Thewire march16web

March/April 2016

the Wire life on the banks of the allan water

issue 66

circulation 4200 households

Contact Douglas on: 01786 821 874 or 07912 250 149 douglas.sheasby@icloud.com FULLY QUALIFIED & INSURED 5 MacKenzie Court, Dunblane

ENJOY

DESIGN INNOVATE

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR OUTSIDE ROOM

DESIGN

Hard and soft landscaping Regular garden maintenance Complete lawn care service Tree surgery Patios Garden design package

INNOVATE

ENJOY

ACE OF SPADES Gardening & Landscaping

and a curry Saturday 5th March 7pm for 7.30pm ÂŁ8 a head includes a curry supper (made by Mrs Bhatti) * max 6 per team Full Licensed Bar BOOK NOW by calling The Dunblane Centre on 01786 824 224 All proceeds in aid of walkthewalk & the Dunblane Centre

Registered Scottish Charity SC027397

Hello and welcome to the Spring edition of theWire Okay, so hands up who thought this edition came round just as quickly as it used to?! Funny that, so did I... hard to believe that here we are, at the end of February, with Spring just around the corner!

Good though, as the weather gets a bit kinder (hopefully) we can get back outside, look after our gardens and start to get those jobs around the house done. We have lots of local advertisers ready to help, so give them a call and let them know you saw their number in theWire!

I’m pleased to report that after a bit of promotion over the last few issues, Dunblane now has its very own Marie Curie Fundraising Group. Marie Curie nurses offer vital care and support to people living with a terminal illness in the comfort of their own homes and the monies raised here are spent in our area too. The Group is looking for your help and if you can spare an hour or so on the weekend of the 27/28th FEBRUARY, get in touch with them.

See their note in the Community News for how to contact them - your time, I’m sure, would be hugely appreciated.

The next issue will be for May-June, so deadline will fall on the 8th April. Send your details for Community News + What’s On as soon as you can and don’t forget to include events for both months.

I look forward to hearing from you and wish you all a happy Easter! May your days be filled with much chocolate, oh and maybe more chocolate.... you see the pattern here... not that it’s my favourite time of year or anything ; -)

enjoy the magazine!

Fiona (e: fiona@thewireweb.co.uk) www.thewireweb.co.uk

Features & Editorials

Why do we have Mother Day? P. 6 A Drop of the Black Stuff P. 8 -Biographies P. 16 Small Trees P. 18 Bee Nice P. 20 Snowdrop Festival P. 21 April Showers to October Fun P. 22 Plant of The Month P. 23 Lovely Lilies P. 26 Ordinary People, Interesting Lives P. 30 Cinema Releases P. 32 Easter Eggs P. 35 How Eggstraordinary!

P. 36 Recipes P. 37, 57, 82, 84 Whisper Sales P. 40 Martin Lewis P. 44 Trapped by your Salary?

P. 46 The Wealth Chef P. 48 Writing a CV P. 49 Crufts P. 50 It’s All Child’s Play P 56 Centre Newsletter P. 58 A Good Read P. 62 School Jotters P. 64-66, 68-69 Playtime P. 67 The Addictive FitBit P. 70 Lose Weight & Relieve Stress P. 72 Beauty is more then skin deep P. 74 Aches and Pains P. 76 February is the New January P. 78 Spots P. 80 Herbs & Spices for Health P. 85 Fling Insider P. 87 Community News P. 88-90 DDT P. 91 What’s On Guide P. 92-96 Useful Numbers P. 96 A-Z of Advertisers P. 98

p. 35

Auto

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p. 44

p. 72

p. 56 p. 70

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

p. 32

p. 8

p. 16 p. 37

p. 85 p. 20

p. 50

p. 84 Please mention thewire when responding to adverts

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Why do we have Mother’s Day? “Why do we even have Mother’s Day?” My 13-yearold daughter grumped as I suggested she might like to put some consideration into a card and flowers.

Well Gracie, let me enlighten you...

The organiser...

The full time job...

The therapist...

No holiday. No time off for good behaviour. 24 hours, 365 days per year and no pay. If a boss at work tried to impose these conditions as the terms of my contract I’d have grounds to take him to court.

The housework...

It may surprise you, Princess Gracie, to know that the house does not clean and tidy itself. Clothing does not wash, iron and sort itself into drawers. There isn’t an army of cleaning fairies who pop out at night to dust and run the vacuum cleaner over the carpet. It is actually your Mum. Ok, some of it is me, and you will do the odd chore (generally reluctantly) but mostly, let’s be honest here, it’s mum.

The food...

Meal-planning, shopping, cooking. It’s just done, sorted, no problems. I realise you and your brother clear the table and stack the dishwasher, mostly while grumbling about slave labour and the general unfairness of life, but I’m betting you’d miss the meals if they suddenly stopped.

The taxi...

Where are you supposed to be at 9.30am this Saturday? Or 4pm on Tuesday? Bet mum knows!

That boy you like but who broke your heart? Mum will offer hugs and a shoulder to cry on. That nasty teacher who was making your life a misery? Who spoke to her on your behalf? Which subjects should you take at school? Should you choose hockey practice or clarinet lessons? Mum will advise. You may not like the advice or take it, but you know she cares.

The banker...

That school trip you forgot to tell us about? The night out at the cinema with friends you simply must attend? The new shoes you absolutely have to buy? Who stumps up for all this stuff? That’s right, your mum.

So a card, a handwritten note, a hug, a kiss and a heartfelt ‘Thank you mum’ will go a long way toward making her feel special, and yes it does seem ridiculous we have to have a day set aside for it but that’s the point!

In our busy lives for one day we stop, think and appreciate everything she does. So that, darling daughter is why we have Mother’s Day!

How often do you use your mum as a fareless taxiservice? What if she made you walk, catch a bus or cycle to your friends’ houses. What if she starting charging you?

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To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

classic and contemporary cocktails • old and new world wines local food and real ales • artisan coffee and home baking riverside dining • wood burning stove stirling road, dunblane • 01786 823 318 opening times: mon-thurs 10am - 12pm, fri-sat 11am - 12pm

NOW serving food all day saturday & sunday

Dunblane Community Market A kaleidoscope of arts, crafts and tasty treats SUNDAY 6th MARCH & SUNDAY 3rd APRIL Victoria Hall Dunblane 11am - 4pm Free Entry • Free Parking www.artnmart.co.uk

art M ’ n ‘ t Ar unity Market m Your Co

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7

A Drop of the Black Stuff March 17th is St Patrick’s Day ... a celebration of all things Irish!

People around Ireland and throughout the world will commemorate it with a pint or two of Guinness, Ireland’s unofficial national intoxicant, with more than a 25% share of the beer market.

Arthur Guinness founded the brewery that makes the famous drink. Born in 1725 in County Kildare, Arthur inherited £100 at the age of 27 from his godfather, and three years later he set up business as a brewer. In 1759 he signed a 9,000 year lease on a disused brewery in St James Gate, Dublin where he began brewing porter and ale.

Porter is a dark, well-hopped beer made from brown malt. Its history is closely intertwined with that of stout, a term which originally referred to a beer’s strength but which now refers to the drink’s body and colour.

Today’s Guinness is a dry stout available in a number of variants and strengths, including Guinness Draught, Guinness Original/Extra Stout, Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, Guinness Special Export Stout and Guinness Bitter. It is nicknamed ‘the black stuff’ on account of its dark colour, although it is actually a very dark shade of ruby!

Now brewed in 60 countries and available in over 120, the first Guinness export was to England in 1769, and by 1824 it had become a worldwide brand.

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Sales soared from 350,000 barrels in 1868 to over a million eighteen years later. However, by the 1970s sales were in decline and the company decided to make Guinness Extra Stout ‘more drinkable’, resulting in a brand re-launch in 1981 with pale malt being used for the first time.

Contemporary Guinness Draught and Extra Light Stout are weaker than their 19th Century counterpart, with Foreign Extra Stout and Special Export being closer to the original in character.

Modern Guinness has a burnt flavour and is famous for its smoothness and thick, creamy head.

The production of Guinness continues to change with the times. In November last year the company announced plans to make their beer suitable for vegetarians and vegans by the end of 2016, through the introduction of a new filtration process that will avoid the need to use isinglass from fish bladders.

Claims have been made in the past that Guinness can benefit the heart by helping to prevent harmful deposit build-up on artery walls. It has also been described as a ‘meal in a glass’, and at 198 calories per pint, has slightly fewer calories than skimmed milk, orange juice and most other light beers.

So, I wish you a happy St Patrick’s Day, filled with friends, fun, smiles and a drop of the black stuff.

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

craft fair

Dunblane Cathedral Halls Saturday 27th February 10:30am to 4:00pm

Cafe & 30 stalls Entry 50p

(accompanied children free) Supporting Dunblane Cathedral Handbell Ensembles

Don’t Forget!

yourSTYLE Wedding Event Sunday 13th March 2016 12- 4pm Victoria Halls, Dunblane

Featuring Hair & Make Up Demos , Red Carpet Gown Launch, Bridal & Grooms Wear Experts, Stationary Design, Venues, Catering Specialists ........and much more

Sponsoredthat

by Point Nouveau Bridal, 58the High Dunblane t: 826725 To acknowledge our event is being held on 20 Street, year anniversary of the terrible school tragedy in Dunblane, Winner instead Best of charging stall holders to attend event, we will be asking them to make a donation.

Bridal Retailer Scotland.

Theour Bridal Buyer Awards, 2015 The money collected will be given to the Dunblane Centre.

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Planning a new bathroom?

Let Altal help...

Full installation of bathrooms and showers.

Can organise all other trades so the whole job is professionally finished from start to finish.

ALTAL PLUMBERS DUNBLANE 07970 228 248 or 01786 822 525 www.altal.co.uk

W. Wilson & Sons

YOUR LOCAL GAS SPECIALIST Install and Service of Boilers, Cookers and Gas Fires including LPG Gas and Oil Boilers Gas Safety Checks & Legionella Risk Assessments (Tailored Landlord Packages) Domestic & Commercial Gas Repairs

t: 01786 842 225 e: info@wilsonsgas.co.uk

3 Murchison Park, Stirling Rd, Doune

www.wilsonsgas.co.uk 10

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

From grade A energy rated windows & doors, UPVC soďŹƒts & guttering, to a full re-roofing service your home is safe in our hands For more information call Freephone 0800 1577 555 or Dunblane 823 611

www.rooflineadvicecentre.co.uk info@rooflineadvicecentre.co.uk Head Office: 17 Braemar Park, Dunblane Offices at Unit 8, Phoenix Estate, Springkerse Industrial Estate, Stirling, FK7 7SG

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To advertise in the

Looking at me?

Find out how to get your business on this page and get customers looking at YOU Call Fiona on 07720 429 613 or email fiona@thewireweb.com 12

Stirling’s Garage Door Specialists Up & Over and Sectional Manual & Automated Garage Doors * Extensions * Loft Conversions * Garage Conversions * Renovations * Kitchens * Bathrooms * Flooring * Double Glazing * Window Repair * Fencing * Small Building Work * Maintenance Work

Call us today for a FREE Estimate 07792 056 857 or 07920 511 705 sfcjoiners@yahoo.co.uk 9 Ardoch Crescent, Dunblane

Up & Over or Sectional Garage Doors Matching Side Doors Roller garage Doors Operators Sales, Servicing & Repairs

t: 01786 474 709 info@kaygaragedoors.co.uk www.kaygaragedoors.co.uk

Key Garage Doors, Unit 1 Pheonix In Estate Springbank Road, Stirling, FK7 7SG

Mackie Electrical Services Electrical Contractor & Minor Plumbing Work (not gas) Mobile 07770 516 463 or Phone: 01786 841 852 Approved Electrical Installer All work guaranteed, tested & certified • • • • • • • •

Member No: 13023

All types of electrical work carried out Domestic & Commercial New build & extensions Rewires & alterations Fault finding and repair Condition reports for landlords and home reports Bathroom updates & Shower installation Electrical & plumbing work on new kitchen installations

Visit www.mackie-electrical.com for more information

Tam Mackie email: tam@mackie-electrical.com 8 Leny Road, Deanston, Doune

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HOMEWORX HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES

Get all those annoying jobs done • Internal/ external painting and decorating • Plastering and tiling • Pointing and render repair • Gutter cleaning and repair • Removal of moss from roofs • General DIY Homeworx thrive on providing a professional service at a competitive price.

All work is to a high standard, guaranteed and fully insured.

Call for a FREE quote on 01786 826 992 or 07882 040 613 or email homeworx@hotmail.co.uk www.homeworx.org.uk

J&R JOINERY AND PLUMBERS • • • • •

All types of joinery work undertaken, internal and external. Fitted kitchens, DIY furniture etc.

All types of plumbing work undertaken.

Installation of bathrooms, showers and ceramic tiling, storage tanks & pipes unblocked Cleaning of gutters and downpipes, drains unblocked.

Special reduction for OAPs Scaffold can be supplied and erected for maintenance to soffits, fascias, gutters, chimneys etc.

Contact us on 01786 824 478 or 07749 023 484

no job too small ... we do it all!

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To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

John McLaren Approved Electrical Installer Established 1965

We’re here for all your electrical needs Modern Circuit Breakers

Now is the time to replace your old fuse box with a modern circuit breaker unit and vote ‘yes’ to solving problems at the flick of a switch.

RONITE Heaters

Platinum Builders Scotland Ltd Joinery Plumbing Electrical Plastering Painting Tiling Full house restorations & extensions Free Quotations

01786 826 726 or 07841 405 774 Old Doune Road, Dunblane

Made to replace storage heaters but will actually enhance any cold spot in the house, very efficiently.

L.E.D. Lighting is proving a great success and costs are greatly reduced.

We also carry out annual PAT testing, landlord safety checks and can help you meet the requirements in commercial premises too.

As a member of our governing body SELECT, all our work is guaranteed, tested and certified.

Call us for more information t: 01786 823 533 Willie: 07899 877 822 Craig: 07436 815 247 e: john_mclaren@btconnect.com

Dave Anderson Window Cleaning

Est. 1999

Commercial & residential window cleaning in Dunblane, Bridge of Allan, Stirling and surrounding areas High reach water fed pole system

07801 584 301 dawinclean@gmail.com

Fully Licenced and Insured

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15

Auto-biographies

by Tim Barnes-Clay Motoring Writer at www.carwriteups.co.uk

New Skoda Superb Estate The new ŠKODA Superb Estate is the ideal companion for everyday family and working life.

Driving it on the UK’s roads recently, I discovered the fresh model has the largest boot in the automotive mid-class. Although the Superb Estate is only 23mm longer than its predecessor, the load area holds 27 litres more than before with the rear seats up.

By putting the chairs down in the back, the capacity will increase to almost two cubic metres - 85 litres larger than that of the second-generation model.

Even carrying long objects is possible; the front passenger seat can easily be folded down when required. This allows objects of up to 3.10 metres in length to be transported.

The new ŠKODA Superb Estate not only triumphs in terms of space, but also in its practical solutions.

Up to 31 Simply Clever features are on offer for the model – 11 of which are in the boot alone.

Just as with the saloon version, the latest ŠKODA Superb Estate is optionally available with a virtual pedal, which enables you to open the electric tailgate hands-free with a simple foot movement around the bottom of the rear bumper.

Another new addition making its debut on the new ŠKODA Superb Estate is the practical tip-to-close function that initiates the electric boot closing mechanism with a simple pull. Additionally, folding down the rear backrests can be done at the touch of a button, situated in the load area.

The variably adjustable false boot floor offers the highest practical benefits in the ŠKODA Superb Estate. This intermediate moveable surface can divide the boot in various ways, making it more flexible. The system also creates practical storage space: the boot’s coat shelf and the retractable cover can be stored under the double floor.

The roller cover has been designed as a manual retractable load covering. By applying gentle pressure, it automatically moves back and the boot is free for loading. The cover also has an automatic unlocking roller blind. This means it will automatically move one notch back when the boot door opens.

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Another practical feature is the aforementioned new coat shelf, which can be found under the roller cover. This can hold flat items, such as a jacket.

Four folding hooks in the boot can help to securely transport items that might otherwise move around, for example shopping bags. The ŠKODA net programme is also useful here; one horizontal and two vertical nets can secure items when required.

Finally, in the boot you will also find a removable LED torch, which can be used outside the vehicle.

The flashlight is charged automatically in its holder as you drive, and is also magnetic.

The ŠKODA Superb Estate I drove - and highly recommend - is the SE L Executive 2.0 TDI 190PS 4x4 DSG. It offers bags of pull, up to 55.4mpg - and 0-62mph in a quick 7.7 seconds.

It’s obviously a larger, heavier version of its latest hatchback sibling, but this doesn’t affect its dynamic ability. What’s more, grip is fantastic in poor weather, thanks to this particular model’s all-wheel drive system.

All the key controls feel smooth and well-weighted – hearteningly classy, even. And the Superb goes about its business in a hushed, unruffled manner, irrespective of the engine you choose.

PROS ‘N’ CONS • Practical √ • Voluminous √ • Comfortable √ • Handsome √ • Getting Pricey X FAST FACTS (SE L Executive 2.0 TDI 190PS 4x4 DSG) • Max speed: 142 mph • 0-62 mph: 7.7 secs • Combined mpg: 54.4 • Engine layout: 1968 cc, 4 cylinder, 16 valve turbo diesel • Max. power (bhp): 187 • Max. torque (lb.ft): 295 • CO2: 135 g/km • Price: £31,420

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

Planting the Seed Dunblane School of Motoring Grade 6 Instructor Over 30 yrs Experience Block Booking Discount Free Motorway Lesson

LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION LTD From initial consultation and full colour design to complete garden build... all under one roof!

01786 82 52 82 07767 355 411

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www.cruachanlandscaping.co.uk 01786 841 719 01877 339 993

*NEW* 7 seater available on request

Registered Member

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Small Trees Trees are wonderful additions to a suburban garden but many people worry about ‘things getting out of hand’. It’s understandable – many popular species are monstrous things. Garden centre labels can be misleading and it’s important to research.

A tree is the perfect solution to a space, even in those gardens which are little more than a paved yard. There are many genuinely small trees about, if you know what to look for. There’s nothing like a tree to really give a space that third dimension, to relieve the monotony of the flat garden floor and the four walls that surround it.

As a compromise, people may plant a tree against the boundary – pushing it to the edge. I say plant it nearer the middle, off to one side of the lawn or at the front of the border, or near the house. Very few trees damage drains and foundations and they’re mainly vigorous trees with thick roots – exactly the kind we don’t want. I’d love to look out of my bedroom window through the upper branches of a tree, at all the birds there. In a garden you want a light airy canopy that the sun can shine through, casting a cool dappled shade. This will also make an environment for woodland plants - there are plenty of gorgeous plants that need shade.

It goes without saying that the tree needs to be interesting for as much of the year as possible, with flowers and fruit, new foliage, autumn colour and bark effects, not to mention the overall form of the tree, with and without leaves. The first thing to avoid in a small garden is anything that simply fills the space with an overwhelming blob of foliage, so I would generally avoid evergreens. Pinus and 18

Eucalyptus can have a light airy canopy but most get big. Some deciduous trees also have a dense canopy – horse chestnuts most obviously.

Here are a few suggestions: Acer – Japanese Maples are the obvious ones but most people go for the fine leaved forms, which are shorter, certainly, but also very wide and that means they take up a lot of space. Choose one of the taller varieties – they are the epitome of light, graceful airiness. Well-known varieties are Senkaki and Katsura, or species like circinatum or coreanum Sorbus – there are many small rowans with fine ferny foliage, spring flowers, autumn leaves and berries. S.cashmeriana, forrestii and koehneana are usually available.

Prunus – avoid the common flowering cherries – go for forms of incisa or subhirtella, or cultivars like Pandora or Okame Malus – ornamental crab apples like M.transitoria, sieboldii and toringoides. M. trilobata is one of the very best.

Betula – most birches are over 20ft but have a light canopy Other possibilities – Quercus pontica, Magnolia wilsonii, Eucryphia glutinosa, Stewartia, Hamamelis, Cercis candensis, Genista aetnensis, Picrasma quassioides, x Chitalpa tashkentensis, Aesculus x mutabilis Induta, Nyssa sinensis, Sophora microphylla, Cornus alternifolia Argentea, Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana, Elaeagnus angustifolius, Halesia, Styrax

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

Landscaping, Design & Construction

Kare Gardens Complete, professional garden care service from a local company * planning * designing * creating * maintaining * landscape supplies

01786 825 442 or 07801 445 028 info@karegardens.com www.karegardens.com

Stirling’s Gate and Garage Door Specialists WILLIAM KAY LTD Est. 1940 Residential Iron Gates Wrought Iron Gates Driveway Gates Agents for: SCAFELL, WINDERMERE & BUTTERMERE

t: 01786 474 709 info@kaygaragedoors.co.uk www.kaygaragedoors.co.uk

Kay Garage Doors, Unit 1Phoenix Ind. Est., Springbank Rd, Stirling FK7 7SG

Kevin MONAGHAN Slating Tiling Gutters - cleaned, renewed or repaired General Building & Property Maintenance Cement Pointing Mastic Pointing Plastering All types of roofing Roofs De-mossed

Phone Kevin on Dunblane 07866 032 954

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19

Bee nice!

Albert Einstein supposedly declared that, ”if the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left” There is much debate over whether the great man actually did make such an assertion as he was a physicist after all, not an entomologist, but whether he did or not, it’s a scary thought.

There’s no doubt about it, honey bees and bumble bees are of enormous agricultural importance. It ius estimated that more than a third of the world’s crop production relies on these bees. Without them we’re in trouble and they are in decline. Pesticides, loss of habitat and disease are all thought to be playing a part.

Bees are fascinating and beautiful creatures and as gardeners we can play our part in their continued survival. It’s simple: bees need flowers for sustenance, flowers need bees for survival and gardeners need flowers to garden!

First it’s important to think ahead and provide flowers for bees throughout their lifecycle, which runs from March to September. Here are some suggestions: Spring: bluebells, bugle, flowering cherry, forget-e-not (Myosotis), hellebore and rosemary are all good Spring plants.

Late summer/early autumn: aster, buddleia, dahlia, eryngium, fuchsia, heather, lavender and sedum.

Second, unfortunately not all flowers are created equal! Frilly double flowers, for example, are too elaborate. They have so many petals that the bees struggle to get to the nectar and pollen. This is the reason that single dahlias attract lots of bees whilst double varieties are generally ignored. Single flowered rose varieties are also good, such as the rambler Seagull, with its flat open white blooms, large yellow stamens and heady scent. Any similar rambler grown over a fence or wall will do. Some, like the pale pink Little Rambler, will even repeat flower. Ramblers are terrific roses. They are vigorous, disease resistant and great for covering bare fences, unsightly sheds and walls. Best of all they need next to no pruning!

The main thing is to keep it simple: a few flowers for each part of the bee life cycle and no overly fancy varieties. I’m not saying you shouldn’t grow double flowered dahlias if that’s what floats our boat, it’s just that Mr Bee would appreciate a few single flowered varieties thrown into the mix. Let’s make this the year we all nice to bees; our future may depend on it!

Summer: aquilegia, sweet peas, fennel, foxgloves, potentilla, roses, stachys, teasel, thyme and verbascum.

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To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

Stirlingshire Gardens opening for the Snowdrop Festival on behalf of Scotland’s Gardens: Gargunnock House Garden, Gargunnock, FK8 3AZ 1 February - 13 march 11:00am - 3:00pm Admission: £4.00, Children free.

Money to go in the honesty box at the car park.

Directions: five miles west of stirling on A811, follow the Scotland’s Gardens signs.

Duntreath Castle, Blanefield, G63 9AJ, tel: 01360 770 215 Open by arrangement from 1 February Admission: £4.00, Children free Directions: A81 north of Glasgow between Blanefield and Killearn.

The Linns, Sheriffmuir, Dunblane ,FK15 0LP By arrangement 15 february - 13 march tel: 01786 822 295 Admission: £4.00, Children free Directions: Sheriffmuir by Dunblane.

West Plean House, Denny Road, by Stirling, FK7 8HA Sunday 28th february 1:00pm - 4:00pm Admission: £4.00, Children free Directions: leave all routes at junction 9 roundabout where M9/M80 converge. Take the A872 for denny, go less than a mile, turn left at the house sign and immediately after lodge cottage. Carry on up the drive.

Tamano by Braco,FK15 9LP Wednesday 2 march 2:00pm - 4:30pm Wednesday 9 march 2:00pm - 4:30pm Admission: £3.00, Children free Directions: Tamano is about 1½ miles north of Kinbuck. Coming from south to north on A9 turn on to B8033 from Dunblane to Kinbuck and go through Kinbuck towards Braco. From north to south turn off at the Greenloaning and Braco sign; turn left in Braco following signs for Kinbuck.

FOR ALL YOUR LANDSCAPING SUPPLIES & SERVICES

Agents for Calor Gas Gas cylinders in all sizes & all associated fittings in stock. Delivery & collection available in all areas.

In Stock:

Fence Paint, Teak Oil & Brushes.

Screws, Nails, Bolts.

Glues, Mastic & Adhesives.

Hinges, Padlocks & Locks.

Hand Tools, Axes, Rakes,Trowels & Saws.

Greenhouse Fixings, Heaters & Paraffin.

Bark, Topsoil, Sand & Gravels Cement, Postmix Concrete.

Bird Food, Seed/Nuts and Feeders.

Garden Machinery Timber Fencing Garden Shrubs and Potted Gifts

Open to trade and public - 7 days

Stockbridge Nurseries, Kilbryde Rd, Dunblane (just off the bypass, on the road to Doune)

01786 821414

www.molawn.com

Admission fees go to various nominated charities For more information on the gardens visit our website: www.scotlandsgardens.org

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21

April Showers to October Fun...

It’s wonderful to see the first fresh, local, asparagus appear for sale this month and if you’ve a bit of space spare on your plot now’s the time to plant this gourmet crop. Buy one year old crowns and plant them immediately into well drained soil. You should be able to take a small harvest next year and they’ll carry on cropping for up to 20 years!

Now is the time for April showers and with the weather warming up all the time and some gentle rain you’ll soon be seeing lots of changes on your veggie plot.

It’s a time when any indoor space, be it greenhouse, cold frame, or just window sills, is likely to be filling rapidly with young seedlings. If you are thinking of planting some of your seedlings out then don’t forget to harden them off first. You can move the pots outside each morning, bringing them in at night to gradually acclimatise them to the change.

Do remember too that late frosts can still happen in April, damaging plants that are unprotected. Watch the weather forecast and if there’s any danger of frost then use fleece or cloches to protect plants where necessary.

On the subject of cloches, save any empty plastic bottles that you may have. Cut the bottom off and you are left with a wonderful mini cloche to protect seedlings that are recently planted out. Push the plastic down into the soil firmly and it will keep off not only some of the chill but also any slugs that may have their eye on tasty young leaves.

Are you a fan of Halloween? Pumpkins can be quite expensive come the end of October and then there’s always the hunt for one just the right size. Why not 22

have a go at growing one (or several!) of your own this year?

Pumpkins need a long, growing season to ripen well so now is the time to start them off. There’s lots of different varieties, including some giant ones if you want something really impressive to carve. Look out on the packets for ones that are early ripening for the best chances of success.

Pumpkin seeds are huge so it’s easy to sow just one to each pot. I’d sow at least 3 plants, if they all germinate and mature it’ll probably be more than you need (they can take a lot of room as they grow) but it’s better to have spare in case you lose some early on - if they all grow well you can always pass one on to a friend or neighbour and have a competition to see who gets the biggest pumpkin!

You’ll need to keep your young plant inside until all risk of frost has passed. When it comes time to plant the pumpkin out it will like lots of nutrients in the soil. Dig out a large hole and put in lots of well rotted compost - or you can even plant your pumpkin straight on top of an old compost heap. They’ll bloom with wonderfully exotic looking, huge yellow flowers and it’s wise to consider removing the growing tip once three fruit have set as this will give a better chance for larger, riper, pumpkins. Support the growing fruits on a bed of straw to avoid them dropping off or becoming mushy.

Are you enjoying purple spouting broccoli at the moment? You can buy summer varieties to plant now, or try Calbrese (this has the green heads) which is best planted straight into the beds where they will grow.

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

A Kerr Garden Services All aspects of gardening work undertaken

Grass Cutting Hedge Cutting Garden Clearances Turfing Regular Garden Maintenance

JONNO ROCK Traditional Drystone Walling: Dykes & Features

07523 294 689 jonnorock@btinternet.com www.jonnorockdrystone.weebly.com

01786 833 497 07895 697 628 Based in Bridge of Allan with over 30 years gardening experience

Plant of the Month:

Tomato

Growing tomatoes from seed is super easy and you can get started in late February to ensure a lovely summer crop to look forward to.

Simply fill a small pot with compost and scatter seeds thinly over the top then cover with another thin layer and water.

Pop the pot on the windowsill to help the seeds to germinate and keep an eye on them. This is a great project to do with kids as you’ll see seedlings within a couple of weeks and within a couple of months they’ll be big enough to move into separate pots.

You can move them using a dibber and carefully lower them into their own, individual small pot.

Once you see the yellow flowers appear you’re ready to put them into grow bags outside with canes.

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The local supplier for all your hardware needs....

Come and visit us and have a look round. With 20 years experience and knowledge of the building trade. Our friendly staff are on hand to help with advice on all your DIY projects to ensure you are supplied with correct materials and equipment.

Easy to find, parking on site. Why not try here first?

Doune Woodyard Ltd, Lochill Industrial Estate, Doune, FK16 6AD 01786 841 204 sales@dounewoodyard.co.uk

www.dounewoodyard.co.uk 24 To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613

Lochil Ind. Estate & Doune Woodyard Cemetery

Petrol Station

To Thornhill

e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

TRACKS LAND • GROUND • CIVILS • CONTRACTORS

Turfi ng & Grass Seed • Garden Features • Domestic & Commercial Paving • Drainage • Patios & Decking Driveways • Brick & Stone Work • Concreting Terracing Hard & Soft Landscaping • Fencing Please see our website for more details on how TRACKS can help with all your garden projects

www.tracksme.co.uk 01786 822 900 / 07773 367 617 tom@tracksme.co.uk Please mention thewire when responding to adverts

25

Lilies!

Lovely Lilies (and a spot of hard-pruning) The first day of spring this year is officially March 20th. Trees are blossoming and daffodils are in bloom. The garden has woken up from its winter sleep and is full of promise.

But promise is not enough. A beautiful garden does not happen by chance. So what are the top jobs for March gardeners?

Pruning features large! Hard-prune those late flowering shrubs like Buddleia, Leycesteria and Lavateria, but only if the risk of heavy frost is past.

Spring-flowering plants such as Forsythia and Winter Honeysuckle should be pruned immediately the flowers fade.

If you haven’t already pruned your bush roses, now is the time. Leave about an inch of last year’s growth to encourage bushiness and lots of flowers. Shrub roses don’t need such radical treatment but would benefit from losing a third of their old, thick, woody stems.

Lift congested clumps of snowdrops while they still have leaves showing.

Finally, stay on top of the weeds. If you leave them, weeding quickly becomes an insurmountable chore.

Ok, we’ve dispensed with the hard work, now it’s time to look ahead.

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I have one word for you...

I always thought they were tricky to grow, and so they proved, mainly because my garden doubles as a slug sanctuary!

Then I had an epiphany. It dawned on me that if I grew them in pots, slug prevention would be easier, plus I didn’t run the risk of slicing through the fat, scaly bulbs or tender shoots with my hoe while enthusiastically weeding my plot. Even better, it means you can grow them even if you only have a balcony.

There are loads of varieties in the garden centres right now. Three bulbs fit nicely into an 8inch / 20cm pot and five fit into a ten inch / 25cm pot.

I’ve found terracotta pots best because they provide enough weight to prevent these tall plants tipping over.

Lilies need an open planting mixture which drains well so I use a mixture of potting compost plus a soil-less multi-purpose compost. The bulb tips should be a couple of inches below the compost.

Keep in a sheltered spot and water when the surface of the compost looks dry. Once the buds have formed, feed weekly with dilute tomato food until late summer. When the blooms fade, cut the stems down and place in a sheltered spot.

Each spring, scrape away a couple of inches of compost and add fresh mixture, then repeat the instructions above. Treated like this your lilies will reward you for three or four years before they need re-potting.

There are a plethora of colours and scents available, so there is a lily for everyone. Try them.

I guarantee you’ll be as in love with lilies as I am.

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

SEASONED

HARDWOOD

LOGS FOR SALE £5 per bag or 5 bags for £20

Small charge for local delivery or phone ahead to collect at the farm

• Grass cutting • Shrub pruning • Planting • Hedge trimming • Tree work • Weeding • Lawn renovation and treatment programmes • Low maintenance gardens

For more information, contact Ian on 07909 796 658 or email:

forthdimensiongardens@gmail.com www.forthdimensiongardens.webs.com

Tel: 01786 841 373 Niall: 07967 416 973 Tom: 07815 557 184 www.centralscotlandfirewood.com

Lerrocks Farm (Red Kite Centre) Argaty, Doune

DUNBLANE DRIVEWAYS Bryce S Graham

Paving & Landscaping Specialist All types of Paving, Slabbing & Monoblocking Driveways, Patios, Paths & Surfacing Work Garden Walls, Fencing and Property Maintenance.

Garden Clearances Contact Bryce for more information

01786 842 343 or 07753 434 007 Dunblane

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27

GARDENING SERVICES

Garden Maintenance & Landscaping Tree & Hedge Cutting Green Waste Removal Moss Removal (Roofs, Paths & Walls) Fencing & Decking Slabs Laid Pressure Washing Gutter Cleaning

Across 1 5 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 18 20 22 23 24 Down 2 3 4 5 6 7 11 13 15 17 19 21

Material used to make tents (6) Skimpy knickers! (6) Earth, compost (4) Green vegetable (8) Bendy fruit (6) Hard yellowish tooth deposit (6) Area, region (4) Frozen water (3) Nip, chomp (4) Expression, brief utterance (6) Lightweight waterproof jacket (6) Sticky insect trap (8) Barrage, bombardment (4) Undercover, secret (6) Brine (6) Odour, scent (5) Group of houses, rural community (7) The Beatles sang about a yellow one! (9) As well, also (3) Coveted film award (5) Dashing, debonair (7) Dictionary of synonyms and antonyms (9) Shakespearean play (7) House of ill repute! (7) Bramley, Granny Smith, Cox (5) Extra-terrestrial (5) Container, vessel (3)

Looking after ALL your outdoor space For an affordable quote contact Blyth on Dunblane 07926 963 081 brgardening@btinternet.com Argyle Grove, Dunblane

SRC Landscapes Ltd Dunblane based company, est. 1997

Get ready for Spring!

Spring planters, bedding and hanging baskets Contact Steven on t: 01786 823 738 or 07767 605 135 stevieclarkson@yahoo.co.uk

COMING SOON:

our new website www.srclandscapes.co.uk

Stay up to date on our facebook page & look out for new seasonal ranges & gift selections 28

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

NEW to Doune Woodyard...

Table Transformers!

Struggling for space in the garden?

Our cleverly designed tables transform into benches with an easy mechanism.

So you can have a comfy seat in the sun, or a table for 4 or more, whenever you want, as easily as that!

They are made from solid wood, treated to last many years with a pine finish or supplied unfinished for you to create your own unique design. Made to order, any size you require, there’s even one for kids which would make a handy extra table or seat in the house when you needed it.

Contact us for more information or come in and see them for yourself

ORDER NOW

Doune Woodyard Ltd, Lochill Industrial Estate, Doune, FK16 6AD 01786 841 204 sales@dounewoodyard.co.uk

www.dounewoodyard.co.uk

Please mention thewire when responding to adverts

29

Ordinary people, Interesting lives....

Kindly supplied by Muriel Alexander from Scottish Relatives and Roots Researching family history can be an exciting, revealing and challenging activity which at once can be absorbing, addictive and even obsessive! The findings can solve mysteries, answer questions and equally reveal new ones, and often change lives and perceptions. The activity offers a sense of fulfilment, reward and satisfaction. However, it can also be a very time consuming activity which requires huge commitment, patience and resilience, often encountering “brick walls”.

I experienced all of this when, prompted by the deaths of my parents some years ago, and never having met any of my grandparents, I felt that our immediate family were in danger of losing important information about the generations which preceded us. I decided to find out more about my ancestors so that I could pass on a legacy to my future generations.

Little did I know that I would discover extraordinary facts and news about seemingly ordinary people.

When clearing out my parents’ house, I was fortunate to find a family bible which contained details of some of my ancestors, and some WWI correspondence from the War Office which, together with an elderly aunt’s carefully documented collection of original source documents such as birth, marriage and death certificates, enabled me to begin the construction of a basic family tree which formed the basis for further research.

While I knew something about my mother’s side of the family, I knew much less about my father’s ancestors, and specifically his own maternal grandmother and grandfather. My father’s twin brother was Robert Scott Bourhill and my aunt explained to me that Robert was named after my great grandfather, Robert Scott, of whom I had no knowledge.

The marriage certificate of Robert Scott and his wife, my great grandmother Margaret Gillies Peattie, showed that at the time of their marriage, Margaret was a nurse in a private home in Edinburgh and Robert was a gamekeeper, who was normally resident in Margham, South Wales. This aroused my curiosity as I had always wondered why there was a gravestone for my great grandmother in Scotland, but not for her husband.

I discovered that the couple had moved to Margham after their marriage in 1893, and raised a family – my grandmother Daisy and my great uncle Robert Scott, or Bert. My great grandfather was the head gamekeeper for the Talbot Family, who owned

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Margham Castle Estate, Port Talbot at that time. On 8th June 1898, Robert discovered a poacher within the grounds who shot Robert fatally, once in the face and then in the shoulder. The poacher, Joseph Lewis, told his friends about the incident who informed the police and Lewis was arrested and tried for the murder of Robert Scott. Lewis was found guilty and was the last person hung publicly at Swansea Prison on 30 August 1898. The volume of newspaper articles that I was able to find about this whole incident was at once fascinating, detailed and harrowing.

Original correspondence dated 19th June 1898 sent from the Talbots - the owners of the Margham Castle estate at the time but who were based at Cavendish Place in London - shows that they gladly provided a pension for Margaret in recognition of her husband’s work, and tragic death. This enabled the family to move back to Dalkeith in Midlothian where the family settled, renting a cottage from the Buccleuch estate and allowing her to set up a small business as a shopkeeper. Daisy became a dressmaker, then ran the shop. Tragically, Bert was killed in action in the Somme in 1916, aged 20.

However, the terrible circumstances surrounding my grandfather’s death keep him “employed”. Using a variety of resources, I have learned as much about his life after death as of his life itself. This reveals that Robert is the resident ghost at Margham Castle, which is reputed to be one of the most haunted castles in Wales, hosting so-called “Fright Nights”!

I visited the Castle and the area four years ago where the Friends of Margham Castle society very kindly hosted a tour of the castle and I saw the staircase and corridors where Robert is reputed to walk, his gravestone, and the estate which he managed. Uncannily, I also met the gentleman who conducts the ghost tours and who has met my great grandfather! So a “virtual” family connection was made between 1898 and 2012, not something that everyone can boast!

If you would like to find out more about your own family’s past, or want to satisfy any curiosity that you have about your ancestral roots, contact me today for a no obligation chat. muriel@scottishrelativesandroots.co.uk or phone me on 01786 826745 www.scottishrelativesandroots.co.uk

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

Professional Family Tree and House History Research • Locally based, specialised and personalised service • Ideal gift opportunity for a special event or celebration • Packages to suit range of budgets Contact Scottish Relatives and Roots now to explore the range of options available muriel@scottishrelativesandroots.co.uk t: 01786 826 745 or 07766 386 596 www.scottishrelativesandroots.co.uk

ROBERT

PAUL c h a r te re d a rc h i te c t s 01786 825 575

info@ paul-architects.co.uk www.paul-architects.co.uk 102 High Street, Dunblane

Iain Wilson Property Maintenance & Improvements

For all your DIY & Maintenance Jobs from fitting a shelf, or replacing a tap washer to installing a kitchen or painting a house.

Certified PAT Testing Service Work Recommended by Local Clients & Estate Agents Call for a free no obligation quote

Dunblane 01786 821335 07890 948 359 61 Buchan Drive, Dunblane

b u i l d i n g y our d r e a m s Please mention thewire when responding to adverts

31

CINEMA Latest Film Releases Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice

Following his titanic struggle against General Zod, Metropolis has been razed to the ground and Superman is the most controversial figure in the world. While for many he is still an emblem of hope, a growing number of people consider him a threat to humanity, seeking justice for the chaos he has brought to Earth.

As far as Bruce Wayne is concerned, Superman is clearly a danger to society. He fears for the future of the world with such a reckless power left ungoverned, and so he dons his mask and cape to right Superman’s wrongs.

The rivalry between them is furious, fuelled by bitterness and vengeance, and nothing can dissuade them from waging this war. However, a dark new threat arises in the form of a third man: one who has a power greater than either of them to endanger the world and cause total destruction.

Captain America: Civil War

One year after the events of Age of Ultron, Steve Rogers and the Avengers become embroiled in another incident on an international scale. The aftermath of which prompts numerous politicians to take action to deal with the collateral damage.

The proposition is for the Avengers to be monitored by a governing system of accountability which will oversee and direct the team, determining under what circumstances they are enlisted to help.

But the Avengers are far from united in moving forward under the new governing body. The team divide into opposing forces: Captain America/Steve Rogers heads up the team who seek to operate without the controlling hand of a regulating body, and Iron Man/Tony Stark leads the opposition, who wish to work with the government in safeguarding the world from new enemies.

London has Fallen

The dramatic sequel to 2013’s Olympus Has Fallen is an intense thriller . Following the mysterious death of the British Prime Minister, the leaders of the world converge in London to pay their respects. Secret Service agent Mike Banning is there to protect the President of the United States, Benjamin Asher. A sudden series of attacks around the city leaves many of the world leaders dead, with Mike only just managing to protect the President. A high-profile terrorist vows to wreak havoc in capitals around the world if the US President is not given up, but VicePresident Speaker Trumbull stands against him, stating that the President will not be sacrificed. In the face of utter destruction, can the President be protected, and will chaos reign across the Western World?

Norm of the North

Norm is anything but normal, as far as polar bears are concerned. Not only is he ridiculously clumsy, but also far too nice to be as good a hunter as his peers, and is mocked by the other animals in his Arctic homeland.

However, the one thing he is firm about is tourists; they are simply not welcome in his backyard. When he learns that a developer has plans to build luxury apartments right on his doorstep, he is understandably annoyed, and decides to set off on a mission to the Big Apple in order to stop them.

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To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

kitchens • bespoke furniture • bathrooms • project management

Front Street • Braco by Dunblane • FK15 9PX • 01786 880 489

www.bracodesigns.co.uk Please mention thewire when responding to adverts

33

Easter Eggs Throughout history, eggs have been associated with Easter celebrations. In ancient times, the egg was a symbol of fertility and new beginnings.

Christians adopted this to represent their Saviour’s resurrection.

We are excited to tell you that from the end of February, our retail counter will have a new but familiar face!

The tradition of colouring eggs in bright colours representing the sunlight of Spring - goes back to the Middle Ages and is still an important custom for many Christians. In Germany it is traditional to paint eggs green and eat them on Maundy Thursday while in Greek and Slavic cultures, eggs are dyed red as a symbol of the blood of Christ.

The Bhatti family have made a difficult decision to close their newsagents on Stirling Rd after 16 years, and move some of those services into the Dunblane Post Office.

As time has gone on, the decoration has become more elaborate with colourful patters, images of flora and fauna and in some cases delicate gold and silver leaf details. The most famous and ornate of all Easter eggs must be the jewelled and enamelled eggs that Faberge was commissioned to make for the Russian Tsars.

Special thanks must go to Teresa Morrison for her long standing support, our customers and of course, all the paper boys and girls ... we couldn’t have managed without you all !

Nowadays Easter eggs are usually made of chocolate.

The chocolate Easter egg appears to be a purely modern invention. It began in the 19th century and became more widespread as the chocolate making process became more sophisticated. As far as we can tell there is no symbolism at all to the use of chocolate - its simply tasty!

This means that confectionary, tobacco, stationary, newspapers and magazines will be available from the retail counter in the Post Office. Rest assured that if you just want a stamp or a paper, you will be able to pay for these quickly at the retail desk and who will be there?

Yes, you’ve guessed .... Taher or Tariq, as you all know him!

John Cadbury made his first Cadbury Easter eggs in 1875.

By 1892 the company was producing 19 different lines, all in dark chocolate.

Cadbury launched a milk chocolate egg in 1905, revolutionising the market. Nowadays the sale of Easter eggs generates around £200m per year in the UK, so we really do love our chocolate. It is also hard to believe that Creme Eggs were first produced nearly 40 years ago and that we eat a whopping 200 million of them... every year.... so how do you eat yours?

We ask for your patience as the changeover happens, and of course, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask us.

Opening Hours Mon - Sat: 8.30am to 5.30pm 34

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

Doune Chic, it’s a family affair...

Doune Chic first opened its doors on 24 October 2015. Run by mother and daughter team Sue Sedgwick and Stacey Campbell it's truly a family affair with both husbands helping out as well.

The girls began up cycling furniture as a hobby and were soon hooked on transforming lovely old pieces which just needed some TLC. After initially selling via the internet the family decided the next step would be to find some retail premises and jumped at the chance to transform an old outbuilding in the courtyard behind the Buttercup Cafe in Main Street, Doune.

In addition to furniture the shop stocks a lovely selection of gifts and home accessories. Sue and Stacey both freely admit they are more than a touch OCD and like everything to be perfect. They are constantly on the look out for unusual artisan items not found on the High Street as well as new pieces of unloved furniture perceived to be no longer fashionable and updating them. Their ethos is why buy new when you can recycle and have something totally unique for your home. They even carried on the recycling theme in the shop, building the counter from old scaffolding planks.

Doune Chic also offers a paint service and will up cycle customers own furniture. This has proved really popular, so much so they have a waiting list for commissions. Most of the painting at present is falling to Sue's husband, Peter, as Stacey has recently given birth to lovely little Grace and Grandma is busy running the shop.

The opening three months have proved a successful time for Doune Chic and Sue and Stacey are looking forward to the summer months and further developing their business putting lots of new ides into practice.

This quirky little shop is well worth a visit whether you're looking for a piece of furniture, a gift, want to treat yourself or just have a browse and a wee blather you will always get a warm welcome - then you can always pop into the Buttercup Cafe for tea and cake afterwards!

Opening times: Thursday to Sunday 10am - 4pm

DOUNE CHIC Hand painted Furniture Home Accessories Gifts

t: 07815 813 050 www.dounechic.co.uk

See our latest gifts & furniture on Facebook Find us just behind the Buttercup Cafe, Main St, Doune

Please mention thewire when responding to adverts

35

How Eggstraordinary!

Although the Waster weekend is the principal religious feast of the Christian year, most of its traditions have no basis in Christianity at all. In fact, the Jewish festival of Passover is closely liked to Easter by dates and symbolism. Passover, also known as Pesach, was celebrated long before the birth of Jesus. Before Easter was used as a name for this holiday, early Christians celebrated ‘Pascha’, a word derived from Pesach.

The word ‘Easter’ comes from an Anglo-Saxon fertility goddess called Eostre, who was associated with Spring and new beginnings. Both Easter and Passover centre around re-birth, and bond neatly with the Anglo-Saxon festival of Eostre-monath’ Eostre’s month.

Hot cross buns, traditionally eaten on Good Friday, are linked to Passover. Originally they were unleavened bread, and important Passover food.

Nowadays, they are more palatably leavened and marked with a cross to serve as a reminder of the crucifixion.

But where does the tradition of eating chocolate eggs come from? In the times of Eostre, eggs were given as gifts to celebrate the end of winter and as a symbol of new life. And need I mention the fertility characteristic if an egg? A traditional dish at a Passover meal is Beitzah, a hardboiled egg to represent life. All this evolved into Christians decorating the shells with colourful patterns and then moved onto our familiar, delicious chocolate Easter eggs.

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Well, that’s the eggs worked out. But an Easter Bunny? A rabbit that lays eggs! Not to mention the need for these eggs to be hunted for and rolled down a hill.... Well the origin of the rabbit isn’t too hard to decipher. We go back to the goddess Eostre again. Her sacred animal was a hare. Rabbits are similar to hares and rather more common. Therefore the two creatures became interchangeable. And of course rabbits are well known for the prolificacy ... so I’m afraid we are back to the fertility symbolism again.

The Eater Bunny and egg hunts seem to have started in Germany in the 16th century. Children made nests in the garden and, if they were good, the Eater Bunny would leave them coloured hardboiled eggs to find the next morning. This travelled to America with early German settlers and , like many old traditions, has now returned to Britain substituting chocolate eggs and a more interesting egg hunt.

Egg rolling on Easter Monday is a strange old custom, that is said to represent the rolling away of the stone blocking Jesus’ tomb. Also known as Pace-Egging, derived from the word Pesach, it has been fun for centuries, but nobody is sure why.

Perhaps it originated as a way of getting everyone out of the house for some much-needed exercise after a long weekend of feasting?

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

Hot Cross Buns Ingredients For the buns: 500g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting 1 /2 tsp salt 75g caster sugar 7g sachet dried yeast 300 ml mixed milk and water 50g sultanas 100g raisins zest of 2 oranges 80g mixed peel 2 tsp ground cinnamon 75g plain flour For the crosses: 75g plain flour Water to make a paste.

Wonderful Easter fare and homemade are so much nicer!

Prep time: 20 min, plus 3 hours proving Cooking time: 25 min Makes 15-20 buns

For the glaze: 50g sugar 50 ml water

Method •

• • • • • •

Put the yeast and sugar into a bowl. Sieve the flour and salt into the same bowl. Slowly add enough of the milk and water mix to achieve pliable dough. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead well for 5 minutes, then put the dough back into the bowl and leave to rise for 1 hour. Incorporate the sultanas, mixed peel (or substituted fruit), orange zest and cinnamon into the dough and leave to rise for 1 hour.

Lightly grease a baking sheet. Divide the dough into 15-20 pieces and roll each into a ball. Put them on a baking tray and leave to rest for 1 hour.

Set the oven to 220°C/gas 8.

To make the crosses for the buns, mix the plain flour with enough water to make a smooth, thick paste.

You can either make a piping bag out of parchment paper or use a piping bag with a plain nozzle to pipe the paste onto the buns in a cross shape.

Bake the buns for 25 minutes until golden brown. Combine the sugar and water together to make a syrup and brush this liberally all over the buns.

Serve immediately.

NB Many people don’t like mixed peel. In this case try substituting finely chopped dried apricot, or add more sultanas instead To advertise in the wirethe t. 07720 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk Please mention wire 429 when responding to adverts

37

Curtains By Elaine Curtains, Roman Blinds, Pelmets, Cushions & Throws • LED, LCD & Plasma screen wall mounting. • All types of aerial and satellite work.

Free advice at your convenience for design, manufacture and fit.

Supply a wide range of fabrics & matching wallpapers, curtain poles/tracks and tie backs.

We refurbish homes, room by room at your pace.

Call James on 07979 354 440 or email

Contact Elaine for advice 01786 823340 or 07867 754702 curtainsbyelaine@hotmail.co.uk

jamescowietvinstallations@gmail.com

Wedderburn Road, Dunblane

Ocean Reef Bathrooms Renovations, Design Service, Tiling & Decoration Plumbing & Installation by own qualified fitters

Call John for more information or come & visit our showroom

01259 928 283 or 07967 647 433 18 Bridge Street, Dollar www.oceanreefbathrooms.co.uk

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To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

Carpet Master of Stirling Floor Covering Scotland since 1993

Family Run Business, Specialising in Quality & Service Great Value For Money & Satisfaction Guaranteed For your FREE no obligation, measure & estimate call Isobel or James

01786 451 376 Fantastic range of Carpets & Vinyls from all leading manufacturers Specialists in Karndean, Amtico & Marmoleum Large selection of Roll Stock Remnant Warehouse Carpet Binding Facility (for Rugs & Runners to your specifications)

36 Weaver Row, St Ninians, Stirling, FK7 9AS www.carpet-master.co.uk Please mention thewire when responding to adverts

39

Whisper Sales...

Kindly provided by Double Aspect Property Consulting

Much like taking control and managing your own career progression, success is often simply about creating opportunities where none exist!

In your new dream job for a matter of months and you find you’re compelled to approach your boss with a really off the wall request. One that is hugely slanted in your favour, requires them to reassess your value and take a significant leap of faith. The long and short is that you ask, they agree and the outcome is more amazing than anyone could ever have imagined. The moral of the story being that ‘if you don’t ask then you’re unlikely ever to get!!’ The same adage might also be applied to the property market.

You may well have noticed the distinct lack of property going to market at the higher end and that certainly has been the case since the introduction of the LBTT back in April of last year. Sellers of those half million pound properties and above are reluctant to stick their toe in the water, fearful, no doubt, that they risk their home remaining unsold for longer than is desirable, if, as they may believe, there are no buyers out there willing to stump up for the new tax. But is that the case? What if you could test the market, with no such risk to yourself, creating opportunity where none appear to exist?

Many affluent areas in the UK with a constant demand for and turnover of premium properties, those with great schools, excellent road and rail links, enviable local facilities and convenient locations, much like Dunblane and surrounds, conclude much of their business without the need for a formal marketing process i.e. ‘off market’. ‘Off market’ property transactions occur for any number of reasons most driven by the desire if not need, for total discretion. Where family circumstances may dictate privacy or where the vendor does not want the usual public spectacle that a house sale can bring.

Hidden from plain sight, these deals progress not by listings on online portals, high-street Estate Agent windows or open viewings, but by quiet phone calls and discreet meetings with the right people. This has always existed for the most exclusive properties but we are seeing trends now that reflect this way of buying and selling downwards to the middle priced market as well. Not every property will be easy to shift, but the trend for these “whisper sales” is spreading.

For both buyers and sellers it can take much of the stress out of the process and inevitably results in savings on marketing and advertising. It tends to weed out time-wasters, viewers are serious buyers pre-qualified as a good fit for the property. It may even be possible to achieve a better price off-market as buyers are sometimes willing to pay a premium for the anonymity (although caution should be emphasised as this is not a reason in itself to pursue this).

Historically there has been a level of ‘off market’ turnover locally and one or two prestigious Estate Agents do recognise a demand for this business. But, for it to really work, requires genuine local expertise and a wealth of connections to facilitate the perfect match. Successful transactions though can be truly rewarding, hassle free and a much more affordable method of finding or selling your home.

Word has it there’s a vibrant new player in town but I hear it’s all a bit 40

hushhush...

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

Hammer & Clout

Property Maintenance and Handyman

All aspects of: General Renovations/Decorating House Clearances Minor Building/Joinery Works Plumbing/Bathroom Re-fits Gutters/Driveways Cleaned Flatpack Assemblies White Good Installations Garden Tree Work Fencing/Decking

Contact Craig 01786 358 825 or 07787 312 497

captkevlar@yahoo.co.uk Family Run, Dunblane Based Business. Free Quotes Please mention thewire when responding to adverts

41

Sudoku

OFFICE SPACE

Place the numbers so each row, column and box contain the numbers 1-9.

Good Luck!

Available on short or long term leases, located in Dunblane.

Units from 90 to 1070 sq. ft Shared car parking & kitchen areas Available Now For further information contact Andrew Mitchell on 01786 824 506 andrew@amcounting.co.uk

McIntyre FUNERAL DIRECTOR Established over 40 years

A Family Business providing a complete and caring 24 hour service.

Floral Tributes & Monumental Masonry can be arranged.

Contact Joan directly on 07971 167 130 or 01786 825 050 7 Beech Road, Dunblane www.mcintyrefuneraldirectors.co.uk 42

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

Family Wealth Preservation | Wealth Management | Protection Planning | Retirement Planning | Lifetime & Residential Mortgages 01786 845 599 www.claritywealthservices.co.uk darren@claritywealthservices.co.uk Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority no. 623878

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43

MoneySavingExpert.com

Feature by Martin Lewis, MoneySavingExpert

Cheap trains, drains & automobiles!

Some folks drive a lot for various reasons be it business or personal, here a few tip to help cut the cost of travel.

Free tank of fuel via extreme couponing trick.

If you’re planning a big spend at any one of 50+ retailers (including House of Fraser, Homebase and PC World), buy the gift card in Morrisons and you get 1p/litre off fuel per £10 spend. So £100 gets 10p off and £1,000ish gets a free tank.

a) Renters usually don’t need it, as their landlord’s likely responsible. Check. b) Ensure you know what cover you need. Choose between boiler-only, the cheaper option that covers your boiler and its controls, or central heating cover, which includes full central heating cover on top (including radiators, pipes, etc). c) To find the cheapest, compare prices via uSwitch. com and add in Energyhelpline.com if you’ve time.

Buying two tickets for one train journey can save you £100s Split ticketing makes about as much sense as Chewbacca, but it works. It’s where you buy tickets for a journey’s constituent parts separately to slash the price. It’s allowed by the conditions of carriage – the only rule is that the train must call at the stations you buy tickets for.

Get a year’s breakdown cover for £17.

If your car has had trouble during the winter season, it can be costly to pay it back in the Spring.

Thankfully, if you know what you’re doing you can get super cheap cover. There are four things you need to know: • If you’re renewing, haggle. 84% of AA and 76% of RAC customer who tried reported success.

• If you’re new then for basic cover use a cashback site. A standard RAC policy is £28 online and an AA policy £35, but sites like Topcashback.co.uk and Quidco.com give around £10-£15 back so the effective cost to you is £18ish. This usually works, though do note the cashback isn’t 100% guaranteed.

• If you have Tesco clubcard points you can swap them in for RAC cover, so £16 of vouchers gives you basic breakdown.

• For full service, Autoaidbreakdown.co.uk is a pay and reclaim polcy for £42/year, which covers you and your spouse for home start, breakdown and onward travel. A local delivery firm is sent out, and you pay then send in receipts to get the cost back.

For example, a single from Manchester to Cornwall costs £158, but the train stops at Cheltenham Spa. Buy a £52 ticket from Manchester to Cheltenham Spa, then a £58 one from there to Cornwall and the total’s £110. That’s the same train, the same time – possibly even the same seat.

Do you know where your stopcock is?

No nudge nudge, wink wink needed. Everyone should know where their stopcock – mains water tap – is. Frozen pipe bursts create an average £4,000 of damage, made worse if you can’t find the off switch as your home floods. So be prepared.

To help find if you can do this for your journey, use my free TicketySplit tool at mse.me/ticketysplit. As Justine tweeted me: “Genius - tickety split has just saved me £50, no effort, exact same journey.”

Under the kitchen sink’s a very common place. To locate yours, Thames Water has a helpful video at thameswater.co.uk/help-and-advice/13526.htm

The real trick isn’t to use them as gifts, but that if you’re planning a big purchase in that store anyway, first pop into Morrisons and buy the gift card. Then a few days later, once it’s active, go and use it to buy your planned purchase, giving you a potentially whopping petrol discount. There’s a full list of retailers and more info at www.morrisonsfuelsaver. co.uk.

Turn your heating down, but not off if you’re going away If it gets cold, no heating risks burst pipes. So much so that some insurers won’t cover you for damage if your home’s unoccupied for more than five days and you turned the heating off. The rule of thumb is keep it to a minimum 14 degrees.

Cheap boiler cover - you don’t need to stick with your energy firm Boiler cover is a free market, yet energy firms like you to think you need to stick with them. You don’t. While British Gas charges £12/month, you may be able to get similar cover for as little as £6. My quick tips: 44

Can you find sub-£1/litre petrol?

Petrol prices are now under £1/litre in some places, but the range is huge. Use Petrolprices.com to find your cheapest, nearest forecourt. The difference even within one post code is 10%. It’s an easy check to fill up on savings. @MoneySavingExpert

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

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45

Trapped

By Your Salary?

Have you ever got up on the first morning after a holiday and felt a sinking feeling in your stomach about having to go back to work? Maybe it happens every Monday morning? That feeling that you have to keep on working because you really need the money and wouldn’t it be lovely if you could just win the lottery.

Then you go in to work and take part in that regular moaning session at the water cooler or in the canteen or in the corridor. Yes, misery certainly does love company.

You have a permanent knot of anxiety in your stomach and you remember the words of that old song, ‘Is This All There Is?’ You never wanted to be that person. The one you would have avoided in the past, the one who spends hours moaning and is never up for new ideas and initiatives and who greets each new idea put forward by other colleagues with the toe curling response ‘we tried that before, it didn’t work’ Every day the same routine, all those years slipping by, where does the time go? You came into this job fresh-faced, eager to make a good impression and to make your mark and now you feel your time is slipping by and can hardly keep the cynical look off your face when you see the enthusiastic new graduate or the youngsters fresh from college.

Maybe you are reading this and thinking, ‘that’s not me, that’s some other poor soul who is obviously deeply unhappy at work and should do something about it and just stop moaning!’ ‘Oh wait a minute, it’s not someone else it is me. How did that happen? ‘ Perhaps it’s more like a low-grade dissatisfaction.

You wouldn’t say you were deeply unhappy and you know that there are far worse ways to make a living.

But, you know you are treading water, you know you have so many skills, ideas and inspiration that you aren’t getting the chance to use.

The good news is that this doesn’t have to be you and if it is you at the moment, it doesn’t have to be you forever.

There is no time like the present when it comes to making new, healthier choices.

Trapped By Your Salary is a step-by-step process to guide you in taking those essential steps that will take you from here to there. From where you are now right to the Job Of Your Dreams.

46

Trapped By Your Salary will support and guide you as you audit your skills and experience and remind yourself what you are capable of. You will take an honest look at your finances, the bills you have to pay and the outgoings you have. You will consider how you present yourself, your clothes, your voice and everything else about how you come across at interview.

Just in case you thinking that’s all very well but it’s too late for me, a good friend of mine is fond of quoting this question and answer sequence which has its origins in Chinese wisdom.

Q. When is the best time to plant a tree?

A. 20 years ago Q. When is the next best time to plant a tree?

A. Right now!

We can’t have the last 20 years back but we do have this moment, the time we are living in today. There is nothing to stop you grabbing the opportunity to move forward and to make changes in your working life that could have a huge impact on the rest of your life. What’s stopping you? Do it now.

Join the Trapped By Your Salary community on Facebook www.facebook.com/trappedbyyoursalary Visit the website for more information at; www.trappedbyyoursalary.net Or email us at; thebook@trappedbyyoursalary.net The book is available to buy on Amazon www.amazon.co.uk/Trapped-Your-Salary-FrancineOrr/dp/1329030400

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

Thinking of selling or letting your home?

Please contact us for a free, pre-sale or lease valuation of your property.

We will provide an up to date appraisal that accurately reflects current market conditions and offer advice on how to achieve the best possible sale price or rent for your property.

Our fee structure is very fair and competitive.

Come and speak to us in our office in Dunblane or phone us for a no-obligation chat on 01786 821 012 6 Beech Road, Dunblane • 01786 821 012 • cathedral.ce@btconnect.com

Robertson Jones Wealth Management Ltd We care and have the patience to explain and explain again without jargon.

Guy Jones BSc (Mech. Eng), APFS

Chartered Financial Planner We help you with: • Local, bespoke, confi dential service.

• Estate and Inheritance Tax Planning.

• Retirement Planning.

• Tax relief and tax effi ciency.

• Long-term Care Planning • Investment growth and diversifi cation.

• Protection.

To find out more, contact Guy on 01786 822 291

guy.jones@sjpp.co.uk www.rjwm.co.uk

23 High Street, Dunblane Please mention thewire when responding to adverts

47

How to make a difference by getting your money working hard for you “For me to have, someone else must go without” If I wanted more, it meant I was greedy; it meant fighting for it, squabbles and conflict like a crazy vulture feeding frenzy.

I actually used to think like that, and surprise, surprise, as long as I believed that, my wealth didn’t grow.

Like many people I grew up misunderstanding how wealth and money works and so believed that it was somehow limited and if I got more someone else would lose out.

Most of us develop a set of beliefs, values, meta programs and rules that don’t support us. We have conflicting values around money and wealth which cause us real pain. Often a person may say they want to be wealthy, they really want financial freedom and financial security. But they may also have a belief that having money is bad, that it hurts other people to have money and so just as they begin to have money they do something to sabotage themselves and lose it all again.

I’m so glad I finally learned the truth. Wealth is unlimited. There is “enough” for everyone and it is up to each of us to expand the value and wealth in the world.

At one of my Wealth Weekender events a woman came to me in tears. She said, “Ann, I just don’t see 48

how I can feel good about having a lot of money when others have so little.”

I empathized with her because I had also been crippled by the same very disempowering belief, but, because I had been there, I could help. I asked her a few simple questions: • • • •

“What good do you do for poor people by being one of them?”

“Whom do you help by being broke?”

“Aren’t you then just another mouth to feed, another person someone else must look after?”

“Wouldn’t it be more effective for you to create wealth for yourself and then be able to really help others from a place of strength instead of weakness?”

If you have the wherewithal to have a lot of money, have it.

Why? Because the truth is that we are extremely fortunate to be living in this society, a society whereby each person has the freedom to be what never they desire, a freedom that was hard fought by many amazing people.

By Ann Wilson, The Wealth Chef sharing the recipes for wealth.

Follow her on Twitter @thewealthchef

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

Cathedral Accounting Services

www.cathedralaccountingservices.com We are a local accounting practice who specialise in assisting small / medium companies and sole traders report on the past and plan for the future.

We can provide a full range of accountancy, payroll, VAT and taxation services to your business.

Phone Andrew Hemming on 01786 821 895 or 07971 769 851

Gary McIntyre

How to Write a CV While it’s tempting to dust off your last CV and just add an extra couple of lines for your current job, sometimes it’s best to start from scratch.

There’s a wealth of advice on CV writing to be found on the internet, but to get you started, here are a few of our top tips: •

•

Joiner & Building Contractor

•

All types of Joinery Work Specialists in Hardwood Floors UPVC Double Glazing, Windows & Doors Roof Repairs House Extensions

•

01786 826 702 07831 137 900

•

garymcintyre10@yahoo.co.uk

2 Montgomery Crescent, Dunblane

•

•

Personalise it. Ideally, amend your CV for each job application, making sure you reference any skills that were mentioned in the job description.

Keep it brief. There’s no need to detail every job you’ve had if they’re not relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Avoid repetition. If you’ve had a similar job role at several companies, there’s no need to keep repeating the same skills. Try to focus on added responsibilities for each role, to show career progression.

Include a link to your LinkedIn profile, but only if it’s up to date.

Present it well. Use a clear font, make sure everything lines up well, and separate sections with sub-headers. Search online for a template to make it easier.

Check for grammar and spelling mistakes, and ask a friend to look over it for you.

Don’t forget the cover letter! The cover letter gives you the chance to really highlight why your skills and experience are relevant to a particular job.

Good luck!

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49

Crufts Crufts, the world’s largest dog show takes place between 10 and 13 March at the NEC Birmingham.

The first of the ‘Crufts’ Dog events took place in 1891 at the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington. It was the brainchild of Charles Cruft, hence the name. After college, Charles worked for the well known dog food company Spratts, initially as an office boy and later as a travelling salesman across Europe. In 1878 he was asked by French dog-breeders to promote the canine section of the Paris Exhibition. Back in England, he managed the Allied Terrier Club Show at the Royal Aquarium, Westminster in 1886. He launched Crufts five years later. When Charles died in 1938, his wife Emma took over the running of the Show. She handed the mantle to the Kennel Club in 1948.

The first event had 2,437 entries representing 36 breeds. This year’s show will see over 22,000 dogs competing from around 43 countries. The event is truly international since quarantine laws were lifted in the year 2000.

The ultimate accolade, Best in Show has been contested for 87 years, and won by 43 different breeds. The most frequent champion breed with seven wins is the cocker spaniel, followed by the Irish Setter and Welsh Terrier which have each taken four titles. The first ever winner was a greyhound and the 2015 winner was a five-year-old Russian Scottish Terrier called Knopa. Winners receive a replica silver trophy and a small cash prize, but it is the prestige 50

and future stud-money that are the real attraction.

In addition to the Best in Show and Best in Breed awards, there are now many other competitions including Scruffs - for crossbreeds.

Visitors can also enjoy the spectacle of activities such as fast-paced flyball, skillful agility and heelwork to music. In many of the competitions there are junior as well as adult classes.

Attendees also look forward to seeing famous names such as celebrity vets and TV personalities known for their love of dogs. There is a wealth of shopping opportunities with over 400 exhibition stands. And for those thinking of purchasing a dog the Discover Dogs section features examples, advice and information from owners of around 200 breeds.

Over the last decade £138,000 has been raised from dog exhibitors for the Kennel Club’s charitable trust which distributes money to dog re-homing, assistance dog charities, and funds research into the understanding and prevention of dog diseases.

Huge efforts are now made to ensure all dogs in the Show are healthy following previous concerns about welfare.

Crufts is a great day out, and for dog-lovers it’s not to be missed!

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

All breeds catered for in a quiet, friendly environment.

Clipping, Bathing & Shampooing, Nails clipped Contact Linda on 01786 822 421 or 07592 908 043

Microchipping for £15

Glencairn, Doune Rd, Dunblane

for the month of March only! (usually £22)

linda_aitchinson@hotmail.co.uk www.dog-grooming-dunblane.co.uk

As of the 6th of April 2016, it will be compulsory for all dogs over the age of 8 weeks to be microchipped.

Mindbenders

Find the 3 hidden phrases

Once the new rules come into effect, if a dog without a microchip comes to the attention of the authorities, its keeper may be served with a notice requiring the dog to be microchipped, and may face criminal prosecution and a £500 fine if they do not comply with the notice.

Please contact the Practice to make your appointment on

01786 841304

I’m MICROCHIPPED

www.struthers-scott.co.uk e: info@struthers-scott.co.uk 70, Main Street, Doune Please mention thewire when responding to adverts

51

Quality Childcare and Education, from Birth - 11 years Open Monday-Friday, 8am - 6pm

Outdoor Education | Child Centred Approach Speech & Language Therapy | Sibling Discount & NHS Staff Discount Part-time/Full-time and Flexible Sessions

Call us to arrange your unique viewing!

Tel: 01786 821 950 (select option 2) Email: enquiries@bertramuk.com

www.dunblanenaturekindergarten.co.uk part of the Award Winning Bertram Nursery Group 52

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

Cellfield changes lives...

Hannah’s Story

Fiona Macdiarmid, who runs the Stirling Cellfield Centre recently welcomed back Hannah, who is now 20 and first met Fiona 4 years ago when she was struggling to cope with studying for her Higher exams: “Hannah’s self esteem was very low and she was really struggling with the volume of work she had”. Following an initial consultation with Fiona Hannah discovered she was in fact dyslexic and undertook the Cellfield programme.

Cellfield is a unique and effective programme which neurostimulates the brain networks that process the visual and auditory aspects of reading. It is an intensive multisensory computer based programme undertaken over 10 days. It enables people to overcome the barriers to effective reading caused by dyslexia and related processing difficulties.

Fiona and her team in Stirling have helped over 200 clients and seen them achieve great gains in reading and language processing. However this is only part of the story because, in addition to gains in reading age, Cellfield also improves self-esteem and co-ordination skills.

Hannah actually completed Cellfield twice because she felt she had benefitted so much from the first time. Now at University, Hannah believes Cellfield changed her life: “it had a huge impact on me. It made a big difference to my academic studies and also my day to day life”. Before doing Cellfield Hannah found it very difficult to read and told us that words looked like “car registration plates” because it was so difficult for her to make sense of them.

Now she is able to decode and break down words more easily which has led to huge improvements in her reading fluency. Hannah is a great example of how Cellfield changes lives. Fiona explains: “there are many approaches to helping people overcome dyslexia, however Cellfield’s approach is unique in its effectiveness”.

Cellfield changes lives...

A unique and effective approach to overcoming Dyslexia Call Cellfield in STIRLING

01786 447 527 info@cellfieldscotland.com

www.cellfielduk.com

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53

54

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

Discover the Beaconhurst Way Get a taste of what our pupils and parents think.

Watch our new movie at www.beaconhurst.com

Beaconhurst School www.beaconhurst.com | 01786 832 146

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55

April Showers...

Think of April, and showers will probably come to mind. Not the grey rain-filled skies of February but the vivid blue expansive skies of Spring, warmed by the sun that give way to sudden and brief downpours.

They say that there’s no such thing as bad weather only bad clothing and the eyes of children this is certainly true. A sudden downpour brings excitement and change to the world outdoors and children love nothing better than exploring the puddles and rivulets created in wellington boots.

Next time it rains, take a moment to look at what the youngest children do. Invariably this won’t be cowering from the rain to protect their hair, or head down marching forward to get home as quick as possible. Chances are they will be purposely jumping in puddles, seemingly experimenting with the effects of their full-bodied actions.

Patting a puddle with a flat hand, enjoying the sound and feel of icy cold water; stood still with tongue outstretched to catch droplets of rain; or shrieking with delight as they run wild, freed from limitations that comes from being soaked through.

Unlike us adults children tend to relish the feeling of rain on their body, thinking nothing of striding through puddles and generally getting drenched.

Sadly most of us can’t remember and share in the delight of being a child in the rain, the feeling of damp clothes, exploring cause and effect, noise and sheer pleasure of splashing. Add to this the groans or shrieks of adults as they are caught up in the crossfire and you have the makings for a very satisfying game.

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If you want to add some extra sparkle to rain time, for children’s (or your) benefit, why not try these cheap and fun ideas: • • • • • •

• • •

Add powder paint to puddles for stamping, colour mixing and pattern-making with wellies or toy cars.

Add glitter and sequins for some sparkly fun.

Put out lots of containers for collecting water in and exploring the different sounds they make.

Add food colouring for a visual spectacle.

Provide pipes and bits of guttering for experimenting with water flow and pathways.

Collect an assortment of objects like corks and recycled plastic containers for exploring sinking and floating and old whisks, sieves, funnels and pots for mixing up magical concoctions.

Add peppermint, orange or lemon oil for smelly fun.

Use different sized paintbrushes for water painting with – the best bit is there’s no mess to clear up!

Paint pictures on paper and take outside to see how the rain changes them by blurring the paint.

So next time it rains, instead of snuggling up in the warm and dry make a point of heading outdoors.

Armed with wellies, raincoats and brollies, adults too can relive the joy and release of splashing about in the rain. And if you do get wet through, there’s nothing better than warming up indoors with a soft towel and warming drink and a story about the rain!

It’s all Child’s Play

Feature by Sue Gascoyne of Play-Z Ltd

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

Do It Ou

tdoors

Healthy oaty cookies Preheat the oven to 150°c / 130°c fan / gas mark 2 and line a baking tray with some greaseproof paper.

INGREDIENTS 50g sultanas 50g soft butter 50g light brown sugar 50g oats 85g self raising flour 2tbsp condensed milk • • • • • •

Put the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat (you may want to soften the butter first to help small hands mix the ingredients with a spoon).

Add in the condensed milk, oats and sultanas and give the mixture a good stir.

Add in the flour and mix up until it disappears.

Using your hands, get the dough into a ball and then break into 6 equal sized portions.

Roll up into a ball and squash down onto the baking parchment with the palm of your hand.

Bake for 25 minutes until golden on the edges and then bring out the tray to cool.

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57

Dunblane Centre NEwsletter Message from Gemma, Centre Manager Hi everyone – I hope you’ve all had a great start to the New Year despite the awful weather. We are LOVING the new Wire image and size, well done to Fiona!

It’s been a busy start to the year for us. January saw our annual Youth Burns Supper with our very special top table guest, Nancy McLaren. The kids as usual did an incredible jobs with recitation, poetry and music. Our Cocktails and Cabaret crew wowed crowds with their performances with the gorgeous Bee Fiarse Beaujambes as host.

Registrations for Show in a Week were at a new high at the beginning of February – it may be the first time we have more children on stage than people in the audience but we’re really excited.

As you know Catherine left us before Christmas and we’ve been on the hunt for a new Youth Worker as we speak. As this goes to print we will be in the final stages of recruitment and we hope to introduce to our new Youth Worker very soon Thanks to the staff who have been running the youth clubs in the mean time.

Lots coming up in March and April – so much to pack in so minimum details here – keep an eye on Facebook and website for full information!

Quiz and a curry: Saturday 5th March

Teams of up to 6 people (£8 per head including curry supper) Raising money for the Dunblane Centre and Walk the Walk, this fantastic evening mixes authentic home-made curry (courtesy of the lovely Mrs Bhatti) with eight rounds of neuron bursting questions. Complete with bar, it’s a perfect night out with friends. Reserve your team by calling 01786 824 224.

Holistic Fair Sunday 20th March 10am – 4pm, Free entry A fun day of holistic healing and fun with classes, talks and therapies to try. We’ll have holistic exercise, reiki, Murano glass jewellery, readings, bowen, crystal and much more.

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To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

Avenue Q: Wednesday 18th May – Saturday 21st May

Full bar available at every show.

Tickets now on sale – tables of 6 and 8 also available but book early to avoid disappointment!

AVENUE Q is not the most upmarket of New York streets, and is about as far away from Park Avenue as you can get, but it is home to some lively and off the wall characters performed by an unholy comedic alliance of humans and puppets!

Terrific songs, political incorrectness and full puppet nudity are just some of the reasons to see this amazing show – rarely performed outside major theatres!

Dunblane Centre Senior Citizens Lunch Club In December we held the pilot for the Senior citizens lunch club with a yummy lunch and entertainment and carols from the Centre’s community show choir. January kicked off our 6 month programme with a Burns Supper lunch with haggis provided by John Hill butchers and some fantastic Burns entertainment from our young people. We now have a full programme planned to June 2016.

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59

Easter Programme Date

Activity

Age Group

Time

Cost

Mon 4 April

Funky face paint photoshoot

P1 – P3

1 - 2.30pm

£4

Messy Art

PRE-SCHOOL

2 - 2.45pm

£2

Badminton, beginners, basics and beyond.

P1-P7

2 - 4pm

£3

th

Tue 5th April

Wed 6 April th

Thu 7 April th

Fri 8 April

P4 – P7

3 - 4.30pm

£4

Bouncy Castle and soft play

PRE-SCHOOL

10 - 11.30am

£2

Clay Sculpting

8+

10.30 - 12pm

*£8

Show in an afternoon

P1 – P7

1 – 4pm

£8

Football –kick-a-ball

P1 -P3

1 - 2.30pm

£3

Football –kick-a-ball

P4 – P7

3 - 4.30pm

£3

Scalextrix skills

P4-P7

1 - 2pm

£3

Messy Art

PRE-SCHOOL

1 - 1.45pm

£2

Messy Art

P1-P4

2 - 3.15pm

£3

Multisport drop in

P1 – P7

1 - 3.30pm

£3

Bouncy Castle and soft play

PRE-SCHOOL

10 - 11.30

£2

Sparklifive

PRESCHOOL

11 - 11.45pm

£4

Sparklifive

P1-P7

12 - 1pm

£5

Acro gymnastics

P1-P7

1.15 - 2.15 pm

£5

Create a Vase of Spring Flowers

8+

2 - 3pm

*£5

Introduction to Drums

P4-7

1 – 3pm

£8

Cake pop heaven

P1 – P3

1 – 2.30pm

£5

Cake pop heaven

P4- P7

3 – 4.30pm

£5

Pool comp and pizza party

P5 – P7

6.30 – 8.30pm

£3

Sat 9th April

Decorate a Bag or Pencil case

8+

10.30 - 12pm

*£8

Mon 11 April

Messy Art

PRE-SCHOOL

11 - 11.45am

£2

th

th

Tue 12 April th

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Funky face paint photoshoot

Messy Art

P1-P4

12 - 1.15 pm

£3

Multisports

P1 – P7

2 - 4 pm

£3

Show in an Afternoon

P1 – P7

1 - 4pm

£8

Fun with Fashion Design

8+

10.30 - 12pm

*£8

Bouncy Castle and soft play

PRE-SCHOOL

10 - 11.30am

£2

Cake pop heaven

P1-P3

1 - 2.30 pm

£5

Cake pop heaven

P4-P7

3 - 4.30 pm

£5

Badminton, beginners, basics and beyond.

P1-P7

2 - 4 pm

£3

To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

Easter Programme Date Wed 13 April th

Thu 14 April th

Fri 15 April th

Activity

Age Group

Time

Cost

Messy Art

PRE-SCHOOL

12 - 12.45 pm

£2

Scalextrix skills

P4-P7

1 - 2 pm

£3

Funky face paint photoshoot

P1-P3

1 - 2.30 pm

£4

Bouncy Castle and soft play

PRE-SCHOOL

10 - 12 pm

£2

Sparklifive

PRE-SCHOOL

11 - 11.45am

£4

sparklifive

P1-P7

12 - 1 pm

£5

Acro gymnastics

P1-P7

1.15 - 2.15 pm

£5

Football –kick-a-ball

1.30 - 3 pm

£3

Football –kick-a-ball

3 - 4.30 pm

£3

12.30 - 1.30 pm

£2

Disney Disco

PRE-SCHOOL

Twist and Shout!

P1 – P4

2 - 4 pm

£2

Twist and Shout!

P5 – P7

6.30 - 8.30pm

£2

Introduction to Drums

P4-7

1 - 3pm

£8

For full details of all the activities and workshops and to book, please see our Easter Programme online or contact the Centre.

During the Easter holidays we will also be running a walking treasure hunt starting and finishing at The Centre – pick up your treasure map for £2, complete the walk round Dunblane whenever suits you (or the weather behaves!) All completed entries will win an Easter treat and be entered into a prize draw. *these activities should be booked direct with Fiona by emailing blaeberryriverart@outlook.com or phone 07896362902. (For all other activities please book directly with the Centre).

Why not try Rollerbeats?

Sunday 6th March: 1.30 – 3.30pm & Saturday 24th April: 3.30 – 5.30pm

Rollerbeats roller disco sessions are fun for all the family.... Any age, any ability, everyone is welcome!

PRICES: Under 16 £5.50, Adult £6.50, Family of 4 £20 (2 adults 2 Kids or 1 adult and 3 kids) Skate Hire £1 or bring along your own skates or inliner’s (sorry no heelies allowed) Skates Hired out from baby size 5 (over shoe style) up to adult 12 (quad boot style).

Email: info@rollerbeats.co.uk | Mobile: 07866 553 329 | www.rollerbeats.co.uk E-Tickets: http://buytickets.at/rollerbeats

As always, you can keep up to date with everything we’re doing on our social media pages: facebook.com/DunblaneYouthie or @DunblaneCentre

Contact us: 01786 824 224 e: contactus@dunblanecentre.co.uk www.dunblanecentre.co.uk Dunblane Youth and Sports Centre Trust is a Registered Scottish Charity SC027397 Please mention thewire when responding to adverts

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A Good Read The Joy Luck Club

by Amy Tan Growing up in a typical English town this novel made a huge impact on me when I first read it. The colourful characters seem such a world apart from what I was familiar with and yet it is a story about all of our lives and a woman’s relationship with her mother.

In 1949 four Chinese immigrant women in San Francisco agree to meet up each week to play mah-jong, calling themselves the Joy Luck Club. Here they discuss the lives they left behind in China and the dreams and hopes they have for their daughters as they embark on their new lives in America. Whilst not strictly speaking short stories, each chapter tells a different aspect of their lives.

The first half of the book tells of the lives of the women in the Joy Luck Club.

We learn of their lives in China. An-Mei Hsu whose mother left her to become a concubine to a rich merchant and Lindo Jeng who was forced to marry someone she didn’t love.

We then learn of their daughters and their new lives growing up in America, in a culture that seems alien to the world their mothers are describing. Here lies the clash of cultures which leads to friction between mother and daughter. The older generation feel as if they are losing their daughters to American culture and the younger generation do not feel as if anything their mothers talk about is relevant to their lives.

Sound familiar? You don’t need to be a Chinese immigrant or growing up in America to relate to the universal themes that Tan weaves into her debut novel. It is about learning to understand the people that fill our lives and accepting that they only have our best interests at heart. It is about learning that our parents too are real people, arriving in the present through a series of events that have shaped them and made us who we are too.

Emily Feather and the Enchanted Door

by Holly Webb Have you ever felt as if you just don’t fit in? Where even your own family seems different to you? This is how ten-year-old Emily Feather feels. She looks different to her siblings with her dark hair. It is true that everyone looks a bit different (even her older twin sisters aren’t identical) but Emily just can’t shake the feeling that there is something about her that sets her apart from the rest of the family. Her best friend Rachel points out that she is the only one not named after a bird, but surely there is more to it than that?

Emily lives in an unusual house. Her dad, Ash, is an author, writing fantasy books. The house seems as if it could have come straight out of one of his books. Her room is in the old attic at the top of a rickety flight of stairs, with ornately carved mirrors on the landing. Sometimes it even feels as if the walls have moved: but that would be silly as Emily knows that can’t happen.

One day she is passing one of the mirrors and sees a strange reflection in it. A girl with green skin is staring back at her and that is just the start of a series of events that will completely change Emily’s life. It turns out that she was right. She IS different from the rest of her family, but not in any way she could have possibly imagined.

Holly Webb is better known for her novels books about animals and has written over 90 books for children.

However this book, the first in a new magical series, shows that she is just as adept at writing about fantasy worlds. Aimed at readers aged 8+ this is a lovely introduction to traditional fairy mythology. It does take a while to get going and the titular enchanted door doesn’t appear until the final quarter of the book. This is clearly intended to introduce the reader to Emily’s world which is then explored in future books.

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63

School Jotters

Beaconhurst Pupils In Major Language Study Children at Beaconhurst School’s nursery are the focus of an important new study into language development.

She also used Radio Frequency ID tags on the four boys and four girls in the study which tracked their interaction with others.

Glasgow University researcher Beth Ralston is investigating how and when children begin to mimic each other’s speech as part of her Masters degree in Socio Linguistics.

Ms Ralston said: “It was important to find out who hangs around with whom and if and how that affects the way they sound.”

Over a two week period, she recorded the speech of eight children for two hours every morning via a lightweight recorder they wore in a special pouch around their waist. The youngsters, aged three, also had a small microphone attached to their jumpers.

She will write up her findings over the summer before embarking on a larger-scale research programme.

She also recorded the voices of nursery staff and the The project, which forms the basis of a three- subjects’ parents so she can analyse their speech year PhD study, aims to increase academics’ and its effects on the children. understanding of how children acquire language.

Ms Ralston is currently evaluating her data before Ms Ralston, 23, has been carrying out the study at returning to Beaconhurst to repeat the same study Beaconhurst’s Junior Start Nursery in Bridge of Allan. with the same children later in the year.

Nursery manager Laura John described taking part in the study as a “positive experience.” She said: “I think we have a responsibility to help if we can with important research projects and it’s very exciting to be involved. All of us at Beaconhurst – including the parents and children - are keen to hear the results and are hoping something significant will come out of it. A language development study like this for children has the potential to be very important in terms of early years teaching and learning.”

Ms Ralston explains: “Ever since I started studying English Language I’ve been fascinated by children’s language acquisition. This project is really exciting because not much research has been done into children’s speech and language so there is a lot we can learn. How we sound is dependent on many factors including social networks which, for children, begin with their parents. When they go to nursery and school, however, it seems they start to sound like their friends - what I’m looking at is if and when children begin talking like their friends as opposed to their parents.”

64 To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

School Jotters

Dunblane Primary School

Working with Mosaic Artist for Street Design Project On Thursday 21st January a mosaic artist called Jaine Marriott visited our school to work with our class.

She is going to be working with all of the schools in Dunblane as part of the Street Design project.

Each school is creating leaves to represent the different seasons. Dunblane Primary School has Spring, Queen Victoria School has Winter, Newton Primary School has Summer and St. Mary’s Primary School is doing Autumn. The leaves are made in mosaic. We made our leaves with a variety of colourful green tiles and these mosaics will go on panels on the bridge between the High Street and the station in Dunblane. Another artist who works with metal is making beautiful signposts with leaves and animals connected with the seasons that will go at each end of the bridge to finish the theme.

Everyone loved making the mosaics and we all hope that they look great on the bridge and will be there for many years to come. On the following Thursday, Primary 5/6 worked on the next stage of the panels creating the branches and more leaves.

By Delia Burns & Anna Reid P6G

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School Jotters

Newton Primary School A small group of Primary 7 pupils have been working with our Support for Learning Teacher, Mrs Edmiston, to raise awareness of Dyslexia and Literacy difficulties. This term the children worked hard to plan, prepare and deliver a whole school assembly to explain to their peers about different types of Literacy difficulties and strategies that can be used to help learners work to the best of their abilities.

As part of their presentation they targeted common ‘myths’ about Dyslexia and raised awareness of many successful role models who have achieved great things – giving the strong message that Literacy difficulties do not need to prevent children achieving their goals. The presentation was well received by staff and pupils and we are looking forward to future work of the group who will lead the development of our Literacy Toolkit boxes to support pupils who experience Literacy difficulties.

We are delighted to welcome Hazel Dean as our Active Schools Co-Ordinator at Newton Primary School for the year ahead. Hazel will be working alongside staff and pupils to promote and support experiences for children to take part in physical activities. Primary 5 pupils are currently enjoying the opportunity to experience Cricket Tasters offered by Active Schools and several Primary 6/7 pupils are looking forward to Stirling Schools Cross Country Championships which has been rescheduled to Thursday 18th February.

We are also delighted to have two new parent volunteers who are currently setting up a Netball Club for our Upper School pupils. We welcome parent volunteers who wish to support Extra-Curricular clubs for pupils at Newton and would ask interested volunteers to get in touch with Miss Alison (Acting Depute Headteacher) or contact Hazel directly deanh@activetsirling.org.uk.

Primary 2 pupils have been learning all about Unicef ‘Day for Change’ and presented their learning at a recent assembly. Pupils shared all about the work of Unicef and how their work helps to keep children safe around the world. They also explained very clearly some of the important articles relating to the Rights of the Child and how we support and recognise these rights in every aspect of school life at Newton.

Primary 2 have set other classes in the school the challenge of gathering as much ‘small’ change as they can between now and 13th May 2016 to raise money for this very important cause. All the change collected will go directly to Unicef’s children’s emergency fund; £8 can supply high-energy food for a malnourished child for one week, £26 can pay for a winter kit for a child, including a hat, scarf, gloves, thermal wear, winter boots, underwear and a baby quilt and £100 can provide support for three children who have suffered the distress of war. Each class has been allocated a challenge bucket to collect their funds and we look forward to seeing how they get on – Happy Fundraising!

Autism Awareness Week 14-18th March 2016 We are planning to be involved in the very first national Autism Awareness Week (14-18 March 2016). We know that helping children and young people – as well as teachers and parents – to understand autism will equip a new generation with the knowledge to accept and empathise with autistic people. We know that many autistic children can feel very isolated, unhappy and misunderstood. At least 1 in 100 people in the UK have autism. We plan to learn more about autism in fun, imaginative lessons, activities and assembly and help spread the word about why it’s so important to understand more about autism.

66 To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

Word Search

Play Time To be able to see the world from other people’s point of view and to imagine what they do and how they might feel is a key social skill. Encourage this when you read stories to your children by asking why they think a character has behaved in a certain way, and how various characters feel in certain situations.

Children also like to play at doing different jobs.

Discuss the roles of a doctor, dentist, chef, bus driver etc. What would your child need to learn in order to be a car mechanic, a teacher or a pilot?

What does each job involve? Talk about your own job and your friends’ jobs so that your children are encouraged to explore these further.

Rather than buying specific outfits and props let children find things in charity shops or improvise with what you already have around the house.

Kindly supplied by Wee Acorns Nursery

Please contact us or pop in to find out more Perth Road, Dunblane 01786 826982 wee.acorns@hotmail.co.uk www.weeacorns.co.uk

astronomical brawny broad chunky copious deep epic extensive fat giant grand great heavy hefty huge hulking immense infinite jumbo large lofty long mega mighty outsized

spacious tall titanic towering tremendous vast voluminous weighty whopping wide

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The whole team with the trophy made out of Lego which is now the stand-out trophy in the cabinet!

School Jotters

Victory for St. Mary’s Mindstorm Masters On Saturday the 23rd of January the St Mary’s Mindstorm Masters came close to victory in Dundee at the First Lego League (FLL) competition.

The team of ten P5/6 pupils who took part at the school’s STEM club on a Friday lunchtime went to The Dundee University to compete in the FLL competition. There were eight teams who took part and the St Mary’s Mindstorm Masters came an amazing second! The competition involved three different parts. They were a presentation of an Eco idea to help reduce rubbish, Core Values and The Robot game. St Mary’s came joint first with another team called the West Linton Wasps in the Presentation and the Core Values but the West Linton team scored the highest score in Scotland in the Robot game, so they were worthy winners!

The STEM team had been working on this project since October 2015. Before the competition the whole team had never even heard or seen a Lego Mindstorm Robot before so it was a great achievement! The robots started in the classroom with the whole of P5/6 learning how to enjoy and use the amazing machines. From the class there were ten people from the STEM club and P5/6. We got lots of help from the Toy Hub (who had their very own Mindstorm expert – their son, Jake!), a very knowledgeable parent as well as our amazing teachers!

We never thought that we would do this well and hope to go that one step further next year!

by Dugald, Fin and Catriona (P6)

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Arnhall Nursery is a private day nursery that provides high quality childcare from birth up to 5 years.

We have pre-school grant funded places available & have been graded Excellent & Very Good by the Care Inspectorate in our recent report; the nursery is set in the beautiful rural surroundings of the Keir Estate on the outskirts of Dunblane with ample car parking.

Open all year round from 7.30am to 6.30pm All meals included, home cooked by our in-house chef Fully qualified and trained staff For further details or to arrange a visit please contact the Nursery direct on 01786 822 391 Keir Estate, Dunblane, FK15 9NU www.arnhallnursery.co.uk

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DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY

DUNBLANE HIGH SCHOOL

MY DofE EXPERIENCE

Sixty years after it was first established, the DofE Award is going from strength to strength and last year 111,859 awards were achieved in the UK. At DHS, up to 150 pupils undertake a Bronze, Silver or Gold DofE award every year thanks to the combined work of parents and teachers. Each participant needs to complete 4 sections: volunteering, skill, physical and expedition. In 2016 we are running 22 expeditions, some in the local area (Aberfoyle, the Ochils), but others venturing out to the Cairngorms or the Isle of Mull. The awards are most rewarding, both for participants and volunteers, and sought after by employers and universities. Sara’s thoughts offer a good reflection on the benefits.

If you would like to find out more about DofE in general, please visit www.dofe.org. The DHS Award Group is actively looking for volunteers who can help on a range of roles; the main bottleneck relates to expedition leaders with suitable qualifications, or who’d be interested in undertaking some training. If you would like to find out more, please contact Juan on coordinator@ dunblanehighdofe.com Please mention thewire when responding to adverts 69

School Jotters

I have been involved in DofE ever since S3 and have progressed up from Bronze to Gold. Personally, I feel I have gained the most out of the volunteering and expedition sections. Most people already have something that fits into the skill and the physical sections but if you don’t, or even if you do, it gives you the opportunity to start something new.

Duke of Edinburgh is a great way for young people to become involved in volunteering and can often lead to more – I volunteered with Stirling Swimming Club and it gave me the experience I needed to help me become a swimming teacher. However it is from the expedition section (probably the one most synonymous with DofE) that I have learnt the most, both in terms of skills and about myself.

There are the obvious things like map reading and teamwork, having to navigate by yourself and working with others to survive the weekend. But there are other skills you gain that are maybe less obvious.

Communication is a big one, especially as you progress through the levels and coordinate food and clothes and toiletries between your tent group in order to save on weight. Another massive part of the expedition is learning how to support each other. I completed my final ever Duke of Edinburgh expedition, my Gold Qualifying, back in August 2015. Two days after returning from a trip to Costa Rica, I was out on a four day long expedition – safe to say I was more than a little jetlagged! It was definitely hard but my group were great in giving me support and I even quite enjoyed the last two days. Now that I’ve done it, I know I can pretty much do anything I put my mind to.

Duke of Edinburgh is one of those things you are always told to do because it looks great on your CV. While this is definitely true - employers can immediately see your dedication and self-management skills - I believe there is so much more to get out of it.

Sara Morrison, DHS S6

The Addictive FitBit Want to make sure you’re completing your 10,000 steps a day, or looking to improve your training? An activity tracker can help.

The FitBit is probably the best known brand on the market, with several models to choose from: The entry level Zip At around £50, tracks your steps, distance walked and calories burned. “So it’s a fancy pedometer then?” I hear you ask. Well, yes, basically, but it’s more responsive and you can sync it to your computer or smartphone to see your activity presented as a graph. This makes it much easier to monitor your activity levels over time and track you progress. The Zip also acts as a watch, and there are various other extras, such as the ability to log your food intake.

Feel like you’re getting your full eight hours of sleep, but still feel tired? You might want to opt for One or Flex, which track your sleep as well as your activity.

They also have silent alarms, to wake you up, but not your partner. One clips onto your clothing, while Flex is worn like a watch. There are some differences in what they offer – Flex doesn’t have a clock, for example.

Charge is similar to Flex, in that you wear it like a watch, but it comes with some added extras, such as a clock. If your phone is nearby and it rings, the caller ID will come up on the Charge display. It also has a better battery life, of up to 10 days.

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Charge HR is designed for people who work out regularly, as it can recognise different exercises, and has an automatic heart-rate monitor to help maximise your training.

Top of the range is Surge, at around £200. It’s been designed for people who are really serious about their sports performance, and want to monitor every aspect of their training. For instance, you can track the route you’re running using GPS. You can also control music and read texts that come through to your smartphone.

So which one to go for? Well Zip is a great choice if you just want to check whether you’re walking those recommended 10,000 steps a day. If you cycle, run, or enjoy another sport, you’ll want to opt for a more advanced model.

Now, a warning… It is possible to get ever so slightly obsessed with the FitBit. You can easily find yourself checking it hundreds of times a day, which can distract you from real life, and you can find yourself pushing ever harder, unnecessarily. On the positive side, it does encourage you to increase your activity levels and build up your fitness. Like so much in life, the key is moderation.

Tempted? Head to: www.fitbit.com

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RHONA GEDDES Optometrist

Until 30th June we are delighted to offer a complimentary upgrade from white to photo-chromatic lenses across the SEIKO range. Why? We are celebrating five years as one of the few SEIKO Specialists in Scotland and we want to say “thank you�.

SEIKO share our philosophy - the individual comes

first and quality matters.

Anyone who wears SEIKO lenses can proudly say that they are wonderful. The lens quality and clarity have to be seen to be believed.

In a nutshell - to wear them is to love them.

70 High Street, Dunblane, FK15 0AY

01786 825826 Advanced Remedial Massage and Sports Massage Specialist After a consultation and assessment, Terry aims to find the the route cause of your problem, so she is able to help you long term.

Helen McLean Podiatry

Working closely with highly recommended physios and chiropractors, she will refer you if necessary to ensure you get the best treatment you need, at that time.

BSc Hons, MChS, HCPC Registered

Lomond Clinic has helped people from all walks of life, at all levels of fitness & health. Visit our website for testimonials and more information on how we can help you.

A home visit service within Dunblane & the surrounding areas, specialising in general foot care and biomechanics.

Dunblane 01786 609 706 07795 836 400

www.helenmcleanpodiatry.co.uk

CNHC Accredited Registration Cawdor Crescent, Dunblane

www.lomondclinic.me oneillterry90@yahoo.co.uk 07505 111 568

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Lomond Clinic

71

How to lose weight and relieve stress Well it’s hardly as simple as that but let’s help you out a bit. The first thing to remember about human beings is that we survived for millions of years without supplements, pills or medicine. We survived, stayed fit and stayed lean by our diets and instincts alone. Based on this, the first place we should look for help with things such as insomnia is our dietary habits.

One of the most common problems that we encounter nowadays is a lack of magnesium in our diets. The biggest challenge we face is that we become so obsessed with weight loss, we forget that we need certain vitamins and minerals to survive.

Why is Magnesium so important?

Magnesium has various functions including the formation of bones and teeth. It also helps in the transmitting of nerve signals and muscle contractions. This is all very well I hear you cry but I need sleep and I need to lose weight!!! Okay, hang on a minute.....

Magnesium and Weight Loss First and foremost, along with calcium, sodium and potassium, magnesium is involved in a lot of chemical reactions in the body. The mobilization of fat as an energy source is one of those reactions.

Magnesium plays two roles here. Firstly, it triggers certain enzymes that help digestion and the absorption of fats and proteins. If we digest nutrients properly, we can alleviate cravings for sweet foods.

The second way magnesium helps is the way it acts with the cells to increase insulin sensitivity. The more glucose that gets burned for fuel in the cells 72

means the less that gets stored as fat. (I will keep this simple for now).

Magnesium, Stress & Sleep Magnesium is also a common stress reliever. Cortisol and adrenaline, the two human “fight or flight” stress hormones are known to be suppressed with adequate levels of magnesium. Magnesium is vital for the GABA receptors. GABA is a neurotransmitter that helps you to switch off when you need to. Ever noticed that looking at a lap top or reading late at night can affect your sleep? This is because your brain is ‘engaged’ and in order to sleep you need a calm mind. Magnesium will help to do this as well as help with muscle relaxation which in turn helps you to nod off.

Magnesium Sources Here are some good sources of magnesium: Brazil Nuts, Spinach, Red meat, Cashew Nuts, Sunflower Seeds & Tofu Conclusion Weight loss is never as simple as some people make out. If you want to maintain a healthy weight and also actually be healthy, you need to consider all bases. Minerals and vitamins are essential to a healthy and long term approach to losing weight.

I am assuming it would also be nice not to get stressed all the time as well! www.inspiringfitness.co.uk

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Who’s looking out for your smile?

• • • • • • •

We can help with: family dental care white fillings metal free crowns teeth whitening implants anxious patients convenient appointments.

Phone or email NOW for an appointment on 01786 832 331 or info@bridgeofallandental.com 1 Union Street, Bridge of Allan www.bridgeofallandental.com

For a complete hearing assessment offering a bespoke service contact HASS Hearing & Audiology Services Scotland

Lorna Clarke BSc Pod, MChS, HCPC Registered

Home Visits or Surgery times to suit Practising at: BMI Kings Park Hospital, Stirling & Emma Drewery Optometrist, Bridge of Allan

Chiropodist & Podiatrist

BUPA network provider

Clinic & Home Visits

hass

David Willis M.B.S.H.A.A. Consultant Audiologist & Registered Hearing Aid Dispenser tel: 07940 811 264 or email: dwillishass@gmail.com

Tel: 07976 666 003 Clinic is located at 1 Sinclair’s Street, Dunblane

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73

Beauty is more than skin deep

By Jackie Thomson Beauty Therapist @ River Retreat Skin Care is one of the most important components of natural beauty, no matter what your age, skin tone, or skin type. Good skin care and healthy lifestyle choices can help delay the natural ageing process and prevent various skin problems. Get started with these no nonsense tips. *Protect your skin from the sun at all times by wearing sun screen (or product that contains an SPF) every day.

I would recommend the use of Elemis Liquid Layer SPF 30. You should wear a hat when sitting in direct sunlight to help shade your face and reduce the risk of sun damage *Quit smoking. Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of the skin,which decreases blood flow. This depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients that are important to skin health. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin-the fibres that give your skin its strength and elasticity. In addition the repetitive facial expressions you make when smoking - such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke - an contribute to wrinkles.

For people who do smoke I recommend the use of Elemis Skin Bliss capsules which detox the skin and help to undo the damage of smoking. *Eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water. A healthy diet can help you look and feel great. Eat a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, protein and pulses. From Wrinkle fighting antioxidants in fruits and vegetables to hydrating healthy fats in fish - may matter to your skin as much as your waistline. Always apply a moisturiser to protect the skin from harmful environmental,I recommend the use of Elemis best selling award winning Anti-ageing Pro collagen marine cream. *Manage stress. Stress can trigger breakouts and other skin problems. To encourage healthy skin and a healthy state of mind try to take time out for yourself. Regular facials are an excellent way of relaxing as well as looking after your skin. Talking with your therapist about appropriate products for your skin type is a good way to kick start a healthy skin care routine. Did you know that massage can help to reduce stress dramatically? it also aids sleep and boosts circulation. If you have never tried it,now is the time. *Use the best products that you can afford. I would recommend the use of Elemis skin care, a British Luxury brand using cutting edge technology to deliver clinically proven results. At River Retreat we offer a wide range of Elemis facials that can help with many different skin concerns and problems.

If you have any questions on skin care or any of the treatments feel free to email Jackie on info@riverretreat.com or call 07795 323 789 and I will do my best to help.

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Relax and revive in the hands of a highly qualified and professional therapist and let yourself drift away from the daily grind of work.

Our aim is to provide a comfortable, warm and friendly environment where you can truly feel pampered and relaxed. Whether you’re wanting to achieve inch-loss, a relaxing hour of ‘me time’ or have make-up for a special occasion River Retreat has it covered.

Facials • Massage • Elemis Body Treatments • Waxing (Lycon Hot wax available soon for intimate waxing) • Eyelash Extensions • Makeup • Tanning • Shellac Nails

Put a Spring in your step with our special offers!

March Special: & a perfect treat for Mother’s Day! Elemis Advanced anti-aging Facial Eyebrow Tidy/Shape File and Polish 10% off Elemis Retail on day of treatment All 3 for £39 (a saving of £33!)

April Special: Elemis Cellulite Body Wrap 45 minutes Elemis facial Eyebrow Tidy/Shape 10% off Elemis Retail on day of treatment All 3 for £39 (a saving of £33!)

Gift Vouchers are also available

Make your Booking now by calling Jackie on 07795 323 789 Now at: Mairi’s Hair Design 9 Springfield Terrace, Dunblane

www.river-retreat.com

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IS GROWING WE WANT

SELF-EMPLOYED

ÂŁ60 per day plus product costs Please contact Emma on 0131 319 2001 in strict confidence

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75

Aches and Pains As I sit here to start writing, I am aware of my stiff neck from the spring digging in the allotment.

Rosie Brown DSM Therapeutic Massage Don’t put up with pain...

Therapeutic massage can help tight shoulders, headaches and aching backs and many more problems...

Go to rosiebrownmassage.co.uk for details on how I can help you

The usual aching knees that I get at the end of each day are brought on from years of football, long distance running and old age. Together with my slipped disc, you must see that I am well qualified to talk about aches and pains. However, I still manage to have a very active life. In fact I tell my wife that I am a walking miracle!

Homeopathy can be of great benefit for aches and pains regardless of their cause. The key when deciding which remedy to use is their modalities: these three remedies have their own ‘keynotes’ which you have to match up with the type of pain that you are experiencing.

Rosie Brown DSM

Bryonia 30 is helpful when pain increases with even the slightest movement, with stitching pain and worsens with change in weather.

1 Sinclair’s Street, Dunblane

Rhus Tox 30 is indicated when the pain is better for movement, pressure or heat application, but is worse for sitting still.

07812 049 590

Ruta Grav 30 seems to act on a deeper pain, that is typically worse at night or lying down and if the pain is less during the daytime.

HOME FITNESS EQUIPMENT HIRE Motorised Treadmill Club Style Air Rower Exercise Cycle Elliptical X-Trainer Gravity Walker

4 weeks hire £50 8 weeks hire £35 8 weeks hire £35 6 weeks hire £40 8 weeks hire £25

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CALL 01236 767 211

It can be that more than one remedy is indicated so it is fine to alternate them. Take up to 4 doses a day (dissolved under the tongue) until the pain subsides.

Finally if the problem seems to have started after a bump or fall take a few doses of Arnica 30 and then assess the situation.

All of these natural supplements are highly effective both for the initial pain relief and repairing damaged tissue and joints. Finally, I would like to recommend a couple of manipulative techniques that I have found very helpful.

The Alexander Technique is a gentle system that reprograms your movement through classes that teach you to move in a much more natural way.

The treatment that I use on a regular basis now is Bowen Technique. This is a gentle muscle manipulation that releases pain and re-aligns the body.

Good Natural Health

www.fitnesstakeaway.com 76

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Erskine Eyecare : welcoming a new Optometrist to our team...

Not only have we now finished the refurbishment of our Bridge of Allan practice, we are delighted to be adding to our team and introducing you to Scott Busby.

Scott is joining us from his previous position in an independent practice in St. Andrews. He prides himself on his personal approach to patient care and customer satisfaction, so we are sure that he will fit in perfectly with us!

Scott is looking forward to joining the team and contributing to the professional and family friendly feel of our practices. This atmosphere, as well as the state of the art eyecare equipment we possess, are some of the reasons Scott has decided to join us and further his career.

Scott is currently taking his independent prescribing degree, a qualification that will allow him to treat and to further his interest in anterior eye conditions.

A keen rugby player and golfer, Scott is also interested in sports vision correction.

8 High Street | Dunblane 01786 823 397

We are confident that he will be a hugely successful part of our team and once you meet him, you will share our conviction.

80 Henderson Street | Bridge of Allan 01786 832 061

We are sure that all our patients will be supportive and welcoming, so if you are passing one of our branches, be sure to come in and say hello.

153 High Street | Auchterarder 01764 662 316

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77

February is the new January...

In the last edition of theWire, we talked about that date in the middle of January by which most people had already abandoned their resolutions.

There are so many good reasons for this but firstly, let’s think about what else is happening in the New Year.

We have just come out of the holiday season, a period of time that seems to be getting longer and longer every year. At one time, Christmas was barely over before people had to start getting back to work for the week between Christmas and the New Year.

If you were lucky, you could have two days off for each of these events but life didn’t stop in the way it does now.

Most people have the best part of two weeks off work and this precious time is spent dashing about visiting or meeting up with people who will miraculously disappear again till we are on the approach to Christmas 2017.

Combine all that socialising, rich food, lots of lovely Christmas chocolate and cakes as well as more alcohol than most of us would dream of consuming throughout the rest of the year and it is little wonder that we feel that it’s vital that we immediately stop everything NOW... and pick up that old ambition to finally lose that stone in weight, cut out the cigarettes, drink less and use that gym membership.

To paraphrase Einstein, the definition of insanity is repeating the same thing time and time again and expecting a different result. But still we do it.

So what about a new approach for 2016? Why not think of January as the time when you recharge your batteries, the time when you look back to the old year and review it before embarking on a New Year?

I know that, for some people,that might sound really 78

strange like starting the working week on Sunday instead of Monday. If you think about it though, there surely couldn’t be a worse time to start on a new project than just after the most hectic time of the year?

Why not try a new approach and think of the beginning of the year as a time to take stock and plan properly for those changes you want to make?

Make the beginning of the year a time to set yourself up for change; • • • •

tell the right people, those people who want to see you succeed not the ones who want you to stay stuck like them clear out any clutter which saps your energy so you are fresh and ready to start Start a journal, this helps you reflect on what went before and helps you see what you can do differently Prepare, empty out those cupboards and drawers of left over biscuits and cakes. Give away the left over bottles of wine and port and dispose of those cigarettes you’ve been stockpiling

Take the pressure off yourself and remember that it’s never too late to start over. Don’t stay stuck. Be the best you.

To find out how Hypnotherapy and NLP Coaching can help you reach those goals, contact Francine at Orrganise.

Don’t agonise...Orrganise Kindly provided by Francine at Orrganise Practising at Neroli, Dunblane & Woodside Pharmacy, Doune

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It’s not too late to start...

Be the best you

ARTEMIS is a bespoke accompaniment and companionship service, committed to supporting our clients lead full & independent lives.

Helping you achieve your goals

These include accompaniment in our executive car to appointments, to social & recreational outings or simply getting together for a chat over a coffee/lunch.

Hypnotherapy & NLP

Orrganise

For more information contact Francine on 07772 401 634 or email francine@orrganise.co.uk Don’t Agonise....Orrganise!

We offer a variety of personal services tailored specifically to our clients’ individual needs.

If you would like a friendly companion to help you get around and enjoy life or if you can’t always be there to help a loved one, then Artemis is here to offer a helping hand.

Call 01786 431 771 or 07470 488 892 (out of hours) or email mair@artemiscompanionship.com

SAFE • CARING • RELIABLE Disclosure Scotland vetted and First Aid trained.

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79

DunblanePodiatry 19 High Street Dunblane FK15 0EE Our Treatments include: • • • • • • • • •

Routine Chiropody/Podiatry Nail Surgery with Local Anaesthetic Diabetic Foot Assessments Paediatric/Teenage Podiatric Assessments Biomechanical Assessments Treatment of foot, ankle and knee Pain Treatment of Sports Injuries Foot and ankle manipulations/ mobilisations Lower Limb Acupuncture Connie Gribbon D.Pod.M, MChS, HCPC Scott Gribbon MSci, BSc(Hons), MChS, HCPC Contact us for an appointment

01360 440 009 or 07766 104 498

pink.rats@btinternet.com

Spots!

Often appearing at the worst times; spots are unsightly and can be uncomfortable. They occur when oil called sebum comes into contact with blocked pores.

•

• •

•

To reduce the risk of spots you should prevent excess oil build up by keeping your hair clean and off your face, not wearing tight clothes or bag straps which rub and not resting your face on telephones.

You should also avoid the use of irritants like greasy makeup and certain sunscreens and hair products.

Daily washing with a gentle cleanser is recommended and remember to wash your towels regularly because dirty ones spread bacteria.

A healthy diet can also help and there are special vitamin products available to aid healthy skin.

If you do get a spot you can try products which contain benzoyl peroxide, salicyclic acid and alpha hydroxy acids, as these help to unblock pores, prevent oiliness, kill bacteria and speed up the growth of new skin cells. You should avoid squeezing spots as this can cause infection and scarring. Exfoliation can improve the effectiveness of topical treatments and improve the appearance of skin. Various technology products such as light and heat therapy are also available.

Acne is something very different. This needs to be treated by a doctor possibly with antibiotics. More extreme cases will be referred to a dermatologist.

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Bright Skin microZone® Brighten up with this quick treatment focused on minimising the appearance of sun and age spots. Powerful exfoliant’s slough off dulling surface cells while advanced ingredients target skin discolouration creating an overall fresher, healthier and brighter appearance. This treatment is not only great for your face but fantastic for hands too!

Only £15 with this advert ( normal price £20) Get in touch to find out more & to book your appointment

01786 821 818

Neroli Beauty Salon 9 Stirling Rd,mention Dunblane | ww.nerolibeautysalon.co.uk Please thewire when responding to adverts

81

Banana and Walnut Loaf Ingredients

225g plain flour 2 level tsp baking powder 80g softened or spreadable butter 1 large egg (beaten) 110g caster sugar 4 medium bananas (peeled) 50g walnuts (chopped) Zest 1 lemon Demerara sugar for sprinkling

Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 60-70 minutes

Method • • • • • • •

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Preheat oven to 180C / gas 4. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin.

Mash three bananas to a pulp and chop the fourth.

Sift the flour and baking powder together into a separate bowl. Add the butter, egg and caster sugar.

Using a mixer mix everything together for a minute or two. Add the mashed and chopped bananas and briefly whisk them into the mixture. Fold in the chopped walnuts and lemon zest.

Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin. Sprinkle with Demerara sugar.

Place in the pre-heated oven so that the top of the tin is in the centre. Bake for 60-70 minutes until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes then turn out on to a cooling rack.

This cake is good served warm with crème fraiche, cold, or even toasted.

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Scottish Oven Cleaning Ovens, Cookers, Agas, Hobs, Extractors, Appliances

Sheriffmuir Inn

It’s the inn place out of town A varied, seasonal menu and A wonderful specials BOARD open 7 days for lunch & dinner For reservations call 01786 823 285 Visit our website for more information

www.sheriffmuirinn.co.uk

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83

Brioche & Apricot

Bread and Butter

Pudding

by Wendy Gudgeon

Ingredients (Serves 4 to 6) • • • • • • •

225g sliced brioche 420g tinned apricot halves 1 lg. egg 2 tblspns caster sugar 1 tub (250g) marscapone cheese 50g unsalted butter 4 tblspns demerara sugar

Method • • • • • • • •

Grease a shallow ovenproof dish, approx. 30 x 22 x 5 cm deep.

Lightly butter the brioche slices and arrange in the base of the dish.

Whisk the egg, caster sugar and marscapone until smooth.

Spread the mixture over the brioche slices.

Drain the apricots and arrange, cut side down, evenly over the surface.

Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the top.

Bake in the oven 180c/160 Fan/Gas 4 for about 25 to 30 minutes until set and golden.

Serve warm with cream.

Wendy Gudgeon Tel: 01786 824 487 wendygudgeon@yahoo.co.uk www.wendygudgeon.co.uk

Nominated Catering Finalists at The Scottish Wedding Awards 2016

your STYLE Wedding Event,

We will be exhibiting at the Sunday 13th March at the Victoria Halls.

Come along and say hello!

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Herbs and Spices for Health...

Spring at last: a good time for a detox. Cut out sugar for a flying start but you’ll also need a few herbs. Most of us already have a selection of herbs in the kitchen cupboard. Before refrigeration was invented herbs such as Sage, Thyme, Oregano, and Rosemary were used to preserve meat. But they were also used medicinally and we can make use of these properties to soothe coughs and sore throats.

Add Ginger, Cinnamon, Garlic or Parsley to boiling water. Let it cool a little and gargle with the mixture or just drink it like tea. You can also include these herb and spices in a fresh vegetable soup because they will make your diet more alkaline.

Use Turmeric and Cayenne Pepper in your cooking to boost circulation. Buy a liquid preparation, called a tincture, of Ginkgo Biloba or Vinca Major if cold hands or feet are a particular problem. These may even improve your memory at the same time! If indigestion is a problem then the bitter herbs Centarium, Gentian or Yarrow may help.

Nature provides us with a number of natural antibiotics to try, such as Echinacea and the less well known Goldenseal and Oliveleaf. Echinacea is now recognised as an effective regulator of the immune system and Uva-ursi acts as a urinary antiseptic, preventing cystitus.

Even so-called garden weeds, Dandelion and Nettle, are good for detoxing. They can be bought as a tea or a tincture. Milk Thistle, which supports the regeneration of liver cells, Artichoke which improves

fat metabolism and reduces cholesterol levels, and Kelp are all good for cleansing.

When using tinctures always follow the instructions on the bottle, and check with your doctor if you are on prescribed medication.

Alongside homeopathy, herbalism is still the most widely practised medicine in the world and, until the 19th century, it was the main form of medicine in the West. Herbs contain many plant constituents which work together and balance each other.

Meadowsweet, for example, contains salicylic acid, from which aspirin is synthesised, but it also contains an ingredient that treats stomach ulcers, sometimes a side-effect of taking aspirin on an empty stomach.

Herbalists use a holistic approach to treat the underlying cause of a disease. Many herbs stimulate the body’s own healing powers and some have a affinity with a particular organ or system. They can be a natural complement to orthodox medicine.

For example, herbs can promote healing and vitality in a patient following cancer treatment or surgery.

They are often used alongside homeopathy or acupuncture.

Why not create a herb garden this Spring so you can use more herbs in your cooking? Seek advice on appropriate tinctures in health shops and let herbs and spices become part of your healthier lifestyle.

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85

The Six Nations Usually, when people talk about The Six Nations they are referring to the annual rugby tournament involving Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales, France, and Italy. However, this is not an article about this splendid game.

This article is about The Rotary Club of Bridge of Allan and Dunblane...

The main similarity between the Club, and the Rugby Tournament, is that both have participants representing six nations. In the case of the Club, the nations involved are Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales, Australia and Poland! This is hardly surprising as Rotary itself is the largest charity in the world, with nearly all the countries in the United Nations having established branches of their own.

The Club has had a number of members from overseas over the 40 years since it was formed; and it maintains close links with other Clubs throughout the world. It is very much a feature of membership, that when travelling abroad you would be made very welcome in any Rotary Club.

Another similar feature is the strength of the teamwork. In the case of the Club, this is definitely not a physical thing, but like the international teams, more about helping each other to achieve their objectives. Regardless of age, physical attributes, or even sex, we all pitch in together to ensure that our various tasks, and targets, are completed as fully as possible.

Each team in The Six Nations tournament starts each game with 23 individuals, who are likely to be called upon to be involved at some stage. This means that 46 individuals make up the total participants taking part.

Coincidently, 46 is the total membership of our Club at present!!

However, unlike the rugby teams we do not have reserves that we can call upon to make up our team. We will encourage anyone who would like to become part of our team. Why not find out more by coming to one of our weekly meetings on a Thursday evening at Westlands Hotel at 6.30pm? Visitors are very welcome.

Anyone interested in attending should contact the Club Secretary, Iain Fraser at: secretary@dunblanerotary.org. or tel: 01786 822 751.

More information can be found on the Club website: www.dunblanerotary.org.uk or the Facebook site: www.facebook.com/dunblanerotary.W 86

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AT A GLANCE Dunblane Fling Weekend Amazing how time flies, isn’t it? Before we know it, it will be Spring, and in no time at all it will be Fling weekend. So, I thought it was time to start letting you know what we’re planning this year – and you can get the dates in your diary!

Thursday 26th May

The Dunblane Fling this year will fall over the weekend of 26th to 29th May.

Friday 27th May

As The Jazz Evening was such a success at The Westlands Hotel last year, we’re pleased that they have agreed to have us back on the evening of Thursday 26 May. There’s going to be a change to what we have been doing on Friday evening – this year, there will be 2 discos at the Dunblane Centre. First a UV party for P5-P7, followed by Blackout! for S1-S3 ages. A chance for young people to be a real part of the Fling weekend. Thanks to the Dunblane Centre for their support and UltraSound Entertainments for providing the music and lights!

Saturday will again be Fling By The River – keep your fingers crossed for the same kind of weather we have had for the last few years! We’ve decided to include the tug of war again, so start thinking about your teams…. as well as the ever popular performers & stalls, there’s going to be something a wee bit extra. But I’m not going to tell you anything more till we have the final details worked out – watch this space!!!

And we’re in the process of finalising the programme for the concert on Saturday evening, again at the Victoria Hall, so I can’t say much more than there will be a concert on Saturday evening!!!

We are also hoping the Folk Club will help us round off the weekend with the Festival Club.

So, get the dates in your diary and stay up to date with all the plans on Facebook!

JAZZ NIGHT

at the Westlands Hotel

GLOW

UV party for P5-P7 6.30-8.30pm

BLACK OUT

9-11pm, S1 - S3 both at the Dunblane Centre with music, lights and special effects by UltraSound Entertainments

Saturday 28th May

FLING BY THE RIVER on the Drying Green

FLING CONCERT at the Victoria Halls

Sunday 29th May

THE FLING FESTIVAL CLUB at the Folk Club in the Braeport Centre

Keep up to date: www.dunblanefling.com or on facebook

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87

Residents asked to Befriend Lonely & Isolated Older People in 2016 Volunteering Matters, the UK charity, are asking people in Stirlingshire to consider befriending lonely and isolated older people in 2016.

Isolation and Loneliness is a huge social problem in the UK. 1 million people say they are always or often feeling lonely with 50% of over 75’s saying the TV is their best friend. In fact, studies have shown that loneliness has the same impact on someone’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day.

A Forth Valley wide project was set up in 2015 to help tackle this problem. Funded by the Big Lottery, The Help at Hand Befriending Project is seeking more volunteers to help out in 2016.

Volunteers are recruited and trained before working 1-to-1 with an older person. Perhaps you could help the older person get out and about, take a walk in the park, a visit to the local library or introduce them to a local knitting group or lunch club. Befriending means making a real difference to someone’s life, purely by being a reliable and trustworthy friend. All it takes is a couple of hours a week.

In return, Volunteering Matters offer full training and travel expenses, help and Support through paid staff, the chance to increase your experience, skills and qualities as well as the incredible feeling of helping someone who has very few people in the world.

To apply or for more information, please contact John Brown, Project Coordinator at Volunteering Matters: The Hub, Whins Road, Alloa, FK10 3SA or email john.brown@volunteeringmatters.org.uk or tel: 01259 928 088

We are having a party!

Calling all current and former Tesco Dunblane staff!

This year we are celebrating our 20th birthday and we would like everyone who has played a part in the store`s success to come along on Sat16th of April to celebrate with us.

Please email tescodunblane@gmail or contact the store directly by Thursday 31st March for more information.

We look forward to seeing you there.

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The 10th Dunblane Potato Day

will be held on Saturday 5th March from 1pm to 4pm in the Braeport Centre, Dunblane.

There will be some 40 varieties of potatoes on sale and prices will be 20p / tuber or £3.20/ bag (Approx 24-30 tubers) The beauty of potato day is that you can buy as many or few as you wish, so you can experiment with different varieties.

John Marshall, the “Tattie expert” will be on hand to give advice, and Tilly Tearooms will be there to provide refreshments throughout the afternoon.

Mo Lawn ( Stockbridge Nursery) will have a stall with onion sets, seeds and garden tools available.

The new Marie Curie Dunblane Fundraising Group are holding a Great Daffodil Appeal collection in Tesco on Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 February.

If you can volunteer for an hour or two as part of a rota, please visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil or call 0131 561 3951 to book your slot.

All the money raised will support Marie Curie Nurses who provide care and support to those living with a terminal illness.

Children’s charity seeks riders for Trossachs Ton cycle challenge Popular cycling challenge the Trossachs Ton will take place this summer and children’s charity Action Medical Research is calling for riders to sign up now and test themselves on this jewel of British cycling.

The event on Sunday, 19 June 2016, offers two options: a Classic 75mile route, the perfect introduction to distance riding; or the more challenging Champion option, which covers 106 miles - ideal for experienced sportive riders. The route, which starts at Stirling High School, is one of the best ride outs in Scotland in an area of outstanding scenery full of mountains and forests, making the ride a pleasure despite the hills. The Classic route includes Crow Road and a single ascent of the Duke’s Pass while the Champion offers the Double Duke, two runs at the steep but stunning pass.

This event is part of the charity’s popular RIDE100 series of one-day bike rides that take place in fantastic cycling locations across the UK. All include chip timing, food and water stations, marshals and mechanics.

Entry to the Trossachs Ton is £38 and riders will be raising money to help fund medical research into conditions affecting babies and children – in 2015, almost 5,000 riders helped to raise a total of £286,000.

With the help of its supporters, Action Medical Research has played a significant role in many medical breakthroughs for more than 60 years, from the development of the first UK polio vaccines to the use of ultrasound in pregnancy. It is currently funding research into meningitis, Down syndrome, epilepsy and premature birth, as well as some rare and distressing conditions that severely affect children.

For more information and to register, please visit action.org.uk/trossachs-ton To advertise in the wirethe t. 07720 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk Please mention wire 429 when responding to adverts

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Dunblane in Bloom says ‘thank you’ to FES A big thank you has to go to FES who have donated ANOTHER van for use by Dunblane in Bloom! Their generosity is hugely appreciated by us and makes a big difference to our work.

Our first gardening efforts will probably be visible at the end of February/early March with our spring planting of primulas. They should give an early boost of colour before the main planting in late May/early June. We are lucky to receive a grant from the Wind Farm, so these annuals for main planting are already on order.

You may have noticed we have cleared an area of the Community Garden opposite the Faery Bridge. The Community Garden was one of the first projects undertaken by the Dunblane in Bloom some 10 plus years ago, so it needs a “face lift”, but it is too big to tackle all in one go. So we will be working on a section at a time, this year is our first “practice” run, hope it works.

You can’t have missed the work at the top of the Beech Road. We are replacing the barrels and a planter with a raised stonewall bed, similar to the one we had at the top of station road, now unfortunately gone. It will be set it out with a combination of permanent and annual plants.

So if you see us out working give us a wave and any comments on how we are doing are welcomed, and if your interested in joining us come and have a chat or ring me on 825504.

George Matthews, Dunblane in Bloom

Library News 3rd and 17th March & 14th & 28th April, Bookbug sessions from 10.30am 5th March & 2nd April, German Bookbug from 10am Bilingual session and 10.30am auf deutsch Storytime/craft session 10th and 24th March from 2.15pm-2.45pm Stirling Libraries now own 3D Printers , if you would like more information please contact the Library.

The View Art Gallery within Dunblane Library has spaces still available this year. It is free to hire. Please contact Library for more information.

If you are interested in joining a Bookgroup but are short of time to attend meetings, Dunblane Library is now offering readers the chance to join a Book Chain. Please contact Library for more information.

Dunblane Library 01786 823125 dunblanelibrary@stirling.gov.uk (The Library is closed 25th, 26th and 27th March)

Deadline for What’s On info: 8th April

Don’t forget to promote your club meetings and fundraisers or to share your community news

for the May-June issue

email: fiona@thewireweb.co.uk or send to 75 Old Doune Road, Dunblane, Fk15 9FH 90

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Braeport moves into the 21st Century...

As you may know the Dunblane Development Trust recently signed a long term lease with Stirling Council and formalised the way in which the Braeport Community Centre is managed by the Trust by appointing a Management Committee more directly accountable to the Development Trust Board.

The aim of the Trust very much remains one of managing the Centre for the benefit of the local community and encouraging local groups, as well as individuals, to use the Centre.

We also want to make improvements to the Centre improving the energy efficiency to make it warmer and more comfortable and expanding the facility to make it more user friendly, creating a more modern flexible space for a wider variety of users.

Recently a new disabled toilet with baby changing facility has been installed using a local Architect and local tradesmen. Volunteers from the Trust’s Mid Week group managed the project and carried out the downtakings and the redecoration.

Many thanks are due from the Board to all those involved.

As well as a new disabled toilet, the Gents Toilets have been refurbished with more work to follow shortly in the Ladies.

A part time Caretaker has been in post for several months to look after the Centre on a day to day basis and also a part time IT specialist to build a new Braeport website and install an on-line booking and invoicing system. The new website is up and running so please look at www.Braeport. com the next time you want to book a room.

In addition we have upgraded the Security and Fire Alarm systems making them report continuously to an off-site call centre.

Whilst making these changes there has been quite a bit of disruption so we are grateful to all our customers for their patience and continued support.

New bookings from groups or individuals are always welcome and you can find out all about our facilities and their availability from the website www.Braeport.com or by phoning 01786 822 422.

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Whats On: during the week MONDAY: • • • • • • •

2284 Dunblane Air Cadets for boys & girls ages 13 to 18. Meet Mon & Wed 7pm to 9.30pm. For more information contact Ft.Lt. Peter Mulkerrins on email oc.2284@aircadets.org or 01786 825355 Bridge lessons will be restarting in September in Doune, days and venue still to be decided. Anyone interested in learning the game or updating their skills should contact Susan on 01786 842684/07778 506 406 or e-mail susan.wilson37@tesco.net.

ST MARY’S BABY AND TODDLER GROUP every Monday (including holidays) 10-11.30am at St Mary’s Church Hall. All parents and children aged 0-5 years are welcome, £2.50 a session.

Dunblane Library, free beginners computer classes from a Forth Valley College lecturer every Monday from 9am until 12, offering a variety of flexible learning courses.

Dunblane Fencing Club meets at D. High School & is for ages 8-18. Mon 5-6pm Beginners. 6-8pm Intermediate - Advanced. Contact Charity McArdle at dunblanefencingclub45@gmail.com or on 07881 025 664.

Jazz Night from 8pm at the Westlands Hotel. Everyone welcome, admission free Dunblane Runners group run – 5 or 6 miles – meet at 7pm at Hydro gym

TUESDAY: • • • •

•

• • • •

Doune & Dunblane Bridge Club meets at the Catholic Church Hall, 2-4.30pm. No partners required.

Call 01786 824080 for further information.

Beginner/Mixed Ability Run 6pm@Run4It, Bridge of Allan. Supervised by qualified Jog Scotland leaders and catering to those that want to start jogging for the first time through to intermediate runners. Free of charge Hills and Drills 7pm@Run4It, Bridge of Allan . Not for the faint hearted, it improves strength and endurance & lasts around an hour. Free of charge.

St Blane’s Drama Group meets every Tuesday evening Sept to May in St Blane’s Church Hall at 7:30pm.

We are a friendly mixed age group, members of the Scottish Community Drama Association and our membership is free and is open to all residents of the Dunblane and Stirling District. Enquiries to Tudor Rees 823716 Stirling Speaking Society warmly welcomes anybody who would like to build up confidence in speaking in public, whether to groups or individuals, through a supportive process of advice on techniques, practice, and friendly feedback. We meet in Dunblane Cathedral Halls on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7.30 for 8 o’clock. To find out more, please email stirlingspeakingsociety@gmail.com, or go to our website at stirlingspeakingsociety.wordpress.com, or phone 0741 322 8050.

Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Army Cadet Force, 7pm till 9pm at the Queen Victoria School.

Anyone aged 12-18 years old can just come along. Contact Vikki Paul by email: v_i_p_r_f_c@hotmail. co.uk for more information.

Nordic walks, Tuesday evenings 6.45pm – 8pm. Contact Tricia on 07557 439111 for details on training with Nordic poles and the meeting points for the walks. Poles will be supplied.

Dunblane Fencing Club meets at D. High School & is for ages 8-18. Tues 6-7pm Beginners and Juniors.

7-9pm Intermediate to Advanced. Contact Charity McArdle at dunblanefencingclub45@gmail.com or on 07881 025 664.

Dunblane Community Preschool Rising 3s. 9.30am – 11.30am at the Braeport Centre. Open to children ages 2 - 3. A fantastic stepping stone between toddler groups and preschool, led by an early childhood educator with parent assistance. Please telephone 07920 249 631 for further information.

WEDNESDAY: • • • • •

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Tea n Toast - drop-in for parents with or without tots at St Mary’s Church Hall, 9 to 11am DPPA PARENT & BABY GROUP. 10am – 11.30am at the Braeport Centre. (Term Time Only) Open to babies from birth to 12 months. Drop in for a cup of coffee & a chance to meet other local parents. Please telephone 07920249631 for further information 25th Stirling (Dunblane) Boys’ Brigade Anchor Boys (boys aged 5 up to P3), 6.05-7.10pm in the Cathedral Hall. Contact Rosemary McLellan on 825039 or anchors@dunblanebb.org.uk 2284 Dunblane Air Cadets for boys & girls ages 13-18. Meet Mon & Wed 7-9.30pm. Contact Ft.Lt. Peter Mulkerrins on 01786 825355 or e: oc.2284@aircadets.org Doune Bridge Club meets at 7.15pm in the Red Lion Hotel, Doune (back room). Small friendly club and welcome all standards, with or without a partner. Contact Derek on 01786 842224 To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fiona@thewireweb.co.uk

Whats On: during the week (continued) • • • • •

Local walking group meet at Dunblane Cathedral at 10.30am for a 30-45min walk on good surfaced paths.

Walks are free, no need to register in advance. Contact Tricia on 07557 439 111 or enquire at the health centre for more details.

Dunblane Cathedral Society of Change Ringers. The tower bell ringers practice from 7:30-9:00pm in the Cathedral. For further information contact Judith Frye on 824779 or e-mail dunblane@sacr.org.

Dunblane Free Church. ‘Open Door’ session between 10 and 12 noon where we invite members of the local community to pop in and meet us.

Robertsons of Kinbuck, Auctions every Wednesday at 11am, alternating between a general household sale & an antiques and collectables sale. Viewing is on Tues & Weds. Website address for pictures & catalogue is www.robauctions-dunblane.co.uk Dunblane Fencing Club meets at D. High School & is for ages 8-18. Wed 6-8pm Intermediate to Advanced. Contact Charity McArdle at dunblanefencingclub45@gmail.com or on 07881 025 664.

THURSDAY: • •

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DPPA TODDLER GROUP. 10am – 11.30am at the Braeport Centre. (Term Time Only) Open to children from 6 months to 2 years. Drop in for a cup of coffee & a chance to meet other local parents. Children’s snack is provided. Please telephone 07920249631 for further information.

Dunblane Whist Club meets every Thursday Lesser Hall, Victoria Hall 1.30 - 3.30pm. Come along to find out if this group is suitable for you. Ten players joined us last term forming new friendships. Ladies & gentlemen all welcome. Friendly tuition given if required. Information from Dolly Gemmell 01786 822 387. Club resumes Thursday 14 January Bridge of Allan & Dunblane Rotary Club, at the Westlands Hotel at 6.00 for 6.30, visiting Rotarians or interested visitors should contact our Secretary Iain Fraser on 01786 822751.or email: secretary@ dunblanerotary.org.uk Going Forward Stroke Group provides activities and entertainment for stroke survivors. 2-4pm in the Chalmers Hall, Bridge of Allan. New members are always welcome. Tel 01786 - 831608 or 832228 for information.

Open Doors@Dunblane Christian Fellowship. The doors open 2-4pm for anyone who is looking for a bit of company. There will be various activities on offer, tea and cake. More inforation from Helen pn 01786 825 974.

Dunblane Cathedral: Midweek service 11 – 11.30am Mixed Ability Run 6pm@Run4It, Bridge of Allan. Offering alternatives from 3.5 miles to 7 miles. This run accommodates all levels with certified Jog Scotland leaders accompanying each group. Meet at Run4It. Free of charge Dunblane Bowling Club Bingo, Eyes Down 7.30pm. All Welcome Oor Woollie, 7-9pm, Dunblane Cathedral Halls. Nutty on knitting or hooked on crochet or want to learn?

Bring along your needles and yarn. Tea, coffee & biscuits are available. Contact Kate: 07904 440 491 or Lesley 01786 821 427.

Dunblane Runners training session – 7pm – locations vary each week. See our Facebook page for info.

FRIDAY: • • • • •

•

Tea Dance at the Victoria Halls, 2-4pm. Admission £4, all welcome. Held on the 11th, 18th & 25th March & 8th, 15th, 22nd & 29th April DPPA TODDLER GROUP. 10am – 11.30am at the Braeport Centre. (Term Time Only) Open to children from 6 months to 2 years. Drop in for a cup of coffee & a chance to meet other local parents. Children’s snack is provided. 07920 249 631 for further information.

25th Stirling (Dunblane) Boys’ Brigade Junior Section (P4-P6) 6.15 - 7.45pm in the Cathedral Hall.

Contact Fraser Boyd on 821387 or info@dunblanebb.org.uk 25th Stirling (Dunblane) Boys’ Brigade Company Section (P7-S3) and Seniors (S4-S6) Fridays 7.4510pm in the Cathedral Hall. Contact Paul Christmas on 823192 or e-mail captain@dunblanebb.org.uk Dunblane Woodies (Woodcraft Folk). Braeport Centre (term times) 4pm - 5.30pm. Woodchips 3 - 5 yrs and Elfins 6 - 8 yrs. We’re also welcoming Pioneers aged 9-12 and Venturers 12-16. So come along and share your knowledge of the great outdoors or just have some good green fun. Contact Lucia, dunblane. wcf@gmail.com 07796 268 695.

1st Dunblane Girls Brigade Company: Explorer Section (P1-P3) 6-7pm. Junior Section (P4-P7) 7-8.30pm & Brigadier Section (S1-S6) 7-8.30pm. All meeting in St. Blane’s Church Hall. Contact Jacqueline Cassidy (Captain) on 07759 046 474. e-mail: cmailto:cassidyjacqueline@yahoo.co.uk 93

Whats On: during the week (continued) SATURDAY: • •

Dunblane Runners social run – meet 8.30am at Cathedral car park Training Run 9am @ Run4It, Bridge of Allan - a longer training run. typically be at least 9 miles in length and are ideal for the aspiring half marathoner (and beyond!) - Meet at Run4It. Free of charge

SUNDAY: • • • •

•

St Mary’s Episcopal Church, Dunblane, 8.30am Said Communion; 10.30am Sung Eucharist with provision for children. See www.stmarysdunblane.org for more detail.

Dunblane Cathedral Morning worship: 10.30am every Sunday Family service: 9am on the last Sunday of each month (in addition to the 10.30 service) Sunday school: 10.15am every Sunday morning (except the last Sunday of each month). All departments: 3 year old – P7. Crèche available for under 3s Religious Society of Friends [Quakers] Dunblane Meeting. Meeting for Worship, Sunday 10.30 am at The Braeport Centre. Children welcome. See www.quakerscotland.org/dunblane for more detail.

Dunblane Cathedral Handbell Ringers, Cathedral Halls. Beginner adults from 6.30-7.30pm. Those of High School age, 5.30-6.30pm. Children in Primary 5-7 from 6.30-7.30pm. The adult group for experienced musicians rehearses from 7.30-9.15pm. For more info, contact Malcolm Wilson (t. 825387) or e-mail handbells@dunblanecathedral.org.uk Dunblane Folk Club meet at the Braeport Centre, 8pm. BYO bottle, everyone welcome.

Whats On: during the month •

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Christian Aid Photography Exhibition at Dunblane Cathedral, until the end of March. A collection of inspiring photos and artwork from Haiti showing how the international development charity Christian Aid has been helping people rebuild their lives following the earthquake of 2010 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Wednesday 2nd March, Dunblane and District Gardening Club. Cathedral Hall 2pm. The speaker will be Hamish Martin talking about, “Secret Garden Herbs.” Visitors are very welcome and cost £1.50.

Friday 4th March, St Blanes church will host our Annual World Day of Prayer in the morning. All denominations are welcome to come and take part.

Friday 4th March, Forth Valley U3A, Colin Tennant of Historic Scotland when he tells us of the exciting developments of The Engine Shed. Join us at the Mayfield Centre, St Ninian’s, Stirling at 2pm. Learn some more about what Historic Scotland is doing and discover what happens at FV U3A whilst enjoying a cup of tea or coffee, with delicious home baking, and chatting with some of the members. For further information please contact the Membership Secretary on 01786 822062 or the Interest Groups’ Coordinator on 01786 814681 or visit www.forthvalleyu3a.org.uk .

Sunday 6th March, Art’n’Mart Community Market, Victoria Halls. 11am-4pm. Free parking & free entry Sunday 6th March, Fairtrade Afternoon Tea, Cathedral Hall, 3pm-5pm. The Arts Guild invites you to come for a relaxing cup of Fairtrade tea, coffee or hot chocolate, and listen to live music by Dunblane’s talented young musicians. Free admission. Donations to Alzheimer Scotland.

Monday 7th March, Dunblane Cathedral Guild, 2pm. All welcome to join in our craft afternoon and blethers in Cathedral halls.

Monday 7th March, Kinbuck Book Group meets 7.30 pm the Centre, kinbuck. See www.kinbuck.com for more information.

Sunday 13th March, Forth Valley Friends of Scottish Opera: Ali Maclaurin, designer, KidO. This month’s speaker, Ali Maclaurin, is an experienced theatre designer who worked extensively in London before returning to Scotland to run a costume design course at Queen Margaret College. She is now freelance and her work has included designing Scottish Opera’s BabyO and this season’s KidO shows for pre-school children. All very welcome. 2.30 pm, Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling. Members £5, Visitors £6, Students £1, including tea/coffee & biscuits.

Monday 14th March, Dunblane Cathedral Guild, 2pm Cathedral Halls. Our speaker, David Mc Fayden will talk about the work that is Erskine’s care . We will hold a Bring and Buy table this afternoon. All are welcome to join us.

Monday 14th March, Dunblane Arthritis Care 1.30-3.30pm Victoria halls with a speaker from the rotary club. Branch information from Pat Anderson 822505.

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Whats On: during the month (Continued) •

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• • • • •

• • • •

•

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Monday 14th March Annual Dunblane Lecture This popular event takes place at 7:30pm in the Victoria Hall. Professor Sue Black who is an internationally renowned forensic expert from the University of Dundee will talk on “Forensic Anthropology in the Real World”. The BBC 2 TV series “History Cold Cases” highlights the fascinating work of Professor Black and her team. Tickets which are £4 for members and £5 for visitors (incls. wine/soft drinks and small nibbles) can be purchased from Small Print, Dunblane or at the door on the night. A warm welcome is assured. This lecture is jointly organised by the Civic Society and the Local History Society.

Wednesday 16th March, Dunblane Accordion & Fiddle Club at 7-30pm in the Victoria Hall Dunblane.

The guests will be “ The Liam Stewart Band “. All players, any instrument, warmly welcome.

Friday 19th March, Kinbuck Pub/Film Night 7.30pm at the Centre Kinbuck. See www.kinbuck.com for more information.

Sunday 20th March, Concert in the Cathedral at 3pm. Tunnell Trust winners Ferio Saxophone Quartet, a dynamic young group, play old music freshly arranged and new music specially written for these versatile instruments. Tickets at the door, or in advance from Smallprint, Beech Rd., Dunblane: Adult £9 Child/Student/Unemployed £2 Wednesday 23rd March, Scottish Women’s Institute, meet for a talk from George Morrison of MoLawn. 7.30pm in the Victoria Hall. Everyone Welcome, £3.50 for visitor entry.

Sunday 3rd April, Art’n’Mart Community Market, Victoria Halls. 11am-4pm. Free parking & free entry Sunday 3rd April, Kinbuck Book Group meets 7.30 pm the Centre, kinbuck. See www.kinbuck.com for more information.

Monday 4th April, Dunblane Cathedral Guild, 2pm. All welcome to join in our craft afternoon and blethers in Cathedral halls.

Monday 4th April, Dunblane Civic Society’s Spring Walk/Lunch. Members to meet in the Atholl Arms Hotel car park, Dunkeld at 10:00. The walk along the banks of the river Tay is mostly on level ground. More details will be given at our meetings. Could members who are going for lunch only please arrive at the Atholl Arms Hotel for 12:15 approx. If any member requires transport, etc. please tel.

Donald or Caroline tel. 823599 Wednesday 6th April, Dunblane and District Gardening Club. Cathedral Hall 2pm. Graeme Butler will be the speaker, talking on Primula Auriculas. Visitors are very welcome and cost £1.50 .

Monday 11th April Dunblane Civic Society meets at 7:30pm in the Braeport Centre. Ruary Mackenzie Dodds, Naturalist will talk on “Dragonflies - from scratch”. A warm welcome is assured. Visitors’ admission is £2.

Monday 14th April, Dunblane Arthritis Care 1.30-3.30pm Victoria halls with a tai chi demo from Margot Farrell. Branch information from Pat Anderson 822505.

Friday 15th April, The Grand Forth Valley U3A Quiz at 2pm in the Mayfield Centre, St Ninians, Stirling.

It will stimulate memory and thinking processes, encourage contribution within a team and offer a challenge, some fun, and of course, tea and cake. That’s covering all the reasons for being in the U3A, so, even if you have yet to join, come along to the quiz! Teams will be formed on the day so the more the merrier.

Sunday 17th April, Forth Valley Friends of Scottish Opera: AGM followed by Andrew Shore, PoohBah in The Mikado. The AGM is expected to be very short, as usual, to allow plenty of time to hear from Andrew Shore. He sings the role of Pooh-Bah in a new production of The Mikado which opens in Glasgow in May. Andrew is famous for his comic acting as well as his singing and we can expect an enjoyable afternoon to round off the current season of talks. All very welcome. 2.30 pm, Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling. Members £5, Visitors £6, Students £1, including tea/coffee & biscuits.

Wednesday 20th April, Dunblane Accordion & Fiddle Club at 7-30pm in the Victoria Hall Dunblane.

The guests will be “ The Hector McFadyen Band “. All players, any instrument, warmly welcome.

Saturday 23rd April, Dunblane Scout Group will be holding our annual coffee morning l from 10am 12noon in the Cathedral Halls, Dunblane. Entry £2 (£1 children) which includes tea, coffee, pancakes or scones. Please come along and support the Scout Group. There will also be a raffle, bacon rolls for sale, a cake and candy stall, guess the weight of the cake and various activities for children.

Saturday 23rd April, Kinbuck Beer Festival at 2pm. See www.kinbuck.com for more information.

Saturday 23rd April, Choral Concert in Cathedral at 7.30pm. Glasgow City Chorus with David Hamilton, organ, perform Fauré’s Requiem and other well loved choral classics. Tickets at the door, or in advance from Smallprint, Beech Rd., Dunblane: Adult £9 Child/Student/Unemployed £2 95

Whats On: during the month (cont’d) •

Monday 25th April, Dunblane Cathedral Guild meet for coffee and AGM at 11am in Westlands Hotel, then stay on for lunch at 12.30. Please phone Dorothy Millar 824170 for more details.

Wednesday 27th April, Scottish Women’s Institute, meet for a craft demonstration from Lorraine Flemming from Renmant Kings at 7.30pm in the Victoria Hall. Everyone Welcome, £3.50 for visitor entry.

Dunblane Rambling Club, once a fortnight on Sundays. For more information about walks this month see the website www.dunblaneramblingclub.org.uk or call Ray Kent on 01786 832 158 or Eric Howman on 01259 742 889 Dunblane Cathedral Guild - Watch out for details about an evening of musical entertainment on 7th May and note that the Guild Rally this year will be hosted by Dunblane Cathedral Guild on Thursday 2nd June.....it will all be in the next issue of The Wire!

• • •

Useful Numbers Dunblane Police Station 101 Dunblane Health Centre 821777 Forth Valley Hospital, Larbert 01324 566000 Stirling Community Hospital 434000 Bannermans, High Street 823266 Bannermans, Anderson St. 822030 Dunblane Library 823125 Dunblane Post Office 825317 Stirling Council Local Offices 823300 Registrar of Births, Deaths & Marriages 823300 Scottish Gas Emergency 0800 111999 Hydro Electric Emergency 0800 300999

RN

Scottish Water Emergency Floodline Scottish SPCA Dunblane Primary School Newton Primary School St Mary’s Primary School Dunblane High School Dunblane Centre Kinbuck Centre Ashfield Village Hall Victoria Hall

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A-Z of Advertisers A9 Partnership page 41 Ace of Spades page 1 Altal Plumbers page 10 AM Counting page 43 Argarty Logs page 27 Artemis Companion Services page 79 Art ‘n’Mart page 7 Arnhall Nursery page 68 Beaconhurst School page 55 Bennetts Butchers page 83 Bib’ll Fix It page 10 Braco Designs page 33 BR Gardening Services page 28 Bridge of Allan Dental Care page 73 Carpet Master page 39 Cathedral Accounting Services page 49 Cathedral City Estates page 47 Cellfield Scotland page 53 Cruachan Landscaping page 17 Curtains by Elaine page 38 CWS page 43 D&S Taxis page 17 DDT page 91 Do It Outdoors page 57 Doune Chic page 35 Doune Woodyard page 24 & 29 Dunblane Centre page 58 Dunblane Driveways page 27 Dunblane Fling page 87 Dunblane Nature Kindergarten page 52 Dunblane Podiatry page 80 Dunblane Post Office page 34 Dunblane School of Motoring page 17 Dyslexia Scotland page 63 Erskine Eyecare page 77 Fitness League page 79 Fitness Takeaway page 76 Forth Dimension Gardens page 27 Francine Orr, Hypnotherapy page 79 Gary McIntyre, Joiner page 49 Glenn Murray Associates page 41 Hair Chair page 75 Hammer and Clout page 41 Hand Bell Ringers Craft Fair page 9 HASS page 73 98

Helen McLean Podiatry page 71 Homeworx page 14 Iain Wilson DIY page 31 J&R Joinery page 14 James Cowie TV Installations page 38 John McLaren page 15 Jonno Rock page 23 Kare Gardens page 19 Kerr Garden Services page 23 Kevin Monaghan page 19 Linda Aitchison Grooming page 51 Lomond Clinic page 71 Lorna Brown Cards page 9 Lorna Clarke, Podiatrist page 73 Mackie Electrical page 13 McIntyre Funeral Directors page 42 Module Architects page 47 Mo-Lawn page 21 Neroli Beauty Salon page 81 Ocean Reef Bathrooms page 38 Office Space for Rent page 42 Point Nouveau Bridal page 9 Platinum Builders page 15 Randolph Hill page 45 Rhona Geddes page 71 River Retreat Beauty page 74 RJ Wealth Management page 47 RN Robertson page 96 Robert Paul Architects page 31 Roofline Advice page 11 Scottish Oven Cleaning page 83 Scottish Relatives and Roots page 31 SF Cunningham Joinery page 11 Sheriffmuir Inn page 83 SL Garden Rooms page 100 SRC Landscapes page 28 Struthers & Scott Vets page 51 The Riverside page 7 Therapeutic Massage page 76 Tracks page 25 Trapped By Your Salary page 46 Window Cleaning page 15 Wee Acorns page 61 William Kay, garage doors page 67 Wilson Gas page 10

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