the Caribbean. he’d go to neither, sending him instead His Indian father, born in 1905, went to Glasgow University as a to the Catholic St Patrick’s High School State Scholar in 1929 to study Civil Engineering. There he met Kaleem’s in Karachi, where he took his Overseas Scottish mother, who was studying English and French. Her uncle was Cambridge Certificate at the age of 15½.

Sir Robert Watson-Watt, the man who developed the radar system In between he returned to Scotland. Aged responsible for winning the Battle of Britain in WWII, and who was to be 11, he arrived at Liverpool, remembering to this day a lugubrious voice immeasurably influential in Kaleem’s life. In fact, the family asked him intoning, ”Passengers to London. Baggage to London. P&O to London.” to prevent Kaleem’s mother from first going to India, by intercepting her On leaving school Kaleem became the first Asian Articled Clerk with when her ship docked in Marseilles. She was stubborn, however, and the firm of Whinney Smith & Whinney (later Ernst & Young). In spite of his continued on her way. She learned Urdu in 6 months and always wore “five years of servitude in the City of London from 1956 to 1961” he spent the sari, “Oh how elegant she looked.” When she attended weddings, she 17 happy years after qualifying. He became manager for East Pakistan took her Ayah with her to wash her plates, and serve her with her own “of the only British firm, Ford, Rhodes, Robson, Morrow.” Leaving in 1968, boiled drinking water. Asked why she had married Kaleem’s father, she Kaleem then started his own accountancy firm. replied “poor fellow, he was an orphan, so I took pity In 1966 Kaleem married Riffat, whose elder on him.”

Kaleem has lived a brother married Kaleem’s younger sister. Riffat had Kaleem’s father had been tutored at home in kaleidoscopic life, mainly in been educated in Queen Mary’s School in Lahore.

Arabic, Persian, maths, and astronomy. He started A sports-loving girl she won many cups. She also school at 14 years of age, then became the first in his three countries, Pakistan, studied French at the Alliance Française in Dhaka. family to attend university. His father had died when the United Kingdom, and Her native language is Pashto, which Kaleem doesn’t he was just a baby, and his mother died when he was the Philippines speak, so Urdu and English became their common 4. He was brought up by his father’s only sister, who languages. One son was born on New Year’s Eve later married a Cambridge graduate, the second Indian 1971 and their second son was born in 1974, both eventually graduating after Rabindranath Tagore to be nominated, in 1939, for the Nobel Prize. from St Andrews University.

This sister accidentally died in a fire in her kitchen, an event that deeply There followed stints as a consultant, travelling to many countries. affected Kaleem’s father for the rest of his life. Eventually, he became Then in 1982 Kaleem joined the Asian Development Bank, headquartered joint Managing Director of his Radar Consulting Firm in Mayfair. in Manila. He says that he started the policy of visiting all the countries Kaleem was born on 3 March,1939, in the King Edward Medical where the Bank had business, which was in most parts of the world. In Hospital, Secunderabad. He therefore has a birth certificate, but “no 1998, Kaleem retired from the Bank as Assistant General Auditor, Asian family name, because there was no such thing as a family name” in Development fund, having suffered three heart attacks. those days. His early childhood was in the Hyderabad Deccan, part of Needing a change of scene, Kaleem and Riffat went to China for ten the original Mughal empire. He, too, was tutored at home to begin with, days, walking on the Great Wall “in the Queen’s footsteps, since I am a “by a hunchbacked teacher” before starting school at age 7. The Nizam monarchist.” In 2013 they also visited St Petersburg, and Moscow, before of Hyderabad had called out two Cambridge-educated sisters, the Misses Riffat’s youngest brother retired as Pakistan’s Ambassador there.

Linell, to set up a girls’ school. Kaleem and his sister attended for only Back in St Andrews, they are about to relocate south to be with their one year, before being taken to Helensburgh in Scotland, where his grandchildren. Kaleem is leaving “with a heavy heart”. He and Riffat will grandfather, a retired Gordon Highlander, lived. Aged 8, “Monarchist to be much missed by the many St Andreans they have touched with their the core that I am,” he remembers clearly hearing the broadcast of the warmth and friendship. marriage of Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip. In 1953, back in Pakistan, (Photo by Flora Selwyn) as it now was, Kaleem was one of a group of children who sent a radio message to the Queen to congratulate her on her coronation.

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FEATURES Andrew Alexander is enthusiastic about

Wines from the Wild At this time of year the meadows and invests a bit of study and effort, then perhaps verges are ablaze with the golden blooms country wines are more like pop or folk music. of dandelions. To many people, especially They are very approachable, readily accessible, gardeners, these plants can be a pain, but how great fun, and in my experience, also prove many are aware that the yellow swathes can more popular than their austere cousins. be used to make a wine that even the owners Home winemaking is not only a wonderful of the most perfectly manicured gardens would string to add to the handicrafts bow. As so many delight in? of the best wines are made with ingredients to We live in an age where arts and crafts that be found in the wild it also satisfies the current had seen a decline in interest are becoming craze for foraging. Elderflowers, elderberries, unprecedentedly popular. Everyone realises rosehips, brambles, sloes, even nettles (!) can that a homemade cake or scone is superior all be used to make delicious wines. Whether to something that comes in a it is a light crisp white wine packet, that jams, jellies, and or a rich strong port there is True enough, chutneys made in small batches a country wine to meet your with attention to detail taste so requirements. winemaking much better than the uniform Another advantage about requires a little factory-made products. The making your own wine is the same is true for wine. Although degree of control you have effort, and above most people think of wine as about the end product. If you all patience coming from grapes it can, are particularly fond of the taste in fact, be made from almost of blackcurrants, say, or plums anything: flowers, fruit, vegetables, grains, in your wines all you have to do is make a wine even strange things such as tea. True enough, from these ingredients. Like your wines with a winemaking requires a little effort, and above real acid bite? Simply add more citrus fruits or all patience, but the results are well worthwhile. acid. Prefer your wines sweeter than most in I would consider a well-made dandelion wine the shops? Use more sugar. Any Joe Bloggs to be equivalent to, or superior to, a £20 bottle can design their own footwear nowadays, but of Sauternes as an accompaniment to dessert. how many people can claim to design their own If I mention that such a wine could be made wines? for under £1 a bottle would that spark your The first step in starting winemaking interest? should be to obtain a copy of C J J Berry’s If the classic wines of Bordeaux or book, First Steps in Winemaking. This has Burgundy can be seen as akin to classical become something of a “winemakers’ bible” music, in that they reward the consumer who and contains all the information a prospective, or experienced, winemaker should need, along with many recipes. It is available from most homebrew shops (there is one in Dundee) or winemaking suppliers online. Perhaps the best way to learn, however, is from other winemakers. It is such a pity that St Andrews has no winemaking club as the town is so well positioned for winemaking ingredients with its rural location and large gardens for produce.

Anyone interested in forming a winemaking circle in St Andrews should contact Andrew Alexander at: andrewalex@live.co.uk (Photos courtesy Andrew Alexander)

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Elderflower Wine Ingredients Elderflowers – 500 ml (about 7 or 8 flower heads) Sugar – 1 kg Lemons – 3 White grape concentrate – 250 ml (or use 1L white grape juice from a supermarket) Yeast Yeast nutrient Method Pick the flowers on a sunny day, being careful to choose the sweet scented varieties. Trim the flowers from the stalks and put in a large stainless steel pan. Pour over 3L boiling water and leave to cool. When cooled to blood heat, add the sugar, grape juice, the juice of the 3 lemons, the yeast and the yeast nutrient. Leave for a day or two until fermentation is underway and then strain into a gallon jar and fit an airlock. When the bubbling has quietened down top up to the bottom of the neck with cold water. Leave until it finishes fermenting then siphon into a clean demijohn and store for 6 months before bottling.

FEATURES Flora Selwyn tries to answer the question

Why St Andrews?

Andrew Lang (1844-1912) wrote, “St Andrews by the Northern Sea / A haunted town it is to me.”

What is it about the town to evoke such strong sentiments? And why should it be ‘haunted’? A trawl through The Scarlet Gown,

by R F Murray (1863-1893) edited by J H Baxter in St Andrews in 1954, has some of the answers. The poems in the book recall student life in the 19th century, “The voice that sings across the night, / Of long forgotten days and things,” – I doubt that much has changed, apart from the environment of course!

“Blue, blue is the sea today, / Warmly the light / Sleeps on St Andrews Bay – / Blue, fringed with white.” That’s exactly how it was today when I ventured out on a cold, sunny day, to watch the waves crash dramatically on the West Sands. The light was contradictorily “warm”, as it so often is, to the delight of artists.

“Gather ye fishbones while ye may, / The luncheon hour is flying, / And this same cod, that’s boiled today, / Tomorrow will be frying.”

Does that foretell the several fish & chip shops

Evening, North Street

West Sands

now adorning the town? Eating has become a wondrous thing these days. The choice of places to indulge oneself is astonishing – from relatively cheap fast food outlets to expensive restaurants, and numerous coffee shops which, with their pavement tables recall Continental countries far away (and warmer than St Andrews).

“A sense of change obscurely chills / The misty twilight atmosphere, / In which familiar things appear / Like alien ghosts, foreboding ills.” It’s not only the seasons that change. The town has, and always will, change too. But that’s what makes it vibrant. If it had remained as it was in the 19th century, it would hardly attract anyone today. People dream of golden ages in the past. However, the reality was often otherwise. Why else should Provost Playfair have made it his life’s work to revitalise the town? And today it is full of excitement, bustle, and argumentation about the future.

“At this point in my reflections, on the left the Links expand, / Many a whin bush full of prickles, many a bunker full of sand. / And I see distinguished club-men, whom I only know by

sight, / Old, obese, and scarlet-coated, playing golf with all their might; / As they were three years ago, when first I travelled by this train, / As they will be three years hence, if I should come this way again.” Yes, golf! Everlasting attraction in this town, envied by the golfing fraternity across the whole world (and I don’t play it!). Today the ‘scarlet coats’ are gone, and most players are no longer obese, perish the thought! As the poet implies, golf will still be played here for centuries to come.

These are but a few of St Andrews’ many attractions. The town itself, with its architecture; the sea; the distant mountains; above all, the people who live and work here.

So it’s not surprising that the graduate R F Murray dreams of St Andrews with longing, “Come back to St Andrews” he sings. “When success is grown a burden, and your heart would fain be free, / Come back to St Andrews – St Andrews and me.” That’s what I’ve done, and it’s made me truly happy!

(Photos by Flora Selwyn)

Harbour

View from the Old Course Hotel

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FEATURES John Cameron is in

Homage to John Betjeman At times Betjeman stood almost alone, but I was brought up in the bleak post-war years on a mixture of Arthur most people today realise he was right and that the Mee’s Children’s Encyclopedia, the National Geographic Magazine and Stalinist architecture of the 1960s, which wrecked John Betjeman’s Shell Guides. As a result I became an “information so many town centres was a national tragedy. junkie” and acquired an insatiable lust for travel as well as a taste for Though dismissed as an old fogey, I think there Betjeman’s poetry, which my English master considered decidedly odd. is more understanding in the 21st century of his stand against such A devotee of the modernist movement, he dismissed JB as a pernicious political mantras of “progress” and “economic growth”. writer of doggerel, claiming that “one should always be suspicious Deploring the kind of jingoism that would later see us invading Iraq of poets who are admired by the great unwashed”. The class and Afghanistan, his open support for the persecuted gay community laughed; I felt humiliated, but I was to find a similar attitude later was also ahead of his time. He was a man of indisputable charm, which among the ecclesiastical bien pensants, who believe hymns loved by communicated itself to millions of television viewers, who watched congregations must be rubbish. enthralled as he mused on his childhood in North Cornwall. These were In fact Betjeman was the best-selling English poet since Byron. His produced by the legendary film-maker Jonathan Stedall, who created matchless lyricism was the perfect vehicle for those eternal themes: over 150 documentaries – including Michael Portillo’s love, death, God, and place. Like Tennyson he appealed first train journey (Malaga to Salamanca). to an enormous audience, voicing the thoughts and At times Betjeman I adore the Atlantic coast of Cornwall stretching for aspirations of ordinary people while retaining the respect of stood almost alone over seventy miles along a wildly beautiful landscape of many of his fellow poets. Another major contribution was to cliff-top walks, surfing beaches, and ancient golf links. help the nation appreciate the great architectural heritage In fact the St Enodoc Golf Club Church Course surrounds the church we had from the Victorians at a time when town planners were set on of Trebetherick, Betjeman’s holiday village, which from the 16th to the its destruction. It had been a golden age of civic, as well as church 19th century was covered by the dunes and where he now lies: building, with local pride erecting town halls, libraries, museums, and schools in Gothic, neoclassical, and Italianate styles.

“On Wadebridge station what a breath of sea Betjeman helped found the Victorian Society. He campaigned Scented the Camel valley. Cornish air, tirelessly to conserve not only London, but our heritage across the Soft Cornish rains, and silence after steam.” length and breadth of Britain. It was vital, as Alan Bennett observed when introducing JB’s film Thank God it’s Sunday, “Compared to London’s planners, Goering deserved a medal for conservation.”

Gordon Jarvie

Birthday girl: Abigail Flora Brown 15 August 2013 You share your day in August with Napoleon, so on that day we’ll fly the flag of Corsica especially for him and you.

For a week or two you were just Baby, till they settled on some proper names for you. Now you have six syllables (or three, plus two, plus one) for A / bi / gail / Flo / ra / Brown.

That’s seventeen letters of the alphabet (please note this is a prime number), or eleven different letters – for Abigl For Bwn (another prime number, albeit in Welsh?) . . .

You are the latest person to join our family but, as any old mathematician will tell you, the last shall be the first. So, currently, you are a prime number too; but anyone could tell you that, my dear, not just some crusty mathematician.

And may I tell you one more thing, my dear.

Before you can say Bonaparte you’ll be driving a car and you’ll have a sweetheart. A word to the wise: time flies. Don’t say you ain’t been warned.

PS – For Flora Selwyn, who shares a name with my granddaughter; and for George Phillips, Crail neighbour, friend, flagman, and most uncrusty of mathematicians. George has kindly agreed to fly the Corsican flag in Tollbooth Wynd for Abigail (and Napoleon) on 15 August.

(Photo courtesy Gordon Jarvie)

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FEATURES Samantha Bannerman, Curator of the Preservation Trust’s Museum

Answers Your Questions Q. I have inherited some old glass negatives showing different scenes in St Andrews, and one appears to show a plane on the West Sands. I think the slides are from the 1930s – is this possible?

A. The slides could originate from the 1930s as planes were still taking off and landing from here at that time; however, the West Sands was used as a training ground for civilians and airmen learning to fly from before the First World War, so perhaps they are slightly earlier. During the war, the West Sands was used as a runway for the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), the air arm of the British Army before it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service in April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force (RAF). Throughout the war, civilian flights were forbidden, however in 1919 the West Sands played host to the first Civil Air Display in St Andrews. During ‘aviation week’, citizens could enjoy a flight in an aeroplane for £1 1s, or £2 2s if they wanted ‘to loop the loop’. The planes were employed from Leuchars air base, and the pilots were ex-members of the Royal Air Force (RAF) having been recently discharged from military service. According to a newspaper report from the time, the majority of the passengers were women.

A well-known local man, the late Gordon Christie, remembered taking a flight in 1919. He recalled, “My late father James Christie and I boarded the aeroplane, which was an Avro 504k. The rear cockpit had a bench seat to accommodate two passengers (not strapped in). The engine used Castrol 1R, a vegetable oil, which had a very special stink – a flying chip shop!”

Exhibition flights continued over the decades up until the outbreak of the Second World War. We have no evidence in our archives that they continued post 1945.

(Photos courtesy the Preservation Trust Museum)

Cpt. Longcroft’s first landing at the West Sands, June 1913.

In August 1913, Longcroft set a cross-country aviation record of 287 miles without landing (Wes.s063.1).

Bi-plane, crashed into the sea on the West Sands in 1934 (Wes.085).

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FEATURES Sandra Skeldon

Speedie I’m baby sitting a tortoise as a favour for a neighbour, he has been here barely two days ....

You know what children’s stories say ... but this one’s no slowcoach in any way.

My ankles, toes and fingers are nipped to pieces, if this is his idea of fun it never ceases.

Already I have used a whole box of plasters, he moves at a rate of knots – as if on casters.

His penchant for speed – and life in the fast lane – has driven my whole family completely insane.

The cat’s up the wall, the dog’s round the bend – it’s verified, their terrified. Where will it end?

I’ve given this much consideration, he’s here for twelve more days – my best bet is isolation – until the neighbours return this should ease the situation.

Fast food is fine ... a fast tortoise? An abomination.

My dearest wish would be My hibernation .... that would be bliss .... Complete capitulation!

“I forgot to ask Him why He chose you lot” (Illustrated by Jackie)

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FEATURES Lilly Harrington discovered

Italian Cats Lilly, in Australia, emailed Patrick Laughlin newspapers, and national in St Andrews to tell him she had read about broadcasts (Chanel 5, Mediaset).

Hamish and his statue. She wondered if St As a consequence, because of Andreans would be interested in the story of the many publications about Pippi 3 Italian cats she had read about, and whose and Marina’s Facebook pages, I story she had translated from the Italian by have met so many people, among Massimo Rossi, Municipal employee and them the writer Marina Alberghini ‘father’ of all 3 Mayor Cats! and her unique Magic Cats “Since April 2005, the municipality of Academy.

Gravellona Lomellina ( a small but beautiful Ciccetti and Pippi flew over town in Northen Italy) has hosted 3 pet cats! the Rainbow through contracting The first was Ciccetti, who left us in Feline Leukemia. After them came October 2009. The second was Marina, found Pippi, the “Official Cat Mayor”. abandoned in the countryside From 13 July, 2013 to She left the post early July 2013. with her 4 beautiful kittens, date, we have Marina, From 13 July, 2013 to date, we officially adopted by myself! the “Cat Mayor”! have Marina, the “Cat Mayor”!

Ciccetti has always lived The story began by chance, in City Hall; Pippi came to my when I found the future Ciccetti at the front house a few times; Marina is the Mayor Cat door of the Municipal Archives Office. Then Commuter, because she lives in town during it continued with Pippi, who soon became the day and in the evening at my place! popular throughout Italy, thanks to the All the cats were not only sweet and publication of her story in various magazines, affectionate, but very good and capable of

T-shirt with the 3 cats

performing every aspect of their duties as professional PR. Ciccetti, Pippi, and now Marina, The Cat Mayors, provided then and now a little bit of happiness and serenity in the cold environment of the Council Offices.

They have been the most noticeable and obvious proof that Pet Therapy really works!”

(Photos courtesy Lilly Harrington)

Marina at the office

Gavin White’s response to Michael Cox

A possible answer The short article about the possible daughter of Robert Burns notes a marriage to one of the Binnies – I know nothing of the Burns connection, but my great-great-grandfather Anthony MacTier married Maria Binnie in India. She was said to be an heiress, but like other officials of the East India Company Anthony MacTier made his fortune trading on the side. The Binnie genealogy shows that the family came from Forfar, where they were landed gentry and well-connected. Successive waves of young Binnie men went out to India, became rich, and

married well. My great-grandfather, Dr William F MacTier, was born in India, but went back to Scotland for education, living with his mother’s people in Priorsgate. The connection between the two families caused the MacTiers to be buried in the Binnie plot – my cousin Marjory has her name and year of birth on the stone, ready for the year of death when that occurs ! Other MacTiers, including Aunt Min, are buried nearer the cathedral ruins.

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FEATURES: REVIEWS John Patrick Pazdziora, a St Andrews publisher, showcases forgotten folktales

Unsettling Wonder

To learn more about Unsettling Wonder, and to purchase their books, visit www.unsettlingwonder.com A select number of titles is also available for purchase from Bouquiniste on Market Street.

Stories grow out of places. combing out their hair — much And there is something about to the children’s shivering horror.

St Andrews in particular that Or the tale in the Brothers appeals to lovers of uncanny Grimm about the straw, the tales, or the eldritch, to use the coal, and the bean, who set Scots. St Andrews could be off one day to seek their called a fairy-tale town—and I fortune in the wide world. don’t mean in the Disney sense, They come to a river and the though it does have its very own straw lays himself across as Ordinary-girl-meets-handsomea bridge. But the coal only prince story, after all, complete gets halfway across before with a suitably happy ending. accidentally burning the We all know—or ought to straw in half, and they both know—the most famous fairy plunge into the water below. tales. And I hope most of us know The bean is so amused by that there are other versions of his friends’ misfortune, she those old tales than Disney films. laughs so hard she blows to The Little Mermaid dies a tragic smithereens. death, the wolf digests Little Strange, funny, and Red Riding Hood in peace, and scary stories like this could Cinderella marries a simple jambe multiplied. We can’t stop maker, who sells good hometelling them, really. The more made marmalade. These are I read, the more I realized familiar stories, literary spaces there are thousands of these we walk through regularly, and odd little fairy tales, all over recognize with fondness, or Scotland and all over the indifference, or a bit of both. world. Wherever people have But what about the gone, they’ve taken stories untrodden ways? Those littlelike these, and changed known closes and back-alleys them to suit their language away from the tourist trail? and place. It’s a human thing.

What about those stories, There’s been a lot of interest in and the strangely wonderful fairy tales lately, for good or ill. places they show us? As I Disney/Pixar has started making was writing my doctoral thesis more fairy tale movies, after on Scottish fairy tales, I found saying they wouldn’t, to great And really, St Andrews myself increasingly drawn to acclaim. Versions of Snow is the right sort of place these lesser-known, often more White, and Beauty and the for this sort of press peculiar stories.

Beast, have emerged as There’s the old ballad wannabe horror flicks. of Child Dyring, for instance, translated from But this fairy tale resurgence (if that’s what Danish to Scots by Robert Jamieson. One it is) always seemed to me a bit like those wet and windy night, the dog starts barking at touristy postcards that not even the tourists shadows, and the ghost of Child Dyring’s wife want—the fairy tale equivalent of bland images appears. She scolds him for not taking good of the Old Course bridge or the Cathedral at care of their children, and clatters about the sunset. I wanted to wander through the wynds kitchen making them a proper supper, and and back gardens of stories, and encourage

other readers to wander there as well.

So when a publisher friend in France asked me if I wanted to edit a new imprint for her, devoted to fairy tales and folklore—well, I already knew some of the strange story spaces I wanted to explore.

We named the imprint Unsettling Wonder— partly because that’s the emotion we want to create, but mostly because it sounded cool.

Right now, we publish a semi-annual literary journal, and a range of mythic arts books, including poetry and short fiction. The fairy tales we publish — well, they’re neither Disney nor Dahl. Unsettling Wonder is about tramping through forgotten places and rambling round neglected gardens. We work to blend old and new, local and universal, and look for poems and stories that approach fairy tales from odd and unexpected ways.

In our issues, you’ll find curiosities like the old Scottish tale of the Goodman of Wastness who fell in love with a seal maiden, a reminiscence about the days when great grey moles ruled the earth, and the testimony of a deaf Jewish baker who met the Pied Piper in a concentration camp.

And really, St Andrews is the right sort of place for this sort of press. So we make a point of working with local St Andrews writers and artists. Laura Anderson, who can often be found selling used books in Bouquiniste, is a working artist in real life, and draws the weirdly beautiful covers of our issue. Peter J Herron, who has a permanent exhibit in Rascals, drew us a caricature of Father Time. And we’ve had contributions from local authors Debby Harris and Jane Yolen.

This is what I mean when I say St Andrews is a fairy-tale town: it’s a multi-layered warren of old and new, strange and familiar, tidy and unkempt. Like the streets of St Andrews, fairy tales are a hodgepodge of old and beautiful things and startling new ideas, jostling together in ways that delight and unsettle us. Those are the stories we want to tell, and listen to — stories that grow from a place like this.

Shonagh Toulouse reviews

Hidden St Andrews

by Susan McMullan Published by Black & White Publishing Ltd, 2014.

Available at J & G Innes, South Street, and all good bookshops, price £9.99.

A fabulous book, small in size, but brim full of interesting facts and stories about St Andrews, giving a comprehensive, though quirky, guide to the town.

It is wonderfully clear, with real photographs of all the places and people featured, drawing a real-life portrait of the St Andrews of the past, and the modern St Andrews of today. Easy-to-interpret maps are included to find your way around all the “must see” locations, so no need for any other publications. This is truly a one-stop St Andrews information book!

Everything you ever needed or wanted to know about St Andrews is here, giving a wide range of information about the town and its heritage.

Concise explanations of all the places and people of interest, make the information easy to retain.

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Hidden St Andrews is a brilliant companion guide for armchair and real-time explorers alike. Use it as a pre-visit guide book, or a memento of a recent stay. If you missed the chance to experience St Andrews on a visit to Scotland, this is the next best thing!

Amazingly little-known facts about St Andrews, in particular the location of the statue of St Andrew himself, deserve better recognition.

St Andrew gave the town its name and is behind the reason St Andrews became such an important ecclesiastical pilgrimage destination.

There is something for everyone, from medieval history buffs to modern-day shoppers. This book has widespread appeal, containing accurate, well-researched information. As an STGA Blue Badge guide I discovered loads of things I didn’t know about this iconic place; for example, The Assassinated Archbishop, The Lade Braes Walk, and the Jurassic Park, to name but a few.

FEATURES: REVIEWS Aline Jones reviews

The Sailing Bear of the East Neuk

By Jennifer T Doherty; illustrated by Katherine Coulton Published by Serafina Press, 2014.

Available at J & G Innes and all good bookshops, price £5.99.

The new book from Eyemouth’s Serafina Press comes from the writer and illustrator who created the popular local book The Lion of St Andrews.

In this picture book (32 pages, full colour) the Kingdom of Fife is populated by bears, instead of humans. The story tells of Brodie Bear, a cub who cannot fit in with the other bears of the East Neuk – because they are all expert sailors, and Brodie is afraid to sail.

Brodie does his best to overcome his fear of the water, but soon he realises that he is spending so much time trying to sail, that he is losing his whole summer in the beautiful East Neuk. So he decides to do things differently…

The book offers colourful, detailed illustrations of the East Neuk villages, and of some of the bears who live there (e.g. artist bears at Crail, fishing bears at Pittenweem).

Brodie and his friends and family live in Anstruther, and much of the action of the book takes place on Anstruther beach.

The shift in the story occurs at St Monan’s, after Brodie falls asleep in the windmill.

Katherine Coulton has studied fine art as well as illustration, and the detail and accuracy of her drawings give substance to the story – there is much to entertain children, to make them look for points of interest in the pictures.

Serafina Press books are mostly set in Scotland, on the East Coast. The books all have a strong sense of place, and the company believes that it is valuable for children to see their local area represented in a story. In this story, the East Neuk takes centre stage, almost as much as the bears themselves.

This charming book is suitable for children aged from 3 or 4 years, up to about 7 or 8 – the pictures make the story suitable for little ones, while the meaning – that sometimes things work out when we stop trying to force them – is suitable for older readers.

Signed copies of The Sailing Bear of the East Neuk are available from J & G Innes Ltd.

Amy Vollans reviews

Fantasies, Fables, Fibs and Frolics: Stories from the heart of Scotland

by Hamish Brown Pettycur Publishing 2014.

A collection of short stories available at J&G Innes Ltd in St Andrews, price £6.00.

Hamish Brown’s recent book is a departure from his usual topics of travel, mountains, and Fife coastal walks, but in a sense the topic matter doesn’t stray too far from what Brown knows and often writes about.

This collection of short stories all takes place in the heart of Scotland – the Kingdom of Fife – an area that he has written about extensively.

One of his most popular titles at J&G Innes Ltd is Along the Fife Coastal Path, a hit among natives and tourists alike.

Fantasies, Fables, Fibs and Frolics can be described as a different type of “walk along the Fife coastal path”. Brown’s book takes us on a different kind of walk through the rich history of Fife with these 22 original tales. The reader will note that some of the stories do have recognizable elements from our most beloved fairy tales. As Brown himself notes in the forward, “A story may be a Quest tale, but have an element of Hidden Treasure or Cinderella in it. A Scottish bogle is second cousin to a genie.”

Most of the stories are along the Grimm lines – they are dark, a bit gritty, but infused with the cheeky and somewhat black humour of the “wee canny Fifer”. The stories’ settings (with the exception of one tale) are never explicitly stated; they take us through the different villages and coastal settings that anyone who has travelled to Fife has come to know and love. This also adds an element of fun as the reader tries to ‘suss out’ where each story is set. We also learn a bit about the area, the fabric and the foundation of Fife. Many of the protagonists are fishermen, captains of ships, or farmers working the rich Fife soil.

If I have one criticism, it is that the book is sorely missing a glossary of terms. The language of Fife is rich and unique, unlike other areas in Scotland, and for those from “away” a glossary would be brilliant to help us navigate the haars, sarks, dwamps, and hirples that pepper throughout. This is, though, a fabulous book and highly recommended – for natives and visitors.

Jana at Elspeth’s of St Andrews 9 Church Street, Tel: 01334 472494

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EVENTS Fay Smith, Cambo Estates introduces

Exciting new outdoor activities for children at Cambo Cambo continues to provide a varied programme of entertainment and (such as Boggy Bean and Brimble Cottlebok). Other mysterious wooden activities for children throughout the summer. Following on from the very structures have also appeared along the route and with a map to follow, successful promenade performance of A Midwinter Night’s Dream by children have plenty to look out for and a lovely map to colour in when the Highland Shakespeare Company during Snowdrops by Starlight, it they get home, as well as being encouraged to look out for signs along will be the children’s turn to enjoy some outdoor theatre on 18 July when the trail of other animals and birds that live in the woods.

The Cambridge Touring Theatre will be entertaining This delightful trail is the brainchild of sculptor with a hilarious musical show entitled Alice The Robin Wood. It was created in the Cambo woods Young visitors to Musical when boys and girls are invited to come along thanks to funding from Big Lottery Communities and dressed in their best Wonderland fashion. Before Cambo are being asked Families, and Fife Council. the show children from 5 to 10 can also attend a 45 The Fife Challenge has been designed to to keep their eyes wide enthuse minute drama workshop where they can play drama families and young people to get out and games with the actors, exploring some of the themes open these days discover Fife’s Hidden Cultural Gems, to explore, and music from the show. learn about, and enjoy the activities available on their Young visitors to Cambo are being asked to keep their eyes wide doorstep. There are four different types of challenge: History Detectives, open these days as they explore the new woodland paths along the burn Try Something New, Outdoor Explorer, and Cre@ctive. Children must and drive where there is plenty of evidence that those mythical creatures, complete 20 challenges, take 3 trails, attend 3 workshops, and 1 taster the Glingbobs and Tootflits, have taken up residence. Doors and windows session to complete the challenge to become a Fife Challenge Champion! have appeared in trees – high up is home to the Tootflits (Finky Twitch Funded by Fife Council and On With Fife Communities, challenges and Griffin Stixworth to name but two), low down for the Glingbobs and activities are completely free. All details can be found on or through their website www.thefifechallenge.co.uk Cambo has a varied programme of challenges available for children throughout the summer, including an Owl Prowl on the evening of 12 July, when children will be taken on a voyage of discovery through the Cambo woods, finishing with a mug of hot chocolate!

Jon Warnes, already a familiar figure taking workshops at Cambo, will be leading this. On 30 August and 12 October he will also be helping children find a seam of clay to make a traditional bread oven, as in ‘olden’ days, then making their own bread dough to cook in the oven!

Susheila Jamieson has already taken several very popular stone carving workshops at Cambo for both adults and children; on 12 October she will be returning as part of the Fife Challenge.

Group stone carving

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EVENTS From Alan Stephens

Exhibition of Two Local Artists August 2014

An Exhibition of paintings by Fife artists Lyn Evans and Alan Stephens, is again to be held in the St Andrews Art Club Gallery, Argyle Street.

Paintings on display show a variety of subjects, from landscapes to seascapes, atmospheric sky studies to portraits.

Lyn Evans studied at the Sunderland College of Art during the early 1960s. She spent the late ‘60s sculpting and painting, fascinated by the shapes and rhythms that could be found in nature. Her work at this time was also inspired by the docks and other aspects of the industrial landscape of North East England.

Whilst bringing up children, having moved to Fife, painting became a part-time occupation, selling through a restaurant in St Andrews with the occasional commission. Later, Lyn bought and ran a dress shop in St Andrews, which left her no time for art, but finally, finding time for herself in 2004 she was able to return to and immerse herself in the painting that she loves.

Lyn and her husband now live in a rural location about 5 miles west of St Andrews, surrounded by fields and farmland. The inspiration for Lyn comes from the light, sky and countryside. She paints in oils, pastel, and watercolour.

Membership of local art clubs, particularly the strong artistic community in St Andrews, has been of great benefit to Lyn, who is a past president of Largo Bay Art Club. Exchanging ideas with other painters is one valuable way of evolving style and technique. This has helped her work towards the type of painting that she seeks, capturing the essence of natural moods in the varied landscapes of Britain. It is the crashing of the sea on coastal rocks, the looming menace of a gathering storm, or the peace and beauty of the land after snowfall that excite her. Reflecting the emotion of this is what drives her style of painting. Lyn was a winner at last year’s Fife Art awards, sponsored by Shell UK Limited.

Alan Stephens is a self-taught artist, painting since he was very young, and despite becoming an electronics engineer, then spending 25 years with the BBC as a transmitter engineer, he always thought of himself as an artist first, and an engineer second. Alan left the BBC in 1991, to concentrate on art. Shortly after that, he began teaching both privately and at the local adult education centre, in Kidlington, Oxfordshire. Having moved to St Andrews in 2005, Alan joined the St Andrews Art Club, where he has taught oil painting on Monday mornings, and is a former President of the Club. Alan paints mainly in oils, with subjects such as portraits, landscapes, seascapes, and still life.

The Exhibition will be held at the Art Club Gallery, Argyll Street, St Andrews, and will run from Saturday, 23 August to Sunday, 31 August, 10.00am to 6.00pm daily. For further details contact Alan on: 01334 478 016.

(Images courtesy Lyn & Alan)

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EVENTS June Baxter gives advance notice of the

Art Fund Programme – Fife Branch 2014 Tuesday, 16 September 8.45 am for 9.00 am Day Excursion to Abbotsford House, Melrose, the home of Sir Walter Scott.

Bob Archer sends word of the

Vintage Car Rally To be held on Sunday, 6 July in South Street, in the grounds of Madras College from 11.00am. All vintage/classic cars are welcome. Entrance is free. Please ask Bob for details: bobandjoanarcher@gmail.com

The coach will leave the Gateway Car park, St Andrews (off the roundabout opposite the Old Course Hotel) at 9.00 am. Cupar Station 9.20 am and Duloch Retail Park at the Halbeath Junction (Junction 3 on the M90) by the cinema (plenty of parking) at 10.00am.

Toilet facilities in the coffee shop by the cinema!

Abbotsford House has recently re-opened after refurbishing; there is a new visitor centre and restaurant where we will have coffee on arrival. After our tour with the curator we will have lunch in the restaurant.

Tickets £40: including the coach, entrance to Abbotsford, coffee, biscuits etc, conducted tour, soup and sandwich lunch.

VERY IMPORTANT: when you return the booking form please let Fiona Skinner know WHERE you will be joining the coach.

We acknowledge with gratitude the sponsorship by The Adamson Restaurant St Andrews, Brown Shipley, and Gillespie Macandrew.

For further information please contact: June Baxter, Representative. Telephone: 01334 474 995.

Email: j.baxter986@btinternet.com

Crail Festival 2014 Wednesday, 23 July – Saturday, 2 August.

Crail Festival 2014 will take place in a variety of locations in the picturesque village of Crail in the beautiful East Neuk of Fife.

Planning an exciting programme of events, with something for everyone, is already well underway; it will almost certainly contain music to suit all tastes, drama, workshops, a street market, a wide range of exciting children’s activities, and the ever-popular art exhibition.

Keep an eye on www.facebook.com/CrailFestival and www.crailfestival.co.uk

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(Photo courtesy Bob Archer)

Notices: 1. Simon Chadwick is giving his annual series of Medieval Harp recitals each month this summer. Unfortunately he is unable to use the venue he has had in the past, but has secured the use of All Saints Church Hall in North Castle Street.

Simon would like to continue the tradition of free entry to these events. But as well as taking a lot of professional time to prepare and organise, he will now have to pay for the hall rental. So this year he has set up a crowdfunding page at http://igg.me/at/harp Simon says that he hopes loyal concert goers who value the series will be able to help keep it going as one of the highlights of the summer season in St Andrews. Any amount contributed would be a great help to the cost of running the series and would ensure the harp concerts can continue in this new venue.

Please see the Selected Events page for the dates and times.

2. Bob Hoey was at the farewell RAF march-past in St Andrews in May. He has produced a video and has asked to put the link here for other people to share: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=d_3XeyGKEAY&feature=em-upload_owner Thank you Bob. It was a grand, but sad occasion for the town.

EVENTS

Selected Events Tuesday, 1 July – 11.00am at Martyrs Monument, The Scores, St Andrews. Witches & Martyrs of St Andrews. A Scotia Heritage Tour. Tickets £10 Contact: 01334 654 833.

Email: info@scotiaheritage.co.uk Wednesday, 2 July – 12.45pm. All Saints Church Hall, North Castle Street. Medieval Harp Concert, Simon Chadwick. Entry Free.

Contact: 07792 336 804.

Saturday, 5 July – 9.00am-1.00pm. Argyle Street car park. Farmers’ Market.

Contact: 07773 280 105.

– 2.00-3.30pm.Town Hall, St Andrews. The Sandow Clowns Slapstick Theatre All Laughter Show. In aid of CLIC Sargent.

Tickets at the door, £3.50 adults & children over three. Contact: 0796 993 3236 or: childrenschoices@hotmail.co.uk Sunday, 6 July – 11.00am-4.00pm. Madras College grounds, South Street. St Andrews Vintage Car Rally. Contact: Bob Archer, bobandjoanarcher@gmail.com Friday, 11 to Sunday, 27 July – St Andrews Art Club, 14c Argyle Street, St Andrews. Exhibition of framed work. Contact: info@standrewsartclub.co.uk Saturday, 12 July – 11.00am-1.00pm. Cosmos Centre, Abbey Walk. Saint Exchange Coffee Morning. Trade in Saints and socialize. Contact: 01334 464 000.

Email: standexchange@gmail.com Saturday, 19 July – 7.00pm. New Picture House, North Street,

St Andrews. André Rieu’s 10th anniversary concert, CinemaLive. Contact: 01334 474 902.

Thursday, 24 July – 8.15-11.00pm. Younger Hall, North Street.

Scottish Country Dancing RSCDS. Tickets, £8 dancers, £2 non-dancers. Contact: 0131 225 2854. Email: info@rscds.org Sunday, 27 July – 1.00-6.00pm. Station Park, Old Guardbridge Road. St Andrews Highland Games. Tickets, £6, Concessions £4. Contact: 01334 476 305. Email: ig2@st-andrews.ac.uk Thursday, 31 July – 8.15-11.00pm. Younger Hall, North Street.

Scottish Country Dancing RSCDS. Tickets, £8 dancers, £2 non-dancers. Contact: 0131 225 2854. Email: info@rscds.org

*****

Saturday, 2 August – 9.00am-1.00pm. Argyle Street car park. Farmers’ Market. Contact: 07773 280 105.

– 10.00am-11.30am. Supper Room, Town Hall. The St Andrews League of Hospital Friends is holding a Coffee Morning. All proceeds go to the Community Hospital. Tickets, £1.50 at the door.

Contact: Jimmy Macgregor, james.macgregor3@talktalk.net Tuesday, 5 August – 11.00am at Martyrs Monument, The Scores, St Andrews. Witches & Martyrs of St Andrews. A Scotia Heritage Tour. Tickets £10 Contact: 01334 654 833. Email: info@scotiaheritage.co.uk Wednesday, 6 August – 12.45pm. All Saints Church Hall, North Castle Street. Medieval Harp Concert, Simon Chadwick. Entry Free.

Contact: 07792 336 804.

Thursday, 7 to Tuesday, 12 August – Lammas Fair & Market 2014.

Thursday, 7 August – 8.15-11.00pm. Younger Hall, North Street.

Scottish Country Dancing RSCDS. Tickets, £8 dancers, £2 nondancers. Contact: 0131 225 2854. Email: info@rscds.org Saturday, 9 August – 11.00am-1.00pm. Cosmos Centre, Abbey Walk.

Saint Exchange Coffee Morning. Trade in Saints and socialize.

Contact: 01334 464 000. Email: standexchange@gmail.com Thursday, 14 August – 8.15-11.00pm. Younger Hall, North Street.

Scottish Country Dancing RSCDS. Tickets, £8 dancers, £2 nondancers. Contact: 0131 225 2854. Email: info@rscds.org Saturday, 16 August – 2.00-4.00pm. Botanic Garden, Canongate,

St Andrews. Meet the hunters; Falconry display. Tickets, £7, kids £3.50, Family of 4 £20. Contact: 01334 476 452. Email: ed.trust.sec@st-andrews-botanic.org Thursday, 21 August – 10.00am-4.00pm. Victory Memorial Hall,

St Andrews. Craft Fair Fife Craft Association. Contact: 01592 743 539. Email: auriclesofleslie@outlook.com Saturday, 23 August – 10.00am-5.00pm. Town Hall, St Andrews.

Antique & Collectors’ Fair. Entry free. Contact: 01334 838 217.

Email: rob1walker@btinternet.com Saturday, 30 August – 7.30pm. Botanic Garden, Canongate,

St Andrews. Music at the Garden: Serenade. The St Andrews Trio play music by Beethoven, Dohnanyi, Schubert. Tickets, £12.50 (include interval refreshments). Contact: 01334 476 452.

Email: ed.trust.sec@st-andrews-botanic.org

Renton Oriental Rugs Tel: 01334 476 334

72 South Street, St Andrews Fife, KY16 9JT

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CENTRE SPREAD FEATURE

Jurek Alexander Pütter recalls

The Jungle Ride had remained silent throughout the dance of the diesels, St Andrews, the first week in August 1951. He was just whispered in his ear, pointed to the shrouded structure, curious, when his mother didn’t insist on his going to bed saying, “The Jungle Ride; that’s the heart of the Jungle at the usual time of nine o’clock. It was still the school Ride. Tomorrow morning you’ll return to see how it’s built summer holidays, or rather the dying embers of the same, up like a giant Meccano set. You’ve seen something that to which all children of school age clung tenaciously, as few people see – its arrival”. a result bedtime was somewhat ‘fluid’. The midnight hour One by one, the assembled trucks fell silent. Their came and went; Wednesday gave way to Thursday with crews departed for their caravans parked in North Street, another instalment of cocoa, buttered toast, listening to the ancient Vicus Borealis. They were left alone in the the sounds of Big Ben’s solemn chimes and the National square. It was half-past three in the morning, light was Anthem on the radio. At two o’clock his mother closed her rising in the East. Together they approached the silent detective novel, inserting the bookmark, made her way to shrouded giant. They circled its girth. He touched its road the front door. She stood on the landing. Instinctively he wheels, which dwarfed him; he walked over its huge followed her. In the dark deep-walled canyon of the upper triangular tow bar. He marveled at the exposed parts of its close she was looking upwards at the twinkling starry mechanism. In the morning he would see it revealed, grow sky. The air was cool, windless. The neighbourhood owl and work. He couldn’t wait. hooted by John Black’s Slater’s yard at the narrow end Thus the annual modern Fun Fair, Lammas Market of Market Street. She was listening for something other began, that lingering survivor of medieval times than the faint distant sound of waves breaking on the East (Lammas = Loaf-Mass, a harvest-time spiritual ‘Holy Day’ Sands. Then, whatever it was she faintly heard seemed to thanksgiving celebration). The last true remaining street trigger an immediate response, “Time to go; it’s about to fun fair in Scotland. happen” she said with an air of mystery.

He returned after breakfast, this time alone, watching Together they emerged on the east end of tree-lined as its shroud was removed to reveal the beautifully South Street, the medieval Vicus Australis, then headed painted control and command booth west until they quickly turned into Church bejewelled with light bulbs. He watched Street, passing under the stony gaze of the construction crew build outwards and the Apostle Andrew aloft in his niche.

But nothing could upwards from that core, a latticework of Before he knew it they were in the cobbled decorated timber, all numbered, emptiness of Market Square. Several match the wonder painted, hooked, hinged, pegged, slotted, with people were waiting by the redundant and the awe of marble-painted pillars and slatted decking, Whyte-Melville fountain; two uniformed its undulating hinged running platform policemen; two Town Council officials; two that first time upon which stylised motorbikes and harmless drunks, one bemused ubiquitous dragon-ended benches were set. Having vagrant, otherwise known as a ‘Gentleman watched, witnessing its assembling he of the Road’. His mother’s eyes were was invited to experience its first trial run. Each day he fixed knowingly on the west end of Market Street. He, too, visited it; each day he rode on it. With each passing peered into that urban distance straining to see something day he became increasingly aware of its every sinuous – anything. movement, every altering fluctuating vibration, the Then he saw it; the glowing yellow eyes of a big language it spoke via the rotating platform’s many wheels growling truck, edging ever closer, followed by two more coursing over the supporting track. It dawned on him pairs of eyes. The leading truck was a huge Foden eight with growing excitement that it had a life of its own, a life wheeler; illuminated cab, coachwork painted, glistening it shared with every participating rider, every standing chromed hubcaps; towering purring stainless-steel spectator. exhaust stack reaching skywards into the night. Its convoy He was there at its closing a week later. He was there companions were cloned copies, pulling enormous as it was dismantled and packed away like a construction trailers. Engines idling, headlamps blazing, cab doors toy to be played with another day. He was there when open, a parley ensued; voices raised, straining amidst its heart stood alone till noon the following Wednesday. the cacophony of clattering diesels; Council officials with He was there when its shroud was replaced masking its notebooks and measuring tapes; chalk marks on the bejewelled visage with anonymity. He was there when glinting topography of the cobbles; nodded agreements, without ceremony and amidst the uncaring clamour of handshakes, doffed hats, semi salutes; the retreat of returning street life, its giant tow bar was swung and officials, the nonchalant gaze of policemen, the crooked hooked to its tractor. He followed its slow progress to the blurred smiles of the drunks. The dance of diesels end of the street, the edge of the City, till it disappeared began, the ballet of advance and reverse, turn and twist, out of sight along the Guardbridge Road. Where it had acceleration and braking, grinding gears, and at the heart stood for a week, grass had started to grow from between of it all, the manoeuvring of the large mysterious shrouded the darkened setts of cobbles. drum-shaped object into its allotted position in the square, A precedent had been established, a pattern was set. aligned perfectly to the white chalked hieroglyphics just to Each passing year he would be there to welcome the the east of the fountain. returning wanderer. But nothing could match the wonder He stood, in all of his seven years, transfixed, scarcely and the awe of that first time, for which he was eternally breathing as men and machines cast grotesque gigantic grateful to the wit of his mother, who had whispered in his shadows on the windowed walls of the square, until at ear that early autumn morning the magic words – “The last, amidst gloved hand signals and oiled boiler suits, Jungle Ride”. the ‘wonder wagon’ was inched into place and unhitched.

Illustration and text, © Jurek Alexander Pütter His mother, who had knelt down beside him, but who

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CENTRE SPREAD FEATURE

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SHOPS & SERVICES Jonnie Adamson

The Tax World Cup As we enjoy (or suffer, depending on your opinion) the festival of football in Brazil there is a backdrop of ill will.

As the demonstrations have highlighted, it is maybe not Brazil that is to be the main profiteer from the world cup. FIFA, football’s governing body, obtained a full tax exemption from its activities in Brazil, looking to particularly gain. There is an argument that the World Cup brings investment and infrastructure for the country, but with such a push worldwide on corporate responsibility and fairness in the taxation of global entities it does somewhat laugh in the face of FIFA’s ‘Fair Play’ initiative.

Indeed it is not just FIFA that is hitting the headlines, it is acknowledged that the Portuguese authorities are enquiring into the affairs of the Brazilian manager, Felipe Scolari from his time managing the Portuguese team.

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Is this a cynical tactic of the Portuguese, or does it indicate an underlying problem with those involved in football pushing the limits of tax planning, as demonstrated recently by the enquiries into the reportedly dubious tax affairs of Lionel Messi and Neymar.

On a lighter note, I have also taken this opportunity to see which countries would fare well in a ‘World Cup of Tax’. Looking at the countries where tax is the highest, Denmark would be sure to reach the final with an overall rate of 47.96%* per person (for all taxes).

Denmark, however, did not qualify for the World Cup. Of the qualifiers, France would come out on top, winning on penalty kicks from Belgium with a 45.29% versus 45.28% rate. Of the low tax countries, Chile and the USA would be the finalists, with Chile winning comfortably by 20.84% to 24.35%. The UK is sitting mid-table at 35.25%, but would need all the home nations to qualify to be eligible to enter.

Unfortunately, that is a major stumbling block

at the moment. Looking back to significant dates, in 1966 the overall UK tax rate was 31.20% and in 1978 it was 32.66%.

Back to this year’s tournament and as I listen to a volley of noise from some lively Spanish tourists I continue to hope their team wins. However, I can see the South American teams faring best in what promises to be a cracking spectacle. I am sure that this tournament will be remembered for the football rather than the tax! *

2012 figures from OECD statistics.

For further information on this, or other matters, please consult: Henderson Black & Co. 149 Market St, St Andrews Tel: 01334 472 255

SHOPS & SERVICES Donald Mackay reports on his business success

Regal Chaufeuring It does not seem a year since I wrote a small Annual Festival. Nice work when you can piece for St Andrews In Focus introducing our get it! The drive showed the full potential of business, Regal Chauffeuring. Flora’s magazine Herman the Mercedes, at his happiest in his has been the bedrock of our advertising, and native country on its autobahns. Not, however, has proved successful and extremely cost at his happiest stuck in the Genoa rush hour effective. I would like to take this opportunity with motorbikes and mopeds swarming round to thank Flora and the customers who have him (never mind the vans). Some journey with supported us through our first year. beautiful sights! I was pictured in Monte Carlo Regal Chauffeuring of St Andrews wearing the essential dark overcoat that I was consists of myself Donald Mackay, and my told I would require. At a guess I would say wife Innesclare. At present I am the sole mine cost about 5-7.5% of the natives’ outfits. driving chauffeur, with Innesclare helping At this festival were Murray and Irene Cameron, with everything else. Various clients have good friends of ours, and their fish and chip van asked her to perform the job of co-chauffeur, “Murray’s Chippy”. They were there in Casino accompanying us, being there for that extra bit Square to open the proceedings by serving of help, for those who might need it, or just like Prince Albert fish and chips (which he loved). it. Our extra charge for this is nominal and we Quite surreal! are pleased to offer it. From October we will On the back of this work, the Mercedes have another chauffeur on occasion, who is went to Islay, when Prince Albert came a friend and neighbour, and very familiar with over with friends to sample whisky at island driving Mercedes. distilleries. The weather was At times we’ve been quiet terrible at times, but people we’ve met some very (businesses take time to seemed to be nicely insulated. interesting people and develop), but, to say the least, It was a privilege and pleasure! travelled further afield we’ve met some very interesting We are currently in discussion people and travelled further with Monaco about providing than we expected afield than we expected. Our “Personal Tours” of Europe, client-base has a very cosmopolitan feel to it; using preferred hotels. We are not intending as people persons this suits us down to the being greedy with our pricing, so please ask ground. about tours – you are likely to be pleasantly In late November last year we were asked surprised. We find DFDS ferries from Newcastle to chauffeur quite a lot of whisky (and beer) to excellent. I have much experience of driving in Monaco for the Monte Carlo Whisky Society Europe, normally missing rush hours in cities!

Even if we had more posh trips to Monte Carlo, we wouldn’t exist without our airport runs.

Prices for Edinburgh are £90 for drop off/pick up point, or £110 to be met at arrivals. Glasgow is £150/£160 respectively. Prices for a full day in the car start at £250, with many lower mileage days costing just that.

We have now done three weddings. Our thanks to Jamie and Kirsty Cathcart, James and Shirley Gerrard, and last Saturday to Vin and Philippa at St Salvator’s Chapel. All have been a genuine pleasure to be involved with. Our days at the races have been great fun – bring a hamper!

We look forward to meeting you. Follow us on www.regalchauffeuring.co.uk and on Facebook. Bookings by phone only please: 01333 313 263 and 07891 582 915.

(Photo courtesy Donald Mackay)

The New Picture House Winner of the RAAM Independent Cinema of the Year Award for Excellence Enjoy a pre-show drink in our lounge or book an exclusive function or children’s party with a private screening

www.nphcinema.co.uk

117 North Street, St Andrews Tel: 013334 474902

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SHOPS & SERVICES Claire Nicoll, Proprietor of

The Keys Bar “The Keys” was originally called Stewarts Hotel in the mid-18th century and re-named The Cross Keys in 1858. There are records of an “inn” being on this site from 1590.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club held their Spring and Autumn dinners and balls in the hotel. The members were piped from outside the pub down to the Old Course for the start of play. Although the hotel closed in 1981, the bar retains the tradition of a “local watering hole”.

The Lammas Market dates back to 1620 and was ceded as a privilege by James VI. The market takes place during the second week in August and lasts for 5 days. The Keys has traditionally thrived during the market, with many stall holders, ride operators, and holidaymakers returning to our wee pub year after year.

Directly outside the bar stood the Tollbooth.

In the 12th century it was the headquarters of the town council, where taxes were collected. The Tollbooth was rebuilt in the 16th century after a Royal proclamation ruled that townhouses had also to include jails, so it was used as a debtor’s prison, a police station, for the detention of petty criminals, until it was

finally demolished in 1862. Around 1880, the impressive fountain was built in Market Street outside the Cross Keys Hotel in memory of the novelist, Major Whyte Melville.

Carol and Stuart Gordon came to St Andrews in 1979, embarking on a new career as hoteliers. It was a busy life, working in all aspects of the hotel trade, but there was never a dull moment. Their children Stuart and Claire were brought up in the hotel: truly a family affair. After a couple of years, Stuart and Carol received an offer from a building firm to turn the hotel into flats, so in 1981 they sold the hotel and kept the bar, continuing their careers as publicans. Carol and Stuart made Claire has brought her passion for malt lots of friends in the town. They even started whisky into the pub during the last few years, up golf and putting competitions with other growing the bar’s whisky collection from just two bars, including the traditional Stables v Cross bottles to well over one hundred. The collection Keys annual event, as well as darts events, includes many of the most popular and soughtand quiz charity nights. Over 35 years of trade after whiskies of Scotland, our patrons have raised but also a large collection of more than £25,000 for local The Keys Bar is one of unusual whiskies, speciality charities. For Motor Neurone the only fully-independent whiskies, and limited Disease Scotland, Stuart family-run pubs left in editions. Our collection (senior) participated in a St Andrews is constantly updated by parachute jump, and Claire’s attending auctions and husband Chris completed an visiting local distilleries in order to offer the Iron Man triathlon in Wales, which included a best, widest, and certainly most unique whisky 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 100 mile bike race, collection in our wee town of St Andrews. then a full marathon, all in 7 hours, and alone The Keys Bar is one of the only fullyraised £3,000! independent family-run pubs left in St Andrews, Carol Gordon was diagnosed with motor and it still retains the charm and hospitality that neurone disease in 2009. She had been the has been its trademark since 1979. face of the Keys for over 30 years, but her legacy of exceptional kindness and genuine (Colour photo by Flora Selwyn plus hospitality still lives on through her daughter 3 photos from the walls inside The Keys) Claire, who now runs the Keys.

THE St Andrews pet shop!

Stocking the widest range of pet foods, accessories.

Anything not stocked we can order.

78 South Street, St Andrews, KY16 9JT Tel: 01334 470 873

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SHOPS & SERVICES David Adie advises. This Article is intended to give only very general advice and is no substitute for taking full and proper advice, taking into account your own circumstances.

Home Reports

Home Reports are relatively new in Scotland. It used to be the case that and they can no longer afford their mortgage when someone bought a house they got their individual survey done, payments, it is very difficult to raise the and then they offered on that basis. This created a perceived problem of additional cost of a Home Report. too many surveys being done for each property sold, hence duplication There is also somewhat disturbing of effort. If there were five parties interested there might well have been anecdotal evidence that sellers shop around for five surveys. In addition, most purchasers chose the cheaper survey, the best surveyor to get the best Home Report which was not very detailed. They were simple valuations. with the highest valuation. Valuation is not an The idea behind the Home Report was that the seller would produce exact science, so there is a wide margin for the the Home Report, which would include a Property Questionnaire, an judgment of the individual surveyor.

Energy Performance Certificate, and a Survey, the seller paying for that On the positive side, it has stopped the practice which many Estate survey. The survey would be available to everyone interested in the Agents had of putting properties on at offers over £100,000, when they property, and they would make their offer on the basis of that survey. in fact valued at £140,000. The Estate Agents put it on at a low price The Surveyor owes a duty of care to the ultimate purchaser if the to attract interest in the hope that they would then get £160,000. There Surveyor has got it wrong. has been more transparency and honesty in the offers-over position The surveys in the Home Reports have tended to be more detailed because of the availability of the Home Report and a readily available than a simple valuation; they also point out the defects in the property market value. and grade them with a 1, 2, or 3. 1 means fine, 2 means it will need The other factor which has to be borne in mind is that the perceived attention some time, 3 means you really must do it now. problem of multiple surveys by multiple potential purchasers had been Home Reports have been criticised because they solved already by virtue of the fact that most people put are quite expensive. It can cost £1000 to create one. in an offer subject to survey.

This means that very often properties are not put on the Despite various representations made to the market speculatively. In addition, the Home Reports were I originally started Government about these issues, they were determined introduced at the very worst time when the market was to go ahead and did so. out as a sceptic, in maximum recession. Probably to some extent they Broadly speaking, I think the Home Reports are a contributed to the market decline. but can now see good idea, but the system could be doing with some Home Reports have now been in operation for over 5 fine tuning. I originally started out as a sceptic, but can the advantages years and on 5 December, 2013 a consultation document now see the advantages. If the Government listens was issued by the Scottish Government as a first stage for however, the situation can be improved. policy review. Apart from Surveyors, most Professionals As a footnote I would mention that in England there in the property world were against Home Reports in the first place, but was an equivalent scheme, but the Reports were known as HIPS or personally speaking, I now think they do have their advantages.

Home Information Packs. They were so unpopular in England that the The main disadvantage is the cost involved. In addition to the initial scheme has been abandoned. cost, Home Reports have a “shelf life” of three months, and a refresh In Scotland if you do not produce your Home Report you could be will be required if the property is on the market for more than three subject to penalties, as would the Estate Agent or Lawyer marketing the months. property. It is not a matter of choice.

The Government has been relatively inflexible in its approach.

An important point to note, and a final point to note, is that if you are One of the stated aims was to try and improve the housing stock in selling the property privately, eg. to your best friend, or your parents, Scotland by drawing defects to the attention of purchasers and hopefully or your children, and do not put it on the market, you do not need to encouraging work to be done. That aim has not been met. The general produce a Home Report. That at least is a bit of good news and a good view of the Law Society is that since the introduction of Home Reports saving. However, you will still need to obtain an Energy Performance there is clear anecdotal evidence that there are many sellers unable Certificate (EPC) which normally forms part of the Home Report (for to place their property on the market because the upfront costs have what it is worth). been too high. If people have to sell their property for financial reasons

FOR OUT OF TOWN LEGAL ADVICE Wills / Inheritance Tax Planning / Executries / Powers of Attorney / Guardianship Conveyancing / Commercial Property / Business Law

We can consult locally

ADIE HUNTER Solicitors and Notaries 15 Newton Terrace Glasgow Telephone: 0141 248 3828 Fax: 0141 221 2384 email: enquiries@adiehunter.co.uk

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SHOPS & SERVICES Heather Lang

“We were all born with webbed feet and a golf club in our hand” – Tom Morris patient’s game. Often, if my patients are finding it There are very few There are very few difficult to say how their discomfort feels, I can get an pleasures in life as pleasures in life as exact picture of what’s going on if they tell me about completely satisfying completely satisfying as their golf swing! as hitting a golf ball hitting a golf ball well The same is true in reverse; often patients will well. It doesn’t matter see me if any part of their golf deteriorates, as it that the rest of the round usually means there is a restriction somewhere limiting their power, or may be distinctly average, movement. For example, problems in the wrists, elbows, knees, and happiness is that one ankles will all affect accuracy in the final shot. The ‘perfect swing’ relies shot where it all comes on easy breathing, sufficient flexibility, fluid movement through the hips, together, the strategy, the back, neck, and shoulders. Anything which deviates from the optimum aim, the breathing, the will have an effect. Locating these restrictions or weakness so they may co-ordination, the swing and that sound; that be manipulated, allows the body’s movement to return to the optimal spine-tinglingly perfect ‘whip-clop’. plane of swing.

For those of us born and raised in The Restrictions and weakness are not always in the area of pain.

Kingdom of Golf, the sport is as much a Common shoulder problems are actually caused by un-noticed part of us as the fields, the sea, and the tightness in the lower back or knees forcing the power to come from air. Every photo album has a picture of a the upper body. This is why it is important for the whole body to be toddler wobbling around with a golf club assessed as a unit for every condition. twice their size and I shudder to think Perhaps if Seve had increased the core stability in his swing, his how many hand-forged Tom Morris game might have remained strong for much longer. It’s been three hickory clubs were splintered during a years since he passed on, but I still have a hickory sand wedge in my game of Star Wars, cracked as hockey golf bag to remind me to relax, enjoy the walk, and just play at being (a sticks or simply abandoned to rot girl version of) Seve. under the rhododendron bush. The lucky few survivors should thank Seve Ballesteros for inspiring the children of Fife to use golf clubs as Heather Lang is a GOsC registered osteopath, ergonomic Tom Morris intended. Commentating to ourselves in hushed tones, we consultant, medical acupuncturist and multi-disciplinary manual were (a girl version of) Seve, and these clubs became our beacons in therapist. She has worked extensively in osteopathic practice and the dark quest for the elusive ‘perfect swing’. development throughout the UK, Ireland, and Canada.

This is somewhat ironic as from his teens to mid-thirties, the Heather has been qualified to conduct bio-mechanical Spaniard was a tour de force in the golfing world, but the biomechanics assessments for over 20 years and is dedicated to diagnosis and of his swashbuckling style relied too heavily on his six-foot stature, treatment of pain and pathology. athleticism, and flexibility. Seve’s was a young man’s swing. It was not St Andrews Osteopaths – energy efficient, it did not allow a smooth transfer of energy throughout.

Providers of effective treatment since 1998 This placed a tremendous strain on his joints, causing him considerable 136 South Street, St Andrews, KY16 9EQ. discomfort, contributing to his notorious back pain. This is a common Tel: 01334 477 000 problem in golfers. www.standrewsosteopaths.co.uk To an osteopath, a tremendous amount of information can be gathered from analysing a golf swing, or from reported changes in the

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SHOPS & SERVICES: EATING OUT Hugo D’Bere, your Grizzly Gourmet (The Egon Ronay of the woods), visited

Nando’s

Market Street, St Andrews I was somewhat in trepidation going into The interior layout is much different from Nando’s thinking that this would be a rather Littlejohns; so far as I can ascertain as a unpleasant experience, a bit akin to Kentucky Restaurant they rely on quick turnover. I was Fried Chicken. Nando’s appears to operate no sooner in than I was out. as a franchise, and there are various outlets I was only in for lunch. I had chicken with throughout the UK. They claim to be a a mango and lime sauce buried in a crusted Portuguese Speciality Chicken bun with a side salad.

Restaurant. The chickens, said The side salad consisted to be fresh, not frozen, are mainly of lettuce, although If you want a quick however, all sourced in the UK. there were two cherry nutritious meal, a quick The building itself used to tomatoes floating around be a restaurant outlet trading in it somewhere. There are in and out and don’t as Littlejohns, offering things also plenty of dressings want to linger over it, like burgers, ribs, steaks etc, which you can help yourself this is for you but I understand Littlejohns to for the salad, although went under. Nando’s appears the one I chose had a rather to have completely refurbished unpleasant after taste (not the place. The décor is quite original. I think exactly sure what it was!). There are various it may at some time have been McGregors sauces you can have with your different types Furniture Sale Rooms, there is still a very of chicken, and chicken can be done in a high glassed ceiling. million different ways, or so it seems.

For the total price of £7.50 I also had a glass of coke and endless refills (if I wanted). The menu extends to burgers, pittas, and wraps. Vegetarians are well catered for, and you can get platters to share, such as a wing platter for £16.80.

That would suit 2-3 people sharing. You can get a jumbo platter for 4-6 people sharing, which comprises two whole chickens and very large sides at £43.50.

There is a dessert menu. Wine is available by the bottle, large or small glass.

Soft drinks are pressed apple juice, mango quench, or orange juice etc. Beer is also catered for. Needless to say the drinks list is quite heavy on the Portuguese side – Portuguese beers, Sagres and Superbock being available along with the famous Vinho Verde. The wine prices are quite reasonable with a bottle of Vinho Verde coming in at £16.55, or £4.60 for a small glass (175ml).

One thing I would say is that I certainly got the impression of being rushed in and rushed out and turned over. Perhaps a slightly less hurried pace is followed in the evening.

The food is good enough. It is not gourmet, but then you would not expect it in this sort of location in this sort of establishment. If you want a quick nutritious meal, a quick in and out and don’t want to linger over it, this is for you. It is probably much healthier than a Macdonalds. It is eminently suitable for cubs, and quite a pleasant experience compared with my anticipated fears. Much better than KFC. They also do take-away by the way, so if you want a very quick take-away there’s the solution.

(Photo by Flora Selwyn)

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SHOPS & SERVICES

Roving Reporter reports 1.

A boutique fitness studio with a view, and what a view! Samantha Leyton showed Reporter round her beautifully refitted premises overlooking the West Sands next door to the Aquarium on the Scores.

Founder of the aptly-named View Studio, Sam is passionate about fitness. Dance, skiing, sailing, and tennis, have all been part of her life. However, it was a sedentary job which underlined for her the negative effect sitting can have on the body. In 2009, therefore, she trained and qualified in Level 3 Mat Pilates. She went on to specialize in pre-/post-natal Pilates, then as both an Exercise to Music and Nordic

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Walking instructor. Sam explained that a natural progression within her Pilates/ fitness career was to own her own studio offering Pilates, Fitness, and Nordic Walking. Barre classes, popular in the US, form the Studio’s signature class, termed ‘ballet-fit’. Basic ballet moves incorporate yoga and Pilates at the barre. No need to be a dancer to enjoy this class. The View Studio provides a magical element located right next to the sea, a studio that relaxes, rebalances, and inspires. All new clients are offered an introductory 10 classes for £40.

There is a great variety of pricing options to suit every requirement. Sam can be contacted on: 0797 4797 992. The View Studio website is: www.theviewstudio.co.uk

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2. Reporter is always happy to meet St Andreans who return after long absences. Jannette Dunn, of an old, weel kent St Andrews family, has joined Marilyn Dorward at her Headstart Hair Design, 10 Pipeland Road (01334 473 849).

Jannette has been in hairdressing for 40 years, travelling to many places with her Black Watch husband: England, Germany, Belfast (where she followed a refresher course to keep up to date), and now back here where her family still lives (she has 6 grandchildren). Among her

many attributes, she has owned a mobile hairdressing business, which involved her in working in sheltered housing, also with cancer patients. Marilyn is delighted to welcome her into her business and introduce her to her many customers.

Reporter wishes them both much success.

(Photo courtesy Jannette Dunn)

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3. “Best by FAR” is the innovative slogan of a young man going places.

Frazer Alexander Reid, chatted with Reporter about his business FAR Cabinet Makers, Lochton Farm, Crail. Born and brought up in Fife, Frazer wasn’t sure what he wanted to do after leaving school.

A short spell at Aberdeen University was enough to persuade him that academe was not for him. There followed

SHOPS & SERVICES

employment as a janitorial technician at St Andrews University. Frazer said, “I like a challenge”, so, with the money he had earned he undertook a course in French Polishing and furniture design at the Chippendale International School of Furniture in Edinburgh. He has since then combined his skills with his hobby of surfing and wind surfing, making bespoke boards for customers all over the world.

He even makes skateboards, one of which he used in St Andrews when he came to see Reporter! Frazer undertakes any job, either making new furniture, or restoring old. “I just have a passion for it, something I enjoy.” Frazer also makes kits for surf boards, and offers a course in making them. This costs £500 for tuition and all materials. One of his students came specially all the way from Cornwall! Frazer can be contacted on: 07753 283 144.

Email: info@farcabinetmakers.co.uk Web: www.farcabinetmakers.co.uk

with general health, preventing knee and hip trouble. Helping our customers and patients keep active is our principal aim!”

PodoFit carries a wide range of footwear from manufacturers including KEEN, Brooks, New Balance, Saucony, and DB Shoes. “We endeavour to keep as many half-sizes and different width fittings in a wide range so that we can achieve the best possible fit. We also carry a wide range of socks, compression wear, insoles, clothing, and running accessories,” Sara adds. You can find out more at: www.PodoFit.co.uk or on Facebook.com/PodoFit

7.

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4. Katrina Affleck contacted Reporter to tell him of her new business offering reflexology at St Andrews Osteopaths, 136 South Street. She said, “I have always been interested in natural health care.

In 2009 I graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with a BSc in Reflexology.

Since then I have got a Diploma in Pre-conception, Pregnancy & Postnatal Reflexology from the London School of Reflexology and received other training relating to fertility and pregnancy. I am also currently studying a number of courses too. Full details about my background and qualifications are on my website www.standrewsreflexology.co.uk (or of course feel free to ask me).” Katrina can also be contacted at: 0797 744 5213 and at: enquiries@standrewsreflexology.co.uk (Photo courtesy Katrina)

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5. Reporter noticed changes afoot in Argyle Street. A new service, PodoFit, provides specialist podiatry-led fitting of running, walking, hiking, and wider-fitting footwear at the Foot Clinic (01334 479 003). Principal Podiatrist, Sara Boardman, explained the rationale behind this new development, “Over the past 24 years, the podiatry practice has provided foot care advice and treatment, from nail and hard skin problems to biomechanical assessments and orthotics. We realised that there is a demand for a fitting service for a range of footwear, including running and wider-fitting shoes. The type and fit of footwear is an important factor in good foot health and biomechanics that is often overlooked or ignored in favour of fashion! The population is ageing, looking after our feet can help

(Photo courtesy PodoFit)

*****

6. Reporter enjoyed a very tasty fish supper at Cromars, 1-3 Union Street (01334475 555). He talked to William Frame, who updated him, “We are a great new addition to St Andrews. Fish and chips of the like you have never tasted, whether fried in a light batter, grilled, or breaded.

You can sit down in our beautifully designed restaurant, have it home delivered, or quite simply take it with you. Cromars uses only the freshest of ingredients from local fish merchant David Lowrie. In addition we have daily specials including calamari, hake, salmon, and sea bass, to name but a few, accompanied by great-tasting freshlycut chunky chips. Why not wash it down with one of our specially selected wines, Proseccos, champagnes, or draft beers?

Cromars is part of the great new ‘fresh is best’ Scottish food movement. Everything is cooked to order, whether it be specially-cut haddock, a great tasting Minnick’s burger, award-winning black pudding, or haggis from Scott Brothers in Dundee.” You can find Cromars on: www.Cromars.co.uk Best, of course, is to visit! Open from 7.30am till late.

(Photo courtesy Alex & Caroline) 8.

*****

*****

Alex and Caroline, new owners of the cheese shop in Burghers Close, 141 South Street, have renamed it The St Andrews Cheese Shop. Reporter learned, too, that they “have made use of the existing courtyard and turned it into a secret garden outdoor café. For those of you who enjoy sipping your coffee outside, you will enjoy the quiet, enclosed green area in the middle of the town centre.” They say that “they are offering cheese platters daily in their courtyard, with wines, coffees, teas, and soft drinks to choose from. Aside from a selection of World’s Best cheeses, the St Andrews Cheese Shop carries timeless gifts and accessories with delivery options available. For those of you not in the area, soon you will be able to place an order on-line. For now gifts and cheese can be ordered via phone: 01334 477 355 or by email: info@guidcheeseshop.co.uk The new extended shop hours are: Tuesday-Friday 10.00am-6.00pm, Saturday 9.00am-5.00pm.” Reporter suggests you also look out for their Cheese & Wine Tasting events.

An email in the nick of time told Reporter that Jannetta’s in South Street has won The Waverley Golden Cone Award!

Warmest congratulations to Owen Hazel and his dedicated team! The Waverley Bakery with the Sunday Mail newspaper are inundated each year with nominations for this accolade. Winning is proof that Jannetta’s today makes the best ice cream in the whole of Scotland! What an honour for Jannetta’s, and for St Andrews!

(Photo courtesy Grainger Public Relations)

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ORGANISATIONS From Linda-Anne Beaulier

Hamish statue spin-off

As a result of the successful marketing of the Hamish McHamish merchandise on the day of the statue launch last April, the Hamish McHamish Foundation has been set up as a charity (status pending at this date) for the sole benefit of the town of St Andrews.

Hamish McHamish bags retail at £8.99; mugs at £6.99; water bottles at £3.99; posters at £1.

These items are available in some shops in town. They can also be purchased directly from Castlemount3@gmail.com Shipping can be arranged (approximate shipping costs: bags, mugs, water bottles each £3.50 in the UK; £5.45 Canada & USA; £4.40 EU).

(Photo courtesy Linda-Anne Beaulier)

From The Steering Group

BID for St Andrews?

The famous and historic town of St Andrews BIDs are developed, managed and paid has become the latest in Scotland to adopt for by the business sector by means of a a Government initiative to bring local compulsory levy which the businesses within businesses together to plan for the future. the proposed area must approve before the The Business Improvement District (BID) BID can be established. Each business liable to movement has been steadily growing all over contribute will be able to vote on whether or not Scotland. There is now a steering group here the BID goes ahead. of enthusiastic people from the local business BIDs in Scotland are not restricted to town community to drive the initiative forward. and city centres. They can be developed in BID St Andrews obtained grant funding areas such as the tourism and visitor sector, for the development work from the Scottish commercial or industrial district areas, rural Government and Fife Council. The initiative areas, agriculture or single sector business will consider a very wide St Andrews business groups which wish to collectively improve their context. trading environment.

The steering group has recently Viv has already worked with a number of appointed North East Fife businesswoman local businesses through the “Food from Fife” Viv Collie, whose background includes town initiative, and the St Andrews Food and Drink centre development work, to co-ordinate Festival. She said that consultation will be very the work that could lead important as the St Andrews to a formal structure being BID plans are developed.

The initiative will consider established.

She will be working as coa very wide St Andrews Viv, who has town ordinator for the steering business context. planning and business group over the next 12 degrees, and a marketing months to help them through diploma, has worked all over Scotland; she each stage of the BID process. “We want to has expertise in community consultation. speak to the local businesses and hear people’s She said that BIDs allow businesses to views on what a BID could bring to the town.” work together, investing collectively in local The BID St Andrews steering group will improvements which complement those of be working with Fife Council and other key statutory authorities. stakeholder organisations in the town. The Such improvements, she said, can steering group has representation from a wide bring benefits to the businesses involved, range of businesses located around the town contribute to the wider aspirations of including: residents, and grow the local economy. “A Ken Dalton, The Adamson (Chair) BID is not a substitute for central or local Linda-anne Beaulier, Castlemount B&B government investment, but an additional (Vice Chair, and the St Andrews Partnership) investment to strengthen the local economy Maggie Picken, St Andrews Coach Houses while giving local businesses a unified voice,” (Secretary) she added.

Alex Walker, Boots The chair of the BID St Andrews steering Archie McDiarmid, Luvians group, Ken Dalton, said that the initiative Bob Millar, Auchterlonies provides a wonderful platform to implement David Grove, Fife Council change in the town and its environs, making Debbie MacCallum, Fife Cottages it an even better place to do business, as well Douglas Kinnear, Murray Donald as generate growth opportunities. “We are Jim McArthur, Hardies (and the St Andrews very hopeful that the business community Partnership) will get behind the scheme and endorse BID Lindsey Adams, Bonkers (and the St Andrews St Andrews,” he said.

Merchants’ Association) Born from Town Centre Management Lisa Ross, Starbucks Partnerships (TCMPs), the concept of BIDs Niall Thompson, Hotel du Vin St Andrews was originally set up in Canada, but took off in (and Stay in St Andrews) the US in the late 1970s with over 1700 now Owen Hazel, B. Jannettas established worldwide.

Rick East, Ryman There are over 135 BIDs in England, Robert Glashan, Fairmont St Andrews Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Success stories in Scotland include Essential Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Falkirk Delivers, For more information about the Inverness City, Giffnock, Queensferry St Andrews BID – please visit the website Ambition, Greater Grassmarket, Living www.bidstandrews.co.uk Lerwick, Oban, Largs, Kirkwall, Dunoon, For more information about BIDs in Embrace Elgin, Sauchiehall Street, Scotland – please visit the website Dunfermline Delivers, Kirkcaldy4All, I Love www.bids-scotland.com Clarkston, Enterprising Bathgate, Hamilton, Alloa, and Clacksfirst Limited Business Parks.

Print & Design

We welcome commercial enquiries St Katharine’s West, 16 The Scores, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9AX. T: (01334) 463020, E: printanddesign@st-andrews.ac.uk www.st-andrews.ac.uk/printanddesign The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland, No: SC013532

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ORGANISATIONS Richard Cormack asks

Who are The St Andrews Photographers?

Seven years ago a member of the St Andrews Photographic Society, a successful long-established club affiliated to the Scottish Photographic Federation, learned of the chance to mount a photographic exhibition in the Public Library in Pittenweem as part of the annual Festival. Several Society members thought this a splendid opportunity to have their photographic prints seen by a wider public, with the chance of selling a few; they were prepared to take on the work and cost of participating. A formal group was set up – The St Andrews Photographers – independent of the town society, but all members of it.

The group currently numbers 12, living in NE Fife, from Gauldry and Tayport round to Pittenweem. A good cross-section of the population – 5 women, 7 men; 6 working, 6 retired; no butcher, baker, or candlestick maker, but a jeweller, an optometrist, a physicist, a scientific technician, a retail assistant, an office manager, a secretary, a general tradesman, a university teacher, two schoolteachers, and an administrator.

Photographic interests are equally diverse, from imaginative creations to recording people, places, and details of the natural world. A variety of styles portray the beauty and interest of our surroundings.

The Group has mounted exhibitions at Dundee’s Discovery Point, St Andrews Cathedral, the Adam Smith Centre, and the Byre Theatre,

while subgroups or individuals have exhibited at some of the excellent small local galleries – e.g. the gatehouses of St Andrews and Dundee Botanic Gardens, the Fisheries Museum at Anstruther, the harbour at Tayport. The Group’s work is on show now in Holy Trinity Church till September.

The main annual show is at the Pittenweem Festival, for the past 3 years in the garage of “The Old Coal Yard”, 66 High Street, near the clifftop car park. A wall display of 3 framed pictures from each member is supplemented by browser boxes of unframed, mounted prints, and stands of notelets. This year’s Festival runs from the Saturday, 2 to Sunday,10 August (preview evening on the 1st). If anyone reading this has never seen how a small Fife town is transformed into a blaze of Riviera colour and life, with up to 100 art exhibitions and accompanying cafés, this is the year to go!

Website: https://sites.google.com/site/thestandrewsphotographers (Photos courtesy The St Andrews Photographers)

Forth Rail Bridge (Nicola Shepherd)

Vision in Blue Jeans, St Andrews (Emily Noakes)

Reaper Passing Isle of May (Alaistair Ramsay)

Bin View West Shore (Jan Karel Querido)

Red Lincoln Continental (Stan Farrow)

Bass Rock Sunrise (Caroline MacDonald)

Alistair MacLeod

Twelve Hours for a Better Future Do you have two hours a week to engage with other St Andrews residents about climate change?

Transition runs free Carbon Conversations courses, and are looking for groups who can commit two hours a week for six weeks to take part. Perhaps you and some other parents would like to get together after dropping off the kids? Or maybe you have a coffee afternoon and would like a project? Or perhaps conversation in the pub is drying up and we could come along and liven things up for you?!

Carbon Conversations is an official six-session programme which examines climate change and what you can do to lower your carbon impact – and also save money!

Transition is funded to run the courses in St Andrews for free, and will just ask for a donation to cover tea and biscuits (unless of course we are meeting in the pub!). Each course is run by two trained facilitators, and typically has between six and fourteen participants.

If you would like to sign up as an individual or a group, or just to find out more, visit www.transitionsta.org/carbonconversations or call Rebecca on (01334) 464 000.

(Photo courtesy Transition)

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TOWN & GOWN Flora Selwyn hugely enjoyed Saturday, 3rd May

“Hail Laurie Slavin! Hail The Day!” A carefully planned link-up with G&S Societies around the world Laurie had the superb idea of instigating a almost didn’t work. Modern technology can be temperamental when you Gilbert & Sullivan Day, along the lines of a least want it to be! Yet we did see images and heard voices from New Burns Supper celebration. Enthusiastically York, Brussels, Sydney, Harrogate, and also Bingley in Yorkshire where taken up by the International Gilbert & Sullivan the International Gilbert & Sullivan Society enjoyed a whole weekend of Society and, of course, our University’s celebrations, having taken up Laurie’s suggestion with immense brio. prestigious Gilbert & Sullivan Society, 3 May The Very Rev Dr Ian Bradley Addressed the Immortal Memory of was chosen for the event, as it was the birthday Laurie Slavin as Gilbert & Sullivan. Then in Bingley the live link let Andrew Crowther, of Richard D’Oyly Carte, founder of the Opera Alexis in The Sorcerer Secretary of the Gilbert Society, and Stephen Turnbull, Secretary of the Company which performed all Gilbert & Sir Arthur Sullivan Society, respond respectively.

Sullivan’s Savoy Operas until 1982.

There followed the Address to the Hardy Little Lassies, by Ian Lawson The Day started off with a Welcome Reception at the Scores Hotel of the Edinburgh G&S Society. A feisty and dramatic Dr Katie Bradley (no at 12.30pm. Hon President of the Society, The Very Rev Dr Ian Bradley relation to our Hon President) gave the riposte with her Address to the made sure everyone was introduced and fed, before we all proceeded Gentlemen. to St Mary’s Quad in South Street for a Promenade performance of The Laurie Slavin, in his closing speech, read a most moving account in Sorcerer. In 1877 this was the D’Oyly Carte’s first commissioned G&S her own words, of retired opera singer Cynthia Morey’s career in Gilbert opera; I am certain both Gilbert and Sullivan would have loudly applauded & Sullivan. She was invited, in her eighties, to reprise her part as Yum the Society’s rendition of it. The voices were clear, the diction flawless, Yum, (in The Mikado) which she had played on Broadway in 1955, in the backup crew slick. Though the weather was cold, somewhat dreich, the film Quartet directed by Dustin Hoffman, which also included Dame nothing dampened the spirits of either the performers or the audience.

Maggie Smith, Tom Courtney, Michael Gambon, and A backdrop of freshly-leaved, flowering trees, lent Billy Connolly. enchantment, the cast occasionally improvising words Laurie had the superb In between the speeches, Ruaridh Maxwell sang where appropriate, to our delight. There was even an idea of instigating a Hail Poetry (from the Pirates of Penzance), joined interval after the first Act with tea, soft drinks, biscuits, Gilbert & Sullivan Day, by the live link to Capetown, Peter Sutton sang and scrumptious scones, complete with jam and clotted along the lines of a Burns A Wonderful Joy Our Eyes to Bless (from Utopia cream!

Unlimited), and Caroline Taylor sang To Yield at Once We then happily trooped off to prepare for the black Supper celebration (from Princess Ida). Raymond Wang, who accompanied tie Grand Dinner (or ‘The Statutory Meal’) in the Scores the cast on the keyboard that afternoon in St Mary’s Quad, also Hotel at 7.30pm. accompanied the singers at the Dinner.

This proved a real winner! It started off with cocktails. Then we moved Once the meal was over, Zorbey Turkalp, a Turkish/Canadian medic to the beautifully decorated dining room, where each table was named after (also a fanatical squash and chess player!) came to the keyboard, where one of the operas, with due paraphernalia scattered around. My table was he was soon surrounded by members of the Society who continued Yeoman of the Guard, with the complete book and other small gewgaws. singing lustily till well past midnight.

The Dinner began with a spirited Singing of the Sausage Rolls, in lieu Gilbert and Sullivan, wherever they are, must surely have been smiling! of piping in a haggis. However, the Burns connection was inferred in the Saturday, 3 May was a fitting paean to their wonderful musical collaboration menu, featuring ‘Haggis stuffed supreme of chicken with a whisky sauce’. which captured to absolute perfection that quintessential English selfAlex Levine sang By the Mystic Regulation (from The Grand Duke). Then parody, as fresh today as ever it was. If only we could resurrect them, for Sausage Rolls were ceremoniously carried in by Society President, Rory they would still, even now, find so much to inspire them.

Forbes.

Maria Zicos read The Rival Curates from Gilbert’s Bab Ballads, a (Photos courtesy the G&S Society) hilarious Gilbertian take on hypocrisy.

St Mary’s Quad, promenade performance

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St Mary’s Quad, promenade performance

Grand Dinner, the Sausage Rolls are brought in

TOWN & GOWN Charlotte Davis, Garden Organiser at University Hall Community Garden

Broccoli for all at University Hall!

The original University Hall vegetable patch problem – rabbits, big, hungry rabbits! We exists now only in history books, but when the didn’t want a re-enactment of that scene idea of restoring a Hall vegetable patch was from Wallace and Gromit’s Curse of the floated last autumn we were assured that it Ware Rabbit – every gardener’s nightmare. had once been a central part of Hall life. We The solution was kitchen wire, with the had greenhouses between Westerlee (now girls on the case. After sessions of macho Wardlaw) and Old Wing; there is a photograph digging competitions, it was the girls’ time from 1916 of Hall residents digging up potatoes to shine. With some precision measuring, more-or-less exactly where our garden is now. wire cutting, staking, attaching, an incredibly Certainly a garden of some sort would have professional and utterly (we hope) rabbitbeen in the grounds of the Hall from its foundaproof fence bordered the plot. This was a tion in 1896. For much of its history University symbolic as well as practical step for the Hall would have been largely self-sufficient, and garden – it demarcated it as an area distinct certainly would have organised all the catering from the rest of the land; valuable, special, itself, in the absence of a centralised system. and most importantly, ready for plants.

This information was inspiration enough.

Rhubarb crowns were given their own bed, On a cloudy day last October, Ali and Jasper beans were the first to be bedded down in the from Transition St Andrews tentatively asked main plot, accompanied by a bamboo cane if the motley group of Uni Hallers thought that frame, then the potatoes, lettuces, broccoli, a community garden was a realistic prospect. radishes, rocket, all in smart straight ranks.

People were quiet, unsure of how to make it Cabbages, sorrel, and kale quickly followed a reality. We had no experience of setting up with still more planting to come. gardens and it seemed far out of reach.

Our volunteers are keen to have a Keen myself, I’d seen and helped with beautiful, as well as productive, garden. projects like this before, seen what they could So, inspired by permaculture books, we become, what joy they brought to the people have devised a herb spiral for the corner. A involved, but never in Scotland and never mound of earth supports a spiral of stones from scratch. The more we talked, wondered, twisting up to form flat beds at different planned, looked at what other St Andrews elevations. Our herbs including thyme, gardens had done, the more excited we rosemary, chives, fennel, mizuna, mustard, became. The turning point was when Jasper coriander will be planted on the spiral in took Uni Hall’s Senior Student, Taylor, and me, the microclimate most suited to them. The to mark out the potential plot. It was green lawn, height of the mound means each part is bare and uninteresting, but as soon as the of a slightly different temperature and humidity string went down all three in relation to its exposure of us began to believe to the midday sun. These Our volunteers are keen it was really possible. I herbs will thrive; beautiful, could picture it, and with fragranced, bee friendly and, to have a beautiful, as that concrete aspiration, Chef Ross assures me, well as productive, garden as everything started to fall some of the best kitchen into place. commodities.

I found myself Googling, researching, We have stacked a tower of pallets next to the reading endless articles and gardening manuals plot, housing bee-friendly plants such as clover, late into the night. By the time spring brought comfrey, nasturtium, sweet peas. This tower will eager volunteers, our plan had crystallized. encourage all sorts of different insects, bugs, I wasn’t the only one whose imagination birds, and small mammals, as well as providing a had been piqued by talk of a garden. As the beautiful and striking sculptural point of interest. weather improved the shovels came out, With the addition of nearby benches, soon the raspberry canes went in and there was a real area will be transformed into a communal area for buzz around Hall. By this point we had over students and local residents alike.

40 members of the Facebook page on which This is where you come in. Pioneered by we were publicising our plans. With the help University students and Transition, now that of Transition, lots of pairs of hands and a lot the garden has become a reality we would like of motivational singing we double dug the everyone to get involved and enjoy it. We plot. Each square of turf disappeared beneath wanted to create a beautiful area bringing the rich piles of soil, scientifically tested by people together, green-fingered or not.

Transition’s soil expert, Sara. Spurred on, the The transient nature of the University’s crack team with all levels of experience marked community means that in order to keep the out, double dug, raked, and fenced frantically project going we need all sorts of people to to get the plot ready for this spring; it looks pledge involvement. The garden can and wonderful! will provide an educational, inspiring space We presented our plan to Chef Ross, who demonstrating how easy it is to grow our own enthusiastically agreed to use in his menus food, replacing our bland lawns with diverse what we could grow. This gave us an aim; to beautiful vegetable patches. Everyone who provide food from the Hall grounds to feed has worked on the plot so far has intense the residents – a real step towards ideals of pride in what has been achieved, especially sustainability and responsible eating, as well as when passers-by stop to ask about it. restoring old traditions to Hall. With confirmation This project has been daring, exciting, from Sandra, our Hall Manager, that we could at times frustrating (frosts stay much longer use the greenhouse for seed propagation we up here than they do down in the south!), planted out endless seed trays anxious to have inspiring. There is nothing I want more than to see a diverse, productive, and beautiful array of people sharing in that experience! plants.

Please come and visit the plot around the Soon our seedlings had sprung up, ready back of University Hall. Also, if you have any to plant out. Despite our eagerness to get our information about the original plot we would love tender seedlings in the ground we faced a to hear from you.

(Photos courtesy the Garden) Resources: http://www.transitionsta.org/

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TOWN & GOWN Alistair Macleod, Transition University of St Andrews

A Car Club for St Andrews? members with an alternative way of gaining access to a car, whilst helping Would you like the occasional use of a reliable, clean, and reasonablyreduce costs and taking many cars off the road. priced car without all the hassle of owning it? There is a growing trend Now, St Andrews-based environmental organisation Transition UStA in Scotland for alternatives to car ownership; two St Andrews groups are and the St Andrews Partnership have teamed up with national sustainable asking for your opinions on whether a car club could be established here. transport organisation Carplus to undertake a survey of St Andrews’ Whilst 30 years ago young adults would have seen ownership of a residents as to whether a car club might be set up in golf GTI as the pinnacle of cool, the cost and hassle of the town and, critically, who would use it? The survey keeping a car today, as well as growing awareness of There are lots of benefits will form part of an investigation into the potential siting the environmental impact of car use, has meant that to sharing a car like this of such a car, and how a scheme might be funded. many people, especially those under 30, are doing I have been running a car club in Anstruther for fewer miles in their own metal box with wheels. Of over 4 years. It gives its members access to pay-as-you-drive vehicles, course there are times when a car is very useful, prompting the rapid rise 24/7. The car is parked centrally to where most users can access it. It of the car club. Extremely popular in larger cities, car clubs provide their is opened using a smart card after booking online, or via the phone. It’s easy, quick, and reliable.

There are lots of benefits to sharing a car like this. The club covers all the costs of owning and operating the vehicles, such as insurance, tax, fuel, cleaning, and servicing. Members pay a membership fee, then an hourly charge (billed at the end of the month) for use that covers fuel and vehicle wear. It’s a good deal and will certainly save money for cars doing less than 10,000 or 8,000 miles a year – which second cars often do!

If you live in Dundee or Anstruther you can already join through “Co Wheels”. St Andrews to Dundee Commuters can use the sister “Rideshare” scheme.

To find out more, and to take part in the survey please visit: www.transitionsta.org The Survey itself closes Friday, 11 July 2014.

Eslington TCar

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(Photo courtesy Transition UStA)

OUT & ABOUT Alistair Lawson of ScotWays

Felonious Fishing on Fife’s Far Frontiers Out in the Wild West of Fife, where the rule of law does not always hold good in the way that it does in couthy St Andrews, I recently came across the following notice, “Unauthorised fishing by a Trespasser can be made the subject of criminal proceedings under the Theft Act, 1607”.

So, are the fishers of Fife a particularly troublesome lot, breaking the law regularly and needing to be reminded of what they shouldn’t be doing? I suppose one might also wonder whether there actually was a Theft Act of 1607, or whether the notice is a spoof? If there is such an Act, what does it say, and is it still valid today?

The fount of all wisdom, a.k.a. Google, does indeed, record a Theft Act, 1607. Like many ancient statutes, it has been revised; the Statute Law Revision (Scotland) Act 1964 repealed several sections of the original wording, but still leaving the following passage valid, (inconsistent use of upper and lower case reflects the original): Oure Souerane Lord and Estaittis of this present parliament ... Statutis and Ordinis that quha-soeuir ... Steillis Beis and fisches in propir stankis and loches Shall be callit and convenit thairfoir as a braker of the Law ... befoir ony ordinar magistrat within this realme ... And the penaltie to be Imposit and takin of the Controvenaris befoir the saidis ordinar Inferiour Judges Auchtnocht to exceid the sowme of fourtie pundis of this Realme.

Readers may find it fun to wrestle with the text and try to arrive at a modern English version, but, if that results only in frustration and defeat, here is what it says: Our sovereign Lord and estates of this present parliament ... statutise and ordain that whosoever ... steals bees, or fishes in private ponds and lochs, shall be called and confined therefore as a breaker of the

Whiting Bay

Auchinstarry Quarry

Drumpellier Park law ... before ... any ... ordinary magistrate within this realm ... and the penalty to be imposed and taken of the controveners before the said ordinary inferior judges ought not to exceed the sum of forty pounds of this realm (i.e. Pounds Scots).

So, following the 1964 revision, it looks very much as though James VI and his learned legislators still govern our actions and that stealing bees and fish still remains a crime.

However, the Act was further amended by the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003, which

removed the words “and fisches in propir stankis and loches”, thus leaving only bees (“Beis”) as the subjects of this Act. The fishermen of West Fife are not, therefore, the felons we first supposed.

Should readers even now be reaching for their boots and rucksacks and preparing to set off in search of this curious sign, may I direct them to the 7 reservoirs nestling below the Lomonds of Fife. I shan’t tell you the precise spot. Enjoy the search – and the exercise!

(Photos courtesy Brian Cairns)

Hamish Brown

Plea

In summer, time stands still, its face hidden in blossom and the green green greediness of the season of plenty.

We don’t count days, then, but at November’s end we confront time again, as if we would wind up the world and set a solstice pendulum swinging for some certainties through that timelessness – just one more summer, please.

(Photo by Flora Selwyn)

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OUT & ABOUT Bill Sutherland gives an update on

Craigtoun Park Early in 2012, a meeting was held in in May and June. Business St Andrews Town Hall to discuss the future has been brisk, and has of Craigtoun Park. It was well attended and outstripped the same period concluded by asking those there to leave last year. their personal details if they were willing to The Board of the Friends volunteer to help revive it. The owners, Fife has been busy planning new Council, no doubt reflecting priorities following additions and coming up with a large reduction in grant from the Scottish new ideas. The Country Fair Government to all local authorities, had allowed will have taken place just after the Park to become a poor imitation of what this is published. A new Trim it had once been. This led to the volunteers Trail and Zip wire have been negotiating with Fife Council, who allowed them installed. A second Trim Trail to run the facilities in the Park during 2013 as a in another part of the Park “feasibility study”. It is now tempting to conclude will be installed later. A new Train Station was that “the rest as they say is history”. The good due for completion by the end of June. There weather of the summer of 2013 certainly helped were special attractions for Father’s Day on as the Park got a new lease Sunday, 15 June. There of life and attracted lots of will be similar Special Days The Board of the Friends customers. The Friends of scattered throughout the has been busy planning Craigtoun Limited became summer. new additions and coming a Registered Charity, Fife The Friends, in Council was impressed with conjunction with Fife up with new ideas how the feasibility study had Council, will be spending worked out, which has led to the Friends about some capital on the Dutch Village to assess to sign a 5 year lease that can be extended to a its current condition and to prevent any further 25 year lease in the future. deterioration. A specialist architect will assist by The Park is open every day and is free to carrying out a survey. Much as the Friends (and enter. The Friends operate the facilities, for indeed everyone else who knows the Park) which there is a charge. In July and August, would love to see the Dutch Village restored to the facilities will be available every day, whilst its former glory, this will require major capital during September and October, the facilities investment and is some way off. will function at weekends. The Park had a very The Friends have already invested in busy Easter period, then reverted to weekends improving the infrastructure at the Park. The

sheds in the yard have been made wind and water tight, allowing maintenance on Park equipment to be carried out whatever the weather. Similarly, an outbuilding close to the office has been completely refurbished to provide accommodation for the Friends’ staff working at the Park. All of this comes on top of the many improvements being made to the Park through the income that was generated last summer and in the early days of this year.

Season tickets have been a great success; they are seen as excellent value for money.

For more information please contact Bill Sutherland, tel: 01334 473 541 or email: fionaandbill@gmail.com (Photo courtesy The Friends)

Nick Hunter introduces

A New Website LadeBraes.net highlights the medieval history of the Lade Braes in St Andrews.

Most St Andreans are familiar with the Lade Braes Walk, which stretches about 1.5 miles from Lade Braes Lane at Madras College, to Little Carron at the west end of Hepburn Gardens. But do they realise just what it is, or why it was built?

This project stemmed from a desire to find out more about the place that the website developers, Nick Hunter and Judith Hunter, took for granted as children. The Lade Braes was their backyard where they spent much time riding bikes, guddling about in the burn, feeding ducks, exploring through the trees, not giving a thought to the history of the place.

That the footpath was built on an old mill lade (an artificial watercourse) was well known. Initially the intention of the project was to find out how many water mills were supported by it. The research led to a journey through hundreds of years of the history of St Andrews, giving a new insight into the importance of the lade and the mills to the people of St Andrews from the medieval to the present day. LadeBraes.net is now growing to encompass other aspects of the Lade Braes, including current news, as well as the flora and fauna.

Lade Braes Walk mainly runs on top of a mill lade built to transport water to a mill in the grounds of St Andrews Priory (later known as Abbey Mill), possibly as long as 900 years ago. The section of the walk from Cockshaugh Park to Madras College was in existence before 1854, running alongside the open lade. At the end of the 19th century most of the lade was made to flow through a pipe that was covered over, forming the walk as we know it today. At around the same time, Cockshaugh Park was created, the upper Lade Braes landscaped, and planted with trees.

There are memorials at the side of the walk near Cockshaugh Park to the two town councillors who made these improvements, John McIntosh and John Milne.

One of the many surprising discoveries was that the two surviving mills, Law Mill and New Mill, were not dependent on the Priory lade. It appears that only the Abbey Mill and the Shore Mill at the harbour used water from the lade. The Shore Mill still survives; it is the building beside the Mill Port at the bottom of The Pends. If you know where to look at low

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Law Mill

Towards Louden’s Close

tide, you can see a square opening in the harbour wall, where the water exited from the lade and returned to the Kinness Burn.

In part, the project relied on previous research carried out by RN Smart, Notes on the Water Mills of St Andrews (1989); M Jarron & J Webster, A Journey Through the Lade Braes, and many historical documents available online, particularly the St Andrews University Archives.

We decided to make our research available in the form of the web site www.ladebraes.net as this was the best way to link the history to the sources. It will enable us to extend the history as more details become available. We were also able to produce interactive elements such as maps and timelines, which we hope will make it easier for visitors to LadeBraes.net to find the information they want.

The website is constantly being added to and we hope that it will evolve into a central resource for all aspects of the Lade Braes. Our intention is that people with local knowledge will be able to expand on the information which we already hold, so that the resources can be easily found, and remain in place for future generations. Those visiting the site are invited to contribute suggestions, information and images. In particular, we are keen to see old photos of the lade or any of the water mills.

Nick Hunter can be contacted by email at nick@ladebraes.net or via the contact form on www.LadeBraes.net (Photos courtesy Nick Hunter

OUT & ABOUT Arlen Pardoe

Hidden Gems in St Andrews (in plain view) Focussing on features that are in plain sight, but often overlooked Consecration Crosses A consecration cross can take several different shapes, but is always based on the form of a cross, often enclosed in a circle. The crosses are found on both interior or exterior walls of a Christian Church or Cathedral.

The cross shows the point where the Bishop has anointed the wall to consecrate it, using holy water or oil. It may be painted on the wall, inscribed into the stone, or it is a separate cross affixed to the wall. There may be a sconce (light fixture on a wall) for a candle in front of, or above the cross, which traditionally is lit on the anniversary of the consecration.

In the medieval tradition the building might be anointed in twelve different places, each cross representing one of the Twelve Apostles. Symbolically they show the support given by the Apostles to the Church, and are found inside the Church on each of the four walls, or on main supporting pillars.

The commonest form of cross consists of four curved arms of equal length inside a circle. It can easily be constructed by a stonemason using a compass. This style of cross can be found on several buildings in St Andrews. The Cathedral retains two such crosses, but there were more. When it passed out of use in 1559 stones were used in the construction and repair of other buildings in St Andrews.

Complete consecration crosses can be seen in St Salvator’s Chapel; outside Holy Trinity Church; under St Salvator’s tower on the West wall; inside St Salvator’s Chapel (one of seven crosses); West wall of Holy Trinity Church.

Other buildings in St Andrews have segments of consecration crosses which came from the Cathedral and were used as building stones. * Muttoes Lane * West gable of 67 South Street (visible from St John’s garden) * Wall at back of Town Library The Cathedral has two crosses, one almost complete and only the lower half of another cross; east side of East Gable; Slype (corridor from the cloisters) A different style of consecration cross can be seen inside St James’ Church. There are twelve crosses in total, six on each side of the Church.

(Photos courtesy Arlen Pardoe)

Complete consecration crosses can be seen in St Salvator’s and outside Holy Trinity

Under St Salvator’s tower – West wall of the Chapel

Inside St Salvator’s Chapel – One of seven crosses

West wall of Holy Trinity Church

Other buildings in St Andrews have segments of consecration crosses which came from the Cathedral and were used as building stones

Muttoes Lane

West gate of 67 South Street (visible from St John’s garden)

The Cathedral has two crosses, one almost complete and only the lower half of another cross

Wall at back of Town Library

A different style of consecration cross can be seen inside St James’ Church

Cathedral – East side of East Gable

Cathedral – Slype (corridor from the cloisters)

There are twelve crosses in total, six on each side of the church

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Invite you to visit a hidden treasure in the heart of St Andrews OPEN DAILY ALL YEAR ROUND Herbaceous, Alpine, Woodland, Water & Scree Glorious Glasshouse Collection GARDEN EDUCATION TRUST Lectures,Classes & Walks PLANT SALES AREA Open Till end of September TO JOIN THE FRIENDS AND SUPPORT THE GARDEN CONTACT MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Tel: 01334 476452 Charity No. SC006432