jan-13 - Lochwinnoch Online

Labour administration inRenfrewshire Council, in their WinterService Plan for this year, that “Innormal circumstances grit bins willonly be provided in urban areas”. Thisis not good enough and hard workingfamilies in Lochwinnoch deserve thesame consideration as those in urbanareas.Lochwinnoch Playpark ImprovementGroup are still very active in theirfundraising efforts and I wouldencourage all villagers to support thisvery worthwhile campaign to benefitlocal children and improve playparkprovision.Finally, a word of caution; aconstituent, who phoned ScottishWater repeatedly about discolouredwater from her taps, was told thatthese complaints were not formalcomplaints, and were not registered.So please ensure that you put allcomplaints to public utilities inwriting, either in an e-mail or by letter.I very much want to make myselfavailable to local residents inLochwinnoch and my Lochwinnochadvice surgery is on the fourthWednesday of the month, at 8:00pmin the McKillop Institute. Please comeand see me if you have any issues youwish to raise, or alternately call me on07534 148224, or e-mail me atcllr.andy.doig@renfrewshire.gov.uk.Yours Sincerely,Cllr Andy Doig (SNP),Tea, Chat andLaughterWith the long dark winterevenings drawing in, Contact theElderly, the only national charitysolely dedicated to tackling lonelinessand isolation among older people, isinviting local residents ofLochwinnoch to join them for a cuppa,slice of cake and lots of chatter eachmonth.Supported by a volunteer network, thecharity organises free monthly Sundayafternoon tea parties for small groupsof older people, aged 75 and above,who live alone and would appreciatesome company on a Sunday afternoon.Each older person is collected fromtheir home by a volunteer driver andtaken to a volunteer host’s home forthe afternoon. The group is warmlywelcomed by a different host eachmonth, but the drivers remain thesame which means that over themonths and years, acquaintances turninto friends and loneliness is replacedby companionship.Contact the Elderly’s West ofScotland Development Officer,Margaret Oliver, said: “Activities forpeople aged 75 and above arenormally limited to weekdays, soSunday can be a particularly longand difficult day. We also know thata lot of people, whatever their age,can relate to feeling a bit flat over thewinter months. Our tea parties areperfect for brightening up thegloomy months and are a greatopportunity to make new friendswithin the community, to get out ofthe house and to generally have agood time!”The group in Lochwinnoch hascapacity for a number of new gueststo join and the charity is keen toraise awareness of these openingsamong the local community.Lochwinnoch residents, aged75 and above, who live aloneand are interested in joiningContact the Elderly as a guest,or those who would like to referan older person to the localgroup, should please contactMargaret Oliver, on 01389605915 ormargaret.oliver@contact-theelderly.org.ukCan You Solvethe Mystery?Here is a mystery areader of Chatterbox maybe able to solve.My father, AngusMacintyre, competed in theHighland Games in the 1930sagainst another record-breakingathlete who styled himself ‘D.L.Douglas, Lochwinnoch.’ He was anexceptional exponent of the hop,step and leap, and was also a highand long jumper. But searches by themost helpful staff through the localrecords in Lochwinnoch Libraryhave failed to find any informationabout him. I have searched15newspaper archives and othersources, and have consulted leadinghistorians of Highland Games, butthey only know Douglas’s name andreputation, and no details about him.Intriguingly, a C.M. Douglas, astudent at Glasgow University, heldthe Scottish Universities’ long jumprecord in 1926, but does not appear inGlasgow’s General Council Register ofGraduates. Could this have been abrother or relative of D.L. Douglas?There is a possible solution to themystery. Some amateur athletes (whowere prohibited from accepting cashprizes) competed under assumednames in Highland Games in order tomake money, so ‘D.L. Douglas,Lochwinnoch’ might not have beenthe competitor’s name or place ofresidence. Certainly D.L. Douglasmust have taken home (wherever thatwas) a considerable amount of cashwinnings and trophies during the1930s, because he competed in manyHighland Games, including at theCowal Gathering (until it wentamateur) and on the Isle of Man. Thissuggests that in the summer season ofGames he had considerable leisuretime and means of travel, and mighthave been a student for part of the1930s.Can anyone help to resolve thisintriguing mystery of an athlete whohad the potential to be an Olympiccompetitor?With thanks,Dr Lorn MacintyreTel: 01334 476428e-mail: lorn.macintyre@btinternet.comThanksGillian at The Quirky Florist (behindthe Heritage Butcher) would like tothank the residents of Lochwinnochfor their kind support and goodwishes for my new business.I look forward to a long and happyrelationship in the future.