269 February 2017 - Gryffe Advertizer

February 2017 No.269 

FREE 

COPY 

1 

Distributed to: 

• Bishopton 

• Bridge of Weir 

• Brookfield 

• Elderslie 

• Houston 

• Howwood 

• Kilbarchan 

• Kilmacolm 

• Langbank 

• Lochwinnoch 

• Quarriers 

FOLLOW US 

GryffeAds 

Water fall Lochwinnoch by David Reid 

Muirshiel Country Park by Diaporama 

your LOCAL community magazine February 2017 No. 269 

PLEASE TAKE A FREE COPY OF YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

2 the advertizer t: 01505 613340 07731 923970 e: info@advertizer.co.uk 

EXPERT JET-WASHING 

With Spring fast approaching, this is the time of year for cleaning driveways, 

patios etc., ready for the Summer. If you are thinking of having your driveway 

cleaned then it is crucial it’s done correctly to prevent problems in future. 

If there are a lot of weeds these should be treated before jet-washing and 

after a high-pressure industrial clean that removes dirt, moss and a little 

sand, it is critical to re-sand with kiln-dried sand, a Biocidal treatment will 

then resist future growths. Give us a call for free friendly information on this 

service or for a free quotation. 

Before 

After 

01505 863 863 

www.nutechcleaning.co.uk

@GryffeAds www.advertizer.co.uk february 2017 

3 3


This Month 

contact us 

The Gryffe Advertizer, 1st floor, Neva Place, Bridge of Weir PA11 3PN 

t: 01505 613340 e: info@advertizer.co.uk w: www.advertizer.co.uk 

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. 

The Gryffe Advertizer cannot be held responsible for unsolicited materials. The views and opinions by 

contributors in this magazine may not represent the views of the publishers. The Gryffe Advertizer takes no 

responsibility for claims made by advertisements in this publication. 

contents 

local news....................8-13 

optical blog .......................9 

dental blog.........................11 

nutrition blog ......................13 

what’s on........................14-20 

business news.................22-28 

financial blog.........................22 

legal blog .......................27 

it blog .......................22 

on the road......................31 

local history.....................28 

village news....................32-41 

pet news.....................42-43 

pet blog ............................42 

outdoors........................44-47 

school news.................48-53 

photography blog..............50 

sport news....................54-55 

sporting blog.....................55 

business classified..............56 

church listings....................57 

deadlines dates...................57 

property classified.................56 

sales & wants......................58 

advertizer directory................59 

It’s good to give 

Like many other people nowadays I have opted not to send Christmas cards 

to our friend and family group, but instead use social media etc to keep in 

touch. And like everyone else, this is not a money-saving exercise as I make a 

Christmas donation to a charity. Because of my family’s connection to sailing 

on the Clyde, my chosen cause this year was the RNLI Lifeboats. Nonetheless, 

many thanks to those who did send cards to us at home and the offi ce. 

Parking Mad 

Well, it seems like people power really can pay off! I talked about the parking 

problems in Kilmacolm last month - this month I’m reporting that there have 

been discussions at Inverclyde Council with proposals for a public consultation 

on the removal of parking discs. Well done to the Kilmacolm shop keepers who 

have lobbied long and hard over this. Here’s hoping for a positive result! 

Planning Ahead 

There is a planning proposal for up to 100 houses to be built in designated 

greenbelt land at the top of Johnshill, Lochwinnoch, directly adjoining Parkhill 

Woods and the Semple Trail. 

If you want to object to this development, now is the time to do so as formal 

written objections need to be registered with Renfrewshire Council by 20th 

February. You can also object online at the Renfrewshire.gov.uk website, Ref. 

16/0806/PP. Please contact savetheviewpoint@gmail.com if you want more 

information now. 

Just before we went to press we saw signs at the Deafhillock Roundabout that 

roadworks would be starting on Monday 20th February for 14 weeks. We have 

no more detail just now, but please follow our Gryffe Roadwatch on Facebook 

where we will post details when we get them. It might be worth re-thinking your 

journey during that period to avoid long queues. 

Needing to mooooove 

I often think I’ve seen and heard pretty much everything, but last month I got 

a request on facebook to help fi nd a fi eld for a real “lucky cow” who was saved 

from the abbatoir! Local Lynn Jolly, creator of the UK’s only fully independent 

and inclusive networking site for vegans, saved “Prince the cow” and found 

him a safe place at an animal sanctuary in Ayrshire. Prince now has his own 

social media feeds which are proving a big hit with animal lovers from across 

the globe! However, Lynn is keen to get him closer to home and is currently 

fundraising to open central Scotland’s fi rst ever fully vegan animal sanctuary. 

Meantime, if you have a spare fi eld and need your grass cut, please get in touch 

with her! Details on page 37. 

Rethinking recycling 

It’s only taken me 2 years, but I’ve just worked out you’re supposed to tie the 

blue cover to your black bottle recycling bucket. I’ve seen so many of these blue 

bags fl ying off in high winds, so glad I’ve now worked out how to keep mine. 

https://www.inverclyde.gov.uk/environment/recycling-and-waste-services/ 

kerbside-glass-recycling-collection-service 

Next Issue: Deadline: 

No.270 Friday 10 

March 2017 February 2017 

Call or email in your news! 

Rona


Has Your Double 

Glazing Steamed Up? 

Established for over a decade Cloudy2Clear windows have 

become a leading company for glass replacement. Issues 

with double glazing can often be gradual and may only be 

noticed during a clear sunny day or during the winter. Why 

not spend a few minutes checking your home to see if you 

have any failed double glazing? 

Now, you may think you need to replace the whole window 

including the frames and all the hardware, however 

Cloudy2Clear have come up with a simple and cost saving 

solution … Just replace the glass!! 

We will send out our highly experienced engineers for a free 

no obligation quote. Once the quote is completed, we will sit 

down with you and explain the problem and tell you how we can fi x it. 

Cloudy2Clear have a wealth of knowledge and are recognised as a Which 

Trusted Trader, plus our work is backed by an industry leading 25 year 

guarantee. Cloudy2Clear also replace faulty locks handles and hinges on all 

windows and doors. 

Your friendly local Cloudy2Clear specialist is Peter Brummitt and he services 

the Wider Gryffe area. So, if your windows are steamed up, broken or damaged 

give Peter a call for a free quotation on 0800 61 21 118. 

5 5

6 the advertizer t: 01505 613340 07731 923970 e: info@advertizer.co.uk


7 7 

Consultation Deadline Looms 

for Children’s Ward Proposals 

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is consulting on their proposal to move the 

paediatric Ward 15 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley to the Royal 

Hospital for Children in Glasgow. This move would mean that children requiring 

inpatient care, day surgery, and short stay medical assessment would be 

treated in the new Royal Hospital for Children instead of the RAH in Paisley. 

The formal consultation on this 

proposal is currently taking place 

and will continue until Monday 6th 

February 2017. 

To have your say on these proposals or 

for more information on the proposal 

itself, please visit the website: 

www.nhsggc.org.uk/get-in-touch-getinvolved/inform-engage-and-consult/ 

review-of-paediatric-inpatientservices-at-royal-alexandra-hospital 

This website has more information about 

what is being proposed and why, and how 

you can have your say on the proposal. 

PUBLIC MEETING - 

THURS 2 FEBRUARY 2016 

Local group, Kids Need Our Ward, 

will be holding a public meeting 

on 2 February at 7.30pm at the 

Central Baptist Church, Lady 

Lane, Paisley, PA1 2LJ. The group 

are keen for anyone concerned 

to attend as the fi nal date for 

objections is Monday 6 February. 

The group can be contacted at 

kidsneedourward@yahoo.co.uk. 

The engagement has built on earlier extensive engagement about the future 

of these services, including an option appraisal, which concluded that the 

preferred option was to transfer Ward 15 when the new Royal Hospital for 

Children opened on the new Queen Elizabeth University Hospitals Campus. 

The Board considered the outcome of the pre consultation, and decided in 

October 2016 that they should proceed to formal public consultation on the 

proposed move of these services from Ward 15 in the Royal Alexandra Hospital 

in Paisley, to the new Royal Hospital for Children in Govan. Outpatient services, 

the specialist Community Paediatric service (PANDA), and emergency care for 

those who self-refer at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, would not change. 

To submit a response to the consultation please contact Rachel Killick, Patient 

Experience Public Involvement Manager, by: 

T: 0300 123 9987 (Free phone) E: Public.Involvement@ggc.scot.nhs.uk 

Write: Patient Experience Public Involvement and Quality, 4th Floor, 

West Glasgow ACH, Dalnair Street, Glasgow, G3 8SJ


Why not make your 2017 resolution to 

become a volunteer with us here at St 

Vincent’s Hospice? 

The Barn Tea Room at St Vincent’s Hospice 

offers valuable space for our visitors and 

families, providing members of the public 

and patient visitors with refreshments, 

snacks and delicious home baking. The 

Tea Room is supported by our wonderful 

volunteer team, of which Julie is a part of. 

We are looking for help in the Barn Tea Room, driving volunteers and support in 

our charity shops in Lochwinnoch and Bridge of Weir. 

If you would like more information, please call Christine or Elaine on 01505 

705635 or email volunteering@svh.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you. 

‘Step Up for St Vincent’s’ Sponsored Walk 

Join us on Sunday 19th March at 11am, for our first ever sponsored walk at 

Castle Semple, Lochwinnoch. 

Bring your friends and family and join fellow 

supporters on this leisurely 10k walk or our 

shorter family friendly 5k route which is 

suitable for all abilities. 

The walk will start at 11am after a fun warmup 

and will be a great chance to catch up 

with friends, spend the day with the family 

or even just get out for a bit of exercise … all 

while supporting a great cause! 

St Vincent’s Hospice is a charitable 

organisation at the heart of the community, 

offering specialist care and services to all 

those affected by life-limiting illness. 

There is no minimum sponsorship for this 

event so we would encourage you to set a 

personal target and do your best to raise as 

much as you can to support the work of St 

Vincent’s Hospice. 

To register please follow the link below to complete a registration form http:// 

bit.ly/2izZvuC or go to www.svh.co.uk 

Linwood Farm Pledges Support 

for Hospice Care 

Kind hearted staff at Linwood Farm 

Restaurant have pledged their support 

for local hospice care by announcing 

a year-long partnership with St 

Vincent’s Hospice in Howwood. 

Over the next 

12 months this popular eatery 

plans a series of fundraising 

events that will tantalise the taste 

buds and lighten the wallets of 

their customers - all in aid of St 

Vincent’s Hospice. 

The popular family restaurant will 

endeavour to raise as much as 

possible by organising family fun 

days, afternoon teas and staff 

will also be braving new heights 

in our zip slide challenge. 

Linwood Farm General Manager, 

Pamela McLachlan “We are 

delighted to have this opportunity 

to get involved in the community 

and to support St Vincent’s 

Hospice. We hope our customers 

will give generously and help us 

support this deserving charity”. 

The partnership will run from Friday 16th December and customers can find 

out more in-store or from St Vincent’s Hospice facebook page. 

Photo: Louise Strachan St Vincent’s Hospice, Paula McGee Linwood Farm, Jacqueline Steele 

Linwood Farm, Lauren Purdie Linwood Farm. 

Connections for Life is looking for 

new board members! 

Roar is an award winning innovative social enterprise which is providing 

services to hundreds of older people across Renfrewshire. We run Otago 

classes, Befriending, “Come dine with me” cooking clubs, Film screenings, 

Craft sessions, Tablet classes, Men’s groups and lots more ... And we need new 

Board Members to help us develop and grow. 

If you have skills in finance, retail or business and want to be part of this award 

winning charity we would be delighted to arrange an informal introduction to 

our work. For more information please visit our website www.roarforlife.org, 

email nicola@roarforlife.org or call us on 0141 889 7481.


9 9 

Marie Curie Daffodil Appeal 

Every March, thousands of people across the country join together and pull out 

all the stops to get behind the Great Daffodil Appeal. 

Why not join us for just two hours to collect donations and give out daffodil 

pins? Every £20 pays for an hour 

of nursing care – giving peace 

of mind to people living with 

terminal illness and a chance for 

their family to rest. 

You’ll see daffodils everywhere 

in March – from your local high 

street to national TV – and we 

want you to be part of it. 

Sign up with a friend if you like at 

https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/ 

get-involved/daffodil-appeal and 

get involved! 

Optical Blog 

by Kerry Taher, New Vision Opticians 

Driving in the Dark 

Struggling when driving in the dark is one 

of the more common problems experienced 

by drivers. Glare and reflections from 

streetlights and car headlights, especially 

the ultra-bright xenon bulbs, can reduce 

your ability to see the road markings and 

this (as well as being dangerous) can result 

in quite a significant loss of confidence. The 

problem is that our eyes are designed to work 

in brighter conditions, so when it gets dark 

our pupils become larger to let more light 

into the eyes, making it easier for us to see. This works well until a light 

suddenly shines out of the darkness (e.g., oncoming headlights). The eyes 

are in “dark mode” and the enlarged pupils scatter the light, making it seem 

extra-bright and dazzling - this is what we call glare. Added to this, as we get 

older the lenses inside our eyes gradually become less clear, also scattering 

the light and making the glare worse. Dirt and scratches on your windscreen 

(or spectacles) exaggerate the glare even more. Good advice is to keep your 

windscreen clean. Ensure your spectacles are in good condition, up to date 

(sometimes a small change can make quite a difference in the dark) and 

clean. Anti-glare coatings on your glasses are recommended because they 

allow more light into the eye and minimise reflections. Finally, try not to look 

directly at the lights! The DVLA instructor checks your eyesight when you first 

sit your driving test and then never again! Even the self-certification renewal 

forms at age 70 don’t ask for a vision report. Cars are lethal weapons in the 

wrong hands, so we must all take responsibility every time we get behind the 

wheel. This obviously means meeting the minimum requirements, but also a 

genuine self-assessment as to how safe we are as drivers. 

If you have any questions or want to book an eye-MOT, please contact us at the practice: 

01505 614700.


Beat the Freeze 

Renfrewshire Slimming World 

Consultants 

A group of Slimming World 

Consultants from Renfrewshire 

have got the magic touch when 

it comes to weight loss this New 

Year, according to TV presenter 

Stephen Mulhern. 

The team, who run Slimming 

World groups in Renfrewshire, 

were delighted to get a chance to cuddle up to Stephen 

when he presented the annual Slimming World Awards. He co-hosted the event 

with the organisation’s founder and chair Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE. 

Renfrewshire Council has a web page with information on how to protect your 

home from the cold and minimise any damage during the winter months. Their 

Beat the Freeze advice leaflet can be downloaded from the link at the foot of 

the article. 

If you would like more information about how to protect your home from winter 

weather, or to report a repair, including an emergency repair, please contact 

your Neighbourhood Housing Services noted below. 

Neighbourhood Services Contacts: 

Johnstone - t: 0300 300 0222 e: johnstone.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk 

Paisley - t: 0300 300 0222 e: paisley.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk 

Renfrew - t: 0300 300 0222 e: renfrew.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk 

Housing repairs - t: 0300 300 0300 e: repairs@renfrewshire.gov.uk 

http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/media/1338/Beat-the-Freeze/pdf/Beat_the_ 

Freeze_2014.pdf 

You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this document. This is available as a 

free download from the Adobe website. 

Projects in Argyll and Clyde 

Would you know what to do in an Emergency? 

Every week in Scotland, 70 people suffer cardiac arrest. 

More than 3500 people per year in Scotland are treated by the Ambulance 

Service following a cardiac arrest. 

Only one in 20 people will survive. 

Without resuscitation, cardiac arrest is always fatal 

But, performing CPR could double that person’s chance of survival 

Heartstart courses are free of charge and it only takes two 

hours to learn the skills which may someday save a life: 

Recovery position 

CPR and using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) 

Heart Attack 

Choking 

Serious bleeding 

To learn the simple skills that save lives, contact Morag Thow on 07868 752814 to 

book onto one of our courses: 

Tues January 17 th 2017 7- 9 pm Railway Inn Howwood 

Weds February 15 th 2017 7- 9 pm Masonic Hall Lochwinnoch 

Tues March 14 th 2017 7- 9 pm Railway Inn Howwood 

Weds April 12 th 2017 7- 9 pm Masonic Hall Lochwinnoch 

Slimming World Consultants meet TV presenter Stephen Mulhern: L-R Kirsty Horne, Louise 

O’Neill, Carolyn Brown, Stephanie Caira 

Tues May 9 th 2017 7- 9 pm Railway Inn Howwood 

Weds June 14 th 2017 7- 9 pm Masonic Hall Lochwinnoch


Dental Blog 

by Sheila Macintyre, Practice Owner, 

Kilbarchan Dental Practice 

Love Your Smile 

11 11 

Love is always in the air on Valentine’s Day, so I thought it would be a good time 

to remind you to show how much you care about your teeth too! 

The best way to love your smile is to brush your teeth properly twice a day with 

a fluoride toothpaste and a good quality toothbrush. We always recommend 

electric toothbrushes, so if you haven’t got one (or have one that is a bit out of 

date) why not consider treating yourself to a wee gift – and remember brush 

heads and manual toothbrushes need replacing every 3 - 4 months! 

The bacteria in your mouth works most efficiently while you sleep, so it is best 

to clean it all away before you go to bed. Overnight a film of plaque will develop 

so a good clean in the morning is key to having a healthy mouth and teeth for 

the rest of the day. Remember to leave an hour after meals or snacks before 

brushing your teeth as the enamel is soft for a while after eating. Also “spit 

don’t rinse” as rinsing washes away the protective fluoride left by brushing. 

A tongue scraper is a great way to fight bad breath and make sure that there 

is no hiding place for germs and bacteria. Brushing your tongue with your 

toothbrush can also help, but a tongue scraper does a much better job. 

Watching what you eat also shows that you care. Try and 

stay away from high sugar and acidic foods and drinks 

as well as those that stain your teeth. Fibrous raw 

veg (especially carrots and celery) and fruit (apples 

of course!) and plain popcorn are matches made in 

heaven as they act as natural toothbrushes. Avoid 

sugary drinks, sweets, dried fruit, coffee and red wine 

and try not to snack between meals – drink lots of 

water instead. 

If you would like any more advice on how to care for, or improve 

the look of your teeth visit us at Kilbarchan Dental Practice, 

call 01505 704969 or click www.kilbarchandental.co.uk 

where you’ll find lots more free tips.


Having recently relocated to 

Kilmacolm I’d like to introduce 

Wellcentred, offering a 

holistic approach towards 

health and wellbeing through 

complementary therapies: 

Biodynamic Craniosacral 

Craniosacral Therapy 

Remedial & 

Sports Massage 

Reflexology 

Therapy supports the existing 

health and vitality within the 

body to encourage natural 

healing and self-repair, effectively treating pain and symptoms arising 

from physical and emotional injuries, stress or trauma. 

Remedial and Sports Massage is proven for treatment of 

musculoskeletal conditions by 

restoring structural alignment and 

increasing range of movement. 

Reflexology stimulates energy flow 

through pressure points on the feet, 

targeting areas of tension and pain, 

inducing relaxation and rebalancing 

the whole system. 

For appointments please contact: 

Nicki King 

07958 566596 

wellcentred@gmail.com 

@nickiking18 

WellcentredUK 

Local Home-Start celebrates 

15 years of supporting families 

Home-Start in Renfrewshire enters it’s 16th year & Happy 

1st Birthday to the Inverclyde section. Looking for a new 

challenge … we are a local charity that trains volunteers 

to work alongside parents in their own homes, to help 

them cope with the stresses and strains of life and make 

sure they have the skills, confidence and strength they 

need to nurture children. 

Families are 

mostly referred 

by healthcare 

professionals for 

various reasons 

including isolation, 

addiction, domestic 

abuse, mental health 

issues, disability, 

illness and postnatal 

depression. 

Feedback received 

from one of the 

families: “When you 

are so low, you don’t even know you are broken. I had a serious operation and 

if I didn’t have my volunteer then it would have been my breaking point.” 

Whilst the benefits to the 

family are clear and well 

documented, we should not 

underestimate the benefits 

to the volunteers too. 

“Volunteering with Home- 

Start Renfrewshire has given 

me the opportunity to help 

families who, for whatever 

reason, don’t have the 

support network that I was 

fortunate enough to have 

when my children were small. 

Developing a relationship with a family, seeing them progress and knowing that 

I have played a part in that is incredibly rewarding” 

Home-Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde is always looking for new volunteers 

and trustees. More information about how to become involved can be found 

at www.home-start-renfrewshire.org.uk, by telephone on 0141 889 5272 or 

01475 603441 or email theteam@home-start-renfrewshire.org.uk 

Are you ready to take on a 

challenge in 2017 for RAMH? 

Push those comfort zone boundaries, 

achieve something you never 

expected you could, meet a great bunch of new people, all while supporting 

local mental health services. 

Join us for the 2017 Canyoning Challenge on the River Tay! You’ll be jumping, 

swimming, and even abseiling through a beautiful gorge, and seeing sights you 

can only see from the river. It’s on Saturday 26th August and includes return 

transport from Paisley or Barrhead, half day’s canyoning, pub dinner to finish 

and home before sunset. 

A fantastic, unique experience for only £15 registration fee + £75 sponsorship, 

all going directly to local mental health services. Book now! enquiries@ramh. 

org or 0141 847 8900. 

Extraordinary mental health supporters have literally walked over hot coals 

to support local wellbeing charity RAMH. Almost 40 people have raised an 

astonishing £9,500 by completing a Firewalk over coals exceeding temperatures 

of over 800 o C. 

The Firewalk took place at ProLife Fitness Centre in Paisley in partnership 

with Renfrewshire Sports Charity and Active Communities, and was hosted by 

Headstrong’s Brian Costello. 

During the afternoon people heard about overcoming fear and channelling 

confidence into every part of their lives. In an incredible display of bravery, 

participants even snapped an arrow using their throats. And then as darkness 

fell, the walkers began their preparation for walking 15 feet over glowing coals, 

all in aid of local mental health services. 

RAMH would like to thank all the inspirational walkers who demonstrated the 

utmost courage and commitment to supporting mental health by completing 

the firewalk. They have raised, including Gift Aid, an incredible £9,500 for 

RAMH services, supporting local people recovering from mental ill health. 

For information about forthcoming events, or RAMH services, please visit ramh. 

org or call 0141 847 8900. 

Cllr Iain McMillan officially opened RAMH’s new town centre 

premises 

RAMH Renfrewshire Community Service incorporates counselling, employability, 

financial literacy, and a range of therapeutic, social, educational and creative 

groups. 

Community Service Team Manager Paul B Henderson said “being based in St 

James Street means RAMH services are even more visible and accessible to 

local people. It’s such a pleasant environment to welcome people into, plus 

we hope that having a town centre presence will help us overcome some of the 

misconceptions around.” 

RAMH provides 250,000 hours of face to face support, helping over 4,000 

people every year. Since 1990 the charity has provided professional care 

and services to those experiencing conditions such as depression, self harm, 

bipolar disorder and anxiety, as well as promoting community wide mental and 

physical wellbeing. 

For more information visit www.ramh.org and to contact Renfrewshire 

Community Services call 0141 404 7788 or email enquiries@ramh.org. 

If you wish to donate £2 per month to help RAMH maintain and develop services 

in 2017 please visit www.ramh.org/fundraising and use the link provided to set 

up a direct debit. 

Photo shows Cllr McMillan opening the new Renfrewshire Day Service in St 

James Street, Paisley.


Nutrition Blog 

by Christy Hyslop, Lose it & Love it 

13 13 

Cutting Sugar 

Sugar has become a staple in most UK households over the last 20 - 30 years. 

This has played a huge factor in the UK’s enormous rise in obesity. A diet 

containing large amounts of sugar has been linked with raised levels of insulin, 

which increases the risk of diabetes. Surplus sugar in our bodies is turned to 

fat and stored around our vital organs, placing us at a greater risk of liver and 

heart disease. 

Eating a sugar free diet will allow you to lose weight more easily. Sugar is rapidly metabolised into blood sugar, which releases insulin, insulin promotes the 

storage of fat. Limiting sugar intake can improve our physical health as well as reduce the risk of diabetes. Being overweight greatly increases your risk of 

diabetes. A low sugar diet may significantly improve your mood, too much sugar can increase anxiety levels, cause poor concentration, cause irritability and 

emotional outbursts. Sugar is like a drug, the more you have the more you want but it works both ways the less sugars 

you consume the less you want it. 

Simple changes in diet can help you eliminate sugar: 

● Try introducing wholegrains and eating more lean meat and fish. Protein will help you feel fuller for longer. 

● Regular meals will help stabilise your blood sugar levels, this will stop sugar slumps in the afternoon. 

● Keep a food diary, being accountable to what you are consuming will help you to see exactly what you are eating. 

● Reading labels will help you see foods with hidden sugars, some foods that are deemed healthy can be full of 

sugar and be very misleading. 

Cutting sugar from your diet is the best thing you can do for your overall health and wellbeing. 

Go on, give it a go!! 

Winner of Bookbug Picture Book 

Prize 2017 revealed 

Author Nick Sharratt (pictured right) has been announced as the winner of the very first 

Bookbug Picture Book Prize for his picture book Shark in the Park on a Windy Day, published 

by Picture Corgi. 

Sharratt beat off stiff competition from the other two shortlisted authors, Ross Collins and 

Alison Murray, to win £3,000 and the coveted Bookbug Picture Book Prize Trophy, which 

this year has been produced by Scottish paper artist Emily Hogarth. 

The prize, voted for exclusively by 19,000 Scottish children aged 3 - 7, was set up in 2016 

to celebrate the most popular picture books by Scottish authors or illustrators, and is run by 

Scottish Book Trust with support from Creative Scotland. www.scottishbooktrust.com


February 

events 

Until Sat 28 January 

Art in the Park 

Castle Semple Visitor Centre, Lochlip 

Road, Lochwinnoch 10am to 4pm 

The annual exhibition by the Lochwinnoch Art 

Group, works to view and purchase. Call for 

further information: 01505 842882. 

Sat 28 January 

Birds for Beginners 

RSPB, Largs Road, Lochwinnoch 

11am to 1.30pm 

Learn more about common garden birds and pick 

up tips and advice on wildlife watching techniques. 

After this, we’ll head out onto the reserve to put 

these new skills into practise and then top it all off 

with a hot drink back at the centre. Please book, 

as places are limited. Cost: Adults: £5; Children: 

£3 (RSPB members: £3/£2). 

Peter’s Railway Picnic 

Kilmacolm Community Centre, 

Lochwinnoch Road, Kilmacolm 

1pm to 3pm 

Join author Chris Vine in reliving the journey in 

one of his most loved stories, Peter’s Railway, The 

Picnic. You will get to build and operate your own 

model railway. A light snack will be provided. Ages 

4 - 9. To reserve a free place please email Victoria 

Finnigan: vfinnigan@st-columbas.org Creative 

Communities is a charitable outreach programme 

of St Columba’s School, Kilmacolm. 

Sun 29 January 

Come and Sing Haydn’s Creation 

Paisley Abbey, Abbey Close, Paisley 

6.30pm 

Directed by George McPhee, with Orchestra. 

Performance: 6.30pm – Tickets £5. All singer 

applications are welcomed but places will be 

allocated on a first come basis to enable the 

conductor to achieve as balanced a choir as 

possible. No formal dress code. Call 0141 848 

1392 or email proutley@talktalk.net for further 

information. 

Healing Service 

Freeland Church, Main Street, Bridge of 

Weir 7pm 

Those suffering from illness, sadness, worry and/ 

or depression can appreciate the opportunity for 

supportive prayer. After the service, for those 

wishing more confidential support, provision will 

be made for written requests for a home visit. 

Alternatively just phone our minister Rev Kenneth 

Gray (01505 690918), who will be delighted to 

arrange a visit. 

Thu 2 February 

Outlook 

Kidston Hall, High Street, Kilmacolm 

2pm to 4pm 

An afternoon of personal poetry with Marlene, 

plus music at the piano with the highly talented 

David Leigh. 

Fri 3 February 

Fundraising Scottish Country 

Dance 

Kilbarchan Guide Centre, Barn Green, 

Kilbarchan 7.30pm to 10.30pm 

Music by Ian Muir for Gryffe High School’s project 

which aims to give pupils overseas experience in 

developing countries. Information, programme 

details, or tickets @ £8 available from Ann Harper 

01505 613753 or Les Lambert 01505 704398 

or any member of our club. 

Kilbarchan Agricultural Show 

Whist Drive 

Carrick Centre, Main Street, Houston 

7.30pm 

Price £3, includes refreshments. Contact Aileen 

on 07766 221369 for further information. 

Everyone welcome. 

RSPB - Birding in the Three 

Towns 

McMaster Centre, Donaldson Drive, 

Renfrew 7.30 pm 

The next meeting will be an illustrated talk by Tom 

Byars. All welcome. 

Sat 4 February 

BB & LEAP Bike Swap 

Kilbarchan Parish Church Hall, Steeple 

Street 12noon to 2pm 

Swap unused or outgrown bikes for another, 

or donate, so someone else can start cycling 

this spring. 

Sun 5 February 

Night Kirk 

Kilmacolm Old Kirk, High Street, 

Kilmacolm 6pm 

A reflective service. 

Lochwinnoch Cultural Heritage 

and Art Event 


Road, Lochwinnoch 1pm to 3pm 

Join the Lochwinnoch Art’s Festival crew for an 

event at Castle Semple to celebrate the village 

history. For further information call 01505 

842882.


15 15 

Mon 6 February 

Stargazing Evening 

Muirshiel Visitor Centre, Calder Glen 

Road near Lochwinnoch 7pm to 9pm 

Join us for an evening of galactic exploration at 

Renfrewshire’s darkest sky. Special deal £2.50 

drink & cake! Call 01505 842882 for further 

information or to book. 


Sòlas Bereavement Group 


6.30pm to 8.30pm 

Sòlas Bereavement Group. 

Thu 9 - Sat 11 Feb 

Hunting For The Road To Rio 

Port Glasgow Town Hall, Scarlow Street, 

Port Glasgow - Curtains at 7.30pm 

Presented by West Renfrewshire Young Farmers. 

Thursday - £6 adults, £5 children, FREE OAP; 

Friday & Saturday - £7 adult, £7 child, £7 OAP; 

Friday night family ticket - 2 adults and 2 children 

for only £20! To book your tickets contact 

Roderick Danabie on 07749 928033. 


Burns Supper 


6.45pm 

Tickets £15 per person, bring your own drinks. 

Advertizer March Issue Deadline 

The Advertizer, Neva Pl, Bridge of Weir 

If you would like anything published in our March 

issue, please email info@advertizer.co.uk or call 

01505 613340. 

Coffee Morning 

Cargill Centre, Kilmacolm 10 - 11.30am 

Come for a chat and a free 45 minute talk every 

Scot over 50 should attend. Call Kingsley Wood & 

Co for further details on 01505 874114. 

Fri 10 - Wed 15 Feb 

Explorer Challenge: Adventure! 


10am to 4pm drop in 

You do this event with your own family in your own 

time!! (Allow approx. 1hr) Visit different stations 

along our main trail to go on an adventure! Cost: 

£3 per child (RSPB members £1) [Normal trail 

fees apply] Tel: 01505 842 663. 


Valentine’s Bistro Night 

Bernie’s Cafe Deli, Neva Place, Bridge of 

Weir 6pm to 11pm 

3 courses £19.95, 2 courses £15.95. Free glass of 

Prosecco on arrival. Call 01505 614333 to book. 


Woodland Crafts - Valentine 

Willow Work 

The Cut Visitor Centre, Cornalees Bridge, 

Greenock 1pm to 3pm 

Love is in the air - use willow to create your 

very own heart wreaths. Call 01475 521458 

to book. 

Kilbarchan Gateway Garden Dropin 

Session 

Cartside Terrace, Kilbarchan 1pm - 3pm 

Meet volunteers and find out how you can get 

involved in the community garden. Bring the 

family and help with dead heading, weeding 

or make a bird feeder, plant bulbs or create 

your very own vegetable patch. Please note all 

children must be accompanied and there are no 

toilet facilities. 

Wed 15 February 

Kilmacolm Horticultural Society 

Winter Lecture 


Lochwinnoch Road, Kilmacolm 7.30pm 

We are privileged to welcome Mrs Sue Thornley, 

owner of the Glenarn Estate at Rhu. ‘Re-inventing 

the Rock Garden at Glenarn’. Over the years 

Sue and Mike have transformed the gardens, 

filled with original species of rhododendrons, 

magnolias, camellias etc. Telling the story of 

the Rock Garden will be Sue’s final lecture to 

the public, as she celebrates her 70th birthday 

this month. Refreshments at end of the lecture, 

everyone welcome. 


Outlook 


2pm to 4pm 

Travels through Ethiopia, seen through the award 

winning camera of Janice. 7.30pm Kirk Session 

in the Session House. 


Kilmacolm and Port Glasgow 

Agricultural Society Whist Drive 


Lochwinnoch Road, Kilmacolm 7.30pm 

Includes a light supper £3. 


Swan Chat 


Road, Lochwinnoch 

1pm to 2pm drop in 

Swans are fascinating when they’re not stealing 

your chips and pinching bread! Come and 

find out why. Call 01505 842882 for further 

information. 

A Sketch, A Sandwich & A Swally 

Kilbarchan Performing Arts Centre, 8 

Steeple Square, Kilbarchan 1pm 

The Carrick Players invite you to a performance 

of ‘Waste Management’ by Nancy McPherson. 

Tickets £10 includes a drink and a sandwich and 

a drink - available from Bobbins or search Carrick 

Players on Facebook. 

Kilbarchan Parish Church Messy 

Church 

Kilbarchan Parish Church Hall, Steeple 

Street 4pm to 6pm 

Children must be accompanied by an adult. 

Build a Bird a Home 


11am to 4pm 

Help us celebrate National Nest Box Week and 

give birds a home this Spring! Build and decorate 

your very own nest box to help provide a pair of 

love birds with a home in time for the breeding 

season. Who knows, if you put it up in your garden, 

you may even see some baby birds in a few months 

time ... Cost: £10 (RSPB members £6) per box 

made. Tel: 01505 842 663. 


Bird Ringing 

Muirshiel Visitor Centre, Calder Glen 

Road near Lochwinnoch PA12 4LB 

10am to 3.30pm drop in 

Get up close with blue tits, chaffinches, great tits 

and occasionally woodpeckers, as they are given 

their identifying ‘bling’! Call 01505 842882 for 

further information.




The Clydebank Citadel Band 

St Machar’s Church, Kilbarchan Road, 

Bridge of Weir 3pm 

Music for all tastes. Tickets available at church or 

from Morven 612286. £5 Incl. Refreshments. 

Tue 21 February 

Strathgryffe Medical Practice - 

Carers Meeting 

Cargill Hall, Lintwhite Crescent, Bridge 

of Weir 10am 

All carers who are patients at the practice are 

invited to this meeting - come along and meet 

other carers who may have similar experiences 

to your own. A member of the team from 

Renfrewshire Carers Centre will be there, as well 

as a speaker who will discuss power of attorney. 

Please contact Anne Findlay, practice manager, 

on 01505 613240, for further information and 

to advise if you wish to attend. 

Wed 22 February 

Tartan Walk 


Road, Lochwinnoch 11am (2 hours) 

Don some tartan and gather for a walk and a 

traditional singsong!. Call 01505 842882 for 

further information. 

Sat 25 - Sun 26 Feb 

RYA Powerboat Level 2 Course 


Road, Lochwinnoch 

9.30am to 4pm both days 

This course teaches you to drive a powerboat 

safely in any environment. Call 01505 842882 for 

further information and to book. £150. 


Lochwinnoch Explorers: 

Madagascar! 


10am to 12noon 

Swishing Event/Ladies Night 

Brookfield Village Hall, Woodside Road, 

Brookfield 7.30pm 

Bring along your new or nearly new items you no 

longer wear and exchange them for something 

new-to-you! Make the most of what you’ve got 

hanging in your wardrobe, drawers or in boxes. 

You can sample beauty treatments, a raffle, bar 

and refreshments. Tickets available by e-mailing 

brookfieldvpa@gmail.com Come along and join 

in the fun! In conjunction with LEAP Bridge of 

Weir. £5. 


Wetland Guided Walk 


12noon to 2pm 

Whether you have a general interest in wildlife, 

or would like to hone your bird watching skills, 

then this is the walk for you! At the end, come 

back to the centre for a warm drink and a biccie! 

Stout footwear and clothing suitable for the 

Scottish outdoors are strongly recommended. 

Please book, as places are limited. Cost: Adults: 

£5; Children: £3 (RSPB members: £3/£2). Tel: 

01505 842 663. 

Wed 1 March 

Evening Talk: The African 

Experience by Joe Knapman 


7.30pm to 9pm 

As a frequent traveller to the continent, Joe has 

much experience of Africa’s wildlife, from Ethiopia 

and Kenya in the east to South Africa and Namibia 

in the south. Along with tales of his exciting 

travels, he will also showcase some of his fantastic 

photographs of Africa’s varied and spectacular 

wildlife. Please pay when booking as places are 

limited (refunds available if cancelled over 48hrs 

before). Cost: Adults: £5; Children: £3 (RSPB 

members: £3/£2). Tel: 01505 842 663. 

Thu 2 March 

St Columba’s Creative 

Communities Event 

every Monday 

Lochwinnoch Community Walk 

The Cross, Lochwinnoch 10.30am 

This event will not take place on public 

holidays. 

every Tuesday 

Bishopton Belles Line Dancing 

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Hall 6.30 - 8.30pm 

Beginner/Improver class. All welcome. Call David 

or Mair 07886 034037. 

Postnatal Support Group 

Paisley Abbey 10.30am - 12noon 

Crèche facilities available along with access to 

free counselling services if required. 

every Wednesday 

Knitting Group 

Three Sisters Bake, Quarriers 10am - 12noon 

Knitters of all levels welcome! 

Skinny Minnies 

Cargill Hall, Bridge of Weir 7pm - 8pm 

For a healthier, slimmer, more energetic you! 

every Thursday 

Weekly Volunteer Group 

Castle Semple, Lochwinnoch 12.30pm - 3.30pm 

Conservation Volunteers - adult group. 

Newcomers always welcome. 

every Saturday 


Greenock Cut Visitor Centre 10.30am - 2.30pm 

Conservation Volunteers, adult group. Newcomers 

always welcome. 

every Sunday 


Castle Semple, Lochwinnoch 10am - 12noon 

Youth volunteer Group - age 12 - 18 years. 

Newcomers always welcome. 

Houston Litter Crew 

Co-op car park 10am – 11.45am 

All volunteers welcome and all equipment 

supplied. 

Thu 2 March 

An Evening of Acoustic Music 

and Blues 

2nd & 4th Wednesday 

BoW Senior Citizens Club 

Cargill Hall 7 - 9pm 

Tea, biscuits & a raffle each meeting along with 

entertainment. Contact Sheila Patterson for 

further information on 01505 690521. 

1st & 3rd Thurs monthly 

‘Outlook’ 

Kidston Hall, Kilmacolm 2pm - 4pm 

Social activities group for the community in 

Kilmacolm. Guest speakers, afternoon tea, local 

issues of interest. Everyone welcome. 

Crafty Hobbies 

Carrick Centre, Main Street, Houston 7.30pm 

No previous craft experience necessary. Call 

Lorna on 01505 612844 for further details. 

2nd Wednesday monthly 

Inverclyde Carers Outreach 

Cargill Centre, Kilmacolm 11am - 2pm 

Email enquiries@inverclydecarerscentre.org.uk 

or call: 01475 735180. 

2nd Thursday monthly 

Sòlas Bereavement Support Group 

The group meets in the Kidston Hall. 6.30pm - 

8.30pm. Everyone welcome. 

3rd Friday monthly 

Hearing Aid Clinic 

The Bridge, Bridge of Weir 1 - 2pm 

Personnel are at The Bridge for the issue of 

hearing aid batteries and hearing aid checks. 

2nd Saturday monthly 

‘Brunch & Browse’ 

St Fillan’s Hall, Kilmacolm 10am - 2pm 

Home made soups, home baking, tea, coffee, 

books & lots of stalls. Great value! Disabled 

access. £4. 

last Friday monthly 

TheTerrace 

St Machar’s Ranfurly Church Hall 

Homemade soups, sandwiches, tea/coffee, 

biscuits. £4. Good food and company. 

last Saturday monthly 

Table Top Sale 

Linwood Parish Church, Blackwood Ave 11am - 1pm 

This is a free event. Call 01505 328802 for 

details. 

Calling all children! Come along and learn about 

nature, but most importantly, get dirty and 

have fun doing it! We’ll be learning all about 

Madagascar – need we say more?! Please wear 

suitable clothing for being outdoors. Ages: 5 to 

14 years. Please note that all children aged 8 and 

under must be accompanied by an adult. Booking 

essential. Cost: £5 (£3 RSPB members) (adults 

go free). Tel: 01505 842 663. 

St Columba’s School, Duchal Road, 

Kilmacolm 7.30pm to 8.30pm 

Glasgow: Mapping the City Venue: The Library, 

The Girdwood Building, St Columba’s School, 

Gryffe Road, Kilmacolm (please use Gryffe Road 

entrance). Cost: Free. Join author John Moore 

as he takes us on a unique and fascinating tour 

of Glasgow from its pre-industrial beginnings to 

the modern day via its old maps. He will also 

talk about the maps of old Renfrewshire. Email 

vfinnigan@st-columbas.org to reserve a place. 

Kilbarchan Old Library, 9 High Barholm, 

Kilbarchan, Johnstone 7.30 pm 

Port Glasgow singer/songwriter John Morgan and 

local acoustic band Tin Biscuit perform a selection 

of acoustic & blues. To book phone the Old Library 

on 01505 706070 or Robert Wilson, Tin Biscuit 

Band - 07415 119754. £5. 

Sat 4 March 

MND Coffee Morning 


Lochwinnoch Road, Kilmacolm 

10am to 12noon 

Please come to our coffee morning to raise funds 

for MND (Motor Neurone Disease). Ticket £3. 

regular updates @GryffeAds 

1st SAT 

Cargill Centre, Kilmacolm 

10am - 2pm 

1st & 3rd SUN 

Loch Lomond Shores 

10am - 3pm Tel: 07977 179 861 

2nd THU & last SAT 

Paisley Cross 

10am - 2pm Tel: 01655 770217 

2nd SUN 

Kip Marina, Inverkip 

11am - 4pm www.kipmarina.co.uk


17 17 

SAT 

4 

FEB 

FRI 

24 

TO 

SAT 

25 

FEB 

The History Mystery 

Paisley Arts Centre Tickets: £5 + bkg fee* 

2pm 

All aboard the magical time-travelling garden shed, with their 

friends Morag the Rabbit and Wee Shug from next door, as 

they whizz through time to solve the puzzle. 

White 

Paisley Arts Centre Tickets: £3 + bkg fee* (nur) £5 + bkg fee* (pub) 

10.30am and 1.30pm (nurseries only) and Saturday 25th February 11am 

Suitable for ages 2-4 

Two friends look after the birds and make sure the eggs stay 

safe. We watch, we help. The world is bright, ordered and 

white. But high up in the trees, all is not white. Colour appears. 

Dinner & Dance 

Every Saturday night from 8pm - 11pm at Willow Bank 

Hotel, 96 Greenock Road, Largs. Booking essential. 

Call 01475 675435 for further information. 

YOUR TICKET TO LOCAL EVENTS 

/GryffeAds 

advertizer.co.uk /content/what-s-on 

01505 613340 info@advertizer.co.uk 

Please Support 

Our Event 

Art Exhibition 

In Aid of 

St. Vincent's Hospice 

Monday 16th January for 2 

weeks 

The Bridge — Bridge of Weir 

Affordable Art for All Tastes 

Raising Funds In Aid Of 

Helping to provide vital patient 

care, totally free, for all those living 

with cancer and other life limiting 

illnesses in your local area 

St Vincent's Hospice Ltd is a company limited by guarantee. Scottish charity number SC006888. Company number 150148. 

Registered address: Midton Road, Howwood , PA9 1AF.


15 th - 26 th 

March 

************************** 

Pre Festival Events 2017 

Sunday 5th February 

Mapping Lochwinnoch 

Castle Semple Visitor Centre 

1pm to 3pm - Free entry 

Sponsor Renfrewshire Council Culture, 

Events and Heritage Fund 

Glasgow University’s map historian 

John Moore and geographer, writer 

and TV presenter Vanessa Collingridge 

will present the social history of the 

Lochwinnoch area through maps and 

help you make one of your own. (This 

relates to the theme of the Betty McKellar 

Poetry Competition 2017) 

Sunday 19th February 

Crafts from the Past 

McKillop Hall 


Sponsor Renfrewshire Council Culture, 

Events and Heritage Fund 

This hands-on afternoon will reflect on 

the trades, crafts and many industries 

that were part of Lochwinnoch’s 

heritage including; 

Weaving, ‘Museums in a box’, Making 

a cask/barrel, Furniture making, Rail 

transport and a Film and picture 

show. 

(This is related to the theme of the Betty 

McKellar poetry competition 2017). 

Wednesday 1st till Friday 10th March 

Willie Owens and Corseford School Art 

Exhibition 

Library hours - Free entry. 

Sunday 5th March 

Betty McKellar Family Poetry 

Workshop Spirit of Lochwinnoch 

Lochbarr Leisure Centre 


Sponsor Renfrewshire Council 

This year’s theme is a chance to reflect 

on our rich industrial and cultural 

heritage. The competition is for 

families, with two age groups - 5 to 7 

and 8 to 11. 

************************** 

Come and Try 

No previous experience required - go on - 

come and have a go!! 

Sunday 12th March Lindy Hopping, 

Dancing with the family, Drawing and 

Poetry 

Saturday 18th March Mono printing 

and Crafts 

Sunday 19th March Great Lochwinnoch 

Pottery Throwdown and Felting 

Sunday 26th March Penny Whistle 

Exhibitions in Lochwinnoch Library - 

open Library hours. 

Wednesday 1st March till Friday 10th 

March Willie Owens and Corseford 

School Art 

Wednesday 15th March till 25th 

March Art Exhibition 

Wednesday 29th March till 22nd April 

Photography 

Pub Nights - free music by local 

musicians 

Brown Bull - Friday 17th March 

Corner Bar - Saturday 18th March 

Corner Bar - Sunday 19th March 

Three Churches - Friday 24th March 

************************** 

Saturday 11th March 

A Buddy A Good Laugh Comedy Night 

(a collaboration with Paisley Arts Centre) 

This is a first for the festival. 

McKillop Hall 

7.30pm £10/£8 https://boxoffice. 

renfrewshire.gov.uk/ (and in 

Lochwinnoch outlets) (Bar) 

Sponsor Renfrewshire Council 

MC: Jamie Dalgleish 

Opening Act: Neil Dougan is one of the 

strongest established acts on the Irish 

comedy circuit today. 

A finalist of Channel 4’s So You 

Think You’re Funny at The Edinburgh 

Festival. 

Second Act: Martin James Walmsley, 

writer and comedian from Glasgow. 

Third Act: David Callan 

Headline Act: Chris Forbes Star of 

BBC Scotland’s hit comedy ‘Scot 

Squad’ and award winning stand up 

comedian. Chris Forbes has gigged 

all over the world and supported Kevin 

Bridges on tour. 


Four Come and Try Events! 

1 Lindy Hopping 

Come and practice lindy hopping 

(Practice to dance with the Rose Room 

on Friday 17th) 10am to 12noon 

Lochbarr Leisure Centre £3. 

This is a favourite event and the third 

visit. 

2 Dancing with the family with 

JOIMOVE 

1pm to 1.40pm Lochbarr Leisure 

Centre £3 (per person). 

JOIMOVE is an award winning family 

class that helps mothers, fathers, 

grandparents and children socialise 

by dancing together. No dance or 

fitness experience required. www. 

joimove.com 

3 Drawing 

Get back to your art! We all can draw! 

Tutor Christine Brown. 2pm to 4pm 

Parish Church £3. 

4 Poetry 

There is poetry in all of us!! Tutor 

George Walker. 2pm to 4pm Parish 

Church £3. 

************************** 

Tickets available from 

The Junction Café 

Now and Then 

www.lochwinnochartsfestival.co.uk 

************************** 

Workshops 

Sunday 19th March Singing, Fiddle 

and Accordion 

Sunday 26th March Mixed instruments 

and Bodran 

************************** 

All 5 Workshops and 9 Come and Try 

events should be booked in advance 

via the website or by telephone - 07868 

752814 

************************** 

Music and Food 

Thursday 23rd March Jamming at the 

Junction 

************************** 

************************** 

Festival Starts 

Wednesday 15th March 

Arts Festival Art Exhibition Official 

Opening by Rev Archie Ford 

7pm Library (invite only) 

Wednesday 15th till 25th March 

Art Exhibition 

Library hours - Free entry 

Thursday 16th March 

Tannahill International Poetry 

Competition 

Music by Witches Brew 

7.30pm McKillop £5.50/£3 

Friday 17th March 

Rose Room and Factory Street Quartet 

(Jazz) 

7.30pm McKillop £10/£8 Bar 

Performance of ‘Pilgrims Progress’ 

7.30pm Calder Church 

Donation to charity 

Clamjamfrie in Brown Bull 

9pm - Free 


Author Event 

With Sir Kenneth Calman Chaired by 

Prof Rowena Murray 

10.30am McKillop Hall £5.50/£3 

Craft Fair McKillop Hall 

1pm to 4pm. Free entry. Free teas and 

coffees 

Come and Try 

Trace mono printing 

1pm to 3pm McKillop £3 

Crafts 


Susie Lamonts Pupil Concert 

4pm to 6pm Parish Church 

Donation to charity 

Karine Polwart and Fara 

McKillop Hall 7.30pm £10 

Sean Middleton 

Hosts Fiddle and Accordion session 

8pm Corner Bar - Free 


Come and Try 

The Great Lochwinnoch Pottery 

Throwdown 

10am to 4pm McKillop £3 

Singing Workshop Karine Polwart 

10.30am to 11.30am McKillop £5 

Felting 

10am to 12noon McKillop £3 

Fiddle Workshop Alastair McCulloch 

12noon to 2pm McKillop £5 

Accordion Workshop Iain Muir 

12noon to 2pm McKillop Hall £5 

Classical Celtic 

7.30pm Parish Church £5.50 /£3 

Billy Hamson Bluegrass Session 

8pm Corner Bar - Free 

Monday 20th March 

Author Event 

Lochwinnoch writers and Louise Turner 

Chaired by Prof Rowena Murray 

7.30pm McKillop Hall £5.50/ £3 

************************** 

b 

Tuesday 21st March 

Drop in Tea Bar 

Witches’ Brew - All welcome 

McKillop Hall 11am - Free 

Glasgow Theatre Guild 

7.30pm Parish Church £5.50 /£3 

Wednesday 22nd March 

Songs and Music 

From Scottish Islands Alastair 

McCulloch, Fara and Witches Brew 

7.30pm Parish Church £5.50/£3 

Thursday 23rd March 

Calder Drama Society Production 

7.30pm McKillop Hall £6 / £4 

Jamming at The Junction 

Claude Bourbon 

7.30pm - £20.95 for 2 courses, 

£24.95 for 3 courses, BYOB 

Friday 24th March 

Calder Drama Society Production 

7.30pm McKillop Hall £6 / £4 

“Rewired” 

Visual Artist Dominic Snyder and 

Contact Improviser Nina Ravnholdt 

Enemark 

7.30pm Masonic Hall £5.50 / £3 

Willie Gamble and Friends 

Three Churches Inn 9pm - Free 


Author Event 

With Tony Roper Chaired by Prof 

Rowena Murray 

10.30am McKillop Hall £5.50/£3 

Krafty Kids 


LEAP 

McKillop 1pm to 4pm 

Craft Fair 

McKillop 1pm to 4pm - Free entry 

and teas and coffees 

The Caledonian Strathspey and Reel 

Orchestra and Govan Gaelic Choir 

7.30pm McKillop £5.50/£3 


Come and Try 

Penny Whistle 

10am to 12noon McKillop £3 

Mixed Instrument Workshop Nigel 

Gatherer 


Bodran Workshop Chris Wait 


Festival Finale Concert 

Betty McKellar Family Poetry 

Competition results and Lochwinnoch 

Choral Society, Fran Shoppler, ‘Folk it’, 

and ‘Heritage Soundz’ 

7.30pm Parish Church £6/£4 

29th March till 22nd April 

Photography Exhibition 

Official opening Wed 29th March 7pm 

(invite only) 

Library hours - Free


19 19 

arts centre 

The End Of Things 

Infused with joy, pain and breathtaking beauty, this is a journey to 

the heart of letting go. 

Thursday 2nd February - 7.30 pm From £8 to £10 

Black Beauty 

From the cosy horsebox they call home, Andy and Andy take the bit 

firmly between their teeth and tell the classic tale of Black Beauty 

as you’ve never seen it before. 

Saturday 4th February - 2.30pm From £10 to £12 

Glasgow Girls 

Circus of Horrors 

the 

This spectacular show features an amazing amalgamation 

of bizarre, brave and beautiful acts all woven into an Alice in 

Horrorland type story driven by a mainly original soundscape 

and performed with a forked tongue firmly in each cheek! 

Wednesday 8th February - 7.30pm £20 

A potent political drama about children of asylum-seekers 

uses uplifting songs, music, dance and humour to tell the 

Glasgow Girls’ tale. 


Swan Lake 

A Night of Broadway 

Ballet West tell the story of the love of a young man for the 

cursed Odette, who is destined to spend her life as a swan, 

unless true love can release her from the spell of the evil 

Von Rothbart. 

Sunday 12th February - 7.30pm From £14 to £17.50 

This 2-hour cabaret performance features all the favourite 

musical theatre songs from Les Miserables, Grease, Wicked 

and much more. 

Friday 17th February - 7.30pm £15 

Polar Bears Go Up! 

They’ve lost their balloon and they need to get it back. It’s 

time to get up, step up, climb up, jump up. One thing’s for 

sure, the only way is up! These two lovable Polar Bears are 

intrepid explorers, famous for their wild expeditions. 

Saturday 18th February - 2pm £5 

West Renfrewshire Young 

Farmers present: Hunting For 

The Road To Rio 

Thursday 9th - Saturday 11th February at Port Glasgow Town Hall - 7pm for 

curtains up at 7.30pm. TICKETS NOW ON SALE - Thursday - £6 adults, £5 

children, FREE OAP; Friday & Saturday - £7 adult, £7 child, £7 OAP; FRIDAY 

NIGHT FAMILY TICKET - 2 adults and 2 children for only £20! 

Menopause: The Musical 

Packed full of one-liners about night sweats, hot flushes 

and memory loss and backed by an instantly recognisable 

soundtrack of innuendo laden versions of 60s, 70s and 80s 

pop classics. 

Saturday 18th February - 5pm & 8pm £23 

Siobhan Miller 

Twice winner of the prestigious Scots ‘Singer of the Year’ title 

at the Scots Trad Music Awards, Siobhan Miller has carved 

out a reputation as ‘one of the finest voices on the Scottish 

folk scene’ 


To book your tickets contact Roderick Danabie on 07749 928033.


Quarriers Ladies Lunch 

Kilmacolm Dramatic Society 

We are thrilled to announce our Spring Production 2017 will be 

‘QUARTET’ by Ronald Harwood. 

This play is about three ageing opera singers Cissy, Reginald and 

Wilfred who often worked together during their active careers, but 

are now in a retirement home for musicians. Their peace is soon 

to be shattered by the arrival of Jean. Jean was a huge star in her 

time and was once unhappily married to Reginald. Is there any chance that 

the four will ever sing together again? Do they even want to? Can they do it? 

This is a lovely play, warm, witty, very funny and not without some “tough” 

moments as it looks at the ageing process in general. It was made into a film 

starring Pauline Collins, Billy Connolly, Maggie Smith and Tom Courtenay which 

you may be familiar with and we are sure you will all enjoy the KDS production 

starring John Gilchrist, Jean Simpson, John Watson, Claire McClatchie and 

directed by Alison Holliman. 

‘Quartet’ will be performed on 27th, 28th & 29th April in the Kidston Hall, 

Kilmacolm. Please put the dates in your diary. 

Growing Old is Compulsory, but Growing Up is Optional. Perhaps this might give 

us an insight as to what really goes in those lounges in our local Retirement 

Homes! 

Sunday 23rd April, 12noon - 4.30pm 

The Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow - £40pp 

If you are a lady who lunches, then we’d love you to join us for a sparkling 

Champagne Reception in the Grand Central Hotel’s stunning Grand Ballroom. 

Great food, shopping, goody bags, special guest speaker and live music from The 

Jerseytones. It really is an event not to be missed. 

You can purchase tickets at https://quarriers.org.uk/get-involved/ladies-lunch- 

2017-payment/ or for more information please contact events@quarriers.org.uk 

or call 01505 616054. 

www.advertizer.co.uk/blog


21 21


IT Blog 

with Colin Fyfe of Colcom 

It is the time of year that I look at my email and see what I can unsubscribe 

from. We all know that every online purchase these days comes with a 

recurring charge – junk mail, but it is no less annoying when we are left 

to pick through our inbox for the emails that matter. I know Gmail has a 

handy ‘promotions’ fi lter but even so, unwanted junk is a nuisance. 

On the back of the massive Yahoo! Security leak that was revealed 

recently I have gone a step further than my usual new year routine. 

Usually, I will pick an email from last year and diligently follow through with 

the ‘Unsubscribe’ instructions but now I am actively closing my accounts 

with suppliers and services that I no longer use, furthermore I am stopping 

my usual action of opting to ‘create account’ whenever I buy something 

from a new online supplier. I am doing this to prevent my details getting 

leaked at some point in the future. 

Corporate level Internet hacking has gotten to the point in the last few 

years that I question the safety of any password I create – no matter how 

convoluted and awkward to type that password may be. All our efforts 

to make our passwords super secure have been completely undermined 

by the security of the companies telling us to ‘create a secure account 

password’, prompting us to insert an upper-case letter and a number or 

whatever else. 

It is the companies we deal with online that have become the target for 

hackers. From these sources, they can harvest our user data in quantities 

that people will pay big money for. 1 billion Yahoo accounts were hacked 

three years ago, they told us about it a couple of months ago, in that time 

there is every chance there has been a politician, movie star or sports star 

or two exploited on the back of the leak. More importantly, as the hacked 

content goes through the mill, once the cream has been skimmed off the 

top, ultimately, we will all be het for more bloody spam! 

Financial Blog 

by Carl Melvin, Affluent Financial Planning Ltd 

Final salary pensions – 

should you transfer? 

The recent collapse of BHS and the implications for its pension scheme 

members has focussed attention on final salary pension schemes. The 

introduction of Pension Freedoms and low interest rates have created 

an opportunity to consider whether a transfer from a final salary pension 

scheme may be a good financial decision. While retaining final salary 

benefi ts is likely to be suitable for the majority of people, an increasing 

number are looking to transfer to a personal pension plan. Now could be 

a great time to consider your transfer options. 

The following issues are relevant; 

1. Financial Advice is essential – if your benefits are valued at more 

than £30,000 you must obtain advice from an authorised Pension 

Transfer Specialist (PTS) as the issues are complex. 

2. Transfer Values are Huge – currently the transfer values offered are 

big and now could be a great time to capitalise on this, as values may 

decline if interest rates rise. 

3. Improved death benefits – compared to scheme pension, the death 

benefi ts from a transfer can be much better. This is especially appealing 

if you are unmarried or in poor health. Your family can inherit all your 

pension fund. 

4. Control your income – You can choose how much income you take 

from a transfer pension to prevent you from paying more income tax 

than is necessary. 

5. More tax-free cash - A transfer may offer a bigger tax free lump sum. 

6. Retire early – A transfer can allow you to retire early from age 55, 

rather than wait until the scheme retirement age. 

This type of advice is complex and you should take advice from an 

authorised specialist, before making a decision on whether to transfer 

your final salary pension benefits (Carl Melvin is an authorised Pension 

Transfer Specialist) 

This information is not financial advice. If you require advice you should 

consult a professional adviser. The first meeting is normally free and 

there is no obligation. 

Call us for a FREE financial review on 01505 59 50 60 or info@affl uentfp. 

co.uk. Alternatively, pop into the Affl uent offi ce opposite Amaretto 

restaurant on Main Street, Bridge of Weir. www.affl uentfp.co.uk


23 23


Paisley Colour Photographic Club 

Kilmacolm Camera Club 

Our last night before the Christmas break was another internal league 

competition, 

the topic being 

“Bridges.” 

The judge on 

this occasion 

was Duncan 

MacDonald. 

In true, pre- 

Christmas 

Camera Club 

tradition, 

the images 

looked even 

better, when 

accompanied 

with wine and 

mince pies! 

In the Print 

class, John 

Watson was 

first, with “The 

19th and 20th 

Century,” Bill 

Ham came 

second, with 

“Bell’s Bridge” 

( s h o w n 

above) and 

Bill and Janice 

Stevenson 

were third 

equal, with 

“Forth Rail Bridge” and “Packhorse Bridge,” respectively. 

In the Digital class, Janice came 

first, with “Rannoch Woods 

Bridge,” (shown above) David 

Addison was second, with “Falls 

of Bruar” (shown right) and Bill 

Ham came third, with “Bridge at 

Dumbarton.” 

Our fi rst evening of 2017 was 

a slide show by David Walker. 

This was a series of photo slides 

(none of your new-fangled digital 

gizmos!) of “Glasgow’s Hidden 

Treasures,” showing images of 

Glasgow’s wonderful architecture. 

He admitted that some of the 

slides were over 25 years old, but 

his audience were fairly sure that 

some of his jokes were at least 

twice that age! 

Please come along and see what our Syllabus has to offer. 

Venue: Kilmacolm New Community Centre, Room 1.01; Tuesday evening, time 

7.30. Contacts: Billy Blair, Tel: 873383; Janice Stevenson, Tel 873595. 

Website: clikpic.com/kilcamclub/ 

The Borbasket Trophy 2016/17 

Last month at the McMaster Centre in Renfrew, Paisley Colour Photographic 

Club held its annual competition for the Borbasket Memorial Trophy. 

In this competition entry consists of three digital images judged as a set with 

the fi rst image in each set either a table top, a portrait or a still life photograph. 

Judging the competition were last year’s winner of the trophy, Ken McArthur 

and the winner of last season’s Henderson Trophy, Richard Bennett. 

The judges in turn gave a very clear and considered critique of each of the 

eighty one images entered. They pointed out what they enjoyed about each 

image and also gave ideas as to how improvements could be made to some 

images. 

This year the award for the top set of images by a non-advanced member 

was made to Leonard Esacowitz for his set including “Misty Vinius at Dawn”. 

The top still life image was “Japanese Style” by Norma McDowall. 

For the Borbasket Trophy, Ken and Richard awarded fourth place to Jim 

Black for his set which included the image they judged to be the best overall 

image in the competition “Southern White Admiral”. 

This year the Borbasket Trophy was awarded to 

Charles Hamilton for his set of three street portraits 

“July, Glasgow Cross”, “Romanian Accordion Lady” 

and “Colour Me Happy”. 

For further details about PCPC and updated members 

galleries please view: www.paisleycolour.co.uk 

In joint second place were Alison 

Smart and Mike Cruise. Alison’s set 

of images included “Morning Light, 

Plockton”, “Evening Sail on the Clyde” 

and the image judged to be the best 

portrait in the competition “Tobacco 

Farmer”. Mike’s set included “Old 

Gypsy Lady”, “Hitting the Bend” and 

“Morning Mist”.


25 25


Diaporama 

Langbank Camera Club 

January’s print competition, “Rain”, proved to be a bit of a challenge for 

members this month. First place was awarded to James Goodall for his 

image, “Bird Bath”, capturing a single rain drop in a moment of time. John 

Davis was awarded second place with his festive image “Christmas Day - 

Window Rain Drops”. Third place was also awarded to James Goodall for 

his “Duck Pond” image, on a day that was most suitable for the birds. 

This month’s 

educational topic 

featured a lecture on 

High Dynamic Range 

(HDR) photography 

given by Derrick 

McPherson. We were 

taken through the 

various techniques 

and tools available 

to achieve the 

desired effects of this 

process. Photo HDR 

can create images 

that cannot be captured with a single image taken on most modern camera 

sensors. The fi nal images can look very cool or very unnatural depending 

on the photographer’s fancy. Do a search on-line and you will see many 

examples of both. 

The Projected 

Digital Image 

evenings continue 

to showcase 

members’ images 

on the big screen. 

The informal nature 

of these meetings 

enables members 

to discuss their 

selected images 

and share hints and 

tips, as well as to 

discuss what’s new 

in photography. 

The main February meeting will be held as usual on the second Monday of 

the month, 13th February at 7.30pm. At this meeting we will be featuring a 

slide show by Phil O’Brien of her travels in Ethiopia. The print competition 

topic for February is “Shadows”. 

The next PDI 

meeting will 

be held on 

Monday 27th 

February at 

7.30pm, where 

the theme of 

the evening is 

“Lines”. 

Club meetings 

are held in 

Langbank 

Church Halls, 

Langbank. 

Visitors are 

always very welcome at any of our evenings. 

If you wish to fi nd out more about Langbank Camera Club please contact 

Derrick McPherson at langbankcc1@gmail.com with your enquiries or visit 

our website: www.langbankcameraclub.weebly.com. Club membership is 

only £10 for the fi rst year. 

January’s meeting was to be hosted by the ‘Three Yorkshire Amigos’ - 

Colin, Adrian and Sue but, unfortunately, Colin was not well. To make sure 

it would be a full 

evening Adrian and 

Sue looked back 

at their collection 

of shows and took 

us on a journey 

from the first ones 

they made, through 

early digital into the 

latest one finished 

at the end of 2016. 

They started with 

an image of their 

logo where the 

background subtly 

changes colour. This ran during the introductions etc. - much better to look 

at than a busy desktop. We visited Ben Laws for ‘Flowers of the Mountain’ 

- this was one of the first AV shows made and used slides which had to be 

scanned and a new 

sound track made 

from a tape recording. 

It was followed by a 

sequence about rain 

called ‘April Showers’ 

that was made by 

a small AV group 

from Gryffe Camera 

Club. We went 

down to England 

for ‘Bressingham 

Gardens’ which was 

made in 2009 and 

was one of the early digital shows. It is a garden attached to a nursery in 

Suffolk and gives ideas of how to plan/plant up a garden. As Yorkshire came 

into the title we went ‘Up North’ to Huddersfield. All the images were taken 

looking up at the 

beautiful carvings 

and engravings on 

the buildings. We 

had our tea/coffee 

break at this point 

but we had lots of 

different sweeties 

to eat - Liquorice 

from Pontefract, 

Yorkshire mixture 

and Liquorice all 

sorts. After the 

break we had a 

sequence about the ‘Kibble Palace’ in Glasgow Botanical Gardens after 

its refurbishment with all its beautiful colours and shapes. We travelled 

to Greenland for the next show - 

‘Greenland’s National Dress’. This is a 

show in the making and it looked at all 

the beautiful embroidery and beading 

that goes into the costumes (each 

design being unique to each family). 

It also included some personal pieces 

of embroidery made by the family 

Sue visited. The evening fi nished 

with a visit to ‘Bois des Moutiers’ in 

Normandy, France. It started with the 

Viking invasion of Normandy, made the 

connection between Normandy and 

England. This was then reinforced by 

the building of the house by Lutyens 

and gardens by Jekyll. We looked 

at the ethos behind the designs and 

ended with its position in todays world. 

It is one of the top gardens to be visited 

in France. 

Next month we meet on Monday 13th February, 7.30pm at the Carrick 

Centre, Houston for ‘Bill’s Night’. Visitors are always welcome.


Legal Blog 

by Isabella McKerrow, Affinity Family Law 

Powers of Attorneys and 

The Role of The Public Guardian 

27 27 

Having a Power of Attorney “POA” in place lets you plan what you want 

another person to do for you in the future should you become incapable 

of making decisions about your own affairs. I have previously explained 

the benefi ts of having a “POA” in place, no matter what age you are, and 

the different types of POA’s that are available. 

The Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 gives the Public Guardian 

“OPG” the following duties and responsibilities relating to Powers of 

Attorney: 

• To register POA’s that meet the registration criteria. 

• To maintain a public register of continuing and welfare POA’s. 

• To provide advice and guidance to continuing attorneys on the exercise 

of their powers. 

• Certain powers to investigate concerns and take steps to safeguard 

financial matters of the adult where it appears they are at risk. 

For a POA to become effective it must be registered with the OPG. The 

fee for registration is currently £74. If you are in receipt of certain benefits 

you may qualify for a fee exemption. Most solicitors will recommend that 

LEAP 

LEAP - MAKING IT Happen – FREE PRACTICAL 

HELP FOR Households 

LEAP has launched ‘Making It Happen’ – a programme 

of free practical assistance for those struggling with fuel 

bills and comfort at home this winter. Supported through 

Renfrewshire Council’s Tackling Poverty Programme, the service aims to 

reach a minimum of 80 fuel poor and vulnerable persons, who are struggling 

with fuel bills, health conditions, or living in cold, damp, or draughty homes, 

across urban and rural Renfrewshire by 31st March 2017. LEAP’s Energy 

team will carry out practical actions to help to improve warmth and save 

money in the long term. 

The types of FREE practical energy efficiency actions LEAP can provide 

may include fi tting draught strips, letterbox / keyhole seals, chimney 

balloons, minor repairs (structural draught proofing), pipe lagging, tank 

jackets, window seals, secondary glazing, loft insulation including coombed 

ceilings or tricky areas, loft hatches, and introducing the use of low energy/ 

LED light bulbs, power down plugs, energy monitors and radiator panels to 

reduce the energy used for heating and lighting in the home. 

If you think you or someone you know could benefit from this programme, 

please contact LEAP in confi dence by email to energy@myleapproject.org, 

via our website http://www.myleapproject.org/contact-leap-staff-team/ or 

call 01505 612 034. We will consider and assess everyone who contacts 

us and if anyone is ineligible for this programme we may be able to provide 

other help, advice or referrals. We anticipate being oversubscribed, so 

don’t delay, get in touch. 

Free Lampshade Making and Recovering Workshops 

Left over fabric you don’t know what to do with? Lampshades in need of 

sprucing up? Come to our free workshop and learn how to make custom 

lampshades from left over materials. LEAP will be holding workshops in 

Lochwinnoch in February. If you are interested, get in touch by emailing 

susie@myleapproject.org to fi nd out more and to let us know whether and 

afternoon or evening workshop would suit you best. 

LEAP Energy help Local Charities Save Money on 

Gas and Electricity Bills 

Recently we managed to help local charities to make 

substantial savings on their electricity bills, which 

amount to hundreds of pounds per year less than 

what they would have paid if they had used the commercial broker they 

used until now. You could help us save more local charities, organisations 

and businesses money on their gas and electricity bills while also helping 

tackle poverty in Renfrewshire as our surplus income goes back into local 

projects… 

Please help us share the work we are doing and make a bigger impact 

in Renfrewshire: Facebook @leap.energy Twitter @energy_leap Or Call: 

0300 20 10 213 

the POA is registered straight away. Some people may take the view not 

to register straight away as they may never need to use it, thereby saving 

£74. Before the OPG will register the POA, they carefully scrutinise it to 

ensure it complies with the criteria of the 2000 Act. If they reject it and the 

adult has already lost capacity it may not thereafter be possible to correct 

the error. Consequently the POA is ineffective and resort will have to be 

made to the lengthy and expensive process of applying to the court for a 

Guardianship Order. 

For more information on the role of the Public Guardian and about 

Powers of Attorneys visit the website: www.publicguardian-scotland.gov. 

uk- Telephone: 01324 678300. 

COFFEE MORNING 

SIX MUST DO’s FOR THE OVER 50’s 

Friday 10th February 10am-11.30am 

The Cargill Centre, Kilmacolm 

Come for a chat and a free 45 minute talk 

every Scot over 50 should attend 

• Wills 

• Power of Attorney 

• Advance Directive 

Please call Kingsley Wood and Company, Solicitors on 01505 874114 

to book a place or for further information.


Orchard Flooring 

Stylish, Durable: A Floor for Life 

When choosing a new fl oor for your home, there are a few things to take into consideration. 

For a lot of our clients, having a floor that isn’t going to be ruined by mucky feet, paw prints 

or spills is a top priority. For this reason, light cream carpets can be problematic for many 

busy households. 

Karndean and Amtico fl ooring are perfect for any room or situation in the home. They are 

both waterproof, slip resistant 

and warm underfoot, as well as 

being a beautiful and luxurious 

floor to be proud of. 

Both are easy to clean and without the porous qualities of wood and some stone. They 

bring the ageless beauty of natural flooring to your home without the hassle. 

Be it a rustic wood effect in the living room or a sleek and modern stone effect in the 

kitchen, Orchard Flooring can provide expert advice to find the perfect floor for a room. 

With a home sampling service why not give us a call and be on your way to a stunning fl oor 

from Orchard Flooring. 

You can contact Scott on 01505 22 9584 or 07563 633 432 E: sjmproducts@hotmail.com websitewww.orchard-fl 

ooring.com 

LOCAL 

history 

Johnstone History Society 

Our February meeting will be held Tuesday 14th in the Masonic Hall Collier 

Street at 7.30 pm. Our speaker this month will be our own secretary Valerie 

Reilly and appropriately her talk will be “For This Was Seynt Volantynys Day 

- Valentine Traditions” this should be a very interesting evening. Visitors 

and new members will always be made welcome. We had an excellent 

attendance at our fi rst meeting of 2017 and everyone enjoyed Sheina’s 

informative and entertaining talk on “Six Cord Thread”. 

The Museum has reopened after our festive break and continues to open 

on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10.30am till 4pm. We still have 

a few Calendars available which are now £3.50 with an envelope £4 . Our 

usual books and publications are also on sale. 

Kilbarchan - 4th February 1917 

George Anderson was born in Kilbarchan in 1884. The 1901 census 

records that he lived with his father, George 56, a self-employed dairyman, 

Mary aged 29, Julia 20, an assistant draper: George was then 17 and an 

apprentice bank clerk with the Clydesdale Bank in Kilbarchan. The family 

home was at 16 New Street. 

In 1911 he was a lodger at 42 Priory Road, Bedford Park, Chiswick. On 

the 2nd October 1912 he married Margaret Knott at the Parish Church in 

Barnes: they set up home at Boileau Road, Ealing. He was a month short 

of his 32nd birthday when he volunteered for the Royal Field Artillery on 

10th December 1915. In December 1916 he was recommended for officer 

training but he was soon after transferred to the infantry, the 1st Battalion 

Border Regiment, 87th Brigade, 29th Division. His record with the battalion 

lasts from 7th January 1917 to 4th February 1917, when he died of gun shot 

wounds to the back and left arm. 

George had moved to the National Bank of India in Bishopgate, London in 

1903 and had eventually become a manager. He left a widow and one son. 

He is buried at Grove Town Cemetery, Meaulte, near Albert, Somme. 

Black Cart Mills 6: Kilbarchan Burn 

Continuing our journey down the Black Cart 

Opposite the site of Johnstone Old Cotton 

Mill, is an arch in the high stone retaining wall 

supporting the former railway (now the cycle 

path). This marks the entry of the Kilbarchan 

Burn into the Cart. 

The burn rises in bogland on Marshall Moor. 

Above the village, it passes through Glentyan 

Estate, where it has been dammed to create 

a large pond and high level lade, passing 

over ornamental cascades. This pond was 

party to store water to drive Glentyan Mill. However it also seems to have 

been diverted south of Bank Brae to the bleachfields in the centre of the 

village (see below). Glentyan Mill was a traditional grain mill of which ruins 

survive. 

Although famed for its weaving industry, Kilbarchan is one of the only 

Renfrewshire villages not to have a big cotton mill. The nearest cotton mill 

to the village was at Cartside. A relatively late proposal to erect a large 

steam powered cotton mill nearer the village in 1825 never emerged. 

However Kilbarchan did make innovative use of its water resources. Just 

downstream from Glentyan Mill was a water powered thread mill in a 

converted house built over the burn by James Alexander in 1756. The 

previous year Alexander had invented a machine ‘to go by water for twining 

thread’ and received a grant of twenty pounds from The Board of Trustees 

for Manufacture. Alexander’s house is shown on Roy’s map of 1755, 

situated west of the kirkyard directly on the Kilbarchan Burn. This linen 

thread mill can lay claim to being the first water-powered thread mill in 

Scotland. 

In the heart of the village in the 1780s were at least six bleachfi elds which 

bleached the fine textiles which had been hand woven in the village. These 

bleachfields were located in the Bog Park, although only scant evidence 

remains today. 

Downstream of the village there is a tradition of another mill in the Victorian 

period. Beyond this, the lower parts of the burn pass through Milliken 

Estate, where the burn was straightened and passed over cascades 

supplying ponds, before entering the Black Cart at Johnstone. 

2017, Stuart Nisbet, Renfrewshire Local History Forum 

© 

RLHF next archaeology lecture will be held in the Shawl Gallery in Paisley 

Museum on 9th February, 2017, when Colin Sparrow will speak on Excavation of 

a Viking Trading site in Gottland. Visitors are welcome at all our lecture meetings.


29 29 

Support for Small Business 

Small Business Bonus Scheme exempts 100,000 properties from 

business rates this year. 

More than half of all commercial properties will pay no business rates in 

2017-18, Finance Secretary Derek Mackay has announced. 

As a result of the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) an estimated 

100,000 small business premises in Scotland will pay no business rates in 

2017-18. The SBBS has already saved small businesses over £1.2 billion 

since the scheme was introduced in 2008. 

In the Draft Budget Mr Mackay announced that the SBBS will be expanded, 

raising the eligibility threshold for 100% relief to a rateable value of £15,000 

– lifting 100,000 properties out of rates altogether, and generating a saving 

of up to £6,990 per property. 

Visiting Mad Hatter’s Coffee House in Paisley, which will now qualify for 

100% relief through the SBBS, Mr Mackay said: 

“I was pleased to set out a range of further measures in the Draft Budget to 

confirm a highly competitive business rates regime for Scotland in 2017-18, 

including expanding the Small Business Bonus Scheme. 

“Scotland’s small businesses are fundamental drivers in securing 

sustainable economic growth, which is why we are doing everything we 

can to support them. Scotland already offers the most competitive reliefs 

package for small businesses in the UK, and we intend to keep our promise 

that Scotland will be the best place to do business anywhere in the UK.”


Support for Innovation Projects 

Rotary Club of Gryffe Valley 

Three pilot projects in Scotland will receive a total of £1 million to drive 

forward new approaches to innovation. 

Toshiba Medical Visualisations Systems, Highlands and Islands Enterprise 

and the NHS Innovation Partnership Board, will receive £400,000 to develop 

a health and wellbeing pilot that will focus on the rapid prototyping and 

adoption of solutions to infl ammatory bowel disease. 

CivTech, a digital accelerator which aims to harness innovation in Scotland’s 

small business and start up technology sector to create new and/or more 

efficient public services, will receive £200,000. 

£400,000 will be used to support work with Codebase on the development of 

a digital pilot in Edinburgh that will focus on scaling up digital entrepreneurs. 

Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy Paul Wheelhouse said: “We 

want to support business innovation and to help companies thrive. The £1 

million will make a real difference, such as the use of the public sector to 

catalyse innovation in projects such as CivTech, the world’s fi rst cross public 

sector technology accelerator.” 

Mr Wheelhouse announced the funding alongside a new Innovation Action 

Plan for Scotland, aimed at boosting Scotland’s innovation performance to 

match the levels of the best performing countries in the OECD. 

Early priorities will be to directly encourage more business innovation, use 

public sector needs and spend to catalyse innovation, to support innovation 

across different sectors, and to make best use of university research 

knowledge and talent to drive growth and equip Scotland’s people with the 

tools and skills needed to innovate. 

He added: “We want to create a culture in Scotland that supports ambitious 

businesses to use innovation to grow. Our long term ambition is to be in the 

top quartile of nations in the OECD for innovation active businesses." 

A TIME FOR NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS AND 

NEW PLANS 

The new year started promptly with our weekly meeting 

on 4th January which was a “business” meeting devoted 

to planning events and activities for the next six months, the 

second half of the 2016/17 Rotary year. 

The immediate priorities were to fi nalise the annual Burns Supper being held 

on 14th January at the River Inn. This is an important fund-raiser as well 

as a great social occasion and this year the funds raised from the raffle will 

be used to support our evenings out for Young Carers at The Experience at 

Hillington, 23rd to 31st of January. Approaching 100 deserving young people 

will get the chance to enjoy go-karts, laser shooting, slot racing and a good 

meal. Next in the calendar is our Valentine’s Dinner and then a celebration 

of the 100th Anniversary of Rotary Foundation, the movement’s own charity. 

In addition we have speakers ranging from Gillian Craig on “My year in 

Cambodia”, Ahmad Mourhad with “Tales of a Syrian Weegie” to Rev Donald 

Campbell, the recently retired minister of Houston and Killellan Kirk. 

NEW YEAR RESOLUTION – 1 

If you are aiming to get fi tter, lose weight or get out more why not include 

the Gryffe Valley 10K Run in your plans. A little later this year, the event 

will be on Sunday 7th May. It is suitable for serious runners and for novices 

and joggers. The funds raised will go to the DEBRA charity which supports 

children and young people with the skin disease Epidermolysis Bullosa. 

The club were motivated to give to this charity by a speaker from DEBRA 

last summer who demonstrated the important work of the charity including 

essential research being carried out in Scottish universities into the causes 

and possible cures. You can enter as an individual or form a team with your 

friends, school, club or company and seek sponsorship in aid of DEBRA or 

your own charity. There is more information about DEBRA on the charity’s 

website www.debra.org.uk . 

NEW YEAR RESOLUTION – 2 

If, like some of our recent recruits to membership, you are recently retired or 

are coming up to retirement why not include Rotary in your plans? We need 

people who have recent business or professional experience, who want to 

“give something back to the community” and who will enjoy dinner/speaker 

meetings with Rotary colleagues and friends. Our membership comes from


31 31 

the whole Gryffe Valley and adjacent villages, including Lochwinnoch and 

Kilbarchan. Meetings are weekly on Wednesday night at the River Inn with a 

meal at 7.30pm. There is no obligation to attend every week, though many of 

the members enjoy doing so. If you are interested please speak to a member 

or get in touch via the contact facility on the website www.gryffevalley-rotary. 

org.uk/ where you can also fi nd out more about our activities and future 

speakers. 

SPEAKER 

The speaker at the meeting 

on 11th January was 

Mark Robertson of Kibble 

School. In September, last 

year, he led an expedition 

of staff and school 

students to Chilingola in Malawi to construct two classrooms to extend a 

greatly overcrowded school. Working with local people they overcame many 

issues on the project and, in addition, renovated three existing classrooms. 

The school has classes of 90-100 very poor children, and minimal facilities 

and resources. The roll has grown partly through the Mary’s Meals project 

which encourages attendance. President Peter Dickie gave a vote-of-thanks 

and recognised the importance of the project. As an aside Mark told us that 

Kibble has an ongoing project to collect bicycles from the Recycling Centres 

around Renfrewshire, renovate them and ship them to Africa. He encouraged 

the club to continue our support for Mary’s Meals, Bagpacks for Africa, etc., 

having seen the value of such projects fi rst hand whilst in Africa. 

THANK YOU 

Many thanks to the residents of Houston (Locher, Gryffebank, Cunningham 

Gardens and Crawford Rd) and Brookfi eld who contributed very generously 

to our Santa’s Sleigh collections in December, in aid of the Young Carers 

project. Thanks also to Santa and other club members for their time and the 

Bridge of Weir Gala Committee. 

ANNUAL BURNS SUPPER 

The 2017 Gryffe Valley Rotary celebration of Robert Burns was held on 

Saturday 14th January at the River Inn with 185 guests present, despite the 

weather forecasts. 

There was a welcome drink and a traditional meal, including haggis, neeps 

and tatties, excellently served, after the haggis had been piped in by club 

member Ron Aitchison and addressed in fi ne style by Past President Ian 

Jackson. 

The headline speech at a Burns Supper is the Immortal Memory and this 

year the audience was treated to a superb debut performance by Geoff 

Urie, Headmaster of the Hermitage School at Helensburgh and a lifelong 

supporter of St Mirren. We had a surprise intervention by Holy Willie (aka Jim 

Ferguson). Another Past President, Alan Bowie, Proposed the Toast to the 

Lassies in his very amusing way and Jean Irvine replied on behalf of the fairer 

sex, matching Alan’s humorous jibes in fi ne style. All three speakers had 

impressive CVs, but none mentioned their prowess at Burns Suppers. They 

should! Between speeches Alan Macdougall and Amy Lewis entertained the 

company with their music. 

The Interval raffle raised an impressive sum towards the cost of the Young 

Carers project. President Peter Dickie chaired the event in his inimitable 

and efficient style and Past President Angus Mathieson thanked - in rhyme 

- the speakers, entertainers, the River Inn, his organising committee and all 

present for their generosity.


Pothole Alert! 

Progress in A737 improvements 

With the frost comes the potholes and we’ve been 

sent a few photos by readers of the worst offenders 

in a couple of the villages. 

Jennifer Cowan sent in photos of the potholes at the 

Co-op car park in Houston, right on the roundabout, 

so very difficult to avoid. She has reported these to 

the Council. 

And many thanks to Nova Mercan who sent us 

images of pot holes at the entrance to Bridge of Weir 

Primary School. Pretty rough I think you’ll agree - 

watch out there! 

To report a pothole, please call 0300 300 0300 or 

visit the website to report online at www.renfrewshire. 

gov.uk/article/3134/Road-and-street-lighting 

• Houston car park 

Parking in Kilmacolm 

• Bridge of Weir 

Primary School 

Kilmacolm shop keepers have been campaigning 

to abolish the regulations demanding the display 

of parking discs in the village. Now following a 

heated meeting of the Council’s environment 

and regeneration committee, Inverclyde Council 

has announced that a formal report will now be 

drawn up for councillors to be asked to approve 

a full public consultation on the matter. 

Councillor David Wilson told The Advertizer, 

“Parking tickets have increased by 1200% 

since their introduction. This is not acceptable.” 

He added, “With the support of Councillors McCabe and McLeod who 

sit on the committee a decision was made to commence the process of 

disbanding parking discs. The traders petition organised by James Kelly of 

Bin 13 was great ammunition.” 

It is proposed that the two-hour time limit would remain but drivers would 

no longer need to display a disc. This rule is already in place in some other 

areas of Inverclyde including the car park in Princes Street, Port Glasgow. 

Traders in the village have reported that there has been a significant impact 

on footfall since the disc system was brought in. 

Illuminating? Maybe not.... 

Councillors have been lobbying the Scottish Government to make funds 

available to improve the A737, particularly dualling the route between 

Kilbarchan and Dalry, as well as the creation of an additional slip road lane 

at the Johnstone exit and a new slip road at the Howwood exit. 

The A737 is one of the busiest stretches of road in Scotland and has also 

suffered from many accidents, including fatalities, in its 25 year history. 

Renfrewshire Council Leader Mark Macmillan said: “The A737 is a key 

route for west Renfrewshire and it is time the Scottish Government fi nally 

stepped-up to deliver these much-needed improvements. People using 

this road face heavy congestion so extending the dual carriageway would 

make a real difference by reducing journey times. This and the other 

upgrades we have called for would strengthen links between communities 

in Renfrewshire and Ayrshire, making travelling much easier for residents 

and supporting the local economy by giving businesses better access to 

their customers.” 

He added: “Renfrewshire Council’s commitment to delivering major 

infrastructure projects is clear, but we need the Scottish Government to 

play its part. Under the City Deal we have taken forward infrastructure 

projects that better connect Renfrewshire with the rest of the Glasgow City 

Region, but as the A737 primarily links to Ayrshire it falls to the Scottish 

Government to deliver theses upgrades. It is high-time they followed our 

lead and delivered the transport improvements the people of Renfrewshire 

deserve.” 

Transport Minister, Humza Yousaf said: “The Scottish Government is 

working hard to improve the trunk road network in North Ayrshire and 

also right across the country. This road improvement scheme at Beith, 

underlines our commitment to communities in North Ayrshire and the 

surrounding areas.” 

“At the same time, we are currently progressing the nearby Dalry Bypass 

scheme with works expected to begin by the end of March 2017. 

“When completed, the A737 Improvements at Beith scheme will provide 

new junctions at Beith to help improve the road system around the town, 

will also improve traffic flow and bring additional road safety benefi ts.” 

A public exhibition was held in Beith Community Centre in November to 

let local residents and road users view and comment on the plans for the 

route. The exhibition material is available to view at: 

www.transport.gov.scot/project/a737-improvements-beith 

Roadworks at Brookfield 

Roadworks are planned to start on 20th February 2017, possibly for a 

period of 14 weeks, to accommodate services and infrastructure associated 

with housing development, “Weirs Wynd”, at Deafhillock roundabout at 

Brookfield. We don’t have any further details at this time but will keep you 

posted as and when we know anything further. 

Throughout Inverclyde and Renfrewshire, street lighting is being converted 

over to new LED lighting and not everyone is impressed. 

Councillor James MacLaren reports in his article that so far he has received 

a mixed response and sheds some light (forgive the pun) on the thinking 

behind the changeover. 

The need for change has been brought about by the introduction of 

legislation which will make it impossible for council’s to maintain the old 

orange lighting. The LED technology claims to reduce energy consumption, 

reducing bills by around 60%, and helping councils achieve their carbon 

reduction targets. 

However, for the person on the street there has been a marked difference 

in the spread of light from the new bulbs. While the light is very bright, it 

is a very direct beam to the ground, where the old orange bulbs gave off a 

more subtle but broader beam. 

It is claimed that the new white light improves nighttime visibility, and with a 

longer life of more than 20 years, there should be fewer incidences of dark 

streets when the lights go out.


33 33 

LEAP Car Club 

Join LEAP Car Club Now and 

receive £25 worth of free 

driving. 

LEAP Car Club offers 

convenient, 24/7, not-forprofit 

community car hire and 

can help you cut the costs of 

driving. Cars can be hired for as little as an 

hour or for as long as you want. The Car Club 

has helped members by allowing them to sell 

additional cars or to not have to buy one. 

What our members say: 

- “Reliable cars there when I need them.” 

- “For someone who does not own a car it is very useful to have access to 

a car at any time for short periods.” 

- “It is so easy to book online. Great value for money too.” 

To find out more contact Car Club Coordinator Mike Callaghan T: 01505 

842530 E: mike@myleapproject.org 

Roadworks are due to 

start on Barochan Road at 

Deafhillock roundabout on 

Monday 20th February for 14 

weeks. 

Please check 

@gryfferoadwatch for 

updates 

SEE A POTHOLE 

REPORT IT! 

Call 01475 717171 

Report online at 

https://www.inverclyde.gov.uk/ 

environment/roads-lighting/rep 

ort-a-fault 

You can also write to: 

Inverclyde Council 

Municipal Buildings 

Clyde Square 

GREENOCK 

PA15 1LY 

Call 0300 3000 300 

Online fault report at 

https://selfservice.renfrewshir 

e.gov.uk/Ef3/General.jsp?for 

m=SS_RoadAndLightFault&p 

age=pg_locatestreet 

You can also write to: 

Community Resources 

Renfrewshire House 

Cotton Street 

Paisley, PA1 1BR


bishopton, langbank & bridge of weir 

TH E CL Y D E B A N K CI T A D E L BA N D 

St Machar’s Ranfurly Church 

on Sunday 19th February at 3pm 

Tickets £5 

including refreshments 

Music for all tastes 

Tickets available at church 

or from Morven 612286 


Bridge of Weir Festival Committee – 

Santa Sleigh Update 

The Santa Sleigh 2016 proved to be highly popular with 1,592 kids over 15 nights 

coming out to meet Santa and receive sweets from him, as it followed its normal 

routes around Bridge of Weir, Brookfi eld, Houston, Kilmacolm and Quarriers. 

£6,931.63 was collected in donations with half going to the local organisations 

who helped out on the Santa Sleigh nights, with the remainder going towards the 

cost of vehicle hire, fuel, sweets, etc. 

The Festival Committee would like to thank all the local organisations who took 

part over the various nights, Houston United Football Club, Hope Hall, Houston 

Explorers, Rotary Club of Gryffe Valley, 2nd Houston Guides, Kilmacolm Guides, 

Riverview Quarriers, B.o.W. Tenants and Residents Association, 1st B.o.W. Guides, 

Brighter Bridge of Weir and B.o.W. Scouts for their help and support. 

Santa also made two collections at the Co-op Bridge of Weir which made £195.01 

for their chosen charity Spina Bifi da Hydrocephalus Scotland. 

The Festival Committee would like to say a big thank 

you to all the volunteer Santas, Drivers and Collectors, 

and Linda the Elf, who had all the kids hyper! For their 

time and effort, without whom we would not be able 

to run this venture. A big thank you also to everyone 

who kindly supported us with donations, they are all 

very much appreciated. Special thanks to the ‘Lego 

Man’ in Brierie Hill for his generous donation and to 

the kind gentleman who came to Brenda Lethorn’s 

rescue in the Co-op Houston on the night of the 3rd 

December. The Santa Sleigh had run out of sweets 

and the gentleman in question donated £20 so that 

Brenda could buy sweets to fulfi l that night’s run. 

FOOTNOTES: 

The Festival Committee are currently fi nalising details for this year’s Blackpool 

Trip which will be from Friday 20th October to Monday 23rd October at Tiffany’s 

Hotel. 

The Festival Committee AGM will be held in the Cargill Hall on Tuesday 14th 

February at 7.30pm. 


A BIG Thank You to Our Nameless 

Rescuers! 

On Saturday 14th January we managed to end up in a ditch near Lawmarnock 

Farm and Firehouse Road at the back of Bridge of Weir around late afternoon. 

Sheet ice didn’t help my pretty poor reversing! I would like to thank the brave 

Father and Son rescuers and also the Lady rescuer who came to our aid. Alas 

after much huffi ng and puffi ng we were well and truly stuck. Then along came the 

Knight in Shining Tractor and managed to get us out of the ditch and back on the 

road. A big well deserved thank you is due to our nameless rescuers! 

Graeme & Jenny Curtis, Houston 


Strathgryffe Medical Practice - 

Carers Meeting 

Tuesday 21st February, 10am - Cargill Hall, Bridge of Weir 

All carers who are patients at the practice are invited to a meeting on Tuesday 

21st February at 10am at Cargill Hall, Bridge of Weir. Come along and meet 

other carers who may have similar experiences to your own. A member of the 

team from Renfrewshire Carers Centre will be there, as well as a speaker who will 

discuss power of attorney. Please contact Anne Findlay, practice manager, on 

01505 613240, for further information and to advise if you wish to attend. 


Langbank SWI 

Thursday 16th February 

The Village Centre, 

Middlepenny Road 

Glickman’s Sweets 

Competitions will be: 

• Lemon Drizzle Cake 

• Knitted Baby Jacket (pattern provided) 

• Bon Bon dish 


Bridge of Weir 

Lace Group 

Bridge of Weir Lace Group meets 

fortnightly on Tuesday mornings 

(10am - 12noon) during the winter 

months. If you’d like to try lacemaking 

we can provide materials & tuition. 

For further details phone (01505) 

613967. 


Bridge of Weir Tenants and Residents 

Association 

The fi rst meeting of 2017 was well attended and our thanks go to Councillors 

Maria Brown and James MacLaren, Police Sergeant Frank Williams, Community 

Wardens Aideen Dempsey and Alan Robb, and Housing Offi cer Joanne Devan for 

their attendance. 

The Police report for the last month showed a total of fi ve crimes committed 

around the village over the past month, these ranged from theft to vandalism. 

The Community Wardens have been busy once again around the village dealing 

with dog fouling and fl y tipping issues. The recycling bins at Livery walk car 

park are still being used incorrectly, these bins are not for building materials or 

household goods. The wardens recently recovered boxed toys from one of the 

bins that they handed into the charity shop. There have also been a number of 

complaints regarding dog fouling at the shops at Livery Walk and the wardens will 

be monitoring this area closely. 

There were a number of issues discussed with Councillors Brown and MacLaren 

and they will be looking into these issues raised. Amongst those issues raised 

was the lack of street cleaning in the village, especially along the Main Street 

opposite Windsor Place where the drains are covered over with leaves. Another 

issue was the new LED street lighting being installed in the village by Renfrewshire 

Council. The council are projecting that the installation of this type of lighting will 

cut their lighting bill by about 60%, however the lack of coverage, with dark areas 

between light posts and the poor strength of the lighting are causing a concern in 

residential areas in particular. 

The next meeting of Bridge of Weir TARA will be held in the Pirie Centre, Freeland 

Church on Tuesday 21st February at 7.30pm. All are welcome, so why not come 

along and air any views you have regarding the village. 


RagBag Recycle Bin - 

Langbank 

There is a RagBag Recycle bin sited in the school 

car park of Langbank Primary School for any of your 

unwanted textiles (no duvets or pillows). Any money 

raised from this will go to Langbank Playgroup. If 

anyone has any items and is unable to get to the 

recycle bin please call Jacqueline on 01475 540728.


35 


The Bridge, 63 Main Street, Bridge of Weir 

Spring is awakening. Get ahead - renew your stocks of stationery and prepare for 

all the birthdays and celebrations expected in 2017. 

POST OFFICE STAFF - Best Wishes to Pat who has left us. Welcome to Margaret 

our new Post Offi ce assistant. 

POST OFFICE – all types of Insurance, Savings products and 

Mortgages are available through the Post Offi ce. Please ask 

Donald, Anne or Margaret for an information leafl et. Our unique 

identifi cation code is provided on all leafl ets. Use of this code 

allows The Bridge to earn income on all completed transactions. 

STATIONERY–we stock a comprehensive range of stationery items. We are 

delighted customers are using The Bridge as a “one stop shop” bringing items 

for posting, purchasing the necessary packaging, wrapping on site and posting 

all in one go. 

GREETING CARDS – we are continually replenishing our stock to cover life’s 

events. For those with milestone birthdays the range of cards covers from ages 

1 to 10 and 18 to 100. A small stock of Valentine cards are on sale – send your 

love in 2017! 

COMMUNITY CENTRE - please remember The Bridge is a central point in the 

village where you can meet others or enjoy a chat with our volunteers. It is a 

bright, warm, welcoming place where hopefully you will feel at home. We look 

forward to catching up soon. 

(Opening Hours: Mon – 9am to 5pm (PO closed 12 noon to 12.30pm); 

Tues & Fri – 1pm to 5pm; Wed & Thu – 10am to 2pm; Sat – 9am to 1pm) 


Exercise Class 

The Wednesday afternoon exercise class held in Freeland Church Hall at 1.30pm 

consists of a mixture of dance/exercise routines and some of these can be done 

by the less mobile while sitting on a chair. It is a pay on the day system so feel 

free to come along and give it a try - the regulars enjoy it tremendously. If you 

require any further information, please contact either Janet Birch on 613506 or 

Irene Macfarlane on 614443. 


As I write this note we are going through a wee cold snap with 

ice and snow. I hope none of you come a cropper because 

of it. I have helped push a car out of the ditch today on the 

narrow road up to Muirshiel Country Park. One of my favourite 

walking haunts. 

The villages are seeing a change to the street lighting and 

it is not meeting everyone’s approval. Renfrewshire Council 

is looking to convert all of our conventional street lighting 

lanterns to LED lanterns. Legislation will be introduced this 

year that will make the maintenance of the old style orange 

lighting untenable. 

LED technology will reduce energy bills by around 60% and 

make a substantial contribution towards the Council’s carbon reduction targets. 

The new White lighting enables colours to be identifi ed and many people fi nd this 

improves visibility at night. A further benefi t is that LEDs have a very long life, 

potentially in excess of 20 years and this will reduce incidences of dark lamps. 

The new lighting units produce less lighting “backwash” than conventional 

units and, in consequence, although there is less light spill from the street onto 

gardens and the frontages of houses, missing lamps or faulty lamps are far more 

obvious. The lighting scheme is designed for the relevant road class (residential, 

distributor road, etc.). It is then a case of selecting a lantern type and wattage 

that gives the required lighting level for the particular class of road. Therefore, 

there is no set wattage for lanterns as road class, geometry and existing column 

positions will have an effect on the design and ultimately the lantern choice. 

Accordingly every street in Renfrewshire has been designed individually and we 

have a number of lantern types and wattages throughout our road network. 

Surgeries: Bishopton Community Library - 1st Monday of every month (6.30pm), Cargill Hall 

- 2nd Monday of every month (6.30pm), Langbank Parish Church Hall - 3rd Monday of every 

month (6.30pm). Contact: 0300-300-1291 or email cllr.james.maclaren@renfrewshire.gov. 

uk. Also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/councillormaclaren 

“Working with you and improving our local area”. Please feel free to contact me with any of 

your concerns, and I am happy to meet with you at a mutually convenient time. 


Bridge of Weir Community Council 

Appeals have been lodged by the developers against the refusal by Renfrewshire 

Council for planning permission at Kilmacolm Road for the erection of a residential 

development (in principle) on land lying to the North East of Strathgryffe Crescent, 

Bridge of Weir and for the erection of a residential development (in principle) at 

Whitelint Gate, Johnstone Road, Bridge of Weir. Both these applications were 

subject to a large number of objections from the Community Council and Village 

residents. The appeals will be considered by the Scottish Government’s Planning 

and Environmental Appeals Division. 

Our request to have the 30mph speed limit extended at St. Mary’s Church, 

Johnstone Road has been rejected by Renfrewshire Council and in a letter 

received from their Community Resources Development Manager he states, 

‘this road is an A Class rural road which like all the others in Renfrewshire and 

Scotland, is governed by the national speed limit of 60 mph. To deviate from 

this national approach of assigning speed limits to rural roads there must be 

suffi cient justifi cation in the form of the number of recorded injury accidents 

on the road in the last three years. In this case there have been no recorded 

injury accidents on the road in this period, and therefore there is no justifi cation 

for changing the speed limit. However, drivers are of course expected to drive 

safely to the prevailing road conditions whatever the speed limit’. The Community 

Council is of the opinion that introducing an extended limit will prevent accidents 

occurring and will continue to pursue this matter. 

The Community Council were extremely disappointed that Renfrewshire Council 

could not keep the Festive Lights on at Livery Walk during the Festive period. 

Numerous hours have been spent on obtaining funding for new features and 

providing the switch on celebration. We will speak to Renfrewshire Council 

offi cials to have this issue rectifi ed for the 2017 festive season or fi nd other 

options for the display. 

Over the festive period the recycle bin area at Livery Walk was often in a disgraceful 

condition with bins overfl owing and rubbish dumped in the surrounding area 

and even thrown over the fence. The 

Community Council will once again raise 

the matter with Council Offi cials. 

The next meeting of the Community 

Council will be on Tuesday 7th February 

at 7pm in the Cargill Hall. 

Keep up to date with developments by 

following us on facebook: www.facebook. 

com/Bridge-of-Weir-community-council- 

1611282405760032 or on our website: 

www.bridgeofweir.org 


Bridge of Weir SWI 

The next meeting of the 

SWI will take the form 

of a beauty evening with 

“About You” from Paisley. 

We will meet at 7.15pm for 7.30pm on 

Thursday 2nd February in the British 

Legion. Visitors as well as members 

will be made very welcome. 


BoW Senior Citizens Club 

We meet at Cargill Hall every 2nd and 4th Wednesday 7 - 9pm. Subscriptions are 

only £6 per year and £1 each week pays for your tea and biscuits. Entertainment 

provided. Previous entertainers include a male voice choir & live music. Contact 

Sheila Patterson for further information on 01505 690521. 

bishopton, langbank & bridge of weir


kilmacolm & quarriers 


St Columba Church 

Following Morning Worship on Sunday 18th December 2016, seventy-two 

members and friends of the congregation gathered in the large hall for a Pre- 

Christmas Fellowship Lunch. Mrs Agnes McGarva and members of her family 

were largely responsible for organising and hosting this event. They provided the 

main course of turkey, ham and all the trimmings, while other members provided 

a variety of soups and desserts. Tea, coffee and confectioneries concluded a 

splendid meal. The whole event was rounded off with some carol singing. 

Jim Holmes, our Session Clerk, together with three young people, produced some 

Christmas-related artwork to adorn the main 

wall of the hall. (Jim would like to develop a 

Bible-inspired art group in St Columba: if this 

idea appeals to you please get in touch.) 

Our Sunday morning Service, conducted 

by Rev Bill Armstrong, is from 11.00am 

to noon. The atmosphere is friendly and 

welcoming. You will fi nd the service has a 

variety of ingredients, from the traditional to 

the unexpected, from the light-hearted to the 

serious and challenging, but with our focus 

consistently on Worship. So if you are new to 

the village and looking for a place to worship, 

please come along to St Columba Church. 


Save the Children: Kilmacolm 

Collecting Cans 

As a member of Community Fundraising, West of Scotland, I am responsible for 

the collecting cans in Kilmacolm village shops. 

When I called at one of the shops in Kilmacolm on December 8th to collect a Save 

the Children can, I was told that an ‘Older Man‘ had collected it recently. I am 

the sole authorised collector in Kilmacolm, so it appears that an unauthorised 

person has taken the can. 

This is not the fault or responsibility of the staff in the shop concerned. However 

this alerts me to the fact that more vigilance is required regarding these cans. 

Accordingly, 

I 

now show my ID 

whenever I collect 

a can and have 

highlighted 

this 

incident to all other 

shops 

concerned 

in the village. The 

incident has been 

reported to the 

Police, who are 

investigating. 

Charities in your 

area are a potential 

risk. 


Fundraising 

for Macmillan 

Nurses 

Local artist Phyllis Mulligan (Bridge 

of Weir) raffl ed her painting 

‘Cottages by the Sea’ and raised 

£675 (locally) in aid of Macmillan 

nurses. The lucky winner, pictured 

here is Elaine Dickie (pictured), 

who won the prize while on holiday from London. Not only was she delighted with 

the painting but the colours were perfect for her home design. 


Kilmacolm Old Kirk 

Dates for your diary 

Thursday 9th February Sòlas Bereavement Group meets in the Kidston Hall from 

6.30pm – 8.30pm. 

Our Annual Burns Supper will be held on Friday 10th February in the Kidston Hall 

at 6.45pm for 7pm. Tickets £15 per person and bring your own drinks. 

OUTLOOK 

Don’t forget our regular Outlook group which reaches out to 

the whole community in fellowship. The format is the same 

for most weeks – invited speakers offering topics of interest, 

community issues for discussion, shared activities, music fi lms 

etc. Afternoon tea gives us all the chance to enjoy time with friends 

and to make new friends too. The team provide a wonderful variety of home 

baking. A voluntary donation is collected, to be sent to the OUTLOOK monthly 

nominated charity. The spring programme is: 

Thursday 2nd February – An afternoon of personal poetry with Marlene, plus 

music at the piano with highly talented David Leigh. 

Thursday 16th February – Travels through Ethiopia, seen through the award 

winning camera of Janice. 

Thursday 2nd March – Keep fi t with David, plus popular songs at the piano. 

Every afternoon: Community Issues, Dates for your Diary and Afternoon Tea. 

OUTLOOK is for the whole community; it’s an open invitation to everyone. Please 

come along and you can be sure of a warm welcome from the Old Kirk Community 

Issues Team. 


World Day of Prayer 

Written by the Christian Women of the 

Philippines 

Theme: Jesus said ‘Am I being fair to you?’ 

Local Service in St Columba Church Hall, 

Bridge of Weir Road, Kilmacolm at 1.30pm on 

Friday 3rd March. 

The local WDP group of representatives from 

the local Churches warmly invites you to share worship and 

fellowship with people around the world who will be participating in the World 

Day of Prayer. We are delighted that the children from Kilmacolm Primary School 

will be able to join us with their singing and music. There will be refreshments 

after the Service. 

Everyone welcome! If you want to 

know more about the event, please 

give me a call. Maureen Russell, 

Convenor (telephone 872905). 


Coffee Morning 

on Saturday 4th March in New 

Community Centre Kilmacolm from 

10am - 12noon. Ticket £3. 

Kilmacolm and 

Port Glasgow 

Agricultural Society 

Whist Drive 

on 

Friday 17th February 2017 

at 7.30pm 

in 

the New Community Centre 

Tickets £3 

including light supper


37 


Kilmacolm Heritage Centre Company 

Secures Charitable Status 

The Offi ce of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) is satisfi ed that Kilmacolm 

Heritage Centre Company meets the Charity Test and have now registered the 

Company in the Scottish Charity Register No. SCO47027. 

This means the Company now has charitable status under the Charities Trustees 

Investments (Scotland ACT) 2005. 

The Company is at present in the course of securing premises for the Centre and 

hopes to make an announcement in the near future. 


Councillor McCabe was delighted to 

perform the offi cial opening of Kilmacolm 

Primary School and Nursery Class on 

13th January. The invited guests were 

all very impressed by the quality of the 

refurbishment and by the warm welcome 

they received from the school community. 

The pupils in particular were a credit to 

Kilmacolm and Quarriers Village. 

The Council will meet on 16th February to 

agree our budget for next fi nancial year, 

2017/18. This has been made more challenging by the £6.8m cut to our funding 

announced by local MSP and Finance Secretary Derek Mackay in December. 

As reported previously, Scottish Government reforms to Council Tax band 

multipliers will see households in bands E, F, G and H across Scotland face 

increases of 7.5%, 12.5%, 17.5% and 22.5% respectively from 1st April 2017. In 

addition Councils are being ‘encouraged’ by the Government to increase Council 

Tax across the board by a further 3%, which means some households could face 

a 25.5% increase in one year. Inverclyde Council will decide on 16th February if 

we will implement the additional 3% increase. 

The Council’s Environment and Regeneration Committee agreed on 12th January 

to Councillor McCabe’s request for a report on the implications of retaining 

the two hour on-street parking restriction in Kilmacolm but removing the need 

for motorists to display a parking disc. The majority of the Committee were 

sympathetic to this request, which originated from representations made by 

local traders. However the Leader of the SNP Group Councillor McEleny voiced 

strong objections to the proposal, so there is no guarantee that it will ultimately 

be approved. 

We have received representations from a number of constituents about the future 

of Birkmyre Cafe. After contacting Inverclyde Leisure we have been advised that 

future opportunities at the gym are being considered. The cafe is a well-used and 

important part of the village and we would be very concerned about any proposal 

leading to its closure. Before a decision is taken about its future we will be asking 

Kilmacolm Community Council to place this issue on the agenda for its meeting 

and invite a representative from Inverclyde Leisure along to ensure that the views 

of the village are heard. 

Councillor McCabe has been selected as Labour’s candidate for the new Ward 1, 

which incorporates Kilmacolm and Quarriers, for May’s Council elections. Due to 

work commitments Councillor McColgan has decided not to seek re-election. 

Councillor McColgan - My surgeries this 

month are on Tuesday 7th February, 6.30 

– 7.30pm in Boglestone Community Centre 

and Tuesday 21st February, 6.30 – 7.30pm 

in Kilmacolm Community Centre. 

You can reach me on 01475 712727 

(during offi ce hours) and 07881 280016 

(anytime) or by emailing me at james. 

mccolgan@inverclyde.gov.uk. Alternatively 

you can write to me at Inverclyde Council, 

Municipal Buildings, Greenock PA15 1LY. 

You can keep up to date with my work as 

a Councillor by visiting my website: http:// 

jamesmccolgan.com. You can also follow 

me on Twitter @jamesmccolgan. 

Councillor McCabe - My surgeries this 

month are on Tuesday 14th February, 6.30 

- 7.30pm in Boglestone Community Centre 

and Tuesday 28th February, 6.30 – 7.30pm, 

in Kilmacolm Community Centre. 

You can also contact me directly to discuss 

any matters that are of concern to you 

by telephone on 01475 712020 (during 

offi ce hours) and 871368 (home) or by 

email to Stephen.McCabe@inverclyde.gov. 

uk. Alternatively you can write to me at 10 

Victoria Gardens, Kilmacolm PA13 4HL. 

You can keep up to date with my work as 

a Councillor by visiting my blog: http:// 

councillorstephenmccabe.blogspot.com/ 

and follow me on Twitter @CllrSMcCabe. 


Christmas was a busy and happy time. I attended in my offi cial 

roles twelve services including KPS Nursery and Primary 

Nativities and the school carol concert in St Columba's 

Church. St Columba's Junior and Senior Schools had their 

services on the same day with the latter’s presentation being 

a most professional Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, 

which displayed the musical breadth of the school. The 

similar service at St Fillan's draws together contributors from 

a wide range of village activities and again we were cheerily 

entertained by the ever growing Angel Voices. 

I had the pleasure at the Golf Club AGM of seconding Mrs 

Jane McDonald as Vice- Captain. Jane will be the fi rst Lady as 

Captain in our 127 year history. In my speech at the celebration dinner in 1998 

for the Centenary of the Ladies section of the club, I did predict a female Club 

Captain at some stage, and I congratulate Jane on taking on what is a busy but 

very rewarding year. Colin McGinn has seen us through our 125th anniversary 

year as Captain, and he was quite rightly congratulated on his handling of matters 

in general. 

I addressed the relevant committee with regard to the use of parking discs in the 

village. Parking tickets have increased by 1200% since their introduction. This 

is not acceptable. With the support of Councillors McCabe and McLeod who sit 

on the committee a decision was made to commence the process of disbanding 

parking discs. The traders petition organised by James Kelly of VINo13 was great 

ammunition. 

Further work on carriageways and pavements have been fi nished. The pavement 

in Port Glasgow Road has been completed, but I am afraid the Scottish gas works 

in Bridge of Weir Road have left problems. It is really frustrating when the Council 

does a good job for it to be undone by Utilities. 

I continue to receive complaints about the housebuilding in Leperstone Avenue. 

Everybody knew this was a quarry, except it seems from the developers, the 

continued noise of rock breaking is very disruptive. 

The X7A service from Kilmacolm via Quarriers Village to Johnstone Station 

and the Kilmacolm to Greenock 530 service are being renewed from the 17th 

July 2017 for 5 years until the 16th July 2022. The 530 provides an hourly, 

Monday to Saturday evening service and Sunday service from Kilmacolm to 

Greenock. Both these services have no alternative public transport and are 

important for the villages of Kilmacolm and Quarriers. The subsidy over the 5 

years is £205,175, the contract being awarded to McGills Buses, and having 

lobbied for these services 5 years ago am delighted that they will be extended. 

I am Inverclyde’s representative on the Board of SPT and Chair the Audit and 

Standards Committee. 

My surgery is February 18th 10 - 11am at the Cargill. I can be contacted on david.wilson@ 

inverclyde.gov.uk and 01475 712727 and 741969 and 07766 992294 


Hall to Hire - Kilmacolm Guide Hut 

A great venue with easy access near to the village centre. Newly refurbished main 

hall, with additional kitchen facilities and outdoor area. Perfect for children’s 

parties, weekly classes and one off special occasions. Anyone wanting to hire 

the Guide Hut please contact Roz on 07584 359007. 

kilmacolm & quarriers


houston, crosslee & brookfield 


Last month I was delighted to attend the offi cial opening of 

Kilmacolm Primary School and Nursery. It is hard to believe 

that KPS and Nursery underwent a refurbishment. It looks and 

feels like a brand new school and nursery. The refurbished 

building has a great teaching environment. At the opening the 

children put on three fantastic performances for the invited 

guests. The pupils are a great credit to their parents, Head 

Teacher Mrs McCredie and her staff. 

At the recent council Environment & Regeneration Committee 

we considered an appeal from Kilmacolm traders to scrap 

the use of parking discs in the village. Since the new 

Inverclyde parking scheme was introduced I have received a 

number of complaints from Kilmacolm residents about the system, the latest 

issues regarding the signage and the need for parking discs. Many drivers from 

outwith Kilmacolm are unaware of the need for discs and have been fi ned for not 

having them displayed. Thankfully, the committee have agreed to progress the 

traders request to remove the discs for Kilmacolm, though the two hour parking 

restriction will still remain. A report will be brought before the next committee. 

As I have said in the past a one hat fi ts all parking policy was not going to work 

for all of Inverclyde. 

I was pleased to see more work has recently been carried out by council roads 

services on pavements on Port Glasgow Road in Kilmacolm. Over the last few 

years we have seen millions of pounds invested on our roads, pavements and 

street lighting in Kilmacolm, Quarriers Village and other parts of Inverclyde. The 

work had been badly needed. Thankfully, a lot of work has now been carried out 

but much more still requires to be done in the future. 

My surgeries in February will be advertised in the local newspaper, on the Inverclyde Council 

website and on my surgery posters. Anyone wanting to contact me in between surgeries 

can do so by phoning me through my offi ce on 01475 712727 or my mobile number 07747 

765 839 or by emailing me at jim.macleod@inverclyde.gov.uk or writing to me at Inverclyde 

Council, Municipal Buildings, Greenock, PA15 1LY. 


Brookfield Residents Reminder 

Grit Bins: Residents are reminded that during the icy weather, there are grit bins 

at various locations around the village: Victoria Road (near No 17), Albert Road 

(near No 4) and Sandholes Road at the top of Chuckie Lane. 

Facebook: brookfi eldvillage.org Twitter: @Brookfi eldVPA 


H.O.S.T. The Carrick Centre, Houston 

(Houston Old School Trust) 

Monday to Friday, Woodlands Out of 

School 01505 615438 

MONDAY 

Sewing Group (Weekly) ~ 10am - 

12noon 

Yoga (Weekly) ~ 1pm - Mary Laidlaw 

01505 229112 

Diaporama 13th ~ 7.30pm 

Young Farmers 20th ~ 7.30pm 

Houston Show A.G.M. 6th ~ 7.30pm 

Handiwives 20th ~ 7.30pm 

TUESDAY 

Paint Pot Tots (Weekly) ~ 10am - Dawn 

Campbell 07789 262350 

Musical Theatre (Weekly) ~ 4pm - 5pm 

Yoga (Weekly) ~ 7pm - M/s Lawson 

01505 613690 

Agric Discussion Society 7th ~ 7.30pm 

WEDNESDAY 

Big Kids Little Learners ~ 10am – 

11am Janine Neil 07870 697010 

Councillors Surgeries 15th ~ 6.30pm 

Gryffe Melody Makers 1st & 15th ~ 

7pm 

Camera Club (Weekly) ~ 7.30pm 

Community Council 15th ~ 7.30pm 

Cricketfi eld Residents 15th ~ 7.30pm 

THURSDAY 

Gryffe Quilting Group (2nd, 9th, 16th, 

21st) ~ 1.15pm - 3.15pm (16th - 

10am) 

Primary Colours (Weekly) ~ 3.30pm - 

Dawn Campbell 07789 262350 

Crafty Friends 2nd, 16th ~ 7.30pm 

Folk Club (Weekly) 8pm - iaintdawson@ 

gmail.com 07786 078952 

BurleX Fitness (Weekly) ~ 9.15 - 

10.15am. Kelly, 07944 815298 

FRIDAY 

Yoga (Weekly) ~ 10.30am - M/s 

Lawson 01505 613690 

Big Kids Little Learners ~ 1pm – 2pm 

Janine Neil 07870 697010 

Galaxy Dancing (Weekly) ~ 3.30pm - 

5.30pm 

MP Surgery 9th ~ 12.30pm – 1.30pm 

SATURDAY 

Galaxy Dancing (Weekly) ~ 9.30am - 

12noon 

Carrick Concert (Opera Alba) ~ 8pm 

SUNDAY 

Baptist Church (Weekly) ~ 11am and 

6pm 

Booking enquiries to Ian Simpson, 01505 612203 Sandy Young 01505 331488 

Bill Haddow 01505 690693 

hostbooking@outlook.com or The Coffee Shop 

ouston, crosslee & brookfield 

Houston & Crosslee SWI 

We continue our very enjoyable year with a meal at the River Inn on 

Wednesday 8th February, 7pm for 7.30pm. On March 8th we welcome 

Louise Bustard to talk to us 

about The Botanic Gardens. 

All our meetings are held in 

The Compass Centre, South 

Street, Houston at 7.30pm. 

Come along and join us, you 

will be made very welcome. 

For further information 

please contact, Arlene 

MacKay on 07932 459994. 


Brookfield 

Country 

Dancing club 

Thursday evenings from 

7.30pm - 9.30pm run 

by Aileen Craig (01505- 

322684). New members 

are most welcome and as an 

introduction, the fi rst class is 

free. 


Houston and Killellan Kirk 

Carnival 

Hollywood here we come! The date for this years 

Carnival is Saturday 13th May and the theme is 

Hollywood. Glitzy, glamorous, humorous, villainous 

... the choice is yours, time for the thinking caps to 

go on ... More details next month. 


Carrick Nights - Winter Concert Series 

Promoted by HOUSTON OLD SCHOOL TRUST 

All concerts will be held in the Carrick Centre, Main Street, Houston commencing 

at 8pm. 

After a successful opening concert in November the remaining concerts in the 

series are :- 

Saturday 25th February - OPERA ALBA 

Formed in 2004, with a view to presenting an entertaining programme of Opera 

by experienced professional singers. Current members are soprano Daisy 

Henderson, mezzo Julie Martin-Carter, tenor Adam Magee, baritone Steven 

Faughey and accompanied by Derek Clark. They have performed at a variety of 

venues throughout Scotland presenting an extensive repertoire from the fi elds of 

opera, operetta, Gilbert and Sullivan, songs from the shows and well loved songs 

from around the World. 

Saturday 25th March - PAUL LIVINGSTON (violin/viola) & IAN WATT (guitar). 

A well respected duo, they perform a wide ranging repertoire from Baroque to 

Modern, German to Argentinean including works by Bach, Corelli, Schubert, 

Paganini and Piazzola. 

Friday 28th April - BAROCHAN QUARTET + PAULA BARRON 

A welcome return after performing at our pilot concert in March 2016. [BQ] A 

string quartet of local talent, all professional musicians and members of the BBC 

Symphony Orchestra. [PB] A semi-professional mezzo soprano who hails from 

Paisley and her accompanist Jim Drennan with a programme of light classical 

repertoire/songs from the shows. 

Ticket prices: Adults - £12 Children/Students - £5 

Have a meal in our Café at 6pm prior to the concert. Early booking a must as 

space is limited. 

(2 courses £15 - BYOB ) 

Call 01505 229597 or e mail thecarrickcentre@gmail.com for further 

information. 

We are grateful to Enterprise Music Scotland, through funding provided by Creative 

Scotland, for their award of a grant to help make these Concerts a reality.


39 


If there is one thing which is unpredictable it is the Scottish 

weather, and the early months of the year can be the most 

unpredictable of all. At times of heavy snow and sleet my 

thoughts always go out to the most vulnerable members 

of our communities, many of whom may be isolated and if 

elderly and without private transport, may be afraid to venture 

out. Yes, we all lead busy lives but I know that Houston and 

Brookfi eld residents are very community minded, so please 

do all you can to help housebound neighbours in the event of 

inclement weather. 

In what seems like another era, my late grandfather had a 

coal business which my father also worked in, and from them 

both I learned the importance of a strong work ethic, and 

of serving the public. Small businesses are the very rock-bed of communities 

like Houston and Brookfi eld, so I am pleased that the Scottish Government 

has, at the end of 2016, announced a review of the Business Rates structure 

in Scotland. The Small Business Bonus Scheme, which provides rates relief for 

small businesses, has been a great success and I am sure this will be retained. I 

also hope that a new structure of business rates is agreed which will encourage 

more new businesses to be created. In Houston village the restaurant and 

licensed sector is particularly vibrant and I would like to see a climate where 

more entrepreneurs emerge. 

My advice surgery in Linwood is on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month, at 6pm, in 

Linwood High School. I am also always available to constituents who can call me on 07768 

130935, or e-mail me at cllr.audrey.doig@renfrewshire.gov.uk. 


Houston and Killellan Church 

This year was a fi rst for our Kirk calendar and what a success it was. The amount 

raised was £575 from this fi rst time venture, we hope to repeat this year and are 

already looking at different ideas. Thank you to all who purchased the calendar. 

The Kirk Postie also excelled realizing the fantastic amount of £965 which has 

gone to Quarriers Countryview Service again a massive thank you to all who used 

the service. 

CAMEO CLUB 

The Cameo Club are back into the swing of things getting organized for their Bring 

and Buy Sale on Wednesday 8th February which is an all important fundraiser for 

the club. The 22nd of February welcomes Robert Nimmo who will give a talk on 

the Great Wall of China. All meetings begin at 2pm in the West Halls. 

THE GUILD 

On February the 14th we welcome the Rev. Ian Miller from HABBIE TO JEALY 

EARS, who will entertain us with a talk on the Life of a Parish Minister, this is 

not to be missed. The Daffodil Tea will be held on Saturday 25th February in the 

West Halls - this is a fundraiser for the Guild so please support us. There will be 

a variety of stalls and tea, coffee etc. tickets available from committee members 

or pay at the door. There will be a guest evening on Tuesday 28th February when 

Mr Donaldson and the Comrie Singers will be entertaining us. 


Swishing Event/Ladies Night 

A Swishing Event/Ladies Night in conjunction with LEAP from Bridge of Weir 

will take place in Brookfi eld Village Hall on Saturday 25th February at 7.30pm. 

Admission £5. 

What is Swishing? Swishing works like a giant clothes swap: you bring items 

you no longer wear and exchange them for something new-to-you! It’s a fun and 

social way of encouraging people to make the most of what they’ve got hanging 

in their wardrobe, sitting in a drawer or packed away in a box – and it’s good for 

the environment. The items to be swapped should be of good quality and new or 

nearly new. Even if you don’t have any items to swap, you can still enjoy sampling 

some beauty treatments and there will also be a raffle, bar and refreshments. 

Tickets available by e-mailing brookfi eldvpa@gmail.com 


Crafty Friends 

We meet the 1st and 3rd Thursdays in the month at 7.30pm in the Carrick Centre, 

Houston. No craft experience necessary. Telephone - Lorna Cairns 612844 or 

Shirley White 610721. 

kilbarchan & lochwinnoch 

Road and pavement repairs have been, and will continue to 

be a priority for me in my dealings with the council. 

Based on recommendations from constituents over recent 

weeks, I have been compiling a list of roads and pavements 

in Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch, and I will be submitting this 

for inclusion in the new resurfacing programme commencing 

in April. My timescale for this is mid February, and so there is 

time to give me any suggestions on areas and locations that 

should be included; please get in touch. 

It is to be hoped that the SNP Government, and Transport 

Scotland will respond positively to the call from local folk for 

improvements on the stretch of the A737 through Kilbarchan, Howwood, and 

Lochwinnoch. 

A meeting of representatives from Transport Scotland, attended by councillors 

and representations from village community councils, took place in December 

where safety concerns and the need for improvements on one of the busiest 

stretches of roads in Scotland were raised and discussed. There is no doubt that 

fi nancial investment to improve the road is necessary and I await with interest the 

response to these representations. 

At the last meeting of Renfrewshire Council, I asked for a report to be provided to 

a future council meeting regarding the installation of the new LED street lighting. 

The new lighting saves both money and energy, and while I have received some 

positive feedback, there have also been some concerns raised with me, and I 

want all the comments and feedback considered. The council agreed to this 

request. 

As well as working on crucial matters such as road repairs and street lighting, 

I continue to be committed to other improvements to our villages and am 

keen to hear suggestions, ideas or proposals from residents of Kilbarchan and 

Lochwinnoch. To this end I intend to hold councillor coffee mornings in both 

Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch over the coming weeks. The fi rst will be on Saturday 

11th February at 10am in the Old Library Kilbarchan, so if you have a few minutes 

to spare please come along. 

Meantime please contact me on any matter at cllr.derek.bibby@renfrewshire.gov.uk or 

phone 0300 300 1274 or 07534 156007. 


Old Library Centre Kilbarchan 

The folks at the Old Library Centre hope you have had a good holiday and are now 

thinking about an interesting activity for your spare time. You may wish to take 

part in one or more of the list below. In the Centre you can sit and talk, read a 

magazine or book, have a cup of tea or coffee or you can take part in one of the 

classes listed below. The Centre is open Monday to Friday from 10am till 12 noon 

and from 2pm till 4pm. You pay nothing unless you use a computer, get printing 

done or have a cup of coffee or tea. All our prices are very keen. A cuppa will cost 

you 70p with which you will be given a biscuit. Our classes for Yoga and Pilates 

cost £40 for 8 weeks or £6.50 per class. Groups set their own fees. 

Our classes and interest groups are as follows. 

Mondays: Pilates 10am - 11.15am - Tutor: Sheena Gallagher 

Tuesdays: Craft Group 2pm – 4pm (Every 2nd Tuesday) 

Book Group 7.15pm - Leader: Brian Berry (monthly) 

Wednesdays: Yoga 10am - 11.15 am - Tutor: Janis Green (cost as above) 

Pilates 2pm – 3.15 pm - Tutor: Sheen Gallagher 

Yoga 7.30 pm - 9pm - Tutor: Elizabeth Hughes 

Thursday: First Love Music 10.45am - 11.30am - A class for toddlers (age 1 to 3) 

Teacher: Fiona 

Friday: Bridge Group 2pm – 4om - Leader: Hamish Thomson 

MP’ Surgeries: 

Mhairi Black MP has a surgery here on the 2nd Friday of the month from 10.30am 

– 11.15am 

Tom Arthur MSP has a surgery on the 3rd Friday of the month from 10am 

kilbarchan & lochwinnoch



Fundraising Scottish Country Dance 

A fundraising dance will be held in Kilbarchan Guide Centre, 

Friday 3rd February 7.30pm to 10.30pm. Music by Ian Muir. Tickets £8.00 

Programme:- 

Machine Without Horses Westminster Reel Tribute to the Borders 

Braes of Tullieme Knotwork Pollharrow Burn Mairi’s Wedding 

Scott Meikle St Columba’s Strathspey Miss Gibson’s Strathspey 

Joie de Vivre Piper & The Penguin Jennifer’s Jig 

Joe MacDiarmid’s Jig Lochalsh Reel Mrs Milne of Kineff 

Contact Ann Harper 

01505 613753 or Les Lambert 01505 704398 


Lochwinnoch & Howwood 

BHF Heart Start 

Do you want the skills to 

help save a life? 

We have the dates for the next two FREE two hour 

courses in 2017. 

Wednesday 15th February Masonic Lodge Lochwinnoch 7-9pm 

If you are interested in attending contact Morag on morag.Thow@gcu.ac.uk 

or 01505 843183. The course is practical and deals with: 

• An unconscious casualty • Cardiac arrest 

• How to use an AED • Suspected heart attack 

• Choking 

• Serious bleeding 

Morag and Liz 


Lochwinnoch SWI 

The February meeting 

is on Wednesday, 15th, 

in the McKillop Hall at 

7.30pm. This month 

Denise Winton from House of Colour 

will be showing us just how to colour 

co-ordinate our wardrobes to suit our 

skin tones! We might just have to 

spring clean our wardrobes, Ladies ! 

We look forward to welcoming 

members and do bring along a friend. 

For more info contact Elma Richmond 

843193 or richmond32@tiscali.co.uk 


Kilbarchan 

During the month of February, the 

group will have a speaker from 

Glasgow Museums Resource Centre 

and enjoy an evening discussing 

“-isms” e.g., Favouritism. The group 

would welcome new members, we 

meet on Wednesday evenings in each 

other’s homes and enjoy speakers and 

discussions on a wide variety of topics. 

If you are interested in fi nding out 

more about NWR and the Kilbarchan 

group, please phone 703786 or see 

the website: www.nwr.org.uk. 


Kilbarchan Parish Church Midweek 

Fellowship 

From 10.30am for coffee, followed by a short service of worship, on Wednesdays 

in the small hall. 


The last full meeting of Renfrewshire Council discussed the 

upgrade of the A737, following a series of meetings with 

Transport Scotland, Lochwinnoch, Kilbarchan, and Howwood 

Community Councils, and all seven Councillors who represent 

Johnstone and the Villages were involved. A consensus was 

reached that action was required particularly on dualling 

the single carriageway section, and on making the notorious 

Howwood junction safer. 

The A737 is a vital economic spine that straddles Renfrewshire, 

and it is on economic and regeneration grounds as well as on 

public safety grounds that action should be taken. I deeply 

regret the fact that, unlike Paisley and Renfrew, who both 

have dedicated City Deal projects, Johnstone and the Villages did not get the 

upgrade of the A737 that is required. Despite the fact that Renfrewshire Council 

did propose this to the City Deal Cabinet on 3rd July 2013, but the Glasgowdominated 

City Deal Cabinet vetoed it. 

The City Deal Projects have the fi nancial support from both the Scottish and 

UK Governments, each contributing £500 million for local projects. Transport 

Scotland has confi rmed that “It is for relevant local authorities to propose projects 

to be included in their City Deals, however, we are working hard to improve the 

A737”. Only the City Deal framework offers village residents guarantees on 

timescale for delivery and value for money, it is time for the City Deal Cabinet to 

listen to the voice of the Villages and act now. 

My advice surgery in Kilbarchan is on the 2nd Wednesday of the month in the Steeple Hall 

at 7.45pm, and my advice surgery in Lochwinnoch is on the 4th Wednesday of the month in 

the McKillop at 7.30pm, excluding July. But I am also always available to constituents who 

can call me on 07534 148224, tweet me on CllrAndy4Ward8 or e-mail me at cllr.andy.doig@ 

renfrewshire.gov.uk. 


Kilbarchan Parish 

Church Messy Church 

Our next Messy Church takes place on Saturday 

18th February from 4pm – 6pm in the church 

halls. 

All children, accompanied by an adult, will be made 

most welcome. So come along and join us for a couple of hours of crafts, 

stories and song. We end by sitting down to eat together and enjoying the 

fellowship of other families. 


Killin’ in The Glen 

Calder Drama’s Lochwinnoch Arts Festival Production. 

The Laird’s Glendower Estate is in a poor state of repair 

and much needed money is needed to infuse life back into it. 

To this remote and desolate area come a number of guests who 

turn out to be not what they fi rst appear to be. A Comedy thriller written by Felix 

Lando that incorporates mystery and murder with its many twists and turns until 

its violent and bloody conclusion. A pair of decrepit housekeepers, an Estate 

Manager, An Ex-Governess, a French Student, an American and a Business 

Tycoon complete with private secretary make up the cast. Added to the action is 

the Annual Shoot on the Moors and a Burns Supper with its Fu-As-A-Wulk Quaich 

competition. The pace never slackens and we would especially advise asthma 

suffers to remember to bring along their inhalers as a precaution. 

Staged in the McKillop Hall on Thursday 23rd & Friday 24th March. Doors Open 7pm. 

Curtain Up 7.30 pm. Bar & Refreshments Available. (£6/£4 Arts festival outlets)


41 


Looking Forward to Lilias Day 2017 

Preparations are well underway for this years Lilias Day which takes place on 

Saturday 3rd June. After such a fantastic day last year we are keen to capture the 

enthusiasm and commitment of the local community. Getting involved is easy 

and a great way to raise funds or just have some fun. 

The fi rst date on the Lilias Day calendar is the Stall Holders Evening on Tuesday 

14th March, 7pm, at The Old Library Centre, Kilbarchan. If you wish to have a 

stall to raise funds for your local organisation or charity appeal come along and 

secure a pitch. A 10% discount on stall prices is given to those who book on the 

night. 

The historic parade lies is at the heart of Lilias Day, celebrating the history of the 

village and bringing together the ‘collective creativeness’ of our community. Local 

organisations and individual streets can get involved by theming and decorating 

a fl oat and individuals can volunteer for a role in the historic parade. Demand 

for fl oats and costumes is always high so get in touch by emailing the committee 

on info@liliasday.co.uk. 

We are also looking for this years Miss Lilias. If you would like to play a key role in 

the Lilias Day celebrations or know of someone who would be perfect for the role 

please send us an email with your contact details, name of nominated person 

and the reasons why you/they would be ideal. Candidates should be 16 years or 

older and live or work in the village. 

After the success of last years Lilifest we will once again be putting together a 

programme of events / entertainment in the lead up to Lilias Day. Details will be 

announced on the Lilias Day website liliasday.co.uk and in the local press. If you 

would like to put on an event during this week please contact us to ensure that it 

is included in the programme. 

Chair Graeme Stockton said “after such a brilliant day last year we are really 

looking forward to this years event. We always try to bring something new to the 

day and make sure we have plenty of entertainment that everyone can enjoy. 

Community support and involvement is key to the success of the event and we 

would like to thank the organisations and groups, businesses, volunteers and 

individuals who all help make it happen.” 

For more information visit our website at www.liliasday.co.uk or email info@ 

liliasday.co.uk . We are also on Facebook at “Kilbarchan Lilias Day” or follow us 

@LiliasDay on Twitter. 

howwood & elderslie 

Theft of Thwaites Dumper Truck in 

Howwood 

Between Sunday 8th January and Tuesday 10th January 2017 a Thwaites Dumper 

Truck was stolen from Auchengreoch Road, Howwood. 

Renfrewshire & Inverclyde Police Division have advised that if any member of the 

public has any information in relation to this theft and/or the whereabouts of the 

truck please call Johnstone Police on 101. 


Howwood Village News 

A737 TRANSPORT SCOTLAND 

Bill David, Millar Leon and Bill Binks represented Howwood Community Council at 

a meeting arranged by Renfrewshire Council and Transport Scotland, to discuss 

accident and safety issues on the A737. Other Local Community Councils were 

represented that have also raised similar concerns. Bill David advised that the 

statistics recorded by Transport Scotland are not giving the full picture of the 

number of accidents that occur along this stretch of road. Renfrewshire Council 

have now moved a motion calling for action on the A737 and they will now 

progress this with the Scottish Government. 

HOWWOOD WOODLANDS AND WILDLIFE: 

We are in desperate need of help in the form of assistance to clear the Rhombus 

Garden of weeds (the garden just opposite The Boarding House). If you have any 

spare time at all and would be willing to help with the clearance and development 

of this area, we would be most grateful. Please contact Bill David on 07802 

57590 or email at bill@billdavid.co.uk or contact any member of HWW who will 

be able to give you more information – thank you! 

HOWWOOD PARISH CHURCH GUILD: 

The Guild meets in the church hall every second Monday at 7.30pm. The meetings 

are open to all and anyone can come along, on any evening and be assured of a 

warm welcome. We look forward to seeing you there. 

HOWWOOD WOMENS INSTITUTE: 

Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of the month from September to April. 

A warm welcome awaits all our members, especially new ones. The next meeting 

will be held on Tuesday 21st February. There will be a Sales Table each month 

except November, December and April, proceeds will be donated to St. Vincents 

Hospice and members are reminded to please bring their own cup for tea. For 

more information please contact Mrs Irene MacTaggart on 01505 704800. 

HOWWOOD COMMUNITY COUNCIL: 

Meetings of the Community Council are held on the second Tuesday of each 

month at 7.30pm in Howwood Village Hall. The next meeting will be on Tuesday 

14th February. Please feel free to come along - all welcome. 


Hi there - I missed the New Year issue so all the best to you 

and your family for 2017. 

The issue of local peoples concerns about the A737 still 

continue. The council in December passed a motion calling 

on the Scottish government to listen and take action on what 

are safety issues on a road which is carrying more and more 

traffi c on it. So along with meetings with the Local Community 

Councils to discuss the issue pressure is starting to mount on 

the decision makers to take appropriate action . 

On the 19th January the Education Policy Board of the Council 

will hopefully agree to a major investment in St Anthony's 

School. I will update you on this issue. 

The Scottish government announced their budget in December and as I write 

this it is still to be agreed. In their 

proposals some monies were allocated 


to increasing Broadband speeds 

Howwood SWI 

in areas where the service is not 

great. Although there has been some 

Tuesday 21st February - 

improvements in Howwood more needs 

"The day I met the Queen" 

to be done and again I will update you 

by Nan Robertson. 

on any progress . 

Competition - Royal Souvenir. 

My surgeries are held on the fourth 

Hostesses - Nana Glen & Agnes McKay. Thursday of every month between 6pm 

Meetings in Howwood Village Hall and 7pm. 

at 7.30pm. A warm welcome to all. Until next month .. all the best! 

Contact Irene on 01505 704800 for 

further details. 

howwood & elderslie


A vibrant community and animal 

welfare project located in Erskine, 

Renfrewshire. You can meet a 

wide variety of animals, including 

ducks, hens, horses and goats. We 

also have a reptile room with some 

special reptiles for you to come and 

meet! We try our best to rescue 

and rehome as many animals 

as we can. If we cannot find a 

suitable forever home for our furry 

friends they will continue to live with 

us, therefore there’s always new 

furries for you to meet. We actively 

promote animal welfare and advise 

and educate people, where we can, 

in animal care and husbandry. 

Visit our website at https:// 

lamontfarm.org.uk/ 

Johnstone Cat 

Rescue 

If you can help us with any 

fundraising or donations 

of either food or bedding, 

please call Sheena on 01505 

337321. Thank you. 

Pet Blog 

by PetVets 

Pet Insurance 

LOST PETS? 

If your pet has gone missing and you 

would like to place a notice in The 

Advertizer, please call 

01505 613340 or email 

info@advertizer.co.uk 

We can also put updates on our website & Facebook. 

There is no charge for this service! 

Pet insurance helps to cover the cost of veterinary fees for any injury 

or illness suffered by your pet. Insurance is available through multiple 

companies for cats, dogs and rabbits and can increase treatment options 

and reduce stress for owners by removing or reducing fi nancial pressures. 

There are a wide range of policies available and not all provide the same 

cover. There are three main types of pet insurance policy: 

Lifetime/Covered for Life Policies 

• Cover is provided up to a set amount for veterinary fees 

• The set amount renews each year 

• There is no time limit on how long you can claim for each illness or injury 

• Provides cover for ongoing conditions e.g. Diabetes or 

allergies 

Time Limited Policies 

• Cover is provided up to a set amount for veterinary 

fees 

• There is a 12 month limit meaning each condition 

is only covered for the fi rst 12 months, after which it is 

excluded from the policy 

lð§¥‡þÐœ 

∂∫∞€Ł@)( 

ÐœðŁ 

lð§¥ 

Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue 

Situated near Beith in North Ayrshire - We occupy a 20 acre 

site, including woodland, marsh and open water. This gives 

a variety of release sites for our patients. We aim to rescue, 

treat, rehabilitate and release birds and animals back to the wild, and we 

have the facilities and experience to treat all species of Scottish wildlife. 

Resources at the Centre include an intensive care unit, a swan/seal 

hospital with indoor pool, a hedgehog unit, a surgery and more than 60 

outdoor aviaries, enclosures and release pens. The centre has a 24hr 

emergency service, and is available to give advice on wildlife problems 

throughout the day. 

JOIN US! - Support Hessilhead by becoming a member and get 2 

newsletters a year. Ordinary membership: £12 a year; Family membership: 

£16 a year. Visit www.hesilhead.org.uk for further information. 

Maximum benefit policies 

Newspapers 

Wanted 

With so many hedgehogs in 

care, and other patients, our 

newspaper stock is running low. 

We’d be grateful if you could start 

saving them up and drop them off 

at the centre. 

Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue has 

facilities and experience to treat 

all species of Scottish wildlife. 

Facilities at the Centre include 

an intensive care unit, a swan/ 

seal hospital with indoor pool, a 

hedgehog unit, a surgery with 

x-ray equipment and more than 

60 outdoor aviaries, enclosures 

and release pens. 

Contact us on 01505 502415 or 

Email: info@hessilhead.org.uk 

Website: www.hessilhead.org.uk 

• Cover is provided up to a maximum amount per condition 

• This amount does not renew when the policy is renewed 

• Once the maximum amount is reached the condition is excluded from 

the policy 

The best cover is provided by lifetime/covered for life policies. 

Other important things to consider when choosing a policy are whether 

cover is provided for congenital 

or hereditary problems, dental 

procedures and behavioural 

conditions. It is also important to 

check if your premium will increase 

if you make a claim. 

Pet insurance does not cover preexisting 

conditions (conditions that 

existed before the start of the policy). 

Changing your policy means that any 

condition that has been suffered by 

the pet, whether it was claimed for 

or not, will be excluded from the new 

policy. Therefore it is important to 

spend some time choosing the right 

policy and to stick with this policy for 

the lifetime of the pet.


43 43 

Re-homing Pets 

Can you offer a home to any of our featured pets? 

Twix - Male 6 year old 

domestic cat 

Twix is a lovely, friendly boy 

who would prefer a home 

with no young children, but 

might be ok with other cats & 

dogs. He would like a garden please, not near 

a busy road, so that he can go out & stretch 

his paws. 

Scootaloo - 6 mnth old male domestic cat 

Scootaloo needs 

a home with older, teenage children only. It’s 

very important that you don’t allow him to play 

with your hands so please stock up on lots of 

toys for him. He’s never lived with other pets 

before so we not sure how he would find them. 

He would like a garden please, not near a busy 

road, so that he can go out & burn off some 

energy once he’s old enough which probably 

won’t be until springtime. 

Cardyke Farm, Langmuirhead Road, Auchinloch, 

Glasgow G66 5LD - Telephone 0141 779 3341 

Billy - a 1-2 year old male Budgerigar 

B i l l y ’ s 

personality is as colourful as his 

markings. He is a lively boy who would 

thrive in a home with someone who has 

experience with birds or is willing to 

research the breed. Billy would benefit 

being in a home where he can see and/ 

or socialise with other birds. 

Millie - 5 yrs - Female domestic cat 

Millie is a nervous girl who arrived in our 

care through no fault of her own and is 

now desperately looking for a new home 

to call her own. She would suit a home 

without young children. Millie is a house 

cat and she enjoys time to herself to 

potter around and will need to time to 

adjust and settle in a new home. 

To contact the centre about any animals, 

please call 03000 999 999 or visit www. 

scottishspca.org/rehoming 

Tara - Female Lab Cross 

Age: 8+ Years 

Tara is the most adorable 

older lady. She is just 

so sweet and loves the quiet life. She 

would just love a wee retirement home 

to snooze in front of a fire! Tara can 

live with children who are 12 years old 

or over and needs a secure garden to 

potter in and chill out in. She needs a 

calm, quiet home that has the time to 

give her the TLC she needs and loves. 

Heidi - Female Staffordshire Cross Age: 2 to 5 Years 

Heidi is a super wee girl who loves to be on the go learning new things! 

Heidi can live with children who are 14 

years old or over and needs her own 

secure garden to practice her training 

in. A calm, quiet home with someone 

who is around all day would benefit her 

as she struggles to be left on her own. 

Someone who has owned dogs like her 

before would also help her come out her 

shell. 

Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre, 315 Hamilton 

Road, Uddingston, Glasgow, G71 7SL. Open: 

12noon - 4pm (inc weekends); 12noon- 

7.30pm on Tuesdays; closed: Wednesdays 

Rescue Centres 

Dogs Trust Glasgow: 

0141 773 5130 

www.dogstrust.org.uk 

Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue: 

01505 502415 

www.hessilhead.org.uk 

Johnstone Cat Rescue: 

01505 337321 

Cat Protection: 

0141 779 3341 

www.cats.org.uk/glasgowac/adopta-cat 

Scottish SPCA: 

0141 882 1688 

www.scottishspca.org 

These centres are always on 

the lookout for donations and 

fundraising. If you can help, 

please get in touch with any of 

the centres above.


- Year Stane Project 

Eadha are excited to announce the launch of our Yearn Stane Project with the 

completion of our first tree planting event held at the Barytes Mine at Muirshiel 

on Saturday 7th January. We would like to thank the volunteers who came 

along to help us plant 100 native trees and shrubs including aspen, juniper, 

birch, oak and gorse, all propagated by Eadha in our wee tree nursery. We 

also employed the novel “Greenlees Method” of seed dispersal by throwing 

ice-cubes containing birch and juniper seed into inaccessible areas of the 

mine. Special thanks also goes to Liz Parsons for on-site catering and Graham 

McIver who brought his drone and has created a fantastic promotional film (see 

link below). We are also grateful for the help of Alan Brown from the Regional 

Park and the permission of Mr Lamont, tenant farmer. 

On our way to the mine, we were treated to the rare sight of a beautiful Fog Bow 

over the hills, perhaps a good omen for the project. 

Many local people with an interest in natural history may be unaware of the 

Yearn Stane, a feature to be found near Irish Law which derives its name from 

the old word for Golden Eagle “earn”. This was a perch for golden eagles and 

hints at our ambition to improve the ecology of the Renfrewshire Hills. 

As with large tracts of upland Scotland, 

the ecology of our local hills has been 

impacted from intensive land uses since 

historical times. The Duchal Moor for 

example was one of the most productive grouse moors in the country. Black 

grouse have become extinct in the park in recent times along with Mountain 

Hare, Adder, Red Squirrel, Water Vole, and Bog Myrtle, to name a few. Hen 

Harriers have not bred successfully for a number of years now. In terms of 

trees there were less than 10 juniper and aspen left. The regional park have 

been successful in bringing the juniper back from the brink and Eadha have 

focused on the aspen. 

We now think its time to step up a gear. We are concerned that the Regional Park has lost its IUCN designation which 

provided some protection against inappropriate/industrial developments such as windfarms. This is partly due to the 

low priority of ecological issues. 

The management of the land has a bearing on the wider communities. The flash flooding in Lochwinnoch and the 

silting of Castle Semple Loch, threatening the sustainability of watersports can be linked to the intensive drainage 

ditches across the moorland. These fragile peatland areas are therefore losing carbon 

rather than locking it up. 

Eadha is seeking to work with the Regional Park and local landowners to expand native 

woodland, work with farmers to establish wood pasture in grazed areas, create areas of 

scrub and implement peatland restoration. 

The potential social and economic as well as environmental benefits could be enormous in 

terms of eco-tourism, environmental education, volunteering and employment training etc. 

We are looking for local people to come forward to help make our ambitions a reality. We 

invite you to watch our promotional video at: https://youtu.be/Vg5jnWdesXs 

Contact: Peter Livingstone peter@eadha.co.uk or 07968 745197 

www.eadha.co.uk facebook: Eadha Enterprises twitter: eadhaaspen


45 45 

The humble house sparrow is one of the best known British birds. You 

may spot them in fields in the countryside, at your garden feeders, or 

even in the centre of cities - they can sometimes even be seen hopping 

along the platforms in Glasgow Central train station! Sparrows are very 

social birds and flocks can often be heard chattering loudly in garden 

hedges. Although they are well-known, did you know that house 

sparrows are now red-listed because of declines in their populations 

over the past few decades? Studies have shown that their numbers 

have fallen by over 70% since the 1970s! If you would like to give 

house sparrows a helping hand then why not put up a nest box in your garden, or on the side 

of your house, to give them a cosy place to build their nest. Sparrows often build nests very 

close to each other, so why not get your neighbours involved too and set up a “sparrow street”? 

With lots of nest boxes set up on neighbouring houses, you could provide a perfect place for a 

friendly flock of sparrows to set up home. 

If you’d like to learn how to make and decorate your very own nest box, why not come along to 

our Build a Bird a Home day on Saturday 18th February? Staff will be on hand to give advice 

about how and where to put up your box, and what sort of species you may attract to it. Who 

knows – when summer arrives, you may even see young sparrows fly the nest, knowing that 

you helped them along the way! Lots of other birds, such as blue tits, might be looking for a 

home near you too, so providing a nesting box is a great way to help give nature a home! 

For more information about RSPB Lochwinnoch reserve or any of our events, please call 01505 

842663 or email lochwinnoch@rspb.org.uk. 

Brighter BoW 

SOMETHING IN THE AIR 

It must be something in the air or 

in the water, but barely two weeks 

in to the new year we saw these 

daffodils poking through the snow 

in the barrier baskets. Otherwise, 

it was fairly quiet for our volunteers 

last month, but things will definitely be picking up 

very soon. We’ve got an AGM coming up, then 

planning for the coming seasons. 

As regular readers will have seen in the last issue, 

we’ve been short-listed in the Scottish Rural Awards 

this year, which is very nice. Having discovered 

how much it would cost us to attend the ceremony 

in March, we’ve decided that we’ll have to give it a 

miss. If we win, maybe they’ll let us do a video link 

like Sports Personality or the Oscars! 

Meantime, we’re away to sharpen our secateurs. 

Kilmacolm 

Horticultural Society 

Our winter lecture for February will be held on 

Wednesday 15th at 7.30pm in the New Community 

Centre, Kilmacolm. We are privileged to welcome 

Mrs Sue Thornley, owner of the Glenarn Estate at 

Rhu. ‘Re-inventing the Rock Garden at Glenarn’. 

Over the years Sue and Mike have transformed the 

gardens, filled with original species of rhododendrons, 

magnolias, camellias etc. Telling the story of the 

Rock Garden will be Sue’s final lecture to the public, 

as she celebrates her 70th birthday this month. 

Refreshments at 

end of the lecture - 

everyone welcome. 

The Spring Outing 

for the Society will be 

a visit to the lovely 

gardens of Glenarn 

on Wednesday 17th 

May. Come along 

to the lecture - book 

your seat for the 

Outings.


BoW Horticultural Society 

Trish Telfer’s January presentation took 

place on the coldest night of the winter, so 

far. She took us around several Scottish 

Gardens. The first were Geilston and 

Greenbank - both NTS gardens near 

Glasgow. Geilston, outside Cardross, has 

a sheltered, spring woodland area filled 

with mature Rhododendrons, Bluebells, 

Azaleas and Irises. Greenbank, on the 

South Side, has a large walled garden 

divided into 12 tree-lined “rooms”. 

The July Garden was full of colourful 

herbaceous plants, Campanulas, 

Hemerocallis, Montbretia and Sidalcia 

and the greenhouse exhibited Begonias, 

Streptocarpus and an unusual Brazilian 

Plume Flower. 

Moving to 

Galloway, we visited Glenwhan; a 12 acre garden 

hewn and tilled out of marshy, rocky ground into 

lochans surrounded by trees and shrubs. In April 

the Rhododendrons, Azaleas and Magnolias were 

in full bloom. Here, a dark turquoise peacock 

emerged to give us (and the dog) the once over. 

Trish then took us to Logan Botanic Gardens 

in autumn; a garden renowned for its Southern 

Hemisphere plants. In addition to Eucalyptus, 

Palm and Tree Ferns we saw many colourful 

sun-loving plants; some of which we put into our 

hanging baskets. 

Homeward bound, Trish stopped off at the new 

Queen Elizabeth Walled Garden at Dumfries 

House. Here, late summer herbaceous - Phlox, 

Helenium, Kniphofia and Agapanthus - were in 

flower. This and the new arboretum are a must for 

gardeners. For comparison Trish showed ‘before’ 

and ‘after’ shots of her own new garden; an empty 

expanse 

of gravel 

a n d 

lacklustre Pieris, transformed by 

a framework of trellis, patios and 

raised borders. 

There will be more Arctic conditions 

for us this month when Sue and 

Adrian Whitaker take us on an 

Arctic Odyssey on Thursday 9th 

February at 8pm at The Legion. As 

ever, all welcome! 

Kilbarchan & District Beekeepers 

January and February are the least ‘hands-on’ for 

time in the hive and for the beekeeper and most 

time is spent on planning for the year ahead, 

cleaning, maintaining and replenishing equipment. 

The honeybee does not hibernate, the colony is 

reduced to minimal numbers that are able to keep 

the small cluster of bees warm enough to survive 

the low temperatures, with the Queen kept at 

the centre of the cluster at all times. Weather 

permitting they will still venture out of the hive for 

water and to do other essential ‘business’, called 

cleansing flights. Snow does not cause issues for 

the Honeybee colony, as long as the entrance is 

not blocked, and it can actually help insulate the 

hive. It can be an anxious time for the beekeeper, 

waiting to see if the colony has survived the dark 

cold winter months and resisting the temptation 

to take a peek, as this can lower the hives sorely 

maintained temperature, to a dangerous level. 

There are ways of checking that the colony is 

active and has access to stores or food provided 

by the beekeeper, such as hefting the hives to 

check the weight or by quickly looking under the roof to see if the fondant 

most beekeepers use, is accessible and that there is enough left. 

Pictures above show a couple of members receiving Scottish Beekeeping 

Association certificates. The first picture is of Susie Kennedy who passed 

her Basic Beemaster practical exam with Distinction. Also pictured, Helena 

Jackson who passed a practical and written Microscopy exam last year. 

Interested? 

If you are interested in beekeeping for yourself or the whole family, anyone is 

welcome. Contact Helena Jackson, the Kilbarchan and District Beekeepers 

Association Secretary via e-mail Helena.Jackson72@sky.com if you would like 

to know more! 

KBA hold evening meetings during Autumn & Winter months in The Steeple Halls, 

Kilbarchan between 7.30pm – 10pm. You can come along and find out more about 

Honeybee husbandry and related topics, drop in to find out more at one of the 

remaining winter season meetings below. 

Evening Programme 

14th February - Honey Show - Judge Enid Brown 

14th March - Swarm Control & Queen Rearing - Ian Craig


47 47 

Welcome to Scotland’s largest Regional Park 

Tag-n-Track Wildlife Technology Arrives at CMRP 

A New Wildlife Project 

It’s a New Year and it’s time to 

introduce you all to the exciting new 

project starting in Clyde Muirshiel 

Regional Park. Tag-n-Track (TnT) is 

using the latest technology to track 

birds locally and globally. This project 

is funded by Heritage Lottery Fund, 

Greater Renfrewshire LEADER and 

Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park and 

started on 9th January. It will run for 

the next two years. 

One of the species we will be tagging 

and tracking is the lesser black-backed 

gull (below). They are a much maligned 

species, most people viewing them as 

chip-stealing pests. However, are you 

aware that some of these UK amber listed birds (due to fewer individuals 

over a limited range) actually migrate to Europe and Africa in the winter 

time and then back to the UK in the summer. 

The project will also be tagging juvenile barn owls (above) to investigate 

their dispersal after they leave the nest. The data collected will be used to 

gain a better understanding of how the birds use the Regional Park. It will 

also allow us to develop and deliver an extensive school project across the 

Park encompassing the three council areas. We will be offering numerous 

events, workshops and talks to various groups and other interested 

parties. We will start deploying tags this summer and there will be plenty 

of opportunities for people to get involved in volunteering with the project. 

Event News 

One of the first events 

for T-n-T will take place 

at Muirshiel Country 

Park on Sunday the 

19th February. We 

will be running a Bird 

Ringing Demonstration 

from 10.30am to 3pm 

so feel free to pop up 

at any time to discover 

why we ring birds and 

find out more about the 

project. 

More Info… 

Details can be found on the Park’s website www.clydemuirshiel.co.uk/tagn-track 

or by emailing TnT@clydemuirshiel.co.uk. Talks to groups can be 

arranged if you are interested in finding out more about the project and its 

findings as the project progresses. 

Lochwinnoch Arts Festival: We are hosting 2 events at Castle Semple 

for the festival, both run by local historians celebrating village culture. 

The first event is poetry themed and on 5th February see – www. 

lochwinnochartsfestival.co.uk. 

Volunteer for the local environment: Give back to your Park in 2017 

and get fit in a laid back social atmosphere by joining the Park’s volunteer 

groups. Castle Semple’s group meets every week on Thursdays 12.30pm 

– 3.30pm. Greenock Cut is weekly on a Saturday 10.30am - 2.30pm. 

Programme of tasks online. 

Resolve not to fail: Well done to you if you’re still keeping up any healthy 

lifestyle changes from New Year resolutions. If you’re not then it’s not too 

late to pick it up again - you only fall off the wagon if you don’t get back on. 

Use our trails and tracks to walk, run or cycle and just get outside more! 

Stargazing Returns for 2017: These popular evenings are back at 

Renfrewshire’s darkest sky location – Muirshiel Country Park. Next date 

is Monday 6th February, 7pm-9pm - book now by calling 01505 842882. 

Special deal £2.50 for a hot drink & cake! 

Weave Willow for your Valentine! Always get your other half 

stereotypical valentines flowers/chocolates/perfumes?! Our Rangers will 

help you weave a heart wreath or make something to take home with you. 

It means more to spend your time together. Event at Greenock Cut Visitor 

Centre on Feb 14th, 1-3pm, book your place now, £5 per person. 

Easter & Summer Courses Online now: Planning ahead? We’ve just 

taken our first bookings for Spring and Summer courses through our new 

online booking system. Check the dates and learn a new skill for 2017. 

Pedal the Park Road Sportive Sunday 23rd April: Online entry is now 

LIVE for this 100km sportive! Sign up now for just £15, this includes a £5 

donation to local charity CLIC Sargent in Scotland supporting their work 

with young people with cancer and their families. 

Ride 63 Community Cycle Club: The 2017 Ride Calendar will be out soon. 

Join our new ‘group style facebook page’ contact the secretary by email 

ridesixtythree@gmail.com for a membership form and ride info. 

Regular Events 

Mondays (but not public holidays) 

Lochwinnoch Community Walks 

meet 10.30am at The Cross, 

Lochwinnoch. 

Weekly Volunteer Groups - 

Newcomers always welcome! 

Thursdays 

Castle Semple Conservation 

Volunteers, Adult group, from 

12.30pm – 3.30pm. 

Saturdays 

Greenock Cut Conservation 

Volunteers, Adult group, 10.30am 

– 2.30pm. 

Sundays 

Castle Semple Young Volunteers, 

12 - 18 yr olds, 10am – 12noon 

Keep up to speed with events and activities taking place on the Park’s Facebook: facebook.com/ClydeMuirshielRegionalPark or 

Twitter @Clydemuirshiel pages and Instagram pages.


Kilmacolm 

Playgroup & 

Toddlers 

Playgroup continues to be as busy 

as ever, with the children making 

new friends with all our new starts 

this term. We have explored the 

story of ‘The Tiger Who Came to 

Tea’ and ‘Valentine’s Day’, as well 

as beginning to learn the days of 

the week, seasons, weather and 

months through our registration time 

at the beginning of each session. 

The children are also involved in 

following a simple recipe to make 

our play dough while at playgroup and love getting messy helping to add the ingredients and mix it all together. We 

are also looking forward to booking some sessions of gymnastics or football with Morton to help keep us healthy 

and active! 

Playgroup runs on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings. For more information contact Playgroup Secretary 

Claire at kilmacolmplaygroupandtoddlers@gmail.com. Our Toddlers group is on Wednesday mornings from 10am 

- 11.30am and gives 0-3 year olds a chance to play with lots of different toys, make friends, and share a snack, 

while the grown-ups catch up over a cup of tea. Drop in to find out more, or contact Frances at kilmacolmtoddlers@ 

outlook.com. Our website is http://kilmacolmplaygroupandtoddlers@jimdo.com. 

Houston Baby & Toddlers 

St Fillan’s Primary School 

At the beginning of January the Primary 4 and Primary 5 children 

took part in a Digital Scotland mobile showcase event. They 

learned about broadband and its importance in our lives and 

discussed possible digital plans for the future. 

Our Primary 6 pupils are looking forward to taking part in a STEM 

(Science Technology Engineering and Maths) workshop at Paisley 

University at the end of January. This will allow them to take 

forward the STEM skills they have been developing in school. 

This term Primary 3 are going to be learning about life during the 

reign of Queen Victoria while our Primary 7 are studying what it 

means to be a refugee. 

In Primary 1 and Primary 2 our pupils are learning about Scotland. 

In the picture you can see Primary 1 enjoying some fresh air and 

exercise whilst taking part in their ‘Daily Mile’. 

We are all looking forward to a visit from Zoolab later in January. 

We’ve had a lovely start to our new term at Baby 

& Toddlers with pupils from Houston Primary 

leading us in song. A number of us have 

attended a British Red Cross First Aid Course 

for Baby and Child - hugely relevant and very 

engaging, and hoping to organise another one 

soon. We have Spring crafts and a grown-ups 

night out planned. 

Why not come along and join us at Houston 

Baby & Toddler group? Children from 0-4 years 

old, together with their parents/grandparent/ 

carer, will receive a warm welcome. The 

children can have fun playing with our many 

toys while the adults chat over a cuppa! We 

meet every Thursday 9.30am - 11.30am (term 

time only) in the West Hall, Main Street, Houston, PA6 7EL (next door to the Carrick Centre) – welcome anytime. 

We look forward to meeting you. Sharon, Lesley & Fiona. (lesleyannjackson@outlook.com) 

every Mo n d a y 

Lochwinnoch Baby & Toddlers 

McKillop Hall, 9.30am - 11.30am 

£2/family fee incl tea & children’s snacks. 

Kilmacolm Playgroup 

St Columba Church Hall, Kilmacolm, 

9.30am - 11.40am 

Howwood Baby & Toddler Group 

Howwood Parish Church, 10am - 12noon 

Kilbarchan Parish Church Tots’ Club 

Kilbarchan Parish Church Hall, 9.15am 

- 11.30am 

every Tuesday 

Bridge of Weir Toddlers 

Cargill Hall, Lintwhite Cres, BoW 

Pop along and see us from 9.30 - 11.30am 

Baby Social 

Three Sisters Bake, Quarriers Vill. 11 am 

Meet mums, drink coffee, eat cake. 



9.30am - 11.40am 

Howwood Playgroup 

Howwood Church Hall, 9.45am - 11.35am 


Kilmacolm Toddlers 


10am - 11.30am 

For children from birth to 3 years. 

Lochwinnoch Baby & Toddlers 

McKillop Hall. 9.30am - 11.30am 

£2/family fee incl tea and children’s snacks. 


Howwood Church Hall 9.45am - 11.35am 

every Th u r s d a y 

Houston Toddlers 

Church Hall, Main Street, Houston 

Pop along and see us from 9.30 - 11.30am 



9.15am - 11.40am 


Howwood Church Hall 9.45am - 11.35am 

every Fr i d a y 

Langbank Playgroup 

Langbank Village Hall 9.45 - 11.45am 

For 2.5 - 5yr olds. 

Contact Jen Burrows 07947 983025. 

Langbank Under 3’s 

Church Hall, Langbank 10am - 11.45am 

For children from birth to 3 years 

1st & 3rd Fr i d a y 

Renfrewshire Inverclyde Twins Club 

McKillop Hall, Lochwinnoch 

1pm-2.30pm 

£3. Bring a mug along for a cuppa.


Gryffe High School 

49 49 

History Trip to the Mitchell Library 

Higher History 

pupils attended an 

exclusive event, 

held at the Mitchell 

Library in Glasgow, 

commemorating 

the role of woman 

in industry during 

the First World 

War. It was a 

fantastic opportunity 

to expand our 

knowledge and 

understanding 

of something 

so important to 

society, as well as 

something linked to 

our course. 

The day involved 

four workshops which we rotated round. The first workshop was a radical 

learning experience, transporting us back to 1915 – when Britain was forced 

to find alternative timber sources at home, after U-boats began to sink 

imports of timber. We were able to experience cutting a log for ourselves, 

which left some of us with sore arms. Some of us even tried on safety 

equipment from then and now ... It was incredible to think the average age 

of one of these woman was 53! 

In the next workshop, we were given artefacts to examine and study, before 

presenting them to a room full of mostly strangers with a prize for the best 

one. I am pleased to say that out of the four competitions held, Gryffe took 

home the gold for three! 

The other workshops, involved a presentation on the Gretna Girls. A group 

of women who moved to the New Town of Gretna to work at a munitions 

factory, which helped to turn the tides of the War. Finally, we were given a 

glimpse of the role of women in the Govan rent strikes. At this workshop 

were also given the opportunity to be do a source work question with an 

SQA verifier. 

Overall, it was an amazing opportunity and a great day out. Everyone 

certainly left with a more profound understanding and appreciation of the 

role of women in the First World War. 

Euan Huey S5 

Gryffe achieve a sportsscotland GOLD School Sport Award 

Following our application for a sportscotland School Sport Award at the end 

of last session, we were delighted to receive a GOLD School Sport Award. 

The application process involved pupils and staff forming a School Sport 

Committee and completing an evaluation and development process of 

various areas including: 

• Physical Education • School Sport • Pathways 

• Compete and Perform • Celebrating Sport • Leadership 

• Career Long Professional Learning • Recognition and Awards 

• Access to school facilities 

Following this process, sportscotland awarded the highest level of this 

award based on the programmes we have at the school. Following this 

award, we will be continuing to evaluate and develop our programmes 

further through discussions with pupils, parents, staff and external bodies. 

Houston Primary School 

Scotland Street School 

The pupils of Primary 6 have been learning about the Victorians and to 

enhance their learning, Mrs Conaghan and Mrs Campbell arranged a trip to 

Scotland Street School. The pupils made comparisons with the classrooms 

and the teachers, and are very glad to be attending Houston Primary in the 

present day. On return to school they continued with the Victorian theme 

and carried out experiments linked to Victorian medicine. 

Nursery Ambassadors 

Primary 6 pupils applied for the position of Nursery Ambassadors and the 

successful candidates will be taking up their posts in January. The nursery 

pupils look forward to getting to know Sarah Smillie, Abigail Nelson, Calum 

Johnson, Adam Gilmour, Murray Gray, Rory McAllister, Rachel Frew, 

Ellie Nayar, Adam Foy, Max Donaghey and Skye Mills. These pupil will 

follow the nursery pupils when they join Primary 1 in August as Primary 1 

Playleaders. 

Netball News 

Mrs Irvine’s netball team took part in a local tournament and finished with 

excellent scores. Five wins and two draws. Well done to the team. 

Houston or Hogwarts? 

Primary 5 pupils have transformed their class into Hogwarts, and have 

created a magical mood with their amazing artwork. They have also been 

busy designing a new broomstick for Harry Potter. Mrs Murray will have 

the very difficult job of choosing one winner, which will then be made into 

a 3D broomstick. 

Scottish Culture 

This month all pupils will be participating in a day of Scottish themed vertical 

learning sessions. There will be Scottish country dancing, food tasting, 

music making, poetry recitals and lots of ‘teuchter’ fun!


Photography Blog 

by Lauren Russell, Owner, Little Studio Kilmacolm 

Are you in the picture? 

All too often parents will be the ones snapping pictures 

of their children but fail to put themselves in the shot, 

this could be for many reasons hair is a mess, I look 

tired, not in shape yet. As we enter 2017 and are making a new year 

of memories make the resolution to get in the picture yourself. 

When your kids are all grown they will never say ‘I love this photo of 

our family, but I wish Mum had waited until she’d lost the baby weight’. 

So please embrace the camera and get in the photos with your babies 

and little ones. You’ll be grateful you were in the photos in the future 

and so will your kids! 

And once you’ve taken all these lovely photos, please make sure you 

print them! Digital cameras and iPhones make it much easier for us 

to take more photos, but it doesn’t assist in their long-time survival. 

Think about your great-great-grandchildren in the year 2100. They 

may all be darting about on hoverboards like in Back to the Future II, 

but they probably won’t even know what a CD is, your old PC will be in 

the loft and Facebook & Instagram will be soo last century! 

And even if they can access your photos archive will the really they 

will want to sift through thousands of images including the out of 

focus ones! Please give your 

great-great-grandchildren a 

huge gift and spend a day 

organising, editing and printing 

your photos. It’s a big job, but 

really worthwhile, to know that 

our precious family memories 

will be passed down through 

the generations. 

I hope this has inspired you 

to get in the photos with your 

children and also to get them 

printed! 

Langbank Playgroup 

What an amazing and fun filled 

place to be! At playgroup, children 

have the opportunity to develop 

their social skills, independence, 

creativity, numeracy, literacy skills 

and many, many more….. What’s 

not to like, when all of this can be 

done through play! 

In playgroup, we have lots of 

activities on offer for the children 

such as imaginative house corner, 

painting and creating, storytelling 

and even some messy play too. 

We also have use of the local park 

which is right on our doorstep. 

We recently had a family day out to The Beacon Arts Centre, where 

we watched and took part in the Christmas Pantomime “Flora’s Fairy 

Challenge”. The day was finished off with a lovely lunch on the premises. 

Do you have a child aged 

between 2.5yrs to 5yrs old? 

Then why not let them come 

along and experience the 

fun! Everyone welcome from 

Langbank and surrounding 

areas. 

Playgroup is held on a 

Friday morning (term time) 

in Langbank Village Hall and 

we currently have spaces for 

children aged 2.5yrs to 5yrs. If you would like to join us on a Friday morning 

or for more information, please contact Jen Burrows on 07947 983025. 

Kilbarchan Community Nursery 

We are delighted to announce 

that we have recently received 

our third Green Flag Award 

for our continued work on eco 

school projects. 

This year the nursery is 

focusing on saving water, 

reducing food waste and 

recycling litter. The children 

on the eco committee enjoy 

taking on leadership roles as monitors to raise awareness within the 

nursery. 

The children and their families are also 

doing their bit for the local community 

by bringing in donations for the local 

foodbank. The children were made 

very welcome when they visited the 

Johnstone foodbank with their donations 

before Christmas, that we have decided 

to continue with this support throughout 

the year and will be organising monthly 

visits. 

If your child is 2 by the end of February please ensure you submit an 

application form for their funded nursery place which they will be entitled to 

when they reach their 3rd birthday. 

St Columba’s School 

Entrance Assessments and Joining St Columba’s 

It’s been a busy start to the New Year with entrance assessments for next 

session well underway. However, you are welcome to visit St Columba’s 

at any time and if spaces are available your child may be able to join a 

year group part way through the year. 

We welcome children from 3-18 years of age and offer wrap-around care 

from age 3. Our staff and pupils would love to show you what we can 

offer your child - please make an appointment to pop in and see our Early 

Years, Junior School and Senior School at work and play. 

Community Bookbug Sessions 

We are delighted that Miss 

Victoria Jones, from our Early 

Years department, is in the throes 

of Scottish Book Trust training 

to become a Bookbug Session 

Leader. Bookbug sessions are 

free, fun and friendly events for 

babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers 

and their families to enjoy 

together. Each session lasts 

around 30 minutes and includes songs, stories and rhymes. We hope to 

be able to offer community Bookbug sessions in our Junior School from 

March, so look out for updates on our website and facebook page. 

Wild Woodies 

Our Early Years children, aged 3-5 years, 

enjoy lots of outdoor learning and play 

on a daily basis in their very own private 

garden. Twice a week they venture out to 

our Wild Woods come rain or shine! The 

children play in the woods and experience 

nature and the turning seasons first 

hand. 

Ski Trip to Austria 

In January a group of 27 

pupils from Transitus to Senior 

II and four members of staff 

departed for Austria. During 

their five days in Alpendorf 

pupils enjoyed the wonderful 

skiing conditions on the slopes 

and the various evening 

entertainments such as 

swimming, bowling, karaoke,


51 51 

quizzes, games and 

sightseeing in Salzburg. 

The blue skies, ideal 

skiing conditions and 

hospitality of everyone 

at the resort combined 

to make this a truly 

memorable trip. 

Senior VI Pupils Get 

Motivated 

The annual Senior 

VI trip to Drymen for 

a motivational weekend was a huge success. In a workshop Tree of 

Knowledge inspired pupils to embrace opportunities with a positive 

mindset through a series of practical challenges. A session called 

‘Preparing for the Future’ was 

led by recent former pupils who 

shared their experiences of 

university, summer employment 

and applying for and starting work. 

Hilary Roberts of HR Consultancy 

also challenged the students with 

a practice Assessment Centre 

task. A Murder Mystery Dinner on 

the Saturday evening ended with 

karaoke and yet again the staff 

took their turn at the microphone! 

Successful Music Auditions 

Music plays an important role in life at St 

Columba’s and several of our pupils have 

been chosen to represent the various National 

Youth Choirs of Scotland. After successful 

auditions, Gavin Findlay (pictured right) was 

selected to be part Main Choir (for singers 

aged 16-25 years old). This is an amazing 

achievement for a Senior V pupil. Gavin will 

sing 2nd Bass. Lucy Blair, Emily Capell and 

Stephanie Bell were selected for the Training 

Choir (16-19 years old). Stephanie was 

also chosen alongside Emily Phillips and Sarah 

Sandground for the National Youth Girls’ Choir 

of Scotland (10-16 years old), whilst Jonathan 

Blair and Archie Sandground were selected for 

the National Youth Boys’ Choir of Scotland (12-16 

years old). 

The School is represented in the National Youth 

Orchestra of Scotland Senior Orchestra, which 

brings together the best young musicians in 

Scotland over 13 year of age. Rory McLean 

(cello) has successfully auditioned and Lauren 

Baker (trumpet) has been selected as a reserve. 

Again, the School is represented in the NYOS 

Junior Orchestra for pupils aged 8 and over by Poppy Pitts (cello). 

West of Scotland Schools’ Orchestra and Concert Band have selected 

Lauren Baker (trumpet), Hannah Findlater (saxophone), Rory McLean 

(cello) and Poppy Pitts (cello). 

Creative Communities Event - Glasgow: Mapping the City 

Join author John Moore as he takes us on a unique and fascinating tour 

of Glasgow from its pre-industrial beginnings to the modern day via its old 

maps. He will also talk about the maps of old Renfrewshire. 

This is a FREE event, open to all, and will be held on Thursday 2nd 

March from 7.30pm-8.30pm at The Library, The Girdwood Building, St 

Columba’s School, Gryffe Road, Kilmacolm (please use Gryffe Road 

entrance). Email vfinnigan@st-columbas.org to reserve a place. 

To find out more or to arrange a visit to St Columba’s please contact 

Junior School on 01505 872768, Senior School on 01505 872238 or 

visit www.st-columbas.org.


Abbey Nursery 

Duchal Nursery School 

There is something 

exciting about starting 

a new year and our 

practitioners are full 

of wonderful ideas 

for activities and new 

experiences they want 

to organise for 2017 for 

the children to enjoy. 

We are also delighted 

to welcome back Sherie 

following her recent 

teaching role in Dubai. 

To celebrate the 

wonderful world 

we live in the 

Grasshoppers early 

years playroom will 

be exploring Our 

Planet as their 

chosen topic and 

along with looking 

at space and the 

planets we will see 

where the children 

lead this learning - That is always the exciting part and they never 

disappoint! 

New term plans for the 

Busy Bunnies has a big 

focus on Science and 

our Eco Schools project. 

Within science we will be 

looking at the weather, 

and making a rain gauge 

to measure how much 

rain falls over time 

(never a lot in Scotland 

of course!). The children 

will also be talking about the wind, adding wind chimes to our outdoor 

area and listening to the different sounds they make. Light and 

shadows will be explored with our lightbox and we will attempt to 

build a volcano and make it erupt (fingers crossed). We will also be 

creating a herb garden in our outdoor area over the coming months. 

Chinese New Year will 

be celebrated across 

the nursery – the 

year of the Rooster – 

and this will bring in 

opportunities for lots 

of creative activities; 

Dragons, new food 

experiences and lots of 

fireworks. 

Activities for the Little 

Ladybirds will continue 

with lots of singing, 

rhyme and stories, interspersed with cuddles and laughter. However 

we appreciate that our Rising 2’s are looking for more challenges and 

we will be following their interests in animals and working on colours 

and extended language. We will also be continuing with our regular 

visits to the Scout Hall where the children will further develop their 

physical and listening skills during games and activities. 

Kilbarchan Parish Church 

Tots’ Club 

The club takes place on Monday mornings from 9.15am - 11.30am in 

the church hall, where there is a large variety of toys and a bouncy 

castle for the tots - from birth - 3 years - and coffee and friendly chat 

for the accompanying adults, cost £1 for each adult. The club will be 

on holiday on Monday 13th February and continues until 3rd April. 

We’ve had a great start to the year beginning our Winter and Winter Sports project 

– especially as we’ve experienced rather a lot of winter weather in the last few 

weeks – snow, rain, and wind!!! We’ve created a fantastic frieze that is on the wall 

depicting all that Winter entails! 

New Entries to Duchal: 

We are now beginning to offer places for the new intake for August 2017. If your 

child will be of nursery age after the summer and you are looking at your pre school 

options, please do get in touch to have an informal look around. With our new 

extended hours offering greater flexibility of care and our purpose built facilities, 

Duchal nursery, now in it’s 50th year, is a fantastic place to begin your child’s preschool 

education. Please take a look at our website for more information – www. 

duchal.com and find us on Facebook. If you would like to come and visit the 

Nursery and meet the teachers please contact Head Teacher Jean McCarthy on: 

Tel: 874358. 

We are looking forward to celebrating Chinese New Year at the beginning of the 

month – which usually involves lots of messy fun with chopsticks – wish us luck!! 

Bridge of Weir Primary 

Our 2017 term got off to a great start when local 

author Lindsay Littleson came to visit P4-7 on 

our first day back in January. Lindsay spoke 

about writing her children’s novel ‘The Mixed 

Up Summer of Lily McLean’ and how exciting 

it was to see her work published. She spoke 

about the importance of 

perseverance and hard 

work if you want to achieve 

something worthwhile, 

whatever that may be. 

You have to be resilient 

and keep going even 

when things don’t go 

your way. Never give 

up, instead ask yourself 

what did I learn and 

what could I do better? Pupils thoroughly enjoyed this 

opportunity to learn more about what’s involved in the writing process 

and had lots of questions to ask Lindsay at the end of her presentation. Perhaps 

some of those listening might be our authors of the future? 

This month our P7 pupils are organising their annual ‘Bring and Buy’ sale. Children 

will be encouraged to bring in unwanted toys and will be able to purchase different 

toys on 3rd February. All funds will be donated to our school charity Phantasanja, 

which supports underprivileged, abused and neglected children in Thailand. 

16 of our P5 pupils who took part in a squash tournament last term at Strathgryffe 

Tennis & Squash Club did tremendously well when they managed to win the 

competition. The run of good luck continued with P5 pupil Abigail Fleming coming 

first in the Paisley Arts Competition and winning £50 for herself and also £50 for 

the school. Great achievements! 

Once again the audience at our Christmas Celebrations were blown away by 

the quality of the children’s performances. Nursery pupils entranced everyone 

with their seasonal poem and songs, and everyone in Primary 1-3 shared the 

story of the first Christmas in this year’s nativity play “It’s A Baby!”. The theme for 

Primary 4-7 was “A Christmas Carol” which was dedicated to our Head Teacher 

Mrs (Carol) Vallance and included all of her favourite Christmas songs. Keeping 

this a secret from her during the weeks of practice prior to the concert was no 

mean feat, but we managed it and “surprised” is perhaps an understatement for 

how Mrs V felt when she realised what had been going on! 

Now that the tinsel is packed away we are preparing for our annual Scottish 

Concert which will take place on Thursday 9th February. This is a special event 

which is free for grandparents and senior citizens of the village. In addition to 

singing, dancing and recitations there is the promise of Janice in the Kitchen’s 

famous shortbread and a cup of tea for all attendees.


Port Glasgow High School 

53 53 

Zombie Apocalypse 

S3 and S4 pupils had lots of fun taking part in a spoof lecture 

on the real science behind the Zombie Brain. Delivered by the 

enthusiastic Dr Howe from the University of Glasgow, pupils 

learned about probable causes of a zombie outbreak and how 

to survive a “Zombie Apocalypse”. Pupils were entertained and 

educated about the science of the human brain during the highly 

interactive and hilarious experience. 

Lessons from Auschwitz 

S6 Pupils, Connor Hair and Jessica McKechnie travelled to 

Poland as part of the Lessons from Auschwitz Programme. Both 

pupils visited Auschwitz 1 and Auschwitz-Birkenau camps and 

were deeply moved and humbled by the experience. Connor 

and Jessica plan to share their experience of the trip by writing a 

drama performance to coincide with Holocaust Memorial Week. 

Sports Leaders deliver Heartstart programme 

Fresh from their training as Heartstart Instructors, S5 

and S6 Sports Leaders attended an all-day CPR event 

at Hampden Park. After participating in a 300-strong 

conga, PGHS pupils helped to train over 300 primary 

school pupils in the lifesaving skills of recognising 

cardiac arrest, performing CPR and dealing with serious 

bleeding and choking. 

Reading Champions 

Author Cathy McPhail joined S1 pupils to share her 

experiences on writing her recent novel ‘Another me’. 

The inspiring author shared advice and strategies 

with pupils on how to find inspiration for their stories. 

Pupils responded well to the challenge and used the 

inspirational setting of the assembly hall to create a 

story there and then! Ms McPhail let the pupils into a 

little secret – the setting for her next book was inspired 

by the Port Glasgow Community Campus, her many visits to the school provided a spark for her story! 

Higher Human Biology Trip 

Students attended West 

College Scotland to carry 

out an investigation in 

which they had to amplify 

and then identify lengths 

of DNA. During these 

activities, they used 

both Polymerase Chain 

Reaction (PCR) and Gel 

Electrophoresis. They 

were then given a brief 

lecture on these techniques 

and their impact on the 

modern world. Students 

also had a question and 

answer session with 

college students and 

staff regarding further 

education and careers. 

Follow us on Twitter @ 

PortGlasgowHS and @ 

PGHS_PE_ 

every Mo n d a y 

Adult Jazz Class 

Bridge of Weir 10am 

Tel: 01505 690757 for further information. 

Adult Beginners Ballet Class 

Bridge of Weir 11.30am 

Tel: 01505 690757 for further information. 

Kilbarchan Athletic Club 

On-X, Linwood, 7pm 

All abilities welcome. Tel: 07941 686990. 

5-a-side Football 

Powerleague Paisley, 6pm 

Tel: Jim on 01505 874215; or jimbretherton@aol.com 

Bridge of Weir Ladies Badminton 

Cargill Hall, Lintwhite Cres, 7.30pm 

Callanetics 

Brookfield Village Hall, 7.15pm 

Strathgryffe Motorcycle Club 

The Trust Inn, Kilbarchan, 9pm - 10.30pm 

Visit www.strathgryffe.org for details. 

The Shotokan Karate Club 

Woodlands Primary, Linwood, 7-8pm/8-9pm 

www.linwoodkarate.co.uk 

every Tuesday 

Bridge of Weir Walking Group 

Outside the Co-op, BoW 10.30am 

1 hour walks. Call Senga on 0141 842 3000. 

Gryffe Badminton 

Strathgryffe Tennis Club, 8pm 

Football Training 

Johnstone High School, 6pm - 9pm 

Call Ali on 07775 578795 for details. 


Greenock Hockey Club 

Inverclyde Academy, Greenock, 6.30 - 8pm 

Contact Liz Baldwin, mobile 07944 607005. 

Callanetics 

Brookfield Village Hall 5.15, 6.15 & 7.30pm 

every Th u r s d a y 

Kilbarchan Athletic Club 

On-X, Linwood, 7pm 

All abilities welcome. Tel: 07941 686990. 

Kilmacolm Walkers 

Birkmyre Park Pavilion, Kilmacolm, 10am 

David 01505 874192 

kilmacolmwalkers@talktalk.net 

Callanetics 

Brookfield Village Hall, 9.15am & 10.30am 

The Shotokan Karate Club 

Woodlands Primary. Linwood, 

7pm - 8pm & 8pm - 9pm 

www.linwoodkarate.co.uk 

Football Training 

Johnstone High School, 6pm - 9pm 

Call Ali on 07775 578795 for details 

every Fr i d a y 

Callanetics 

Brookfield Village Hall, 9.15am & 

10.30am 

18 Movement (Tai Chi) Chi Kung 

St Fillans Church Hall, Moss Rd, 

Kilmacolm 10.15am - 11.15am 

Gentle, relaxing exercise class. 0141 954 2456. 

every Sa t u r d a y 

Adult Tap Lessons 

Cargill Centre, Kilmacolm. Lunchtime. 

Call Gail Ashley on 01475 531336 for details 

every Su n d a y 

Birkmyre Rugby Club, Kilmacolm 

Youth Rugby Section 11am - 1pm 

www.pitchero.com/clubs/birkmyre


Howwood Curling Club - 

Come & Try on 8th March 

Howwood Curling Club are always looking for 

new members to join our friendly curling club 

which meets at Greenacres, near Howwood. 

It is a great way to keep fit and socialise with 

people in a friendly atmosphere. Current club 

members come from Renfrewshire, Glasgow 

and North Ayrshire. We are now looking for 

new players to play for the 2017/18 season. 

We have organised a Come & Try session on Wednesday 8th 

March at 8.30pm at Greenacres Curling Club. Anyone who is 

interested is welcome to come along and try out curling. No 

experience is necessary. Everyone is welcome, whatever your 

age or ability. We will provide a qualified coach to give you 

the tuition you need to try out curling. You will also meet with 

our club members and get to play. We will invite you to our 

closing bonspiel for the 2016/17 season on the 29th March if 

you continue to be interested following the Come & Try. 

All the equipment you need will be provided. The cost on the 

night for ice is £6. Please contact Lachie Carmichael (see 

below) if you wish to attend - lachiedcarmichael@hotmail.com 

or 01294 823643. 

Boglestone Judo Club 

Taking part in their first competitions the 

Junior section of Boglestone Judo Club came 

away with fantastic results. This group of 

junior players have been training hard for the 

past year under the watchful eye of coaches 

Robert Sharp, James Turner and Jorge 

Cruz. The Junior players entered the red 

belt competitions at the Tryst sports Centre 

in Cumbernauld and did themselves and the 

club proud. 

The competitions are different from the club 

scene, the red belt rumbles are the first entry 

level competitions for 8 to 13 year olds who 

have just been recently graded, entering these competitions allows them to show the 

skills they have learned in the club training sessions and put them to practice in a 

competitive environment. The Boglestone juniors did well with medals for Luke Wolfend 

Bronze, Gary Thomas Bronze, Ben Tidswell Bronze and a Silver for Dylan Tolan. 

The best result was still to come with Harry Vine winning 2 Silver medals at the Saltire 

Judo Competition, winning silver in his own group he was then invited to fight in an open 

category where he won another silver medal. 

Boglestone junior players train on a Wednesday night from 7pm to 8pm at Boglestone 

Community Centre. A few places are still available if you are interested in coming along 

on a Wednesday, first taster session is free.


Linwood Rangers 2007 

55 55 

We are looking for goalkeepers and outfield 

players interested in joining our 2007s football 

squad for the forthcoming season. Our squad 

currently comprises boys from the Houston, 

Bridge of Weir, Linwood and Bishopton villages. 

We operate two teams at the 2007 age group 

level in the Paisley, Johnstone & District Youth 

Football League with our focus at training and 

matches fully on player development. Our 

coaching is aimed at ensuring that all players 

in our squad can enjoy playing football and 

learn new skills and positions in a fun and well 

coached team environment. We currently train 

on Tuesday evenings between 7-8pm at On-X 

in Linwood and on a Friday night between 6.30-7.30pm at Ferguslie Astroturf. Matches during 2017 

will take place on Saturday mornings. If you are interested in joining our squad, please contact Paul 

Connolly on 07870 651829. 

Kilmacolm Golf Club Ladies 

On 13th December, 50 ladies 

enjoyed golf & festive fun at the 

final golfing event of 2016. 36 

played in a 10 hole competition 

& everyone enjoyed mulled wine 

& home baked delicacies in a 

beautifully festive clubhouse. 

The Club ran a successful Hogmanay party for 

70 members & guests to ring in the New Year. 

A Scottish Night is planned for Saturday 4th 

February. 

The Ladies Bridge afternoon, in aid of Erskine 

Hospital, is on Tuesday 7th Feb at 1.30pm. To 

book a table for this Bridge afternoon, please 

phone Norah Adams on 872691. 

Lois Brown, Lady Captain 

PHOTOS: Prizewinners at the 

Christmas Cracker Competition 

Sporting Blog 

by Lesley Handley 

“Quitting when progress stalls is like slashing the other 

3 tyres when 1 tyre gets a puncture” 

New Year’s Resolutions were set; a lot of you (including me!!) probably woke 

up on the 1st January with new goals in mind and focused on a new mindset 

for 2017 ... you might have got up and made a healthier breakfast, you may 

have went out for a walk that you don’t normally do and you may have had 

extra vegetables on your plate at dinner time ... are you still waking up with 

those goals in mind? 

Everything generally goes great for the first few weeks and then towards the 

end of the month things start to slow down or even come to a halt. Hectic 

life may have resumed with work or kids and time restraints start affecting 

the earlier choices you were making, or you haven’t seen any results and get 

dis-heartened, or, as a lot of people do, the goals you set weren’t sustainable 

and you just couldn’t keep up with it. 

So what do you do? 

At this point, A LOT of people quit and give up ... but don’t!! 

Progress, whether it is weight loss, building strength, improving an aspect of 

fitness, whatever it may be, is never going to be linear. It will be an up and 

down journey before you finally get to where you had intended on reaching. 

It’s a slow and steady journey that you need to continue on and accept the 

knocks and set back’s as well as the highs and achievements. 

Instead of giving up and throwing your plans out of the window, assess what 

is causing the issues and try and make some changes, however big or small 

they may be, and get back on the path towards your goal. Ask for help, seek 

some guidance, find a solution and get on with your journey. 

Lets wake up on the 1st February as though it’s the 1st January and keep 

pushing on to achieve what you wanted in 2017! 

Lesley 

For details on Personal Training, fitness or nutrition contact me on 0773 627 4925 or e-mail Lesley@fitsmartfitness.co.uk.


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BRIDGE OF WEIR 

Freeland Church: Rev KN Gray BA 

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St Mary’s Episcopal Church, 

Johnston Rd, Bridge of Weir, 

PA11 3EE. Our Services are 

held every Sunday at 10am. 

On the first Sunday each month 

at 6pm we welcome all who 

enjoy the beauty of quietness 

and peace at “Sanctuary” our 

Contemplative Service. All who 

seek God in mindful enquiry, 

in beauty, in quietness and 

service to others, all who are 

tired of life or full of it, all who 

are confident or all who are 

afraid - indeed whoever you 

are - you are welcome here! 

http://www.heartlandsec.org/ 

BoW/index.html Contact: Revd. 

Heller G.P 01505 872961. 

St Machar’s Ranfurly Church: 

Sunday services 10.30am, 

Junior Church & Youth Church, 

hearing aid loop system. For 

more information on activities 

and events find us online – 

stmacharsranfurlychurch.org. 

uk or Facebook. Come along 

– all welcome. 

Hope Hall: Sun 1pm Sunday 

School, 4.30pm Gospel Service; 

Mon 6.30pm Investigators for 

Kids, 8pm Bible Study and 

Prayer. 

ELDERSLIE 

Elderslie Kirk: Sunday service 

every week at 11am. Minister - 

Rev. Robin Allison. All welcome. 

Weekly meetings:- Monday 

Club every week from 12noon 

- 2.30pm. Light lunch and a 

varied activity programme. 

Midweek Fellowship will meet 

every Wed from 10.30am for 

Tea/Coffee followed by a short 

Service of Worship at 11am. 

HOWWOOD 

Howwood Parish Church. Minister 

Rev May Bell. Sunday Service 

and Sunday School. 10am each 

Sunday. Prayer meeting held at 

3 Bowfield Way, Howwood, 

7.30pm on Tuesdays. 

HOUSTON 

Houston and Killellan Kirk, 

Church of Scotland Scottish 

Charity no SC 012822. 

During the current Ministerial 

vacancy, the Rev. Ian Bell will 

conduct our services. Early 

Service (Holy Communion) - 

5th February - 9.45am Early 

Service (Holy Communion) 

- 11am Morning Worship 

12th, 19th, 26th - 11am 

Morning Worship. 

St Fillan’s, Main St, Houston: Sun 

Masses: Vigil (Sat) 5pm, 9.30am 

& 11am. Weekday Mass: Tues - 

Sat 9.30am except Thurs, 7pm. 

Reconciliation: Sat 10 - 10.30am 

and after Vigil Mass; Thurs 7.30 - 

8pm. Exposition: As announced. 

All are welcome. Baptisms: 1st 

& 3rd Sunday of the month by 

arrangement. Parish Priest: 

Rev. Daniel J McLoughlin, Dip. 

Th.,MA Pastoral Assistant: Sr 

Mary Frances Collett, RNDM (Tel 

01505 613514). “Abbotsfield”, 

St Fillan’s, Main St, Houston, 

PA6 7EL. T: 01505 612046, 

F: 01505 610556. E: parish@ 

stfillan.org.uk. www.stfillan. 

org.uk 

Houston Baptist Church at Carrick 

Centre: 11am Family services 

with SS for children age 5 - 12; 

6pm Eve Service; Mid-week 

Home Bible Study; For more 

information contact; Rev. D 

Snelson 01505 612722. 

Church of the Nazarene: Village 

Hall, Main St, Houston PA6 

7EL. Rev. Benito S Coetzee. 

Family services at 10.30am 

with full toddler, children & youth 

activities running concurrently 

with the service. Youth meets 

at 6.30pm - 8pm on Sundays. 

Word and Table Quiet Service 

held from 9am - 9.30am every 

3rd Sunday. www.houston. 

nazarene.org.uk 

DEADLINES 

If you want something placed in the 

next issue either send an email to: 

info@advertizer.co.uk 

or call the office: 

01505 613340 (24hr ans) 


March ‘17 Issue: 

• Deadline: 10 Feb 

• Delivery: 24 Feb 

• April ‘17 Issue: 

• Deadline: 17 Mar 

• Delivery: 31 Mar 

churches 

KILBARCHAN 

Services continue at 11am each 

Sunday throughout February, 

conducted by Rev. Stephen 

Smith. The Sacrament of 

Holy Communion will be 

celebrated on Sunday 26th 

February at 11am and 2pm. 

Sunday School and the 

crèche meet in the large hall 

from 10.45am each week 

and refreshments will be 

served after the service as 

usual. All welcome to any or 

all of these services. 

Kilbarchan Parish Church 

Midweek Fellowship 

continues from 10.30am 

for coffee, followed by a 

short service of worship, on 

Wednesdays in the small 

hall. 

KILMACOLM 

St Columba Church of Scotland: 

(charity no. SC007992) Morning 

Worship Sundays at 11am. All 

welcome. Coffee/tea served in 

the hall after the service. 

Grace Church Kilmacolm: in 

association with Downavale 

Free Church of Scotland (Charity 

No: SCO38274) - Sunday Service 

at 10.30am in Kilmacolm Guide 

Hut, Woodrow Avenue, PA13 4QF 

- all welcome. 

Kilmacolm Old Kirk: Church of 

Scotland (Charity no. SC009291). 

www.kilmacolmoldkirk.org.uk. 

Minister Rev. Dr Peter McEnhill 

(01505 873174). Morning 

Worship – Sundays 11am, all 

welcome Sunday School and 

Crèche available. Night Kirk, 

a short reflective service 1st 

Sunday each month at 6pm. 

Sòlas Bereavement Group, 2nd 

Thursday each month at 6:30pm 

in Kidston Hall. 

St Colm’s Catholic Church, Smithy 

Brae Kilmacolm. Rev. Vincent 

Byrne. Family mass Sundays 

10am with children’s liturgy, 

followed by tea and coffee. 

Eucharistic service Thursdays 

11am. Rosar y Tuesdays 

6.30pm. Prayer group meets 

Thursdays 7.30pm. Further 

information and contact details 

www.stcolmsparish.co.uk. All 

welcome. 

Buddhist meetings: Buddhism 

of Nichiren Daishonin. Phone 

Margaret on 01505 871343. 

St Fillan’s Episcopal Church, Moss 

Road, Kilmacolm, PA13 4DL. 

Services on Sunday at 11.30am. 

Wednesday: 10.30am Holy 

Communion. On the last Sunday 

of the month at 11:30am we 

welcome families to come and 

join us for our monthly Family 

Service. We are united by our 

belief in Jesus, who sustains 

and encourages us in all the ups 

and downs of life. Everyone is 

welcome to join us ! http://www. 

heartlandsec.org/KLM/index. 

html Contacts: Revd. Heller 

G.P 01505 872961 / Maureen 

Russell (Pastoral Assistant) 

01505 872905. 

LANGBANK 

Langbank Parish Church: Rev. Dr. 

Ken Forrest. Sunday Services 

10am with Sunday School, 

Crèche and young people’s 

group, the Welcomers. Tea/ 

coffee after the service. Church 

service starts at 10am. Come 

along and meet in the Hall 

from 9.50am. Charity No. 

SC015085. 

LOCHWINNOCH 

Parish Church: Rev. May Bell. 

11.30am Morning Service 

Sunday School and Crèche. 

Calder United Free Church: 

(Church Street, Lochwinnoch) 

Sunday: 11am Morning worship 

with Sunday School and Crèche. 

6.30pm Evening Fellowship 

group, 7.30pm ABC’s Teen 

group. Wed 6.30pm - 7.30pm. 

Spiritualist Church, Lochlip Rd. All 

services commence 7.30pm. 

QUARRIERS 

Mount Zion Church: Rev. Andy Lunn 

BSc, (01475 791282) Mount 

Zion Church, Law View Road, 

Quarriers Village, PA11 3FD. 

Sunday Worship: 10:30am, 

Bible Study and Prayer Meetings: 

Wednesday at 7pm and Friday 

at 10 am. “Mozzy” Youth Club 

Thursdays at 6:30 for young 

people of high school age. Half 

night of prayer: 7pm – midnight, 

4th Friday of each month. Feel 

free to come along at any of 

these times. 

‘The Gatherin’ is at 7pm on the 

fourth Sunday of each month, at 

Mount Zion Church in Quarriers 

Village. The Gatherin’ for people 

to come together who hunger 

for more of the presence of the 

Lord and to be fed from His word. 

Please come and invite others: 

all welcome! 

LOCAL INFORMATION 

community council 

Visitors are welcome at these monthly meetings. 

BISHOPTON: Primary School: 1st Thurs at 7.30pm 

www.bishoptoncouncil.com 

BRIDGE OF WEIR: Cargill Hall 1st Tuesday 7pm. 

(NB: no meetings July, August and January) 

www.bridgeofweir.org 

BROOKFIELD: Brookfield Village Hall: 7.30pm 

in February, April, June, August, October and 

December on 2nd Thursday of the month. 

HOUSTON: Carrick Centre: 3rd Wed at 7.30pm 

www.houstoncommcouncil@yahoo.co.uk 

HOWWOOD: Village Hall: 2nd Tues at 7.30pm. 

www.howwood.com/community-council.php 

KILBARCHAN: Steeple Hall: monthly at 7.30pm. 

www.kilbarchan.info/community_council.html 

KILMACOLM & QUARRIERS: Last Tues at 7.30pm, 

Kilmacolm Cargill Centre (NB: No meetings: July or 

Dec) www.kilmacolmcc.co.uk 

LANGBANK: Church Hall: 2nd Wed at 7.30pm 

LOCHWINNOCH: Bowling Club: 1st Tues at 7.30pm 

community halls to let 

Bridge of Weir, Freeland Church. Tel: 612245 

Brookfield, Village Hall. Tel: 335562 

Houston, Carrick Centre. Tel: 612203 / 331488 

Houston, Compass Centre. Tel: 615441 / 612617 

Kilbarchan, Guide Centre. Tel: 702758. 

Kilbarchan, Old Library Centre. Tel: 706070 

Kilmacolm, Cargill Centre. Tel: 873994 

Kilmacolm, Brownie/Guide Hut. Tel: 874428 

Kilmacolm, Masonic Hall. Tel: 873059 

Linwood Masonic Hall. Tel: 07825 222944 

Please add your community hall details to our list - 

email to info@advertizer.co.uk 

local councillors 

RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL: www.renfrewshire.gov.uk 

Ward 7 - Johnstone South, Elderslie & Howwood: Cllrs 

John Caldwell, John Hood, Stephen McGee and 

Iain McMillan 

Ward 8 - Johnstone (North), Kilbarchan & Lochwinnoch: 

Councillors Derek Bibby, Andy Doig and Christopher 

Gilmour 

Ward 9 - Houston, Crosslee, Brookfield & Linwood: 

Councillors Stuart Clark, Audrey Doig, Anne Hall 

and Allan Noon 

Ward 10 - Bishopton, Bridge of Weir & Langbank: 

Councillors Maria Brown, Mike Holmes and James 

Maclaren 

INVERCLYDE COUNCIL: www.inverclyde.gov.uk 

Ward 1 - Inverclyde East (P.Glasgow, Kilmacolm and 

Quarriers Village): Cllrs David Wilson, Jim MacLeod, 

Stephen McCabe and James McColgan 

looking for someone local? 

www.advertizer.co.uk/clients


Items For Sale 

Baby Equipment 

Britax Car Seat black forward 

facing, 15-36 kg, good 

condition. £15. Tel: 01505 

874870. 

White rocking cradle with new 

mattress VGC. £40. Tel: 

07985 482211. 

Fisher price jumperoo. Good 


482211. 

Fisher price baby and toddler 

chair (rainforest colour). 

Good condition. £8. Tel: 

07985 482211. 

Mamas and papas musical 

rocking baby swing. Good 


482211. 

Toilet trainer seat, white. VGC. 

£5 (have two). Tel: 01505 

874870. 

Potty Chair Mothercare red/ 

pink. VGC. £5. Tel: 01505 

874870. 

Clothes & Shoes 

George wool blend coat black 

with faux fur collar ladies size 

M. £25. Tel: 07856 610671. 

Tap shoes pink junior size 10 

and 11. £10 per pair. VGC. 

Tel: 01505 874870. 

Kilt jacket 40-42 chest, Sporran, 

Skean Dhu, Shoes (8-9) & 

socks. Good quality. £70. 

Tel: 01505 337675. 

Household & Garden 

3 bales of Liberty fabric. Approx 

£20 per metre. Tel: 07814 

820684. 

JC & MP Smith Lambourne 2 

seater settee & chair. Excellent 

condition. £200. Tel: 

07440 063999. 

Edinburgh Crystal Decanter and 

four Whisky Glasses. £50. 

Bargain - never used. Tel: 

01505 702903. 

Dining Table with 4 Chairs and 

Dresser. Limed pine. 20 year 

old quality furniture. Perfect 

‘Shabby Chic’. £200 ono. 

Colin on 07748 944622. 

Brass Framed Mirror. Small 

‘dimpled’ pattern brass 

framed mirror. £25. House 

move forces sale. Tel: 07759 

024988. 

Pair M&S fully lined brand new 

(still in packed) curtains (90” 

drop x 53” width). Stone colour 

with red leaf pattern. £50 

ono. Tel: 07814 820684. 

2 seater bed-settee (bed never 

been used) in chintz fabric. 

All bedding included if desired. 

£100 ono. Tel: 07814 

820684. 

Rich red patterned Axminster 

stair or hall carpet. As new. 

27” wide. £50 ono. Tel: 

07814 820684. 

Heavy quality carpet roll 6’ wide. 

Natural colour. Would cover 

stairs or hall. Brand new. £50 

ono. Tel: 07814 820684. 

Yew Dining Table, 4 Chairs & 2 

Carvers with 2 tripod end legs 

with pull out centre. Beautiful 

condition with stunning teardrop 

markings. £200 ono. 

Tel: 01505 612881. 

Solid pine single guest beds 

and good quality mattresses 

(Kozee Sleep). Bought new 

£500, accept £100. Tel: 

01505 613110. 

Quality reproduction mahogany 

circular dining table (46 Inches 

diameter plus extending 

leaf) and 6 chairs. Excellent 

condition. House move forces 

sale. £350. Buyer collects. 

Tel: 07775 913334. 

Victorian chaise longue. Finished 

in dark green velvet. 

Offers considered. Tel: 01505 

872615. 

John Lewis butterfly folding dining 

table and four chairs. £50. 

Tel: 07748 587489. 

Dark wood Sideboard 4 door, 2 

internal drawers as new. L171 

x H82 x W45cms. Smoke 

Free House. Must uplift. £75 

ono Tel: 01475 54031. 

Beautiful 6’2” table & 6 chairs. 

Light oak. £125. Tel: 01505 

337675. 

Three Interior White Glass 

Panel (15) Doors - 197cm x 

76cm with chrome handles. 

£15 each (£40 for all three) 

- Good condition, would require 

collection. Tel: 01505 

391026. 

Adjustable electric bed. Electric 

handset, support mattress & 

headboard. New cost £695, 

selling for £175. Tel: 07986 

812483. 

Dark Wooden Dresser (small). 

Matches dining room suite. 

Width: 940 Height: 810 Depth: 

440mm. House move forces 

sale. £50. Tel: 07759 

024988. 

Hall Table. Half Octagonal dark 

wood, carved legs and side 

with glass top. Width: 710, 

Height: 740, Depth: 380mm, 

VGC. £30. House move forces 

sale. Tel: 07759 024988 

2 x 2 seater sofas. Brand new, 

still with labels on. Chocolate 

brown leather from Oak Furnitureland. 

Genuine reason for 

sale. Cost £1,600 selling for 

£800. Tel. 07876 644426. 

Cintique 3 seater settee. Wooden 

sides and back, cream floral 

‘tapestry.’ Good condition, 

cushions very firm, hardly sat 

on! Dimensions 1780mm 

long x 860mm wide x 950mm 

high (to top of cushion) seat 

height is 470mm. House 

move hence sale. £65. Tel: 

07759 024988. 

Bullnose smooth laminate kitchen 

worktop - Quartzstone 

white with light grey flecks. 

Cost £150, will sell for £50 

or nearest offer. Dalry. Tel: 

01294 834423. 

Pine table & 2 high back chairs. 

Brand new. £35. Tel: 01505 

612726. 

Modern standard lamp and 

matching table lamp. Brand 

new (still boxed). £20 for 

both. Tel: 01505 612726. 

Honda Izy HRG465C SDE 

petrol lawnmower, recently 

serviced, plus service kit plus 

spare blade. £195. Tel: 07748 

587489. 

Electrical & Gas 

DC Animal C50 Upright Vacuum. 

Excellent condition with 

accessories. £100 with warranty. 

Tel: 07882 984824. 

Remington Ceramic Hair 

Straighteners. New, unwanted 

gift. £25. Tel: 07759 

024988. 

Kenwood double oven/grill dual 

fuel stainless steel range 

cooker in excellent order. 

Selling due to new kitchen. 

New main oven element and 

fan fitted a year ago. 90cm 

wide. Must uplift. £295 Ono 

Tel: 07860 654418. 

Under counter Hotpoint Super 

Plus Dishwasher (seldom 

used). £60. Tel: 01505 

612042. 

Sports 

Figure skates white junior size 

10, good condition. £10. Tel: 

01505 874870. 

King Cobra II Oversize Iron Set 

plus Taylor Made driver & 3 

wood, two putters (Wilson 

& Fazer). Men’s right hand. 

Plus King Cobra golf bag and 

Turfglider trolley. £75. Tel: 

07748 587489. 

Almost new indoor bowling 

carpet and bowls. £175ono. 

Can be seen Tues or Thur 

from 12.30pm - 1.30pm at the 

Lunch Club, Elderslie Village 

Hall or email Margaret Fairley 

at marjohnfairley@aol.com. 

Boys bike, Apollo Outrage. Suit 

Age 5-7. Good condition. 

£60. Tel: 01505 690806. 

Powakaddy plus battery. 

£80ono. Tel: 01505 872691. 

Toys/Games/DVD 

BMW S1000RR Motorcycle 

(battery power) for 3-8 year 

olds, brand new in packaging 

£110 (online £150). Tel: 

07856 610671. 

BMW i8 Ride-on Car (battery 

power) for 3-8 year olds, 

1.6 mph - New in packaging. 

£110 (online £150). Tel: 

07856 610671. 

Monsters Inc in box - Mike and 

sully talk, but maybe have 

loose wire. £10. Tel: 07932 

021183. 

Andrew Robson’s Bridge Flipper 

Guide - unused £5. Tel: 

01505 331982. 

Tomb Raider (Lara Croft). £10. 

Tel: 07932 021183. 

Little Tikes Evergreen Country 

Cottage with pretend 

sink and stove, age 2-6 yrs, 

127(l) x 104(w) x 131(h) cm, 

good condition. Cost new 

£300, sell for £55. Tel: 01505 

874870. 

Toddler Bicycle helmets (44-48 

cm) pink x 2, suits appr. 1-5 

yrs old, VGC. £5 each. Tel: 

01505 874870. 

ADVERTISING 

sales & wants ad rates: 

UP TO £200 ....... FREE 

£201 to £500 ..... £5.00 

£501 to £1000 ... £10.00 

OVER £1000 ..... Call for details. 

Use our Sales & Wants form and post to 

The Gryffe Advertizer, Neva Place, Bridge 

of Weir, PA11 3PN. 

or email your items to info@advertizer.co.uk 

The Business Advertisements (Disclosure) Order 1977 

NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS 

The Law requires that Advertisers selling goods in the course 

of a business MUST include the word Trader, Dealer, Agent, 

Breeder or appropriate wording in the Advertisement to 

distinguish from private advertisers. 

Various girls toddler bikes, balance 

bikes, with and without 

stabilisers & girls scooters 

from £0 - £10. Tel: 01505 

874870. 

Other Items 

Bench Morticer, Axminster 

AW16BMST plus three mortice 

chisels. Unused items, in 

full working order. £125. Tel: 

01475 540714. 

Royal amber bracelet. £18. Tel: 

07856 610671. 

RT-AC 88U Wireless - AC 3100 

Dual - band gigabit Router 

PC - Pro excellence awards 

2014. 3 year warranty, best 

for gaming. Brand new in 

Package. £260 (online £290). 

Tel: 07856 610671. 

Mobility Scooter - range of 10 

miles. Folds into car boot. 

Excellent Condition. £350. 

Tel: 01505 862323. 

Noris Slide Projector. Good 

working order (bulb works) in 

leather case. £35. Tel: 07759 

024988. 

Yamaha 5 Octave Keyboard. 

Offers when seen. Tel: 07763 

665496. 

Trumpet. Beginners Jupiter 

trumpet with case. Both in 

excellent condition. (Requires 

own mouth piece for hygiene). 

£50. Tel: 01505 614377. 

36 Marvel comics pre 1998 - 

£40. 103 DC comics - £55. 

Tel: 07932 021183. 

‘You are what you eat’ Dr Gillian 

McKeith guide. Good 


331982. 

Eumig P8 Novo Automatic in 

original box. Made in Austria 

1960’s cine projector in good 

working order, no scratches 

etc. Needs new bulb (available 

on Ebay from £6). Includes 

empty spool. £130. 

Tel: 07759 024988. 

Vintage amber necklace 80g 

cognac colour. £46. Tel: 

07856 610671. 

Vintage binoculars Telstar 

coated lenses in a black 

leather case. £25. Tel: 07856 

610671. 

Brand new steel car wheel 

6JX15H2 and new Jinyu tyre 

185/60 R15. Stored as spare 

wheel only. £80. Tel: 07736 

067169. 

Wanted Items 

Local lily grower requires the 

use of a greenhouse/polytunnel 

in Kilmacolm area in return 

for light gardening duties. Tel: 

Vince 01505 872082. 

Old records Wanted 45`s & 

LP`s CASH Paid. Tel: 07710 

777571. 

Cash paid for Music CDs ( a few 

or a lot ). Tel: 0141 882 5594 

or 07765 115347. 

CONTENT OF THE GRYFFE ADVERTIZER CANNOT 

BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PRIOR CONSENT 

FROM THE PUBLISHER 

The Gryffe Advertizer is a magazine published by The Gryffe Advertizer Ltd 

Advertising throughout The Gryffe Advertizer: 

Definitions: “Standards” means the British Code of Advertising Practice 

and the provisions of any law applicable to advertising including, but not 

limited to, the Trade Descriptions Act, 1968, the Consumer Credit Act 

1974, the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988, the 

Financial Services Act 1986, the Business Advertisement (Disclosure) 

Order 1977 and all amendments and replacements. 

It is hereby agreed that: 

• The placing by the Advertising Client of an Advertisement is deemed to 

be acceptance of these Conditions of Acceptance of Advertising. 

• All Advertisements in this Publication must not contravene the 

Standards. 

• Insertion of Advertisements and/or Editorial is strictly at the discretion 

of the Publisher. 

• The Publisher shall not be liable for any loss or damage incurred by the 

Advertising Client as a result of any failure, negligence or omission by 

any party in the course of the distribution or circulation of the Publication 

in which the Advertisement is scheduled to appear. 

• In the event of any error, misprint or omission by the Publisher in 

the printing of an Advertisement, the Publisher will either re-insert 

the advertisement, adjust the cost or provide a refund. This does 

not apply if the Advertisement has been approved by the Advertising 

Client prior to publication. The total liability of the Publisher for such 

an occurrence shall not exceed the amount of a full refund for that 

particular Advertisement. 

• The Advertising Client agrees to indemnify the Publisher in respect 

of all costs, damages or other charges falling upon the Publisher as 

the result of legal actions or threatened legal actions arising from the 

publication of the Advertisement, or any one or more of the series of 

Advertisements, published in accordance with the copy instructions 

supplied to the Publisher. 

• Readers are reminded that when purchasing items or services 

advertised in the Publication that the Publisher cannot be held in any 

way responsible for the quality or correctness of the items or services 

included in the Advertisement. 

Editorial throughout The Gryffe Advertizer: 

The opinions of the Contributors to this Publication are not necessarily 

the official views of the Publisher. The Publisher reserves the right to edit 

or refuse any material submitted for publication. 

The Business Advertisements (Disclosure) Order 1977 

NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS 

The Law requires that Advertisers selling goods 

in the course of a business MUST include 

the word Trader, Dealer, Agent, Breeder or 

appropriate wording in the Advertisement to 

distinguish from private advertisers.

59 59 


Advertizers - A to Z 

by category 

The Gryffe Advertizer 

Neva Place, Bridge of Weir PA11 3PN 

t: 01505 613340 or e: info@advertizer.co.uk 

For more information please call us on 01505 613340 

WhatsApp 07731 923970 

or check our website at www.advertizer.co.uk 

Next Issue: (#270) March ‘17 

Deadline: Friday 10 February 

contact us 

@ease Removals & Transport . . 6 

1on1 Double Glazing . . . . . . . . 3 

3D Garden Design . . . . . . . . . . 46 

A Gallagher Painter&Decorator . . 20 

A O’Hare - Building Services . . 5 

A Peebles Landscape Contractor . . 46 

A&G Driveways . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

A&J Plumbing Heating & Gas . . 14 

ABC Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 

Affinity Family Law Experts . . 27 

Affluent Financial Planning . . 22 

Affordable Luxuries . . . . . . . 7 

AK Vehicle Rental . . . . . . . . . 1 

AL Stewart - Driving Instruct . . 15 

Alexander Barr Coal Merchant . . 8 

Alvic Sliding Wardrobes Ltd . . 2 

Apple Tree Garden Design . . . 46 

ARC Fleet Services . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Arco Locksmith . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 

Arlene Mitchell Hair & Beauty . . 36 

Art Window & Doors . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Auldton Stoves . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

B Hughes Builders - Houston . . 2 

Baytree Interiors . . . . . . . . . 5 

Beaton Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . 29 

Bernie’s Cafe Deli . . . . . . . . . 35 

Bluewater Dental . . . . . . . . . . 20 

Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 

Branch Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 

Bridge of Weir Dog Walking . . 43 

Bridge of Weir Roofing . . . . . 6 

Brookfield Alarms Ltd . . . . . . 2 

Bryan Slaven Slater & Plaster . . 11 

Burndale Workshop . . . . . . . . . 4 

C Hunter Plumbing Heating Gas . . 20 

Casa Homes & Gardens Architect . . 7 

Charlie Orr Plasterer . . . . . . 13 

Cheetham & Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

CKD Galbraith . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 

CLA Accountancy Services Ltd . . 14 

CleanDryCarpets . . . . . . . . . . . 30 

CLH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 

Clippens Roofing . . . . . . . . . . 3 

Cloudy2Clear Windows Glasgow . . 5 

CM Carpentry & Flooring . . . . 31 

Cochran Dickie Estate Agents . . 23 

ColCom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 

Collins Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 

Come Clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Computer Repairs . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Confident Care Ltd . . . . . . . . . 10 

Corum Property . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 

Craig Kennedy Gardening . . . . 44 

David Kennedy Decorator . . . . 3 

Decorus Beauty . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 

Delta Electrical Services . . 37 

Derek McBride Aerials . . . . . . 31 

DJD Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 

DJY Joinery Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

DMG Garden Services . . . . . . . . 46 

DS Cleaning (Windows) . . . . . . 20 

Eclipse deep clean . . . . . . . . . 14 

Elliott Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

Fastclean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

Fergusons CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

Ferringtons Hypnotherapy . . . 28 

Fiona Christie Accounting Serv . . 15 

G Woods Bathrooms . . . . . . . . . 6 

Garden Services . . . . . . . . . . . 44 

GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

Gibb Stuart Ironmongers . . . . 14,15,16 

Glenmoss Landscapes . . . . . . . . 46 

Gordon James Ceramic Tiler . . 15 

Grid Design Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Gryffe Garage Motor Engineers . . 33 

Gryffe Roofing Services . . . . 6 

Hames Estates . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Harrods DryCleaners . . . . . . . . 5 

Healing Rooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 

Husse Pet Food . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 

I & J Building & Roofing Serv . . 2 

I D Plumbing & Heating . . . . . 4 

Accountants & Financial 

Affluent Financial Planning . . 22 

Cheetham & Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

CLA Accountancy Services Ltd . . 14 

Fergusons CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

Fiona Christie Accounting Serv . . 15 

Stewart Independent Financial . . 1 

Architectural Services 


Grid Design Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Automotive Services 

AK Vehicle Rental . . . . . . . . . 1 

ARC Fleet Services . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Collins Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 

Gryffe Garage Motor Engineers . . 33 

Bathrooms 



Instyle Kitchens & Bathrooms . . 17 

Bedrooms 


Blacksmith & Metalwork 

McLaughlan Metal Fabrication . . 20 

Building Services 


B Hughes Builders - Houston . . 2 



DJD Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 


James Kerr Joiner . . . . . . . . . 41 

JBC Joiners and Builders . . . 6 

KC Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 

Kilellan Roofing . . . . . . . . . . 14 

M Addison Joiners & Builders . . 3 

MBS Roofing & Building Contrac . . 30 

Old Mill Chimneys . . . . . . . . . 41 

RPH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

SMG Roofing & Building Contrac . . 2 

Stewart Milne Homes . . . . . . . . 25 

SW Scott - Joiners & Builders . . 14 

Taylor Made Joinery . . . . . . . . 40 

Thomas McMaster & Son Ltd . . 49 

Business Services 

Laptop and PC Repairs . . . . . . 26 

Care Services & Homes 

Confident Care Ltd . . . . . . . . . 10 

Catering 

Karen Rankin Catering . . . . . . 15 

Cleaning & PowerWash 

CleanDryCarpets . . . . . . . . . . . 30 

Come Clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 



Fastclean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 



MattVac Carpet & Upholstery Cl . . Bk 

Nutech Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Platinum Cleaning Services . . 5 

Coffee Shops 


Computer, IT & Web 

ColCom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 

Computer Repairs . . . . . . . . . . 1 


Driveways 

A&G Driveways . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Driving Instructors 

AL Stewart - Driving Instruct . . 15 

Paul Ferguson - Confidence . . 7 

Ian Livingston Decorating . . 15 

Ideal Flooring Service . . . . . 30 


Iron House Stoves Limited . . 5 


James Martin - Painter & Decor . . 3 

JayBee Double Glazing Repairs . . 6 


JBM Plumbing & Heating . . . . . 3 

JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

John H Barney . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 

John Morgan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

John Roach Funeral Directors . . 13 

Johnstone TOA Taxi Co . . . . . . 33 

Karen Rankin Catering . . . . . . 15 


Kieran Turner Aerial&Satellite . . 3 

Kilbarchan Chiropodists . . . . 40 

Kilbarchan Dental Practice . . 11 


Kingsley Wood & Co Solicitors . . 1,27 

Lamont Electricians . . . . . . . . 3 


LaserLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 

Lind Letting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Little Studio Kilmacolm . . . . 50 

LJX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 

Lose It and Love It . . . . . . . . 13 


M&E Painters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 

M&M Garden Services . . . . . . . . 47 

MAS Electrical & Security . . 2 

Matthews Cleaning Services . . 15 

MattVac Carpet & Upholstery Cl . . Bk 


McGowan Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . 14 


Miller BioFuels Ltd . . . . . . . . 7 

Minicoach Tours Scotland Ltd . . 31 

MJ Lawnmowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 

New Vision Opticians . . . . . . . 9 

Nix Hairdressing . . . . . . . . . . 37 

NLP Positive Changes . . . . . . . 19 

Nutech Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . 2 


Orchard Flooring . . . . . . . . . . 28 

P Thomson Upholstery . . . . . . . 39 

Paul Ferguson - Confidence . . 7 

PetVets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,42 

Phoenix Gas Services . . . . . . . 1 

Platinum Cleaning Services . . 5 

Powerdoors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

R Williams Tree Surgeon & Grou . . 44 

Ranfurly Castle Golf Club . . 54 

Ranfurly Decor . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 

RED Pest Control . . . . . . . . . . 30 

Rent A Bloke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

RPH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

Rugby Tots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 

Scott Russell . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

Shower Expert . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 

Smart Dog Grooming . . . . . . . . . 43 


Sole Solutions Podiatry . . . . 37 

St Columba’s School . . . . . . . . 51 

Stewart Independent Financial . . 1 


Strathgryffe Tennis & Squash . . 55 

Suzanne’s Grooming Pad . . . . . 43 



TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

The Furniture Barn . . . . . . . . . 3 

The Right Move . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 


Travel Actually . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

Vanda’s Mobile Hairdressing . . 30 

W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 47 

Walkies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 

Wellcentred UK . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 

West of Scotland Landscape . . 46 

Woodburn & Beattie Joiners . . 15 

Education 

Rugby Tots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 

St Columba’s School . . . . . . . . 51 

Electricians 

Delta Electrical Services . . 37 

GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Lamont Electricians . . . . . . . . 3 

MAS Electrical & Security . . 2 

Fencing 

Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 


Firewood & Logs 


LJX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 

Miller BioFuels Ltd . . . . . . . . 7 


W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 47 

Funeral Services 

Beaton Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . 29 

John Roach Funeral Directors . . 13 

Garage Doors & Gates 

Powerdoors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Garden Service & Design 

3D Garden Design . . . . . . . . . . 46 

A Peebles Landscape Contractor . . 46 

Apple Tree Garden Design . . . 46 


Craig Kennedy Gardening . . . . 44 

DJD Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 

DMG Garden Services . . . . . . . . 46 

Garden Services . . . . . . . . . . . 44 



M&M Garden Services . . . . . . . . 47 

MJ Lawnmowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 

R Williams Tree Surgeon & Grou . . 44 

W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 47 

West of Scotland Landscape . . 46 

Gas & Heating Services 



GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 



Phoenix Gas Services . . . . . . . 1 

Glazier 


Cloudy2Clear Windows Glasgow . . 5 


TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Hairdressers & Barbers 


Nix Hairdressing . . . . . . . . . . 37 

Vanda’s Mobile Hairdressing . . 30 

Health, Beauty & Fitness 


Bluewater Dental . . . . . . . . . . 20 

Decorus Beauty . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 

Ferringtons Hypnotherapy . . . 28 

Healing Rooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 

Kilbarchan Chiropodists . . . . 40 

Kilbarchan Dental Practice . . 11 

LaserLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 

Lose It and Love It . . . . . . . . 13 

New Vision Opticians . . . . . . . 9 

NLP Positive Changes . . . . . . . 19 

Rugby Tots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 

Sole Solutions Podiatry . . . . 37 

Wellcentred UK . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 

Home Hardware 


Home Improvements 

Alvic Sliding Wardrobes Ltd . . 2 


Ideal Flooring Service . . . . . 30 

Orchard Flooring . . . . . . . . . . 28 

Rent A Bloke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

Home Interiors 





Home Security 

Brookfield Alarms Ltd . . . . . . 2 

Joiners 


CLH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 

CM Carpentry & Flooring . . . . 31 

DJY Joinery Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 3 



JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 


McGowan Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . 14 

RPH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 




TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Woodburn & Beattie Joiners . . 15 

Kitchens 







Laundry & Ironing 

Harrods DryCleaners . . . . . . . . 5 

Leisure & Recreation 


Strathgryffe Tennis & Squash . . 55 

Locksmiths 

Arco Locksmith . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 

Elliott Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

Painters & Decorators 

A Gallagher Painter&Decorator . . 20 

David Kennedy Decorator . . . . 3 

Ian Livingston Decorating . . 15 

James Martin - Painter & Decor . . 3 

John H Barney . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 

John Morgan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

M&E Painters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 

Ranfurly Decor . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 

Pest Control 

RED Pest Control . . . . . . . . . . 30 

Pet Services & Training 

Bridge of Weir Dog Walking . . 43 

Husse Pet Food . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 

PetVets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,42 

Smart Dog Grooming . . . . . . . . . 43 

Suzanne’s Grooming Pad . . . . . 43 

Walkies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 

Photographers 

Little Studio Kilmacolm . . . . 50 

Plasterers 


Charlie Orr Plasterer . . . . . . 13 



Plumbers 




GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 



JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Shower Expert . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 

Property, Sales & Let 

CKD Galbraith . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 

Cochran Dickie Estate Agents . . 23 

Corum Property . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 

Hames Estates . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 


Lind Letting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 


Removals 

@ease Removals & Transport . . 6 

The Right Move . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 

Restaurant & Bars 


Retail 

Alexander Barr Coal Merchant . . 8 




Roofing 









RPH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 




Solicitors 

Affinity Family Law Experts . . 27 


Special Occasions 

ABC Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 

Sports Clubs & Events 


Stoves 


Iron House Stoves Limited . . 5 


Taxis & Minicoach hire 

ABC Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 

Johnstone TOA Taxi Co . . . . . . 33 

Minicoach Tours Scotland Ltd . . 31 

Tiling 

Gordon James Ceramic Tiler . . 15 

Scott Russell . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

Travel Agents 

Travel Actually . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

Tree Surgeon 

Branch Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 


LJX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 

W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 47 

TV & Satellite 

Derek McBride Aerials . . . . . . 31 

Kieran Turner Aerial&Satellite . . 3 

Upholstery Services 



Fastclean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

P Thomson Upholstery . . . . . . . 39 

Window Cleaners 


Fastclean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 


Matthews Cleaning Services . . 15 

Window, Consv & Repair 


Art Window & Doors . . . . . . . . . Bk 


TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

pick up a copy 

Bishopton: Post Office, Woodrow’s Store, Keystore, Library, 

Ingliston Country Club 

Bridge of Weir: Gibb Stuart, Bernie’s Cafe, Lochnagar, The 

Bridge, Library (Cargill Centre) 

Erskine: Garden Centre, Library, Sports Centre, 

Swimming pool 

Houston: Co-op, Carrick Centre, Post Office, 

Newsagent 

Howwood: Village Store, St Vincent’s Hospice 

Johnstone: Henderson Kilts, Papa Mac’s, Library 

Kilbarchan: Sheridan’s Store, Campbell’s, 

Newsagents, Bobbins, Old Library Centre 

Kilmacolm: Newsagent, Pieri’s, Cross Café, 

Gibb 

Stuart, Cargill Centre, Library 

Langbank: Finlaystone Visitor Centre 

Lochwinnoch: Keystore, McKillop Centre, Library, 

Castle Semple Centre, Newsagent

60 

t: 01505 613340 07731 923970 e: info@advertizer.co.uk 

you can contact us @GryffeAds using #Advertizer 

or by email info@advertizer.co.uk or phone 01505 613340

269 February 2017 - Gryffe Advertizer

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