247 April 2015 - Gryffe Advertizer

April 2015 No.247 

FREE 

COPY 

Distributed to: 

• Bishopton 

• Bridge of Weir 

• Brookfield 

• Elderslie 

• Houston 

• Howwood 

• Kilbarchan 

• Kilmacolm 

• Langbank 

• Lochwinnoch 

• Quarriers 

FOLLOW US 

GryffeAds 

Knapps Sunset by Chris Forbes 

Gryffe 

ADVERTIZER 

1 2 3 4 5 6 

7 

your LOCAL community magazine April 2015 No.247 

8 

FREE 

PLEASE TAKE A FREE COPY OF YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

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

EXPERT JET-WASHING 

With Spring now here this is the time of year we are busiest cleaning 

driveways, patios etc’ ready for 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 jetwashing 

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. 01505 863 

863 www.nutechcleaning.co.uk 

Before 

After

www.advertizer.co.uk april 2015 

3 3 

Please 

Donate 

Blood 

Friday 10 April 

4pm - 7.30pm 

Community Centre, 

Greenock Road, Bishopton 

PA7 5AU 

Monday 27 April 

4pm - 7.30pm 

OnX Sports Centre, 

Brediland Road, Linwood 

PA3 3RA 

You can drop in to 

give blood at 8 Nelson 

Mandela Place, 

Glasgow. Call today to 

make an appointment 

on 0845 90 90 999 - 

Go on - the only think 

you’ll feel is good about 

yourself!


This Month 

contact us 

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 

or check our website at www.advertizer.co.uk 

Next Issue: No.248 May 2015 

Deadline: Fri 17th April 2015 

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. 

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: 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 

Quarriers: Three Sisters Bake 

When I started up The Advertizer 20 years ago, one of the first local businesses 

to advertise with me was “Travel a la Carte”, or “Villafind” as it was originally 

known. Maureen Horton has been the force behind this successful travel 

business for 30 years, but has decided the time has come to hang up her 

sombrero and retire. Maureen used to joke with me that she was The Advertizer’s 

page 3 girl as her ad has been on p3 for so many years; we’ll be sorry to see 

her go. However, on a positive note, the Kilmacolm travel shop will continue 

to operate, in its spectacular spot over-looking the Cargill Centre Square, with 

Arlene Donald taking the helm. Arlene operates as part of Barrhead Travel and 

the Kilmacolm shop will run under the franchise name “Travel Actually”. We 

wish Maureen a fruitful and happy retirement, whilst also wishing Arlene every 

success in her new venture. 

Roads... argggh! It’s the time of year when there seems to be a flurry of activity 

as Council budgets are used up before the year end, and this invariably means 

road works, everywhere, at the same time. This has seen, on one particular day, 

almost every road into Bridge of Weir being worked on, in one way or another. 

Drivers have been very patient and hopefully by the time we are in print most 

of these works will be complete and we will be enjoying some pot-hole free 

driving.... for a while! We can only hope the root-causes for the carriageway 

failures are addressed during the repair process to prevent a recurrence. 

Moving on to pavements, it’s much appreciated to see many dog owners now 

lifting their dog’s poo and bagging it. However there seems to be a minority 

who miss the next stage of binning it. It was reported that 15 such stinky bags 

were lifted from the lane between High St and Port Glasgow Rd, at the Kidston 

Hall, Kilmacolm - many of these a distinctive burgundy bag! Bag it and BIN IT! 

On a lighter note, some comic relief. Kilmacolm Dramatic Society are treating 

us to their production of ‘Allo ‘Allo (which I will say only once). Based on a BBC 

1 series, running from 1982 until 1992, written by well-known script-writers 

Jeremy Lloyd & David Croft. Performances take place on 22, 23, 24 & 25 April 

at the Kidston Hall. Tickets are available, as usual, from the Cross Cafe in 

Kilmacolm (tel:872502) and from Rosie Thirde on 01505 873088. 

Continuing the comic theme, brilliant news that since the first appeal 30 years 

ago, Comic Relief has now raised over £1 billion! I’m not even sure how many 

000’s that is! However, although this is a wonderful charity and helps many 

desperate people, I did notice a post on facebook from someone locally who 

was suggesting that we can all do a little bit to help closer to home, and at 

no great cost. If we were all to donate a little time, whether to help out at a 

charity event, venue or shop, or to take the time to visit someone in need of a 

bit of shopping or just some company, we could all do our bit. It really doesn’t 

take much to make someone’s day a little better. There are also lots of animal 

rescue centres run by caring volunteers who could all do with an extra pair of 

hands to feed, exercise, clean out yards, etc. Alternatively, if you can’t find time 

to help, some of these charities have collecting stands at local supermarkets, 

so, if nothing else, try to at least drop in an extra tin of pet food to assist their 

collections, much appreciated. 

And as Spring makes a welcome appearance, another sight in each of the 

villages is the various groups in their lovely bright jackets, planting and pruning, 

sweeping and snipping, getting the planters ready to bloom! We now have 

Brighter Bridge of Weir, Colourful Kilmacolm and Grow Kilbarchan all making 

great effort to brighten up the villages. Go on, get involved, even if it’s just 

tidying up the area around your own home, and Gibb Stuart’s 

even sell litter-pickers, so come on and get picking! 

contents 

business classified.............64 

property classified...............65 

church listings.................65 

deadlines dates................65 

sales & wants......................66 

advertiser directory................67 

travel blog..............................7 

local history .........................27 

business news..................26-27 

it blog ................................26 

on the road........................28-29 

Rona 

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

dental blog .........................19 

pet blog ...............................44 

pets ...............................44-45 

outdoors..........................46-53 

schools news.....................54-59 

sporting blog..........................61 

sports & clubs news.............60-63 

village news.......................30-43 

what’s on..........................14-22 

beauty blog ...........................17


5 5


Bread & Cheese 

Lunch 

Sunday 29 March 

Kidston Hall, Kilmacolm 

12.15pm 

The Kilmacolm and Quarriers Christian Aid 

committee are holding a simple lunch of 

homemade soups, delicious breads and 

a variety of cheeses, plus tea/coffee and 

shortbread will be served. Everyone is 

welcome to attend the Lunch; all we ask for 

is a donation to our charity, in exchange for 

your traditional Sunday lunch - your donation 

will help many many people who struggle to 

find food to feed themselves or their families, 

suffering extreme poverty or homelessness 

or civil wars. Bring your family and friends 

and contribute to Christian Aid. Thank you. 

Do you or your loved one need care? 

CARE AT HOME SERVICE 

We can assist with your personal care at home, household duties and socialization 

to enable you to enjoy a fulfilled and happy life at home. 

Our care package is based on person centred values to all our clients 

Our carers have been specially selected for their skills, aptitude and commitment. 

Our services are managed by qualified and experienced nurses. 

Care Inspectorate Registration Number: CS2013319689 

0141 251 0138/07557512530(24 Hours) manager@crccare.co.uk or visit our website:www.crccare.co.uk


Travel Blog 

by Maureen Horton of Travel a la Carte 

What a Journey!!!! 

7 7 

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” and it is with this 

in mind that I wish to inform you of my decision to retire from the Wonderful 

World of Travel and a business I started over 30 years ago with a card table, 

a typewriter and the help of a good friend. 

Travel a la Carte’s premises in Kilmacolm have been acquired by Barrhead 

Travel. The business will continue to operate as part of their growing 

presence in the Scottish travel industry as a managed franchise called 

“Travel Actually”. 

This joint approach, with Arlene Donald (who previously worked for Travel 

a la Carte for 5 years) at the helm, will enable them to provide you with 

the best possible prices, travel choices and the same level of personalised 

service and attention to detail which we have always prided ourselves on 

delivering. 

All clients with current bookings will be transferred to them and be protected 

by their ABTA and ATOL licence. 

Sharron, who has worked tirelessly and loyally for Travel a la Carte for 

the past 10 years, and prior to that with British Airways executive club, 

will be retained in a full time role and will look forward to completing the 

management of all current and future bookings. 

I would like to express my personal gratitude and heartfelt thanks to all our 

clients past and present who put their trust and confidence in our business 

over the decades. It was a pleasure and a privilege to help you plan and 

organise all your fantastic and exciting holidays to all corners of the globe. 

So now for me one journey ends and a new one is about to start. 

Happy Holidays Everyone!


The Ponds by J Davies from 

Langbank Camera Club 

Do YOU want the Skills to 

Help Save a Life? 

Lead by Lochwinnoch and Howwood Heart Start. 

We have more dates available for the FREE two hour course:- 

Wednesday 08 April - 7pm-9pm - Bowfield Hotel Howwood 

Wednesday 22 April - 2pm-4pm - Masonic Lodge Lochwinnoch 

If you are inserted 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 • Suspected heart attack 

• Choking • Serious bleeding 

Work begins on the new 

community garden at 

St Vincent’s Hospice 

It’s an exciting day for us at St Vincent’s Hospice as the first digger moves in to 

begin work on our new community garden. 

For more than 15 years St Vincent’s Hospice have been aspiring to create a 

garden at the rear of the hospice. The cost involved is huge – we need to raise 

£75,000 to create the structure for this ambitious project. 

This point has been reached through the hard work and dedication of our 

volunteer Katrina Vine. With Katrina’s help we have recently received funding 

that will allow us to landscape the area from the Landfill Community Fund, 

through the support of the Malcolm Group, William Tracey Group and Helping 

Hands Association. 

The garden area at St Vincent’s Hospice has not been developed since the hospice 

was established on the current site in 1993. Currently our garden consists of a 

sloped grassed area with a large, but leaking pond. This project will completely 

rejuvenate the outside space to create accessible, welcoming tranquil space. 

The ’creating a tranquil space’ project would see a special garden facility for St 

Vincent’s Hospice, the entire local community and beyond as Chief Executive 

Kate Lennon explains: ‘Being a large sloping site it has been a challenge to 

design it so that it will be fully wheelchair accessible and also dementia safe. 

It will require altering ground levels, creating wheelchair adequate pathways, 

building seating areas, creating a terraced seating area, a sensory raised areas 

and fully refurbishing the current pond. We will be using natural, local materials 

as much as 

possible, with 

extensive use 

of dry stone 

walls to give 

the garden a 

traditional feel’. 

‘This project 

will create a 

garden space 

for patients 

and families, 

a space which 

can be enjoyed, 

and at the 

same time used to help support care. However making the garden accessible 

to our whole community is a big objective for the hospice. The philosophy of the 

hospice is to care for all in need of our care – we want our garden to reflect this’. 

The garden will be open to the public in the summer, and we expect it to be a 

place that works on many levels, helping people in a number of different ways. 

Glenburn Stroke & 

Disability Support Group 

Affiliated to Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland (Charity No. SCO18761) 

This small group consisting of mainly stroke survivors, but open to anyone with 

a disability, meets every Wednesday between 10am - 12noon at Glenburn 

Resource Centre, 19 Donaldswood Road, Glenburn, Paisley. 

You are welcome to come and join our social art therapy class with free art 

instruction by Iain Richardson, B.A.(Hons) of White Cart Studio. All material 

supplied. A nominal weekly fee is charged for tea/coffee and biscuits. 

CONTACT: Anne Denholm TEL: 01505 340635 / 07506 510099 

EMAIL: anne.denholm123@gmail.com or Mary Elliot, Tel: 0141 889 3309


9 9


Got Messy Pets? 

With Karndean and Amtico you can rest assured knowing you have an exclusive design floor which 

is hardwearing, waterproof, easily maintained with non slip properties. These qualities make 

Karndean one of the most sought after floor coverings on the market. 

They are the 

perfect flooring 

choice for busy 

pet-friendly 

households. 

Mucky paw-prints, 

accidents and 

hairs are easily 

wiped up with a 

brush and mop 

and stains are no 

issue with this high 

quality flooring. 

Karndean won’t 

scratch as easily 

as hardwood flooring and cosmetic damage due to mischievous pets is rare. Unlike carpets, it can 

be disinfected and does not harbour bacteria. 

Comfortable and practical, Karndean is softer, warmer to the touch, and easy to clean without the 

porous qualities of wood and some stones. It brings the ageless beauty of natural flooring to your 

home without the hassle. 

Orchard Flooring have 14 years’ 

experience in fitting Karndean and 

Amtico and are happy to offer advice on 

picking the best options for each room. 

With a home sampling service why not 

give us a call and be on your way to a 

stunning floor from Orchard Flooring. 

You can contact Scott on 01505 229 

584 or 07563 633 432 

E: sjmproducts@hotmail.com 

website- www.orchard-flooring.com 

Kilmacolm 

Dramatic Society 

Kilmacolm Dramatic Society was 

set up just before D-day 1944 to 

entertain troops locally, & has 

presented two plays per year 

since then. 

‘Allo ‘Allo is a stage production 

developed from a BBC 1 series 

which ran from 1982 until 1992 & 

was written by well-known script-writers Jeremy 

Lloyd & David Croft. In 2004 it was voted the 

13th best British sitcom. 

Set in World War Two Nazi-occupied France, 

it concerns the inept attempts of the Gestapo 

to recover the stolen portrait of ‘The Fallen 

Madonna with the Big Boobies, by Van Klomp’, 

the attempts of the French Resistance to 

repatriate downed British airmen, & the corrupt 

activities of the German garrison Officers in 

relation to both. The portrait is concealed within 

a Knockwurst (German sausage) hanging in the 

cellar of randy, if reluctant, Resistance fighter & 

cafe owner Rene Artois. 

The play is a satire which uses irony, sarcasm, 

invective, wit & humour against oppression & 

tyranny - the reason why this work was chosen 

for this, the 70th anniversary of the end of World 

War Two, & in respect of which the decision 

was taken to donate part of the proceeds to a 

Veterans’ charity. 

Please come & join us on the 22nd, 23rd, 24th 

& 25th April at the Kidston Hall. 

Tickets are available, as usual, from the Cross 

Cafe, Kilmacolm, and from Rosie Thirde on 

01505 873088.


11 11 

Guatemala to Renfrewshire – a 2015 Fairtrade Journey 

Ismael Diaz Rivas left hot and sunny Guatemala to visit Communities in 

Renfrewshire, during Fairtrade Fortnight, to let us know the importance of 

Fairtrade to their families and Communities. Unfortunately the weather was not 

too kind during his visit. 

He lives with his family close to the border with Mexico, near Chiapas Region. 

He has two daughters and a son. He is an active member of the New Jerusalem 

Church, which is part of the Central Evangelical Church. 

Ismael said, “Forty years 

ago, I started to learn beekeeping 

from my Dad when 

I was eighteen years old. I 

now have 150 hives and 10 

acres of coffee plants”. 

Ismael is the founder and 

President of his local CIPAC 

organisation, which is a 

Producer Co-operative for 

Honey and Coffee in the 

Huehuetenango District of 

Guatemala. CIPAC began in 

1999 and has been Fairtrade Certified since 2002. 

The co-operative assists members with education and training, together with 

assisting whenever possible with healthcare and financial support. Examples 

of such assistance include : 

• His son Ivan was trained by the co-operative and is now responsible for a 

CIPAC Honey and Coffee Warehouse. 

• One of his daughters is undertaking her studies 

with CIPAC support. 

• Farmers receive a loan to help them plant and 

tend to their bees and coffee. The financial 

support can be extended if a farmer’s 

production is severely affected by, say, 

adverse weather. 

The main function of the co-operative is to 

negotiate and facilitate the sale of high quality 

honey and coffee to Traidcraft, which is a Christian 

Fairtrade Organisation. Traidcraft ensures that 

there is a market for producer co-operatives that 

are too small to supply supermarket chains. It tries 

to ensure that such small producers are not too 

disadvantaged and they receive a fair price for a 

quality product. 

Fancy trying Chess? 

Paisley Chess Club are looking for new members 

and are keen to hear from anyone in the 

Renfrewshire area. We meet at Ralston Bowling 

Club, Allanton Ave, Paisley and open three times 

a week (Monday & Wednesday evenings 7.15pm- 

10pm and Thursday afternoons 1.30pm-4pm) and 

fifty weeks a year. Players of all ages and abilities 

are welcome and those new to the game will 

receive patient instruction in what is a surprisingly 

easy game to learn. www.paisleychessclub.org.uk 

The price paid by Traidcraft is higher than the normal market price and means 

that families and Communities can survive and develop. The prices charged 

for Traidcraft products may be higher than normal Supermarket Fairtrade 

Products, as Traidcraft operates with smaller scale co-operatives and has lower 

production volumes. But without Traidcraft, Ismael’s co-operative and his local 

Community would suffer significantly. 

Traidcraft products are available at Church Fairtrade stalls and the Rainbow 

Turtle Fairtrade Shop in Paisley, across from the Abbey. Please help the 

small producers survive and develop by buying Fairtrade products whenever 

possible. 

When you read this, Ismael will be tending to his bees and coffee plants, thinking 

of us and how important our actions are to his family’s future.


LEAP need your help 

to spread the word! 

LEAP has helped a number of local residents reduce 

the amount of energy it takes to heat and light their 

homes, encouraged active travel, improved access to 

low-carbon transport, and promote local food. We will now 

be working within Houston, Crosslee, Brookfield, Kilbarchan, Bridge of Weir 

and Lochwinnoch to help make our homes more efficient and families more 

comfortable within the villages. 

From 1st April LEAP (Local Energy Action Plan) need your help to enable us to 

work effectively householders in Lochwinnoch, Houston, Crosslee, Brookfield, 

Kilbarchan and Bridge of Weir to help reduce the amount of energy they use in 

their homes and daily lives. 

Please tell friends and family about the opportunity to for FREE energy advice 

as it could help other local families save money on energy bills and make 

homes more comfortable. Visit myleapproject.org to find out how you can help 

us spread the word locally. 

LEAP’s (Youth Engagement Programme) Yep! Run is a series of hands-on green 

vocational skills workshops, pop-up and social events designed by and for 

young people across the four villages of Lochwinnoch, Bridge of Weir, Howwood 

and Kilbarchan. To get involved or find out more contact Gillian on 01505 842 

530 or email gillian@myleapproject.org 

Tips for making a nesting box 

Do you enjoy watching the wildlife in your garden? Studies 

have shown that nest boxes increase both bird numbers 

and breeding success. Here are some tips for making one: 

A wooden box is fine, but the material that will attract most 

birds is probably woodcrete: concrete reinforced sawdust. 

This may be because it’s warmer, enabling birds to nest 

earlier. Don’t stray from the traditional round entry hole; 

tits much prefer that shape, and don’t worry about the colour as different birds 

prefer different shades. Don’t bother providing nesting material for the birds 

– they don’t tend to use it. RSPB’s advice is to have the box facing northeast 

(avoid southwest-facing boxes). A clean out once a year will suffice. 

Renfrewshire and Inverclyde 

Games Society (RIGS) 

April meetings: 08 and 22 April at 8pm 

in the upstairs café bar at Amaretto in Bridge of Weir 

This is a friendly group of board and card game enthusiasts who meet every 

fortnight on Wednesday evenings at the upstairs café bar of Amaretto in Bridge 

of Weir. The games we play offer a wide variety of themes and styles and can 

cover anything from developing your ancient civilisations though conquest and 

negotiation, managing and racing your own NASCAR team or trying to smuggle 

contraband past the Sheriff of Nottingham. Above all these are games where 

you are in control of your moves and your decisions are central to your game. 

If you have any questions or would like more information then please call Keith 

on 07789 501605 If you intend to come along to a meeting then please also let 

us know, using the same phone number, so that we can ensure that there is a 

good supply of games. 

Postage Price Increase 

THE Royal Mail are adding a penny to the cost of first class and second class 

stamps, so that from March 30th a first class stamp will be 63 pence and a 

second class stamp will be 54 pence. 

Other price changes will see the price of the cost of mailing a large letter 

increase by 2p to 95p for 

first class and by 1p to 

74p for second class. 

There is some good news 

however as the Royal Mail 

say the costs of sending 

a second class medium 

parcel would drop, whilst 

a Christmas promotion 

that they had for the 

costs of sending secondclass 

small parcels would 

continue.


13 13


April events 

Until Sun 29 Mar 

Arts Festival Exhibition 

Castle Semple Visitor Centre, Lochlip 

Road, Lochwinnoch 

Come and see a photography exhibition organised 

by Lochwinnoch Arts Festival at Castle Semple 

Visitor Centre from 10.00 – 16.00 hrs, open daily. 

More info 01505 842882 Ex 20 

Fri 27 March 

Fashion Show By Toggery 

Lochwinnoch Parish Church 6.30pm 

Ladies wear, Jewellery, Bags etc. Goods available 

for purchase on the night. 10% of all purchases 

goes to the church. Ticket £6 incl a glass of wine 

and nibbles. Tel: 01505 842365 to book. You may 

bring your own bottle of wine if you wish. Scottish 

Charity No. SCO14518 

Brian Laurie Accordion Showband 

in Concert 

Howwood Parish Church Hall, Main 

Street, Howwood 

Come along and be entertained with a wide variety 

of music in aid of church funds. Not just Scottish!!! 

Tickets can be bought at door on night. 

Fri 27 - Sat 28 March 

Kilmacolm Art Class - Annual 

Exhibition 

Kilmacolm Community Centre, 

Lochwinnoch Road, Kilmacolm 

About 100 paintings beautifully framed and 

displayed for sale in oil, delicate water colours and 

palate knife all to tempt the discerning art lover, 

with prices to suit all budgets Please do come 

along and support the exhibition. Entrance-Adults 

£1, Children over 5 years- 50p 

“The Steamie” by Tony Roper 

Paisley Arts Centre, New Street, Paisley 

By Johnstone Phoenix Theatre Group. Evening 

shows - doors 6.30pm / curtain up 7pm. Matinee 

- doors 1.30pm / curtain up 2pm. Adult £15, 

concession £12. Book tickets: 07950 189 980 

Sat 28 March 

“A Little Light Music” Concert 

Sat 28 March 

1st Lochwinnoch Boys Brigade 

Open Race 

Lochwinnoch Parish Church 2pm 

Entry fees are £6 for seniors (£4 for Scottish Athletic 

members) and £3 for all junior runners. For more 

information or if you would be available to steward 

on the day please contact Christine Donaldson 

07545248624 or Mark Brown 01505842209. 

Welcome Spring Afternoon Tea 

Kilmacolm Guide Hut 2.30pm to 4pm 

Kilmacolm Guides, Brownies and Rainbows would 

like to invite you to Afternoon Tea. There will be a 

section of teas and a wonderful selection of home 

baked cakes. Please come along and see all the 

developments that have been made in the area 

surrounding the hut and the newly re-furbished 

floor! Entry £3 includes tea and cakes. 

Paracyling at Glasgow Green 

Glasgow Green, Greendyke Street 

Join Clyde Muirshiel Activities and Ranger staff at 

Glasgow Green for a paracylcing event hosted in 

collaboration with Glasgow Riderz. 

St Columba’s School & Former 

Pupils’ Matches 

Birkmyre Park, Broomknowe Road, 

Kilmacolm 

Support the teams for the annual former pupils’ 

hockey and rugby matches. Astroturf 9.30am, 

Birkmyre Park 10am. 

Easter Eggstravaganza. 

Kilbarchan East Church, Church Street, 

Kilbarchan 10am to 12noon 

An Easter-egg hunt for the children in the church 

grounds, as well as a decorated egg and Easter 

bonnet competition. There will be stalls of homebaking 

and preserves and Easter gifts for the 

children and adults. Entrance is £2, children £1, 

which includes hot-cross buns with coffee. 

Sun 29 March 

Bread and Cheese Lunch 

Kidston Hall, High St, Kilmacolm 12.15pm 

Kilmacolm and Quarriers Christian Aid committee 

are holding a simple lunch of homemade soups, 

delicious breads and a variety of cheeses, plus tea/ 

coffee and shortbread will be served. 

Mon 30 March 

Postage Price Increase 

Kilbarchan West Church, Church Street, 

Kilbarchan 7.30pm 

On behalf of Kilbarchan West Church and Glasgow 

Light Opera Club. For tickets (£10) please call 

01505 704986 or 01505 352491. 

Royal Mail are adding a penny to the cost of first 

class and second class stamps, so that from March 

30 a first class stamp will be 63p and a second 

class stamp will be 54p from today.


15 15 

Thu 2 April 

Take a Bow 

Bernie’s Cafe Deli, Neva Place, Bridge of 

Weir 8pm 

Local Ladies Writing & Drama Group, Take a 

Bow, presents an evening of comedy, tragedy, 

poetry, good company and great wine! Tickets 

£5 - available at Bernie’s. 

Fri 3 April 

Open For Summer 

Sat 4 - Sun 5 April 

SGS Garden Open 

61-63 Netherlee Road, Cathcart, G44 

3YU. 12noon to 4pm 

Kitchen garden planted with a range of Victorian 

fruits, herbs and vegetables. There are 5 acres 

of landscaped grounds to explore. Admissions by 

donation. Disabled Access. Lots of Easter family 

fun and games. 

Binocular & Telescope Open Day 

All Clyde Muirshiel Visitor Centres 

Summer hours begin, join a Ranger-lead event 

or stop for a coffee and admire the beautiful 

countryside. Bike hire summer hours begin at 

Castle Semple. Castle Semple 10am-5pm daily. 

Muirshiel and Greenock cut 11am - 4pm daily. 

Fri 3 - Sat 4 April 

Static 24-hour Cycle Fundraiser 

Kilmacolm Community Centre, 

Lochwinnoch Rd, Kilmacolm 2pm 

A mammoth session of static cycling to raise much 

needed funds for Kilmacolm Scout Group. All adults 

welcome to come and cycle. Anyone welcome to 

come along and cheer. 

Fri 3 - Mon 6 April 

Easter Weekend Entertainment 

All Clyde Muirshiel Centres 

See the Visitor Centre staff at Muirshiel & Greenock 

Cut for your Easter Quiz Sheet when visiting this 

weekend. Or have a go at the Castle Semple Easter 

Competition in the lochshore field! Castle Semple 

10am - 5pm daily, Muirshiel and Greenock Cut 

11am - 4pm daily. 

Fri 3 - Sun 19 April 

Easter Character Hunt at 

Ardardan 

Ardardan Estate - Cardross 

£3 per child. Call 01389 849188 for further 

information. 

RSPB, Largs Rd, Lochwinnoch 

10am to 4pm 

Come and peruse a range of telescopes and 

binoculars, with knowledgeable staff on hand 

to help you find the right one for you! Our optics 

are competitively priced, with the added bonus 

that 100% of the profit goes directly to helping 

conservation. Free entry. 

RNLI Lifejacket Clinic 

Largs Yacht Haven 10am to 4pm 

Learn the importance of your life jacket - choosing, 

fitting, maintenance, etc. An RNLI Lifejacket Clinic 

will take place this weekend at Largs Yacht Haven, 

Irvine Road, Largs, KA30 8EZ. 

Sun 5 April 

Cadbury Easter Egg Trail 

Weaver’s Cottage, The Cross, Kilbarchan 

2pm to 4pm 

Turn eggsplorer and collect the clues, solve the 

puzzle and win a Cadbury treat! There are Cadbury 

Easter egg trails at 50 National Trust locations 

across Scotland and they’re all completely 

different! 

The Great Greenock Cut 

Eggstravaganza 

The Cut Visitor Centre, Cornalees Bridge, 

Greenock 1pm to 3pm 

Bring the family along to decorate an egg, indulge 

in tea and hot cross buns before taking part in a 

traditional egg rolling competition. £1 per egg, £3 

for tea & hot cross buns.


Mon 6 April 

Easter Eggstravaganza 


12noon to 3pm 

Fancy some egg-cellent Easter fun? Come and 

join us for some egg-static Easter activities at 

Lochwinnoch Nature Reserve. We have plenty 

of wildlife-themed Easter activities for children 

of all ages, including egg decorating, a treasure 

hunt, face painting and the ever popular Egg 

Drop Challenge. Cost £5 (Wildlife Explorers £3). 

Adults go FREE! 

Mon 6 - Fri 10 April 

St Columba Church - Holiday Club 

St Columba’s Church, Duchal Rd, 

Kilmacolm 10am - 12noon 

Blast Off is a space themed holiday club where we 

will hear stories about some of the friends of Jesus. 

Blast Off is for everyone who is in P1 to P7 and 

will include games, songs, juice and fruit, crafts, 

challenges, stories, drama, a time machine and 

lots of other fun things. 

Junior Multi Activity Week 



A full week of sport for 8-15 year olds to get active, 

learn new skills and make new friends, on land and 

water! 5 full days £145. Get 6 or more children 

together and book your own course. For further 

information or to book call 01505 842882 X20. 

Tue 7 - Fri 17 April 

Nomad Music Easter Holiday Club 

Kilbarchan East Church, Church Street 

Learn guitar, piano or have a go on the drums, have 

a jam in a band, play awesome indoor and outdoor 

games, meet new friends and have a fantastic time. 

Beginners and non-beginners welcome. Sessions 

for those in P1 to P6 and for those in P7 to S4. For 

full details visit www.nomadmusicschool.co.uk. 

Wed 8 April 

Antique Valuation Day 

Paisley Abbey, Abbey close, Paisley 

10am to 3pm 

Tickets £10 includes entry, tea/coffee/maximum 

of 3 items valued. Entry only: £5. Cloister Café open 

throughout day. Paisley Abbey Church – Registered 

Charity No. SC007633 

Easter Craft Workshop at 

Ardardan 


Sessions for 3-6 years and 6+ (£6 per child). 

Spaces are limited, so please book early. Call 

01389 849188. 

Thu 9 - Sat 11 April 

Kilbarchan Habbies Art Show 

Kilbarchan Guide Centre, Barn Green 

Show times, Thu 9th - 11am-8pm; Fri10th - 11am- 

8pm; Sat 11th - 10am - 4.30pm. Admission £1. 

Raffle & Refreshments available. 


RSPB Local Group Illustrated Talk 

McMaster Centre, Donaldson Drive, 

Renfrew 7.30pm 

There will be an illustrated talk entitled Swifts by 

Clare Darlaston. All welcome, admission free. 


Spring Tea 

Lochwinnoch Parish Church 2pm to 4pm 

Tea, coffee, sandwiches, scones and cakes. Cost 

only £3.50. 

Funtime Fridays: Snap Happy 


11am-1pm 7 yrs & under. 2pm - 4pm 8yrs & over 

Zoom in on signs of Spring and capture the new 

season with your camera. A flash of inspiration is 

all you need - we can provide you with a camera. 

Photographs will be displayed on our Facebook 

page! Booking essential. Adults must accompany 

children aged 8 and under. Bring wellies - you 

may get muddy! Cost £7 (Wildlife Explorers £4) - 

Accompanying adults FREE! 

Sat 11 April 

Easter Eggstravaganza at 

Ardardan 

Ardardan Estate, Cardross 10am to 4pm 

A day of lots of fun for all the family including: Baby 

Chicks, Lambs, Egg Decorating, Bouncy Castle, 

Face Painting and lots more. Entry £5 per child 

(adults go free). 

Sat 11 - Sun 12 April 

Big WoW Weekend 

Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, Calder 

Glen Road, Lochwinnoch 10am to 4pm 

Find out about all the animals we have been 

filming, - weasels, badgers, roe deer and more. 

Ringing demonstrations throughout the day, 

weather dependent. Call 01505 842882 X20 

for details. 


Open Day for New Members - 

Ranfurly Castle Golf Club 

Ranfurly Castle Golf Club, Golf Road, 

Bridge of Weir 

Welcoming, family friendly club. Come and try the 

course and clubhouse. E: secranfur@btconnect. 

com or Tel: 01505 612609 / 01505 614795 for 

further details. 

Mon 13 April 

Make Your Own Mondays: The 

Great Bird-Cake Bake Off 


11am-1pm or 2pm-4pm Pine cone Crunchies, 

Maggot Mash and Sunflower Seed Surprise are 

just some of the delicious birdcakes baked today! 

Come along and make your own and who knows 

what will pop by to try out these tasty treats. 

Booking essential. Cost £5 (Wildlife Explorers 

£3) - Adults go FREE! 

Mon 13 - Fri 17 April 

Junior Multi Activity Week 



A full week of sport for 8-15 year olds to get active, 

learn new skills and make new friends, on land 

and water! 5 Half Days £85 (am or pm). Get 6 or 

more children together and book your own course. 

For further information or to book call 01505 

842882 X20. 

Tue 14 April 

Johnstone History Society 

Masonic Hall, Collier Street, Johnstone 

7.30pm 

The speaker will be David Mitchell and his subject 

is “Scotland’s Iron Founding Industry”. David is the 

Director of Conservation with Historic Scotland. 

Tue 14 Apr - Fri 15 

May 

Bishopton Art Group Exhibition 

The Bridge, Main Street, Bridge of Weir 

The paintings will also be available for sale. Access 

to the exhibition is free and is during The Bridge’s 

opening hours. The exhibition at The Bridge is 

open during the following hours: Monday 9am- 

5pm; Tuesday 1pm-5pm; Wednesday 10am-2pm; 

Thursday 10am-2pm; Friday 1pm-5pm; & Saturday 

9am-1pm. (Sunday closed) 


Easter Craft Workshop at 

Ardardan 


Sessions for 3-6 years and 6+ (£6 per child). 

Spaces are limited, so please book early. Call 

01389 849188. 


An Evening of Song 


Kilmacolm 7.30pm 

With Pat MacMahon, Walter Blair, Richard 

Morrison and friends. Tickets £10. Telephone 

01505 872324 or 01505 872861 for tickets. 

Funtime Fridays: Butterfly 

Besties! 


7yrs & under -11am-1pm 8yrs & over - 2pm - 4pm 

Be best friends with the butterflies. Let’s make 

some tasty treats for those winged wonders 

and plant some nectar rich flowers for them to 

enjoy all summer. Booking essential. Adults must 

accompany children aged 8 and under. Bring 

wellies - you may get muddy! Cost £7 (Wildlife 

Explorers £4). Accompanying adults FREE! 


City of Glasgow Accordion Band 

Kilbarchan East Church, Church Street, 

Kilbarchan 7.30pm 

This talented group is returning by special request, 

to play in Kilbarchan East Church hall. Tickets will 

be on sale in March from Bobbins and can be 

booked in advance by phoning 702149. The cost 

will be £8, which will include refreshments 

Barchan Mad Comedy 

Kilbarchan Performing Arts Centre 8pm 

The cream of Scottish comedy brought to your 

doorstep. Tickets only £10. BYOB. Tickets from 

www.grahambarrie.co.uk, at the venue, or email 

graham.barrie@hotmail.co.uk for details. 


Organ Recitals 

Thomas Coats Memorial Church, High St, 

Paisley 3.30pm 

Steven McIntyre, Assistant Organist, St Mary’s 

Episcopal Cathedral, Glasgow. The recital is free 

and there may be a large screen to show the action 

taking place at the organ console. 

Tue 21 April 

St Mary’s Lecture 2015 

St Mary’s Church, Johnstone Rd, Bridge 

of Weir 7pm 

Alastair McIntosh, Honorary Senior Research 

Fellow will speak on A Virginity Most Subversive for 

Our Times. Tel: Gill Reynolds on 01505 842629.


THEATRE 

events 

Beauty Blog 

by Laura Smillie of Laura's Nail & Beauty Lounge 

17 17 

Blood Wedding 

David Ireland’s radical new take on Lorca’s play re-fuels this 

classic story with a contemporary twist. 

Recommended age 14+ 

Wednesday 1st - Friday 3rd April - £10 to £12 

A Night of Dirty Dancing 

Relive the passion, indulge in the romance and celebrate the 

greatest movie soundtrack of all time. 

Tuesday 7th April - £18.50 

And the Beat Goes on 

A story about sequins, survival and Sonny & Cher 

Wednesday 8th April - £10.00 to £12.00 

Nathan Carter 

One of the biggest names in Irish music. 

Saturday 11th April - £23.00 

Memory Lane 

A stunning musical journey through the past six decades. 

Thursday 16th April - £12.00 to £14.00 

Only One Direction 

Hello everyone and welcome 

to the Beauty Blog. 

This month we’ll discuss some 

different types of eyelash and brow 

treatments available and what they 

can do for you. 

Lash/Brow Tinting 

If your lashes are naturally fair, 

tinting will enhance them. Great for 

busy lifestyles, as you get up in the 

morning looking like you’ve already 

applied mascara. 

Brow tinting can create a fuller brow 

for those with fine or fair hair and 

compliments those lucky enough to 

have naturally dense brows. 

This tinting process should be done 

in stages in order to achieve the 

perfect shade of your choice, lasting 

approx 6-8 weeks. 

A two minute skin test must be 

performed at least 24 hours prior 

to your treatment, to ensure no 

adverse reaction to the tinting 

products used. 

Eyebrow Shaping 

Shaping can often result in a 

dramatic change to your look, 

complimenting your natural features. 

This is achieved by precision waxing 

or tweezing after you’ve discussed 

your desired look with a therapist. 

There are of course many more 

eye treatments available, some 

of which we will discuss in future 

blogs. 

If you have any queries regarding 

the above topic, contact us at 

Laura’s Nail & Beauty Lounge 

on 01505-690090 or on our 

Facebook page. 

Laura x 

Family of 4 ticket £45. 

The world’s original One Direction tribute band returns! 

Saturday 18th April - £12.00 to £15.00 

3,000 Trees: The Death of Willie MacRae - 

anti-nuclear campaigner, SNP politician, and 

successful lawyer. 

MacRae was found dying in his car on a highland road in 1985 

with a single gunshot wound to his head, apparently fired from his own gun. 

Friday 24th April - £8.00 to £10.00 

Simon & Garfunkel - Through the years - 

Performed by Bookends 

Cancer Research Fundraiser 

Up until fairly recently cancer was something that happened to other people. 

Not my family or people close to us. Then in 2012 a special person entered our 

lives which changed that perception forever. At some point there is a very high 

chance that cancer will touch our lives, or the life of someone we love and it is 

that knowledge which fans our passion for fundraising. We absolutely love the 

fact that the money raised to support Cancer Research UK really does make a 

huge difference. 

A moving and powerful live performance.. 

Sunday 26th April - £14.00 to £16.00 

Danny Champion of the world 

Follow the journey of a young English boy, Danny, and his father 

William, the most exciting Dad a boy has ever had. 

Monday 27th - Tuesday 28th April - £8.00 

BEACON ARTS CENTRE, CUSTOM HOUSE QUAY, GREENOCK, PA15 1HJ 

INFO@BEACONARTSCENTRE.CO.UK 

TELEPHONE: 01475 723723 

In 2013 Team Gryffeside held our first Charity Fun Show plus other fun events 

and initiatives. Including the Gift Aid we raised £5,250. In 2014 we got a bit 

bolder and raised £12,500. We are now so excited to see how we can try and 

top that in 2015 and we would love your support. 

Our main events include a Buck Off Cancer ride at Irvine beach in April, May Day 

Fun Rides, our annual charity fun show at the farm on Sunday 14th June, pamper 

evenings and we are going to showcase all the fun in a 2016 calendar! 

For full details please keep visiting our website at www.gryffesidelivery. 

homestead.com or join Gryffeside Livery on Facebook. 

Many thanks for your support - Together we will beat cancer!


Wed 22 - Sat 25 April 

KDS - Spring production of ‘Allo 

‘Allo’ 

Kidston Hall, High Street, Kilmacolm 

Kilmacolm Dramatic Society’s Spring production 

of ‘Allo ‘Allo by Jeremy Lloyd & David Croft. Tickets 

priced at £10 available from the Cross Cafe in 

Kilmacolm on 01505 872502, or Rosie Thirde on 

01505 873088. The proceeds of the raffle will be 

donated to Erskine to help care for their veterans, 

& there will be a collection for them in the Kidston 

Hall each night. 


World Book Night 

Amaretto Ristorante and Pizzeria, 60 

Main Street, Bridge of Weir 

World Book Night is a celebration of reading and 

books, which sees passionate volunteers gift 

books in their communities to share their love of 

reading. Visit the website at www.worldbooknight. 

org for further information. 


St Machar’s Ranfurly Church - The 

Masqueraders 

St Machar’s Church, Kilbarchan Rd, 


Following the success of the last 2 years, the 

Masqueraders are holding another concert this 

year. The group are currently rehearsing regularly 

for this, and another entertaining night is greatly 

anticipated! Tickets are £5 each and are available 

by phoning 01505 612472. 

Erskine Bridge Fun Day 

The Erskine Bridge 1pm to 5pm 

The Christian Aid committee for Kilmacolm and 

Quarriers invite you to join us at Old Kilpatrick. 

Please register to walk for Christian Aid, using 

a Sponsor form to fundraise with your family 

and friends as a serious side to the Fun Day. For 

further information, please contact Jill Russell for 

registration and sponsor forms - 01505 872393, 

or email jill.russ100@btinternet.com. 

Paisley Abbey Recitals 

Paisley Abbey, Abbey Close, Paisley 

12.30pm 

Peter Wilson (Tenor). Tickets £5 at the door. 

Paisley Abbey Church – Registered Charity No. 

SC007633 

Bridge of Weir Choral Society 


Kilmacolm 7.30pm 

Soloists will be Natalie O’Reilly (soprano) and 

Svetlina Stoyanova (mezzo). There will be 

instrumentalists from the Royal Conservatoire 

of Scotland and the whole evening will be under 

the directorship of Christopher Barr. Tickets are 

£10 from members, by reserving (telephone 

01475 520280) or at the door on the evening. 

More information at www.bridgeofweirchoral 

society.org.uk 

Wildlife Explorer Group: Rodents 

& Mustelids 


Birds for Beginners 


1.30pm to 3pm 

Would you like to learn more about the birds you 

see in your garden? Join the team for a workshop 

session ideal for beginners to birdwatching to 

help you learn more about common garden birds 

and pick up tips and advice on wildlife watching 

techniques. Then head out into the reserve to put 

these new skills into practise. Afterwards enjoy a 

hot drink back at the centre. Please book as places 

are limited. Cost £5 adults (£3 for members), £3 

children (£2 for Wildlife Explorers). 


Beith Arts 

Beith Community Centre, Kings Road, 

Beith 2.30pm 

By Pat McMahon’s Singers and for this concert 

she is bringing a fine team of performers including 

Megan Read Soprano, Christine Sjolander mezzo 

soprano, Phil Gault baritone and Claire Haslin 

piano accompanist. Adults £11/£9, students 

and children £3. 

Pedal The Park - Cycling Festival 


Road, Lochwinnoch From 10am 

Join Ride 63 community Cycle Club and the Park 

Staff for a fun day out pedalling in the Park! There 

is a ‘Road Ride’, ‘Mt Bike Ride’ plus family friendly 

ride, prizes and activities. Event village with lots 

of entertainment including a ‘Rollapaluza’! No 

bike?! Hire one from RT Cycles’ Martin. Call 01505 

842882 X21 for details. 

10K Run for Toys 

Houston-Kilmacolm-Bridge of Weir 

GVRC’s 10K run in aid of the new Toy Library 

Project, over the same course from Houston 

towards Kilmacolm and back via Bridge of Weir. 

Gryffe Valley hopes that the run will kick-start 

fundraising for this hugely significant project 

and is looking for a great turnout of runners and 

spectators on the day. Full details and entry forms 

etc are available from the Gryffe Valley website 

and facebook page and from local newsagents. 

Don’t forget that there will be drinks and snacks 

and a great social atmosphere for everyone at 

the prizegiving afterwards in the Church Hall in 

Houston. 

Paisley Events in April 

Baby Disco 

A morning of dancing and fun for little ones. Cost £2. 

Thur 2nd - Paisley Museum, 10.30am - 12pm 

Makers at Paisley Museum 

Cost: FREE, no need to book, just drop-in. Suitable for ages 5+ 

Tues 7th, Wed 8th, Thu 9th, Fri 10th, Tues 14th, Wed 

15th & Fri 17th - 10am - 12pm and 2pm - 4pm each day 

- Paisley Museum 

Little Princess Goldtree 

Scottish version of Snow White told with puppets. 

Wed 8th - Paisley Arts Centre - 2pm - £4 

Last Dream (On Earth) 

Accounts from those who risk their lives for a distant dream. 

Sat 11th - Paisley Arts Centre - 7.30pm - £10 (£6 conc) 

3 Pigs 

Amazing ingenuity and formidable storytelling skills. 

Tue 14th - Paisley Arts Centre - 2pm - £4 

Foster and Allen 

Nearly 40 years in the music business. 

Wed 15th - Paisley Town Hall - 7.30pm - £20 (£18.50 

conc) 

Celeste’s Circus 

Magic of the big top in this delightful puppet tale. 

Thur 16th - Paisley Arts Centre - 11am - £3 

The Secret of Kells (PG) 

Adventure, action and danger await 12 yo Brendan. 

Sat 18th - Paisley Arts Centre - 2pm - £4 (£2 conc) 

And The Beat Goes On 

A brand new play about sequins, survival and Sonny and Cher. 

Tues 21st - Paisley Arts Centre - 7.30pm - £12 (£10 

conc) 

Paisley Beer Festival 

Scotland’s biggest beer festival is back. 

Thurs 23rd - Sun 26th - Paisley Town Hall & Town Centre 

The Straw Chair 

A young bride in the 18th century, who arrives on the remote 

island of St Kilda. 

Tues 28th - Paisley Arts Centre - 7.30pm - £10 (£6 conc) 

ABBAMANIA Live 

One of “Europe’s Premier ABBA tribute Bands”. 

Thurs 30th - Paisley Town Hall - 7.30pm - £19 


10am to 12noon 

Come and join this fun children’s nature activity 

group! Every session has a different theme to do 

with wildlife and the natural world, but all sessions 

are informative, great fun and involve a good chunk 

of time outside. Ages 5-14yrs Cost £2. Booking not 

necessary. For under 5s, please email michael. 

jarvis@glasgow.ac.uk 

For booking or further information, please call: 0300 300 1210 or 

book online at https://boxofice.renfrewshire.gov.uk


Dental Blog 

by Sheila Macintyre, Practice Owner, Kilbarchan 

Dental Practice 

19 19 

What should you look for when choosing a dentist? 

Choosing the right dentist is a really important decision for you and your family. 

If you have children, in particular, your choice of dentist can shape their attitude towards 

going to the dentist for years to come. Most practices that offer NHS treatments like ours 

will offer “Childsmile” care to offer specialist advice and treatment designed to ensure 

good dental health. In addition you should also be able to get a feel for a dentist’s bedside 

(or chair side) manner – remember, there’s nothing stopping you changing dentist at any 

point. 

Personal recommendation is normally a good indication - friends, colleagues and family 

generally won’t recommend a bad dentist but do make sure you compare like with like. If 

you have children ask friends with families. Similarly, if you or a family member is nervous 

about visits to the dentist maybe ask someone who feels the same. You can also have a 

look at any online reviews. 

Make sure the practice you are considering offers the range of services you want. Some 

will just offer basic treatments whilst others offer a full range of cosmetic dentistry and 

specialist services such as sedation for nervous patients like we do at Kilbarchan Dental 

Practice. 

The physical environment is becoming increasingly important. New, modern dental centres 

will suggest an investment in the latest equipment and a commitment to patient care. A 

well designed spacious practice can still be friendly and welcoming and our patients have 

responded very positively to our children’s playroom. 

Resource should be a consideration. Most dentists have thousands of patients so check 

that there is a sufficient team of fully qualified dentists for the size of the practice. Customer 

care is important to the quality of experience and the better practices will always try and 

meet your needs when you are making your appointment. It is also worth checking opening 

times - not all dentists open on a Saturday for instance. 

Spend some time investigating the options available to you in your area to find the best one 

for you and your family - our patients come to us from throughout the Renfrewshire and 

Glasgow areas so be prepared to travel a little to get the best option for you. 

To find out more about Kilbarchan Dental Practice, call us on 01505 704969 or click www. 

kilbarchandental.co.uk where you’ll find lots more free tips and advice. 

Bridge of Weir Choral Society 

Spring Concert: Saturday 25 April at 7.30pm 

St Columba Church Kilmacolm 

Final rehearsals are taking place for Bridge of Weir Choral Society’s annual 

Spring concert which will take place on Saturday 25 April at St Columba Church, 

Kilmacolm. 

The main work to be performed is The Armed Man by Karl Jenkins. Listeners 

to Classic FM will be familiar with much of this work and also with many of the 

opera choruses which form the rest of the programme- Verdi’s ‘Anvil’ chorus, 

‘Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves’ to name but two. 

Soloists will be Natalie O’Reilly (soprano) and Svetlina Stoyanova (mezzo). There 

will be instrumentalists from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the whole 

evening will be under the directorship of Christopher Barr. 

The concert starts at 7.30pm. 

We hope that you will join us for an enjoyable evening of well- known music. 

Tickets are £10 from members, by reserving (telephone 01475 520280) or at 

the door on the evening. 

More information at www.bridgeofweirchoralsociety.org.uk


Beith Arts 

Good News! 

Christian Aid 

Sunday 26 April, 2.30pm 

Beith Community Centre 

The next concert in the 50th season 

of Beith Arts will be given by Pat 

McMahon’s Singers and for this 

concert she is bringing a fine team 

of performers including Megan Read 

Soprano, Christine Sjolander mezzo 

soprano, Phil Gault baritone and 

Claire Haslin piano accompanist. 

The programme, chosen by Pat, will 

include many popular songs and arias, 

solos and duets providing a delightful 

afternoon for all to enjoy. 

Admission is £11/£9 for adults and 

£3 for students and children. 

Concert for 

Leukaemia 

Research 

Friday 29 May, 7pm 

St Fillans Church, Kilmacolm 

Featuring Trio Vocalise, Daniela 

Hathaway - Soprano, Marie Holmes 

- Cello and Stephen Adam - Piano. A 

beautiful mixture of classical music 

from the Baroque period to Gershwin 

and beyond including some Tangos. 

There will also be a special visitor. 

The recent coffee morning held in Freeland Church Hall, raised £83 towards 

Tammy Futers’ Inca trail to Machu Picchu trek for Macmillan Cancer Care. 

Tammy told The Advertizer, 

“I would like to thank everyone who came along, and thank you also to the 

staff and customers at the Co-op in Houston where £266 was raised through 

a collection there.” 

“In the past couple years I have raised money for Alzheimer’s Society, but now 

its time to raise money for another deserving cause, mainly because my family 

are deeply affected by it.” 

If you would like to help towards Tammy’s Inca Trail trek for Macmillan, you can 

visit her link below. She needs to raise £4000 by May/June and still got £1200 

to go! 

www.justgiving.com/Tammy-Futers3 

Try something new – Volunteer! 

Erskine Bridge 

Fun Day 

Saturday 25 

April from 1-5pm, starting 

at Old Kilpatrick 

The Christian Aid committee for 

Kilmacolm and Quarriers invite you to 

join us for a great day for all age groups, 

with a 50ft inflatable challenging 

assault course as an added attraction 

after taking the leisurely walk over 

the River Clyde with its stunning 

views. Please register to walk for 

Christian Aid, using a Sponsor form to 

fundraise with your family and friends 

as a serious side to the Fun Day. For 

further information, please contact Jill 

Russell for registration and sponsor 

forms - 01505 872393, or email jill. 

russ100@btinternet.com. 

Christian Aid Week takes place on 

10th - 16th May this year. If you can 

offer two or three hours of your time 

to help deliver the red envelopes 

during the house-to-house collection 

in Kilmacolm and Quarriers, please 

contact Jill. Thank you. 

Charity shop – Help needed in our busy charity shops in the local area. 

Complementary Therapists - We are looking for qualified, experienced therapists 

who are willing to give some of their time and skills to our patients. 

Furniture Transport –Volunteers needed to assist the Hospice driver with furniture 

pick-ups around the local area. 

Other volunteer roles available, please call 01505 705 635 or email info@svh.co.uk for more information. 

Organ Recitals 

Tickets £8, £6 concessions. There will 

be drinks and nibbles at the end of 

the concert. To book tickets, please 

telephone 07949 071653. 

Organ Recitals at Thomas Coats 

Memorial Baptist Church, High Street 

Paisley. 

Sunday 19 April - 3.30pm 

Steven McIntyre, Assistant Organist, 

St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, 

Glasgow. 

Sunday 17 

May - 3.30pm 

Laurence 

Caldecote, 

Associate 

Organist, 

Nuneaton 

Parish Church. 

The recitals 

are free and 

there may be a 

large screen to 

show the action 

taking place 

at the organ 

console.

REGULAR 

events 

every Monday 

Lochwinnoch Community Walk 

The Cross, Lochwinnoch 10.30am 

This event will not take place on a public holiday 

every Wednesday 

Knitting Group 

Three Sisters Bake, Quarriers 10am - 12noon 

Knitters of all levels welcome! 

Line Dancing 

Bishopton Primary School 7pm - 8.30pm 

All abilities welcome. Call Mellissa on 07970 

396212. 

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. 

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. 

2nd Wednesday monthly 

Inverclyde Carers Outreach 

Cargill Centre, Kilmacolm 11am-2pm 

Email enquiries@inverclydecarerscentre.org.uk or 

call: 01475 735180. 

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 Saturday monthly 

Table Top Sale 

Linwood Parish Church, Blackwood Ave 11am- 

1pm 

This is a free event. Call 01505 328802 for 

details. 

1st Sunday monthly 

Bridge of Weir Messy Church 

Bridge of Weir 4pm - 6pm 

Please just turn up but if you have any questions, 

contact Catherine Daly on 07980 649377. We look 

forward to feeding everyone that turns up!! 

FARMERS 

markets 

1st Saturday 

Cargill Centre, Kilmacolm 

10am-2pm (“The Square”) 

1st & 3rd Sunday 

Loch Lomond Shores 

10am-3pm Tel: 07977 179 861 

2nd Thur & last Sat 

Paisley Cross 

10am-2pm Tel: 01655 770217 

3rd Saturday 

Erskine Garden Centre 

10am - 2pm Tel: 0141 814 4626 

follow The Advertizer on 

twitter and facebook for 

regular updates 

t: @GryffeAds 

f: www.facebook.com/GryffeAds 

Easter Egg Run 

Sunday 5th April 

For over three decades, the Yorkhill Easter Egg Run has taken place every Easter 

Sunday and it’s no different for 2015 – this year on Sunday 5th April. We’re 

looking forward to welcoming thousands of motorbikes, trikes and scooters to 

this iconic event. 

The meeting point and route are still being finalised so check out the website 

for further information! Http://www.yorkhill.org/events/yorkhill-easter-egg-run- 

2015 

There is no registration fee, but we will ask every biker to make a suggested 

donation of £10 on arrival. 

Please consider raising sponsorship rather than bringing Easter Eggs and 

chocolate as the hospital is always inundated with treats and many of our 

patients are on special diets or “nil by mouth” and can’t enjoy the eggs. Financial 

donations mean that we can provide specialised medical equipment and other 

resources essential for the care of the children at Yorkhill. 

If you require sponsor forms, posters or any other fundraising materials, please 

call our fundraising team on 0141 201 6917 or email fundraising@yorkhill.org. 

Erskine Motorbike Meet 

Sunday 31 May 1pm - 5pm - Erskine Grounds, 

Bishopton - £5 per motorbike 

100’s of bikes are expected to take part in the Erskine Motorbike Meet 2015 an 

amazing fun day that the kids will love! 

In its 9th year, Erskine Motorbike Meet is a fundraiser for the veterans’ charity. 

There is something for all the family - 100’s of motorbikes & trikes, Glasgow 

Science Centre street buskers, Glasgow Vikings, live music, birds of prey, BBQ, 

craft stalls, and much more on the day. 

Everyone is 

welcome. The day 

starts at 1pm with 

the arrival of the 

motorbike parade, 

led into the main 

area by the Argyll 

& Sutherland 

Highlander 

Association Pipe 

Band. 

Glasgow Accordion Band - 

Back by Popular Demand 

Saturday 18 April at 7.30pm in Kilbarchan East Church Hall. 

This popular 

concert returns 

to Kilbarchan. 

Tickets are 

£8, school age 

£5, including 

refreshments, and 

can be purchased 

from Bobbins 

Coffee Shop or by 

phoning 01505 

702149. 

21 21


Young People 

Gryffe Valley has recently held two events in support of local youngsters and 

each event was generously sponsored by a local businesses. The Primary School 

Quiz was again fiercely contested by teams from St Fillans, Bridge of Weir and 

Houston battling with 10 rounds of 6 general knowledge questions across a 

wide spectrum of topics. Bridge of Weir came out on top and go forward to the 

West of Scotland finals in June, and Gibb-Stuart Home Hardware once again 

provided the prizes. 

Many young people 

have their childhoods 

significantly affected by 

having to act as a carer for 

a parent or sibling. A total of 

84 local Young Carers were 

given a fun night out at 

“Soar at intu”, Braehead – 

a complete break from their 

normal domestic duties. 

RUN FOR TOYS! 

10K Run - Sunday 26 April 

The annual Gryffe Valley 10K run, to be run in aid of the new Toy Library Project, 

is being held on Sunday 26th April over the same course from Houston towards 

Kilmacolm and back via Bridge of Weir. However these are not ordinary toys – 

the aim is to develop with Capability Scotland a toy and therapeutic resource 

lending library to be based at Corseford School in Johnstone which can be 

accessed by children with special needs from all over the West of Scotland. 

The availability of such specialist toys and resources will make a significant 

difference to their well being, experience, play and development opportunities. 

Gryffe Valley 

hopes that the 

run will kick-start 

fundraising for this 

hugely significant 

project and is 

looking for a great 

turnout of runners 

and spectators on 

the day. Full details 

and entry forms 

etc are available 

from the Gryffe 

Valley website and 

facebook page and 

from local newsagents. Don’t forget that there will be drinks and snacks and 

a great social atmosphere for everyone at the prizegiving afterwards in the 

Church Hall in Houston. 

Over 6 evenings, groups of 14 were treated 

to a meal at Frankie and Bennies followed by 

a visit to the SkyPark aerial adventure course 

and a choice of a freefall jump at The Drop or 

an ascent of the climbing wall in the Climbing 

Zone. This year, Doosan Babcock of Renfrew 

came up with a fantastic cheque which virtually covered the entire financial 

cost of the outings which were very much appreciated by these amazing young 

people! 

Paisley Abbey Recitals 

12.30pm on 

Sat 25 April – Peter Wilson (Tenor) 

Sat 23 May – Marjorie Bruce (Organ) 

Tickets £5 at the door 

Paisley Abbey Church – Registered Charity No. SC007633 

GVRC Open Meeting 

Some 30 individuals and representatives from local businesses and 

organisations joined Gryffe Valley members at a special Open Meeting to hear a 

talk from Amanda 

McMillan, MD 

at Glasgow 

Airport. After a 

brief overview of 

Rotary and Gryffe 

Valley activities 

from President 

Angus Matheson, 

Amanda gave an 

informative and 

entertaining talk 

about her career 

and what was 

going on at Glasgow Airport. She described how 

her CA qualification had been her passport from 

being a wee girl in Linwood, via some years at 

Diageo, to being the CEO of the AGS Group which 

runs the airports at Aberdeen and Southampton 

as well as at Glasgow. 

Amanda overviewed activities at the airport, which 

she described as almost being a small town with 

some 5000 people working there to provide a 

quasi public service. She arrived in 2008 just as 

passenger numbers were plummeting following 

the financial crash and has worked hard to restore 

numbers back up to 8 million per annum and on 

an upward trend, with 30 airlines flying to 110 

destinations worldwide – pretty good for a regional 

airport! Apart from significant investment in the 

airport facilities, she explained that a major part of 

their strategy was to work with the City of Glasgow 

to promote it as a destination for conferences, 

sporting and music events etc and as a gateway to 

the rest of Scotland. 

With more investment in the pipeline, new airlines 

and destinations already signed up for 2015 and 

ongoing civic collaboration with “Brand Glasgow”, 

the future of Glasgow Airport is assuredly in safe 

hands!


23 23

24 the advertizer t: 01505 613340 e: info@advertizer.co.uk


25 25


iT blog 

with Colin Fyfe of Colcom 

Revisiting Google Chrome, the internet browser that I prefer to use and 

recommend. Using Internet Favourites is a basic function that you may 

or may not know, this is a tool you will find in any browser so the idea 

will translate across these options, be they Internet Explorer or Firefox or 

Safari. 

What I still call ‘Favourites’ Chrome and Firefox like to refer to as ‘Bookmarks’. 

These are internet address shortcuts that you can save on your browser for 

quick access at a later time. For me, arranging or filing these shortcuts is 

just as important as creating them in the first place. So, In Chrome, go to 

the three horizontal lines that denote a drop down settings menu at the top 

right. Four down see ‘Bookmarks’, select and see ‘Show Bookmarks Bar’, 

Select this too (if this is not already checked). Notice an empty bar appear 

along the top of your browser screen. On this Bar you can right click then 

Select ‘Add a folder’ – call it ‘Money’ or Shopping or gardening or whatever, 

then create as many folders as seem relevant to you just now before visiting 

a web page you frequent. Say, the bank. 

Now you are at your banks login screen, or perhaps the page showing 

your local banks contact details, you can either select the star at the top 

right of the page before selecting the folder you want the shortcut to live in; 

‘Money’. If you should drop it somewhere else, don’t fret, you can just go to 

the folder you accidentally placed the Bookmark and Drag and Drop it into 

the correct place. 

Via the settings menu, bookmarks, notice that you can import Bookmarks 

from other browsers you are using as well as organise them through 

‘Bookmark manager’. 

If you want Chrome on your PC then go to www.ninite.com/chrome On 

a Mac, Chrome works way faster than Safari, you can download it via a 

Google web search for ‘Chrome’. 

Weir Networking 

www.advertizer.co.uk 

• for weekly updates 

• follow us on twitter 

and facebook 

Next meeting: Friday 10 April, 9.30am, Amaretto Bridge of Weir 

The Weir Networking Group’s Guest Speaker will be Samantha Poling from the BBC Frontline 

Scotland. Winner of Three Bafta awards and an extremely Interesting lady. 

About Samantha Poling - In 1998 she joined BBC Scotland, and later became the channel’s Health 

Correspondent. She still works for the channel on BBC Scotland Investigates. 

In 2002 she moved into investigative journalism, making the film The Untouchable about a senior 

police officer who had raped and stalked a female crime women who he had met through his work. 

He was later jailed for 12 years for the attacks. She then joined Frontline, making investigative films, 

including the award winning Critical Error which investigated overdoses in radiotherapy treatment for 

cancer patients in hospitals around 

the UK, which prompted changes in 

the way radiotherapy dosages are 

delivered. She later spent time in 

Iraq filming a documentary about the 

Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 

and travelled to India to examine the 

call centre industry for a programme 

about banking. 

In 2004, Poling made the multi-award 

winning film Security Wars, in which 

she went undercover to expose 

a cartel of gunmen and convicted 

murderers involved in lucrative 

national security contracts. The film 

forced the legislative tightening-up of 

security legislation, and won Poling 

the first of her three BAFTA’s. 

In October 2012, Poling filmed 

Britain’s Private War, which exposed 

flaws in G4S’s security vetting 

procedures.


27 27 

LOCAL 

history 

The Draining of Castle Semple Loch 

Around 13,000 years ago, all of Renfrewshire west of the Black Cart was 

an island in the Clyde, twice the size of Arran and almost as dramatic. It is 

a sobering warning of the potential effects of climate change, that a warm 

period between glaciations had raised sea level by around thirty metres. 

At that time, it was possible to sail through the Lochwinnoch Gap from 

what is now Paisley, west to the Ayrshire coast at Irvine. Today this seems 

ridiculous, yet the Eglinton family tried to do the very same thing with a 

canal, until their ambitions dried up at Johnstone, less than half way from 

Glasgow to the coast. 

Castle Semple Loch from Kenmuir Hill 

Half way along the Lochwinnoch Gap lies Castle Semple Loch, a focal 

point of the country park of Castle Semple Country Park. Three hundred 

years ago, Castle Semple Loch and Barr Loch were one single stretch of 

water, six kilometres long. The lochs are only two or three metres deep, and 

the ground underneath is rich in decomposed vegetable matter. From the 

1680s, a number of ambitious engineering projects were carried out to drain 

away the water, and create hundreds of acres of fertile farmland. The first 

scheme was more than 300 years ago, when the Semples began a scheme 

to make Castle Semple Loch ‘Meadow-Ground’. 

Johnstone History Society 

The next meeting of the Society is on Tuesday 14 April in the 

Masonic Hall, Collier Street, Johnstone at 7.30pm. 

The speaker will be David Mitchell 

and his subject is “Scotland’s 

Iron Founding Industry”. David is 

the Director of Conservation with 

Historic Scotland. 

Part of his job with Historic Scotland 

is to care for the 345 properties and 

their collections which are held by 

Scottish Ministers on behalf of the 

people of Scotland Visitors and 

new members will away be made 

welcome at our meetings. 

The Johnstone History Museum 

situated in Morrison’s at the 

Collier Street is open Wednesday 

to Friday and Saturday from 

10.30am till 4pm and is manned 

by volunteers from the Society. 

We have a range of books, maps 

and publications on sale in the 

museum. 

At its east end, Castle Semple loch drains away down the Black Cart via 

Johnstone, to the join the Gryfe and the White Cart, before meeting the 

Clyde at Inchinnan. Each successive drainage scheme had two main 

features. Firstly, the Black Cart was deepened at its outlet from the loch, to 

allow the water in the loch to drain away more easily. A dam and sluice were 

built at the outlet to allow the water level to be controlled. Secondly, as the 

loch emptied, a canal was dug down the centre to drain the water towards 

the Black Cart. The burns which flowed into the loch were channelled into 

this central canal. At the time, the Semple family were in decline, and the 

initial drainage scheme had limited results. 

In 1726 Castle Semple was purchased by sugar planter William McDowall, 

on his return from the Caribbean. McDowall purchased Castle Semple 

estate specifi cally ‘in expectations of making it a profitable purchase, in the 

hope of draining the loch of about 500 acres, which will be of more value 

than the estate’. 

© 2015 Stuart Nisbet, Renfrewshire Local History Forum 

Next month: Draining Castle Semple Loch, 2


Driving licence changes 

From 8 June 2015, the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence 

will not be valid and will no longer be issued by DVLA. The counterpart 

was introduced to display driving licence details that could not be included 

on the photocard. These details include some vehicle categories you are 

entitled to drive and any endorsement/penalty points. 

Please note, this does not affect photocard licences issued by DVA in 

Northern Ireland. 

If you already hold a paper counterpart, after 8 June 2015 it will no longer 

have any legal status. You should destroy your paper counterpart after this 

date, but you still need to keep your current photocard driving licence. 

Paper driving licences issued before the photocard was introduced in 1998 

will remain valid and should not be destroyed. 

If you need to update your name, address or renew your licence, you will be 

issued with a photocard only. 

From 8 June 2015 penalty 

points (endorsements) will no 

longer be shown on driving 

licence. This information will be 

held on DVLA’s driver record, 

and can be checked online, by 

phone or post. 

The decision to abolish the 

counterpart was as a result of 

the government’s Red Tape 

Challenge consultation on 

road transportation. It also aligns to DVLA’s Strategic Plan which includes 

commitment to simplifying our services. 

Inconsiderate Parking 

Police in Glasgow are to initiate a crackdown in order to address problems 

caused by inconsiderate double parking in the city. 

The authorities are taking action following a number of complaints from 

motorists that other drivers are creating blockages by parking in inappropriate 

places. 

Problems arising from such conduct include limiting access to shops, 

causing mobility issues for pedestrians and preventing other motorists from 

leaving the area.


29 29


World Book Night comes to 


Everything changes when we read. 

Your local World Book Night event will take place at Amaretto 

Restaurant and Pizzeria, 60 Main Street, Bridge of Weir, PA11 3AB 

on Thursday 23 April, starting at 7.30pm. 

The guest speaker will be poet Jim Carruth, who will be reading some of his 

poetry. 

• Free book supplied by the Reading Agency from this year’s World Book 

Night list – 3 titles to choose from. 

• Book Swap – bring along an ‘old read’ to swap for a great ‘new read’ for 

a small donation. 

• Quiz – test your literary knowledge in our book quiz 

• Raffle – all proceeds of the raffle and swap go to outstanding local 

charity Quarriers 

If you have any spare audio books that you could donate to Quarriers’ literacy 

projects, please bring them along to Amaretto on World Book Night. 

Learn more about the Reading Agency and World Book Night at www. 

worldbooknight.org. 

St Mary’s Lecture 2015 

Tuesday 21 April at 7pm 

Alastair McIntosh, Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the College of Social 

Sciences at the University of Glasgow and a Research Fellow at the School 

of Divinity (New 

College) in the 

University of 

Edinburgh will 

speak on A Virginity 

Most Subversive for 

Our Times. 

To be followed by 

refreshments, and 

time to talk to our 

lecturer. If you need 

further information, 

please call Gill 

Reynolds on 01505 

842629. 

Photo - C Médiathèque Lafarge - Alain Le Breton 

Horsewood Road, Bridge of Weir 

by Fiona McEwan from PCPC 

bishopton, langbank 

& bridge of weir 

..................................................... 

Memorial - Bridge of Weir & 

the First World War 

100 years ago this month – April 1915 

Neil Watson Macdonald, 5th Canadian 

(Royal Highlanders) 

April was to see the fifth addition to Bridge of Weir’s 

war dead. Neil Watson Macdonald was born in 

1881 in Leeds, where his father John, originally 

from Bowmore, ran the Clarendon Hotel, and where 

Neil was to spend his formative years. In the early 

1890’s, the family returned to Scotland and John 

took over the “Wheat Sheaf” Inn, Burngill, Bridge 

of Weir. Neil was still of school age and joined the 

local Boys Brigade. 

By 1901, he was a plumber’s apprentice in lodgings 

in Bowmore, working the family connections. By 

1912 his parents had retired to Pollokshields and 

Neil decided to follow the exciting prospect of a new life in Canada. When 

Britain declared war, a call for a Canadian Expeditionary Force was impressively 

supported by volunteers and by early October 1914 the first contingent of 

33,000 Canadians, including Neil, had arrived for training in England. 

The 1st Canadian Division arrived in France on 16th February 1915 and was 

assigned to the front line. On the morning of 22nd April they relieved the French 

11th Division holding 4,500 yards of the Ypres Salient. That evening would mark 

the start of a series of German offensives which, according to the Reichsarchiv, 

“had their origin solely in the desire to try the new weapon, gas, thoroughly at 

the front.” 

At 5pm, the Germans released the valves on 5730 cylinders of chlorine gas 

which formed a green cloud moving at 5 miles an hour directly into a French 

Algerian detachment who were forced back in panic, requiring the Canadians 

to hold the breach. On the early hours of the 24th April the Canadian line was 

subjected to a pounding barrage of German artillery. Another gas cloud was 

released at 4 am. At 8.30am, in a lull in the bombardment, Neil’s battalion was 

ordered back to the Gravenstafel Ridge. 

By the end of the offensive, Ypres had been held but the Canadians had lost 

over 6,000 men, a third of their strength, in only 48 hours. 

Neil was probably a victim of that artillery bombardment on the morning of the 

24th April. His body was never found. He was 34. 

Read more about Neil’s life and untimely death at http://www. 

bridgeofweirmemorial.co.uk/index.html 

Gordon Masterton 

St Mary’s Church 

We have a regular cycle of prayer for those who live and work in Bridge of 

Weir. The dates of prayers for local roads are as follows: 5th April, Rosemount 

Lane. 12th April, Shillingworth Place. 19th April, Southbrae Avenue. 26th 

April, Southview Court. For further information, to ask for special prayers, or in 

pastoral emergency, please call the Rector on 01475 705378. 

St Mary’s Church, Scottish Episcopal Church. Delighting to praise God; Showing 

Christ’s love; Growing in faith. Services Sundays at 10am.


31 31 

This last week has been a right pain for drivers in Bridge 

of Weir with no less than three sets of road works going 

on (Kilmacolm Rd, Main Street, and Horsewood Road), 

hopefully we will all forget the trauma of it when the roads 

are pot hole free. Thanks to everyone for filling in my Pothole 

Watch Forms. Renfrewshire Council have agreed to carry 

out further carriageway resurfacing work in Ward 10 during 

2015/2016: 

• A8 Greenock Road (East), Bishopton, area 2000m 2 

, 

cost £44,000 

• A8 Greenock Road (West), Bishopton, area 3500m 2 

, 

cost £77,000 

• Castle Crescent, Bishopton, area 1750m 2 

, cost £38,500 

• Yarrow Crescent, Bishopton, area 1300m 2 

, cost £28,600 

And Footway resurfacing work: 

• Ferry Road, Bishopton, area 700m 2 

, cost £16,800 

• Houston Road, Bridge of Weir, area 250m 2 

, cost £6,000 

• Old Greenock Road, Bishopton, area 310m 2 

, cost £7,440 

Langbank residents are coming up with some wonderful suggestions re the 

West Ferry car park project and gaining back access to the foreshore with 

footbridges, as well as creating a community garden. The hope is to accomplish 

the “www” from this project (www = waterways, woodlands & wellbeing). The 

hope is to involve the whole community in giving new life and access to our at 

risk heritage sites. 

Bishopton residents living near the railway station are becoming frustrated 

by the inconsiderate parking which takes place by commuters. A number of 

people have approached me about the problem. I am seeking a solution but in 

the meantime can I request that the residential streets be kept free of all day 

parking. 

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. 

Bishopton Art Group to exhibit 

in Bridge Of Weir 

Between Tuesday 14th April and Friday 15th May at The Bridge, 63 Main Street, 

Bridge of Weir, members of Bishopton Art Group will be exhibiting a selection 

of their paintings. The paintings will also be available for sale. Access to the 

exhibition is free and is during The Bridge’s opening hours. 

This exhibition follows on from the Group’s successful exhibition last year at 

Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens. Members of Bishopton Art Group are all amateur 

artists and use a variety of mediums and styles. 

The exhibition at The Bridge is open during the following hours: Monday 9am- 

5pm; Tuesday 1pm-5pm; Wednesday 10am-2pm; Thursday 10am-2pm; Friday 

1pm-5pm; & Saturday 9am-1pm. (Sunday closed) 

Linda Mitchell, organiser of Bishopton Art Group’s exhibition at The Bridge 

said: 

“Bishopton Art Group is pleased to announce that we will be exhibiting at The 

Bridge in Bridge of Weir. It gives those that have not had the opportunity to 

travel to Bishopton or to our other events, the chance to see a nice selection of 

paintings by local artists. If they wish, they can also purchase a painting.” 

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. Thank you in advance. 

St Machar’s Ranfurly Church - 

The Masqueraders 

Following the success of the last 2 years, the Masqueraders are holding another 

concert this year which will be held on Saturday 25th April in St Machar’s 

Ranfurly Church Hall. The group are currently rehearsing regularly for this, and 

another entertaining night is greatly anticipated! 

Tickets are £5 each and are available by phoning 01505 612472. 

Gryffe Voices 

Gryffe Voices is a new community choir, for all adults who enjoy singing. We 

meet on Monday evenings from 8pm to 9.45pm at Freeland Church, Main 

Street, Bridge of Weir. 

We sing pop, rock, folk, gospel, songs from around the world and musicals. 

Come and join us if you like singing and want to have fun, whether or not you 

read music. 

For more details contact gryffevoices@gmail.com. 

Take a Bow 

Local Ladies Writing & Drama Group, Take a Bow, presents an evening of 

comedy, tragedy, poetry, good company and great wine! This takes place at 

Bernie’s Cafe Deli, Bridge of Weir, on Thursday 2nd April starting at 8pm. 

Tickets are £5 and available at Bernie’s.


Health and Social Care integration is a Scottish 

Government policy aimed at improving co-ordination 

of the funding and delivery of health and social work 

services for adults. In Renfrewshire the Policy Board 

that oversees social work will be replaced in April 2016 

by an Integrated Joint Board made up of four Health 

representatives and four local authority Councillors. 

This is a development which, in principle, should be 

welcomed. However, the council administration has 

excluded councillors from all the opposition parties from 

the new board. They have appointed all four council 

representatives and substitute members from their 

own party. In a blatant denial of democracy, 55% of the councillors are 

excluding the other 45% of the representatives of the people of Paisley 

and Renfrewshire. The concept of collaborative working seems to elude our 

Council leaders. I hope their partisan approach does not blight the future of 

the Integrated Joint Board. 

Some Langbank residents, supported by the Community Council have 

promoted a petition to improve safety at the roundabout. I contacted 

the transport minister, Derek Mackay who is also our local MSP about 

the issue. He advised that a safety assessment will be undertaken by 

Transport Scotland this Spring and any recommended safety measures will 

be implemented. The Minister also advised that Transport Scotland have 

asked Transerv to inspect the end of motorway regulations sign and make 

any necessary changes to ensure it is clearly visible. 

I welcome the establishment of a residents group by the new residents of 

Dargavel Village. The shared surface signage for the roads is an ongoing 

saga. I have asked the roads officers to apply more pressure on the 

developers to expedite this matter. 

The present road resurfacing in Bridge of Weir from the 2014/15 

infrastructure budget will be followed by some further works in 2015/16 for 

which £6,000 is budgeted from the total infrastructure expenditure for the 

Ward of approximately £218,000. I doubt if this acknowledgement of the 

disproportionate contribution of council tax from the village will be marked 

with any celebrations! 

Contact: email cllr.maria.brown@renfrewshire.gov.uk, call 03003 001259 

or mobile 07534 148734 

Surgeries: Bridge of Weir - 1st Tues of the month Cargill Hall 11am – 

11.30am, Bishopton/Langbank - 2nd Wed of the month Bishopton 

Community Library 6.15pm - 6.45pm. 



..................................................... 

Bridge of Weir Gala Queen 

Following the Gala Queen Selection Night on Saturday 7th March in the Cargill Hall, 

Bridge of Weir Festival Committee are delighted to announce that our Gala Queen 

Elect is Neve Watt and her two Attendants are Alice Gibb and Rachel Swordy. We 

congratulate them all and look forward to an enjoyable year. 

We would like to 

thank all the girls 

who attended the 

night, but who 

were unsuccessful 

- The three judges, 

Jennifer, Fiona 

and Josie, all 

of whom came 

from outside the 

village, said that 

it was a difficult 

job selecting 

the girls as the 

quality of girls who attended 

was extremely high. 

Langbank SWI 

Our annual AGM, dinner and prizegiving will be held at Gleddoch House Hotel 

(club house) on Thursday 16th April, 7pm for 7.30pm. 

Bridge of Weir SWRI 

The next meeting of the Rural takes place on Thursday 2nd of April at 7.30pm 

in the British Legion and is our Annual General Meeting and Mini Show with 

Ingrid Naismith who will talk about the charity Help for Heroes. All members and 

visitors will be very welcome. 

Wacky-Wheels 

This year’s Gala Day Parade is all about using your imagination to get from the 

Cargill Hall up to Houston Road Park on wheels! 

If it’s your bike, scooter, go-kart, wheelbarrow, or something even more 

imaginative, get it ready for the Wackiest Race you’ve ever seen – the more 

eccentric the better. The most imaginative, creative, funniest, most colourful 

entry will win a splendiferous prize! 

So why not have a go, make sure you’re at the Cargill Hall for 11:30am on 

Saturday 13th June to be judged! We’ll see you there!



Community Council 

33 33 

At the March meeting of the Community Council Inspector Glass reported that 

crime activity for the past month was low, but did include one case of cannabis 

cultivation at premises in the village and one instance of housebreaking and 

entry. Other crimes concerned one theft from a local shop and one under 

the dangerous dogs act. Another concern is the continued targeting of high 

performance cars across the county. It was also reported that the Rural Watch 

scheme will be up and running with dedicated officers in post by the end of 

March. As always at this time of year residents should be extra vigilant in 

ensuring doors and windows are locked as well as garages and out-buildings. 

Members raised concerns about unlicensed mini motor bike riding at various 

locations. Inspector Glass will investigate and report back and advised members 

that any suspicious activity should be reported by telephoning 101. 

Councillor MacLaren reported that the faulty lighting at Livery Walk car park will 

be replaced. He has also received a number of complaints about the new traffic 

speed restrictions through Brookfield. Anyone prepared to organise a petition 

on this matter should contact Cllr. MacLaren directly. 

The Community Council can be contacted through our web address www. 

bridgeofweir.org and can now also be found on Facebook where any current 

and up-to-date information will be published. 

The Community Council will be representing the village at a meeting with McGill’s 

bus company in an effort to find a fairer solution to routes serving the village 

and to gain information on what is widely seen as unfair pricing of fares. 

Bridge of Weir Community Council Meetings 

Meetings are held in the Cargill Hall, Bridge of Weir at 7pm. Forthcoming dates 

are as follows: 

April - Tuesday 7th, May - Tuesday 5th, June - Tuesday 2nd 

Bridge of Weir Tenants and 

Residents Association 

The latest meeting of Bridge of Weir TARA was well attended, with Councillor 

James McLaren, Police Inspector Cassie Glass and Drew McNab and the 

Wardens Service from Renfrewshire Council present. 

There were seven crimes committed in the village over the past month with four 

of those in the one street, one of which involved the cultivation of cannabis. 

Elsewhere around the village there was two breaches of the peace and one case 

of shoplifting. Two rural police officers will commence their duties around the 

local villages from the 25th March and will be looking to establish themselves 

within these communities. 

The pot holes in Livery Walk car park will be filled in as soon as possible and the 

car park’s one-way system will be further highlighted. The footpath in Elm Road 

is to be resurfaced in the near future. 

The Wardens reported that the removal of wheelie bins on Millbrae was 

continuing to be a problem and that they are again visiting local residents and 

shop owners regarding this ongoing problem. It was also reported that a dog 

walker in Houston Road Park was given a £40 fixed penalty for not cleaning up 

after one of the four dogs in his care. 

The next meeting of the Association, which is also the AGM, is on Tuesday 21 

April in the Pirie Centre at Freeland Church and starts at 7.30pm. 

Bus Services Meeting 

On 17 March, TARA members and a member of the community met with Ralph 

Roberts of McGills Buses to discuss the X7 and 19 services to Bridge of Weir. 

Mr Roberts stated that while there would be no change of route or fares on the 

X7 service, he would look into why the £1 Kids summer holiday fare has not 

been made available on this service. He will also look at whether an off peak 

fare could be implemented. 

There are future plans to terminate this service at Port Glasgow with passengers 

switching to local services to continue to Greenock. Greenock buses run every 1 

1/2 minutes from Port Glasgow. 

There are no plans to introduce changes to service 19 and currently McGills 

subsidise this service in house to the tune of £40,000 per year. 

Mr Roberts advised that improvements in bus services would be by implementing 

new services rather than removing existing ones. He also said that McGills would 

look at a Gryffe Valley Hub services which would link Bridge of Weir, Houston, 

Linwood, Phoenix Retail Park, Johnstone and Brookfield. 

McGills Network Planners will look into this after Easter and their findings and 

recommendations will be presented at a further meeting on Monday 11 May. 

The Bridge 

Exciting News - we now have a Facebook page. 

Please follow us on Facebook at “the-bridge-in-bridge-of-weir”. We look 

forward to collecting a number of “likes” from you all. 

Shop News – an extensive variety of Greeting Cards are on sale to cover most 

special occasions. Our usual stationery items are always in stock. The awaited 

Bridge of Weir postcards are now on display. Our thanks go to The Paisley Colour 

Photographic Club for providing the picturesque images. 

Hobby Group - continues to meet on a Wednesday morning between 10.30am 

and 12 noon. Please drop in for a chat and a cup of tea. Hobbies are welcome but 

not essential. It is a time to catch up with friends and the friendly volunteers. 

Post Office - going on holiday soon? Call in to collect leaflets on Travel Insurance, 

Travel Moneycard and order Currency. 

Help is at Hand within your Community Centre – Do you have any issues 

to resolve? An appointment with one of your local MSP’s, MP or Citizens 

Advice Bureau staff is the answer. Please call in to find out the times of their 

surgeries. 

An evening out at The Bridge – twice monthly, you can enjoy a film in The Bridge. 

Please collect a Programme. 

The Garden –we are again appreciative of the work The Allotments and Garden 

Society undertake in the garden at the rear of The Bridge, ensuring we can 

enjoy seasonal changes. 

If you have suggestions as to how your Community Centre can meet the needs 

of the village more effectively, please let us know. 

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) 

Laura’s Nail & Beauty Lounge has 

now been established for over a year 

in Bridge of Weir. As many of you 

will know we offer many fabulous 

treatments. 

Natural nails is our passion, so of 

course we offer OPI Gelcolor polish 

in a vast array of colours that can 

last 10 to 14 days. 

We have a treatment room where 

all aspects of body and facial waxing are offered as well as eyebrow 

shaping and tinting and our exclusive LVL natural lash lift. 

Enter our luxurious therapy room where you can choose from our range 

of relaxing or deep tissue stimulating massages. 

Our purpose built spray tan room with full ventilation system has been a 

great success in producing many beautiful natural tans. 

Scheduling that essential ‘Me Time’ couldn’t be easier, contact us by 

phone, text or on our popular Facebook page where you will discover 

many exclusive Lounge offers. 

01505-690090 

07872-929798 

37 Main Street, 

Bridge of Weir

34 the advertizer t: 01505 613340 e: info@advertizer.co.uk


35 35




..................................................... 

Bishopton Community Council 

About two years ago the community council set up six small working groups to 

look at various aspects of the impact of the R.O. development on the expanding 

village. Things have moved on and we are now nearing the first of the asset 

transfers that required the setting up of the Bishopton Community Trust. 

One of the original groups consisted of a member of each of the interest groups 

and that group put the mechanics in place to creat the Community Trust Board 

which now meets monthly and is finalising the necessary legal processes that 

are required to take on the assets that have to be transferred to the Community 

as part of the 'Section 75' agreement. 

The other five groups:- 1 Sport and Leisure, 

2 Community Culture Religion, 

3 Woodlands Footpaths Cycle paths, 

4 Education, 

5 Healthcare 

have now been split between the Trust and the Community Council as they have 

different focuses to apply. 

The first three are aspects that we as a community can have a strong influence 

as to what we want and by being under the auspices of the Trust, which will 

have charitable status, can go out to outside bodies to raise funds for whatever 

projects that have the support of the community as a whole. 

The latter two are statutory requirements provided to the Community by either 

the Renfrewshire Council Education department or the Renfrewshire Health 

and Social work department (formerly the Community Health Partnership) and 

they are better supported by the Community Council which has a formal role in 

the Renfrewshire Local Authority Structure. 

These groups were set up over two years ago and some people have come and 

gone and many people have moved into the community since so at this time 

if anyone is interested in joining any of these groups please contact the Chair 

of the Trust Scott Wilson,(scott.wilson@live.co.uk) the Chair of the Community 

Council (davidwoodrow@btinternet.com) or the Group coordinator Fiona 

Robertson (fionaj.robertson@yahoo.co.uk) 

All of the Groups are now anticipating a much higher level of activity so we are 

actively seeking contact with the Community for ideas and support. 

Parking is still an issue around the Railway Station which should be a bit better 

after the 20th March when the the new access ramp will be completed. The 

biggest issue is inconsiderate parking in Poplar Avenue and Gledstane Road 

which prevents service vehicles access to houses or Community Resources. 

The Community Council are aware of the lack of a path from the Southern 

development area and are trying to get planning to resolve this issue. In the 

meantime as the Primary School is over 2 miles from the Development forms, 

available from the School, should be completed to give access bussing which 

might help to alleviate the traffic issues at the School. 

Finally on Wednesday 15th April, we have arranged a litter sweep of the Wester 

Rossland Woods and possibly the Drumcross Road which have been highlighted 

as areas that are in need of a clean up. Bibs, gloves, pickers and hoops will 

be available and any support would be most welcome.Times and rendezvous 

points will be posted on local notice boards or on social media. 

howwood 

& elderslie 

..................................................... 

Spring is in the air and hopefully we will have a good summer. 

With the better weather here, the Howwood Community 

Council have organised the village spring clean for the 

weekend of the 11th and 12th April. I hope as many villagers 

as possible are able to lend a hand. 

I know it is causing a bit of disruption in the village, but it 

is good to see the work being done to improve Broadband 

services in the area. 

The recently opened new Town Hall in Johnstone is a great 

facility for Johnstone and the surrounding villages and will 

give Johnstone Town centre a much needed boost following 

the loss of the swimming pool. 

Following the council's budget announcements part of Midton Road is to be 

resurfaced. This road suffers badly during the winter so the money allocated 

is very welcome. 

Persimmon Homes are interested in building houses at the old St Cuthbert's 

school site. They are holding a pre-planning consultation to seek local people's 

views before they put in a formal planning application. The building work at 

the Howwood Inn seems to be moving on. I, for one, am looking forward to 

it reopening. I know many villagers have missed it. Thanks to people who 

contacted me following my request for villagers experiences during the icy 

weather. 

Contact: email cllr.iain.mcmillan@renfrewshire.gov.uk 

Howwood WRI 

Meet in Howwood Village Hall at 7.30pm on Tuesday 21st April. 

Spring Coffee Evening, with guest from neighbouring Rurals. 

Entertainment by Music Box, Hostesses - Full committee. 

Grant 

McNicoll - Solo 

Exhibition 

Grant, age 24, from Bridge of Weir, 

graduated from Grays School of 

Art in 2012 with a BA(Hons) in 

Fine Art. He previously attended 

Cardonald College and Gryffe High 

School. Grant has a studio in Govan 

where he produces his work and 

has exhibited in several galleries in 

Scotland. 

This exhibition coming up will 

be Grants first solo show since 

leaving art school. The show will 

be in Aberdeen at the Newave 

Gallery and will run from the 

4th of April until the 28th. 

The artworks he produces are 

visual narratives that focus on 

the aspects of daily life that we 

tend to overlook, things such 

as dilapidated architecture and 

vandalism.


houston, crosslee 

& brookfield 

..................................................... 

Table Tennis Carrick 

Players 

Table Tennis is on at the Houston 

Village Hall on Monday nights from 

7.30-9.30pm. All welcome. Donation 

£2. Contact person: Mark Canning on 

07968 052538. 

H.O.S.T. The 

Carrick Centre, 

Houston 

The newly formed Carrick Players 

are staging their first production 

“Passing Places” a Popular comedy 

by Stephen Greenhorn, on Saturday 

30th & Sunday 31st May at 7.30pm 

in the Carrick Centre, Houston. Ticket 

details will follow in the May issue of 

The Advertizer, but if you would like to 

help on (or off) stage please contact 

Bill Walker on 01505 612262. 

What’s on APRIL 2015 

Monday to Friday, Woodlands Out of School 01505 615438 

MONDAY: Embroiderers Guild (weekly) - 10am; Yoga (weekly) 1pm Mary 

Laidlaw 01505 842877; Rockstar Tumbling Class 20th & 27th 4.15pm Roz 

Hart 07734 714131; Carrick Players Drama Group 20th & 27th 7.30pm Bill 

Walker 01505 612262; Diaporama 13th 7.30pm 

TUESDAY: Paint Pot Tots 21st & 28th 10am Dawn Campbell 07789 262350; 

Yoga (weekly) 7pm M/s Lawson 01505 613690; Musical Theatre 21st & 28th 

4pm 

WEDNESDAY: French Class (weekly) 22nd & 29th 3.15pm F McDevitt 0141 

886 6282; Galaxy Dance (weekly) 22nd & 29th 4pm Lauren 07974 285102; 

Councillors Surgeries 15th 6.30pm; Gryffe Melody Makers 8th & 22nd 7pm; 

Camera Club (weekly) except 8th 7.30pm; Houston Community Council 15th 

7:30pm 

THURSDAY: Quilting Group 9th & 23th 1.15pm & 1.15pm; French Class 

(weekly) 4pm F McDevitt; Crafty Friends 2nd 16th & 30th 7.30pm; Folk Club 

(weekly) 8pm Paddybullen@live.co.uk 

FRIDAY: Galaxy Dancing (weekly) 3rd & 24th 4pm Lauren 

SATURDAY: Galaxy Dancing 4th & 25th 9.30am Lauren; Unite Dance 4th & 

25th 2pm Gary Fay 07814 582989 

SUNDAY: Baptist Church (weekly) 11am and 6pm 

Booking enquiries to Ian Simpson, 01505 612203 Sandy Young 01505 331488 

hostbooking@outlook.com or The Coffee Shop 

Houston & Killellan Agricultural 

Society Annual Show 

The schedules for the craft and baking section of Houston and Killellan Show 

now available from committee members, The Paper Shop, North Street, The 

Post Office, and Strawberryfields Nursery, Back o Hill or by contacting Isabelle 

Stuart 01505 613479 or e-mail issistuart@fsmail.net. Houston Show will be 

held on Saturday 6th June. 

Houston Kirk Extension 

The slates are on, the roughcast is being finished and there are even lights to 

be seen inside. We are near to having a finished Kirk Extension – the only snag 

being that the fundraising is far from over! 

We’re looking forward to everything our new building will bring to the life of 

our church. The balance of many of our activities is bound to shift towards the 

Church itself. Sunday Club will now run closer to normal Sunday Worship, which 

we hope will be of great benefit to families and help renew our energies as a 

congregation. 

The visit of the Moderator of the Church of Scotland on the 14th March proved 

that there is a wider interest in our project, but the Quiz Night on the same date 

and the forthcoming Kirk Carnival on Saturday 9th May highlight our continuing 

need to pay for it all. Once again the profits from the Kirk Carnival will be devoted 

to the Kirk Extension Fund. 

At the recent Environmental Policy Board the 2015/16 

Renfrewshire’s Carriageway Resurfacing programme of 

£1.68 million was approved. Over £0.25million was agreed 

for partial resurfacing of roads within Houston, including 

Barochan Road, Houston Road, Magnus Road, Fulton Drive 

and Piper Road. On the Footway Resurfacing programme 

sections of Claymore Drive and Craigburn Avenue have been 

identified for resurfacing. 

Finally after many years of pursuing Renfrewshire’s 

Education Department and following last year’s consultation 

it has been agreed to alter the catchment area of St Fillan’s 

Primary School now allowing all children living in Houston 

to be able to attend the Local Schools. This change to the catchment area 

eliminates the need for Houston children to apply for placing requests to 

Primary Schools while school transport will now be provided for those children 

who qualify starting in August 2015. 

I am still receiving complaints regarding dog fouling in the villages. Can I again 

appeal to those dog owners who allow their dogs to foul tended grassed areas, 

and especially footpaths, that they clean up after their pets and deposit the 

mess in the bins provided. 

The report of the Renfrewshire Tackling Poverty Commission was launched 

earlier this month. This commission is the first of its kind in Scotland and its 

report and recommendations can be found on the Council website. 

The Provost’s Community Awards will be held on 27th March. I was one of the 

judging panel with the unenviable job of selecting, along with the other judges, 

the winners in the relevant categories. 

Surgeries: 2nd Tuesday of each month in Brookfield Village Hall from 6pm to 

6.30pm then in Houston Village Hall from 7pm to 7.45pm. 

Contact: 01505 610018 or 0300 300 12 65 or e-mail cllr.allan.noon@ 

renfrewshire.gov.uk 

Houston & Crosslee SWI 

Our last meeting of the year, on Wednesday 8th April, will be our AGM and Mini 

Show. The meeting will be held in the Compass Centre, South Street, Houston 

at 7.30pm. 

37 37


kilmacolm 

& quarriers 

..................................................... 

Looking for a local venue? 

Kilmacolm Guide Hut has recently been re-furbished and is a fantastic facility 

in the village with easy access and parking for community events, parties or 

regular classes. If you are interested in hiring the Hut please contact Jackie on 

01505 873488. 

Holy Week Services 

- St Columba Church of 

Scotland 

Services will be held each evening from Monday 

30th March to Friday 3rd April at 7.30pm in the large 

hall, Bridge of Weir Road. 

Speakers are: Rev Douglas Cranston, Rev Alistair 

Horne, Rev Gerry Middleton and Rev Jonathon De 

Groot. 

Come and join us as we remember and rejoice in the 

death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

The Willow 

Cafe 

Gillian Armstrong is delighted to 

announce that the cafe within 

the Kilmacolm New Community 

Centre is under new management 

and is now open for business. 

Along with a name change to 'The 

Willow Cafe' the new improved 

facility will provide an assortment 

of freshly made food and home 

baking to tickle your taste buds. 

We look forward to seeing you all 

there. 

Gillian 

Kilmacolm Primary School Parent Partnership recently held a useful meeting 

with the Council’s School Estates Team to discuss the forthcoming £3.7m 

refurbishment project, which is due to commence in October this year and 

be completed within 12 months. Among the issues discussed were the likely 

timing of the decant of the primary school (the nursery is remaining on site) 

and the arrangements for transporting pupils to and from the former St 

Stephen’s High School building in Port Glasgow. Further meetings are planned 

in the coming months to ensure that parents are kept fully informed during the 

development of this exciting project for the school. 

The Council’s Environment & Regeneration Committee last month approved 

£4.3m of investment in our roads infrastructure during this financial year, 

2015/16. The major project for Kilmacolm and Quarrier’s Village is the main 

A761 road to Bridge of Weir. The carriageway will be fully resurfaced from the junction with the B788 to the boundary 

with Renfrewshire Council. Extensive drainage improvement works will be undertaken before the carriageway works 

commence. Park Road in Kilmacolm is also due to have its footway renewed. 

There are a number of other carriageway and footway projects in the area that are on reserve lists. If these are not 

completed during 2015/16 they will be priority for 2016/17. 

The Port Glasgow I-Youth Zone was officially opened by Councillor McColgan on 23 March. This new drop in centre 

for young people is located at Dubbs Place, adjacent to Boglestone Community Centre. 

The I-Youth Zone provides a safe place for young people to participate in a range of activities, gain access to advice 

and support and encourages them to become actively involved in their communities. Young people aged 12+ can 

meet friends, access computers/internet, make arts and crafts, participate in team activities, play games and have 

access to trained youth work staff. The project also provides a range of information on various issues such as alcohol 

and drugs, sexual health, mental health and bullying. 

The I-Youth Zone is open to young people from Kilmacolm and Quarrier’s Village as well as their peers from Port 

Glasgow. For further information, please contact Youth Work Services on 01475 715450 or e-mail: CLD.Admin@ 

inverclyde.gov.uk 

Councillor McColgan 

Surgeries: Tuesday 7 April, 6–7pm in Boglestone Community Centre and Thursday 23 April, 6-7pm in 

St Francis’ Primary School. 

Contact: 01475 712727 (during office hours) and 07881 280016 (anytime) or email james. 

mccolgan@inverclyde.gov.uk. Alternatively you can write to me at Inverclyde Council, Municipal 

Buildings, Greenock PA15 1LY. 

Website: http://jamesmccolgan.com. You can also follow me on Twitter @jamesmccolgan. 

Councillor McCabe 

Surgeries: Tuesday 14 April, 5.30 - 6.30pm in Boglestone Community Centre and Tuesday 28 April, 

6–7pm in Kilmacolm Community Centre. 

Contact: 01475 712020 (during office 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. 

Blog: http://councillorstephenmccabe.blogspot.com/ and follow me on Twitter @Kilmacolm1.


Easter Celebration 

in Quarriers Village 

39 39 

You are warmly invited to our Easter Services at Mount Zion Church, Law View 

Road. 

• Palm Sunday, 29 March, 

Family Worship, 10.30am. 

• Maundy Thursday 

Communion, 7pm 

• Good Friday Meditation, 

2.30pm 

• Easter Sunday Family 

Celebration, 10.30am, 

followed by a brunch in aid 

of Mercy Ships. 

Why not come and discover the 

heart of Christianity with us? 

Static 24-hour Cycle Fundraiser 

Come along on Friday 3rd April from 2pm until Saturday 4th April at 2pm, at the 

Kilmacolm Library and help raise funds for Kilmacolm Scout Group. 

A mammoth session of static cycling to raise much needed funds for our group. 

All adults welcome to come and cycle. Anyone welcome to come along and 

cheer. We look forward to seeing you there. 

OUTLOOK 

The Kilmacolm afternoon social group for friendship and 

fellowship, organised by the Old Kirk. We meet in Kidston 

Hall on 1st and 3rd Thursdays monthly from 2-4pm. 

On Thursday 2nd April Dr David Ellis will present a talk 

reflecting Holy Week. On Thursday 16th April we ‘get active’ 

with musical Aerobics - as gentle or as strenuous as you wish. Each meeting 

includes afternoon tea, community issues, and social activities. Everyone 

welcome, please come along. 

Some 70 residents attended a public meeting organised by the Community 

Council to discuss parking within the village. There was unanimous consensus 

that the current Council Policy has to change. At a further meeting of Traders, 

27 attended representing 25 traders and shopkeepers, there again was a 

clear need for change expressed. 95% of the traders had experienced a drop 

in trade since the new measures were introduced. I presented the petition 

which had 765 names and addresses to the relevant Inverclyde Council 

Director. Officers are reviewing the Policy. 

With the demolition of the Institute imminent, the benches outside will 

be moved to West Glen Park. The benches were donated in 1953 by the 

Kilmacolm Guides and Scouts to recognise the Coronation. Planning Officers 

have recently had a site visit with the owners agent to discuss demolition and the general poor 

condition of the building. 

In my role of Honorary Patron I will be visiting WW1 Battlefields in the company of the local 

Balaclava Detachment of the Army Cadets. I am informed by the Brigadier that the billet is “Hard 

lying and Spartan"! Apart from the Somme, Ypres and other Battlefields, we will be attending the 

evening service at the Menin Gate. I am sure this will be a very emotional visit. 

I attended a workshop/presentation by 20 S1 and S2 pupils of Port Glasgow High School based 

on the proposition how can young people play an active role in reducing alcohol-related harm 

in Port Glasgow?”. I recognised several villagers amongst the presenters and the event was not 

just informative but professionally conducted solely by the youngsters. 

I have now forwarded requests from both St Colms and St Fillans Churches for road signs. This 

is necessary as both are kind of tucked away. 

Congratulations to St Columba's pipe band who entered the Scottish Schools Championship for 

the first time. 50 Bands entered including the Renfrewshire Schools Pipe band. St Columba's 

won the Junior A category beating Queen Victoria School and Glenalmond College into 2nd and 

3rd positions. The Band is an asset to Inverclyde and annually leads the Remembrance Parade 

in Port Glasgow. 

Our recycling continues to be a success. We were one of 9 Councils who achieved 50% by 2013 

and are now eying up the 60% target by 2020. In the first month of the household kerbside glass 

recycling, 79 tons were diverted from landfill. 

The Kilmacolm and Port Glasgow Agricultural Show is on the 9th May and the Lodge Annual 

Plant Sale is that weekend and the next. 

Surgeries: 18th April at The Cargill 10-11am. 

Contact: 01475 712727/741969 and 07766 992294, email david.wilson@inverclyde.gov.uk 

"Happy Birthday" 

Cairn celebrating his 

1st Birthday!


Kilbarchan Churches 

The joint services for the churches in Kilbarchan during April and over Easter 

will be as follows:- 

• Thursday 2 April, 7pm: East Church - Maundy Thursday 

• Friday 3 April, 7pm: West Church - Good Friday 

• Sunday 5 April, 8.30am: Easter Day early service at Weaver’s Cottage 

• Sunday 5 April, 11am: Joint service in West Church 

• Sunday 12 April, 11am: Joint service in East Church - Sacrament of 

Baptism 

• Sunday 19 April, 11am: Joint service in West Church 

• Sunday 26 April, 11am: Joint service in East Church - Sacrament of 

Baptism 

After the Easter Morning Early Service there will be tea, rolls and sausage in the 

West Church Hall. All welcome. 

Easter Eggstravaganza 

Saturday 28 March in Kilbarchan East Church 

hall from 10am-12noon 

Easter-egg hunt for the children as well as a decorated 

egg and Easter bonnet competition. Stalls of homebaking 

and preserves and Easter gifts for all. Entrance £2, children £1, which 

includes hot-cross buns with coffee. 

Kilbarchan Car Club 

We have 37 members of LEAP car club, which is a not 

for profit, community owned car hire option where members save money on 

motoring by using our pay as you go cars. To find out more, call Mike on 01505 

842 530 or email mike@myleapproject.org. 

‘The car is so handy, it takes minutes to book, then you’re away’..... 

Kevin Cameron, Local Resident and Car Club Member. 

Fashion Show 

by Toggery 

Friday 27 March 

Lochwinnoch Parish Church Hall 

6.30pm for 7pm 

Ladies wear, Jewellery, Bags etc. 10% 

of all purchases goes to the church. 

Ticket £6 (incl wine and nibbles). 

Phone 01505 842365 to book tickets. 

You may bring your own bottle of wine 

if you wish. 

Scottish Charity No. SCO14518 

Lochwinnoch 

Parish Church 

Spring Tea 

Friday 10 April from 2pm - 4pm 

Tea, coffee, sandwiches, scones and 

cakes. Cost only £3.50. 

kilbarchan 

& lochwinnoch 

..................................................... 

Kilbarchan Fairtrade Group 

Kilbarchan enjoyed visits 

from honey and coffee cooperative 

chairman Ismael 

Diaz Rivas who had been 

flown over from Guatemala 

for Fairtrade Fortnight. He 

visited a Fairtrade stall in 

Kilbarchan East Church, 

where he met buyers and 

spoke about the changes 

brought about in his region 

by being associated with 

the Fairtrade organisation. 

Photo above: left: Graham 

Batin, chairman, right Carol, 

the cook! 

His journey home had three 

separate flights and a six 

hour bus journey. Photo: the 

Reverend Stephen Smith 

met Ismael and Helena, his 

interpreter. Moira Stark of 

the village committee and 

the Gryffe High FT group is 

in the background. 

Fairtrade Fortnight was rounded off with a crowded and successful Friday curry 

night in Bobbins tearoom. Thanks to Carol and everyone who helped out, and to 

the folk who came along to support the event. The Fairtrade wine was donated 

by the Kilbarchan branch of the Co-operative. 

RSPB Renfrewshire Local Group 

Annual Plant Sale 

RSPB, Largs Rd, Lochwinnoch. 

Saturday 16 May from 10am until 2pm 

Come along to stock up on your bedding plants for 

the season ahead, pick up some bargain books and 

CD/DVD’s, enjoy the fantastic selection of home 

baking and have fun on our tombola/raffle. Donations for the sale would be 

gratefully received and if you would like to have a stall/make a donation/find 

out more information, please contact Paula Baker on 01505 842663.

Lilias Day 2015 

Is Flying High! 


41 41 

Preparations for this years Lilias Day are continuing 

apace with a number of new attractions confirmed 

for the event on Saturday 6 June. 

The day will feature a historic parade through the 

village and a Lilias festival in Kilbarchan Park with 

a mix of events, food village, dog show, music 

and stalls. The festivities will culminate with a 

spectacular skydiving display by Scotland’s leading 

skydiving clubs, Skydive Strathallan. 

Other new additions include Big Top Circus who 

have been lined up to lay on stilt walkers and 

entertainers for the parade and will run a circus 

skills workshop in the park. They will be joined in 

the park by a battle re-enactment group who will 

set up camp and show off their traditional combat 

skills using authentically-styled weapons. 

Wish Upon a Star will make a welcome return 

with their array of well known princess and hero 

characters joining the parade and mixing with the 

crowds at the park. 

A big prize raffle to win £1000 has also been 

organised with the lucky winner to be drawn on the 

day itself. Tickets are available from the organisers 

and will be on sale at various businesses in the 

area. 

Chairman, Graeme Stockton, is delighted with the 

way this years’ event is shaping up: “The response 

so far has been really encouraging, even better than 

last year! We’ve been met with enthusiasm on all 

fronts so far with local businesses, organisations 

and individuals getting on board to supporting our 

efforts. There are several new organisations taking 

part in the parade on themed floats.” 

Saturday 28 March 

This is a joint fundraising venture by the club and Kilbarchan West Church 

and tickets priced £10 can be had at the door or by telephoning 01505 

352491/341510 or contact the ‘Kilbarchan Kirks’ facebook page. 

Former Kilmacolm resident, Alison Bone who is helping to arrange this 

event assures readers this will be a great evening of music and comedy. 

Arts Festival - Rose Room 

Sat 28 March - McKillop Hall, Main St, Lochwinnoch at 7.30pm 

Sharing a love of Swing music and the style of the great Django Reinhardt and 

Stephane Grappelli, Glasgow-based Scottish Jazz Awards finalists Rose Room 

have become one of Scotland’s leading ensembles influenced by the Gypsy 

Jazz genre. 

Joint Chair, Susan Calcluth adds: “We are keen to add new events and activities 

each year and the skydive is a real coup and will certainly encourage Liliasdayers 

to stay in the park to watch what will be one of the real highlights of the 

day. We’re keen to continue the festival theme we introduced last year with a 

food village, music and other activities.” 

To see the latest news and developments as they happen or to get involved like 

“Kilbarchan Lilias Day” on Facebook, follow @LiliasDay on Twitter or email info@ 

liliasday.co.uk


kilbarchan 

& lochwinnoch 

..................................................... 

Weaver’s Cottage 

The Weaver’s Cottage opened to the public on Monday 23rd March, in good 

time for the Easter holidays. All the normal pre-opening cleaning, dusting and 

polishing was undertaken by staff and volunteers. A long awaited new display 

chest was delivered and installed in March by its makers, from Dalkeith. It will 

now be possible for 

visitors to see all the 

precious collection 

of weaver’s tartan 

samples, many of 

which have been in 

store. Photo shows 

a small part of the 

collection. 

Cadbury Easter 

Egg Trail 

Sunday 05 April from 2pm - 4pm 

Turn eggsplorer at Weaver’s Cottage, 

Kilbarchan... Collect the clues, solve the puzzle 

and win a Cadbury 

treat! There are Cadbury 

Easter egg trails at 50 National Trust locations 

across Scotland and they’re all completely 

different - the perfect excuse to try your hand at 

more than one! 

Kilbarchan 

East Church 

Maundy Thursday 02 April 

The service at 7pm in Kilbarchan East 

Church will be led by the choir who will 

be singing extracts from Bob Chilcott’s 

St John Passion. All welcome at this 

service for Holy Week, which includes 

the Sacrament of Holy Communion. 

Gryffe Scottish 

Country Dance Club 

Plant Sale 

& Pancake 

Morning 

Kilbarchan East Church Plant Sale 

and Pancake Morning takes place at 

the end of May, with plants from a 

nursery in Stewarton, order forms will 

be available from mid 

April by contacting 

01505 704502. 

Wednesday 15 April 7.30pm - Kilbarchan Guide Centre 

The Spring session is well under way and comes to an end at Easter with a 

charity dance dancing to the music of Marian Anderson. Supper and Raffle. 

Tickets £7.50. Further information from Les Lambert 01505 704398. 

Like all village residents I was appalled and shocked to 

find out that the Co-Operative in Kilbarchan had been the 

subject of a robbery only months after it had previously 

been targeted. I have contacted Police Scotland and asked 

that they step up patrols in the village, particularly at the 

weekends, in the centre of Kilbarchan to try and prevent 

any recurrence of these vicious and worrying incidents on a 

retail outlet which has served Habbies well for decades. 

The police have asked for CCTV to be considered as an 

option and I have contacted Renfrewshire Council to 

support this, as well as asking that the new rural police 

officers be installed in Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch as soon 

as possible. The same weekend there was a concerning incident at Harvey 

Terrace in Lochwinnoch, and I have reiterated to council officers that I want 

CCTV installed in the centre of Lochwinnoch as soon as possible, as well as 

Kilbarchan, to keep our villages safe and secure. 

On a happier note, I was delighted to attend celebrations for the 10th Anniversary 

of the Kilbarchan Guide Centre, and to meet local Guide leaders there. As a 

former Cub and Scout, as was my son and older brother, I have great admiration 

for the skills, qualities, and experiences which both the Guiding and Scouting 

movements impart to young people. This month also sees the advent of the 

annual Lochwinnoch Arts Festival, a great celebration of music, poetry, and 

local talent which is a credit to the village and all involved in making it happen. 

At the last full meeting of Renfrewshire Council I was proud to move a motion 

calling on the Chief Executive to investigate whether Renfrewshire residents 

get best value from the Glasgow based SPT, which co-ordinates regional 

bus services. Sadly, Administration Cllrs voted this down yet the last time 

Renfrewshire Council called for a review of the SPT, in 2010/11, it was found 

the SPT spent £100,000 in one year on Councillors expenses. Four years on 

this figure is bound to be higher and in itself puts the case for greater scrutiny. 

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. But I am also always 

available to constituents who can call me on 07534 148224, tweet me on 

CllrAndy4Ward8 or email me at cllr.andy.doig@renfrewshire.gov.uk. 

National Women’s Register 

During the month of April, we shall be talking about Japan, the chosen country 

for discussion nationally in 2015. We are also researching events which took 

place on 15th April in years gone by and reviewing a book, play, hotel etc. 

We are the guests of the Houston group on 13th, with a speaker about the 

history of the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow, of particular interest as the 

National Conference takes place there in June. For further info, please see the 

website: www.nwr.org.uk 

Lochwinnoch Tartan Walk 

The Tartan Walk was a great 

event in February. A group 

of people left from Castle 

Semple and sang their way 

around the village. 

On the way back, they 

stopped to sing to the 

swans, and as you can see 

Whooper Swan, just felt he 

had to join in.


43 43 

Combined expenditure of almost 1.5 million for Kilbarchan 

and Lochwinnoch for road and bridge repairs, was approved 

at the Council's Environmental Board on the 11th March. 

Wheatlands Drive, Meadside Avenue in Kilbarchan, and 

Lochlip Road, Johnshill and Bridesmill Road in Lochwinnoch, 

will be part of Renfrewshire Council's resurfacing programme 

for the coming year. The resurfacing of Wheatlands as part 

of the bus route in Kilbarchan is long overdue for repair, and 

something I had been asked to pursue by many residents, so 

I am pleased that this will commence in the summer. The late 

summer will also see the start of the major construction work 

on Lochwinnoch bridge, which will address a long standing 

weight restriction issue, and traffic management arrangements which will bring 

improved traffic flow to the village. As a member of the Environmental Board 

I have long advocated for these improvements, and as a local councillor will 

continue to work in the best interests of both Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch. 

Following the incident in November, another totally unacceptable robbery 

occurred at Kilbarchan Co-op on the 28th February. Extra police patrols are 

being carried out, and the police are working with the stores management to 

review security and prevention methods. The provision of a re-deployable CCTV 

camera to cover the premises is also being investigated. 

I was also very concerned to receive reports of children playing “chicken” by the 

railway line at Milliken Park Station. Needless to say this is highly dangerous 

and I have had discussions with Gary Brown from British Transport Police 

asking that security be reviewed. Transport police are also visiting local schools 

to speak to children about the dangers and I would make a plea to parents to 

reinforce the message. 

Kilbarchan General Society is celebrating its 250th anniversary. It has over 

the years funded many local projects 

including the first fire engine in the 

village, and continues to support 

local organisations and individuals. 

I am therefore delighted to support 

Renfrewshire Council's plan to hold a 

reception to recognise this landmark 

event. 

Surgeries: Please note I will not be 

holding surgeries at the McKillop or 

Steeple on Easter Saturday 4th April, 

but I will be available throughout 

the Easter weekend. If you wish to 

make an individual appointment at 

anytime please contact me directly. 

My Saturday surgeries will resume as 

usual on 2nd May. Contact: email cllr. 

derek.bibby@renfrewshire.gov.uk or 

phone 07534 156007. 

The Old Library Centre 

If you are passing by our window you will see a display of some Examples of 

Samples. The display shows the kind of printing, sizes, enlargements reductions 

and the resources which are available for use. Our pricing is very competitive 

and is scaled to the number of copies you may require. 

Please think about using our resources and services. The payment for these 

and the hire of our rooms make a big contribution towards the running cost of 

the facility. The Centre is open Monday to Friday from 10am-12noon and from 

2pm until 4pm. Everyone is made welcome. 

Next Concert: 

Our next concert is on Thursday, 7th May when Moira Kerr, the well-known 

Scottish singer- song writer and after dinner speaker, will be performing. 

Booking is important. 

We look forward to seeing you.


‘Stompie’ in the daffodils’ by ‘Barking Mad’ 

Pet Blog 

by PetVets 

Trouble in the Litter Tray (Part 2) 

Last month we looked at predisposing factors and causes of feline lower urinary 

tract disease (FLUTD), a condition causing inflammation of the bladder and 

lower urinary tract in cats. 

In cases of FLUTD it is important to investigate the underlying cause of the 

condition so that appropriate treatment can be instituted. Possible diagnostic 

tests include: 

• Urine sample to check for blood, inflammatory cells, protein levels, pH 

(acidity) and concentration. Urine sediment can also be checked under the 

microscope for the presence of urinary crystals. 

• Urine culture to check for the presence of bacteria. 

• Xrays to check for bladder stones. 

• Ultrasound to check for bladder stones and to examine the lining of the 

bladder for masses. 

• Blood sample to check for underlying diseases. 

In up to 60% of cases no underlying cause is found and these cases are referred 

to as feline idiopathic cystitis. 

Treatment depends on the underlying cause. In cases of idiopathic cystitis where 

no cause is found treatment is aimed at reducing the risk factors discussed 

previously. 

Possible treatments include: 

Surgery 

• To relieve obstruction of the urethra when present. 

• To remove bladder stones. 

Drugs 

• Antibiotics to control infections. 

• Pain relief/anti-inflammatories. 

• Medications to reduce stress. 

• Anti-spasmodic drugs. 

Diet change 

• To dissolve crystals/stones and 

prevent more from forming. 

• To produce more dilute urine. 

• To reduce obesity. 

Environmental changes 

• Increasing the number of litter 

trays. 

• Offering more options in litter tray 

location, type of tray and type of 

litter. 

• Increasing exercise. 

• Modifying environment to reduce 

stress e.g. hiding holes, access to 

heights, provision of escape/“bolt 

holes”. 

Increasing water intake 

• Add water to food. 

• Place water in several locations. 

• Change water regularly. 

• Experiment with different types of 

container and fullness. 

• Offering filtered or bottled spring 

water. 

• Water fountain for running water. 

Many cats with FLUTD have recurrent problems but diagnosing the cause 

correctly and instituting appropriate treatment and management can greatly 

reduce the frequency and severity of episodes, leading to a much happier cat. 

Triple Whammy for Animal 

Support and Rescue in 

Howwood 

ASR were delighted to receive a 

triple whammy from three local 

companies recently. By online voting 

we won a pallet of ‘Silvermoor’ and 

old horse ‘Chelsea’ really enjoyed 

munching her way through it. We 

received a cheque for over £800 

from Pets at Home Abbotsinch, 

and want to thank local people for 

donating. Thanks also to Martin 

Senior and his staff for setting up 

Thank you to locals for getting 

behind us, but we still need 

volunteers to help out where ever 

you can, so please if you want to 

get involved. Contact Jaine on the 

facebook page please. 

this wonderful charity fundraising. 

Lastly thank you to Asda - people 

can also donate to this charity by 

donating tokens into a box and 

whoever get the most win this and 

receives the prize. 

Staffordshire Rescue Scotland 

Recently Staffordshire Rescue 

Scotland have had a new Paisley 

member becoming a bigger part 

of the organisation and is looking 

for local people to get behind this 

wonderful breed of dog. 

Jane McEwan and her family 

from Paisley and Bridge of Weir 

are looking for families to come 

forward to be fosterers for this 

gorgeous breed of dog. They are 

also looking to host more events 

in this area, and are looking for 

volunteers to help raise awareness 

and take part in local events. If you 

think you can help, please contact 

the facebook page and leave a personal message. 

This is Jane and her family receiving a cheque for over £400 from Pets at 

Home Abbotsinch, and Jane would like to thank fellow Paisley people for 

donating and also Martin and his staff for raising a huge amount of money 

for these dogs.


45 45 

45 

Re-homing Pets 

Can you offer a home to any of our featured pets? 

Gypsy - approx 2 year 

old short hair domestic 

Gypsy would like access 

to a garden where she 

can potter about. She 

needs a quiet home 

with no children or other pets. 

Magnus - approx 4 year old male short 

hair tabby 

Beautiful big tabby boy seeks quiet home 

with no children or other cats. Magnus 

is a shy big fella but very loving and 

affectionate and just truly a wonderful 

cat. His owner had to reluctantly give him 

up due to ill health. Magnus is an outdoor cat so will require a garden. 

Cardyke Farm, Langmuirhead Road, Auchinloch, Glasgow G66 5LD - 

Telephone 0141 779 3341 

Alfie - Age: 2 

year old Male 

Great Dane - 

Reference: 288581 

Alfie is a nice big boy who arrived in our 

care through no fault of his own and is 

now looking for a new home. He is in 

need of an experienced owner who can 

give him the time he needs to settle in 

and the love and attention he deserves. He would enjoy plenty of daily 

exercise and a nice cosy bed to curl up in afterwards. Alfie would suit a 

home without young children. 

Nico - a 10-12 year old male Crossbreed 

- Reference: 115763 

Nico is a lovely boy who arrived in our 

care through no fault of his own and is 

now desperately looking for a new home 

to call his own. He would suit a home 

with either older children or no children. 

Nico loves everyone he meets and enjoys 

interacting with other dogs when he is out for a walk. 

To contact the centre about any animals, please call 03000 999 999 or 

visit www.scottishspca.org/rehoming 

Rio - A 8+ year old female 

Terrier Cross 

Rio is a beautiful girl who 

loves the quiet life. She loves 

to be out and about pottering around sniffing 

out new things. Rio only has 3 legs, but she 

gets about just fine! Rio needs a home with 

Sasha as they are best friends. Someone 

who is around most of the day to help her 

with her basic training would help her settle. 

She can live with children who are 10 years 

old or over and needs a secure garden. 

Sasha - A 5-7 year old female Staffordshire Bull Terrier 

Sasha is a gorgeous girl who loves her 

soft toys to play with like teddies! Sasha 

must be homed with Rio, above. She 

can live with children who are 10 years 

old or over and needs her own secure 

garden. Someone who is around most 

of the day to help her settle and help 

with her basic training would also help 

her get used to her new home. 

Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre, 315 

Hamilton Road, Uddingston, Glasgow, 

G71 7SL. Open: 12noon - 4pm (including weekends); 12noon- 7.30pm 

on Tuesdays; closed: Wednesdays 

LOST PETS 

If your pet has gone 

missing & 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. 

This is a free service! 

Wildlife 

Crime 

Strathclyde Police has a team 

of Wildlife Crime Officers. To 

report a suspected wildlife 

crime or speak to an Officer, 

please call: Your local Police 

Office or Strathclyde Police 

HQ, 173 Pitt Street, G2 4JS or 

call 101 or 999. 

Johnstone Cat 

Rescue 

We would appreciated any help you can give with 

fundraising. If you can help with anything, please 

call Sheena on 01505 337321.


RSPB Lochwinnoch 

As we move into spring time, this is the perfect time 

of year to explore the RSPB Lochwinnoch Nature 

Reserve! Recently, we have had a number of 

fantastic wildlife sightings, including several sightings 

of otters out enjoying the Aird Meadow Loch – how 

lovely! We have also had several sightings of curlew 

foraging at the margins of our pond area, as well as continued sightings of 

large flocks of lapwing, and there are also a number of waterfowl species to 

be seen out on the main lochs! 

Easter time is sure to be a super couple of weeks here at the RSPB 

Lochwinnoch – with several eggcelent Easter events lined up! Our Easter 

Eggstravaganza will take place on Monday 6th April at 12noon to 3pm. 

During this fun-filled afternoon we will be hosting a number of wildlifethemed 

Easter activities for children of all ages; including egg decorating, a 

treasure hunt, face painting and our ever popular Egg Drop Challenge! Cost 

for this event will be £5, or £3 for Wildlife Explorers, and accompanying 

adults go free! 

We will also be holding two Funtime Friday events, the first of which will be 

‘Snap Happy!’ on Friday 10th April, and then ‘Butterfly Besties!’ on Friday 

17th April. We will hold two sessions for 

each of these events, the first at 11am- 

1pm for those aged 7 yrs & under and 

the second at 2pm-4pm for ages 8 & 

over. Children aged 8 & under must be 

accompanied by an adult, and the cost 

will be £7 or £5 for Wildlife Explorers. 

We will also hold a Make Your Own 

Mondays: The Great Bird-Cake Bake 

Off event on Monday 13th April. We will 

be holding two sessions for this event 

also, one at 11am-1pm and another 

at 2pm-4pm – so let’s all get cooking! 

Booking is essential for this event, and 

cost is £5 or £3 for Wildlife Explorers. 

Accompanying adults go free for all of 

these events, and booking is essential.


47 47 

April in the garden – when it all 

begins! 

This is the most important and exciting time of the year in the garden. 

Everything is pushing out of the ground. Daffodils and early tulips are in 

flower. 

• Plant out perennials 

and put supports in place 

before plants get too 

large 

• Support oriental poppies 

with canes to prevent 

them flopping 

• Mulch flower beds with a 

generous layer of compost 

to suppress weeds 

• Fill in gaps in flower 

beds with primulas and 

polyanthus 

• Give azaleas and 

other acid-loving 

shrubs a generous 

feed with acidic 

[ericaceous] fertiliser 

• Fork compost into 

any unused border 

area, ready for 

summer bedding 

• Pots and tubs 

benefit from topping 

up with fresh compost. Old compost can be removed and replaced with 

new if there is not much room for topping up 

• Lightly cut back 

lavenders to prevent 

them getting too leggy 

and woody 

• Tidy up hedges, but 

before you start cutting 

make sure no birds are 

nesting in them 

• Clean out bird baths 

and top up with fresh 

water. 

Holmwood Garden, The National Trust for Scotland, 61-63 Netherlee Road, 

Cathcart, G44 3YU. Call 0844 493 2204 

Kitchen garden planted with a range of Victorian fruits, herbs and vegetables. 

There are 5 acres of landscaped grounds to explore. 

Directions - Netherlee 

Road, off Clarkston Road, 

B767 or Rhannan Road 

4 miles south of Glasgow 

city centre. Frequent bus 

service from city centre. 

Gardens Open Saturday 

4th April 12noon - 4pm & 

Sunday 5th April 12noon 

- 4pm 

Admissions by donation. 

Beneficiaries - Donation 

to SG Beneficiaries 

Disabled Access. Lots 

of Easter family fun and 

games.


Windows on Wildlife Update 

The Windows on Wildlife Project aims to bring people closer to wildlife, 

gaining a unique insight to the furry & feathered inhabitants of Castle Semple 

Country Park. Project Officer Hayley Douglas gives us an update. 

Wildlife News 

Whoopy the Whooper Swan has now reappeared after disappearing for 

a month. We were all starting to get worried about him as he had never 

disappeared for such a long time before. This has now been his seventh 

winter at Castle Semple and despite his old wing injury, he continues to 

thrive. You may notice that he pecks at the other swans which have greatly 

increased in number over the last few weeks. This is all normal behaviour 

amongst the swans which have a pecking order which helps to establish dominance amongst 

individuals in the flock. This behaviour is different to the ‘battleships’ displays that you see when the 

breeding male chases off the other swans when he brings his cygnets over to feed in the summer. 

On the subject of dominance, Old Boy, the big male badger, is constantly on patrol in the woods at 

the moment. I believe Tufty, the female, has had cubs, which results in her becoming receptive again. 

Rough and Tumble, last year’s cubs, are still part of the clan but Tumble, who is a young male, is 

getting a hard time off his dad and may soon leave the group. April is the month where cubs usually 

make an appearance and I will let you know as soon as I see them. 

Lastly some exciting news. On 10 March, I collected in one of the loch cameras to find that we have 

two baby otters! They look like they 

are about 4 months old and are with 

a female I don’t recognise, she may 

be the female that lives on the Barr 

Loch. Please remember to watch 

your speed on the A760 between 

the RSPB and the village as the 

water levels are high and the family 

may try to cross the road. 

Events 

The next Big WoW Weekend, 

including all the new footage of the 

baby otters, takes place at Muirshiel 

Country Park on the 11 and 12 April 

from 11am to 4pm. Drop in at any 

time. If the weather is nice, mist 

nets will also be deployed and there 

will be bird ringing demonstrations 

throughout the day. 

More Info… 

Details can be found on the Park’s website www.clydemuirshiel.co.uk or by 

emailing wow@clydemuirshiel.co.uk. Footage can be viewed on the Park’s 

Youtube channel or on the WoW Facebook page. Talks to groups can be 

arranged by sending me an email. 

For more information, please contact Hayley Douglas, Windows on Wildlife 

Project Officer – CMRP tel 01505 842 882 Ex 25.

CMRP Roundup 


49 49 

Pedal the Park is Nearly Here! 

Join us at Castle Semple on Sunday 29th April for 

Pedal the Park! There will be lots going on for all the 

family at the Event Village like the fixed point challenge – 

how far can you pedal in one minute? Take on your partner pal or parent! 

Plus we’ll have a bicycle powered cinema, trade stands from Merida and 

Moore-Large, skills courses, try a bike – trike, hand or mountain! All that 

plus the main rides themselves 68km sportive, family ride treasure hunt ride 

through Parkhill, hand bike time trail and mountain bike ride. Register online 

now through British Cycling’s website or see http://www.clydemuirshiel. 

co.uk/things-to-do/cycling/pedal-the-park/. 

Easter at Clyde Muirshiel 

Get the whole family out for some fresh air, visit a Centre or Country Park 

and get some fresh air and exercise! There’s junior multi activity weeks 

for 8-15 yr olds so they can try out new sports on land and water as well 

as gain confidence and make new friends. Plus we have the lochshore 

field challenge at Castle Semple and Easter quiz sheets at Muirshiel and 

Greenock Cut! 

Scottish Multi-Class Regatta 

Entry forms are out and you can now be part of the Race 2 the Games 

legacy event the Scottish Multi-Class Regatta on 20th & 21st June. See p63 

for more info. 

Crit on the Green – Clyde Muirshiel aids Paracycling Event 

CM was at the Glasgow Riderz Crit on the Green event at the end of March 

talking Pedal the Park and showing everyone our new accessible hand 

bikes and trikes! Contact Castle Semple if you’re interested in them! 

Duke of Edinburgh Programmes 

Clyde Muirshiel is an approved activity provider to deliver Duke of Edinburgh 

programmes. We’re currently working on new opportunities for 14 – 25 year 

olds, no matter what their ability, to do their Duke of Edinburgh at Clyde 

Muirshiel. There are new offerings contributing mainly to the skill, physical 

and expedition sections of the award. Look on our website for details. 

Ride 63 Club News & Ride Out Info! 

A Community Cycle Group ‘Ride 63’ is up and running, next ride out on April 30th. More info on when 

they’re going out on their Facebook. Email the Secretary at ridesixtythree@gmail.com to become a 

member or email the Park at routes@clydemuirshiel.co.uk for more information. 

Regular Events 

Mondays (put 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. 

Bridge of Weir Horticultural Society 

Moths and Butterflies by Jo Davis 

Moths are night flying butterflies, or so one might think, but, in fact, the reverse is true as butterflies are moths 

that fly by day though there are day flying moths too. Thus began Dr Jo Davis’s fascinating talk about the world of 

the Lepidoptera or scaly-winged ones. There are over 2,500 moths in the UK but only 58 different butterflies and 

Scotland is ‘on the edge’ of the butterfly world with only about 35 species. 

Before advising us on which plants to grow in our gardens to encourage moths and butterflies, Dr Davis gave 

us an appreciation of the variety of moths and their caterpillars and their many strategies for survival. Moths and 

butterflies produce huge numbers of eggs and we could see why when Dr Davis listed the parasites and predators 

that threaten them. Apart from mice and bats representing mammals, birds, amphibians, spiders, wasps, hornets, 

beetles, dragonflies and robber flies are all happy to feed on moths or their larvae. 20,000 caterpillars are required 

to feed a brood of blue tits! Moths have evolved various forms of defence. The Camouflage Moth looks like a bird 

dropping and the Cinnabar Moth caterpillar ingests poison from ragwort and it becomes poisonous as does the 

adult moth. Sometimes warning colouration is exhibited alongside these defence mechanisms; the Cinnabar Moth 

has yellow and black warning stripes. The fairly common black and red Burnett Moths are also poisonous and the 

Buff Tip looks like a birch twig, employing camouflage for survival. Other moths exhibit Batesian Mimicry and look 

like hornets or bees. 

Many of us are aware that Buddleia, sometimes known as the Butterfly bush, is attractive to butterflies. Jo Davis 

recommended Buddleia davidii as being one of the best species to plant. The Peacock, with its 4 eyes, Painted 

Lady and Red Admiral butterflies can all be found on the flowers. Buddleia x weyeriana, a hybrid between B. Davidii 

and B. Globosa also provides early Autumn flowers. Other flowering shrubs and herbaceous plants suggested for 

encouraging butterflies and moths were ivy, lavender species, knapweeds (Centaurea spp.), marjoram, thyme, 

Michaelmas daisies, scabious and valerian. Sedum spectabile, commonly called the ice plant, is particularly good 

as a source of nectar for the Small Tortoiseshell. Useful larval food plants, in other words food plants for caterpillars, 

include nettles, willow herb, oak, ash, birch, lime, hawthorn, brassicas, garlic mustard, broad-leaved dock, ivy 

and ragwort. We were encouraged to record the moths and butterflies which we find in our gardens. Dr Davis’s 

enthusiasm for his subject was infectious; he is much involved in Butterfly Conservation in the West of Scotland.


EXPERT GUTTER CLEANING 

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cleaning with a vacuum cleaner! This new system is a more effective 

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The consequences of leaving gutters blocked can be dire with the 

possibility of extensive water damage leading to repair bills running 

into thousands of pounds. Give us a call now for a free quote. 01505 

863 863. 

Brighter Bridge of Weir 

It’s Raining Violets 

April Showers? Hope not, well, not many. It’s the 

middle of March as we put together this piece for the 

Advertizer’s April issue, and it’s raining cats and dogs. 

The ground outside is sodden and it’s not much fun 

working in the wet. 

Still, some of the group have had a wander round the village, eyeing up 

priority targets for when the weather picks up. And this year’s plants have 

been ordered, too. We’re hoping we get everything we asked for. It can be a 

bit of a lottery, depending on what the suppliers have got most of, and that 

can sometimes make a thoughtfully-planned display look a bit odd. 

It’s the season for grant applications, too, and of course the local authority 

budgets are under pressure, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed for 

continuing support from that area. Lots of form-filling to while away the 

cold, wet days. We mentioned last month our award of £250 from Keep 

Scotland Beautiful. Their Community Grants Scheme is funded by Tesco, 

from the money collected by the Scottish Government’s single-use plastic 

bag tax. So, the next time you’re in that 

supermarket, forking out for a one-off 

carrier bag (perhaps, like many of us, 

because you forgot to bring one of the shed 

load you’ve got at home), remember it‘s in 

a good cause. 

Still raining outside. Oh well, we’ll just go 

and sharpen some secateurs. 

PS - ‘It’s raining violets’: those of a certain 

age will know where that’s from. If you don’t, 

we’ll post the answer on our Facebook 

page soon. 

Houston and Killellan Agricultural 

Society Annual Show 

The schedules for the craft and baking section of Houston and Killellan 

Show now available from committee members, The Paper Shop, North 

Street, The Post Office, and Strawberryfields Nursery, Back o Hill or by 

contacting Isabelle Stuart 01505 613479 or e-mail issistuart@fsmail.net. 

Houston Show will be held on Saturday 6th June. 

Kilmacolm Horticultural Society 

The last of our winter lectures, in March, featured Ian McCrorie presenting 

his favourite subject ‘Pleasure and Steamer services on the Clyde and 

west of Scotland’. This was a most enjoyable evening, ending our 135th 

anniversary with a true sparkle of humour and friendship. 

The annual Coffee Morning will be held on Saturday 23rd May - a month 

later than is usual - in the New 

Community Centre, Kilmacolm. 

Stalls will include an excellent Plant 

stall in time for the summer planting 

of tubs and hanging baskets. Also 

homebaking and a tombola stall. 

Tickets £3. 

Look out for emergence of Spring 

colours at the Garden at the Cross 

of the village, we are planting a few 

new shrubs, plus bedding fuchsias 

and geraniums and tidying it with 

bark top cover. 

Members will be enjoying coach 

outings this summer, the highlight 

is to Dumfries House, an 18th 

century house built for the 5th 

Earl of Dumfries. It contains a 

unique collection of Chippendale 

furniture, plus rooms and their 

contents lovingly restored with a 

rescue team led by Prince Charles 

in 2007. Closer to home, we are 

invited to visit the Caddlehill Street 

Allotments in Greenock in August, 

at the height of their growth of top 

quality flowers and vegetables. If 

you would like to join the Society’s 

membership, for an annual fee of 

£5, please get in touch with Jill 

Russell on 01505 872393.


51 51


Paisley Colour Photographic 

Club’s Annual Creative 

Competition 

PCPC were very pleased to welcome experienced photographer 

Bob Collins DPAGB AFIAP from Queen’s Park Camera Club to judge 

the club’s annual Creative Competition held Renfrew recently. 

Creative 

photography 

is defined as 

“altered reality 

and involves 

producing an 

image through 

the use of 

imaginative 

skill or 

originality 

of thought. 

This includes 

modifications 

on the computer or in the camera, as well as unusual point of view, 

imaginative use of subject matter or lighting, or any other presentation 

that begins with the photographer’s image(s), but defies the normal 

appearance of things. 

Bob gave a very informative, enthusiastic and at times humorous 

critique to each almost thirty images pointing out to the audience 

the creative processes applied to the images, how he could possibly 

improve an 

image and 

but also his 

wonder as to 

how certain 

effects were 

achieved. 

In fourth 

place in the 

competition 

was Kevin 

M o u l d ’ s 

cleverly 

composed 

and original 

image “Selfie”. 

Pat Cook’s humorous and beautifully constructed seaside image 

“Break Free” was placed third whilst in second position was Jim 

Black’s dramatic cycling action shot “Tour de France 2014”. However 

the very worthy top image of this Creative competition was judged 

to be “April Showers” by Andy Kerr. This image combined several 

elements precisely arranged together creating great mood and 

colour and telling the story of April showers superbly. 

For further 

details about 

PCPC and 

updated 

members 

galleries 

p l e a s e 

view: www. 

paisleycolour. 

co.uk 

Look Inside Johnstone Town Hall 

Johnstone’s new £14.5m town hall is now open to the public for the first time. 

The state-of-the-art facility is set to be the centrepiece of life in the town for 

generations to come. 

The striking glass-fronted structure has already been declared a winner – having 

been named Public Building of the Year at the Scottish Property Awards 2015. 

It has been designed with a central ‘high street’ off which sits the main hall 

and theatre space, the new Johnstone library, a coffee shop and meeting and 

conference rooms. 

The ground floor also contains a ceremony suite and bases for Police Scotland 

and Macmillan Cancer Support, while offices for Renfrewshire Council staff and 

a dance studio are upstairs. 

The building won’t be fully operational until later this year but there will be a 

phased rollout of services, including the library, main reception and customer 

service centre. Staff from the council’s housing department and Advice Works 

service have moved from Floors Street and Collier Street. Their colleagues from 

the council’s social work service will still be based in Floorsburn House for another 

week, and will move into the new building on Monday 30 March. The registrars’ 

service will still be based in McDowell Street until 10 April before it moves to its 

new home in the ceremony suite. 

Bookings are now being taken for small-scale functions within the halls, which are 

open from Monday, although larger-scale functions won’t be available until May. 

Councillor James Harte, convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Sport, Leisure and 

Culture Policy Board, said: “The project has been completed on budget and on 

schedule and we are thrilled to finally be able to open the doors. 

“Johnstone residents have watched the new building rise from the ground over 

the past two years and this week will be their first chance to have a look around. 

“The council has made a massive financial commitment to the project to help 

drive the regeneration of Johnstone and the building has changed the face of the 

entire town centre. 

“It has already won awards for its design and build – and I am sure the public will 

be as impressed by the building as the judges at the Scottish Property Awards 

were. 

“Ultimately the residents of Johnstone are the ones who matter most – the building 

was shaped by them and built for them, and I am sure they will make great use of 

the modern facilities within it.” 

An official opening ceremony will take place later this spring. 

For more information about the building or to make a booking, call 0300 300 1210 

or email eventhires@renfrewshire.gov.uk


Kilmacolm Camera Club 

Langbank Camera Club 

53 53 

In February, our internal league photo competition challenge was 

“Monochrome,” judged by Colin McClatchie, of Eastwood Camera Club. 

This was an opportunity to see how members caught the world in Black and 

White. In the Print Competition, Bill Ham bestrode the Monochrome world 

like a very colossus, with the top three images - “Board Walker – Yellowstone 

Park” (First), “Sandstone Contours – Antelope Canyon” (Second) and 

“Wemyss Bay Station” (Third). In the Digital Competition, Bill also took First, 

with “Sculpture on the Beach”, David 

Walker was Second, with “Skaters at 

the Briggait” and Richard Drew was 

Third, with “Hot Wheels.” The Digital 

images are shown here. 

Another evening was devoted to our 

annual “Night at the Movies”, with a 

selection of audio-visual sequences. 

Members were entertained with 

images of Sri Lanka, Sicily, North 

America, Sailing, Greenock Stained 

Glass, Sinai and Petra. A relaxing 

variation on the photography theme. 

We also enjoyed a show from Stuart 

Strachan, of Kilmaurs Camera 

Club. The quality of his images was 

outstanding, and included first class 

Natural History shots, portraits, 

landscapes and sports action. A very 

inspiring and impressive show. 

One of our members, Richard Drew, 

entertained us with a fascinating 

history of his time in the Navy, and as 

a professional photographer. It was 

a unique lecture, with photos going 

back over 40 years, and seasoned 

with a few funny stories (we watched 

the evolution of his hair with interest!). 

Richard also showed us some high 

quality shots of jets in flight, yacht 

racing and portraits. 

The Camera Club Season will soon be over until the autumn. If you would 

like to know more about us, or whether we have any summer outings 

planned, please contact us as shown below. 

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/ 

Diaporama 

The March print competition topic was ‘Fruit / Vegetable Market’ . All the 

images submitted for competition were of a very high standard. Gary 

Ramanathan won first place with his 

photograph of an indoor fruit and 

vegetable market in Barcelona, Spain. 

Second place was awarded to James 

Goodall for his image of a ‘Pineapple’ 

with third place awarded to Alastair 

McKenzie for his photograph of a fruit 

market in Funchal, Madeira. 

At the meeting a presentation was 

given on wild life photography 

covering techniques and equipment. 

The lecture was well received and provided 

lively discussions on the topic, especially with 

regard to composition and framing. Hopefully 

this will inspire members for next month’s 

print competition which is, surprise surprise, 

‘Wild Life’. 

At next month’s main meeting (April 13th) 

we will be demonstrating and discussing 

High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography, 

an image processing technique which has 

become more commonly used over the past 

few years. It will be an evening where we will 

explore the techniques and effects that can 

be obtained when using this method 

of taking photographs. 

The theme for the February meeting 

of the Projected Digital Image (PDI) 

evening was ‘Transport’ which 

showcased many different ‘takes’ 

on that theme. The PDI meeting is a 

forum for members to get constructive 

feedback on their submitted images 

as well as getting hints and tips from 

other members. 

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

month, 13th April, with the PDI meeting on Monday 27th April. The print 

competition topic for 13th April is ‘Wild Life’. All club meetings are held in 

Langbank Church Halls, Langbank. Visitors are always welcome to our 

friendly club nights. 

Membership of the club is only £10 for the first year. If you wish to find 

out more about Langbank Camera Club please visit our website: www. 

langbankcameraclub.weebly.com or contact Derrick McPherson at 

langbankcc1@gmail.com with your enquiries. 

A week or so before our monthly meetings, we get an email reminding us of the date and title. 

This month it was “Les Girls return show” - gentle banter then followed so the ‘girls’ decided to show how a 

good evening should be done! 

There was a wide variety of subjects covered. We visited Knapps Loch season by season, and saw the 

survival over the year of a vandalised sycamore tree in Houston 

park. We visited the Whitby/Saltburn/Redcar area, St Kilda and 

the Royal Highland Show with its animals and farm machinery. 

We had a fun sequence about 2 dogs to the tune of “sisters”. The 

sequence “Green” was all about a cricket that climbed/sat on 

everything - hands, heads etc. as well as cameras (the images 

were taken with whichever camera the cricket wasn’t sitting 

on!). We had 2 more that showed family life - grandchildren 

having fun and Mike’s super 80th Birthday party in Cheshire. 

We learned how to wash your hands properly, illustrated with 

‘knitted microbes’ - this was a gentle hint that men don’t 

do it as well or as often as ladies! The star sequence of 

the evening was “Nice Men” - a little risqué but extremely 

funny - a very appropriate sequence for a ‘girly’ night!! 

It was a superb evening and “we really showed the boys 

what we can do”. There was loads of fun, chatter and 

laughter - we hope our visitor enjoyed it. 

Next month is The Baker/Crookston Show on Monday 

13th April, 7.30pm at the Carrick Centre, Houston. Visitors 

are always welcome.


Langbank Playgroup 

With 18 children now, Langbank Playgroup is the place to be on a Friday 

morning! There are all sorts of activities on offer, including the new favourite 

den, and here we are busy making sandwiches for our lunch. This task 

involved discussing what sort of sandwich to make, how to spread the 

butter, if we made sandwiches at home and the all important decision of 

cutting into triangles or 

squares! Therefore lots of 

learning opportunities and 

one to one conversation 

with an adult too. Our preschoolers 

are also enjoying 

the extra responsibilities 

of setting the snack table 

and we are encouraging 

them to be as independent 

as possible as their last 

term with us approaches. Many thanks also to all the villagers who continue 

to use the Ragbag bin, situated at Langbank Primary, and we encourage 

you to have a good Spring clear-out now of old jumpers and coats and fill it 

up! All proceeds are gratefully received by the Playgroup. 

If you have any questions please contact our chair, Jacqueline, on 01475 

540728. 

Bridge of Weir Primary School 

Shiny, happy faces in kagouls join the bright colours of snowdrops and 

daffodils as veritable signs of Spring and School Trip Season. Jack and 

Imogen could not wait to talk about the P1 outing to the Museum of Rural Life 

in East Kilbride where, frankly, it was all about the animals. “We saw chickens 

and cows,” said Jack. “And a big hairy pig, but no pink ones.” The feedback 

was clear: “I really wanted to hold a chicken,” revealed Imogen. Meanwhile, 

P5 scholars, who have spent years mastering the handling of round-ended 

scissors, and recent weeks studying 

the Scottish Wars of Independence, got 

very up, close and personal with deadly 

weapons on their recent visit to Stirling 

Castle. “The crossbow was very heavy,” 

said Freya, who particularly enjoyed 

“playing the part of a warrior”. Andrew’s 

group’s guide, a suitably chainmailed 

knight, delighted in detailing the period’s 

less enviable occupations. Andrew was 

clear: “I wouldn’t want to have been a 

gongfarmer.” 

The annual P2 outing to the local Co-op 

always engenders greater excitement 

than it (arguably) merits. “We had 50p 

each and we got to buy whatever we 

wanted!“ screeched Ruthie. “I think our 

teacher has to take it home and eat it all 

afterwards.” 

In a glorious finale to pupils’ work on the 

orchestra and their participation in the BBC Ten Pieces classical musical 

project, all pupils in P4-P7 were invited on a Parent Council-funded trip to 

Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall, to see and hear the SNO play a selection of 

film music by John Williams. The laying down of special memories indeed. 

The February fundraising fervour continued into March, with P1 pupils’ 

“Katie Morag” bake sale sending £140.50 to Erskine Hospital. Red Nose 

Day saw many very Funny Faces, which we hope will have prompted 

generous donations to many worthy causes. 

We are proud to congratulate P6 musician Joseph on his impressive 

achievements as part of the recent Inverclyde Music Festival. 

St Fillan’s 

Primary School 

All children in P4 will lead the 

school’s fundraising campaign for 

SCIAF this year, during communion, 

they will learn more about the work 

of SCIAF as they continue in their 

Sacramental journey. Activities 

include donation to the SCIAF ‘Wee 

Box’, a sponsored walk and a raffle. 

Congratulations to the team who 

represented St Fillan’s Primary 

School in the Rotary quiz in Bridge 

of Weir. They did a great job and 

answered lots of tricky questions. 

Congratulations to the pupils 

whose art work was selected 

by Renfrewshire Council to be 

displayed in the INSPIRED Art 

Exhibition at Paisley Museum. 

All families have been invited in to 

school on 17th March to visit their 

child’s/children’s class/classes to 

share in their learning. 

As part of our ongoing curriculum 

development and links with the 

community the school have 

arranged for volunteers to come into 

the school to give a short talk to the 

children about their job and World at 

Work. We also held our third Health 

Day of this session on 27th March. 

Children were involved in a range of 

health related activities, with a focus 

on healthy food. 

The Eco Committee held a fundraiser 

with the children participating in a 

‘Onesie Fun Run’ on Friday 20th 

March to buy some new outdoor 

resources. 

P6 attended the Safe Kids event at 

St Mirren Park on 13th March. This 

is part of Renfrewshire’s Community 

Safety Partnership to promote safety 

messages to school children. 

Kilbarchan 

East Church 

Tots Club 

There will be no ‘Tots’ club on 6th 

and 13th April - resuming from 

9.15am on 20th April. Children up 

to the age of 3 years are welcome, 

accompanied by an adult! 

REGULAR 

groups 

every Monday 

Lochwinnoch Baby & Toddlers 

McKillop Hall. 9.30am-11.30am £2/ 

family fee includes tea & children’s snacks. 

St Columba Playgroup 

St Columba Church Hall, Kilmacolm, 

9.30am-11.40am 

Howwood Baby & Toddler Group 

Howwood Parish Church. 10am-12noon. 

Kilbarchan East Tots Club 

East 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. 11am 

Meet mums, drink coffee & eat cake. 



9.30am-11.40am 

Howwood Playgroup 

Howwood Church Hall 9.45am-11.35am 


St Columba Toddlers 


10am - 11.30am 

For children from birth to 3 years. 

Lochwinnoch Baby & Toddlers 

McKillop Hall. 9.30am-11.30am 

£2/family fee includes tea and children’s 

snacks. 



every Thursday 

Houston Toddlers 

Church Hall, Main Street, Houston 

Pop along and see us from 9.30-11.30am 



9.15am-11.40am 



every Friday 

Langbank Under 3’s 

Church Hall, Langbank 10am-11.45am 

For children from birth to 3 years 

1st & 3rd Friday 

Renfrewshire Inverclyde Twins 

Club 

McKillop Hall, Lochwinnoch 10- 

11.30am 

£3. Bring a mug along for a cuppa.


Duchal Nursery School 

55 55 

March seems to have been a busy month with the conclusion of our “People 

that Help Us” topic, a pyjama day for World Book Day and our Comic Relief 

Café!! All this in addition to our usual French and PE Lessons!!! 

The children have had lots of fun hosting their own café, making “Red Nose” 

Biscuits and entertaining their guests in our own café for Comic Relief. A 

very enjoyable way to raise money for such a good cause. 

After a week of reading lots of new and interesting books from our in house 

library we celebrated World Book Day with a day in pyjamas reading books 

under our duvets! It has really inspired us to keep on reading. 

It was lovely to welcome so many new families to our open morning, if you 

were unable to make it and you would like to find out more about what we 

do at Duchal please come and visit us one morning - contact Head Teacher 

Jean McCarthy on 874358 to arrange a convenient time or keep up to date 

with all the latest news on our website duchal.com 

With a 

change 

in the 

weather 

we are 

finally 

spending 

more time 

in the 

Duchal 

garden 

and have 

had some 

lovely 

w a l k s 

around Birkmyre Park, making the most of our great surroundings. 

Nomad Music Easter 

Holiday 

Club 

Running from the 

7th until the 17th of April 

in Kilbarchan East Church Hall. 

Learn guitar, piano or have a go on 

the drums, have a jam in a band, play 

awesome indoor and outdoor games, meet new friends 

and have a fantastic time. Beginners and non-beginners 

welcome. Sessions for those in P1 to P6 and for those in 

P7 to S4, with prices from £10 per day. Saturday sessions 

also running throughout the year. For full details visit www. 

nomadmusicschool.co.uk. 

LEAP Logo Winner 

Congratulations to our Yep! Logo competition winner David Hill attending 

Gryffe High School. Our winner’s prize is the opportunity to spend a day with 

designer Niki Taylor of The Top Project in her studio, creating their own made 

to measure garment or alternatively a wonderful Dawes Bicycle to the value 

of £300. David will be working in the coming weeks to professionally develop 

his final logo design with artist Harry Glen at Kuka Studios. Watch this space! Our 

runners up were Ben Valentine (Johnstone High School), Alexandra Finnie (Gryffe High School), 

and Joseph Cameron (Johnstone High School). A big thank you to all our entrants. For more 

information on our Yep! Programme designed and run by local young people please see: http:// 

www.myleapproject.org/leap-youth-education-programme/ 

challenging topic! 

Eco Stories 

When well-known local storyteller Anne 

Pitcher was asked to tell stories about 

climate change and sustainability and 

provide two puppet making workshops 

for Child’s Play Out of School Care in 

Lochwinnoch Primary School - she 

answered “Yes!” for she always likes a 

LEAP’s Community Development Officer for Education, Susie 

Herteleer asked Anne to tackle this important subject in a way that 

would engage the children. On Friday 23rd January Anne took 

the children on a eco-storytelling journey with her interactive and 

participative style accompanied by some of her puppet friends 

and curious sound makers. Then the children created envelope 

puppets to re-tell the stories. 

On 30th January the children created their own wonderful Eco 

stories with Anne’s help, then some children made puppets from 

junk and re-cycled clothing, to retell their stories. Some older 

children made a fantastic Manga style storyboard to tell one story. 

Child’s Play Manager Leanne Ramage said “Anne’s storytelling, 

looking at climate change and sustainability, has encouraged the 

children to think about these things from the angle of hearing and 

telling stories and creating puppets - it’s been great fun! They 

really enjoyed creating the puppets from junk and envelopes as 

well as making up and telling their own Eco stories.”


Gryffe High School 

Great Fairtrade Bake Off 

Friday 27th February was a busy day marking the middle of Fairtrade 

Fortnight. The day started with a presentation in the theatre from visitor 

Ismael who is a Producer (of Honey) in Guatemala. 

Pupils and 

staff were 

encouraged 

to show 

off their 

Fairtrade 

label. Mrs 

Davey and 

Miss Rowan 

organised 

the day 

w h i c h 

included 

a Great 

Fairtrade Bake Off. There was a competition for Pupils and Staff. The 

enthusiasm from both pupils and staff was amazing. Mr Gibb in Biology proved 

a Staff winner with his Lime and Courgette cake baked using Fairtrade sugar. 

Staff enjoyed this at the Big Brew at interval, along with a great range of baking 

from other staff, including a personalised entry from the ABC department. 

First year pupils responded really well to the Great Bake Off Opportunity. 

Four first year pupils Codi Carswell, Nicole Hagen, Hannah Brummitt and 

Thea Raeburn were winners with their superb cakes. Their cakes were so 

attractive that the pupils have been invited to Renfrewshire Council’s Big 

Brew event. 

Thank you 

to all who 

supported a 

great Fairtrade 

day! 

Brightest 

Star Charity 

Donation 

A r l e n e 

from the 

Brightest Star 

Charity was 

overwhelmed 

by the work and generosity of our S5 pupils who raised £1341.42 for this 

important cause. The school will continue to raise money for this charity and 

hopefully our new S5 year group will match or go beyond the amount raised 

this year. Well done to all of you! 

1st Kilmacolm Brownies 

1st Kilmacolm Brownies had a tremendous time at their Comic Relief 

Danceathon on Tuesday. Well done to the girls who were sponsored to 

dance for well over an hour and have so far raised almost £400. 

The enthusiasm of our DJ Stephen Robertson helped immensely and kept 

us from flagging! 

Christine Haddock, District Commissioner for Girlguiding Bridge of Weir and 

Kilmacolm District said “It’s fantastic that we have so many young people 

in our Units, but unfortunately we need more adult help. We are looking for 

people who are happy to give up a few hours every week. Of course we will 

be as flexible as possible but just one night a week would be of great benefit 

to our Units, and would ensure that we can continue to offer our young 

members the quality programmes which we currently deliver.” 

If you would 

like to find out 

more please 

log on to 

w w w . 

girlguiding.org. 

uk/interested 

or contact 

Christine 

directly on 

07801 644 

998. 

St Columba Church Playgroup 

and Toddlers 

The Playgroup children enjoy a 

variety of challenges each day 

from choosing their play, helping 

themselves at snack, tidying-up 

plus putting their coat on but always 

with the support of an encouraging 

adult if required. We have also 

enjoyed having some big brothers 

and sisters in to visit in the school 

holidays which the little ones enjoy. 

The summer term will soon be here 

so time to think of Sports Day and 

our Annual Open Day which is in 

early June - date to be advised 

and a great opportunity to come 

in and see what Playgroup can do 

for you. We have a waiting list for 

places in August so please contact 

Melanie our Playgroup Secretary 

for more information by emailing 

stcolumbachurchplaygroup@gmail. 

com 

Our toddler group runs on 

Wednesday’s between 10am and 

11.30am for children from birth to 3 

years. Please contact our Toddler 

secretary Beth for more information 

on thebbles@hotmail.com 

Look at this tower! Life can be full of 

achievements and when you’ve built 

a tall tower with the Lego, that is a 

special feeling at two and a half years 

old. 

We Need Your 

Help! 

Last month we wrote about the 

recent sad closure of Kidston Kids 

due to a lack of committee members. 

St Columba Church Playgroup 

and Toddlers are having similar 

issues. The majority of the current 

committee must step down at the 

AGM in August as they are nearing 

the end of 3 years in the posts. 

They really need new members 

to come forward especially for the 

roles of Chairperson and Treasurer 

as legally the group can’t function 

without them. St Columba Church 

Playgroup and Toddlers has been 

running in Kilmacolm for over 40 

years and will have seen hundreds 

of children pass through its toddlers 

and onto playgroup so it will be a 

real loss to the village if it is unable 

to continue. It seems to be a sad 

sign of the times that these once 

thriving groups are starting to decline 

because everyone is too busy to 

give up some time to help out a great 

community group. If anyone would 

like further information about helping 

please contact Beckie Greene 

for more details 07989 586271 or 

stcolumbachurchplaygroup@gmail. 

com 

St Benedict’s Charity Committee 

The hard working Charity Committee of St Benedict’s High School have 

reported that their fund raising efforts are on target to exceed the collection 

from last year, as they have now raised the magnificent sum of £2656.21. 

The Charities Committee is operated by students and staff whose chosen 

charities amongst others are Lisa’s Gift, the Paisley branch of Alzheimer’s 

Scotland, the British Heart Foundation and the Malawi Partnership. 

The funds were raised through various events from the Halloween Disco, 

Christmas Concert, Masquerade Ball and at Christmas, a Santa Dash. 

This term, on St Valentine’s Day, the committee had roses on sale displaying 

messages with all proceeds going to the British Heart Foundation. 

Of course, these efforts are thanks to all staff, students, parents and 

friends in the local community who have wholeheartedly supported these 

ventures.


Concert Raises the Roof – and 

£2400 for St Columba Church 

57 57 

The young musicians at St Columba’s School performed a wonderful 

Evening of Music with the aim to raise funds for major roof repairs to St 

Columba’s Church in Kilmacolm. Highlights included performances of 

“You’ve Got a Friend in Me”, “Love Devine”, “Nimrod” and “Sure on this 

Shining Night”. The generous support of everyone involved meant that the 

concert raised the tremendous amount of £2400 in aid of the St Columba 

Church Fabric Fund. 

Pipe Band 

Everyone is very proud of our Pipe Band for winning 1st Place in the Junior 

A category at the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships which took 

place in Edinburgh. This is a great achievement for everyone involved, 

especially as it is the first time the Pipe Band has entered this competition. 

David Johnston, Convener for the 

competition, said: “I think it is fair to say 

that this year has been the toughest 

year yet for our judges as bands really 

raised the bar on the quality of their 

performances.” 

A shield and a cheque for £500 were 

presented to Pipe Majors Keir Brown 

(SV) and Fraser Reid (SVI) and Lead 

Drummer Robbie Espie (SIII) at School 

assembly. 

Exciting Times 

When pupils take time off for their Easter break School will be far from quiet 

with work starting on our science block. Major upgrading of the existing 

science faculty will begin at Easter to create six modern laboratories and 

to make improvements to the fabric of the building. Preparation for the 

evacuation of the Science building also provided an excellent opportunity 

to clear out old text books, which are out-of-date due to recent changes in 

the curriculum. Rather than consign these to a skip, the School despatched 

48 boxes of books to the Scottish charity Books Abroad, which recycles 

used books by sending them to schools and other institutions in developing 

countries. 

We are fortunate indeed to enjoy a rural setting where children can enjoy 

fresh air in green spaces during their school day. The outdoor environment 

will soon be even better - to allow us to make the most of the leafy campus 

both for play and learning, improvements to the Junior School playground 

will also start during the Easter break. 

Early Years Learning 

St Columba’s is delighted about the positive response to our new Early 

Years offering for children aged 3 and 4 years, which will begin in August 

2015. Fun, confidence and a sense of security are at the heart of everything 

we do, but our teacher-led experience also ensures that children benefit 

from a tailor-made programme that suits their personal needs and are wellprepared 

for the transition to Junior 1. And while the core programme takes 

place in the morning, our flexible wraparound provision means that care is 

available from 7.45am – 6pm. If you would like to find out more or to arrange 

a taster visit please call us on 01505 872768. 

Hockey Successes 

We are happy to report that Eilidh Fleming, Imogen Davies and Maddie 

Cleat (SIV) have been selected for the Scotland U16 hockey squad. We 

wish our talented athletes success playing in the HDM Tournament in 

Holland this Easter. Congratulations also go to Ellen Halliday (SVI) who has 

been selected again to play in the Scotland U18 national hockey squad in 

Germany. Very well done indeed! 

www.st-columbas.org.


Craigmarloch School 

Houston Primary School 

Welcome to The Advertizer! For readers who don’t know us, we are a 

specialist school for children with Additional Support Needs (ASN) from 

all over Inverclyde. We have 145 pupils aged between 5 and 18 and are 

housed in a state of the art dedicated building as part of the Port Glasgow 

Community Campus. Our ambitions are high for all our pupils and this year 

we have been participating in the Inverclyde Festival and a Joint Dance 

Project with Reach Autism in Greenock. We have just elected our first 

head girl and boy who are already representing our school in Inverclyde 

events. We have recently been successful in gaining funding which will 

enable 2 year groups to participate in watersports at Castle Semple Loch. 

S1 pupils will be offered canoeing and our S4 pupils sailing. This will mean 

all pupils will have had 2 opportunities to develop water skills before they 

leave school. Our basketball team are playing in the Inverclyde Basketball 

Festival in March so we have everything crossed for them. If you would 

like more information about us or would 

like to support the work of our school 

then please call the Head Teacher, Mrs 

Stewart, on 01475 715345. 

Howwood Primary School 

P6/5 recently had a fabulous morning at the RSPB reserve at Lochwinnoch. 

The guides Jamie and Liam ensured we knew what we were looking for. We 

had to keep our eyes and ears peeled for the birds that were returning after 

migration. We visited the tower to get a better view of the reserve and got 

the chance to put our ‘bins’ to good use. Watching the birds from the feeding 

station got us 

even closer. We 

got the chance 

to make our own 

food balls which 

we placed around 

the reserve. 

Luckily the birds 

were keen to 

impress and didn’t 

disappoint us with 

their calls and 

many fly pasts. 

P7 and 3 have 

recently been 

involved in a Food For Thought Topic. For the past six weeks the children 

have visited Johnstone High Economics Department and learned to cook a 

starter, main course and dessert researched by the P7 children. The children 

were taught a variety of skills and worked co-operatively with each other to 

produce some 

tasty dishes! 

The children 

also visited 

Bowfield 

Country Club 

for five weeks 

where they 

helped the chef 

make some 

tasty soup and 

got to taste 

some of the 

chef’s creations. 

The chef also 

took the time to 

answer many questions on his profession to encourage any future budding 

chefs! 

Fantasy became a reality in Houston Primary for World Book Day when 

author Ross McKenzie popped in to tell the children about … nowhere? 

Ross gave our excited pupils a sneak peek at new book The Nowhere 

Emporium – released on March 19 – about a shop where dream rooms 

become reality. For his March 4 visit, the children had designed their fantasy 

rooms and Ross was so delighted he stayed behind to sign their advance 

copies. 

Ross won 

the Scottish 

Children’s 

Book Award 

2011 for his 

debut Zac and 

the Dream 

Pirates. And 

dreams were 

the order of 

World Book 

Day, March 5, 

when staff and 

pupils came 

to school in 

their pyjamas 

ready to share 

their favourite 

bedtime book. 

It was so 

relaxing! Some P2s even read their books to a rapt audience in the nursery. 

Great work boys and girls. 

Pupils have been going quackers for Fairtrade at Houston Primary. Duck 

callers were a top purchase at a special pop-up stall to mark this year’s 

Fairtrade Fortnight. The wooden toy was just one of the goods on offer 

from Miss Farrelly’s Enterprise. 

Sales of chocolate, jewellery and 

decorated pens also helped to 

raise an amazing £586. We now 

also have a Fairtrade wall made 

from ‘bricks’ decorated by every 

child in the school. Each brick 

shows one way Fairtrade supports 

farmers and producers around the 

world. 

Success lay in the date for 

Houston’s brainiacs this month. 

P7’s Rotary Quiz team battled to 

a fantastic 2nd place on March 

2nd, while P6’s Euro Quiz team 

took a great 3rd place on March 

3rd. Both events saw the children 

compete against pupils from other 

primaries in Renfrewshire. P7s 

Innes Craig, Lewis McGeachin, 

Mhairi Reid and Leah Feely put in a 

great show answering some really 

tricky general knowledge. P6s 

Euan Johnson, Cate Meiklejohn, 

Louise Steele and Harry Manley 

had learned all about Europe. 

Congratulations also go to our P4-7 poets and pipers who took part in the 

Burns Federation Schools competition in Paisley on March 10. Winners 

were Seamus Mowberry, Harrison Ewing and Sarah Smillie. 

It was safety first when P6 visited St Mirren Park on the dreaded Friday 

the 13th for a Safe Kids event. Police and fire officers gave the children 

emergency advice while council staff led fun-filled personal safety 

scenarios. 

Mums and dads were agog at the sights in our Ancient Egyptian museum 

on March 11th. They were amazed to see their children’s fantastic art, 

technology and written work. The children learned how to exhibit it all after 

visiting Kelvingrove Museum the previous week. 

P7s finally got to take home their amazing motorized, light-up mobiles from 

the Technology Challenge this month. Winners Kayleigh Shaw, Rachel 

Hopkins, Carla Dinnie, Marcus Hewitson, Ewan Nuttall and Scott McNamara 

had wowed the judges last term with their Dine and Dance bus.


Renfrewshire’s newly-elected MSYPs 

59 59 

Almost 6,500 young people turned out to vote in the Scottish Youth Parliament elections between 2 and 12 March in Renfrewshire. Sandra Black, Returning 

Officer, announced the five duly elected MSYPs at St Andrews Academy on Friday 13 March. The successful candidates were: 

Paisley constituency: Osama Nadeem & Emma Eck Renfrewshire North West: Eilidh Harkness & Mark Dougan Renfrewshire South: Carrie McIntyre 

Kilmacolm Primary School 

Through their topic of Space, our Nursery pupils have transformed an area of the Nursery into a space ship. They 

have engaged in space related stories as well as having the opportunity to engage in role play. They have been 

learning to sequences days and they are developing their awareness of the routines in the Nursery. 

P2/1 have been getting to know Katie 

Morag and her family who live on the Island 

of Struary. The children are learning about 

life on a Scottish Island and are able to 

confidently compare and contrast it with 

their own lives and experiences. 

P4 confidently entertained our parents 

and family members at their recent Viking 

Assembly and showcase of learning. They 

were able to demonstrate their knowledge 

and skills developed through the context 

of the Vikings. 

Our musical P5 were invited to perform a 

selection of songs at St Columba Church 

to celebrate World Day of Prayer. They 

performed beautifully as always. 

P6 enjoyed a very interesting visit from 

the Scottish Parliament. We undertook 

our own debate about whether or not all 

new cars in Scotland should be electric. 

Lots of good arguments for and against 

were put forward before we decided 

that all new cars in Scotland should 

not be electric. 

Fairtrade 

To celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight, Primary 7 organised and promoted a Fairtrade 

Stall and welcomed pupils, staff and parents. The stall sold a range of products 

and worked effectively to raise awareness of the importance of buying Fairtrade 

products. 

Burns and Scots Poetry Competition 

What a braw bunch o wains we have! We have just celebrated our annual Burns Competition and the standard 

was extremely high! Our finalists performed confidently and beautifully in front of their audience and their 

judges. Our finalists were as follows: P5 Poppy 

Paterson – 1st Place and our overall winner 

Finlay Thomson – Runner Up 

P6 Anna McGowan – 1st Place, Bethany 

Waddell – Runner Up. P7 Sara Ingram – 1st 

Place, Blair Storrie – Runner Up. 

Living Eggs 

Our confident and responsible Primary 3 and 

Primary 3/2 have had some fluffy visitors in their 

classroom over the last few weeks. They have 

been exploring first level science through a ‘first 

wing’ experience of the hen life cycle and related 

food chains. Everyone at KPS has enjoyed 

this memorable 

l e a r n i n g 

experience. 

World book day 

World Book Day was filled with fun, imagination, creativity and wonderfully rich literacy learning experiences. Our school was 

bursting with life, with an array of weird and wonderful characters from books. The costumes were creative, inspiring and 

most importantly stimulated discussion on favourite book characters; generated opinions and formed debates over much 

loved books and characters.


7th Green, Old Ranfurly Golf Course by Patricia Allan of PCPC 

Kilmacolm Bowling Club 

Kilmacolm re-opens it green in April. New members are most welcome. Why 

not come along and give it a try. We can supply new beginners with bowls to 

suit all ages. We 

look forward to 

welcoming you at 

the start of the 

new season. 

Contact our 

secretary on 

01505 872076 

or email: norrie. 

johnstone@ 

btinternet.com 

Gleddoch Ladies Golf Club 

Gleddoch Ladies had their first competition of the year last weekend, a “fun” 

competition over 12 holes. It was very much enjoyed by everyone especially as 

the weather was fine. New captain June Lockhart has promised lots of fun golf 

this season! The next competition, the Opening Stableford, will be a step up to 

18 holes, on Sunday 22nd March. 

The previous weekend, Gleddoch Ladies won their first round match in the Mail 

on Sunday competition, by the narrowest possible margin, against the ladies 

of Dumbarton Golf Club. Captain June led the team to victory with a win at 

the first extra hole. The ladies are looking forward to the next round against 

Ranfurly Castle, and also to meeting again teams from the other clubs in the 

West Renfrewshire Evening League. They have also already started planning 

for a Mixed Open Green somes 

to be held on Sunday August 

23rd with all proceeds going to 

the Beatson Cancer Charity. 

Gleddoch Ladies are a friendly 

bunch and welcome visitors and 

prospective new members. Our 

Director of Golf, Kevin McAleer, is 

also very welcoming. He can be 

contacted on 01475 540704.

REGULAR 

meets 

every Mo n d a y 

Ki l b a rc h a n Athletic Cl u b 

On-X, Li n w o o d, 7p m 

All abilities welcome. Tel: 07941 686990. 

5-a-s i d e Fo o t b a l l 

Po w e r l e ag u e Pa i s l e y 6p m 

Tel: Jim Bretherton 01505 874215; or 

jimbretherton@aol.com 

Br i d g e o f Weir La d i e s Ba d m i n to n 

Ca r g i l l Ha l l, Lintwhite Cr e s, 7.30p m 

Ca l l a n e t i c s 

Bro o k f i e l d Village Ha l l, 7.15p m 

Strathgryffe Mo t o rc yc l e Cl u b 

Th e Tr u s t In n, Ki l b a rc h a n 9p m-10.30p m 

Visit www.strathgryffe.org for details. 

Th e Sh o t o k a n Ka r at e Cl u b 

Wo o d l a n d s Pr i m a r y Sc h o o l, Li n wo o d, 7p m - 8p m 

& 8p m - 9p m. 

www.linwoodkarate.co.uk 

every Tuesday 

Br i d g e o f Weir Wa l k i n g Gr o u p 

Ou t s i d e t h e Co-o p, BoW 10.30a m 

1 hour walks. Call Senga on 0141 842 3000. 

Gryffe Ba d m i n to n 

Strathgryffe Te n n i s Cl u b, 8p m 

Fo o t b a l l Tr a i n i n g 

Jo h n s t o n e Hi g h Sc h o o l 6p m-9p m 

Call Ali on 07775 578795 for details 


Greenock Ho c k e y Cl u b 

In v e r c ly d e Ac a d e m y Sc h o o l, Greenock, 6.30p m- 

8p m 

Contact Liz Baldwin, mobile 07944 607005 


Br o o k f i e l d Village Ha l l, 5.15p m, 6.15p m & 

7.30p m 

every Th u r s d a y 

Ki l b a rc h a n Athletic Cl u b 

On-X, Li n w o o d, 7p m 

All abilities welcome. Tel: 07941 686990. 

Kilmacolm Wa l k e r s 

Bi r k m y r e Pa r k Pavilion, Kilmacolm 10a m 

Tel: David Goddard 01505 874192 or email 

kilmacolmwalkers@talktalk.net 


Bro o k f i e l d Village Ha l l, 9.15a m & 10.30a m 

Th e Sh o t o k a n Ka r at e Cl u b 

Wo o d l a n d s Pr i m a r y Sc h o o l, Li n wo o d, 7p m - 8p m 

& 8p m - 9p m. 

www.linwoodkarate.co.uk 

Fo o t b a l l Tr a i n i n g 

Jo h n s t o n e Hi g h Sc h o o l 6p m-9p m 

Call Ali on 07775 578795 for details 

every Fr i d a y 


Bro o k f i e l d Village Ha l l, 9.15a m & 10.30a m 

every Sa t u r d a y 

Ad u lt Ta p Lessons 

The Ca r g i l l Ce n t r e, Ki l m ac o l m. Sa t u r d a y 

l u n c h t i m e. 

Call Gail Ashley on 01475 531336 for details 

every Su n d a y 

Bi r k m y r e Ru g b y Cl u b, Kilmacolm 

Yo u t h Ru g b y Se c t i o n 11a m-1p m 

www.pitchero.com/clubs/birkmyre - New players 

and coaches welcome 


Paisley Piranhas 

Swimming Club 

Paisley Piranhas Swimming Club is a 

competitive swimming club for young 

people with learning, sensory or physical 

disabilities. The club takes place at 

Linwood ONX between 2.30pm and 

4.30pm on Sundays (excluding school 

holidays). Members must be able to swim 

a short distance. For more details contact 07774 016347. 

Women’s 10k 

Sunday 17 May - Glasgow 

The UK’s biggest women-only running 

event sees the streets of Glasgow welcome 

nearly 10,000 ladies to the soundtrack of 

drummers and pipers as they run through 

Scotland’s largest city. 

The atmosphere on the course is electric, as 

women of all ages and sporting abilities pull 

on their trainers to run, walk or jog around 

the south side of the city. 

Course starts on Nithsdale Road heading 

through Pollokshields, to the finish on 

Mosspark Boulevard where runners, 

joggers and walkers will be cheered 

on by hundreds of supporters along 

the final straight. 

Entries are now open (£26 pp) 

Visit the website at www.greatrun. 

org/great-womens-10k 

Race For Life 

Show cancer that hell hath no fury like 

a woman in pink by taking part in one 

of our 5k events around the country. 

5k is an achievable distance for all 

abilities, so unite in the fight against 

cancer with us this year by signing 

up now. You also have the choice to 

do 10k or a ‘Pretty Muddy’ course 

too. Simply go to the website at www. 

raceforlife.cancerresearchuk.org and 

register now. 

SUN 10 May - 9.30am - Glasgow 

Green 5k 

SUN 17 May - 9.30am - Irvine 10k 

SUN 17 May - 11.30am - Irvine 5k 

SUN 20 June - Various Times - 

Glasgow Bellahouston Park - Pretty 

Muddy Obstacle Course 

There are almost 300 Race for Life 

events across the UK, so you’re sure 

to find one that suits. You can walk, 

jog or run - it’s up to you. 

Sporting Blog 

by Lesley Handley 

Football 

Training 

Tuesday & Thursday 

nights at Johnstone 

High School astro 

between 6pm and 

9pm - football training 

for players of all age 

groups & abilities. 

For further details please contact Ali 

McMaster on 07775 578795, 

email Glentyanthistlefc@gmail. 

com or visit our website on 

www.glentyanthistle.co.uk 

Adult Tap 

Lessons 

Learn a new skill and have 

fun exercising. Suitable for 

beginners upwards. Saturday 

lunchtime: The Cargill Centre, 

Kilmacolm. PA13 4LE. For 

more information please 

contact, Gail Ashley (MBATD) 

on 01475 531336. www. 

gailashleyschoolofdance.co.uk 

contact@ 

gailashleyschoolofdance.co.uk 

Table Tennis 

Table Tennis is on at the Houston 

Village Hall on Monday nights from 

7.30pm - 9.30pm. All welcome. 

Donation £2. Contact: Mark 

Canning on 07968 052538. 

Plan to Break The Rules… 

Nobody can be perfect with their diet 100% of the time, so you shouldn’t pressure yourself into being perfect. 

Fact one. The best diet is the one you can stick too. Consistently. A way of eating that gives you the results you want 

but also makes you feel good and lets you live your life. 

Fact two. It is all very well to go to a trainer and they give you a plan to follow that tells you to ‘eat this and this’ but not 

‘this and this’ because it works for them. But if it is too complicated and you don’t like the food, you won’t stick to it 

and you won’t enjoy it. Also everyone is different and they get results from eating different things! 

If you want consistency and results; its best to stick to something simple that can become an achievable and long 

term routine. 

Here is one way to do it: 

80% of your food should be whole foods – natural, unprocessed, single ingredient foods. 

10% is food that depends on your goals or requirements – you possibly need to eat more omega 3 or iron and 

therefore include foods that contain them, or extra carbohydrates if you are training hard for a race or event, or 

more protein if you are trying to lose weight. 

10% is whatever you want. If you love to drink coffee or eat pizza – no issue! It’s all down to moderation. If you cut 

it from your diet completely you will crave it more, resent the diet and more often than not end up binging on it. 

Using this method you will still see results but not end up hating the diet plan you are following. 

Lesley 

For more information on Personal Training or anything related to nutrition contact me on 0773 627 4925, or at 

Lesley_personal_trainer@hotmail.co.uk 

61 61


Birkmyre U16s Top the League 

Congrats to Birkmyre U16 rugby squad who topped of the West U16 Division 

South League with a 50-15 win over Clydebank/Bishopton. The teams stats for 

the league season are: played 16, won 13, lost 3. Their next challenge is the 

season- ending West U16 Cup. 

Birkmyre Rugby Club are looking to start an U18 side next season and are 

always on the look out for new players and coaches for all age groups, please 

contact Wallace Muir on 07941 156592 or visit the website www.pitchero.com/ 

clubs/birkmyre 

Every Sunday 

Birkmyre Rugby Club, Kilmacolm Youth Rugby Section 11am-1pm 

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/birkmyre/ 

New players and coaches welcome 

MAMILS* Smash £10k Target In Cape Town Challenge 

(*Middle Aged Men In Lycra) 

A group of 12 MAMILS (Middle Aged Men In Lycra) conquered the notorious Cape 

Argus Cycle Challenge in South Africa at the weekend (8 March) – smashing 

their £10,000 fundraising target. 

The team of 12, led by Scott Hutton of Lochwinnoch, took on the largest timed 

bike race in the world along with 45,000 other riders to raise money for local 

charity Finding Your Feet, set up by Scott’s sister Corinne Hutton. 

And while wild fires caused the authorities to close many of the roads, reducing 

the race from the official 109km route to 47km, the Finding Your Feet team 

refused to be thwarted - they finished the race, before proceeding to cycle 

another 62km on their own to make up the distance. 

Corinne (44), a single mum-of-one from 

Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire, had her 

hands and feet amputated in June 2013 

after contracting septicaemia. Now walking 

on prosthetic legs and awaiting the UK’s 

first double hand transplant later this year, 

Corinne runs the charity which offers support 

to those who need help finding their feet after 

life-changing physical trauma, by means of 

financial assistance, advice and emotional 

support. 

The cycle has this year been named the 

Solidarity Tour due to the fires and in support 

of the emergency services. The spectacular 

route took in Cape Town, Table Mountain 

National Park, Cape Argus, the Cape of Good 

Hope and Falls Bay. 

Scott, originally of Lochwinnoch, but who now works as a lawyer in Dubai, 

gathered close friends and cycling enthusiasts to take on the challenge in aid 

of the charity and has raised in excess of £13,000, though further sponsorship 

is welcomed. 

Since losing her limbs 18 months ago, Corinne has walked a mile through 

Glasgow city centre, fulfilled a lifelong ambition to run up the ‘Rocky Steps’ in 

Philadelphia, ridden a motorcycle, had regular skiing lessons and is soon to 

learn to fly a single engine propeller plane. Known as Scotland’s ‘bionic mum’, 

she has raised over £200,000 for Finding Your Feet which has recently received 

the backing of Hollywood A-listers including Mel Gibson, Robert Carlyle, Gerard 

Butler, Vinnie Jones, Andy Murray, Lorraine Kelly, Scotland Captain Greig 

Laidlaw and Ford Kiernan* – all of whom have donated their signed handprints 

to highlight the cause. These will be exhibited and auctioned off to raise funds 

in 2015. 

In January, Corinne travelled to Dubai to meet those taking part in the challenge 

and offer some encouragement. She commented: “Before my illness, I loved 

taking on challenges for charity and completed numerous marathons. You 

never think the tables will turn and that you will become the charity. I am so 

grateful to all the fundraisers and challengers out there who are helping others 

who find themselves in my position. If some good can come of my illness, it’s 

the opportunity to give something back to those who need a support network 

like that which I benefited from. The lads did a phenomenal job and to cycle 

the additional 62km in order to make up the 

distance is simply humbling.” 

Scott, who due to work commitments, covered 

four continents in the four days leading up 

to the event, commented: “Our training in 

Dubai was on the flat so the hardest part was 

definitely the steep inclines. But the breathtaking 

scenery made it more bearable. The 

fires were a tragedy and the emergency 

services did a fantastic job to ensure the 

safety of the riders. We were prepared to 

cycle the full 109km so when the race was 

shortened we decided to simply keep cycling 

and make up the distance. The support has 

been overwhelming and we hope the money 

we raise will help others who faced with 

physical trauma.” 

The team included Scott Hutton, Steve Lankester, Jim Leggate, David 

MacKenzie, Jason Sole, Sean Turner, Tim Davies, Richard Worker, Mark Billinge, 

Mark Popplewell. 

*ALL CELEBRITY HANDPRINT PHOTOS AVAILABLE – PLEASE EMAIL Ashley@ 

findingyourfeet.net or call 07885 262 341.* 

*Celebrities who have donated handprints include Jason Donovan, Lorraine 

Kelly, Danni Cipriani, Bryan Redpath, Marti Pellow, Ian Botham, Mel Gibson, 

Andy Murray, Gerard Butler, Vinnie Jones, Gary Lewis, Frank Gallagher, Robert 

Carlyle, Mark Cueto and Shane Byrne. 

You can donate at www.findingyourfeet.net. For more information: Ashley 

Reid, Communications Manager, Finding Your Feet, 07885 252341. Ashley@ 

findingyourfeet.net


63 63 

Old Course Ranfurly Golf Club 

Junior ‘Beginner’ Coaching 

Junior ‘Beginner’ Golf Coaching will be available at Old Course Ranfurly GC, 

to members and non-members, week commencing Monday 6th April through 

to Thursday 9th April, 10am until 11am. Minimum age 5 – Maximum age 17. 

Cost – only £10. 

If you would like to take part, please contact John Doyle, Secretary, on 

01505 613214 or email secretary@oldranfurly.com or Suzanne Smith, email 

ussmith1@gmail.com by Thursday 2nd April to reserve a place. 

Scottish Open Medal 

for Barbara 

Congratulations to Barbara Reid, a member of both Strathgryffe 

and Bishopton Tennis Clubs, who managed to battle her way 

to the Ladies Singles final of the Scottish Seniors’ Tennis Championships at 

Scotstoun last month. This was an ITF Grade 3 tournament staged by Tennis 

Scotland which attracted an entry of over 200 players from 13 different 

countries contesting 22 events. 

Alas, Barbara lost in the final but, as 

quoted by Tennis Scotland on their 

website, ‘Top seed Maggie McLelland 

was made to work hard in the final of 

the 55 & over event against Barbara 

Reid winning 7-5 in the third set.’ 

A chuffed son, tennis coach James 

Reid, commented, ‘Just goes to show 

you can still get better with age!’ 

Strathgryffe has details available for 

Easter Camps for children and also 

the new Spring Coaching Programme 

for adults and children. Please email: 

derekbrown@strathgryffe.net 

For information on any squash 

coaching please email: squash@ 

strathgryffe.net 

Pedal the Park 

Castle Semple - Sunday 29 April 

Lots going on for all the family at the Event 

Village like the fixed point challenge – how 

far can you pedal in one minute? Take on 

your partner pal or parent! Plus we’ll have a 

bicycle powered cinema, trade stands from 

Merida and Moore-Large, skills courses, try 

a bike – trike, hand or mountain! All that plus the main rides themselves 68km 

sportive, family ride treasure hunt ride through Parkhill, hand bike time trail and 

mountain bike ride. Register online now through British Cycling’s website or see 

http://www.clydemuirshiel.co.uk/things-to-do/cycling/pedal-the-park/. 

Ride 63 Club News & Ride Out 

Next ride: 30 April 

A Community Cycle Group 

‘Ride 63’ is up and running. 

More info on outings on 

their Facebook. Email the 

Secretary at ridesixtythree@ 

gmail.com to become a 

member or email the Park at 

routes@clydemuirshiel.co.uk 

for more information. 

Scottish Multi-Class Regatta 

20 & 21 June - Castle Semple, 

Lochwinnoch 

Entry forms are out and you can 

now be part of the Race 2 the 

Games legacy event the Scottish 

Multi-Class Regatta on 20 & 21 

June. Keep an eye out as our 

local special schools will be down 

training in our adaptive boats, 

Hansa 303s, getting some practice in 

before the big day! 

Would you like to support or sponsor 

your local special school? Email info@ 

scottishmulticlassregatta.org.uk.


Trades and Services 

ADVERTISING 

business ad rates: 

TRADES & SERVICES 

Black & White ads only 

Lineage: up to 20 words £12.00* 

Boxed ad: £6.60* per column cm 

PROPERTY & HOLIDAY HOMES 

CARS FOR SALE 

Lineage: up to 20 words £12.00* 

Boxed ad: £6.60* per column cm 

Photo: add £6.00* (colour) 

*all prices subject to VAT 

CHILDCARE 

Kilmacolm/Quarriers area 

registered childminders. 

P/time or F/time vacancies 

for u-5’s and after school. 

T: 873839. 

MUSIC TUITION 

Houston registered childminders. 

For an informal 

chat to find your best 

childcare, call Elizabeth 

Waddell T: 614925 

TUITION 

Dr. Fraser Scott BA(Hons) 

BSc(Hons) MSci(Hons) 

PhD CBiol MSB MRSC 

MInstP MIMA. Maths, 

Chemistry, Physics and 

Biology Tuition. Email: 

fraser.j.scott@strath. 

ac.uk 

MISCELLANEOUS 

HEALTHCARE/BEAUTY 

SITUATIONS VACANT 

SITS VAC. 

Business


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) 


May ‘15 ISSUE: 

• Deadline: 17th April 

• Delivery: 1st May 

JUNE ‘15 ISSUE: 

• Deadline: 15th May 

• Delivery: 29th May 

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 Tues at 7pm. Next 

meetings: 03 Feb, 03 Mar, 07 Apr, 05 May, 02 Jun 

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: Parish Church: 1st Tues at 7.30pm 

community halls to let 

Bridge of Weir, Freeland Church. Tel: 612245 

Brookfield, Village Hall. Tel: 320497 

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: 873488 

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 

PROPERTY 

HOLIDAY PROPERTY FOR 

HOMES 

SALE 

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TO LET 

churches 

BRIDGE OF WEIR 

Freeland Church: Rev KN Gray 

BA BD. Morning Service 

10.30am. Crèche, Sunday 

School, Lynx and Cornerstone. 

Eveing Service 7pm 

www.freeland.org.uk 

St Mary’s Church Scottish 

Episcopal Church: St Mary’s 

Church, Scottish Episcopal 

Church. Delighting to praise 

God; Showing Christ’s love; 

Growing in faith. Services 

Sundays at 10am. We have 

a regular cycle of prayer for 

those who live and work in 

Bridge of Weir. The dates of 

prayers for local roads are 

as follows: 5 Apr, Rosemount 

Lane. 12 Apr, Shillingworth 

Place. 19 Apr, Southbrae 

Avenue. 26 Apr, Southview 

Court. For further information, 

to ask for special prayers, or 

in pastoral emergency, please 

call the Rector on 01475 

705378. 

St Machar’s Ranfurly 

Church: Rev Suzanne 

Dunleavy BD DipEd. Sunday 

services 10.30am. Hearing 

aid loop system. www. 

stmacharsranfurlychurch.org. 

uk All welcome. 

Hope Hall: Sun 1pm Sunday 

School, 4.30pm Gospel 

Service; Mon 6.30pm 

Investigators for Kids, 8pm 

Bible Study and Prayer. 

From the Baha’i writings: “Be 

a preserver of the sanctity 

of thy pledge.” For details of 

meetings call 615641. 

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. 

HOUSTON 

Houston Baptist Church 

at Carrick Centre: 11am 

Family services with SS for 

CAR FOR SALE 

Ford Focus Edge, 2004, 1.6L Petrol, 3dr hatchback, Blue. 

85,000 miles, 2 owners. Good condition inside and out, 

dent in drivers side rear panel 12” dia. but cosmetic. MOT 

Sept 2015. Great runner only £650. Tel: 07944 522999. 

children age 5-12; 6pm Eve 

Service; Mid-week Home Bible 

Study; For more information 

contact; Rev D Snelson 01505 

612722. 

Houston and Killellan Kirk: 

www.houstonkirk.org. 11am 

Morning Worship 29 Mar. 

9.45am Early Service 11am 

P a l m S u n d ay M o r n i n g 

Worship. 30 Mar - 3 Apr. Holy 

Week Services. All Services 

begin at 7.30pm. Mon: 

Houston & Killellan Kirk. Tue: 

Joint Service with Linwood 

at Houston Kirk. Wed: Joint 

Service at Linwood Parish 

Church. Maundy Thur: The 

Sacrament of the Last Supper. 

Good Fri: Houston & Killellan 

Kirk. 5 Apr. 8am. Early Morning 

Easter Service Sacrament 

of Holy Communion (Bacon 

Butty Breakfast after this 

Service) 11am Easter Morning 

Family Worship. 12 Apr. 11am 

Morning Worship. 19 Apr. 

11am Morning Worship: The 

Sacrament of Baptism. 26 

Apr. 9.45am Early Service 

11am Morning Worship. 

Church of the Nazarene: Village 

Hall, Main St, Houston. PA6 

7EL. Rev Benito S Coetzee. 

Family services at 10.30am 

with full toddler, children 

and 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 

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. 

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, 

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. 

PA6 7EL. T: 01505 612046, 

F: 01505 610556. E: parish@ 

stfillan.org.uk. www.stfillan. 

org.uk 

HOWWOOD 

Howwood Parish Church: 

Sunday Service will start at 

10am and there will be a 

prayer meeting at 3 Bowfield 

Way on Fridays at 7.30pm. 

KILBARCHAN 

Services at 11am and in the 

East and West Churches as 

intimated in the Kilbarchan 

Column. All services conducted 

by the Rev Stephen Smith. 

Creche, Junior church and 

FEWsion/Bible Class meet at 

10.45am. Midweek Fellowship 

in the West Church Session 

House on Wed’s at 10.30am. 

KILMACOLM 

St Colm’s Catholic Church, 

Smithy Brae Kilmacolm. 

The Very Rev William Canon 

McDade – Sunday morning 

family mass at 10am with 

children’s liturgy. Teas and 

coffee after mass. Rosary 

Tuesday evenings at 6.30pm. 

Prayer group at 7.30pm on 

Thursdays. Mass on holy days 

at 7.30pm. 

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 & 

Crèche available. 

St Columba Church of Scotland: 

(charity no SC007992) Minister 

Rev Douglas Cranston. Morning 

Worship Sundays at 11am. 

Wednesday break 10.30am. 

Thursday Bible Study 7.30pm 

– 8.30pm. Thursday Prayer 

Meeting 8.40pm – 9.15pm. 

Holy Week Services will be 

held each evening from Mon 

30 Mar to Fri 3 Apr at 7.30pm, 

in the large hall, Bridge of 

Weir Road. Speakers are : Rev 

Douglas Cranston, Rev Alistair 

Horne, Rev Gerry Middleton, 

Rev Jonathon De Groot. Come 

and join us as we remember 

and rejoice in the death and 

resurrection of the Lord Jesus 

Christ 

Gospel Services: Scout Hall, 

Kilmacolm - Sundays 4.30pm, 

Thurs 7.30pm. 

St Fillan’s Episcopal (Anglican) 

Church: All welcome to our 

church in Moss Road. 

Buddhist meetings: Buddhism 

of Nichiren Daishonin. Phone 

Margaret on 01505 871343 

LANGBANK 

Langbank Parish Church: Rev 

Andrew McLean. Sunday 

Services 10am with Sunday 

School, Creche 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 with 

Sunday School and Crèche. 

Calder United Free Church: 

(Church St 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: Law View 

Road, Quarriers Village. Rev 

Andy Lunn BSc, 10.30am 

with Junior Church and Bible 

Class. Wednesdays prayer and 

bible study at 7pm. Fridays 

prayer and bible study at 

10am. Easter Celebration 

in Quarriers Village: Palm 

Sunday, 29 Mar, Family 

Worship at 10.30am. Maundy 

Thursday Communion at 7pm. 

Good Friday Meditation at 

2:30pm. Easter Sunday Family 

Celebration at 10.30am, 

followed by a brunch in aid of 

Mercy Ships. Why not come 

and discover the heart of 

Christianity with us? 

65 65


Items For Sale 

Baby Equipment 

Moses basket & cream coloured 

bedding set & white 

rocking stand. Exc cond. 

Pet & smoke free home. 

£35. Tel: 01505 672175. 

Graco travel cot, used twice, 

from non smoking home. 

£30. Tel: 07957 338144 

Britax B Mobile 4 lightweight 

pushchair (travel system) 

black, hardly used & in 

exc cond. Incl rain cover 

& brackets for Britax car 

seat. Suitable from birth 

£70. Tel: 01505 672543. 

Phil & Teds Highpod Highchair 

& comfy liner. Suitable 

from birth, height 

adjustable to suit table or 

breakfast bar, 3 position 

seat recline. Easy wipe 

clean, exc cond. £75. Tel: 

01505 672543. 

Graco travel cot. £10 Tel: 

01505 703204. 

Motorola MBP10 Baby Monitor, 

audio sensor, portable, 

good digital range, 

adjustable volume control, 

sound activated lights, 

high sensitivity. 2 sets 

available. £20 per set or 

£35 for both. Tel: 07730 

541977. 

Isofix Highback Booster Car 

Seat (Jane Montecarlo R1 

Plus) provides comfort 

and safety with Isofix fittings 

& breathable fabric. 

Good cond, rrp £149. 18 

mths old, £60. Tel 07730 

541977. 

Little Tikes Rocking Horse, 

green £8, 07954 364125 

Britax Booster Seat, good 

condition, £3,Tel: 07954 

364125. 

Team Tex infant car seat. 

Comes with detachable 

booster seat. Red and 

grey colour. Would suit 

young toddler. Great 

condition. £14. Tel 07988 

751406. 

High quality East Coast 

infant’s wooden high chair. 

Folds neatly away. Includes 

padded insert and 

instructions. Immaculate 

condition. £40 ono. Tel 

07988 751406. 

Clothes & Shoes 

Lovely white ball gown, size 

14. Still in full length cover. 

£35. Tel: 01505 506385. 

Four ankle length (size 16) 

coats, Grey, Camel, Winter 

White and Black velvet, 

all as new. £60 each ono. 

Tel: 01505 506385. 

Bloch shoes, 2” heel and 

front band, Never worn, 

cost £60. Accept £20. Tel: 

01505 613627 

Girls Australian Ugg Boots, 

as new, unused. Size 6.5 

short/smoke blue. £40. 

Tel: 07975 510938. 

Scottish quality neoprene 

Hunter Wellington Boots. 

Size 7. £35. Tel: 07975 

510938. 

New, exceptional quality 

girls Caterpillar Boots, size 

3. Long pale canvas. £35. 

Tel: 07975 510938. 

American Indian Suede 

Jacket with fringes & 

beads. As new. £150. 

Tel: 07975 510938. 

Abercrombie & Fitch quality, 

as new, girls shirt (size 6). 

£55. Tel: 07975 510938. 

Household & Garden 

12 cups/saucers + teapot 

(Poole - summertime pattern). 

Also dinner set 

£120ono each set. Tel: 

01505 506385. 

Bedroom basket chair. 

£20ono. T:01505 506385. 

3 piece lounge suite, Primrose 

loose covers. Exc 

cond. £199ono Tel: 01505 

506385. 

Stair/hall runner, Wilton, 

dark red, traditional pattern. 

£50ono. Tel: 01505 

506385. 

Venetian stool. £199ono 

Tel: 01505 506385. 

Stag bedroom suite with 

sleigh bed, two bedside 

cabinets and vanity unit - 

Cherrywood. £199 each. 

Tel: 01505 506385 

Dale Forty upright Piano. 

N e e d s t u n e d . £ 1 0 0 

Must collect. Tel: 07515 

152676. 

Brown Leather Double Bed. 

Good Condition. £100. 

Must collect. Tel: 07515 

152676. 

Oak effect hideaway computer 

desk. Size 70cmx85cmx50cm. 

£40. Tel: 01505 

672175. 

Dimplex electric heater. 

Good cond. £40.Tel: 

01505 228267 

Brown leather recliner chair, 

few scuff marks at back 

(rubbing against wall) 

great condition. £100. 

07729 591167. 

New pine table & 2 matching 

high back chairs. £35. Tel: 

01505 612726. 

Small front glass cabinet. 

£10. Tel: 01505 

612726. 

Large Mirror. £25. Tel: 

01505 612726. 

Ikea boys bedroom furniture 

2 x single 1x drawer wardrobes 

1x 3 drawer chest 

1x bedside table colour 

blue VGC £65ono Tel: 

01475 540313. 

Single bed, metal frame 

good quality mattress, immaculate. 

£70. Tel: 01475 

540313. 

Junior bed. White/pine 

slats. W:68cm H:47cm 

Headboard height: 60cm 

L:149cm Good cond, 

needs mattress. ‘Sapllings 

of Shropshire’ - good quality. 

Cost £85 new - accept 

£25. Tel 07730 541977. 

DVD/CD unit, adjustable 

shelves, white/birch wood 

trim. Great cond, nonsmoking 

house. H 49” x W 

16” x D 8”. £10 quick sale. 

Tel 07730 541977 

Italian stunning, 3 tier Bristolia 

fruit stand (mid 20c). 

£50. Tel: 07975 510938. 

Quality Beswick Authentic 

Clydesdale Horse. £40. 

Tel: 07975 510938. 

Retro 1960s ‘Ever Hot’ tea 

pot, sugar & cream set. 

Beaut’ cond. £45. Tel: 

07975 510938. 

Beautiful Vyner tea tray £20. 

Tel: 07975 510938. 

2 kitchen high stools from 

Ikea. £15 both. Tel: 

07975 510938. 

Wallpaper pasting table. 

£20. Tel: 07975 510938. 

XL wicker laundry basket 

with removable lining. 

£15. Tel: 07975 510938. 

Various sizes of quality 

textile cuttings for upholstery. 

No reasonable offer 

refused. Tel: 07975 

510938. 

Solid 2 seater sofa as new 

condition. Buyer must 

uplift. £30. Tel: 07975 

510938. 

Antique exquisite venetian 

sampler. £45. Tel: 07975 

510938. 

M&S Kids Sleep Station 

Bunk Bed: Incl 1 single 

bed, pull-out desk with 

cupboard, 3 drawer unit 

with cupboard and open 

shelving unit. Exc cond, 

natural wood. Cost £900 

sell for £100. Tel 01505 

690658. 

Wine rack, holds 28 bottles, 

black metal. VGC. £10. 

Tel: 01505 341206 

Dining chairs, 4 faux leather 

with high backs with light 

birch wood legs & finish. 

Immac cond. £60 ono. 

Tel: 07730 541977. May 

deliver in local area. 

2 large carpets (ends) 

Axminster. 1 rust and 1 

natural colour. Offers. Tel: 

01505 506385 

600W Electric Lawn Rake, 

seldom used. £30. Tel: 

01475 540141. 

Lawnraker, electric, good 

condition. £15. Tel:01505 

690303. 

Garden chairs (4) + table, 

green plastic £10. 

Tel:01505 690303. 

Set 4 cast iron/wooden garden 

chairs and table. Need 

restoring. £50ono. Tel: 

01505 672175. 

Electrical & Gas 

Samsung flat screen computer 

monitor 20ins. £40. 

Tel: 01505 672175. 

Henry Vacuum Cleaner 

(green), 6 months old, 

cond as new. Original accessory 

tools & spare bag. 

£50. Tel: 07966 623395. 

Canon Coalridge gas fire 

5kw output. Exc order. c/w 

marble hearth. £50. 01475 

540748. 

Table Top Fridge, Proline. 

Good cond. H19” 

x W18.5” x D17.5”. £35. 

Tel: 01505 703840. 

17” LCD ‘Hannstar’ Computer 

Monitor. £25. Tel: 

01505 872208. 

Samsung 17” LCD TV & Hitachi 

Freeview Box. £40. 

Tel: 01505 872208. 

Fridge/Freezer - free to 

a good home. Medium 

fridge, small freezer. Tel: 

0787 656 3768. 

Pets 

Fluval Aquarium Fish Tank 

- Tropical fresh water/ 

display cabinet. All accessories 

& fish incl! 

Tank H55cm x L122cm 

x D200cm. Beech Walnut 

Cabinet H72cm x 

L124cm. £200. Tel: 01505 

341049. 

Hamster cage, nearly new 

condition £10. Bigger cage 

purchased - hamster still 

fine. Tel: 01505 872442 

Sports 

Ladies mountain bike, Apollo 

Voyager, 17” frame, 21 

gears, good cond, £25. 

Tel: 01505 874861. 

Ladies white leather skating 

boots, never worn, size 5. 

£35. Tel: 01505 506385. 

Cross Trainer, hardly used. 

Orbitrek Platinum. £60. 

Tel: 01505 873729 

Universal Tag-along bike. 

Universal hitch fitting will 

fit all adult bikes, single 

speed, 20” alloy rim adjustable 

handlebar padded 

saddle immac cond. Used 

twice. £45. Tel: 07833 

087433. 

Mountain bike, Apollo FS26, 

men’s/boy 17” frame, red 

and silver, 21 gears, VGC, 

£65. Tel: 01505 874861. 

Emsmorn Ladies Bowling 

Skirt. Size14/30’’. Grey. 4 

pleats. Exc cond. £12. Tel: 

07914 310916. 

Dawn Lady Bowling Skirt. 

Size 14/30”. Grey. 4 

pleats. Exc cond. £12. Tel 

07914 310916. 

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 below 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. 

Emsmorn Ladies White 

Bowling sweatshirt/jacket 

with zip front. Size Large. 

Exc cond. £10. Tel. 07914 

310916. 

Exercise bike, body sculpture 

Bc 5350. £25ono. Tel: 

01505 703204 

Golf Trolley, £10. 07954 

364125. 

Top Cart Electric Golf Trolley, 

for spares or repair, 

£20. 07954 364125. 

Golf Bag, slim lightweight, 

as new cond, £10. 07954 

364125. 

Toys/Games/DVD 

Electronic chess set. £20. 

Tel: 07957 338144 

Other Items 

Four 18” alloy wheels with 

225/40 ZR18 tyres. Suit 

Mk 3 Ford Mondeo or 

Focus, £95. Tel: 01505 

358040. 

Fujitsu laptop AH531, windows 

7, 700GB HDD. 

64BIT. 2.2GHZ Processor, 

8GB RAM. £400. Tel: 

01505 873729 

Personal number plate. 

‘RU59 ANN’, on retention 

certificate. £250. Tel: 

01505 873729. 

DeWalt Laser Chalk Line 

Self-Levelling Line Laser 

DW008K brand new. 

unopened. Cost £160 

accept £90. Tel: 07966 

623395. 

Large Antler suitcase, 

green fabric. Rectangular 

shape, corner wheels 

32”x22”x10”. As new. £50 

Tel 01505 874887 

Small wheeled overnight/ 

business case. Grey check 

fabric. Carry on size for 

most airlines. As new. £25 

Tel. 01505 874887 

Daylight Craft magnifying 

lamp, suitable needlework/ 

other craft/poor vision. 

Floor standing, model 

D23030. Good cond with 

box & instructions. £70. 

Tel: 01505 874887 

Roof bars for Citroen Xsara 

Picasso. £15. 07729 

591167. 

Girls Violin in exc cond & 

carry case. Comes with 

extra chin rest, Stentor 

size 4/4. Improved rosin 

for the bow, 2 Books, Fiddle 

time joggers violin 

book 1, Fiddle time runners 

violin book 2. All you 

need for starting out or 

the pro. £60. Tel: 01505 

702285. 

4 man tent, only used twice. 

Coleman ridgeline 4. £15. 

Tel 01505 703204 

Wolf Petrol Generator 

WP1500. Output 

1,000/1,200 watt. 240 

volts. Used once. £75. 

Tel: 07516 252202. 

Set of 16 hard back Alister 

McLean books. New, 

never opened. Offers. Tel: 

01505 614271. 

Retro type Decanter and 

6 small glasses. Black 

& white design on clear 

glass. £12. Tel: 01505 

703840. 

AV Splitter - control up to 3 

Scart sources and phone 

audio inputs through one 

box. Perfect cond. £10. Tel 

07730 541977 

Bellavita Bathlift. Electric 

bathlift in exc cond. Suitable 

for anyone struggling 

to get into or out of the 

bath. £100. Tel: 07766 

934025 

Books, 20 Readers Digest 

condensed books seeking 

new home. As new, 

FREE. 

Wanted Items 

Double bed in good condition. 

Can uplift. Tel: 

07587 158910. 

High-back fireside chair. Tel: 

07939 121239. 

Single buggy for grandparents 

house. Tel: 07957 

338144 

Use of greenhouse for local 

Lily grower, in exchange 

for light gardening duties. 

Please call Vince Graham 

on 01505 872082. 

G Plan teak side tablescoffee 

or similar. Teak 

please, no glass or tile. 

Tel: 01505 690610. 

Raleigh Caprice Ladies Bicycle. 

Tel: 07975 510938. 

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. 

Yamaha DT 175 MX & DT 

125 MX. Yamaha RD 250, 

350 & 500 - running or not. 

Cash waiting. Free collection. 

Tel: 07951 227767. 

Cash paid for Copy of book 

Castles and mansions of 

Renfrewshire and Buteshire 

by AH Millar. Tel 

01505 331094.

67 67 


Advertizers - A to Z 

by category 

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. 

@ease Removals & Transport . . 40 

1on1 Double Glazing . . . . . . . . 3 

3D Garden Design . . . . . . . . . . 48 

A Gallagher Painter&Decorator . . 16 

A O’Hare - Building Services . . 5 

A Peebles Landscape Contractor . . 50 

A Walker Contracts LTD . . . . . 49 

A&G Driveways . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

A&J Plumbing Heating & Gas . . 16 

ABC Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Affluent Financial Planning . . 27 

Affordable Luxuries . . . . . . . 7 

AK Vehicle Rental . . . . . . . . . 1 

Alistair Stewart - Driving Ins . . 14 

Apple Tree Garden Design . . . 49 

Arco Locksmith . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

Ardardan Estate . . . . . . . . . . . 10 

Arlene Mitchell Hair & Beauty . . 38 

Art Windows and Doors . . . . . . 13 

Ashes Hair & Beauty . . . . . . . . 39 

Astra Landscaping Ltd . . . . . . 48 

Auldton Stoves . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

Barking Mad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 

Bathroom Solutions by MPH . . 11 

Baytree Interiors . . . . . . . . . 5 

Beaton Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . 43 

Beginners Yoga - Sara Marijuan . . 63 

Bell Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 

Bernie’s Cafe Deli . . . . . . . . . 31 

Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 

BOW Stone Works . . . . . . . . . . . 48 

Branch Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 

Bridge of Weir Roofing . . . . . 6 

Brookfield Alarms Ltd . . . . . . 5 

Bryan Slaven Slater & Plaster . . 40 

Burndale Workshop . . . . . . . . . 3,6 

C Hunter Plumbing Heating Gas . . 2 

Care & Repair Gardening Servci . . 50 

Casa Homes & Gardens Architect . . 7 

Charlie Orr Plasterer . . . . . . 36 

Cheetham & Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

Chips Away . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

Classique Window Blinds . . . . 41 

CleanDryCarpets . . . . . . . . . . . 40 

CLH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

Clyde Coast Décor . . . . . . . . . 7 

ColCom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

Collins and Paterson Auctionee . . 42 

Collins Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

Come Clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 

Computer Repairs . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Conservatory Conversions . . . Bk 

Corum Property . . . . . . . . . . 23,24,25 

Crafts of Calder Gallery . . . 14 

Craig Kennedy Gardening . . . . 47 

Crawford Landscapes . . . . . . . . 48 

CRC Care Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Crosslee Driver Training . . . 5 

CRW Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 

Delta Electrical Services . . 43 

Derek McBride Aerials . . . . . . 41 

DJD Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 

DJY Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

DMG Garden Services . . . . . . . . 50 

Dog Vacation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 

DS Cleaning (Windows) . . . . . . 15 

Elliott Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

F & B Building Scotland Ltd . . 4 

Fergusons CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

Ferringtons Hypnotherapy . . . 7 

Fiona Christie Accounting Serv . . 27 

First Domestics . . . . . . . . . . . 18 

G J Tiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

G Woods Bathrooms . . . . . . . . . 6 

GA Groundcare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 

Garden Services . . . . . . . . . . . 50 

Accountants & Financial 

Affluent Financial Planning . . 27 

Cheetham & Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

Fergusons CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

Fiona Christie Accounting Serv . . 27 

Stewart Independent Financial . . 1 

Architectural Services 


Grid Design Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Art, Gifts & Flowers 


Studio 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 

Auctioneers & Valuers 

Collins and Paterson Auctionee . . 42 

Automotive Services 

AK Vehicle Rental . . . . . . . . . 1 

Chips Away . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

Collins Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

Gryffe Garage Motor Engineers . . 28 

Bathrooms 


Bathroom Solutions by MPH . . 11 

CRW Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 


Bedrooms 


Blacksmith & Metalwork 

Iron House Stoves Limited . . 12 

McLaughlan Metal Fabrication . . 7 

Building Services 

A O’Hare - Building Services . . 5 


BOW Stone Works . . . . . . . . . . . 48 


DJD Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 

F & B Building Scotland Ltd . . 4 

I & J Building & Roofing Serv . . 2 

James Kerr Joiner . . . . . . . . . 21 

Kilellan Roofing . . . . . . . . . . 14 

M Addison Joiners & Builders . . 3 

MBS Roofing & Building Contrac . . 41 

RPH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Rukeri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 

SMG Roofing & Building Contrac . . 2 

SW Scott - Joiners & Builders . . 14 

Taylor Made Joinery . . . . . . . . 4 

Thomas McMaster & Son Ltd . . 55 

Business Services 

Laptop and PC Repairs . . . . . . 27 

Care Services & Homes 

CRC Care Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Pacific Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Cleaning & PowerWash 

CleanDryCarpets . . . . . . . . . . . 40 

Come Clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 


Gryffe Roofing Services . . . . 15 

MattVac Carpet & Upholstery Cl . . Bk 

Nutech Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . 2,50 

Old Mill Chimneys . . . . . . . . . 6 

Platinum Cleaning Services . . 5 

Coffee Shops 


Computer, IT & Web 

ColCom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

Computer Repairs . . . . . . . . . . 1 


Network Scotland . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Driveways 


A&G Driveways . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Driving Instructors 

Alistair Stewart - Driving Ins . . 14 

Crosslee Driver Training . . . 5 

Paul Ferguson - Confidence . . 7 

Education 

Nomad Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 

St Columba’s School . . . . . . . . 57 

Electricians 

Bell Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 

Delta Electrical Services . . 43 

GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Lamont Electricians . . . . . . . . 3 

MAS Electrical & Security . . 2 

GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

Gibb Stuart Ironmongers . . . . 51 

Glenmoss Landscapes . . . . . . . . 48 

Gordon James Ceramic Tiler . . 15 

Grid Design Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Gryffe Garage Motor Engineers . . 28 


Healing Rooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 

Horncroft On The Floor . . . . . 22 

Houston Locksmiths . . . . . . . . . 3 


I D Plumbing & Heating . . . . . 5 

Ian Livingston Decorating . . 15 

Ideal Flooring Service . . . . . 37 

Iron House Stoves Limited . . 12 


James Martin - Painter & Decor . . 3 

JayBee Double Glazing Repairs . . 14 

JBM Plumbing & Heating . . . . . 21 

JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

John A Kilburn . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

John H Barney . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 

John McKay Gas & Heating Eng . . 16 

John Morgan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

John Roach Funeral Directors . . 5 

Johnstone TOA Taxi Co . . . . . . 17 

JRS Hairdressing . . . . . . . . . 43 

K9 CHAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 

Kerr McAuley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

Kieran Turner Aerial&Satellite . . 3 

Kilbarchan Chiropodists . . . . 37 

Kilbarchan Dental Practice . . 19 


Kingsley Wood & Co Solicitors . . 1 

Lamont Electricians . . . . . . . . 3 


LaserLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 

Lauras Nail & Beauty Lounge . . 33 

Lind Letting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

LJX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Lochwinnoch Golf Club . . . . . . 62 


M&E Painters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

Mackie Plumbing & Heating . . 14 

MAS Electrical & Security . . 2 

Matthews Cleaning Services . . 5 

MattVac Carpet & Upholstery Cl . . Bk 


McDonald Decorators . . . . . . . . 38 

McGowan Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . 15 


MJ Lawnmowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 


Nix Hairdressing . . . . . . . . . . 38 

NLP Positive Changes . . . . . . . 5 

Nomad Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 

Nutech Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . 2,50 


Orchard Flooring . . . . . . . . . . 10 

P Thomson Upholstery . . . . . . . 40 

Pacific Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Passports To Go . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

Paul Ferguson - Confidence . . 7 

PetVets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 

Phoenix Gas Services . . . . . . . 1 

Platinum Cleaning Services . . 5 

Powerdoors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BK 

Purple Tree Care . . . . . . . . . . 47 

R Williams Tree Surgeon & Grou . . 47 

Ranfurly Castle Golf Club . . 63 

Ranfurly Decor . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

River Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,35 

RPH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Rukeri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 

Saltire Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

Scott Russell . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 

Shower Expert . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

Smart Dog Grooming . . . . . . . . . 45 


Sole Solutions Podiatry . . . . 38 

SP Groundcare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 

St Columba’s School . . . . . . . . 57 

Stewart Independent Financial . . 1 

Studio 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 

Suzanne’s Grooming Pad . . . . . 45 



TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

The Furniture Barn . . . . . . . . . 6 

The Osteopaths . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 

The Right Move . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 


Travel Actually . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 48 

West of Scotland Landscape . . 48 

Woodburn & Beattie Joiners . . 15 

Fencing 

Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 


Firewood & Logs 


LJX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 48 

Framing 


Funeral Services 

Beaton Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . 43 

John Roach Funeral Directors . . 5 

Garage Doors & Gates 

Powerdoors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BK 

Garden Service & Design 

3D Garden Design . . . . . . . . . . 48 

A Peebles Landscape Contractor . . 50 

Apple Tree Garden Design . . . 49 

Astra Landscaping Ltd . . . . . . 48 

Care & Repair Gardening Servci . . 50 


Craig Kennedy Gardening . . . . 47 

Crawford Landscapes . . . . . . . . 48 

DJD Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 

DMG Garden Services . . . . . . . . 50 

GA Groundcare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 

Garden Services . . . . . . . . . . . 50 



MJ Lawnmowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 

R Williams Tree Surgeon & Grou . . 47 

SP Groundcare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 

W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 48 

West of Scotland Landscape . . 48 

Gas & Heating Services 



GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 



John McKay Gas & Heating Eng . . 16 


Phoenix Gas Services . . . . . . . 1 

Glazier 



TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Hairdressers & Barbers 



JRS Hairdressing . . . . . . . . . 43 

Nix Hairdressing . . . . . . . . . . 38 

Health, Beauty & Fitness 



Beginners Yoga - Sara Marijuan . . 63 

Ferringtons Hypnotherapy . . . 7 

Healing Rooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 

Kilbarchan Chiropodists . . . . 37 

Kilbarchan Dental Practice . . 19 

LaserLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 

Lauras Nail & Beauty Lounge . . 33 

NLP Positive Changes . . . . . . . 5 

Sole Solutions Podiatry . . . . 38 

The Osteopaths . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 

Home Hardware 

First Domestics . . . . . . . . . . . 18 


Home Improvements 



CRW Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 


Ideal Flooring Service . . . . . 37 

Orchard Flooring . . . . . . . . . . 10 

Home Interiors 

Baytree Interiors . . . . . . . . . 5 


Classique Window Blinds . . . . 41 




Home Security 

Bell Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 

Brookfield Alarms Ltd . . . . . . 5 


Joiners 

CLH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

DJY Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 


JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 


McGowan Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

RPH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Saltire Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . 15 




TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Woodburn & Beattie Joiners . . 15 

Kitchens 



CRW Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 



Leisure & Recreation 



Locksmiths 

Arco Locksmith . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

Elliott Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

Houston Locksmiths . . . . . . . . . 3 

Painters & Decorators 

A Gallagher Painter&Decorator . . 16 

Clyde Coast Décor . . . . . . . . . 7 

Ian Livingston Decorating . . 15 

James Martin - Painter & Decor . . 3 

John A Kilburn . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

John H Barney . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 

John Morgan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

M&E Painters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

McDonald Decorators . . . . . . . . 38 

Ranfurly Decor . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Pet Services & Training 

Barking Mad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 

Dog Vacation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 

K9 CHAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 

PetVets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 

Smart Dog Grooming . . . . . . . . . 45 

Suzanne’s Grooming Pad . . . . . 45 

Photographers 

Passports To Go . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

Plasterers 


Charlie Orr Plasterer . . . . . . 36 



Plumbers 




GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 



JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 


Shower Expert . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

Property, Sales & Let 

Corum Property . . . . . . . . . . 23,24,25 


Lind Letting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

Removals 

@ease Removals & Transport . . 40 

The Right Move . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 

Restaurant & Bars 



River Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,35 

Retail 





Roofing 







RPH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 




Solicitors 


Special Occasions 

ABC Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Sports Clubs & Events 



Stoves 


Taxis & Minicoach hire 

ABC Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Johnstone TOA Taxi Co . . . . . . 17 

Tiling 

G J Tiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

Gordon James Ceramic Tiler . . 15 

Kerr McAuley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

Scott Russell . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 

Travel Agents 

Travel Actually . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

Tree Surgeon 

Branch Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 


LJX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Purple Tree Care . . . . . . . . . . 47 

W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 48 

TV & Satellite 

Derek McBride Aerials . . . . . . 41 

Kieran Turner Aerial&Satellite . . 3 


Upholstery Services 

P Thomson Upholstery . . . . . . . 40 

Window Cleaners 



Matthews Cleaning Services . . 5 

Window, Consv & Repair 


Art Windows and Doors . . . . . . 13 



TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

68 

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THE GRYFFE ADVERTIZER - your LOCAL monthly magazine 

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