Issue #232 | Tain & District Picture Post | March 2020 by K & N Concepts Ltd - ePublishing

COMMUNITY MAGAZINE FOR THE ROYAL BURGH OF TAIN AND ITS SURROUNDING AREAS

TAIN & DISTRICT PICTURE POST

#232 MARCH

2020

MARCH 2020

TAIN ASG DANCING COMPETITION

26TH GIZZEN BRIGGS FIDDLERS’ RALLY

Pictures of all of the school teams who competed in this year’s Active Schools Group Dancing Competition. p12-13

Write up and pictures from this year’s Fiddlers’ Rally held at the Duthac Centre in Tain p18

TAIN & DISTRICT PICTURE POST

A LETTER FROM JOHN GORDON

Artwork and memoirs from happenings at various Scout Camps or Events from the 50’s & 60’s. p21

PRICE £ 1.95

WELCOME TO THE

DISTILLERY EXPERIENCE

The Glenmorangie Distillery Tain, Ross-shire IV19 1PZ, Scotland. On the A9, 45 minutes from Inverness, 1 mile north of Tain.

Tain Inverness

Perth Glasgow Edinburgh

THE ORIGINAL TOUR

1 hour, £8 per person

June - August: Monday - Sunday, every 30 minutes, 10am - 4pm April - May & September - October: Monday - Saturday, every hour, 10am - 3pm

By the tranquil shores of the Dornoch Firth, amidst the golden barley fields of Ross-shire, lies the Glenmorangie Distillery. Here you will find a warm Highland welcome from the legendary Men of Tain, the skilled craftsmen who ensure that Glenmorangie is made in the same unhurried and uncompromising way it has always been through its long and distinguished history. We offer a range of tours with unparalleled access to the Distillery and its warehouses. With the help of our expert guides you will experience all stages of the whisky making process from mashing and fermenting to distilling and maturation. Within our Still House (we call it our Highland Cathedral) stand the tallest stills in Scotland, their long copper necks are the same height as a fully grown giraffe! As a result only the lightest and purest vapours make it to the top, giving a smoother, more elegant whisky. On your visit to our traditional earth floored warehouses we will explain why Glenmorangie has for many years led the industry in the pioneering use of only the finest casks in which to mature our whisky. As part of your tour, why not visit our own distillery shop?

January - March & November - December: Monday - Friday, 10am & 2pm THE SIGNET TOUR

1.5 hours, £35 per person June - August: Monday - Sunday, 2.15pm Wednesday, 6pm, New for 2019 April - May & September - October: Monday - Friday, 2.15pm (January - March & November December: not available) THE MEN OF TAIN TOUR

2.45 hours, £95 per person

May - September: Tuesday, 9.45am (October - April: not available) THE SUNSET TOUR

1.5 hours, £45 per person

June - August: Wednesday, 6.00pm (September - May: not available) For more information call 01862 892477 email: tain-shop@glenmorangie.co.uk or visit www.glenmorangie.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND ONLINE BOOKINGS PLEASE VISIT WWW.GLENMORANGIE.COM Pre-booking is recommended and essential for some of the tours or large groups. The Glenmorangie Distillery is a working distillery. For a few weeks a year we undergo essential maintenance when tours may be restricted. Closed for the 2 week period over Christmas & New Year. The information on this advert is valid throughout 2019. The Glenmorangie Company advocates responsible drinking. Please savour our whiskies in moderation.

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FEBRUARY 2020

WELCOME Can’t quite believe that we are already in March! We begin by thanking you all for the very kind and wonderful feedback we received following the release of our special 20 year anniversary edition of the magazine. We were lucky to have received some extra submissions for inclusion in January to compliment the slicker presentation and having really enjoyed putting it together, it is pleasing to know that it was equally well received. It has been a month of stormy weather but this hasn’t stopped us at Picture Post HQ from getting out and about. Harris has been studying the history of the Picts at Knockbreck, and his curiosity peaked ours, and with that we made a first attempt at following the Pictish Trail around the Tain peninsula. Up close, the Shandwick Stone is an awe inspiring spectacle, and the fantastic detail of the Hilton of Cadboll Stone, albeit a 2001 replica, really captures the imagination too. We must acknowledge Harris’ quick wit in spotting a photo of the stone being worked on by people in contemporary clothing, proclaiming “that’s a fake one.” The real stone is of course at the National Museum in Edinburgh. But it is very eye catching nonetheless. We have reserved the Nigg cross-slab for a time in the Easter holidays once the Old Church is open again - but suffice to say, the Pictish Trail - as if it needed endorsement - is a fun afternoon for anyone with a curious mind!

FEATURES 04

Police Scotland Specials Appeal

Area Inspector James Rice on Police Scotland and their appeal for Special Constables

St. Duthus FC weather woes

Tain Rotary Swimarathon

Through the Lens

The latest article from our resident photography expert

Mark Janes on the use of light in outdoor photography

Tain Community Council

Meeting minutes from the Royal Burgh of Tain

Community Council’s January meeting.

Andrew Vass on Christian mindfulness

Highland Dance teacher recognised

Nostalgia with Alex Graham

Active Schools Dance Competition

A double page spread of all of this years teams

competing in the ASG dance competition.

TASC Club Championships

Amateur football roundup

5B Ross Street Tain IV19 1BA

News from Inver AFC and Tain Thistle AFC.

26th Gizzen Briggs’ Fiddlers’ Rally

Telephone: (01862) 857366

A report from Angus Gray complimented by a selection

of photos from the event.

A letter from John Gordon

TDDT: In the loop

Latest news from Tain & District Development Trust

As always, we would like to encourage our readers to consider sending in any of their old photos, stories or anything that could be considered “Old File”. We can never have enough of this type of content at our disposal and welcome it all! On that note, we are pleased to announce a change of address, having secured a little office space for work on the magazine and print business. While we won’t be around every day, we welcome mail at our new address of:

Thank you once again for continuing to support the magazine. Enjoy reading! Best wishes, Niall Harkiss & Lucy Veals Editors

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TAIN COMMUNITY

POLICE SCOTLAND APPEAL FOR SPECIAL CONSTABLES Written by Area Inspector James Rice

ST. DUTHUS FC GAMES HIT BY POOR WEATHER It has been five weeks since St. Duthus Football Club last took to the field of play, as the North Caledonian League fixture calendar has been besieged by postponements during February - thanks to high winds affecting play and excessive waterlogged pitches preventing games from going ahead. Team managers Stuart and Andrew Ross (pictured above) have been pulling their hair out as Saints continue to fall behind their rivals in terms of games played, and top of the list of frustrations has been the lack of floodlit facilities available across the North Highlands which could create options for midweek evening dates in the calendar. Just two full size all-weather football pitches exist North of Dingwall on the mainland - one in Tain and one in Thurso - but nothing in between. A latest schedule has the club’s fixtures continuing into April now - the same month that amateur club Tain Thistle are set to begin their season. In other news, the club’s annual Sportsmans’ Dinner has been postponed, pending the arrangement of a new date later in the year.

I have been area Inspector for around two months now and have been delighted with the drive and commitment of the officers and members of support staff who work here. I would also like to say how impressed I’ve been with our local special constables who all regularly give up their own time to support policing in this area. Special Constables are ordinary members of the public who have a motivation to serve the public and carry out work in support of the emergency services. They come from many different backgrounds but share a desire to do some good for the community. By becoming a Special Constable I guarantee you will end up doing something out of the ordinary whilst giving something back to your community. It’s also a great way to develop new skills. For those considering a career in the Police it’s the best way to get a full understanding of what you are signing up for and also a big help with your application form. A Special Constable is sworn to uphold the law of Scotland in the same manner as a regular officer and has the same powers which perhaps most people don’t realise.

Our Special Constables are often used to police big events such as Belladrum, the Black Isle Show and Ross County football matches. This is a great way to see what goes on behind the scenes to make these events run smoothly and safely. Police Scotland is actively seeking to recruit special constables at the moment and lots of information about the process can be found on the website at www.scotland.police.uk. You can also pop in to the station here in

Tain or Alness and have a chat to an officer about the role. Pictured above, Special Constable Ross Naismith had the following to say about the role; “I signed up as a special as I was interested in joining. I have particularly enjoyed working at Caley games and at Belladrum along with attending incidents. My experiences have convinced me that it was the job for me. I now work in Easter Ross and really enjoy it.”

HIGH STREET PARKING OBJECTIONS The Highland Council are undergoing consultation to introduce charging for in-town car parking throughout the Highlands, including Tain. In February, Tain Community Council stated their strong opposition to the proposal. A spokesperson on Facebook said; “we don’t see the parking as a huge problem, and it would drive visitors and tourists out of the centre to the bigger

stores, such as Tesco, Asda, Lidl and Home Bargains, where the parking is free.” “In addition, shop workers in the town centre, who drive into work, will be forced to park further afield which could affect residential parking. This model works for some Highland towns, but we feel will not work for Tain.” At the time of writing, a poll of over 1,000 people from the

Tain community showed 96% in objection. The Council are due to hold a couple of drop in sessions for the public to pop by, see their plans and voice either their objection or support. These sessions are scheduled for Tuesday 7th April at 9am to 12 noon at the Tain Service Point, and later on at 5:30pm to 8pm in the Church Hall in Tain.

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TAIN COMMUNITY

EDDERTON PUPILS JOIN ROTARY FOR “SMALL, BUT MIGHTY” SWIMARATHON

CASH RAISED FOR ROTARY BATTLE AGAINST POLIO

TCD TAIN COMPETE AT SCHOOLS SPIRIT DANCE COMP

I heard someone recently describe Rotary as a group which does amazing work “but by stealth”, and maybe a lot of the time it’s true. On 22nd February, our club, which I always describe as ‘small but mighty’, made its way to TRAAC and for an hour, swam the length of the pool. Nobody but us and the people who’d sponsored us probably knew what we were doing, but we were, together with family and friends from Edderton Primary School who wanted to help, raising money to end polio, a work which Rotary has played a huge (if stealthy) part in since the seventies. Thankfully, if you were to ask young people in our country today what they know about polio it wouldn’t be much. But some older folk will have memories of it. At least one of our Rotarians lives was personally touched by it. It was, and remains still, a paralysing and potentially deadly virus for which there

is no cure. Rotary International made the eradication of polio its top priority in 1979 and began a multi-year project to immunise children around the world. The project grew support over the years from the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and more recently, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Back then, there were 1,000 polio cases a day in 125 countries, paralysing and even killing children. By 2003, as a direct result of this work, only 6 countries reported cases of polio. Today, there are just 2 countries with endemic polio – Afghanistan and Pakistan. Rotary has been at the heart of this amazing fight and we’re not done yet. Which is why, with the help of friends, we swam 511 lengths of the pool raising, we think, roughly a pound for every

length (sponsorship money is still coming in). The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation matches every pound 2-1 so our 500 or so pounds will, wonderfully, triple in size and reach. And it wasn’t just us. Rotarians were stealing corners of the pool all over the UK. My son, when I asked if he would like to join in the swim this year said, “End Polio? I thought we did that last year!” Nearly. We’re nearly there is our response. 2 more countries to go. Thank you to everyone who supported us, not least TRAAC for use of the pool and those who sponsored us. If you’d like to join in the fight to eradicate polio or have ideas for fundraising we’d love to hear from you. You don’t have to be big to make history. We’re only small and we’re making it anyway. Come and join us? Carol Anne Tain and Easter Ross Rotary, 01862 892292

Jan Trumble Cheer & Dance in Tain competed at the Schools Spirit Cheer & Dance competition on Sunday 1st March in Inverness, and the results were as follows: Youth Cheer L1 - 1st Senior Cheer L1 - 1st Senior Lyrical Team 1st Tiny open solo - Scarlett -1st Youth open solo -Jasmyn - 3rd Junior open duet Helen & Kortoni - 1st Junior open solo - Millie 3rd Kortoni 4th Senior Open Trio - Millie Steffi & Emily 1st and Trio Grand Champions Senior open Solo - Emily -1st

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THROUGH THE LENS

THROUGH THE LENS WITH MARK JANES Light is the ISSUE #27 photographer’s MARCH WINDS AND APRIL SHOWERS raw material. …Bring forth great light After all, the word for photography! Spring is Photography technically here (although it’s snowing as I write this)! And with means “drawing Spring comes the ever-changing that can bring your outdoor with light”. light photography to life. Light is the photographer’s raw material. After all, the word Photography means “drawing with light”. Learning to recognise different types of light, and the effect is has on a scene, is one of the most important things you can do to improve your photography, so let’s have a look at some different types of light, and what subjects photograph best in them: Soft, Warm Light: You find this towards the end of the day, or early in the morning. The light is not as harsh as during the middle of the day. Shadows are longer, bringing out texture in the landscape, and colours are more saturated. It’s perfect for big, epic landscapes, especially if there’s

interesting detail in the sky. Hard, Mid-day Light: This can be tough to shoot in. Shadows are hard and the sun is strong and overhead. Try to make use of the shadows and look for how they form interesting shapes to photograph. If you want to photograph people at this time, take them into the shade of a tree or building, or use your camera’s flash to fill in some of those shadows. Flat Light: Found on cloudy days, this kind of light casts few, if any, shadows. It can be great for photographing subjects with a lot of detail, such as plants or animals, as you don’t get the distracting glare and shadows associated with mid-day light. Landscapes photograph less well in this type of light, and can look flat and featureless. Stormy Light: Take an umbrella to protect your camera and head out on a showery day. The intermittent way the sun shines through the clouds and lights up parts of the landscape can lead to some really dramatic

photographs. This kind of light rewards patience; once you’ve found a nice composition or viewpoint, it pays to wait for the moment when the light is just perfect! Take a look at the photos of Loch An Lagain in Sutherland. The soft, early morning light and mist create a lovely, calm atmosphere, which was exactly what I experienced as I crawled out of my tent that morning! Whatever the weather and the light, there are subjects to be photographed this Spring. However, it is a very changeable season. So, if the light isn’t cooperating, work with it and change what you’re shooting to suit the light conditions. The forecast is finally for some less stormy days, so now is the perfect time to blow the dust off that camera! Did you like this article? Why not email me and let me know what you’d like to see covered in future issues. markjanesphotographer@gmail. com.

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TAIN COMMUNITY

TAIN COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETING - DEC 2019 MINUTES OF THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL OF THE ROYAL BURGH OF TAIN MEETING HELD ON 27th JANUARY 2020 AT 7.30 PM IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, TAIN INTERESTS DECLARED Mr Mohan declared an interest in Mussel Fishery and Mr Akeroyd declared an interest in Dornoch Lifeboat. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Mr Munro gave tribute to Frank Martin, Barber, who died recently. He had been a barber for 75 years and lived to 92 years. A Minute’s silence was given to Mr Martin as a mark of respect. POLICE REPORT PC Gardener/PC Cameron reported that there had ben hivisibility foot patrols in the area, and license premises checks, and they are trying to reduce road traffic incidences. Since the last meeting in November there has been 4 incidences of vandalism, 1 drugs, 6 disorder/ assaults, 1 domestic offence, 3 theft by shoplifting and 10 road traffic incidences. The new Inspector is James Rice. It was noted that some youths in dark clothing, with no lights on their bicycles has been spotted in a couple of place – Mr Parkes to

put up notices in TRA about this matter. It was noted that there was another crash at Asda junction today. It was also noted that there are still speeding drivers on Geanies Street/ Hartfield Road – Police will give this extra attention and a speed survey has been requested. YOUTH ISSUES Rob Parkes, Highlife Highland indicated that Kaitlyn/Alex was a representative from the Youth Forum. They reported that have some more active teens in the Forum. They have a focus group and a wider group. The Forum meets every 2 weeks. One of the projects being looked at is an “escape room” and is in the planning stage It was noted that there may be funding available from April in the Beinn Tharsuinn Community fund. Some pupils have received the Saltire Award of 500 hours volunteering and it is hoped that it can be made into a special event – the school would like to see a stand along event – the Council Chamber was offered as a location for the ceremony. There has been an Area Forum meeting in Dingwall – coming out of this is a concern for the environment – a litter pick was suggested and is in the planning stage. Some pupils have undertaking Mentors is

WHAT’S ON? FRI 6th MARCH / SAT 7th MARCH - Edderton Drama Club present The X-Factory at Edderton Village Hall - from 7.30pm. Adults £6 Children £4 available at the door SAT 7th MARCH - St. Duthus FC v Orkney FC in the North Caledonian League. Kick off 12.45pm at Grant Park in Tain.

SAT 7th MARCH - Forget me Not Tipsy Tea Party at the Duthac Centre in aid of funds for Alzheimer Sco. Tickets are £10 and to be purchased from the Dementia Resource Centre, Victoria Road, Tain. For further information please contact 01862 894276.

Violence – making pupils of the different kind of violence. What is happening with the proposed 3 – 18 campus was asked – noted there is a paper to the Corporate Resources committee soon – but not seen as yet. DEVELOPMENT TRUST Mr Macrae reported that the Christmas Market went well. The Trust is now a registered charity and this opens up new funding schemes. COUNCILLOR’S REPORT Mr Louden reported that a report on HC finances was released last week – some poor results. There is a change in HC Committee structure – more Committees but meeting less frequently. HC has the second lowest reserves in Scotland. NHS has a large deficient and they are saying this is partly due to not enough funding for adult social care which they do on behalf of HC. Mr Munro expressed the CC sympathy to Mr Louden on the recent death of his mother. Mr Rhind wished to expressed his gratitude on the good work the grave diggers in Tain undertake. It was noted that the Christmas Lights are on 24 hours. There were some faults in the lights, which have been fixed. There are some invoices for work to brackets at Geanies Street, Christmas lights for the tree. Gifts, and staff costs. The invoice for Metalwork of £720 is still to be paid. It was proposed to hold a meeting with representatives from the CC, Tain Gala and the Development Trust with the idea of raising funds for the Christmas Lights. CHAIR’S REPORT Mr Munro reported that there was another vehicle accident on the A9 at the Asda junction. It is hoped that the proposed 50 mph restriction will help the

situation. VICE-CHAIR’S REPORT Mr Amos reported that there has been 10 accidents at the Asda junction since the new lines have been put on. Cameras at the junction has been suggested. There are soon changes at skips. It was noted that 73 people were at the Senior Citizen’s Party. Mr Rhind and George and Beccy and the volunteers were thanked for their help at the Party. UNEXHAUSTED REMITS Trees and Green Environment – noted email from David McAllister re litter in the Rose Garden. There was a slip at the Woody Braes. A vote of thanks was given to Mr Mohan and Stevie on his work on the BMX track. Sewerage on Knockbreck PS grounds still an ongoing issue – the Chief Execuitve of Highland Council to be contacted to ask what’s happening. Crikerty steps repaired/improved. Complaint about the poor state of road at Kirksheaf (Mr Louden declared an interest) – Mr Louden to find out where the adopted road ends. Beinn Tharsuinn Windfarm Community Company – Mr Amos continue as representative for the CC. Cemeteries – repaired on one side of entrance – Mr Amos to get a quote (he declared an interest in this item). Facebook/Website Development – Mr Holdsworth taking over – change agenda item to Social Media. Mussel Fisheries – no report. 3 – 18 campus – discussed previously. DORNOCH LIFEBOAT A proposed planning application for a new Dornoch Lifeboat station was discussed. After discussion, it was agreed to support this application. Cooption – to be put on the next agenda.

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TAIN ASG DANCING COMPETITION

ANDREW VASS

“STUCK OR UNSTUCK” ANDREW VASS WRITES

Front cover: (Winning team Tarbat Old Primary, pictured with their awards). On Thursday 27th February Tain Royal Academy played host to the 6th Tain Associated Schools Group Scottish Dancing competition. The well attended evening was compered by Jimmy McLean and music was provided by Gizzen Briggs. The night kicked off with a Virginia Reel with all 9 schools taking part. The children then danced a Canadian Barn Dance, St Bernards Waltz, Gay Gordons and Britannia Two Step ending with a Strip the Willow. The difficult job of judging was down to Anne Noble, Carol Morrison and Jimmy Melville who crowned Tarbat Old Primary the winners on the night, closely followed by Craighill in second and Knockbreck in third. Money raised on the night will go towards the Tain ASG fund. Donald Paterson was presented with a bottle of local malt, Glenmorangie as a thank you for his support to the ASG over the past few years as he moves on to a new post within the Highland Council. Pictures of all of the teams and the eventual winners are printed on pages 12 and 13 of this issue.

Edinburgh’s Mission conference this year headlined Tim Lane and his book ‘Unstuck’. Unstuck is a novel way of looking at thingssome people don’t like the novel and the jargonized, but then perhaps inadvertently they remain stuck. Tim is like myself in being full of Psychological concepts; people suffer from automatic thoughts, brains drag them into over-personalising, and ‘we listen to the voice of conscience which whispers words of guilt, shame, and condemnation.’ Christian Counselling then begins with a foundation in Christian mindfulness. This is about being more mindful of one’s relationship with Jesus. Imagine you have a young couple whose marriage is a leaking sieve. You validate them, their relating difficulties are real and not to be dismissed. Perhaps there are ways they are nevertheless obedient despite the brain networks conditioning them for repulsion or conflict. When and where have they experienced any encouragement from being united in Christ? Isn’t it good that they are present, and trying to learn? Christian Mindfulness is a new concept but as yet it is a little simplistic- based on secular Mindfulness rather than Zen. Zen has more emphasis on resilience than does secular mindfulness and it invites people to consider the causes

of suffering and in light of that consideration, ‘action plan’ with right mindfulness. So, let us meditate on the causes of suffering. Delusion is one cause. Since the fifties people have been led to believe that we are naturally good and rational so if we are simply encouraged to ‘be all we can be’ and work everything out empirically we will self-actualize. Wow! This was a seminal change in our culture because if people believed that we are basically good they would naturally see religion as authoritarian, unnecessary, and repressive. But brain science tells us our mental system has weaknesses. We see an ice cream and Dopamine surges round our brains- making the ice cream a must have! We become short-termist the more we indulge the conditioning effect of satiating such appetites. And shorttermism is a key aspect of irrationality. Short-termism causes self-centredness, so we are not naturally good at all! Church ministers tell us we are naturally sinful and need to repent. But nowadays the words often mean nothing, the language is no longer understood. It belongs to a dim pre-Liberal past, a heritage which has been erased from memory. But what if we looked at how the Bible identifies the causes of psychological suffering. That language might resonate with modern sensibilities. King David was completely in denial about having committed crimes by raping a woman and sending her husband to likely death- until he got excellent counselling by Nathan the prophet. We too, often need

help to see beyond delusion. We Can be in complete denial. Consider the story of Jonah. He was too angry and too full of angry distorted thoughts to listen to God. But God was nevertheless mindful of Jonah and was working hard in the background to counsel him. Now consider Peter. He showed personality flaws on several occasions- but when he denied he knew Jesus thrice; he suddenly saw his foibles clearly and found reasons for repenting. Not all guilt is irrational. Peter’s guilt allowed him to trust that God would stretch him into a better person if he just cut out the ‘control strategies.’ Then his guilty feelings helped him to manage his ‘daft ends’. Maybe Christian Mindful writers should learn something from Zen. Zen does better than secular mindfulness in another respect, it emphasizes resilience and action planning. Meditations and body scans are meant to last 20 minutes. You have to ‘take your seat’ and stick it out to learn resilience. And then you consider what aspects of your life need resilience. Make a plan, and as you do meditation for half an hour a day, you will develop a resilience which helps you action your plan. A famous cyclist used Zen as he struggled through the last lap in his world championship. To himself he yelled; ‘Not now foot!’ Resilience is about believing you can have mastery in a specific situation, but it is also a serenity prayer approach which recognizes that one can’t change everything about oneself and one needs the restful approach of secular mindfulness as well. You can’t

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DANCE TEACHER RECOGNISED

stay unstuck if you get stuck again. Maybe Christian Mindfulness (like Christian Yoga) is just a pinch from Zen or Hinduism and as such is disreputable. Some Christians would prefer to say; ‘we are the contemplatives’ others would claim that some evidence shows that when Christians do Christian Yoga, they may tend to lose the sense of Christian gravitas which then can lead to loss of commitment. King David tells us that God is mindful of man; ’What is man that thou art mindful of him?’ he writes. And in another Psalm, he writes ‘be still and know that I am God.’ In that stillness David saw more clearly his foibles as psalm 32 and 73 tell us. In Psalm 73, David gets a sudden realisation that envy is his ‘daft end’. We have seen already that David was not always a good man, but he was a man who could gravitate back through Lamentation to rekindle dim memories of God being a rock, who could point him to the heritage of the just. This is mindful remembering, a remembering which puts one onto a larger attentional space. Psalm 139 is the Mindful Psalm of simply observing God’s goodness to him; ‘You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar…’ Christian Mindfulness writers can learn from both secular Mindfulness and Zen. From secular Mindfulness we can learn the idea of being stilled by going into stilled observer mode and thus become observers of our environment. Think of how your brain enjoyed tourism. Your sensory system can still bring up pictures and senses of that massive river, beautiful beach or waterfall. If we allow ourselves to simply be present in church, we too will take in

the ritual or the comings and goings wit interest. From Zen we can learn to be discerning observers of the human condition. And then suddenly we find that the insights into the human condition were there in the Bible all along. From Zen we can also take the idea of resilience and ask ourselves how does the Bible enjoin us to be resilient? Well it tells us to keep remembering and recalling how we have related to God. Different Christians will have different relating styles, that’s the way humans are, those who like rock gospel tend to have different tastes to the folk who like classical music. And for that reason, we stick to our own churches. Paul puts an emphasis on how we should not be stumbling blocks to those who may just gravitate towards faith. So, we have to ask ourselves if we are kind enough to others or if our behaviour might put the faith into disrepute. And if one feels that one can sometimes sound like a jerk or a cynic, don’t be slow to take on some Self Help- Cognitive Therapy or Dialectical Behavioural Therapy which can help one have the tools to shape one’s conditioning. That’s why I like Zen, Zen does not encourage complacency. But to me Zen is good as a therapy but does not make a lot of sense as a religion. Zen is an aid which helps me see the early story of Christianity with some historical empathy. Historical empathy is the ability to escape one’s modern filters as one investigates the thinking of people in a different age. People in Jesus’ time were not rationalists and they didn’t believe that goodness was a natural state. The lesson is that we all need validating, but we also all need to be stretched. God is a stretcher bearer- giving us mental first aid and then stretching us a bit. Our job is to ‘dance as fast as we can’.

HIGHLAND DANCE TEACHER RECOGNISED FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE The Anne Noble School of Dance has been running in Alness for almost 45 years. Over the last 15 years Anne’s dancers have danced aboard each of the cruise liners that have docked in Invergordon forming part of a local music and dance show. Last year, one passenger in particular was so impressed with the dancers performance, that he made investigations to find out exactly who was behind the choreography of the show.

It turns out that the passenger was David Roberts, CEO of UKA Dance, a dance teaching and examination board based in Blackpool who contacted Anne to invite her to be a guest at their 30th Highland Gathering in Aberdeen on 15th February. There Anne was presented with a Roll of Honour Diploma for outstanding services to Highland Dancing by David and the President of UKA Dance, Rhona Lawrence.

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NOSTALGIA WITH ALEX GRAHAM

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TAIN ASG DANCING COMPETITION

TAIN ACTIVE SCHOOLS GROUP DANCING COMPETITION

TAIN ASG DANCING COMPETITION

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Tain and District Flower Club Invite you to join us in

Tain Parish Church Hall Wednesday 11th March at 7.30pm for a demonstration by

Louise Wallace

New members warmly welcomed, Visitors Â£5 Contact Jackie 07710 497877

TAIN

Now at 9 Geanies Street

Wednesdays 3.30pm, 5.30pm and 7.30pm

Tel: Evelyn 07511 133 108

Highland Heatsave Limited BOILER SERVICING AND COMMISSIONING PLUMBING AND HEATING INSTALLATION

Jim Oman, 2 Port Street, Balintore, IV20 1UH TEL 01862 832116 | MOBILE 07803 610838

Tain & District Branch Cats Protection Telephone: (0345) 371 2737 Email: taincats@aol.com www.tain.cats.org.uk

EMPIRE FOODS TAIN WHOLESALE

FRUIT VEGETABLES POTATOES AND FREE RANGE EGGS CONTACT MICHAEL ON

0790 095 8665

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SWIMMING

TASC CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS The winners were presented as follows:

and

awards

Junior Girls Champion: Alexandra More Runner-up: Kayla Burry Junior Boys Champion: George Milligan Runner-up: Ross Marshall S1/S2 Girls Champion: Eleanor Ross Runner-up: Sophie Skinner S1/S2 Boys Champion: Liam Macrae Runner-up: Louie Macleod Senior Girls Champion: Maree Wood Runner-up: Jessica Schulz Senior Boys Champion: Lewis Austin Runner-up: Marcus Ritchie Collier Award (most improved freestyle) Holly Mackay Skinner Award (most improved IM) George Milligan Denis McDonald Award (most PBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s) Maree Wood Hazel Cosens Award (fastest freestyle) Maree Wood Award for most effort Eleanor Ross

Tain Amateur Swimming Club (TASC) held their Annual Club Championships on Sunday 23rd February in Sutherland Swimming Pool in Golspie. A great day was had with lots of fun, fantastic personal bests and many club records broken by those competing. TASC representatives extended a big thank you to all timekeepers, judges, officials, meet recorders, coaches, HOT HEAT starters (Keith and Archie), Julie (Photographer) and all parents that helped out on the day. A list of the event winners and awards presented are listed to the left. Team Tain spent two days at the Elgin Spring Meet at Buckie pool in February. The team consisted of Olivia Mackinnon, Eleanor, Olivia Macleod, Jessica, Louie, Liam and Marcus. Over six swims, Olivia, 12, achieved five personal bests, including a great performance in her first 200m fly swim. Eleanor, 13, achieved six personal bests while also claiming gold medals in the 50m free, 100m breast and 200m free. She also collected a silver in 200m back and a bronze in the 100m fly. By finishing second in the 200m IM, she also qualified for the SKINS competition which she went on to win in a series of very fast paced 50m swims, walking away with ÂŁ50 in prize money! Jessica, 15, accumulated 5 gold medals and two personal bests over 7 swims Lewis, Eleanor and Maree represented TASC and Tain Royal Academy with some fantastic swims in Glasgow on 25th January. In the 100m fly, Lewis

finished in 6th position with a 7.1s personal best. Eleanor competed in the 200m IM and finished 4th with a 10.8s personal best - only 0.7s behind 3rd place! In the 100m back, Maree finished 7th and also finished 5th in the 200m back, achieving a 2.3s personal best. In other news, the club extended its congratulations in February to Jackie Thornhill who has passed her Level 1 Coaching and to Dave Ritchie who passed his Level 1 Judging. Well done to both!

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FOOTBALL

INVER FOOTBALL PITCH REGENERATION

TAIN THISTLE PREPARE FOR SUMMER SEASON

Summer amateurs Inver AFC have been working hard to get their playing surface back up and running ahead of the summer.

North West Sutherland champions Tain Thistle are aiming to win their sixth consecutive league championship

Inver AFC have enlisted the help of the village community and agricultural experts in a bid to get their Inver pitch ready for the new season, having had the turf lifted, rolled and fed. Since last season, their pitch has undergone a renovation, and thanks are due to Allan W J Wilson Ltd and Peter Mackenzie for the work they have carried out. The weather hasn’t been on their side but they are quite confident that it will be back in good shape for the start of the season. On their Facebook page, the Inver committee released the following statement about the season ahead.

Tain Thistle Amateur FC will begin their 2020 defence of the North West Sutherland Amateur league championship this coming May as they aim to make history by winning six back-toback league titles. Thirteen teams make up the NWSAFA membership for 2020, with Dornoch City and Lochroom making returns to the amateur ranks, while long time North West contenders Tongue United were the only team to drop out. Competing in Division 1, Tain’s opponents shall be Brora Wanderers, Golspie Stafford, Helmsdale United, Lochinver and newly promoted Lairg Rovers. This season, the Jags will be under the capable leadership of Alan Duff. The defender missed out on the 2019 campaign due to injury and has been recovering from an operation since that time. Still on the sidelines, Duff agreed to take up the reigns after the previous manager Tony Farquhar signalled his intention to step down earlier this month. Before the league gets underway, teams will contest

“This season we are going to be having BBQ’s and refreshments pitch side, and after the games we

will be going back to the village hall, where upstairs there will be soup sandwiches etc for everyone to enjoy. Pre season training will be starting in a fortnight, everyone is welcome. Any young boys wanting to make the step up to adult football will be warmly welcomed. Any veterans who think they can still cut it will be considered too! We are currently fundraising so that we can fit a new fence round the pitch to keep those pesky rabbits out, and build a shed to keep training gear etc in. We are planning to sell advertising boards for around the pitch at a one off fee of £200, if anyone is interested or knows someone who could be get in touch.”

the Stafford Cup, and Thistle have already learned who they will face in the first round. A home tie against Embo awaits on Saturday, April 18th, and subsequent rounds will take place in the weeks that follow. The draw has been kind with a run of home games awaiting Tain if they are successful en route to the cup final which is traditionally played in Golspie. In 2019, the Jags crashed out to Lairg in the first round, so Duff’s charges will be looking for an immediate improvement on last year at the very least. A decision is yet to be made on whether the club will register to compete in the Highland Amateur Cup. The Jags’ committee met in mid-February to agree upon a plan for fundraising for the new season and the plans are to once again hold a Texas Scramble at Tain Golf Club in aid of club funds. The scramble has become a regular date in the Tain Thistle’s fundraising calendar each year, having held six previous events which typically raises enough for a full term.

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GIZZEN BRIGGS

26TH GIZZEN BRIGGS FIDDLERS’ RALLY The 26th Gizzen Briggs Fiddlers’ Rally maintained the extraordinarily high expectations built up over the years. There were high quality performances throughout, extremely impressive guest artistes and a mystery guest playing on stage. The pipers who opened the programme were Jamie Munro and Fraser Ross, the latter of whom is only four years old. The date being February 29th, Fraser was celebrating his fourth leap year birthday. Taking charge for the evening was Laura Wilkie, who is a former Gizzen Brigger and has established herself as a very popular conductor of these events. The principal compere was Isla Mackenzie, assisted by Iona Ferries, Innes Mackenzie and Isla Ross. The orchestra created a wonderfully wide range of

moods, with too many special moments to mention. The vigorous opening set was followed by a hint of melancholy as whistles began McKechnie’s Farewell. The beautiful Mary K’s Waltz began with a remarkably assured opening by Ruairidh Mackay. The Roarin’ Barmaid really roared along, the first piece in a genuinely exciting set. Exciting, driving tunes are, perhaps, the trademark of Gizzen Briggs, as exemplified by The Summer Island March. However, there was poignancy in Leaving Stoer and a lovely contribution from Alanna Shaw on accordion in Farley Bridge. Domhnall Lachlan Beaton added to the variety with a fine performance of the Gaelic song Nach Boidheach Uige. The second half of the programme opened with extremely accomplished playing from a

small group of strings. They played with obvious enjoyment in the hectic The Stomach Steinway Man, including the vigorous stamp at the end. As the applause at the end of the programme died down, Brian Mackie, the lighting engineer, plunged the whole hall and stage into darkness. From this darkness came the first whistle notes of The Gael. As more instruments joined in, subtle lighting came up on the back of the stage, with the conductor and the front of the orchestra silhouetted against it. And then the tune grew and grew, a very familiar encore performed in a strikingly unusual way. The guest artiste, introduced by Jimmy McLean, was Hamish Napier playing whistle and flute, accompanied by Steve Byrnes on guitar. He proved an extremely engaging performer and gave

the audience a delightful selection of tunes celebrating aspects of life in his home area around Grantown on Spey. There was celebration of the native forest, of the whisky train and even of ceilidhs in his parents’ house (Cherry Grove House Party Choir). The audience’s appreciation was expressed in extremely warm applause. And as for the mystery guest, who was part of the orchestra throughout the concert, but arrived and left in very low key style? This was Kathryn Wilkie, who started Gizzen Briggs over a quarter of a century ago. She must have been delighted to see how the group has continued its remarkably high standard of performance over all those years. Angus Gray

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Sweets & Confectionery, Ice Cream, Hot Dogs Snacks, Kids Toys Newspapers & Magazines Stationery, Hardware, Electricals, Handmade soaps, candles, cards and gifts, made on the premises by young people preparing for work, are available to browse and buy in our shop in Tower Street, Tain. Opening hours: 9.00am – 4.00pm (Monday to Friday) 10.00am – 4.00pm (Saturday) Seasonal plants and produce available to buy at the shop or directly from the Garden Project at Edderton – open Mondays and Thursdays 9.00am – 4.00pm 24 Tower Street, Tain, Ross-shire, IV19 1DY. Telephone 01862 892221 Email madeintain@gmail.com Find us on facebook

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HIGHLAND HOSPICE

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TDPP

OLD FILE

A LETTER FROM JOHN GORDON Dear Niall & Lucy, Congratulations on your Anniversary Issue of the T&DPP which brought back memories of my time in Tain and had me smiling. When I first saw Stephan Pater’s photo of the World Chief Scout visiting Tain Wolf Cub Pack my first thought was that Wilma had her hair permed for that event. I smiled at me for thinking that! Wilma lives in Germany, so perhaps she has been in touch to say that Stephan had her mixed up with her sister. I was smiling again when Stephan mentioned the games which were played, and I thought that these were the days long before the Health & Safety Regulations which we have today. Oh, Stephan’s photo of the Football team on page 35 is a photo of a 1st St Duthus Tain Scout team. (Stewart Strachan lives is Canada and Goalkeeper Chris lives in London.) Billy Grant from Tain and I have recently been able to get the loan of some old Scout photos and pages of Art Work which Billy produced for Scout Log Book/s and relate to happenings at various Scout Camps or Events from the 50’s & 60’s. The picture above is one relating to 1954 when the Tain Scouts visited Edinburgh Zoo and some Scouts had a ride on an Elephant. The Bonaly Camp was the first Camp which Alister Ross was in charge of. He started the Logbook and kept a note of some of the happenings during the camp. After the camp, the artwork was produced in Tain by Billy Grant. At the time when this was done, Alister worked in Heckie Ross’s the Grocers on King Street, Billy in Grant the Bakers on the

OLD FILE corner of High Street and St Duthus Street with Ronnie Duncan working in Shivas’s on High Street at the corner with King Street. A working triangle. Alister later was the Tain Postman for many years. I approached Alister’s daughter, Ella McIntyre and she kindly gave Billy a box of the relevant material before she left Tain on Family business. To the right is the cover of the Log Book with a ditty written by Ronnie Duncan which is not so clear now, so as follows:This here Log is not for burning, It’s only for reading by people of Learning, By future Scouts and by friends who are yearning, To follow the Scouts wherever they’re journeying. RD John A Gordon

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TAIN & DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT TRUST

IN THE LOOP Updates for the community of Tain & District Development Trust

Lets Talk Freely The date is set and the organisations, community groups and volunteers are queuing up to have a blether because in this instance talk is cheap - in fact it's free. The Tain & District Community Café is a place to come for a cuppa and fine piece, where we hope you will try out something new, share experiences and build social connections in your community. The TDDT will be at Tain Royal Academy with a host of amazing groups. We guarantee that there will be something for everyone especially tea, coffee and delicious cakes - did we tell you that it is all free?! Cameras @ the Ready

T The trust are working to boost tourism and visibility through digital channels. Using a fun and interactive way to engage the community. The plan is to run a weekly photographic competition to create awareness of places to visit, encourage local and international tourism, and to promote activities within community, Stay tuned for further updates on our #iloveasteross campaign. :)

OVERVIEW: TSB - Closing Engaging Talks Community Café Website Launch Date Discover Tain & District Dates for your Diary #ILOVEEASTEROSS The Perks of Chamber of Commerce Welcome to our newsletter, keeping the communities of Balintore, Edderton, Fearn, Hilton, Kilmuir & Logie Easter, Nigg, Portmahomack, Shandwick and Tain in the loop about the activities of the Tain & District Development Trust. Formed and led by local people, our goal is to promote our district as a destination to work, rest, learn and play. Stay in touch or comment on our activities. http://www.tainddtrust.co.uk/index.html Tel: 01862 857185 e-mail Info@tainddtrust.com

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TAIN & DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT TRUST

What's Coming Up?

Engaging Talks Across the Highlands Since our last update the TDDT team have been getting involved with community projects, connecting with our neighbouring trusts to share experiences and skills and engaging with the next generation at TRA to learn about 10, 9, 8, Countdown to Launch! their aspirations for our area. . We have been working on the TDDT Community Enterprise HUB website and we aim to launch the site on St Duthac day, which is the 8th March 2020. We have been working hard to make the site easy to navigate and concise. One of the questions we hear most is 'What do you do?' We would love to hear what you think about our new site.

Dates 2020

The Tain branch of TSB will officially close its doors to the public on June 10th 2020 because the way we bank has changed over the years. Our nearest TSB will be in Dingwall. Alternatively TSB customers can conduct their banking through the Post Office, which is also on the High Street.

11th April 16th May 6th (F/F) & 20th June 18th July 15th August 19th September 28th November - Christmas Market Contact the HUB to book a stall.

Dates for your diary 2020 March 2 - Members Networking 8 - St Duthac Day 9 - Linkedin Taster 10 - CPR 2hr 11 - SuNSE - Social Enterprise Academy 12 - 14 All Shook Up by ERMT tickets available at HUB 16 - Instagram Taster 20 - First Aid @ Work 23 - Facebook Taster 25 - SuNSE Social Enterprise Academy

We are delighted to be members of the Inverness Chamber of Commerce who connect support, and represent business in the Highland region. Through our membership the TDDT members are entitled to discounts on the events that the Chamber hold throughout the year. Contact the HUB or check out our social media for details of events that will benefit your organisation.

Discovering Tain and Easter Ross For the past two years the Tain Initiative have compiled the 'Discover Tain and Easter Ross' booklet. Have you seen it? This booklet is a fantastic example of the variety that our community has on offer, From food and drink to history and culture, community and social events, we do it and we do it well! The 2021/2022 edition is currently being compiled by the Tain Initiative team, ready for distribution free of charge across the Highlands. Please contact us if you would like a delivery of these booklets for your business. Check our Facebook page & HUB notice board for more information on events.

WE ARE PEOPLE OF ACTION Making a difference in our communities Would you like to help us? Is there a project we can help you with? THEN COME ALONG TO ANY OF OUR MEETINGS THURSDAY 6TH FEBRUARY, 7PM, PLATFORM 1864, TAIN THURSDAY 13TH FEBRUARY, 1PM, CALEY CAFÉ, BONAR BRIDGE THURSDAY 20TH FEBRUARY, 7PM, CARNEGIE LODGE HOTEL, TAIN FEBRUARY 27TH FEBRUARY, 1PM, SEABOARD MEMORIAL HALL, BALINTORE

FOR INFORMATION PLEASE CALL CAROL ANNE ON 07400 313303

www.highlandprime.co.uk

@HighlandPrime 01862 832061

Come and see us at the Community Markets we are attending this month. Check our facebook page for details

Subscribe Have the magazine delivered direct to your door for £40 per year. Visit www.tainpost.co.uk for more information. Digital Archive A growing Digital Archive of

back issues is now available via www.tainpost.co.uk/ archives.php Get In Touch You can contact the Tain & District Picture Post using the following details;

info@tainpost.co.uk

Address 5B Ross Street, Tain, IV19 1BA (new address!) Phone 01862 857366 Web www.tainpost.co.uk