272 May 2017 - Gryffe Advertizer

May 2017 No.272 

Culzean Castle in the spring sun 

by Neal Nisbet 

FREE 

COPY 

1 

Distributed to: 

• Bishopton 

• Bridge of Weir 

• Brookfield 

• Elderslie 

• Houston 

• Howwood 

• Kilbarchan 

• Kilmacolm 

• Langbank 

• Lochwinnoch 

• Quarriers 

FOLLOW US 

GryffeAds 

your LOCAL community magazine May 2017 No. 272 

FREE 

PLEASE TAKE A FREE COPY OF YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

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

EXPERT JET-WASHING 

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@GryffeAds www.advertizer.co.uk may 2017 

3 3


This Month 

It’s that time of year when we hope for some great weather and a summer full 

of entertainment for kids and grown-ups alike. In this month’s issue, we have 

a varied mix with events on land and water, and hopefully something that will 

appeal to everyone. 

contact us 

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

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

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

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

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

responsibility for claims made by advertisements in this publication. 

contents 

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

legal blog......................8 

optical blog.......................10 

dental blog........................13 

what’s on........................14-23 

finance & tech.................24-29 

financial blog.........................24 

it blog...............................28 

local history......................30 

on the road.....................31-33 

village news....................36-45 

pet news.....................46-47 

pet blog............................46 

outdoors........................48-53 

school news.................54-57 

photography blog..............55 

sport news....................58-63 

sporting blog.....................63 

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

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

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

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

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

advertizer directory................67 

Some of these events date back many years and are steeped in history, others 

are more recent additions to the calendar. They run like clockwork - weather 

permitting. All thanks to a small army of volunteers who give 

of their time to gather in the wee dark hours of the winter to 

plan, organise and fundraise. 

Perhaps you feel that you would like to get involved and be 

a part of our local annual events. Your involvement will be 

rewarding for yourself and the community, so why not become 

a part of your local community and offer your services. 

Here is just a small sample of what’s coming, 

with more details in our What’s on section: 

06 May: Neilston Agricultural Show 

07 May: Rotary Club of Gryffe Valley 10K 

13 May: Kilmacolm & Port Glasgow 

Agricultural Show (Knapps Show) 

13 May: Houston & Killelan Kirk Carnival 

13 May: Falconry Day at Finlaystone 

14 May: Gourock Highland Games 

14 May: Watersports Open Day at 

Castle Semple Loch 

20 May: Accord Hospice Summer Fayre 

20 May: Calder Church Summer Fayre, 

Lochwinnoch 

20 May: British Pipe Band Championships 

20 May: Rowing Club Regatta at Castle 

Semple Loch 

21 May: Kilmacolm Guides Garden Party 

28 May: Mad Hatters Tea Party at 

Finlaystone 

28 May; Erskine Motorbike Meet 

28 May: Gateway Garden Party, 

Kilbarchan 

03 June: Lilias Day, Kilbarchan 

03 June: Houston Agricultural Show 

10 June: Bridge of Weir Gala Day 

10 June: Lochwinnoch Gala Day 

11 June: Bowfield 10K, Howwood 

We keep our website and Facebook/Twitter pages up to date with events and 

news, so please ‘like’ us, ‘follow’ us and bookmark our web page to get 

the latest information. 

The Advertizer is the ideal platform to communicate with your community 

as we reach over 13,500 homes and businesses in the Gryffe area. 

Send your news and photos to info@advertizer.co.uk or by post to 

The Advertizer, Neva Place, Bridge of Weir, PA11 3PN. 

Next deadline Friday 19 May! 

Rona


Has Your Double 

Glazing Steamed Up? 

Established for over a decade Cloudy2Clear windows have 

become a leading company for glass replacement. Issues 

with double glazing can often be gradual and may only be 

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

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

have any failed double glazing? 

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

including the frames and all the hardware, however 

Cloudy2Clear have come up with a simple and cost saving 

solution … Just replace the glass!! 

We will send out our highly experienced engineers for a free 

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

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

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

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

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

windows and doors. 

Your friendly local Cloudy2Clear specialist is Peter Brummitt and he services 

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

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

5 5


This May, ‘Go Yellow’ for 

Ardgowan Hospice 

Have your own event in your 

workplace, school or college and 

help raise funds for hospice care. 

Or, 

come along to our Coffee Morning 

in the Access Centre on Friday the 

26th of May at 10am - 12pm. 

Contact 

fundraising@ardhosp.co.uk or call 

01475 726830 for more details. 

Ardgowan Hospice is a charity registered in Scotland: Registered office 12 

Nelson Street, Greenock PA15 1TS Scottish Charity No: SC011541 

Company No: SC075515 www.ardgowanhospice.org.uk 

Our local residents 

have been fantastic 

supporters of 

Christian Aid Week 

over the years. 

This 

year’s 

house-to-house 

collection takes place 

during the week of 14th to 20th May – thanks to 

an army of 60 volunteer collectors. 

Christian Aid Week was started 60 years ago. 

Its origins lie in the collective effort of Christian 

churches throughout the UK at that time to 

respond to the desperate needs of refugees 

in Europe following the Second World War. 

Understandably, given the current events in the 

Middle East, its message this year is: “We’ve been 

there for refugees since 1945. We won’t turn our 

backs now.” 

Christian Aid now operates in 45 countries 

throughout the world. Most of its work is done with 

local partner organisations which not only have 

fi rst hand knowledge of the practical needs of the 

poor in their area, but are also able to ensure the 

sustainability of initiatives to lift communities out 

of poverty. 

Christian Aid helps people of all faiths or none. 

It is a signatory to the Code of Conduct for Red 

Cross and NGO’s in Disaster Relief which sets 

international ethical standards for aid work and, 

among other things, promises that aid will not be 

used to further a particular political or religious 

standpoint. 

Please support Christian Aid Week again this year. 

In particular, please complete the gift aid form 

on the fl ap of the envelope which the volunteer 

collector will drop through your door and pick up 

again later in the week. This allows Christian Aid 

to receive an extra 25p from the Government for 

every £1 donated. It may not seem much for one 

envelope, but multiplied across the whole village it 

could mean up to £1,000 extra for Christian Aid! 

Dinner/ 

Dance 

Every Saturday night 

from 8pm - 11pm at Willow Bank 

Hotel, 96 Greenock Road, Largs. 

Booking essential. Call 01475 

675435 for further information.


7 7 

Photos & Videos Wanted 

At the Advertizer, we are always keen to get updates for our website and with 

‘Show Season’ through May and June we’re sure there will be plenty of great 

photos and videos taken by our readers. 

We love seeing all the fabulous and colourful pictures of events, and our 

readers enjoy looking through the images to see who they recognise, or even if 

they are there themselves! 

If you would like to see your work featured on our website or even as a cover 

shot, please send high res images to info@advertizer.co.uk.


Preloved Clothes Sale a Huge 

Success for Women v’s Cancer 

total over the course of the year so 

please follow our facebook page for 

future fund raising events (Bridge of 

Weir Biker Belles). We also wanted 

to thank the support of our generous 

local business that helped us run 

the event; so thanks to Bernie’s, 

Laura’s Nails, Harrods’s, Sk Fitness, 

Legal Blog 

by Isabella McKerrow, Affinity Family Law 

A huge thank you to everyone who 

donated and attended our ‘Preloved 

Clothes Sale’ at Bernie’s on the 

24th of March. It was a fantastic 

night raising £3,700 which will be 

donated to ‘Women v’s Cancer’. 

Everyone’s generosity has been 

amazing! We wish to double this 

Lose it & Love it, Belhaven Dentistry, 

Gryffe Casting, Weir’s Walkies, Mo 

Ferrington, Bodyprojectmassage. 

co.uk, J & J Ground & Property 

Engineering, The Lion’s Paw, The Coop, 

Captain Tortue, Belle’s of Burlex 

& the Advertiser of course!). 

Powers Of Attorneys 

And The Role Of The Public 

Guardian 

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

person to do for you in the future should you become incapable of making 

decisions about your own affairs. 

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

the following duties and responsibilities relating to Powers of Attorney: 

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

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

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

their powers. 

• Certain powers to investigate concerns and take steps to safeguard 

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

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

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

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

Join the Fight against Heart 

Disease and Wear It. Beat It. 

On Friday 9th June, the British Heart 

Foundation (BHF) is calling on the 

nation to join the fight against heart 

disease by wearing red and hosting a 

fundraising event to raise money for life 

saving research. 

Around 160,000 lives are cut short 

every year by heart and circulatory 

disease – that’s one person every three 

minutes. Right now there are around 7 million people in the UK living with 

these devastating conditions. 

The BHF is funding cutting-edge research to help transform the lives of people 

living with heart disease and needs you to join the fight by taking part in Wear. 

It.Beat.It on Friday 9th June. 

Whether it’s at home, school or at your workplace, don your favourite red 

garments and join the fun across the UK by organising a fundraising event. It 

could be a red tea break in the office, a yummy red bake sale after school or 

a red-themed garden party with friends and family. Whatever you choose to 

do, Wear.It.Beat.It is a great way to bring everyone together and help make a 

difference to millions. 

Last year more than 15,000 people took part in Wear it. Beat it. Raising over 

£750,000. The BHF is calling for even more of you to get involved this year and 

help raise in excess of £1million for the charity’s heart research. 

Once you sign up, you’ll receive a free fundraising kit jam-packed with reddymade 

ideas and goodies to help make Wear.It.Beat.It the BHF’s biggest, reddest 

and best year yet. 

Sign up to Wear It. Beat It. At wearitbeatit.bhf.org.uk or call 0300 330 0645 and get 

your free fundraising pack full of fun ideas about how to get involved. 

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

straight away as they may never need to use it, thereby saving £74. Before 

the OPG will register the POA, they carefully scrutinise it to ensure it complies 

with the criteria of the 2000 Act. If they reject it and the adult has already lost 

capacity it may not thereafter be possible to correct the error. Consequently 

the POA is ineffective and resort will have to be made to the lengthy and 

expensive process of applying to the court for a Guardianship Order. 

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

Attorneys visit the website: www.publicguardian-scotland.gov.uk- Telephone: 

01324 678300.)


9 9 

Do you have a few hours to spare 

every week? 

St Vincent’s Hospice are looking for 

volunteers to help out at the Hospice in 

administration roles, in The Barn Tearoom at the Hospice, in our Furniture Unit 

at the Hospice, in our charity shops across Renfrewshire and at events. 

Not only will you be helping a great cause you will also be eligible for discounted 

gym memberships and many discounts in shops, retailers, restaurants, cafes, 

hairdressers, beauty salons, spas and many other places across Renfrewshire, 

Ayrshire, Inverclyde and Glasgow as well as many online discounts too. 

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

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

Afternoon Tea with The Jersey Tones 

Please join St Vincent’s Hospice on 

Sunday 14th May for an Afternoon with 

The Jersey Tones at The Glynhill Hotel, 

Renfrew. 

The afternoon will begin at 1.30pm with 

a sparkling drinks reception and the 

opportunity to browse and shop in our 

famous vintage stall and, new for this year, our exciting luxury range of goods 

followed by a delicious Afternoon Tea. Our Host for the afternoon will be River 

City actress, Carmen Pieraccini who will lead us through an afternoon of fun 

and entertainment - make sure your dancing shoes are on to be ready to dance 

to the wonderful sound of The Jersey Tones. 

If you would like further information or would like to book, please contact a 

member of the fundraising team on 01505 705635 or email info@svh.co.uk. 

Tickets are £28pp and available now. We look forward to seeing you there. 

St Vincent’s Hospice Strictly Prancers raised £££’s for the Hospice! 

What a night it was! 

Over 300 St Vincent’s 

Hospice supporters were 

spectacularly entertained 

by twenty-two ‘twinkle toed’ 

volunteer contestants in 

a series of Quicksteps, 

Cha Cha Cha, Jives and 

The contestants 

Sambas danced along 

to some upbeat dance floor classics, at St Vincent’s Hospice 2017 Strictly 

Come Prancing event, which was sponsored by Mactaggart & Mickel Ltd. And 

Allstaff. 

Jake Quickenden, Peter Fergusson, Tess, 

Brucie and the Judges 

Charleston dancers Curtis Campbell and 

Carolann Caderwood, put their best feet 

forward and triumphed in the dance off over 

tango duo, James and Lisa MacDonald, 

becoming the Strictly Come Prancing 

Champions of 2017. Carolann said, “I really 

enjoyed the experience of Strictly. It was 

great fun learning my routine for the event 

and it was all for a fantastic charity. I would 

recommend it to anyone”. Her partner for 

the event, Curtis, said, “One of the best 

The event, which was held at the 

Crowne Plaza, Glasgow, is based on the 

popular television series Strictly Come 

Dancing, where judges and guests 

vote for the best dancers. There was 

a surprise in store for everyone when 

Jake Quickenden of X-Factor and 

I’m A Celebrity fame made a special 

appearance to perform for the guests, 

as well as being a guest judge for the 

evening. 

The 2017 winners, Curtis Campbell 

and Carolanne Calderwood 

experiences I have done in my life, the real winner on the night was St Vincent’s 

Hospice”. 

Louise Strachan, Fundraiser, said, “What a great night this was! So much 

hard work and effort was involved in the lead up to this evening. We owe a 

great debt of thanks to all involved from the choreographers, judges, hair and 

make-up artists, photographers, local businesses, all the friends and family 

who supported us and, of course, the contestants for giving up their time to 

rehearse and fundraise.” To date, this event has raised over £29,000, which 

will go directly to help provide care for people in the Renfrewshire area affected 

by a life-limiting illness. 

The Hospice are already looking forward to Strictly Come Prancing 2018 and would 

welcome applications from potential dancers and sponsors. For further information 

please email info@svh.co.uk. 

Rain or Shine, Judith Launches BBQ Time 

One of the country’s most popular TV weather 

presenters, Judith Ralston, swapped forecasting 

for flame grilling today (10th April) to launch a 

new nation-wide fund-raising initiative. 

The Big Scotch Beef Sizzle, run by Scotland’s 

Hospices Together, is set to see a burst of BBQ 

activity taking place throughout Scotland during 

June to raise funds for hospices around the country. 

Supported by Scotch Beef PGI, the initiative will encourage Scots to get steaks 

and burgers on the barby to raise vital funds 

for hospice care. 

Scotland’s Hospices Together is a 

national partnership of ten of Scotland’s 

independent hospices and the Children’s 

Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS). The 

partnership aims to support and to highlight 

the work of hospice care in Scotland. 

Judith, who regularly presents the weather 

on prime-time TV, said she couldn’t think of a better way to catch up with friends 

and family while raising money for such a worthwhile cause. 

“One of the joys of our country is the variety, and unpredictability, of our weather 

which means hosting a BBQ is always an adventure! 

“The secret is to be prepared – pack an umbrella along with the suncream 

and there will be nothing to stop the 

fun!” said Judith. 

“I would encourage everyone to 

get involved in the Big Scotch Beef 

Sizzle which is a fantastic way to 

your local hospice and your local 

community,” she added. 

John Brady, head of fundraising at 

St Andrew’s Hospice and Chair of 

Scotland’s Hospices Together, said: “We are delighted to be launching our first 

ever national fundraising campaign ‘The Big Scotch Beef Sizzle’ today, with 

huge thanks to Scotch Beef PGI for supporting this initiative. 

“We would like to encourage as many people as possible across Scotland to 

host a barbeque in June to support their local Hospice. These hospices provide 

end-of-life care and support to patients and their families and are reliant on 

donations and voluntary support to continue providing that care.” 

Carol McLaren, Head of Communications at Quality Meat Scotland, said: “This 

initiative offers a great opportunity to for people to take time out together and 

enjoy cooking top quality local food, like Scotch Beef PGI, with friends and 

family while at the same time supporting a cause which is the heart of our local 

communities.” 

For more information on how to get involved with The Big Scotch Beef Sizzle, 

visit: http://www.scotlandshospices.org/events/scotch-beef-sizzle.aspx 

Recipes and information about Scotch Beef PGI, can be found at www. 

scotchkitchen.co.uk or follow @ScotchKitchen on Facebook or Twitter. 

St. Aidan’s Annual Fete 

Saturday 27th May 2017 11am - 2pm, Tower Road 

Johnstone. 

Lots of stalls, beat the goalie, bouncy castle, wheel of fortune 

and much much more. Entry is free. Bring the whole family 

and enjoy.


Supporting 

Homeless Women 

Members of Soroptimist International of 

Paisley heard at their recent meeting about 

the work of the Lodging House Mission in 

Glasgow from Gus Smeaton, who volunteers 

there. Established in 1909, the Mission 

supports homeless and socially excluded 

people in Glasgow, many of whom don’t see 

themselves as having any kind of future. The 

number of women supported is small, but the Mission provides them with food, 

a safe place to be and company as well as practical help with their problems. 

Members provided ‘blessings bags’ at Christmas for the homeless women 

being supported. These bags contain basic toiletries as well as gloves, a hat 

and scarf. 

‘Glasgow Girl’ Comes to Paisley 

Members of Soroptimist International of Paisley 

and their guests marked the 71st anniversary 

of the club at their annual dinner in the Glynhill 

Hotel recently. 

The guest speaker was Amal Azzudin, one of 

the ‘Glasgow Girls’ whose campaign played an 

important part in the decision to change the 

law around detaining children for immigration 

purposes. With the support of charities and community groups, the girls kept 

the detention and dawn raid issue on the political agenda. 

Amal spoke movingly about her experience as an asylum seeker and her 

continuing work in this area as a campaigner for human rights and social justice 

in Scotland. Within the Mental Health Foundation she takes responsibility for 

the Amaan project and the development and delivery of new and innovative 

work with asylum seekers and refugees. 

In August 2016, Amal was named as one of the Saltire Society’s Outstanding 

Women of Scotland inductees. 

Glasgow to Edinburgh Trek 

Make your mark in the fight against heart 

disease by walking 100km or 50km from 

Glasgow to Edinburgh. Join over 250 hikers 

and sign up to the Glasgow to Edinburgh Trek 

on 22nd and 23rd July to help fund the British 

Heart Foundation’s (BHF) life saving heart 

research. 

As part of the charity’s series of treks, the 

ultimate walking challenge gives Heart Trekkers 

a unique opportunity to trek from Scotland’s two largest cities. Alongside the full 

100km challenge, there is also a 50km option, where participants can either 

walk from Glasgow to Linlithgow throughout the day, or through the night from 

Linlithgow to Edinburgh. 

In 2016 those who took on the challenge helped raise over £100,000 which 

will go towards helping us better understand how to prevent, diagnose and treat 

heart and circulatory disease, which is the cause of more than a quarter (26%) of 

all deaths in the UK. With over 710,000 people in the Scotland alone living with 

heart and circulatory disease, the need is urgent to raise funds for research into 

these conditions. 

2017 sees a new start venue introduced, starting at the picturesque Glasgow 

Science Centre. The route is primarily flat on canal tow paths so is suitable for 

trekkers of all abilities. Also brand new for 2017 is the introduction of ‘The 500 

Club’, which celebrates fundraisers who go above and beyond in their fundraising. 

Those who have £500 or more (excluding gift aid) on their JustGiving page will 

be eligible to request a complimentary 500 Club jersey which can be worn with 

pride during and after the event. Susie Roach, Fundraising Event Manager at the 

BHF, said: “Challenging yourself to the Glasgow to Edinburgh Trek is a fantastic 

way to support the nation’s heart charity, save lives and improve your own heart 

health at the same time. 

“By taking on this exciting challenge, every step you take will be helping bring us 

closer to beating heart disease for good. Our research has already helped halve 

death rates from heart and circulatory disease over the past 50 years, but there 

is still so much more to be done. 

“We urgently need the people of Scotland to help us stop heart disease in its 

tracks and support us in our search for more lifesaving breakthroughs.” 

The BHF relies on the generosity of its supporters, through fundraising events like 

the Glasgow to Edinburgh Trek to pay for life saving research. Sign up to join the 

fight today by visiting bhf.org.uk/g2etrek 

Optical Blog 

by Kerry Taher, New Vision Opticians 

Can Smoking affect 

my eyes? 

Tobacco use plays a role in many diseases, causing damage to virtually every 

body organ. With over 4,000 chemical compounds present in inhaled smoke, 

several of which are known to cause cancer, it is no surprise that the effects of 

smoking can be so widespread. 

Most of us know that smoking damages the heart and lungs but what about the 

eyes? Well, here are some examples of what smoking can cause: 

Cataract - people who smoke more than 15 cigarettes per day have a 3 times 

greater risk of developing cataracts compared with non-smokers. 

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) - Smokers are 3 to 4 times more 

likely to develop AMD than non-smokers. Non-smokers living with smokers 

almost double their risk of developing AMD. 

Diabetes & eye disease - Smoking increases your chances of becoming diabetic. 

It also makes managing diabetes more difficult for those who already have it. 

Infant Eye Disease - Women who smoke during pregnancy transmit 

dangerous toxins to the placenta, potentially harming the unborn child and 

increasing the chance of many foetal and infant eye disorders such as squint 

and underdevelopment of the optic nerve (a leading cause of blindness in 

children). 

Optic Neuropathy (sudden loss of vision) - smokers are 16 times more at risk 

and it develops up to 12 years earlier than non-smokers. 

Dry Eyes - Tobacco smoke is a known eye irritant and worsens dry eye, even 

among passive smokers - particularly for contact lens wearers. People who 

smoke are about twice as likely to have dry eyes. 

It’s not all bad news though! Stopping smoking at any age, even later in life, will 

significantly reduce your risk of eye disease. Regular exercise and a healthy 

diet, as always, will also help to keep your risk of disease as low as possible. 

If you have any questions please contact us at the practice: 01505 614 700.


11 11 

The SWI Renfrewshire Federation Show 

was held in the Cargill Hall on Saturday 

25th March and competitors from all 

Institutes in Renfrewshire took part. 

There was an outstanding display of 

handcrafts, group entries, baking and floral art judged on the preceding 

Friday by a group of judges provided by Stirling, Clackmannan and West Perth 

Federation. The Show was then open to the public on the Saturday and as 

well as the displays, other attractions included a tearoom, tombola stall, home 

baking stall, raffle, gift stall and haberdashery stall. The show was very well 

attended throughout the day and the full list of prize winners is given below. 

Institutes throughout Renfrewshire meet on a monthly basis throughout the 

winter months for talks, demonstrations etc and visitors and new members 

are always welcome. There are also opportunities to attend classes in a wide 

variety of crafts, e.g. crochet, and a number of groups take part in sporting 

activities such as golf, curling, and bowling. Members can also attend summer 

schools, study tours, drama and other competitions – in fact there is something 

for everyone at the SWI. If you would like to receive further information please 

contact Irene Macfarlane on 01505 614443. 

Winners of the Challenge Trophies 

Federation Cup (For Institute Gaining most overall points - all classes) - Bridge of 

Weir 

Weilda Raeside Trophy (For member gaining most overall points - Cath Close) - 

Uplawmoor 

Stuart Salver for Teamwork (Handicraft Table ) - Lochwinnoch 

Maclay Salver for Teamwork (Housewifery Table) - Houston and Crosslee 

Stevenson Oval Basket (For Institute gaining most points in Handicraft Exhibits 

in Foursomes and Individual Classes. Foursome and Classes 1-10) - 

Lochwinnoch 

Telfer Rose Bowl (For institute gaining most points in Housewifery Exhibits, In 

Threesomes and Individual classes 13-26) - Bridge of Weir 

Rankin Trophy (Winner of Black Work - Class 2) - Elizabeth Benzie - Lochwinnoch 

Sherriff Quaich (Member gaining most points in Provisions and Baking classes 13- 

24) - Irene McFarlane 

Hunter Bowl (Member gaining most points in Handicraft Classes. Classes 1-10) - 

Elizabeth Benzie - Lochwinnoch 

Woodrow Trophy (Institute gaining most points in Flower Classes. Classes 11-12) 

- Uplawmoor 

Balmanno Trophy (Member gaining most points in Flower Classes. Classes 11-12) 

- Christine Kyle - Uplawmoor, Anne Dunne - Brookfield 

Raeside Trophy (Institute with most points in Threesomes) - Uplawmoor 

Currans Cup (Winner of outstanding Embroidered Article - Any Classes) - 

Elma Richmond - Lochwinnoch 

Pollock Cup (Winner of Decorated Cake - Class 22 ) - Cath Close - Uplawmoor 

Anne G. Macdonald (Encouragement Tray to member with most entries and not a 

Trophy winner.) - Margaret Dundas - Brookfield 

Chairman’s Choice (Chairman’s Choice of Exhibit in Show) - Christine Kyle, 

Uplawmoor 

RAMH - Surviving or Thriving? 

Every May we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week, and in 2017 the 

Surviving or Thriving theme will explore how we can cultivate good mental 

health. It is an opportunity to reflect on the strategies and resources needed 

to both shape a coherent national approach to public mental health and the 

tools we, our families and our communities, need in order to radically reframe 

our ability to thrive in life. 

During the week of 8th -14th May, the Mental Health Foundation will be producing 

a new report to highlight the numbers of us who feel stuck on ‘survive’. They 

will be providing advice and insight into how we can build good mental health 

in the context of our work, our digital world, our parenting approach and in our 

communities. The campaign will be calling on the Government to do more to 

promote better mental health. 

Human beings are probably the most resilient creatures on the planet. Through 

countless setbacks, we have learnt how to survive but we are only now starting 

to understand how to thrive. If you are struggling with mental health issues and 

surviving rather than thriving, contact RAMH on 0141 8478900 or enquiries@ 

ramh.org 

You can view the current issue as well as 

previous issues of the magazine online. 

www.advertizer.co.uk/issues


The Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire & Inverclyde Branch of SSAFA - the Armed 

Forces Charity founded in 1885, reported another successful year at their very 

well attended AGM held at the Old Library, Kilbarchan with the Branch President 

HM Lord Lieutenant Guy WNH Clark FSI JP in the chair. 

The Branch, one of twenty-two in Scotland, supports those who serve in our 

Armed Forces, those who used to serve and the families of both. This is our 

133rd Year and was the only multi service at the start of World War One. 

During the last year to December 31st, 2016 the Branch had sourced and 

distributed goods and services to 224 veterans and their families in our local 

community to the value of £151,805 and administered a further £36,885 

paid to Annuitants. The qualifying criterion for assistance in time of need is 

usually to have received one day’s pay in the Armed Forces (including National 

Service) or in the Merchant Navy. SSAFA Forces Help works closely with, and 

acknowledges the assistance given by, The ABF (The Soldiers Charity), The 

Royal Navy Benevolent Trust, the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, Merchant 

Navy Welfare Board, PoppyScotland and the many and various Army Regimental 

Charities as well as other Forces and Civilian Charities and Trusts. 

SSAFA welcomes enquiries from those who have served, or who are serving, 

in our Forces and the families of both who are in need and require practical 

assistance. In addition SSAFA represent most other Military and Merchant 

Navy Charities. 

Volunteering with SSAFA is a very satisfying experience and right now the 

Branch, which has no paid staff, is looking for volunteers to help with Case 

Working, Administration, IT and Publicity & Fundraising. Full training is given 

and expenses paid; it is appreciated that time is the most precious commodity 

that a volunteer can give. 

Further details for both those that require practical assistance or as a potential 

volunteer can be found by contacting the Branch Secretary, Joyce Goater, at the 

Wynd Centre, Paisley 0141 840 4060, ssafa.paisley@renfunds.org or via the 

website (www.ssafa.org.uk). 

One highlight of the AGM was that not only was HM Lord Lieutenant Guy WNH 

Clark FSI JP called upon to present the Long Service Awards he was also called 

forward to receive one. 

Following the AGM there were two interesting and very relevant presentations 

- the first was outlining the changes in methods of operation of Combat Stress 

and how SSAFA should now signpost veterans to them (Kath Provan) and the 

second was confirmation of how SSAFA works in partnership with the RCET 

(formerly the Royal Caledonian Education Trust). The RCET, a charity that is 

over 200 years old, is a major supporter of the children of Scottish Armed 

Forces, serving and veterans (Karen Stock). 

If you would like one of our volunteers to speak at one of your meetings please 

contact us at any of the telephone numbers or email addresses detailed above. 

We will also be at the Kilmacolm Show on Saturday, May 13th), Bridge of Weir 

Gala (Saturday, June 10th) and at Rouken Glen for East Renfrewshire’s Armed 

Forces Day (Saturday, June 17th, 2017); at all these events our volunteers 

would be pleased to welcome as many visitors as possible. 

Registered Charity No: 210760 (Since 1885) and SC038056


Dental Blog 

by Sheila Macintyre, Practice Owner, 

Kilbarchan Dental Practice 

All You Need to Know 

About Check-Ups 

Dental check-ups are an important part of caring for your smile, however 

according to research from NHS Digital half of UK adults haven’t been to the 

dentist in the last two years. 

Check-ups give your dentist the opportunity to assess your dental health and 

pick up any areas for attention at an early stage. Leaving problems untreated 

may mean they are harder and more expensive to tackle later. That is why it is 

really important that you ensure you are registered with a dentist and visit when 

you receive a request to do so. 

Check-ups should take around 15 minutes for existing patients and slightly 

longer for new patients. 

At a check-up your dentist should: 

• Examine your teeth, gums and mouth. 

• Ask about your general health and any problems you’ve had with your teeth, 

mouth or gums since your last visit. 

• Ask about, and give you advice on, your diet, smoking and alcohol use, and 

teeth-cleaning habits. 

Your dentist may also take the opportunity to give your teeth a scale and polish 

if needed to get rid of any build-up of tartar which can lead to decay. 

Regular examinations will not only help identify areas of improvement for your 

oral health but will pick up early signs of decay and gum disease as well as 

more serious issues such as mouth cancer. 

Whilst we see most of our patients every 6 months some may need to visit more 

regularly whilst others may not need to attend as frequently depending on 

how healthy their teeth and gums are and what their risk is of 

future problems. 

If you would like any more advice on how to care for your 

teeth visit us at Kilbarchan Dental Practice, call 01505 

704969 or click www.kilbarchandental.co.uk where you’ll 

find lots more free tips. 

13 13


May 

events 

Sat 29 Apr - Mon 1 May 

Binocular & Telescope Open Day 

RSPB, Largs Road, 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 

you are helping conservation. Cost: FREE. 

Sat 29 April 

BeachWatch 

Lunderston Bay, Cloch Road, near 

Gourock PA19 1BB - 11am to 1pm 

As part of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive 

help the Rangers & Greenock Conservation 

Volunteers record the sea debris. MORE INFO: 

tel 01475 529 543 & bookings. 

Birds for Beginners 


11am to 1.30pm 

Are you a beginner to bird watching? Join the 

team at RSPB Lochwinnoch for a workshop ideal 

for introducing beginners to this fantastic hobby! 

Learn more about common garden birds and pick 

up tips and advice on wildlife watching techniques. 

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

these new skills into practise and then top it all off 

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

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

£3 (RSPB members: £3/£2). 

Thu 4 May 

Community Event: Virgin Media 

Kilmacolm Community Centre, 

Lochwinnoch Road, Kilmacolm 

5pm to 7pm 

This is a drop in session to update local residents 

on the works being carried out in their area and 

what services Virgin Media will be able to provide 

to the local community. 

Outlook 

Kidston Hall, High Street, Kilmacolm 

2pm to 4pm 

Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance; four years old 

and growing. 

Swarovski event 


10am to 4pm 

Paul, Area Sales Manager for Swarovski Optics, 

will be joining us at the reserve with a vast and 

varied selection of Swarovski Optics. This is a 

great opportunity to come along and get some 

expert knowledge, try out some of the amazing 

optics or make that purchase you have always 

dreamed of. 

Fri 5 May 

Kilmacolmjaro 


7.30pm 

Glasgow musician Daisy Doherty is climbing 

Mount Kilimanjaro for Childreach International. 

Join her for a fundraising concert featuring live 

music from Guerilla Mystics, Howling Home, 

A51s, Eugene Twist & Daisy Doherty. Tickets £10 

(inc drinks/nibbles) on the door or via: https:// 

mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/daisydoherty1 

Elvis Tribute Night 

Kilmacolm Masonic Hall, Glebe Road, 

Kilmacolm - 8pm to 10.30pm 

For Cancer Research UK. Tickets £8. 


RSPB Local Group 

McMaster Centre, Donaldson Drive, 

Renfrew - 7.30pm 

There will be an illustrated talk by Ruary McKenzie 

entitled Dragonflies. This will be followed by our 

Annual General Meeting. All welcome. 

Create and Play the Digital Way 

Paisley YMCA 1pm to 5pm 

Open door activity where we invite people to 

join in and try an open workshop, a ‘come and 

try’ approach and learn to code, build a car 

with a micro-controller or take part in a public 

demonstration event of Quiver augmented reality 

or experience the world with Google Expeditions. 

www.voluntaryarts.org/Event/create-and-playthe-digital-way 

Sat 6 May 

Brighter Bridge Of Weir Annual 

Clean-Up Day 

Livery Walk, Bridge of Weir 10.30 am 

If you’ve got an hour or two to spare, why not join 

us outside the Co-op. It’s not hard work, but it will 

make things a bit easier for our few volunteers. 

Tag-n-Track Bird Ringing 

Demonstration 

Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, Calder 

Glen Road, Lochwinnoch 

10am to 4pm 

Find out how we Tag-n-Track some of the bird 

species in the Park. For information call: 01505 

614791 during office hours. 

Neilston Agricultural Show 

Holehouse, Neilston, Barrhead, East 

Renfrewshire G78 3LE 

192nd OPEN CATTLE SHOW & SHEEP DOG TRIALS 

Admission to Show Ground Adults £6, Children 

/ OAP’s £2, Family (2+2) £15, Car Park £3. For 

information contact Mrs Rita Kilian secretary@ 

NeilstonShow.co.uk, www.neilstonshow.co.uk 

Please Note: Parking facilities are limited and 

your co-operation with the Stewards would be 

greatly appreciated 

Wild Night 

Finlaystone Country Estate - Langbank 

5pm Saturday to 10am Sunday 

Camp in the forest with the Ranger. Den Building 

session and Bat walk at twilight. Singalong 

around the camp fire. This event is aimed at 

three year olds and above as an introduction to 

camping. Bring tents, bbq food, sleeping bags etc 

etc Tickets cost £10 per adult and £5 per child. 

Tickets selling fast. 

Sun 7 May 

Bridge of Weir Choral Society 

Spring Concert 

St Columba’s Church, Duchal Road, 

Kilmacolm 7.30pm 

The main item in the programme is Mozart’s 

Mass in C Major and the choir will also perform 

works by Vaughan Williams and Finzi. For further 

information please contact Ernie Smyth on 01505 

702997.


15 15 


Canine Partners’ Special Big 

Glasgow Bluebell Walk & Fun Day 

Pollokshaw Burgh Hall, Glasgow 

12noon to 4pm 

People can meet the puppies, find out more 

about being a puppy parent. We will walk through 

Pollok Country Park. The event will feature a 

raffle and tombola and more than 20 craft stalls 

selling quality handmade goodies along with a 

demonstration of some of the skills the dogs 

learn. For more information call Dale Gormley 

on 0845 4811915 or visit caninepartners.org. 

uk/bigbluebellwalks. 

Tag-n-Track Bird Ringing 

Demonstration 

The Cut Visitor Centre, Cornalees Bridge, 

Greenock 10am to 4pm 

Find out how we Tag-n-Track some of the bird 

species in the Park. For information call: 01505 

614791 during office hours 

Dawn Chorus 


4.30am to 6.30am 

Hear the reserve at its best! It may be early, but 

will be truly worth it! We will be pointing out the 

songs & calls of many different types of birds. No 

existing bird knowledge is needed and families are 

welcome. Cost: Adults: £5; Children: £3 (RSPB 

members: £3/£2). 

Rotary Club of Gryffe Valley 10K Run 

Houston Public Park, Four Windings, 

Houston 1pm 

For all abilities from serious runners to novices/ 

joggers on country lanes between Houston, 

Bridge of Weir and Kilmacolm. Proceeds will 

go to the Debra Charity www.debra.org.uk for 

children and young people with the skin disease 

EB. Refreshments and home baking for entrants 

and spectators. Follow us on facebook - Gryffe 

Valley Rotary 10K Run. 

Twist & Hit Cheerleaders Free 

Taster Session 

The Bield Scout Hall, Broomlands Street, 

Paisley, PA1 2NP 1.15pm to 6.30pm 

At our training facility you will get the chance to 

watch this AWESOME sport in full action and learn 

how to tumble, stunt, jump and dance in a safe 

environment. With FREE complimentary food, 

drink and entertainment you will get the chance 

to socialise, play games and interact in a high 

paced fun sport. 11 years and younger - 1.15pm- 

2.30pm Watching a performance from our MINI 

1 ROSE and YOUTH 1 LIME teams followed by 

a taster session 12 years and over Watching 

a performance from our JUNIOR 2 MINT and 

SENIOR 3 FUSCHIA teams followed by a taster 

session www.voluntaryarts.org/Event/twist-hitcheerleaders-free-taster-session 

Mon 8 May 

Colourful Kilmacolm AGM 


Lochwinnoch Road, Kilmacolm 

Open to everyone. If you have not yet joined, the 

very modest £5 annual subscription will support 

our efforts. You can opt just to be a supporter, 

or to be an ‘active gardener’ and help in practical 

ways. Membership forms can be downloaded 

from our website www.colourfulkilmacolm.org. 

uk or you can phone Peter (01505 872448) or 

Diane (01505 872611). 

Summer Duplicate Bridge 


Lochwinnoch Road, Kilmacolm 7pm 

If you would like to play Bridge during the summer 

months why not come along with a partner or 

come alone and hope to find one there. Further 

information Tel: 87 2345. 

Wed 10 May 

Intro to Gardening 


1pm to 3pm 

Everything you could ever know about our 

wonderful gardens. Event led by our very own 

Head Gardener. http://www.finlaystone.co.uk 


Walk a Mile event - Paisley 

Fountain Gardens, Love Street, Paisley, 

PA3 2DZ 12 noon 

Supported by the national charity See Me and 

inspired by Chris Young’s UK wide campaign 

to end mental health stigma and change the 

way people think about mental health. Visit: 

https://letswalkamile.org/events/walk-a-milerenfrewshire 

Walk commences at 12.30pm 


Sòlas Bereavement Group 


6.30pm to 8.30pm 

Sòlas Bereavement Group. 


The Arkleston Singers - Old World 

- New World 

Lylesland Church, 123 Rowan Street, 

Paisley 7.30pm 

Old World Music will include Vaughan Williams, 

together with music by Daniel Elder, Gwyneth 

Walker and Morten Lauridsen from the New 

World. New musical director, Marcus Kitchen, will 

conduct the choir accompanied by The Arkleston 

Chamber Ensemble. Tickets £10 call 01505 

85034 / 07932 680951, online WeGotTickets. 

com (+ booking fee) OR at the door. 

Fèis Phàislig: Family Ceilidh 

Wynd Theatre, 6 School Wynd, Paisley, 

PA1 2DB 7pm to 11.30pm 

Fèis Phàislig (Gaelic for Paisley Festival) is an 

arts organisation that provides traditional music 

experiences for young people across Renfrewshire. 

Our fundraising ceilidh will be a fantastic night of 

music and dance, with all proceeds going towards 

further opportunities for young people across 

Renfrewshire. www.voluntaryarts.org/Event/ 

feis-phaislig-family-ceilidh 

Fri 12 - Sat 13 May 

A Sketch, a Sandwich & a Swally 

Kilbarchan Performing Arts Centre, 8 

Steeple Square, Kilbarchan 7pm 

The Carrick Players invite you to “Womberang” 

by Sue Townsend. Ticket price includes a drink 

and a sandwich, available from Bobbins or on 

Facebook - £10. 

Fri 12 - Sun 14 May 

Annual Plant Sale 

Lodge Sir Michael 989, Glebe Road, 

Kilmacolm 

Planters and hanging baskets made to order. Free 

advice on plants. Large variety of quality plants 

at value for money prices. See outdoors section 

for daily times. 


Southside Fringe 

Various 

The Southside Fringe is focused upon providing 

a fortnight of quality opportunities for acts, 

performers and musicians. None of us as 

organisers will be drawing earnings from the fringe 

and are running the not for profit business as 

volunteers. https://www.southsidefringe.com/ 


Falconry Day 


1pm to 3pm 

Join our Falconer and learn some cool facts about 

our birds of prey and owls. Flying display weather 

permitting. A small charge of £1 to hold a bird or 

owl to help with upkeep of the birds. Http://www. 

finlaystone.co.uk 

Houston Kirk Carnival 

Houston & Killellan Kirk, Main Street, 

Houston 12noon 

HOLLYWOOD themed procession with the Houston 

Boys and Girls Brigade Pipe Band. The Carnival 

Queen 2017 will be crowned. Many stalls 

and games with huge variety of tasty food. All 

proceeds will go to the Killellan Halls Fund.






Kilmacolm & Port Glasgow 

Agricultural Society 182nd 

Annual Show 

Knapps Loch, Bridge of Weir Road, 

Kilmacolm From 9am 

A great day out for the whole family. Visit our 

website for schedules and further information - 

www.kilmacolmshow.co.uk 

Family Volunteering - 

Volunteer with your children or 

grandchildren 


1pm to 3.30pm 

Who says volunteering is only for grown-ups? 

Definitely not us. Here’s an opportunity for 

grown-ups and children to do something practical 

together in the great outdoors, and to help us Give 

Nature a Home. It’s a chance to spend some 

quality time with the children in your life, and it’s 

free. Please book. 

Scottish Disability Sport Para 

Sport Celebration 

Castle Semple Visitor Centre, Lochlip 

Road, Lochwinnoch 10am to 4.30pm 

Scotland’s only Centre of Excellence for accessible 

sailing will be very busy today with limited 

car parking. Take away service only in the 

café. For more information email admin@ 

scottishdisabilitysport.com or tel 0131 317 

1130. 

Tag-n-Track on Show 

Knapps Loch, Bridge of Weir Road, 

Kilmacolm 

Come along and meet the Tag-n-Track team, find 

out how we are tagging and tracking birds and 

what volunteering opportunities are available. 

VENUE Kilmacolm Show. 

Sat 13 - Sun 14 May 

Langbank Church’s 150th 

Anniversary 

Langbank Parish Church, Main Road, 

Langbank 

On the afternoon of Saturday, May 13th the church 

will be open to the public, with organ recitals and 

entertainment from the school choir. Everyone 

is welcome to come and look round the church 

whilst listening to the music. A plant sale will 

also take place that day in the church car park 

from 10.30am – 12.30pm, and cream teas will 

be served in the church hall. The service on 

Sunday, May 14th at 11am will be conducted 

by Rev Ann McCool, moderator of the Greenock 

and Paisley Presbytery, and hopefully this will be 

well supported. As always, visitors will be made 

very welcome. 

RYA Push The Boat Out Day 

Castle Semple Sailing Club 

10.30am to 4pm 

Ever fancied trying dingy sailing or other 

watersport? Come along and give it a try!! 

Castle Semple Sailing Club has a variety of 

dinghies which you will be able to see both on 

and off the water. Clyde Windsurfing Club will 

be demonstrating windsurfing for anyone who 

wishes to try this exciting sport. For further info 

and book a sail contact dawn@castlesemplesc. 

co.uk or contact Mike at mike@clydewindsurfing. 

co.uk. Castle Semple Rowing Club will also have 

their rowing machines available and clinker built 

rowing boat for you to try. All donations to The 

Semple Sports Action Partnership (“SSSAP”) are 

very welcome and much appreciated. 

Den Building 


1pm to 3pm 

Join our Rangers in a fantastic afternoon of Den 

Building and Bushcraft skills. Are you the next 

Bear Grylls? Http://www.finlaystone.co.uk 

Jack Hastie - “Weird Tales” 

Guide Centre, Barn Green, Kilbarchan 

2.30pm to 4pm 

Book launch for Jack Hasite’s new book “Weird 

Tales”. Refreshments will be provided. 

Afternoon Tea with Jersey Tones 

Glynhill Hotel, 169 Paisley Road, 

Renfrew - From 1.30pm 

Our Host for the afternoon will be River City 

actress, Carmen Pieraccini who will lead us 

through an afternoon of fun and entertainment - 

make sure your dancing shoes are on to be ready 

to dance to the wonderful sound of The Jersey 

Tones. Call 01505 705635 or email info@svh. 

co.uk. Tickets are £28pp and available now. 

Gourock Highland Games 

The Battery Park, Eldon Street, 

Greenock PA16 7QG 12noon to 6pm 

At this year’s Gourock Highland Games, there 

will be pipe band and drum major competitions; 

highland dance competitions; heavyweight events; 

mini highland games; children’s entertainment; 

gift and craft stalls – a great day out for all the 

family. There is no public parking available on the 

day at Battery Park, so please make use of public 

transport links on offer. 

Tag-n-Track on Show 

The Battery Park, Eldon Street, 

Greenock PA16 7QG 

Come along and meet the Tag-n-Track team, find 

out how we are tagging and tracking birds and 

what volunteering opportunities are available. 

The Kilbarchan Singers Summer 

Concert 

Holy Trinity & Saint Barnabas Episcopal 

Church, Moss Street, Paisley 7.30pm 

Conductor: Edwin Hillier. Songs of Farewell - 

Music by Parry, Stanford and Vaughn Williams, 

plus a selection from the Kings Singers. Tickets 

- £8.50/£5 (under 18s) - available from choir 

members or on the door. 

New Paisley Brass Group 

Martyrs Church, Paisley - 2.30pm 

They will be presenting a programme of music 

through the centuries. 

Kilbarchan Gateway Garden Drop 

In Session 

Cartside Terrace, Kilbarchan 1pm-3pm 

Come and help with planting potatoes and veg, 

you can even put your name down for a growing 

area & start your very own veg plot! All welcome. 

For more information and to get involved contact 

Gail Scoular on 07985749220, email hello@ 

kilbarchansmile.co.uk or join the group Kilbarchan 

Smile on Facebook. 


Outlook Outing 

Glenarm, Rhu, Helensburgh G84 8LL 

1pm to 5.30pm 

Visit to Glenarm at Rhu with afternoon tea at 

Helensburgh. Coach, entry, afternoon tea. £15 


Outlook 

Kidston Hall, High St, Kilmacolm 2-4pm 

Clydeside Singers return: singalong with popular 

tunes, plus update on Mary’s Meals charity. 


Advertizer June Issue Deadline 

The Advertizer - Neva Place, BoW 

If you would like anything published in our June 

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

the office on 01505 613340. Don’t miss out! 

Open Evening 

The Haven, Horsecraigs, Kilmacolm 

3pm to 7pm 

Visit us here and learn about the work of The Haven 

Kilmacolm. BBQ, CHILDREN’S AREA, TOURS, 

HOME-MADE BAKING, CAR WASH, & MUCH MORE! 

Admission free! For info contact Sherri 01505 

872099, sherri@thehavenkilmacolm.com or visit 

www.thehavenkilmacolm.com 


Lodge Sir Michael 989, Glebe Road, 

Kilmacolm 

Planters and hanging baskets made to order. Free 

advice on plants. Large variety of quality plants 

at value for money prices. See outdoors section 

for daily times. 


Duchal Nursery Open Morning 

Duchal Nursery School - Kilmacolm 

10am to 12noon 

This is open to anyone who is interested in nursery 

places in the future and is a great opportunity to 

meet the teachers and current parents and get a 

taste for Duchal life, we look forward to welcoming 

you. More information is available on our website 

www.duchal.com and our Facebook page. 

British Pipe Band Championships 

St. James Playing Fields, Paisley, PA3 2LB 

9am 

One of the biggest events in world piping 

continues its three-year run in Paisley. With 

anywhere between 3,500 and 4,000 drummers 

and pipers from across the UK and abroad set to 

compete, and over 200 live performances, this 

should be a spectacle of sight and sound not to 

be missed. Featuring: Food village, Children’s 

entertainment zone, Craft market, Free event 

parking and shuttle bus. Free. 

ACCORD Hospice Summer Fayre 

Paisley Town Hall, Abbey Close, Paisley 

10am to 4pm 

A fun filled day for all the family - Come along 

and show your support! Hosting a wide variety of 

attractions, homebaking, bric-a-brac, tearoom, 

craft stalls, games and competitions, children 

inflatable rides, book stalls and much more. For 

more info, email fundraising@accord.org.uk 

Kilmacolm Horticultural Society 


Lochwinnoch Road, Kilmacolm 10am to 

12noon 

Join us for our annual Coffee Morning. Please 

come along, meet friends for coffee and chat. The 

plant stall which is supplied by Parklea Nurseries 

will stock summer bedding, geraniums, fuchsias, 

tomato plants, hanging baskets. Plus homebaking 

stall, and a Tombola. £3 entry. 

Plant Sale 


12noon to 3pm 

Come along and peruse some plants to add to your 

garden! Go on – freshen up your garden and help 

nature at the same time!


17 17 


Bishopton Christian Aid Plant Sale & 

Coffee Morning 

The Cornerstone, Greenock Road, Bishopton 10am 

to 12noon 

In addition to selecting plants on the day, there will be a Preorder 

Service for Plants which is obtainable via members of the 

Christian Aid Committee. Ticket price includes a coffee/tea and 

some home baking. £2. 

Kilbarchan Parish Church Plant Sale & 

Pancake Morning 

Kilbarchan Parish Church Hall, Steeple Street 10am 

to 12noon 

Ticket includes coffee with freshly-made pancakes, cream 

and jam. To order plants, which are of very good quality from 

a nursery in Ayrshire, please phone 704502. As well as preordered 

plants, there will be a large variety for sale. Tickets 

£2.50 Children £1. 

Calder Church Summer Fayre 

10am - 12noon in The McKillop Hall, Lochwinnoch 

Stalls include Home Baking, Plants & Garden, Jewellery, Arts 

& Crafts, Lucky Dip and lots more. Adults £2, Children FREE 

includes Tea/Coffee. All welcome. 

Messy Church 

Kilbarchan Parish Church Hall, Steeple Street 4pm 

to 6pm 

Children must be accompanied by an adult. 

Lochwinnoch Explorer Group: Spiders! 


10am to 12noon 

Calling all children! Come along and learn about nature, but most 

importantly, get dirty and have fun doing it! We’ll be learning all 

about all about spiders! Please wear suitable clothing for being 

outdoors. Ages: 5 to 14 years. Please note that all children 

aged 8 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Booking 

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

Castle Semple Rowing Club Regatta 

Castle Semple Visitor Centre, Lochlip Road, 

Lochwinnoch - All Day 

One of the biggest rowing events in the Scottish calendar! There 

will be lots of boats, not much car parking and plenty of spectator 

viewing. For more information visit www.castlesemplerc.co.uk 

Sat 20 - Sun 21 May 

The Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating 

Show 

SEC, Exhibition Way, Glasgow 

The go-to exhibition for self builders and renovators. No matter 

what stage your project is at, there will be sessions, experts and 

exhibitors at the show to help you bring your project to life. For 

further information contact: www.sec.co.uk/events 


Kilmacolm Guides Garden Party 

The Guide Hut, Woodrow Avenue, Kilmacolm 

We are looking forward to celebrating our 100 years with our 

garden party - come and support us so that we can continue 

this great community group for another 100 years!! For more 

information please contact: kilmacolmguides100@gmail.com 

Mini Beast Safari 

Finlaystone Country Estate - Langbank 1pm to 3pm 

Does it have 6 legs, 8 legs or hundreds of legs? Find out some 

great facts about our wonderful wee friends on the estate. http:// 

www.finlaystone.co.uk 

NEVER MISS A THING! 

We keep an archive of all the featured blogs and you can 

view the current or old issues at advertizer.co.uk




Mon 29 May 


Waunder’ful Woods 

Muirshiel Visitor Centre, Calder Glen Road near 

Lochwinnoch PA12 4LB 11am to 3pm 

An opportunity to celebrate our wonderful woods and wildlife 

with FREE guided walks on geodiversity, woodland birds, 

butterflies (TBC), bird ringing plus ‘Ask about Aspen’, ‘Meet the 

Moths’ and a family friendly Wild-Cache activity. Look online 

and book an activity or tel 01505 614 791 

Tue 23 May 

Lilifest: Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards 

Kilbarchan Performing Arts Centre, 8 Steeple 

Square, Kilbarchan 7.30pm 

Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards are one of the most popular 

bands on the roots music circuit and were hailed by many 

as one of the highlights of the 2016 Shetland Folk Festival. 

They are back in the UK again as one of the main visiting 

acts at this year’s Orkney Folk Festival. Last time they toured 

here, Songlines magazine drooled: “This was a celebration 

of American string playing par excellence.” Tickets (£12.50) 

from 01505 706346 or by e-mail@ info@brookfield-knights. 

com BYOB 

Lilifest: Physic Evening with Sally Buxton 

Old Library Centre, 9 High Barholm, Kilbarchan 

7.30pm 

Tickets: £10.00 BYOB from 01505 706 070 or by e-mail 

kipcokil@hotmail.com. Tickets must be paid for by 19th May. 

KIPCO is a charity SCO 31251 

The SAY (Scottish Album 

of the Year) Award 2017 

Longlist 

O2 ABC Glasgow, 300 Sauchiehall 

Street, Glasgow G2 3JA 

The venue welcomes the Award back for 

this new ticketed event where SAY Award 

alumni Admiral Fallow, Steve Mason 

(acoustic) and Mungo’s Hi Fi will perform 

live, and 20 outstanding Scottish albums 

will be announced as The SAY Award 

2017 Longlist. Each of these 20 albums 

will be in the running for the £20,000 

grand prize, as well as the coveted title 

of Scottish Album of the Year 2017. 

Further information available from www. 

sayaward.com. 

Clyde Muirshiel Munchkins: 

Pond Splash 

The Cut Visitor Centre, Cornalees 

Bridge, Greenock 

10.30am to 11.30am 

The Nature Club splash in to the pond to 

see what creatures call it home. £2.50 

per child, adults free. Look online or tel 

01475 529 543 

Fri 26 - Mon 29 

May 

Ideal Home Show Scotland 

SEC, Exhibition Way, Glasgow 

From kitchens and bathrooms, to bedrooms and 

basements, fixtures and fittings to fine food, gardens 

and the latest high tech gadgets, to fashion beauty 

and gifts, you’ll find it all under one roof at this awardwinning 

show. For further information contact: www. 

sec.co.uk/events 

Explorer Challenge: Be a Bug! 


10am to 4pm 

Any time! Spend some quality family time together at 

RSPB Lochwinnoch! This event is not your usual kind – 

you do it with your own family in your own time! Simply 

pop into the Visitor centre any time between Friday 

26th and Monday 29th May, where the friendly staff 

will get you started. Then, go out onto the reserve to 

find out what it might be like to “be a bug”! Cost: £3 

per child (RSPB members £1) [Normal trail fees apply 

for accompanying adults] 


Working with Wood 

Muirshiel Visitor Centre, Calder Glen Road, 

near Lochwinnoch PA12 4LB 11am to 

2.30pm 

Make bat, bird or insect boxes or drop in and have a go 

at green woodworking. £5 per wildlife box. Look online 

or tel 01505 842 882. 

St. Aidan’s Annual Fete 

St Aidan’s Church House, Tower 

Road, Johnstone, PA5 0AD 

11am to 2pm 

Lots of stalls, beat the goalie, bouncy 

castle, wheel of fortune and much 

much more. Bring the whole family and 

enjoy. Free. 

Lilifest: Live Music 

The Trust, Kilbarchan 9pm 

Live Music in the Trust Inn. Free. 


Erskine Motorbike Meet 

Erskine Care Home, Bishopton 

PA7 5PU 1pm onwards 

Live music, food vans, displays, stalls, fair 

rides, Harry’s Cafe and much more (as 

well as 100’s of motorbikes and trikes). 

Come along and make a difference. 

Lilifest: How We Used to 

Live 

Habbies, Kilbarchan - 5pm 

A journey back in time with rare archive 

photos and Kilbarchan memorabilia. 

Do you have any interesting cuttings, 

brochures or photographs of the village 

or people from years gone by? Bring 

them along and share with others. Free. 

Mad Hatter Tea Party 

Finlaystone Country Estate - 

Langbank 1pm to 3pm 

Join Tickles the Clown and come as Alice 

or the Mad Hatter. Join the Rangers for 

tea and games on the main lawn. Prizes 

for best fancy dressed child. http://www. 

finlaystone.co.uk 

Lilifest: Habbiemind Quiz 

Habbies, Kilbarchan 8pm 

Show off your local and historical 

knowledge at this special quiz night with 

special prizes. 

Gateway Garden Party 

Cartside Terrace, Kilbarchan 

12noon to 4pm 

This family fun day will feature music, a 

performance by Loud and Proud, LEAP, 

Fairtrade/Coop, RSPB and other stalls. 

Young Habbies can join storyteller Anne 

Pitcher for some interactive storytelling 

fun with puppets, props, sound makers 

and songs. Hot dogs and refreshments 

will also be available (while stocks last). 

All are welcome to come and have a 

look, meet the volunteers and find out 

more about getting involved. For more 

information and to get involved contact 

Gail Scoular on 07985749220, email 

hello@kilbarchansmile.co.uk or join the 

group Kilbarchan Smile on Facebook. 

Lilifest: Lego Animation 

Workshop 

Kilbarchan Performing Arts 

Centre, 8 Steeple Square, 

Kilbarchan 5pm 

Join us for an introduction to the world 

of stop-motion film-making with local 

animator, Morgan Spence. Morgan has 

amassed more than 10,000,000 online 

views of his animated films and he has 

appeared on the BBC and ABC television 

in the US discussing his work. He will 

present a 90 minute workshop where 

he will be sharing his experiences and 

knowledge of the craft before assisting 

participants in creating their own 

animated clips* using Lego. *Please 

bring along your own tablet or phone with 

the free iMotion animating app. Tickets: 

£3.50 www.liliasday.co.uk 

Bug Box Making 

Finlaystone Country Estate - 

Langbank 

1pm to 3pm 

Join our Rangers in an afternoon of bug 

box making. Make a nice wee home for 

your friends in the garden, £2.50 charge 

for materials used in this event. Http:// 

www.finlaystone.co.uk 

Tue 30 May 

Business Bites at the Fox 

Fox and Hounds, Main Street, 

Houston 

10am to 11.30am 

This is a free event, with tea, coffee & 

breakfasts available if you wish and 

of course, no business event could be 

without the free WIFI. A casual morning 

with meeting and greeting taking place 

first followed by a guest speaker. Run 

by our Assistant Manager Sarah, who 

has over 10 years experience running 

a variety of events, including business 

networking. 

Thu 1 June 

Lilifest: An Evening with 

Rev Ian Miller 

Kilbarchan Performing Arts 

Centre, 8 Steeple Square, 

Kilbarchan 7.30pm 

Kilbarchan’s favourite son returns for 

“An Evening With” event. Everyone who 

has had the pleasure of his company will 

know that Ian is a hugely entertaining 

raconteur with an Aladdin’s Cave of 

anecdotes and jokes. Tickets £5.50 

www.liliasday.co.uk 

Orchard Flooring 

Stylish, Durable: A Floor for Life 

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

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

top priority. For this reason, light cream carpets can be problematic for many busy households. 

Karndean and Amtico flooring are perfect for any room or situation in the home. They are both 

waterproof, slip resistant and warm underfoot, as well as being a beautiful and luxurious floor to 

be proud of. 

Both are easy to clean and 

without the porous qualities 

of wood and some stone. 

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

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

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

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

floor from Orchard Flooring. 

You can contact Scott on 01505 22 9584 or 07563 633 432 

E: sjmproducts@hotmail.com website: www.orchard-flooring.com


19 19 

every Monday 

Lochwinnoch Community Walk 

The Cross, Lochwinnoch 10.30am 

This event will not take place on public 

holidays. 

every Tuesday 

Bishopton Belles Line Dancing 

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Hall 6.30 - 8.30pm 

Beginner/Improver class. All welcome. Call David 

or Mair 07886 034037. 

Postnatal Support Group 

Paisley Abbey 10.30am - 12noon 

Crèche facilities available along with access to 

free counselling services if required. 

Singing for Wellbeing 

Bishopton Community Centre 6pm-7.15pm 

A fun, no pressure choir singing feel good songs. 

every Wednesday 

Knitting Group 

Three Sisters Bake, Quarriers 10am - 12noon 

Knitters of all levels welcome! 

Skinny Minnies 

Cargill Hall, Bridge of Weir 7pm - 8pm 

For a healthier, slimmer, more energetic you! 

every Thursday 

Weekly Volunteer Group 

Castle Semple, Lochwinnoch 12.30pm - 3.30pm 

Conservation Volunteers - adult group. 

Newcomers always welcome. 

every Friday 


Bishopton Community Centre 2pm - 3.15pm 

A fun, no pressure choir singing feel good songs. 

every Saturday 


Greenock Cut Visitor Centre 10.30am - 2.30pm 

Conservation Volunteers, adult group. Newcomers 

always welcome. 

every Sunday 


Castle Semple, Lochwinnoch 10am - 12noon 

Youth volunteer Group - age 12 - 18 years. 

Newcomers always welcome. 

Houston Litter Crew 

Co-op Car Park 10am – 11.45am 

All volunteers welcome and all equipment 

supplied. 

2nd & 4th Wednesday 

BoW Senior Citizens Club 

Cargill Hall 7 - 9pm 

Tea, biscuits & a raffle each meeting along with 

entertainment. Contact Sheila Patterson for 

further information on 01505 690521. 

1st & 3rd Thurs monthly 

‘Outlook’ 

Kidston Hall, Kilmacolm 2pm - 4pm 

Social activities group for the community in 

Kilmacolm. Guest speakers, afternoon tea, local 

issues of interest. Everyone welcome. 

Crafty Hobbies 

Carrick Centre, Main Street, Houston 7.30pm 

No previous craft experience necessary. Call 

Lorna on 01505 612844 for further details. 

2nd Wednesday monthly 

Inverclyde Carers Outreach 

Cargill Centre, Kilmacolm 11am - 2pm 

Email enquiries@inverclydecarerscentre.org.uk 

or call: 01475 735180. 

2nd Thursday monthly 

Sòlas Bereavement Support Group 

Kidston Hall. 6.30pm - 8.30pm. 

3rd Friday monthly 

Hearing Aid Clinic 

The Bridge, Bridge of Weir 1 - 2pm 

Hearing aid batteries and hearing aid checks. 

2nd Saturday monthly 

‘Brunch & Browse’ 

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

Soups, baking, tea, coffee, books & lots of stalls 

last Friday monthly 

TheTerrace 

St Machar’s Ranfurly Church Hall 

Soups, sandwiches, tea/coffee, biscuits. £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 SAT 

Cargill Centre, Kilmacolm 

10am - 2pm 

1st & 3rd SUN 

Loch Lomond Shores 

10am - 3pm Tel: 07977 179 861 

2nd THU & last SAT 

Paisley Cross 

10am - 2pm Tel: 01655 770217 

2nd SUN 

Kip Marina, Inverkip 

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

Did you Know? 

Your cinema now 

offers a range of 

enter tainment 

from ballet to 

sport, comedy 

to live music, 

opera to theatre, 

museums to art 

gallery exhibitions, 

with much of it 

broadcast live by 

satellite. 

For more information 

about these events 

contact your local 

cinema. 

Ralph Vaughan Williams ‘In Windsor Forest’ 

Daniel Elder ‘Nocturnes’ 

plus Gwyneth Walker, Morten Lauridsen and familiar favourites 

Friday 12 May 2017 at 7.30pm 

Lylesland Church, 123 Rowan Street, Paisley PA2 6RZ 

Tickets £10 - available from members, by phone from 01505 850 344 

/ 07932 680951, online from WeGotTickets.com (+ booking fee) 

OR at the door 

Scottish charity no 032807 

The Arkleston Singers: 

Old World - New World 

This year’s annual concert by Paisley Chamber Choir The Arkleston Singers will 

take place in Lylesland Parish Church, 123 Rowan Street, Paisley PA2 6RZ on 

Friday May 12th at 7.30pm. 

Old World music will include ‘In Windsor Forest’, a rarely-performed cantata 

by Ralph Vaughan Williams, together with music from the New World by 

young composer Daniel Elder, Gwyneth Walker and the much loved Morten 

Lauridsen. 

The concert, full of the choir’s eclectic mix of music for all tastes, will be 

conducted by their new Musical Director, Marcus Kitchen, and the Singers will 

be accompanied by the Arkleston Chamber Ensemble. 

Tickets, priced £10, will be available at the door. Further information from 

01505 850344


Fri 2 June 

Lilifest: Lilias Day Quiz 

The Trust, Kilbarchan 8pm 

Lilias Day Quiz with the Quizmaster General. 

Free, prizes. 

Sat 3 June 

Lilias Day Celebrations 

Kilbarchan - various from 12noon 

A historic parade followed through the village 

by decorated floats, pipe and brass bands. The 

parade finishes in Kilbarchan Park where a host of 

stalls, activities and events take place throughout 

the day to raise thousands of pounds for good 

causes. www.liliasday.co.uk 

Houston & Killellan Agricultural 

Show 

Schedules for the Craft and Baking section are 

available from the Paper Shop and the Post 

Office in the village or by e-mail: issistuart@ 

fsmail.net 

Lilifest 2017: Family Fun Day at 

Habbies 

Habbies, Kilbarchan All Day 

Bouncy castle, BBQ and much more. Free. 

Lilifest 2017: Barchan Mad 

Comedy Night 


Steeple Square, Kilbarchan 7.30pm 

This popular comedy night returns on Lilias 

Day featuring a great line up of comedians in 

a great venue. With your host for the evening, 

Graham Barrie. For more info / bookings email 

badhatcomedy@outlook.com 

Mon 5 June 

St Columba’s School Silver Tablet 

Concert 

St Columba’s Church, Duchal Rd, 

Kilmacolm 11.30 am 

Musical talent from Senior VI who compete for 

this award by performing musical pieces of Grade 

8 standard. Members of the School community, 

including parents, friends, former pupils, former 

staff and former parents are all welcome to attend 

this lovely musical celebration. Please contact 

nmnkay@st-columbas.org if you wish to attend. 

Wed 7 June 

Lilifest 2017: Chris Stout & 

Catriona McKay 


Steeple Square, Kilbarchan 7.30pm 

Chris and Catriona have excited audiences all over 

the world with their own unique brand of music 

inspired by the traditions of their native Shetland 

Islands and Scotland. It’s hard to believe there’s 

only two people on stage as they weave their 

way between glorious soundscapes and music 

of breathtaking simplicity. Tickets (£12.50) from 

01505 706346 or by e-mail@ info@brookfieldknights.com 

BYOB 

Sat 10 June 

Bridge of Weir Gala Day 

Houston Road Park 

Parade starts from Cargill Hall and finishes at the 

Park when the fun and games begin! 

Lochwinnoch Gala Day 

Lochwinnoch Public Park 1.30pm- 

4.30pm 

Looking forward to welcoming visitors to our 

annual Gala Event. 

Sun 11 June 

Lilifest 2017: Village Voices & 

Kilbarchan Parish Junior Choir 

Kilbarchan Parish Church, Church 

Street, Kilbarchan 2pm 

An entertaining evening of song and fun. Directed 

by the wonderfully inspiring Moira Gray both 

choirs are open to join to anyone interested, no 

experience necessary 01505 704948. Tickets £5 

/ £14 family ticket (2 adults / 2 children) available 

on the door include tea/coffee and cake. 

Bowfield 10K 

Bowfield Hotel & Country Club, 

Howwood 

Join St Vincent’s Hospice on June 11th for the 

annual Bowfield 10K Walkers and runners are 

welcome to tackle our challenging and scenic 

course. Walkers start at 10:00am and runners at 

11:00. £10 registration fee, all sponsorship goes 

to St Vincent’s Hospice. For more information, 

contact members@bowfieldhotel.co.uk 

Concerts at Martyrs’ 

Sandyford Church, Paisley 

A short series of hour-long concerts will take place both at the King Street and 

Montgomery Road church buildings over the months of May and June. Tickets 

for all concerts cost £5 and are available at the door on the day. 

NEW PAISLEY BRASS GROUP - Sunday 14th May, 2.30pm,King Street, PA1 2LS 

- Music through the Centuries. 

STRING QUARTET - Sunday 4th June, 2.30pm, Montgomery Road, PA3 4LQfrom 

ST MARY’S MUSIC SCHOOL, EDINBURGH, playing Kodaly and Schubert. 

THE ORGANISTS ENTERTAIN!! - Sunday 11th June, 2.30pm, King Street, PA1 

2LS - Rachel Ong and Stewart Munro present organ music, piano duets, 

singing and trumpet solos. 

THE ARCARA CONSORT - Sunday 18th June, 2.30pm, Montgomery Road, PA3 

4LQ - Ranging from the tiny sopranino recorder to the great sub-contrabass, 

Arcara will play some of their favourite music, both early and modern.


21 21 

The Southside Fringe will run from the 

12th - 28th May! With 200 events in 50 

venues, this is the biggest community 

organised event in Glasgow! 

The Southside Fringe is focused 

upon providing a fortnight of quality 

opportunities for acts, performers and 

musicians. We also hope to involve as 

many venues and businesses as we 

can with a view to boosting existing custom over the fortnight and to raise the 

profile of the Southside on the arts landscape and draw new customers, visitors 

and audiences to the wonderful facilities the Southside has to offer. None of us 

as organisers will be drawing earnings from the fringe and are running the not 

for profit business as volunteers. 

It’s an incredibly exciting time in the Southside with several venues actively 

encouraging creativity and supporting local Southside talent. The ethos of the 

Southside Fringe is very much ‘strength in numbers’: the more facets of the 

community and local businesses who get involved the louder our voice and the 

bigger the Southside’s profile will be on the festival map. 

https://www.southsidefringe.com/ 

ACCORD 

Hospice 

Saturday 20th May 

from 10am - 4pm 

Hosting a wide variety of 

stalls and attractions, the 

Accord Hospice summer fayre 

will have something for everyone. 

On offer will be homebaking, bric-abrac, 

tearoom, craft stalls, games and 

competitions, children inflatable rides, book stalls and much more. For 

more information, email fundraising@accord.org.uk. This is a free event! 

St Vincent’s fourth annual Carfest, is moving to Paisley Town Centre! 

Come along for a day of fantastic family fun and entertainment, and a 

spectacular array of vintage and custom cars and bikes. 

Contact our fundraising team on 01505 705635 for more information.


esteem. 

The Full Monty 

Wed 3rd - Sat 6th May - From £16 

Based on the movie that starred Robert Carlyle, the stage show is set in 

Buffalo New York, where 6 unemployed guys’ desperation leads them 

to put together a male stripper show to help give them back their self 

Scott Gibson: Life After Death 

Fri 5th May - 8pm - Beacon Studio - From £10 

A darkly hysterical, inspiring show, delivered with the trademark filthy 

charisma that Scott is known for; Life After Death is a tale of love and 

pain, fear and hope. 

Mairi Campbell: Pulse 

Thu 6th May - 8pm - Beacon Studio - From £10 

Award-winning musician Mairi Campbell presents Pulse, her onewoman 

show. A homecoming in viola, voice, movement, animation and 

storytelling it is Mairi’s quest to heal cultural wounds. 

Tina May & Brian Kellock celebrate Ella & 

Oscar 

Wed 10th May - 7.30pm - Beacon Studio - From £12 

Ella Fitzgerald was the greatest jazz singer and to celebrate her 

centenary the UK’s leading jazz vocalist Tina May and her world class 

accompanist, pianist Brian Kellock revisit the classic meeting between Ella and piano 

giant Oscar Peterson. 

MamaBabaMe 

Thu 11th May - 11.30am & 2.30pm - Beacon Studio - £5 

An exciting new dance, theatre and live music experience made 

especially for infants and their grown ups. Through playful movement, 

dance and sound, MamaBabaMe explores these profound new 

relationships and how this eternal bond evolves and grows. 

Winchin 

the 

Thu 11th May - 7.30pm - From £12 

Winchin will bring back memories to those who lived through those 

heady days of post war freedom and humour abounds in this poignant 

tale of the best days of your life. 

Fred Morrison in Concert 

Fri 12th May - 7.30pm - From £12 

One of celtic music’s most profoundly skilled and audaciously 

inventive exponents, Scottish piper Fred Morrison is justly famed for 

his passionately expressive style, rooted in the Gaelic traditions of his 

father’s native South Uist. 

Top of Their Game 

Fri 12th May - 7.30pm - Beacon Studio - £10 

A celebration of two comedians at the top of their game – pity no-one 

can work out what the hell they’re playing at. Warning. Show contains 

no heart-warming tales about dead relatives, no redemptive accounts 

of sobriety, or anecdotes about life changing encounters with a monk while travelling 

around Goa. It will however, be very, very funny. 

The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc 

Sat May 13th - 7.30pm - From £12 

They skillfully weave the many components of their three musical 

cultures and traditions together in a hugely atmospheric and dynamic 

fashion, all laced through with liberal helpings of humour for good 

measure. 

Fools On A Hill 

Sat 13th May - 8pm - Beacon Studio - From £10 

After God appears to one of them in a vision (complete with Kelburn 

disco lighting) two Christians take it upon themselves to start spreading 

the word of God again, putting the world to rights the only way they 

know how. 

The North 


After their highly acclaimed debut Plan B for Utopia, Joan Clevillé 

Dance are back at Beacon Arts Centre with The North, the bleak yet 

whimsical story of a young man’s journey in search of understanding 

and meaning in an unpredictable environment. 

Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra 

Thu 18th May - 7.30pm - £12 

Tommy Smith plays a repertoire of renowned jazz legends such as 

Ellington, Basie, Miles, Golson, and Gillespie. With endless talent, 

improvisational skills, exuberance and verve, the music is played with a 

collective maturity well beyond their years. 

Girls Night OOT! 

Fri 19th May - 7.30pm - From £16 

To prepare for a marriage all a girl needs are her friends and a guid old 

hen night! Banterous, Balshy and Bootyliciously good fun. 

Stuart Mitchell: Dealt A Bad Hand 


The Glaswegian comic’s sharp one-liners, brilliant turn of phrase and 

clever wordplay has made him a perfect choice for regular appearances 

on BBC Radio Scotland’s new comedy panel show ‘Breaking the 

News’. 

Bowie Experience 

Night Light 

Thu 25th May - 12noon & 2pm - Beacon Studio - £5 

Part of the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival on tour. Coproduced 

by Imaginate and Red Bridge Arts. 

Sat 27th May - 7.30pm - £24 

A spectacular concert featuring all of David Bowie’s hits – celebrating 

the music of the world’s greatest pop icon. 

The Song of Fergus and Kate 

Sun 28th May - 2pm - Beacon Studio - £5 

The Song of Fergus and Kate is a brand new interactive story that uses 

storytelling, music and animation to encourage children to celebrate 

their differences. 

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

INFO@BEACONARTSCENTRE.CO.UK TELEPHONE: 01475 723723 

FRI 

5 

MAY 

ABBA Mania 

Paisley Town Hall 

Price: £14 + BF 

7.30pm - 10pm 

ABBA Mania brings ABBA fans old and new a 

night not to be missed. If you’re looking for an excuse 

to party, reminisce or simply be entertained by the 

best music ever, then ABBA Mania is for you! 

SAT 

20 

MAY 

ACCORD Hospice Summer Fayre 

Paisley Town Hall 

10am - 4pm 

This is a free event 

On offer will be homebaking, bric-a-brac, 

tearoom, craft stalls, games and competitions, 

children inflatable rides, book stalls and much more. 

For more information, email fundraising@accord.org.uk 

Call us on 0300 300 1210 or visit https://boxoffice.renfrewshire.gov.uk/ to book


23 23


New Member and new 

President- elect 

Members were delighted to welcome Hamid Khatib to 

Gryffe Valley Rotary Club at the meeting on 5th April. Hamid is 

a Chartered Engineer who worked in the oil and gas industry with Britoil and 

BP. Like several of our recent retired new members he is keen to enjoy the 

fellowship of Rotary and to contribute 

to the Club’s community projects. 

At the same meeting, President Peter 

Dickie was pleased to announce that 

Nigel Jamison has agreed to become 

President – elect and will serve the 

club as President from July onwards. 

Peter and Nigel are working together 

to assemble next year’s Council. 

Financial Blog 

by Carl Melvin, Affluent Financial Planning Ltd 

Changes to State Bereavement Payments 

The New tax year sees the introduction of a new system of state bereavement 

payments. A new Bereavement Support Payment replaces the bereavement 

payment, bereavement allowance and widowed parents allowance that was 

paid previously. The new rules will mean that a higher initial payment is 

made, but subsequent payments will be less generous. The changes are 

designed to save the Government around £100 Million per year. 

Previously claimants would receive a one-off tax-free lump sum of £2,000, 

followed by £5,852 a year before tax for up to 20 years (depending on their 

child’s age). Now bereaved parents will receive tax-free payments of just 

£9,800 in total – spread over only 18 months. 

The changes will affect new claims from April 2017. 

So, what’s changed? 

• Where a person dies, their spouse or civil partner will get the new 

Bereavement Support Allowance 

• Those without dependent children receive £2,500 and payments of £100 

for up to 18 months 

• Those who are entitled to child benefit get a higher payment of £3,500 and 

payments of £350 for to 18 months 

• The new benefits will not automatically rise in line with inflation unlike the 

old system benefits. 

• Payments will not be means tested 

• Payments will be tax free 

Business Bites at the Fox 

This event is being held to bring together local business people, bloggers, 

creatives, entrepreneurs and community members to connect, grow and 

collaborate. 

Join us in the Hunters Bar on the last Tuesday of every month from 10am 

- 11.30am, the next event will be on Tuesday 30th May 2017. This is a free 

event, with tea, coffee & breakfasts available if you wish and of course, no 

business event could be without the free WIFI. 

The format of the morning will be casual with meeting and greeting taking 

place first followed by a guest speaker. Run by our Assistant Manager 

Sarah, who has over 10 years experience running a variety of events, 

including business networking. 

Business Bites attendees will also be eligible to sign up to a members 

only mailing list, giving them access to exclusive events, discounts and 

promotions all year round. 

Venue; Fox & Hounds, South Street, Houston PA6 7EN. 

• Cohabiting couples with children are not entitled to claim any benefit at all, 

and that is a situation which has not changed from the old system. 

The Child Bereavement Network claims that three out of four bereaved 

families will be worse off because of these changes. 

So, the message is clear – don’t expect the State to support you financially 

if you are bereaved. You should review your life assurance arrangements 

to make sure your partner and children will have enough money on your 

death. 

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

professional adviser. The first meeting is normally free and there is no obligation. 

Call us for a FREE financial review on 01505 59 50 60 or info@affluentfp.co.uk. 

Alternatively, pop into the Affluent office opposite Amaretto restaurant on Main Street, 

Bridge of Weir. www.affluentfp.co.uk


25 25 

At our meeting on 22nd March, Ross Anderson introduced 

John Hanna, known to him for many years through 

John’s employment with Scottish Enterprise and Ross’s 

former tourism business. John explained how his love of 

photography and bird-watching had arisen through a threeyear 

long observation of Whooper Swans in connection 

with the development of Inchinnan Industrial Estate. He then 

entertained us with a display of beautiful photographs of birds, large and 

small, common and rare all to be found throughout Scotland. After many 

questions on the photographic equipment used and the methodology of 

capturing such wonderful 

images, Peter thanked 

John for opening our eyes 

to the beauty of our own 

country and its birdlife. 

was past president Mike Farley who 

spoke lucidly on the topic of Rocks and 

Dinosaurs – a subject inspired by his trip 

to Colorado and the Dinosaur National 

Monument. The current president Peter 

Dickie remarked that Mike would be sure 

to see a suitably fulsome report in the 

Advertizer! 

At the Rotary Club of Gryffe Valley 

Meeting on 12th April, Gryffe Valley was 

delighted to receive a talk from Major 

Edwin Tucker, introduced by Ian Beaton 

of Beaton Bros, Edwin is a lifetime officer 

in the Salvation Army (as were both his 

parents before him, and indeed is his 

wife of 40 years standing). In his role 

as a chaplain, Edwin had spent time 

in London, Cardiff and Kirkwall prior 

Once a year the club 

cedes its booking of the 

River Inn function suite to 

allow St Columba’s to hold 

an annual event. So at a 

more intimate meeting on 

29th March, the speaker 

to his current spell in the 

Glasgow area. Edwin is a 

past president of 2 Rotary 

clubs and is a recipient of 

a Paul Harris award. His 

talk focussed on his work 

in Life Houses – previously 

described as hostels for the 

homeless. He spoke of the 

causes of homelessness 

(mostly family breakdown) 

and how the Salvation 

Army can offer rooms in a 

Life House and support to 

help their clients rebuild their lives and get back into society. Whilst Edwin 

himself offers pastoral care and addresses spiritual needs, the Houses 

offer training and guidance on various life skills like budgeting, cooking 

and washing clothes with study programmes and activities. Edwin finished 

off with a rousing rendition on his cornet of an Easter tune – to rapturous 

applause from his audience. Overall this was a heart-warming glimpse 

into the rewarding work which the Salvation Army undertakes in support of 

many less fortunate members of our community. 

Looking forward: there is a full programme of speakers in place on 

Wednesday evenings through to the end of June, including a Young Carer, 

a senior member of staff at Strathclyde University, a railway enthusiast, and 

an expert on the buildings of Glasgow. Guests interested to find out more 

about Rotary are invited to attend our speaker meetings by arrangement 

with a member or by contacting the club via the contact facility on the 

website www.gryffevalley-rotary.org.uk/.


Local growth 

needs to be 

government 

focus 

Official statistics published today 

show that the Scottish economy 

contracted by 0.2 per cent during 

the fourth quarter of 2016. Over the 

whole of 2016, Scottish GDP grew by 0.4 per cent – compared to growth 

across the UK of 1.8 per cent. 

Andy Willox, FSB’s Scottish policy convenor, said: “Today’s anaemic growth 

figures shows there’s much to do to nurse the Scottish economy back to 

health. 

“In 2016, the decline in our oil and gas industry obviously hit many firms and 

local economies hard. The cost of employment also went up substantially 

last year – with the impact of pension auto-enrolment and big increases to 

the national living wage having a substantial impact on Scotland’s large 

service sector. 

“Scottish small business confidence fell substantially after last year’s vote 

to leave the European Union – but smaller firms north of the border were 

more pessimistic about business prospects even before the poll. 

“If Scotland is to avoid recession, we need to see action from governments 

in Edinburgh and London to boost local firms. Scottish Government and UK 

Government Ministers need to avoid fixating on inward investment – and 

put real effort into developing genuinely resilient local economies.” 

Calling Past Columbans 

ColumbansConnect offers a network that will provide wonderful opportunities 

for all its members; re-connecting with former classmates, making new 

connections, finding jobs and signing up to a rich and varied programme of 

events and activities. 

By fully integrating with social networks and cultivating a culture of helping 

and giving back, you will be amazed how vibrant your St Columba’s 

community is. 

Visit the website: https://columbansconnect.org or contact the development 

department at St Columba’s School: fps@st-columbas.org or 01505 

872238 

2017 Local Government Election 

On Thursday 4th May 2017 the Scottish Local Government elections will 

take place for all 32 local authorities. Voting in these elections will take place 

between 7am and 10pm for all registered voters who are aged 16 or over on 

the day of the election. 

Electors in Renfrewshire will be asked to elect a total of 43 councillors 

across 12 wards. This is an increase from the former 40 councillor/11 

ward composition of the council and has been introduced by the Scottish 

Government following the review of local authority wards and councillor 

numbers by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. 

46 candidates will contest 22 seats on Inverclyde Council in 7 Wards Electors 

in Inverclyde, Ward 1 (which covers Kilmacolm), have a choice between 5 

candidates with 3 councillors to be elected. 

Voting will be by the Single Transferable Vote method and the results will be 

announced on Friday 5th May. 

Renfrewshire’s largest free business event returns to Paisley for the 7th 

consecutive year on Thursday 18th May at the Lagoon, Paisley. 

“Business Matters in Renfrewshire –your local B2B event” is organised 

by Renfrewshire Chamber and is open to all members & non-members, 

business people, start-ups, senior school pupils and students. 

With 50+ exhibitors and 6 seminars running throughout the day the 

event is sponsored by bizanywhere. 

Seminar line-up: 

1. 10.15 - 11.00 “Tech, the Cloud and Cyber Security” with bizanywhere 

& Seric Systems 

2. 11.15 - 12.00 “How to build your International Business” with 

ExpoRen 

3. 12.15 - 13.00 “Paisley 2021/Invest/City Deal” with Renfrewshire 

Council 

4. 13.15 - 14.00 “Making Change Easy” with HeadStrong 

5. 14.15 - 15.00 “Social Media - Pay to Play” With NSDesign 

6. 15.15 - 16.00 “Sell More by Selling Less” with Sandler Training 

Commenting on the event chief exec Bob Grant said “B2B 2017 is a 

great way to engage face to face with the wider business community. 

If you are in business in Renfrewshire I strongly recommend coming 

along. It’s a great opportunity to meet new and existing contacts and 

network with 50+ businesses in one go. The free informative seminars 

throughout the day are an excellent way to learn new skills and refresh 

old ones. We look forward to welcoming you on the day.” 

For more information and to register your place please visit the Chamber 

events page at www.renfrewshirechamber.com The event is free to 

attend (there is a cost to exhibit). 

Hashtag for the event is #b2bpaisley 

Weir Networking 

Friday 12 May 2017, 9.30am 

Weir Networking is a Business Networking Group 

for local business owners to get together and 

make contact. The next meeting will be on Friday 

12 May when we will be having an Open Floor event. 

This is where we invite members of the group to talk about their business or 

discuss points of interest to business owners. 

Come along on Friday morning, at 9.30am, to find out more and see what 

we can do to help you and your business. We meet for breakfast and a chat 

in Amaretto Ristorante, 60 Main Street, Bridge of Weir. 

All businesses welcome - just £5 per person!


27 27


Renfrewshire Council extends 

Consultation period 

IT Blog 

with Colin Fyfe of Colcom 

Safe mode is a handy diagnostic tool available in Windows used to 

repair driver and software errors or to help with virus removal. Before 

Windows 8 came along, starting a computer in Safe Mode was a 

relatively straight forward process. On turning the computer on; 

tapping the F8 key every second until the onscreen prompt appears, 

then cursor to Safe Mode and hit enter. 

Since the F8 key on start-up no longer has the same effect on Windows 

10 or its immediate predecessors, a lot of computer users that were 

previously wise to this handy tool now think Safe Mode no longer 

exists. In fact, it does still exist, Microsoft just made it more difficult for 

us. Because technology giants like to do that sometimes. 

The notable thing about entering Windows in Safe Mode the way 

Microsoft would have us do so; is that we need to access Windows in 

‘Normal’ mode first. So, if we cannot access our computer because our 

video driver is corrupt, we are snookered – at least to any extent that 

this article can stretch to. The good news is that we don’t need to go 

past the login screen on Windows’ start-up. 

From this screen or indeed, from the Start Menu within Windows, select 

the ‘Restart’ option but as you do so, depress and hold the Shift Key on 

the Keyboard; An onscreen prompt appears giving us further options. 

These include the option to ‘Troubleshoot’. Select this; avoiding the 

light sounding yet deadly ‘Refresh’ option. Followed by ‘Advanced 

Options’ then ‘Start-up Settings’ and ‘Restart’. Select Safe mode on 

Start-up and you are away. 

They say removing the Safe Mode option from start-up improves 

Windows’ boot up speed but; like the parking restrictions in Kilmacolm; 

‘progress’ always comes with a price. 

Consultation on Renfrewshire’s Main Issues Report and 

Environmental Report Extended until 30th May 

Renfrewshire Council has published its Main Issues Report and 

accompanying Environmental Report as the first stage in preparing the next 

Local Development Plan for Renfrewshire. The Main Issues Report sets 

out the main changes and issues that have emerged since the adoption 

of the current Renfrewshire Local Development Plan in 2014, as well as 

setting out the Council’s preferred options and alternatives for development 

across Renfrewshire. 

To provide additional time for consultation and engagement on the 

Renfrewshire Local Development Plan Main Issues Report (2017) we 

have decided to extend the consultation period by one month, with the 

consultation period now ending on Tuesday 30 May 2017. 

The Main Issues Report, Environmental Report and associated Background 

Papers are available to view online at: http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/ 

article/3070/Preparation-of-the-next-Local-Development-Plan 

Paper copies of the documents are available to view at the Customer Service 

Centre, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, PA1 1JD between 

the hours of 8:45am and 4:45pm, Monday to Thursday and 8:45am and 

3:55pm on a Friday, and at all Council libraries. 

You can submit your views on the Main Issues Report and Environmental 

Report using the online Consultation Response Form which is available to 

download at the web address detailed above. 

Completed response forms should be sent to localplanconsultation@ 

renfrewshire.gov.uk or by post to: Development & Housing Services, 

Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley PA1 1JD 

To discuss the Main Issues Report or Environmental Report, or for 

any other related matters, please phone 0141 618 7838 or email 

localplanconsultation@renfrewshire.gov.uk 

BOOK 

people 

Jack Hastie - “Weird Tales” 

Here are fifteen stories of the weird and 

wonderful, the tragic and the vengeful, with 

a Scottish flavour. Sometimes satirical, 

sometimes lyrical, the collection makes some 

scathing comments on commercialism and 

political correctness in contemporary society. 

Don’t read on unless you are prepared to 

accept “a willing suspension of disbelief” in 

things that should never happen. 

Retired lecturer Jack Hastie puts aside 

his children’s writer’s hat and launches 

something very different. Says Jack, “These 

stories were written over the last twenty five 

years and have been published in obscure 

small press magazines and the anthologies 

of local writers’ groups. They were in danger of being lost to 

posterity if I had not collected them here. Some are pure invention, but 

others reflect real experiences I have had; ‘The Storyteller’ was inspired by 

a meeting in Crete in 1994; ‘Victor’ by something I saw in Gran Canaria in 

2014. ‘Changelings’ arose from an accident in which I was involved in 1975 

in which I was certain - for about half an hour-that I was about to die. On the 

other hand ‘Nemesis’ and ‘Charity’ take the form of discussions and explore 

the relationships between Peace, Love and Justice.” 

The launch will take place in the Guide Centre, High Barholm, Kilbarchan 

on Sunday, 14th May from 2.30pm - 4pm. Refreshments will be provided. 

Jack, father of two, grandfather of four, has previously published two 

children’s novels, “Fraser’s Voices” and “Neither Dead Nor Alive” and 

several collections of children’s short stories which were originally written 

for his grandchildren. “I’ve run out of grandkids,” he jokes (the youngest 

is nearly sixteen); “ I’m waiting for one of them to present me with a great.” 

For more information visit www.jackhastie.com


29 29


LOCAL 

history 

Kilbarchan May 1917 

A young Kilbarchan Man’s Spiritual Journey 

Robert Lang Campbell 

Robert Lang Campbell was born in Kilbarchan on the 21st of January 1825. 

His parents, Alexander and Agnes (née Lang) Campbell, were members of 

the Chartist Church in the village. Robert and his elder brother John, much 

to the chagrin of their father, attended Mormon Missionary meetings. At the 

age of seventeen Robert, who had trained as a clerk, was baptised into the 

Church of the Latter Day Saints on the 9th of August, 1842. 

He began his missionary 

work in the local area and 

Ayrshire and kept a diary 

recording his activities. 

In company with other 

Public domain: Courtesy of L. Tom Perry Special 

Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young 

University 

Mormon missionaries 

he preached in the open 

air, in people’s homes 

and at local collieries. 

Sometimes the group 

was well received and on 

other occasions reception 

was antagonistic. In 

September he was accosted in Howwood by a drunk man with a broken 

glass who almost stopped their preaching and, on a mission to Dalry, the 

missionaries twice in one day got a poor reception from very inattentive 

sinners. In November, 1843, at the age of eighteen, Robert Campbell was 

ordained as a Mormon Priest. However, despite his dedication, he made 

time to visit Kilbarchan to see his sweetheart, Joan Scobie, and his family. 

In January, 1845, Robert left his home country and sailed from Liverpool on 

his way to Nauvoo, the centre of the Church of the Latter Day Saints. The 

following November Joan Scobie arrived at Nauvoo after a journey of ten 

weeks, and Robert and Joan were married by Patriarch John Smith. The 

young couple settled happily in the town’s Mormon community, and Joan 

was soon pregnant. But peace and harmony was not to last. 

In September of 1846 persecution of the Mormons in Nauvoo escalated, 

with a violent mob firing cannon at the Brethern. For days, battle raged in 

the town. Eventually a truce was agreed. The mobocrats were the victors 

and the Mormons were given ten days to leave the town. On 9th October the 

Mormon community set off on a long, arduous trek across rivers and prairie 

to winter quarters. Robert was given part of a wagon to store his effects 

and he and Joan set off on foot. One week into the journey Joan died in 

childbirth. Robert, at the age of twenty-one, was left alone and homeless in 

an alien land. Despite grieving, and now also suffering from a fever, Robert 

had no option but to continue the fifty day trek to the winter quarters. 

© 2017, Helen Calcluth, Renfrewshire Local History Forum. 

Johnstone History Society 

The continuing Battle of Arras and the advance on the Hindenburg Line 

continued to take its toll. 

Private Alexander Purdon Grant was born at 33 Church St, Kilbarchan on 

18th November 1893. He served with the 9th Highland Light Infantry’s 9th 

(Highlanders) battalion and went to France with them on 5th November 

1914. He was killed on 1st May 1917 and is buried at Croisilles. He was 

23. 

Private James Davidson, served with the 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers, 12th 

Brigade, 4th Division and was killed in the Battle of the Scarpe, the 

attempted breakout after the initial successes of the Battle of Arras. In the 

1911 census he is described as a 34 years old commercial traveller, who 

had been born in Glasgow. He has no known gave and is commemorated 

on the Arras Memorial. He was 41. 

2nd Lieutenant Colin Houston served with the 15th Battalion of the 

Australian Imperial Forces. Before he emigrated he had been a clerk in 

a shipbuilding company and the 1911 census states that he resided in 1 

Church St, Port Glasgow. He was in Australia when the war broke out and 

enlisted in late 1915. After officer training in England he went to France 

on 17th March 1917 and was killed on the 3rd of May. He has no known 

grave is commemorated on the Australian Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux. 

He was 27. 

Private Robert Burns began his army career in the Army Service Corps 

before being transferred to the 10th Lancashire Fusiliers, 52nd Brigade, 

17th (Northern) Division. In 1911 he lived at 43 Claremont Terrace, Glasgow, 

where his father was a domestic chauffeur. Robert lived in Gryffe Castle 

Cottage when he joined the army. He was killed on 12th May 1917, has no 

known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial. His name is on 

both Kilbarchan and Bridge of Weir’s memorials. He was 20. 

Our May meeting and the last for this year will be on Tuesday the 9th of 

May 2017 in the Masonic Hall Collier Street at 7.30 Our speaker this month 

is Alexander Hall returning for a second time after a very enjoyable and 

interesting talk last year . This years talk is on “ The Relief of Malta “ which 

also promises to be a very interesting evening . New members and visitors 

will always be made very welcome. Our April meeting was an evening 

learning about Burns and was much enjoyed . We were joined by a few 

visitors and we hope they felt welcome . 

The Museum continues to open Wednesday Friday and Saturday from 

10.30 am till 4pm and will be opened as usual right through the summer. We 

have a good stock of books maps and publications on sale in the Museum 

and these can also be bought online at johnstonehistory.org and paid for 

via PayPal. 

Gryffe Advertizer - Current & Past Issues 

www.advertizer.co.uk/issues


31 31 

Collins Tyres - at 

your Service 

Next time your car needs a service, an MOT or 

new tyres, try Collins Tyre Service of Elderslie. 

Phil and Shirley Anne have been running their 

successful business for 22 years, with their 

sons Peter and Matthew more recently joining 

the team. 

This well established family business now 

boasts two mechanic bays, two tyre bays and 

a fresh and bright reception area and toilets. 

There’s also a lovely new waiting room with tv 

and tea/coffee facilities. And, all this has been 

acheived without the loss of parking, which is 

more than ample. 

Charity Car Wash 

The Gryffe Valley Rotary Charity 

Car Wash organised in 

conjunction with Beaton Bros 

was a great success. Beaton’s 

staff and friends worked with a 

rota of Rotary members to give 

around 150 cars a treat. 

The customers generously donated £1092 which will be used to support 

local charitable 

needs. Peter 

Dickie thanked 

Ian Beaton and 

the Beaton Bros 

team for their 

hard work and 

the company for 

its community 

service as 

a Corporate 

Member of Gryffe 

Valley Rotary 

Club. 

Tel: Phil Collins, Collins Tyre Services Ltd on 

01505 336666. 

SEE A POTHOLE 

REPORT IT! 

Call 01475 717171 

Report online at 

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

environment/roads-lighting/rep 

ort-a-fault 

You can also write to: 

Inverclyde Council 

Municipal Buildings 

Clyde Square 

GREENOCK 

PA15 1LY 

Call 0300 3000 300 

Online fault report at 

https://selfservice.renfrewshir 

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

m=SS_RoadAndLightFault&p 

age=pg_locatestreet 

You can also write to: 

Community Resources 

Renfrewshire House 

Cotton Street 

Paisley, PA1 1BR


Join LEAP Car Club in Spring 

LEAP Car Club offers convenient, 24/7, not-for-profit community car hire 

and can help 

you cut the 

costs of driving. 

Cars can be 

hired for as 

little as an hour 

or for as long 

as you want. 

The Car Club 

has helped 

members by 

allowing them 

to sell additional 

cars or to not 

have to buy 

one. What our 

members say: 

- “Reliable cars there when I need them.” 

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

a car at any time for short periods.” 

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

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

842530 E: mike@myleapproject.org 

Milngavie Classic Car Show 

Saturday 17 June 10am-4pm, Milngavie Town Centre, G62 6BJ, 

We are delighted to host the 3rd Car Show in Milngavie Town Centre. We 

are expecting to fill precinct with almost 100 classic, vintage, veterans and 

supercars this year! 

We teamed up with the British Transport Police and local community groups 

to make this event even more interesting! 

We will have a number of kid’s attractions from face-painting to balloon 

twisting on the day. We also thought about adults as we will have safety 

demonstrations and free bicycle marking organised by local police! Not to 

mention about delicious food providers and market stalls at the event! 

For all car owners interested in participating at this year event please go to 

Our Buzz Milngavie: http://www.ourbuzz.co.uk/milngavie/find/lister/events/ 

milngavie-bid_796 

Motoring Laws You Have No 

Idea You’re Breaking 

The chances are that you’ve broken one or more of these laws without ever 

having realised it was illegal to do so. To avoid the risk of fines or worse, 

read our list here. 

Some of these are obscure, some not so obscure, but all of them are 

offences that a majority of motorists have absolutely no idea that they’re 

committing. Before you put yourself at risk of fines or worse, read through 

our list, courtesy of Saga Magazine, and see how many you didn’t even 

know you were breaking. 

1. Using your fog lights wrong 

Technically, you should only 

switch your car’s rear fog lights 

on when visibility is “seriously 

reduced”, which is usually taken 

to mean when your visibility 

ahead is reduced to less than 100 

metres. 

Believe it or not, drivers who 

switch their fog lights on for any old sprinkling of light mist or if it starts 

to rain heavily are actually committing an offence and running the risk of 

getting fined. 

2. Not stopping at stop signs 

It’s common when you’re 

preparing for your driving test that 

your instructor will insist that you 

always come to a complete halt 

at stop signs, otherwise you’ll fail 

your test. 

However, it’s not just your driving 

examiner you’ll risk getting in hot 

water with if you fail to stop completely. Given that stop junctions are an 

instruction to stop completely, if you don’t fully stop at the sign, even if the 

road is clear, you run the risk of being given three points on your licence. 

We’ll be running an article each month highlighting some of these. 

The Erskine Classic Car Show 

Saturday 1 July 12pm - 5pm at intu Braehead, Arena and Boardwalk 

Back for 2017 with an exciting new location at intu Braehead, arena & 

boardwalk, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Come along on Saturday 1st July 

to experience the fun and excitement of Erskine’s annual show with 

over 300 cars on display from old classics to super cars, live music and 

entertainment, car demonstrations, guest speakers, fun fair, raffles, pop up 

shops and much more. If you love cars, old or new then you can’t afford to 

miss this great day out for all the family. Entry is £5. Kids go free. 

All profits go to helping ex-service men and women. 

If you or your club are interested in exhibiting your car(s) please contact 

Susannah Todd Susannah.todd@erskine.org.uk 0141 814 4567 or 

Download a Registration Form from the website: https://www.erskine.org. 

uk/event/classic-car-show-2017/


33 33 

Lochwinnoch Bike Swap a 

great success 

Thanks to everyone who came 

along to LEAP’s Bike Swap in 

Lochwinnoch. This time round LEAP 

partnered with Clyde Muirshiel and 

RT Cycles and held the SWAP 

outdoors at Castle Semple Country 

Park. Over 60 people came to 

swap their bikes, their children’s 

bikes, to donate bikes or to find out 

what a Bike Swap was all about. RT 

Cycles were on hand on the day at 

their cycle base to offer guidance 

on basic cycle checks. If you are 

interested in future Bike Swaps 

or are keen on getting involved 

in LEAP events, contact LEAP by 

email to enquiries@myleapproject. 

org or look out for the latest news 

at www.myleapproject.org/news or 

www.facebook.com/myleapproject.


Paisley Colour’s 3rd Bimonthly 

Competition Results 

Paisley Colour Photographic Club were very pleased to welcome 

experienced photographer Alex McNaughton from Beith Camera Club to 

judge the third of the session’s bimonthly competitions held recently at the 

McMaster Centre in Renfrew. 

In this competition members could submit up to three digital images each 

and Alex gave meticulous consideration to each of the sixty six images in 

the sections: Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced. The standard in all 

three sections was high and Alex admitted that his task of ranking the top 

fifteen images in the advanced section was extremely difficult. 

He gave encouragement discussing the strengths of each image in turn 

and also gave helpful suggestions as to how an image could be improved 

but also kept members entertained with some humorous comments. 

In the Introductory section Ken Dow 

swept the board with the top three images. His images included “Common 

Blue Damselfly” and “Great Banded Grayling”. 

In the Advanced section Alex 

awarded third place to Guy Phillips 

for his fantastic black and white 

rugby action shot entitled “Going 

For It”. Mike Cruise’s beautifully lit 

and detailed natural history image 

“Cuckoo” was placed in second 

place whilst Alex chose Richard 

In the Intermediate section 

“Blackrock and Snow” by Tony Barr 

came third and “Clouds Over the 

Castles (Arran)” also by Tony Barr 

was judged in second position. The 

top image in this section was by Jim 

Murdoch entitled “Sumatran Tiger”. 

Bennett’s powerful and emotional Yellowstone image “Bison Blizzard” as 

the top image and winner of the 3rd bimonthly competition. 

For further details about PCPC and updated members galleries please 

view: www.paisleycolour.co.uk. 

Diaporama 

This months meeting was “Les Girls de Houston” i.e. the girly night! 

Unfortunately, due to different circumstances, only three of us could be there 

but we had a full, exciting meeting planned. As Colin was unable to take 

part in the “Yorkshire Amigos” meeting in January, it was decided he would 

start the evening with four of his shows. As usual his shows were great with 

a ‘Ballet’ sequence, a show looking at ‘Graffiti’ with its fantastic art work, a 

visit to the Norwegian Islands with ‘Lofoten Views’ and he finished with a 

series of images - dancers, paintings, local scenes, landscapes- made to 

look like a book with the pages turning. The ‘girls’ then took over! We had 

11 sequences in total-all very different. 

Fiona showed a ‘Dog’s Life’ which she 

made with Val in mind (Val loves dogs), 

2 travelogues ‘Autumn in Arran’ and 

‘Faroes’ -with fantastic weather and 

views! She made ‘Snow is Falling’ as a 

tribute to the war and the people involved 

- it was beautifully made and very 

moving. Sue took us ‘Across the Glacier’ 

-a trip across the Lungjokuller glacier in 

Iceland, a look around ‘Honningsvag’ 

-the most northerly city in Norway and a 

visit to the Advent Valley in ‘Svalbard 2’ 

looking at the landscape and flora in their 

spring (July) and autumn (September) 

to highlight the 

short growing 

season. Val used her I-phone to take the images 

for the sequence ‘French Doors’. As expected a 

sequence called ‘Sisters’ (using the song of that 

name) looked at 2 ‘sister’ dogs playing together and 

enjoying each others company. She interpreted 

the song for ‘The Trawler man’s Song’ and finished 

the evening with ‘Water Garden’ -a visit she made 

with a group of French rose growers. We had our 

usual tea/coffee break but this time we had home 

baked tea bread and scones to eat! We had other 

activities planned but ran out of time so 

these will be kept for another meeting 

but we all went home with a AV based 

word search to do! 

Our last meeting for this session is on 

Monday 8th May, 7.30pm in the Carrick 

Centre, Houston. It will be our AGM and 

Annual Competition. Visitors are always 

welcome. 

Gryffe Camera Club 

With only a few more meetings left before the Summer Break, Gryffe 

Camera Club have recently enjoyed talks from Eddie Telford on The 10 

Commandments of Photography, Landscapes by Robert Fulton and an 

interesting presentation titled Altered Reality, where all the photographs 

were made from composites of several images put together - the only 

limitation was the imagination of the author. 

We have held our Triptych 

competition, where 3 images of a 

single or related subject were shown 

as a panel. The winner of the B 

section was Chris Kyle with Balloon 

Pop, with the runner up being 

Barbara Martin with BBC zoomer. 

The winner of the A section was 

Sandy Thomson with Landing, with 

the runner up being Kate Cummings 

with Hydrangea leaves. 

looking for someone local? 

www.advertizer.co.uk/clients 

Full details of the Club activities and images can be found on the website.


Council Ready for 

New Coin 

35 35 

Inverclyde Council is reassuring motorists that 

all of its car park pay machines are ready to 

accept the new 12-sided £1 coins. 

Claimed to be the most secure coin in the world 

it is now being introduced into circulation. 

Inverclyde Council called in engineers at 

the start of the year to make the necessary 

adjustments and software updates to the 12 pay 

machines at its car parks to ensure motorists 

will not be inconvenienced. 

The Royal Mint is replacing the current £1 coin 

for the first time in over thirty years because 

it has proven vulnerable to counterfeiters. 

Approximately one in thirty £1 coins currently in 

circulation are fakes. 

The new coin has a number of features that 

make it more difficult to counterfeit including its 

distinctive shape, an image that appears like 

a hologram and a hidden high security feature 

built into the coin itself. 

Both the round and 12-sided £1 coins can 

be used until Sunday 15 October when the 

legal tender status of the round coin will be 

withdrawn. 

From this date shops will no longer accept 

these coins although people will still be able to 

take them back to their bank. 

Is it a crime to 

threaten online? 

A question on the Ask the Police website reads: “Someone is 

sending me threatening/abusive/offensive messages via a social 

networking site. Is this a criminal offence?” 

If a person sends threatening/abusive/offensive messages to another 

person via Facebook, Twitter, or any other social networking site, they could 

be committing an offence. The most relevant offences are ‘harassment’ and 

‘malicious communications’. 

For harassment to be committed, there must be a ‘course of conduct’ (i.e. 

two or more related occurrences). The messages do not necessarily have 

to be violent in nature, but must be oppressive and need to have caused 

some alarm or distress. 

If there has only been a single communication, which would be insufficient 

for the offence of harassment (above), there could be an offence relating to 

malicious communications. For such an offence to be committed, a message 

must be sent to another person (or sent via a public communications network) 

that is indecent, grossly offensive, obscene or threatening/menacing. 

You can report either of these to your local police force who will be able to 

confirm whether an offence has been committed, based on the full facts and 

your individual situation. In order to assist the police with their investigation 

you must not respond to the message as it may encourage the sender and 

make the situation worse, also you could take a screen shot of the message 

so if it gets deleted later there will still be a record of what was said. 

However, depending on the circumstances and the nature of the messages, 

you may wish to initially make a report to Facebook/Twitter etc., as they 

have processes in place for such situations, and may be able to simply 

remove the content and/or close down the person’s account. 

Did you know that you can trace the sender of an email? It does 

require some technical savvy, but it can be done. 

If you have been on the receiving end of unwanted emails, whether spam 

or malicious, or just plain annoying, and you can’t unsubscribe from these, 

you can resort to tracing the sender through a few websites. 

Interestingly, sending a threatening 

or malicious message using a public 

electronic communications network, 

including sending such a message by 

email, can comprise an offence under the 

Communications Act 2003. Additionally, 

the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 

can apply to threatening messages sent by email or by other forms 

of communication. Both criminal penalties and civil remedies are given.


bishopton, langbank & bridge of weir 


Bridge of Weir 

Lace Group 

Bridge of Weir Lace Group meets 

fortnightly on Tuesday mornings 

(10am - 12noon) during the winter 

months. If you’d like to try lacemaking 

we can provide materials & tuition. 

For further details phone (01505) 

613967. 


Senior Citizens Club 

We meet at Cargill Hall every 2nd and 

4th Wednesday 7 - 9pm. Subscriptions 

are only £6 per year and £1 each 

week pays for your tea and biscuits. 

Entertainment provided. Previous 

entertainers include a male voice 

choir & live music. Contact Sheila 

Patterson for further information on 

01505 690521. 


Mill of Gryffe Road, Bridge of Weir - 

Deterioration 

There have already been several concerns raised by local residents who are 

attempting to navigate this now utterly ruined stretch of Mill of Gryffe Road 

(Section running from bollards at intersection of Kilmacolm Road and Mill of 

Gryffe Road down to intersection at Mimosa Road). The road is walked by many 

young and elderly people and has now become a real hazard. 

The driving and walking of this road is now at a critical and dangerous stage. The 

building of the housing estate on the site of the old leather factory has obviously 

increased traffi c fl ow and subsequent erosion. 

The Road has been on the decline for years and is now impossible to drive without 

having to bump into many deep pot holes. There is no way to snake around them 

any longer, while the damage to tyres and suspension is becoming costly. 

Residents are hoping to raise awareness among the local community and get 

some kind of action group in motion to get this road fi xed and fi t for purpose. 


Bishopton Day 

Bishopton Day this year is on Saturday 

17th June, with the parade led by St 

Columba’s pipe band leaving Bishopton 

Primary School at 12 noon. Also in 

the parade will be SambaYaBamba 

who are a percussion group that play 

Brazilian samba music. Both will also 

perform in the main arena. 

Attractions on the day include dancing 

displays, football and rugby displays, 

live music, magician, vintage fi re 

engine, model railway, pony rides, 

infl atables and charity stalls. 

Entry is £2 per adult and kids go free. 

More information on the website or 

Facebook page. 


French Conversation 


Bridge of Weir 

Choral Society 

Our Spring Concert will be held on 

Sunday 7th May in St. Columba 

Church Kilmacolm under the baton of 

our Conductor Christopher Barr. The 

accompanist is Chris Nickol and the 

soloists are from the Conservatoire 

The centre piece of the programme 

is Mozart’s Mass in C Major and the 

choir will also perform works by Finzi 

and Vaughan Williams. 

The ticket price, including a programme 

is £10 available from choir members 

and on the door. 

For further information contact Ernie 

Smyth on 01505 702997 

Our French conversation group Is going from strength to strength. We now have 

about 9 participants plus an informal study group for those who either want to 

start from beginning or who want to revive what they learned at school. Contact 

avril.forbes2015@outlook.com or 07463570464. Margaret Forbes. We meet at 

Bernie’s in Bridge of Weir every Wednesday 9.30am -12noon. Come and join us! 


Bridge of Weir SWI 

At our recent AGM and Mini Show there were several prize winners. 

Mabel McPherson won the Points trophy, with Brenda Lindsay and 

Pat Allan as runners up. The Duncan Cup was won by Pat Allan with a knitted 

baby jacket. Mabel McPherson’s sponge cake won her the Muirhead Cup. 

The season ends with an outing to Drumlanrig Castle at the beginning of June. 


RagBag Recycle Bin - Langbank 

There is now a permanent 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.


37 


Bridge of Weir Co-op Food Bank 

Donation Bin 

Bridge of Weir Co-op now has a 

Renfrewshire Food Bank donation 

bin of its very own – many thanks to 

store manager Angela for allowing 

Renfrewshire Food Bank to set up a 

donation bin in such a prominent site 

within the store – at the tills! 

Renfrewshire Food Bank looks forward 

to receiving your generous donations 

of tins, jars or packets of food, toiletries 

and cleaning products. 

1 ton of food is distributed by 

Renfrewshire Food Bank every week in the Renfrewshire area. 

People requiring the services of the Food Bank are referred by health 

professionals and social services and a voucher is issued for food. A three day, 

dietician approved food parcel can then be collected from a local distribution site 

in Renfrewshire. 

A list of foods required can be found at the donation bin. *Renfrewshire Food 

Bank is unable to accept fresh food or alcohol... Thank you x 


Bridge of Weir Tenants and Residents 

Association 

The latest meeting of Bridge of Weir TARA was very well attended with a number 

of topics concerning the village discussed, and we’d like to pass on our thanks 

to Cllrs Maria Brown and James MacLaren, Police Offi cers Brian Dick and Martin 

Norwood, Dave and Jamie from Renfrewshire Wardens Service and Sandra Blair 

from Renfrewshire Council housing department for their attendance. 

The Police report showed only four crimes committed within the confi nes of the 

village over the past month, these were a serious assault in the street {culprit 

apprehended}, a common assault, a theft from a motor vehicle and a case of 

sheep worrying where a dog had slip it’s lead. 

The Wardens Service report showed that there was a number of issues 

surrounding the village that they were assessing while patrolling. As we get into 

the longer summer evenings anti-social behaviour and drinking are becoming 

more prevalent around the village, the back of Livery Walk and the bottom of 

Station Road have been patrolled regarding this. Dog fouling is also on the rise 

again, and especially the cases of owners taking the time to bag their dog’s poo 

but then leaving it hanging from trees or sitting on walls. Why? Dog poo once 

bagged can go in any public bin, and if one isn’t available, please take it home 

with you. 

The two planning appeals for housing to be built at Whitelint Gate and on to the 

north east of the Kilmacolm Road, will have a public meeting on the 18th July. 

This meeting however will only be concerned with the Housing Land Supply in 

Renfrewshire, as the reporters from the Scottish Government hearing the appeals, 

think they already have enough information from residents, SEPA, Scottish Water 

etc. TARA will have representation at the meeting. 

The next meeting of the Bridge of Weir Tenants and Residents Association will be 

in the Pirie Centre, Freeland Church on the 16th May at 7.30pm. If you’ve got a 

view on a local matter, why not come along and air it. All are welcome. 

Confirmed events 

Saturday 10th June 

Bridge of Weir Gala Day in 

Houston Road Park. Parade 

leaves Cargill Hall 12 noon. Gala 

Queen crowned at 12.45pm 

and then offi cially opens Gala 

Day at 1pm. This year’s theme 

is “Commotion in the Ocean”. 

{Please note that there will be 

no public car parking within the 

park on the day} 

Sunday 11th June 

Pet Service in St. Mary’s Church 

at 3pm {Nothing bigger than a 

dog please} 

Gala Praise for all the family in 

St. Machar’s Church at 7pm. 

Monday 12th June 

Gryffe Voices Community Choir 

in Freeland Church at 8pm 

Tuesday 13th June 

Football Fiesta in Moss Road 

Park from 6.30pm 

Wednesday 14th June 

Hope Hall Family Fun Night in 

Moss Road Park from 6.30pm 

{Will be held in Hope Hall if 

weather bad} 

Thursday 15th June 

Senior Citizens Association 

Festival Afternoon Tea in 

Freeland Church at 2pm. Tickets 

£2. {All home baking donations 

welcome} 

Festival Bingo Night in the Royal 

British Legion {Scotland}, doors 

open 7pm, eyes down 7.30pm. 

Entry £2, includes light buffet. 

Saturday 17th June 

Festival Week Ceilidh in the 

Royal British Legion {Scotland} at 

7.30pm until late. Dance to the 

music of ‘The Reel Fling’. Entry 

by ticket only. Tickets £10 each 

from the Festival Committee. 

The costs involved with putting on Gala Day and Festival Week as a whole are 

continuing to rise. The council now require us to have tracking for vehicles 

entering Houston Road Park which is very expensive, in addition, health and 

safety rules now require the bunting to be put up by licensed operators, with 

the Festival Committee currently being quoted £800 plus VAT to put it up 

this year. So if it’s not up on Gala Day you’ll know why. 

The Festival Committee rely on donations to keep the whole operation afl oat, 

and this includes the Santa Sleigh at Christmas, so please give whatever 

you can at the collection points, as all donations are gratefully received. 


Langbank Church’s 150th Anniversary 

Langbank Church was offi cially opened in May 1867, so it celebrates 150 years 

this month. The building was originally the United Free Church, but became 

Church of Scotland in 1932. 

To mark this occasion, a weekend of celebrations is planned. 

On the afternoon of Saturday, May 13th the church will be 

open to the public, with organ recitals and entertainment 

from the school choir. Everyone is welcome to come and look 

round the church whilst listening to the music. 

A plant sale will also take place that day in the church car 

park from 10.30am – 12.30pm, and cream teas will be 

served in the church hall. 

The service on Sunday, May 14 at 11am will be conducted 

by Rev Ann McCool, moderator of the Greenock and Paisley 

Presbytery, and hopefully this will be well supported. 

As always, visitors will be made very welcome. 

Nearly 400 million children across the world 

live in extreme poverty. To celebrate our 150th 

anniversary, the church is going to sponsor 

a child through Compassion UK, a Christian 

charity which aims to help children by 

providing education, food, healthcare and the 

skills to break the cycle of poverty. A retiring 

collection on the 14th will go towards this. If 

anyone wishes to sponsor a child personally, 

forms will be available in the church hall. 

bishopton, langbank & bridge of weir




Thank you for reading my articles over the last fi ve years and 

for the many kind words sent to me, as I head into the fi nal 

furlong I ask for your support by placing a “1” against my 

name in the polling booth. In the last fi ve years I have enjoyed 

being your councillor and working with fellow councillors in 

and out of the debating chamber and would like to take this 

opportunity to say farewell to the other two councillors in my 

ward Councillor Maria Brown and Councillor Michael Holmes. 

It has been a pleasure working with you and I wish you well as 

you move on to other activities. 

The April copy of The Advertiser had a very good article on 

page 36 about the Council’s proposed Local Development Plan and would urge 

you all to read it and make comment. Although this article lists proposals for 

Bridge of Weir and if there is something that you like or dislike in Renfrewshire 

please take the opportunity to let the Council know about it. Note the consultation 

period has been extended to 5pm on 30th May 2017. 

Momentum is building in Langbank to see an improvement in the broadband 

speeds. Please get behind the community council in their push for faster speeds 

or you can contact me. I will be driving for a much needed improvement in the 

village. 

A local resident in Bishopton brought to my attention a missing lamppost in Stuart 

Road and I have reported a number of missing lampposts in all the villages. The 

council say that they will replace these lampposts only when they have replaced 

the old lanterns with the new LED ones but this is putting the cart before the 

horse. The broken posts should be replaced fi rst as the old lanterns still provide 

light and I have drawn up a motion for the next council meeting to try and change 

this thinking. 

On the 4th May, I would like to receive your vote and be your councillor for the 

next fi ve years. 

Surgery details: 

• Bishopton Community Library - 1st Monday of every month (6.30pm) 

(May Surgery cancelled due to bank holiday) 

• Bridge of Weir Primary School - 2nd Monday of every month (6.30pm) 

• Langbank Parish Church Hall - 3rd Monday of every month (6.30pm) 

I can be contacted by phone on 0300-300-1291 or by email to cllr.james.maclaren@ 

renfrewshire.gov.uk . Check out my Facebook page for more information and articles 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. 



A fun, no-pressure choir singing feel-good songs every Tuesday from 6pm - 7.15pm 

and Fridays at 2pm - 3.15pm in the Bishopton Community Centre. 


Gryffe Scottish Country Dance Club 

For the past fi ve years, our club has 

run a fundraising dance on behalf 

of a well known charity. This year, 

members of the club held a dance in 

the Kilbarchan Guide Centre to raise 

funds for St Vincent Hospice and the 

McMillan Nurses. 

Great music for a full programme 

of both well known and some new, 

interesting Scottish dances was 

provided by the very popular Marian Anderson 

Duo and around 60 dancers enjoyed a really 

sociable and lively evening. 

A terrifi c buffet supper was provided once again by 

members of the class and a very successful raffl e 

was run for us by Eleanor Lambert and Amber 

Dickie. Many thanks to everyone who helped 

out on the 

night, contributed the many raffl e prizes 

and of course to the dancers themselves. In 

particular we would like to thank Morrisons 

Supermarket and Gibb Stuart for their kind 

donations of raffl e prizes. 

At the end of the evening, the dance raised 

£800 which was shared between the 

chosen charities. 


What’s happening at The Bridge in May? 

Apart from the usual activities, - Bridge Classes, Film Showings, Hard of Hearing 

Clinic, Citizens Advice Bureau and MSP/MP surgeries there is always the 

opportunity to sit and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in pleasant surroundings. 

Adding to the atmosphere are the Art Exhibitions which are regularly hosted. 

During May, Rab Wilson, a well known local artist is exhibiting. Please pop in to 

view his pictures. 

Post Office and Shop - for all your Post Offi ce services, purchases 

of stationery, greeting cards and pocket money toys - please 

support your Community Centre where our volunteers and Post 

Offi ce staff work hard to meet your needs. Our stock of greeting 

cards has increased over the last few months with most occasions 

catered for. We are pleased to announce the colourful selection of gifts by Emma 

Ball Ltd is proving popular - please come in to see the display. 

Allotments and Garden Society (AGS) The garden at the back of the Bridge is 

maintained by the AGS who will be planting out (subject to weather) in May. If 

you want ideas for your vegetables, fruit and herbs the Allotments and Gardens 

Society is a good place to start. 

We thank you for your custom and continuing support. 

(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) 


Bridge of Weir Community Council 

The Community Council were extremely grateful to St Machar’s Ranfurly Church 

for allowing us the use of their hall for the April meeting whilst the Cargill Hall is 

being refurbished. 

Reported at our last meeting by the Community Police Offi cers was a low volume 

of crime in the village for the month of March, however this did include a serious 

assault which was detected, and an incident where a resident was approached 

by bogus workmen who were close to getting away with £2,500 of an elderly 

residents savings. 

We were informed by both Councillor Brown and Councillor MacLaren that the 

30mph speed limit is to be extended beyond St Mary’s Church. 

The Community Council were undecided as to Renfrewshire Forum of Community 

Council’s request for our views on the proposal to introduce a 20mph speed limit. 

Members agreed to await further information before making comment. 

The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on improving parking in 

Scotland. Members will review the document and discuss it at our June meeting 

prior to the closure of the consultation. 

Developers have appealed Renfrewshire Council’s refusal to allow the proposed 

residential development on land to North East of Strathgryffe Crescent, and 

also the proposal for a combined retail and residential development on land at 

Whitelint Gate. 

The procedure for determining these two appeals has been agreed by the main 

parties as follows: The issue of Land Supply will be considered at a public 

hearing on Tuesday 18th July at a venue to be confi rmed. All other aspects on the 

merits of the proposed developments will be considered by a desk top review of 

all the case papers submitted during the original planning process. The Scottish 

Government’s Department for Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA) will 

conduct the appeals. 

Anyone wishing to participate in the hearing on the 18th July must register their 

interest and provide a pre-hearing statement by the 20th June. 

All relevant information can be accessed on line at the Scottish Government 

Planning and Environmental Appeals Division website https://www.dpea. 

scotland.gov.uk/ Paper copies of the documents are available to view at the 

Customer Service Centre, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley. 

Consultation on the Local Development Plan (LDP) Main Issues Report (MIR) has 

been extended to the 30th May 2017. This consultation is important to the village 

as it will determine which areas of land will be considered for future development 

as well as possibly identifying the potential of mature landscaped / wooded 

areas. This could be seen as a potential loss of green belt by the back door. 

Details of the MIR and how to participate in the consultation can be found on 

Renfrewshire Council’s web site http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/article/3070/ 

Preparation-of-the-next-Local-Development-Plan. Paper copies of the documents 

are available to view at the Customer Service Centre, Renfrewshire House, Cotton 

Street, Paisley and at all Council Libraries. 

The next meeting of the Community Council will take place on Tuesday 2nd May at 

7pm in Bridge of Weir Primary School. Graeme McLatchie who is part of Paisley 

2021 UK City of Culture Team will give a presentation on the update of the bid 

and funding streams available to us.


39 

kilmacolm & quarriers 

As we approach the Inverclyde Council Election I would be 

honoured to again serve the people of Quarriers Village, 

Kilmacolm and Port Glasgow. If not elected I will look back 

on the past 10 years as the most rewarding in my career. It 

is very satisfying to be able to make a difference no matter 

how small. 

The saga of Virgin Media continues. Councillor McCabe 

and myself were informed at a meeting with VM that their 

contractor had been dismissed due to the chaos caused in 

the village. I suspect that VM management will now keep a 

closer eye on the project. In terms of PR it is not quite as bad 

as United Airlines but it has not been Virgin Media’s fi nest hour. 

Another abandoned car has been removed from near the bottom of West Glen 

Road. On street parking is at a premium here and well done the alert resident. 

The OKFest 2017 at the Old Kirk was a success with many well attended and 

entertaining events. I particularly enjoyed the concert by the Riverside Youth 

Band and the social evening, both really well attended. 

There have been disturbing acts of vandalism at the cemetery and Birkmyre 

Park. I understand that the “boy racers” at the Park have been curtailed but and 

the lighting of a fi re in the Duchal Nursery playground is totally unacceptable. 

Wardens now have the Park on a 28 day watch and Police are patrolling regularly. 

On a positive note, I attended a quite excellent Annual Music Concert at Port 

Glasgow High School. The school has a marvellous reputation for music and this 

performance of 43 varied acts was superb. The Master of Ceremonies was Adam 

Docherty assisted by the irrepressible Miss Ballantyne conducting. 

In my role on the Board of Strathclyde Passenger Transport I have been asked 

by villagers on many occasions about buses in the evening and weekend from 

Braehead and Glasgow. Extra services are now in operation (see the timetable). 

I am indebted to McGills Buses for their contribution and SPT for the subsidy on 

the Kilmacolm to Greenock link. The subsidised 530 is now absorbed into the 

X7. 

The AGM of the Civic Trust was graced with the fabulous presentation by Kitty Walker 

on The Panopticon, the world’s oldest functioning music hall. Well worth looking up. 

The Agricultural Show is the 13th may and the Lodge Plant Sale in Glebe Road is 

the weekends of the 13th and 20th. 

I can be contacted at david.wilson@inverclyde.gov.uk 01475 712727, 741969 

and 07766 992294. 


Kilmacolm Horticultural Society 

The annual Coffee Morning for the Kilmacolm Horticultural Society will be held in 

Kilmacolm New Community Centre on Saturday 20th May 10am 12noon. Please 

come along, meet friends for coffee and chat. The plant stall which is supplied 

by Parklea Nurseries will stock summer bedding, geraniums, fuchsias, tomato 

plants, hanging baskets. Plus homebaking stall, and a Tombola. £3 entry. 


Ardgowan Hospice 

Bottle and Baking 

Stall 

Kilmacolm friends of 

Ardgowan Hospice will 

be holding their annual 

Bottle and Baking Stall 

at The Kilmacolm and 

Port Glasgow Agricultural Society Show on 

Saturday 13th May. All donations will be 

greatly appreciated. 


Voice of Hope 

Every Tuesday Ladies Bible Study 

10.30am coffee for 11am start 

Every other “Friday Night Church” 

7pm tea for 7.30pm start 

Essential Bible Truth For An 

Effective Christian Lifestyle 

Both gatherings held in our home. 

Everyone very welcome! 

For further information please 

contact Angus or Anita on: 01475 

540700 or 07890 777710. 

Baking can be handed in at the Kidston 

Hall on Friday 12th May between 2.30 - 

4.30pm. For donations of bottles please phone Aileen 01505874121 or Peter 

01505872343, bottles will also be collected at the Cargill Centre. 



Summer Duplicate Bridge 

If you would like to play Bridge during the summer months 

why not come along to the Kilmacolm Community Centre 

on Monday evenings? Starting on 8th May at 7pm for 

a 7.15 pm start 

Come with a partner or come alone and hope to fi nd one 

there. 

Further information Tel: 87 2345.




Kilmacolm Civic Trust 

– Inverclyde Local 

Development Plan 

On behalf of our members, the Trust submitted a number of 

comments to Inverclyde Council at the fi rst stage of the next Local Development 

Plan, covering the period from 2020 to 2024. Now the Council have published 

a summary of the discussion points in their Main Issues Report, and we have 

engaged with the Council and will make further responses in due course. As 

you would expect, the key issues are housing and long-parking in Kilmacolm and 

Quarriers Village! 

You can read the Main Issues Report at https://www.inverclyde.gov.uk/ 

planning-and-the-environment/planning-policy/development-planning/newldp?displaypref=large 

You can have your say too, by downloading the comments 

from the same page. 

The deadline for responses is 31st May 2017 – this is your chance to help shape 

the future of your villages. 


Kilmacolm & Port Glasgow Agricultural 

Society 182nd Annual Show 

Held at the Knapps, Kilmacolm on Saturday 13th May by 

kind permission of Lord Maclay, Mrs Smith and Mr Robert 

Baxter. Thank you to our sponsors, advertisers, volunteers 

and supporters. 

Classes for Cattle, Sheep, Clydesdale Horses, Young 

Farmers, Light Horses, Dogs, Children’s Pets and Industrial Work. A great day 

out for the whole family! 

There’s plenty to see and do: watch or compete in one of our 

many classes; browse the Trade Stands or Craft Tent; watch 

the displays in the Main Ring; have lunch, a snack or 

enjoy some drinks at the Bar. Most importantly, don’t 

forget to watch out for Knappie, the monster of the loch, 

on the Cross Country course! 

Show Schedules - Schedules for Industrial Section are available 

from all usual outlets in village and in schools and nurseries. 

Paisley People Photography Exhibition 

Friday 12th May at 1pm to Sunday 11th June, 2017 at 3pm 

15 Bridge Street, Linwood, Paisley, PA3 3DB 

An open exhibition of the results of a pop up studio which the Renfrewshire 

Disability Arts Forum ran in Paisley town centre Autumn during Doors Open 

Day 2016. Produced following a series of 12 weekly workshops facilitated 

by Street Level Photoworks. The photographs feature members of the 

public and members of Disability Resource Centre. 

The fi nal photos were printed by Street Level Photoworks. 

www.voluntaryarts.org/Event/paisley-people-photography-exhibition 

Fèis Phàislig: Family Ceilidh 

Friday 12th May, 2017 from 7pm to 11.30pm 

6 School Wynd, Paisley, PA1 2DB 

Fèis Phàislig (Gaelic for Paisley Festival) is an arts organisation that provides 

traditional music experiences for young people across Renfrewshire. Our 

fundraising ceilidh will be a fantastic night of music and dance, with all 

proceeds going towards further opportunities for young people across 

Renfrewshire. 

www.voluntaryarts.org/Event/feis-phaislig-family-ceilidh 

Create and Play the Digital Way 

Friday 5th May, 2017 from 1pm to 5pm 

Paisley YMCA, 39 High Street, Paisley, PA1 2AF 

Open door activity where we invite people to join in and try an open 

workshop, a ‘come and try’ approach and learn to code, build a car with 

a micro-controller or take part in a public demonstration event of Quiver 

augmented reality or experience the world with Google Expeditions. These 

workshops and demonstrations are to shine a spotlight on the wide range 

of digitally based, creative cultural activity for new or potential volunteers 

can learn and develop that will further expand Paisley YMCA’s capacity to 

address digital literacies within young people across Renfrewshire. 

Paisley YMCA rely on volunteers to deliver our four code clubs across 

Renfrewshire where young people lean computer programming or through 

our digital culture activity in community centres and churches where they 

learn electronic music making activities and 3D printing thus dispelling 

the notion that “I’m not creative because I can't play music or sculpt” as 

volunteers show participants how to be creative with programming video 

games, mobile phone app in our code clubs and make music and 360 

fi lms in our digital culture sessions. So come and have a try and surprise 

yourself its fun, educational and easy to learn! 

www.voluntaryarts.org/Event/create-and-play-the-digital-way 


Girlguiding in Kilmacolm 

We are delighted that as we celebrate 100 

years of GirlGuiding in Kilmacolm we have been 

nominated as one of the Co op local community 

groups and will benefi t from 1% of sales of all 

members that choose us as their nominated 

charity. It will be great to get support from all 

of the village so that we can continue this great 

community group for another 100 years!! 

If you are a member of the Co-op please go to the Co-op website 

to choose Kilmacolm Guides. If you aren’t a member of the 

Co-op join up now!!! Go to: https://membership.coop.co.uk/ 

causes/669 

We are looking forward to celebrating our 100 years with a garden 

party on 21st May at the Guide Hut, if you have any connections 

with Kilmacolm Guides over the years and in particular have any photos or stories 

from the past please get in touch – kilmacolmguides100@gmail.com 


Last month I was contacted about anti social behaviour by 

a number of youngsters in Birkmyre Park. I believe that 

traditionally young people have hung about the park with 

their friends. But sadly there had been disturbances. I 

contacted the police, council offi cials and the community 

wardens service. Sadly over past months there have been 

large groups of young people across Inverclyde some who 

have been causing trouble in a number of areas. Thankfully, 

the vast majority of young people are well behaved and take 

part in many positive pursuits. It is so sad when a minority let 

themselves, their parents and communities down. 

The new cruise ship season starts in Inverclyde this month. Last year more than 

50 ships berthed at the Ocean Terminal in Greenock bringing over 100,000 

passengers and crew to our district. This season four cruises will start and fi nish 

in Greenock. Trying to encourage more companies to begin/end their cruises 

in Greenock is something I had spoken to the Managing Director at the Ocean 

Terminal about several years ago. At the moment there are many people from 

Scotland and the north of England who travel to Southampton to start their 

cruises from a UK port. I am sure given the chance they would prefer to start 

and end their cruise from nearer to home. The berthing area at the Terminal 

will be extended in the next couple of years which will allow twice as many ships 

and passengers to come to Inverclyde. If more cruises began and fi nished in 

Inverclyde what a boost it would give to our district and local economy from 

hotels, to restaurants, to shops etc. 

After 10 years as one of your councillors for Ward 1 the Local Government 

Boundary Commission changed the ward boundaries in Inverclyde. As I now live 

in Ward 2 I have decided to seek re-election as a councillor in that ward. I would 

like to thank everyone in Kilmacolm, Quarrier’s Village and Ward 1 who have 

given me support over the last ten years. It has been a great privilege to be one 

of your councillors and over that time I have got to know so many people in the 

ward. Thank you. 

Finally, I would like to thank Rona and her staff at the Advertizer for allowing me 

to write a column in their splendid magazine every month. 

Any constituent requiring my assistance until the 3rd May can contact me at my offi ce 

on 01475 712727, my mobile number 07747 765 839, by emailing me at jim.macleod@ 

inverclyde.gov.uk or writing to me at Inverclyde Council, Municipal Buildings, Greenock, PA15 

1LY


41 


Kilmacolm Old Kirk 

Dates for your diary 

Sunday 7th May – Night Kirk 6pm 

Thursday 11th May – Sòlas bereavement group meets in the Kidston Hall from 

6.30pm to 8.30pm. 

Saturday 20th – Friday 26th – Church of Scotland Assembly 

Outlook 

Don’t forget our regular Outlook group which reaches out to the 

whole community in fellowship. The format is the same for 

most weeks – invited speakers offering topics of interest, 

community issues for discussion, shared activities, music, 

fi lms, etc. Dates for your diary. Afternoon tea gives us all 

the chance to enjoy time with friends and to make new 

friends. The team provide a wonderful variety of home 

baking. A voluntary donation is collected, to be sent to the 

OUTLOOK monthly nominated charity. 

May programme is: 

Thursday 4th May – Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance: four years old and 

growing. 

Wednesday 17th May – Outing 

Outing to Glenarm at Rhu with afternoon tea in Helensburgh. Coach, entry, 

and tea: £15. 1pm – 5.30pm 

Thursday 18th May – The return of the Clydeside Singers: singalong with popular 

tunes, plus an update from the Mary’s Meals charity. 

NEXT MONTH 

Wednesday 21st June – Summer outing to Crarae Gardens, with high tea in 

Inverary in friendship with the Kilmacolm Horticultural Society. Coach, entry, 

high tea: £35. 9am – 6.30pm 

howwood & elderslie 

Elderslie Community Council 

Elderslie Community Council has organised for a 

community notice board to be erected. They told The 

Advertizer, “We would like to give a special thanks to Calling all 

Gavin and the guys from Elderslie Butchers and the Community 

Coffee Shop for letting us put it up on their wall. Now Groups - 

all we need are ideas for what to put in there. Please 

HELP FILL THIS 

put out the word to people connected to community 

SPACE! 

groups like girls/boys brigade, the Kirk, scouts etc for 

them to contribute?” 

Find us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/eldersliecommunitycouncil/ 


Bowfield 10K 

Join St Vincent’s Hospice on June 

11th for the Annual Bowfield 10K. 

Join us at The Bowfi eld as they host 

their fi fth annual 10K race in aid of 

St Vincent’s Hospice and in memory 

of Grace Kissell. 

Walkers and runners are welcome 

to tackle our challenging and scenic 

course. Walkers start at 10am and 

runners at 11am. 

There is a £10 registration fee, and 

all sponsorship goes to St Vincent’s 

Hospice. 

For more information, contact 

members@bowfi eldhotel.co.uk 

If you would like to register for this 

event, please visit: www.svh.co.uk/ 

forms/form.php?formID=33 

See more at: www.stvincentshospice. 

co.uk/items/SVH-Events/bowfield- 

10k 


Howwood 

Community Council 

Meetings of the Community Council are 

held on the second Tuesday of each 

month at 7.30pm in Howwood Village 

Hall. Please feel free to come along - all 

welcome. 


Howwood 

Woodlands & 

Wildlife 

Help is needed to clear the Rhombus 

Garden of weeds (the garden just 

opposite The Boarding House). If you 

have any spare time at all and would 

be willing to help with the clearance 

and development of this area, we would 

be most grateful. Please contact Bill 

David on 07802 57590 or email at bill@ 

billdavid.co.uk or contact any member of 

HWW who will be able to give you more 

information – thank you! 

howwood & elderslie


houston, crosslee & brookfield 


Brookfield Country 

Dancing club 

Thursday evenings from 7.30pm - 9.30pm 

run by Aileen Craig (01505 322684). New 

members are most welcome and as an 

introduction, the fi rst class is free. 


Houston Litter Crew 


Houston & 

Crosslee 

On 10th May we hold our “Tea and 

Chat” in aid of Macmillan Cancer 

Care. 

All our meetings are held in The 

Compass Centre, South Street, 

Houston at 7.30pm. Come along and 

join us, you will be made very welcome. 

For further information please contact, 

Arlene MacKay on 07932 459994. 


Crafty Friends 

1st and 3rd Thursdays in the 

month at 7.30pm in the Carrick 

Centre, Houston. No craft 

experience necessary. Tel: Lorna 

Cairns 612844 or Shirley White 

610721. 

Renfrewshire Provost Recognises our own Local Hero 

Our very own Jake Fulton who created the Houston Litter 

Crew has received the Renfrewshire Lord Provost Award 

for Community Volunteer of the Year. The award was 

presented on 3rd March at a glittering award ceremony 

in the Normandy Hotel hosted by Gina Mckie. The 

event celebrated the achievements of local community 

members who go above and beyond the call of duty to make 

Renfrewshire a better place. 

Over 80 nominations were 

received across fi ve categories. 

Jake’s community approach has transformed Houston’s environment and makes 

Houston a more enjoyable and beautiful place, both for our residents and visitors. 

He has inspired a real sense of community pride, cohesion and spirit. Well done 

and thank you Jake! 

Houston Litter Crew, which 

celebrated its fi rst birthday 

in March 2017, continues to 

go from strength to strength. 

We have a wide range of 

volunteers of all ages including 

many young people who are 

participating in the Boys 

Brigade Queens Badge and 

Saltire Awards. We also 

continue to work in partnership 

with Gryffe High School who 

litter pick daily after each lunch time. In our fi rst year we 

have collected over 1,000 bags of litter. 

Houston Litter Crew meets every Sunday at 10am in the 

Co-op car park and fi nishes at 11.45am. If you fancy 

getting involved and lending a hand whether regularly 

or only a couple of times a year, come along and join 

us – you will be made most welcome. All equipment is 

supplied i.e. Litter pickers, bags, tabards and gloves – 

just bring along your enthusiasm! 

You can follow Houston Litter Crew on Houston Community 

Council Facebook page. 


Art Club 

Feeling arty? Want to express your 

creative side? Then get yourself down 

to the Art Club! Welcome to all ages 

and abilities. Runs on Thursdays 

12noon - 3pm. 

Contact Margaret Hosick on 01505 

323050 for more info! 


Hollywood Comes To Houston 

Kirk Carnival Saturday 13th May 

This year the Carnival Queen is Amy Anthony 

Attendants: Katie Allison, Keira McGarvey 

Do you want to be a HOLLYWOOD STAR for a day, 

now is your chance. Live your fantasy and become a Hollywood 

actor, a cartoon character or anyone or anything associated with Hollywood. Let 

this be an opportunity to turn Houston into a fi lm makers paradise. Glitz and 

glamour let’s have it. 

This is an immensely successful event but in order to achieve this there is a 

tremendous amount of hard work involved by organisers, contributors. 

It all kicks off at 12 noon outside the Kirk with the judging of the HOLLYWOOD 

procession. Around 12.15pm the Houston Boys and Girls Brigade Pipe Band will 

lead the party followed by the Queen-in-Waiting, Amy Anthony and her attendants 

Katie Allison and Keira McGarvey who will be transported in style. They, along 

with the rest of the parade, will head off to the front of the West Hall in Main 

Street where the art competition and fancy dress winners will be announced. 

Then we have the big moment when the Carnival Queen is crowned and the 2017 

Kirk Carnival commences. There are so many stalls and games to enjoy along 

with a huge variety of tasty food which will certainly lure you in.........so don’t have 

your lunch before you come. 

Before we pack up at the end of the day, the prizes winners for the various 

competitions from the programme will be announced. The prizes in the lucky 

draw competition are particularly good this year, so if you haven’t fi lled in your 

programme entry or you want to increase your chances of winning, then additional 

entries can be purchased from a dedicated stall – Good luck! 

To all helping hands and all who take part, now is the time those with green 

fi ngers are thinking about sowing seeds and getting the fl owers and shrubs ready 

for the plant stall. 

To all who are de-cluttering and getting rid of unwanted items of ‘bric a brac’, 

etc. Please remember the white elephant stall. If you need assistance getting 

items to the church hall please contact Kathryn McCartney (613741) or Mary 

Reid (613770) who will gladly help. Unfortunately we cannot accept electrical 

goods or large items of furniture. Don’t forget donations of toiletries, bottles, 

jewellery, home baking and toys. All will be received gratefully. 

All proceeds will go to the Killellan Halls Fund. 


ONLY DAYS 

TO GO 

Recently my husband and I attended a Fairtrade Coffee and 

Craft morning at Houston and Killellan Kirk. It was fantastic 

to see the enthusiasm of the local Fairtrade Group and the 

range of Fairtrade products on sale, I have been a staunch 

supporter of the Fairtrade movement for many years. All the 

churches in Scotland deserve credit for their sterling work 

over the decades to make Fairtrade the mainstream concern 

that it now rightly is, as decades ago it was the wider Christian 

community which kept the Fairtrade fl ame burning through 

less sympathetic times. 

At the last Brookfi eld Community Council I was sorry to be 

with my civic mentor and party colleague, Cllr Allan Noon, for 

one of his last civic engagements. However, it was an occasion for remembering 

his outstanding service to the people of Houston, Brookfi eld, and Crosslee, over 

nearly two decades as an Elected Member. The Community Council members 

marked his departure by presenting him with a card and gifts. 

Two issues that I have taken up at the request of the Brookfi eld Community 

Council are the excessive potholes in Sandholes Road, and to continue to push 

for an early review of the new LED lighting to get it right for all communities. 

Whilst some areas are well lit, the numerous dark spots need to be addressed in 

the interests of safety. 

My advice surgery in Linwood is on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month, at 6pm, in 

Linwood High School. But I am also always available to constituents who can call me on 

07768 130935, or e-mail me at cllr.audrey.doig@renfrewshire.gov.uk.


43 


H.O.S.T. The Carrick Centre, Houston 

(Houston Old School Trust) 

Monday to Friday, Woodlands Out of 

School 01505 615438 

MONDAY 

Yoga (Weekly) 1pm Mary Laidlaw 

01505 229112 

Diaporama 8TH 7.30pm 

Galaxy 5pm – 9pm 

TUESDAY 

Paint Pot Tots (Weekly) 10am 

Dawn Campbell 07789 262 350 

Musical Theatre (Weekly) 4pm - 5pm 

Yoga (Weekly) 7pm M/s Lawson 

01505 613690 

Galaxy 4pm – 8.30pm 

WEDNESDAY 

Big Kids Little Learners 10am – 11am 

Janine Neil 07870 697010 

Councillors Surgeries 17TH 6.30pm 

Gryffe Melody Makers 10TH & 24TH 

7pm 

Camera Club (3R D, 10TH) 7.30pm 

Community Council 17TH 7.30pm 

THURSDAY 

Gryffe Quilting Group (4TH, 11TH, 18TH, 

25TH) 1.15 - 3.15pm (18TH - 10am) 

Primary Colours (Weekly) 3.30pm 

Dawn Campbell 07789 262 350 

Crafty Friends 4th, 18TH 7.30pm 

Folk Club (weekly) 8pm iaintdawson@ 

gmail.com 07786 078952 

BurleX Fitness (Weekly) 9.15 - 

10.15am. Kelly, 07944 815298 

Galaxy 3.30pm – 7.30pm 

FRIDAY 

Yoga (Weekly) 10.30am M/s Lawson 

01505 613690 

Big Kids Little Learners 1pm – 2pm 

Janine Neil 07870 697010 

Galaxy Dancing (Weekly) 3.30pm - 

7pm 

MP Surgery 12TH 12.30pm – 1.30pm 

SATURDAY 

Galaxy Dancing (Weekly) 9.30am - 

5pm 

Kirk Carnival 13TH 12.15pm 

SUNDAY 

Baptist Church (Weekly) 11am and 

6pm 

Booking enquiries to : 

Ian Simpson, 01505 612203 

Sandy Young 01505 331488 

Bill Haddow 01505 690693 

hostbooking@outlook.com or The 

Coffee Shop 


Houston and Killellan Agricultural Show 

This year the Annual Show will be held on Saturday 3rd June. Schedules for the 

Craft and Baking section are available from the Paper Shop and the Post Offi ce in 

the village or by e-mail: issistuart@fsmail.net 

Urgent Appeal for May 

from the Co-op 

The CO-OP stores in – Houston, Bridge of Weir, 

Kilbarchan and Bishopton - now have Renfrewshire 

Food Bank donation bins and for the month of May we 

‘urgently need’ – 

* Tinned potatoes * Tinned Tomatoes 

* Tinned Fruit * UHT milk 

* Coffee (small) * Small cartons of juice for 

packed lunches 

* Rice * Super noodles/Pasta ‘n’ sauce 

* Soap/body wash * Toothpaste 

* Deodorant * Men’s shave gel/foam 

Thanks to you all for your kindness... X 


Brookfield News 

Award 

Brookfi eld resident, Robert Ostrycharz, has been awarded the Knight’s Cross 

of Merit of the Republic of Poland for services over many years to the Polish 

community in Scotland. The Polish Ambassador to Britain presented him with the 

award during a visit to Scotland at the end of March. 

An open letter to Brookfield residents from a bowler…. 

I am not a Brookfi eld resident. What I am is one of those very fortunate folk who 

can look forward again to many happy hours this summer, enjoying the delights 

of your lovely bowling green and its facilities. 

Until being invited to try bowling at Brookfi eld as a beginner a few years ago, I had 

no idea how much pleasure this would give me year after year. The friendship, 

the fun - and even the bowling itself - are things I now can’t quite get enough of. 

Since I can’t be bothered practising I’m never going to be a great player but, like 

most of us, I get along reasonably well and sincerely believe that it’s much more 

about the people than any success that may come along in the game ... and we 

have great people. 

Passing by your village thousands of times as resident of 40-odd years in Bridge 

of Weir, I had been in the dark of the existence of the bowling green and the Club. 

Since being introduced and becoming a member, I have often wondered how 

many of the Brookfi eld folk have given thought to the value of this great asset in 

their village and why there have been so few village members when, at the same 

time, the quality of the facility has been recognised so widely around the area? 

This Club is a priceless asset of inestimable potential benefi t to your village, and 

a strong local membership would contribute greatly to the viability and prosperity 

of the Club. 

Many bowling clubs are facing hard times these days and many have lost the 

struggle to survive. The Brookfi eld Club, owing to the unchanging quality of its 

management and its members, continues to face and cope with the various 

challenges - social, demographic and economic - that exist today. Like many 

another institution, however, we confront the problem of an ageing population 

and the need to recruit has become a major concern. 

For well over a century the Brookfi eld Bowling Club has held a reputation for the 

quality of its facilities and the second-to-none friendliness of the members. We 

desire passionately to continue to offer friendly outdoor recreation to present and 

future generations and would therefore, as a new season begins, ask you all to 

consider an open invitation to drop in at any time to see what we do and how we 

do it. Thereafter, we can offer unrestricted fi rst year membership at £45 (£45!!!), 

with unlimited play, free coaching and hire of bowls. Why not arrange a wee trial, 

privately and without obligation, by calling Bill on 612769? Or just pop along and 

introduce yourself. 

We are Brookfi eld’s Bowling Club and we desire greatly the participation of many 

more Brookfi eld residents in order to secure this fi ne facility’s future for your 

village and the district. Please give it a thought. Thank you. Bill Wilson 

houston, crosslee & brookfield


kilbarchan & lochwinnoch 


Fantastic Lochwinnoch 

Arts Festival 2017 

This year’s festival was bigger than usual to support 

the Renfrewshire Paisley bid for City of culture 2021. 

There was something for everyone! One of the different 

features of this year was ‘A Buddy Good 

Laugh’ comedy night in conjunction with 

Paisley Arts Centre this was a great success, 

also the 9 come and try events to encourage 

people to have a go at art and it was very 

popular. 

There were so many volunteers and helpers 

who made the events run smoothly a BIG 

thank you to all of you!! (The Festival would 

not happen without you). 

There was over £1,600 raised at events 

for charity including St Vincent’s Hospice, 

RNLI, The Haven, Johnstone High Students, 

The Red Cross, Soldiers Off the Streets, 

East Africa Famine Appeal and Alzheimer’s 

Scotland. 

Tannahill Poetry Competition 

Thursday night at the Lochwinnoch Arts 

Festival was an exciting time for poets and 

lovers of poetry. The Read Raw Tannahill 

Poetry Competition is a new event and with 

a prize fund of £2,700 it is a major addition 

to the poetry calender. Sally Evans, Editor 

of Poetry Scotland, judged the entries which 

came from as far afi eld as India, Canada 

and New Zealand. 

The night opened with music from local duo 

Witches Brew and a reading by Sally. Then 

came the main event with the presentations 

to the winners. 

Sally explained that ‘to win a big competition 

– and this was a big competition – it’s not 

just that a poem must do nothing wrong, 

but it must also do a great deal that is right. 

Judges have often said a winning poem is 

one that stays with you, and all the winners 

did.’ And in her comments on the Scots 

Language poems she added that the poem 

shouldn’t be hampered by its language. 

Rather it should gain from its language. 

The winners were 

FULL COMPETITION: 

First Prize Margaret Tait’s Portrait of 

Ga, by Gerda Stevenson. 

Second Prize Stick, by Katie Hale, 

Third Prize Lewy Bodies by Kathleen 

Jones 

Commended Washi, by Judith Taylor 

How the Partner of a dead 

Sculptor still perceives her 

new work, by C M Buckland. 

SCOTS COMPETITION: 

First Prize For Ma Faither, by Brian 

Holton. 

Second Prize Scrievin her Great-Grunnie 

by Sheila Templeton. 

The Read Raw Ltd directors, Mo Blake, Ian 

Hunter, Wullie Purcell and George Colkitto 

were delighted that all fi ve major winners 

had travelled to Lochwinnoch to receive 

their prize, to read their winning poem and 

also read a selection of their other work. 

The winning poems and a full report by Sally 

Evans can be found on www.readrawltd. 

co.uk 

(Thanks to Keven Moulds, Di Finn and 

Zul Bhatia for photography) 


Recently I was the only Ward Councillor to attend a Scottish 

Department of Environment and Planning Appeals predetermination 

Hearing in Erskine, which had on its agenda 

consideration of how the Branscroft Planning Appeal is to be 

dealt with. Kilbarchan Community Council members were 

also in attendance. Of great concern was the matter of the 

Scottish Government Reporter seeking to consider not only 

the Branscroft appeal, but another four local appeals from 

other parts of Renfrewshire at the same time. 

I am very concerned that the various housing developers are 

being allowed to use a single lawyer to present their case. 

I did extract an important concession from the Scottish Reporter in that she 

encouraged local communities to also pull their resources to articulate their 

case. Therefore I encourage all local community activists to collaborate and 

share information to try and protect the Greenbelt. 

Housing developers are always telling villages like Kilbarchan, Lochwinnoch, and 

Howwood there is a desperate shortage. Yet, offi cial Renfrewshire Council fi gures 

for this year state that there is a private sector shortfall of only 230 houses across 

Renfrewshire. I am all for having a debate on housing land supply so long as it is 

a discussion based on the facts. 

My advice surgery in Kilbarchan is on the 2nd Wednesday of the month in the Steeple Hall 

at 7.45pm, and my advice surgery in Lochwinnoch is on the 4th Wednesday of the month in 

the McKillop at 7.30pm, excluding July. But I am also always available to constituents who 

can call me on 07534 148224, tweet me on CllrAndy4Ward8 or e-mail me at cllr.andy.doig@ 

renfrewshire.gov.uk. 


Masonic Meeting 

Notice 

Lodge Captain Speirs Houston 

no.791 Masonic Temple, New Street, 

Kilbarchan - meetings start 7.30pm 

May 12th - MM Degree (special 

meeting) 

Visiting brethren welcome 


Kilbarchan Parish 

Church Tots’ Club 


Calder Church Summer Fayre 

The club takes place on Monday 

mornings from 9.15am - 11.30am in 

the hall, where there is a large variety 

of toys and a bouncy castle for the tots 

- from birth - 3 years - and coffee and 

friendly chat for the accompanying 

adults, cost £1 for each adult. 

On Saturday 20th May from 10am - 12noon in The McKillop Hall, 

Lochwinnoch 

Stalls include Home Baking, Plants & Garden, Jewellery, Arts & Crafts, Lucky Dip 

and lots more. Adults £2, Children FREE includes Tea/Coffee. All welcome. 


Kilbarchan Parish Church in May 

Services continue at 11am each Sunday throughout May, conducted by Rev. 

Stephen Smith. 

Sunday School and the crèche continue to meet in the large hall from 10.45am 

each week and refreshments will be served after the service as usual. 

ALL WELCOME TO ANY or ALL OF THESE SERVICES. For further information 

about the church and the organisations, please visit Kilbarchan Kirk online: www. 

kilbarchan-kirk.btck.co.uk 

Kilbarchan Parish Church 

Midweek Fellowship 

continues from 10.30am 

for coffee, followed by a 

short service of worship, on 

Wednesdays in the small 

hall. 


Plant Sale and Pancake 

Morning will take place on 

Saturday 20th May from 

10am - 12 noon in the halls, 

off Steeple Square. Entrance 

is £2:50, children £1 and this 

includes coffee with freshlymade 

pancakes, cream and 

jam. To order plants, which 

are of very good quality from 

a nursery in Ayrshire, please 

phone 704502. As well as 

pre-ordered plants, there will 

be a large variety for sale.


45 


Lochwinnoch 

Community Garden 

Update 

WORK PARTIES IN COMMUNITY 

GARDEN Spring 2017 

28th May 1pm Collecting plants for stall at community garden 1pm 

CALL FOR PLANTS FOR GALA DAY 

Plant stall at Gala on 10th June can you bring them to the Community garden on 

the 28th May at 1pm. 

PLANTING CONTAINERS IN VILLAGE 

SATURDAY 3rd JUNE 

As with last year we are calling out for 

volunteers to help plant out the many 

containers we have in and around 

the village. Please meet outside the 

McKillop at 1pm on Saturday 3th June 

to lend a hand. 


Kilbarchan 

During the month of May, the group 

has 3 meetings, the fi rst is Gardiners’ 

Question Time with a speaker from 

bridge of Weir Horticultural Society, 

then we have a discussion about the 

way topical events are represented 

in 2 different newspapers, followed 

by a review of the book about life on 

St Kilda “Island of Wings” by Karen 

Altenburg. The group would welcome 

new members, we meet on Wednesday 

evenings in each other’s homes and 

enjoy speakers and discussions on 

a wide variety of topics. If you are 

interested in fi nding out more, please 

phone 703786 or see the website: 

www.nwr.org.uk. 


Kilbarchan Fairtrade 

Group 


Summer Concert 

14th May, 7.30pm, at Holy Trinity and 

St Barnabas Church, Paisley. 

Conductor: Edwin Hillier. 

Songs of Farewell - Music by Parry, 

Stanford and Vaughn Williams, plus a 

selection from the Kings Singers. 

Tickets - £8.50/£5 (under 18s) - 

available from choir members or on 

the door. 

We recently held a curry night in Bobbins. 

Thirty friends and guests enjoyed 

a congenial evening in familiar and 

comfortable surroundings. Photo shows 

the Bobbins team, Hector and Graham 

Batin, chairperson of the group. If you are 

interested in helping to promote Fairtrade and would like to join the committee 

the next meeting is on Tuesday 9th May at 7.30 pm in the Ladies Room at the 

Steeple. 


Kilbarchan’s famous 

Celebrations 

Kilbarchan’s famous Lilias Day celebrations are all set for Saturday 3rd June! 

Taking place in the conservation village of Kilbarchan, the Lilias Day celebrations 

date back to the 1700s when the village was a centre of the weaving trade in 

Renfrewshire. Today it is fi rmly established as a key event in the Renfrewshire 

events calendar and a great day out for all the family. A historic parade still leads 

the celebrations and is followed through the village by decorated fl oats, pipe 

and brass bands and involvement from the community and organisations in and 

around the area. The parade fi nishes in Kilbarchan Park where a host of stalls, 

activities and events take place to raise thousands of pounds for good causes. 

Local residents and businesses will dress the outside of their premises and a prize 

is given for the best decorated house and business as well as for best decorated 

fl oat. The parade leaves the bottom of the village at 1pm and along the way the 

statue of Kilbarchan’s famous piper, “Habbie Simpson” on the steeple in the 

village square is brought to life and joins the parade. 

If you haven’t been to Lilias Day before, make this the year to come along and join 

the fun. For more details of the full programme go to the Outdoors section. 


A decision on the appeal in regard to the proposed housing 

development at Branscroft Kilbarchan is still awaited. A 

hearing on the 30th March, simply arranged a further 

meeting on the 18th July, but this will only address the issue 

of housing land supply and policy. This delay is unacceptable 

and costly. The Scottish Government continues to ignore the 

views of Kilbarchan folk who wish to protect the green belt 

and should reject the appeal without further delay. 

Equally unacceptable, is the proposal by Stagecoach that 

from June, it will withdraw its x37 bus service from Ardrossan 

to Glasgow which currently serves both Lochwinnoch and 

Howwood, and is a necessary service for village commuters 

who rely on the service. I will continue to lobby Stagecoach to reverse its 

decision. 

This is my last piece in the Advertizer before the council elections, and I hope 

that my contributions have been informative. On the 4th May, the people of 

Kilbarchan, Lochwinnoch and Howwood will elect 4 Councillors to represent them 

in the new ward 9, which also includes Johnstone North. This election should be 

about local services and who is best to provide them. 

Whoever is elected, I think that it is important that we take Renfrewshire forward 

and protect what is important to village life. Over the last fi ve years I have 

worked hard to do this with Renfrewshire Council and it’s partners, whether it 

be protection of the green belt, improvements to our infrastructure, such as the 

replacement of Lochwinnoch Bridge and the provision of disabled access at 

Milliken Park Station, or securing fi nancial support to our village music and arts 

organisations. 

If I am re elected, I will continue to stand up for the people of the new ward. 

There will be challenges such as measures to combat the increasingly important 

traffi c management issues in our villages, continued improvements of our roads 

and pavements, the protection of local bus and train services, and of course the 

green belt. 

The future is for our children and young people, and the pledge as part of a new 

administration to build a new Johnstone High School, will help forge and protect 

that future. 

I hope that over the last fi ve years that I have done my best, and if given the 

opportunity after the 4th May will continue to do so. 


Get Weaving! 

Although seeing the 200 years old 

hand loom in action is the high 

spot of any visit to the Cottage 

there is a chance to try some 

weaving on the modern loom 

which shares the loom shop. 

Experienced folk will explain the 

intricacies and help you through 

the processes: come and give it 

a try! The Cottage is open 1pm - 

5pm every day except Wednesday and Thursday. 



Messy Church 

Our Messy Church continues in our halls on 

Saturday 20th May from 4pm – 6pm. All children, 

accompanied by an adult, will be made most 

welcome. So come along and join us for a couple 

of hours of fun. We end by sitting down to eat together and enjoying the fellowship 

of other families. This will be our fi nal Messy Church for this session and we will 

resume after the summer holidays in September. 

kilbarchan & lochwinnoch


LOST PETS? 

If your pet has gone missing and 

you would like to place a notice in 

The Advertizer, please call 

01505 613340 or email 

∂∫∞€Ł@)( 

info@advertizer.co.uk 

lð§¥‡þÐœ 

ÐœðŁ 

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Pet Blog 

by PetVets 

The pitter patter 

of tiny paws can 

be heard across 

Glasgow as the city 

welcomes four lifechanging 

puppies 

Obesity in Pets 

Unfortunately obesity is an increasing 

problem we see in pets which has 

significant health implications. It occurs when the energy intake is 

greater than the energy expenditure. 

Factors contributing to weight gain, include overfeeding, feeding 

an inappropriate diet eg. Feeding human foods or excessive treats, 

and insufficient exercise. Neutering can also be a factor in weight 

gain as animals that have been neutered require around 30% less 

calories. 

Some health problems have a higher incidence in obese animals including; 

• Respiratory problems: Tracheal collapse, laryngeal paralysis, chronic bronchitis 

and feline asthma. 

• Orthopaedic problems: Arthritis, cruciate disease and certain fracture types. 

• Dermatology: Inability to groom, skin fold dermatitis, and general poor coat 

quality. 

• Metabolic disease: Diabetes mellitus 

• Urinary problems: Feline lower urinary tract disease (recurrent cystitis in cats) 

and incontinence in female dogs. 

Obesity can also significantly increase the risks involved with general anaesthetics 

and surgical procedures. 

For an animal to lose weight it is necessary to increase the energy expenditure and 

decrease the energy intake. 

Canine Partners’ Glasgow puppy training group’s 

newest recruits have arrived – and they’re following in 

the paw prints of their mum. 

The group which trains assistance dogs for physically 

disabled people has welcomed its newest recruits – 

four-month-old Tamia and Tessa and three-month-old 

siblings Ursa and Urban. 

It comes just five years after Ursa and Urban’s mum 

Helena, a Labrador cross golden retriever, was trained 

by the charity’s West Scotland team, based in Paisley. 

Helena graduated to become one of Canine Partners’ 

breeding hounds, becoming a mother to assistance 

dogs of the future. 

Now the charity is calling for more volunteers, known 

as puppy parents, which look after trainee assistance 

dogs like its four new arrivals in their homes for around 

a year and help with basic training, socialisation and 

obedience. 

Ursa’s puppy parent Marjorie Johnston has been a 

puppy parent for four years. 

The 60-year-old gran-of-two from Kilmarnock, said: “I 

had been involved in the charity, but then I had a bit 

of time on my hands so decided to become a puppy 

parent. 

“People say it must be hard giving the puppy up but you have 

to think about what they end up doing. When you see an 

active partnership it makes it all worthwhile. 

“The Paisley group is friendly and a good community. We 

sometimes meet up outside our puppy training classes for a 

coffee together. 

“It’s very social and it’s great to see the puppies’ progress. 

It’s fun taking them around the shops and introducing them 

to new things and places. 

“The group thinks it’s nice that two of Helena’s puppies have 

come back. I wasn’t with Canine Partners when she was 

here but other people remember her because she was full of 

mischief – just like our Ursa.” 

People can meet Tamia, Tessa, Ursa and Urban and 

find out more about being a puppy parent at Canine 

Partners’ special Big Glasgow Bluebell Walk and Fun 

Day. 

The walk will start at Pollokshaw Burgh Hall in Glasgow 

from 12-4pm on May 7 and take participants through 

Pollok Country Park. 

The event will feature a raffle and tombola and more 

than 20 craft stalls selling quality handmade goodies. 

There will also be a demonstration of some of the skills 

the charity’s assistance dogs learn which help boost 

disabled people’s independence and confidence. 

The dogs can open doors, pick up and fetch items, help 

someone dress and undress and even load a washing 

machine. They also learn to get help in an emergency. 

For more information call Dale Gormley on 0845 4811915 or 

visit caninepartners.org.uk/bigbluebellwalks. 

Increasing the energy expenditure is achieved by increasing 

exercise. 

In dogs: • Increasing number and/or length of walks 

• Hydrotherapy if arthritis/weight/other issues restrict walks 

• Fetch and retrieving games 

• Off lead exercise 

In cats: • Increasing play time • Using activity balls and feed toys 

• Feeding at a height (cat has 

to jump/climb to reach food) 

• Hiding food 

Decreasing energy intake - This is 

achieved by reducing the number of 

calories the animal is consuming. This 

means sticking to a recommended diet. 

There are a number of veterinary 

recommended prescription foods 

available aimed at weight loss in cats and 

dogs which have a lower calorie content 

than most commercial pet foods. This 

means that feeding the recommended 

amount of one of these diets provides 

less calories without restricting other 

essential nutrients within the diet. 

If you think your pet is overweight contact 

Petvets for a free weight check and advice.


47 47 

47 

Re-homing Pets 

Can you offer a home to any of our featured pets? 

Dana & Chris - 1 1/2 year old 

female and male cats 

Dana came into care of the 

branch with her brother Chris 

due to no fault of their own and 

are looking for a “forever” home 

together. 

They are very shy, 

timid cats who will 

Dana 

take a wee bit of 

time to get used to our new family, though, given 

time, love & patience will come out of our shells. 

They get on with other cats and are looking for a 

family that have a safe outdoor home well away 

from busy road & no children. 

Cardyke Farm, Langmuirhead Road, Auchinloch, 

Glasgow G66 5LD - Telephone 0141 779 3341 

Chris 

Donatello - male 

Donatello 

terrapin 

Terrapins are a big commitment as they can live 

for over 30 years and this means they should 

never be taken on lightly. They require regular 

cleaning and tank maintenance, heat, light and 

feeding. Donatello would love an experienced 

terrapin owner to come forward and offer him a 

loving home. 

Wilson - 8-13 months male rabbit 

Wilson is a nice boy who arrived in our care 

through no fault of his own and is now looking for 

his forever home. He is looking for a new secure 

home with plenty of space to play and explore. He 

has a cheeky wee face and a personality to match, 

he would make a great new addition to a family 

home. 

Wilson 

To contact the centre about any animals, please call 03000 999 999 or visit 

www.scottishspca.org/rehoming 

Benji 

Benji - a 8+ year old male 

crossbreed 

Benji is a handsome chap who 

loves his exercise. He loves to be 

on the go learning new things. 

He loves to play with toys especially a squeaky 

toy! Benji needs an adult only home and his own 

secure garden to play in & get some off lead time. 

Someone who has owned dogs like him recently 

would benefit him and help him settle. He needs a 

calm, quiet home with quiet areas to walk in with 

someone who has the time to spend helping settle and come out his shell. It may 

take him some time to settle and get used to his new home. Benji needs several 

meets at the centre to build a relationship & go through body language before 

going to his new home. 

Tess - a 8+ year old female border collie 

Tess is a gorgeous girl who just loves human 

company. She is typical of her breed and loves to 

please you. She likes her exercise and learning 

new things.Tess can live with children who are 8 

years old or over and needs her own secure garden 

to practice her training in. Tess needs help with all 

her basic training so needs a home who are around 

all day to help her settle. A home who have owned 

collie types before who live in a calm, quiet house 

hold would help her come out her shell. 

Tess 

Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre, 315 Hamilton Road, Uddingston, Glasgow, G71 

7SL. Open: 12noon - 4pm (inc weekends); 12noon- 7.30pm on Tuesdays; closed: 

Wednesdays 

Johnstone Cat Rescue 

If you can help us with any 

fundraising or donations of either 

food or bedding, please call 

Sheena on 01505 337321. 

Thank you. 

Rescue Centres 

Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue › 01505 502415 › www.hessilhead.org.uk 

Cat Protection › 0141 779 3341 › www.cats.org.uk/glasgowac 

Dogs Trust Glasgow › 0141 773 5130 › www.dogstrust.org.uk 

Scottish SPCA › 0141 882 1688 › www.scottishspca.org 

These centres are always on the lookout for donations and fundraising. If you can 

help, please get in touch with any of the centres above.


Bridge Of Weir Horticultural Society 

In April, members took part 

in a Gardening Quiz. The 

teams handled an array of 

written and visual questions 

with aplomb and luck – 

particularly when identifying 

obscure tropical plants which 

Donald had photographed 

whilst on holiday! The 

close results indicated the 

five teams were a fairly 

knowledgeable bunch. After 

the Quiz, members listened 

to a presentation about, “Our Carbon Footprint” by 

Leslie Ritchie of LEAP. 

The recent Spring weather has let us enjoy early 

flowering shrubs, such as Camellias, Magnolias, 

Amelanchier and cherry trees. In particular, Viburnum 

tinus and V. X burkwoodii have been covered in scented 

blossom; more noticeable this year under the “high” 

which has been hovering above. Spring bulbs have 

also put on a colourful display, flowering well under the 

calmer weather front. This won’t last – but it has been 

a remarkable few weeks. 

When the weather is good – the gardeners get going, so 

this is a timely reminder that also out and about will be 

hedgehogs eating our slugs and snails. Blue slug pellets 

are lethal for these creatures so must be avoided and 

alternatives used 

instead. Wool pellets 

can be sprinkled 

around tender 

perennials and 

summer bedding, 

then watered in. 

Slugs don’t like the 

rough, hairiness and 

back off. Really successful are “slug pubs” filled with 

beer or cider. The sweetness draws the slimy creatures 

in for a drink – and then oblivion! Equally effective are 

plant saucers placed near seedlings, tender plants and 

summer bedding and filled with beer or cider. There are 

only 1 million hedgehogs left in the wild compared to 

35 million in 1980s so we must do our bit to help these 

endangered creatures. 

Two dates for your gardening calendar: Thursday 11th 

May when our guest will be Professor Stephen Phillips MBE 

who will talk about Medicinal Plants. This will be a very 

interesting and enlightening evening as he expands on our 

basic awareness of plants used in medicines. We meet at 

The Legion at 8pm and look forward to seeing you there. 

Guests are always welcome. 

On Saturday 20th May we hold our Plant Sale at 9.30am 

outside The Legion. Here there will be a selection of shrubs 

and perennials which are looking for new homes; seedlings 

brought on by members and boxes of bedding plants. We’re 

bound to find something you need in your garden! 

Colourful Kilmacolm 

April saw the usual spirit-lifting surge of growth in our 

gardens, and, for Colourful Kilmacolm, in our various 

planters. Daffodils and tulips have been the main stars, 

but pulmonaria, saxifrage and hellebore added colour 

to our planting at the Pullman. 

As this is being written, the weather is still cold and it is 

not easy to imagine that we will be planting out summer 

bedding in a 

few weeks, but 

we plan ahead 

with ideas for 

summer floral 

displays to make 

the most of our 

summer weather, 

whatever it may 

be this year. 

Over the winter months a very willing 

local volunteer worked hard with us 

to cut back much of the laurel at the 

Pullman site, as it was threatening 

to take over. This has opened up 

further areas for planting and we are always pleased to 

be offered surplus plants for this area. 

Members are reminded that our AGM will be held on 

8th May. Colourful Kilmacolm is open to everyone. If 

you have not yet joined, the very modest £5 annual 

subscription will support our efforts. You can opt just to 

be a supporter, or to be an ‘active gardener’ and help in 

practical ways. 

Membership forms can be downloaded from our website 

www.colourfulkilmacolm.org.uk or you can phone Peter 

(01505 872448) or Diane (01505 872611).


49 49 

SO MUCH TO DO, SO LITTLE TIME 

So many things are happening at once that our Advertizer 

correspondent is running around in ever-decreasing 

circles. Some might ask “so what else is new?” 

Anyway, as followers of our Facebook page will already 

know, we’ve had a couple of changes at the top. At our 

recent AGM, Chair Alice Johnstone and 

Treasurer Margaret Greenlees stood 

down. Both are founder members 

and have held these posts since 

Brighter Bridge of Weir was formed in 

2010. Time to step back then. They’ll 

continue to be involved with the 

Group, but will be able to have more 

time to themselves. Brighter Bridge of 

Weir would not have achieved what 

it has without their hard work, both 

in the field and behind the scenes. 

At the meeting, Neil Thomson was 

proposed as Chair and seconded by 

Alice, while Margaret nominated Gary 

Montgomery as Treasurer. These 

were approved unanimously. The 

transition will take a little time, due to 

banking arrangements and so on, but 

it will not change the aims and objectives of Brighter Bridge of Weir. 

Secondly, our annual Clean-Up 

Day is on Saturday May 6th (not 

13th as previously announced, 

since that clashes with other 

events). If you’ve got an hour 

or two to spare, you can join us 

outside the Co-op in Livery Walk 

at 10.30am. It’s not hard work, 

but it will make things a bit easier 

for our few volunteers. 

Thirdly, all in the past few weeks, 

Bridge of Weir Leather have 

donated £500, a really good mark of support from a local company with 

a world-wide reputation. And if ever we needed evidence of support from 

across the spectrum, a local man donated £20 in passing, and a group 

of local residents - The Bracken Book Club - gave us £150 to mark the 

birthday of one of their members. Such spontaneous gestures are very 

encouraging to all of us at Brighter Bridge of Weir. 

Space is limited in the Advertizer, but you can find out more about these 

and other events by following us on Facebook and visiting our website at 

www.brighterbridgeofweir.org. 

Bishopton Plant Sale 

Cornerstone, Greenock Road, Bishopton 

Christian Aid has been helping people in need, no 

matter their belief or no faith at all, for 70 years. The 

Annual Bishopton Christian Aid Plant Sale and Coffee 

Morning takes place on Saturday 20th May from 10am to 12 noon. In 

addition to selecting plants on the day, there will be a Pre-order Service for 

Plants which is obtainable via members of the Christian Aid Committee. 

Cost : Adults £2 (includes a coffee/tea and some home baking) 


Lodge Sir Michael 989 

Glebe Road, Kilmacolm 

Fri 12th May - 5pm - 9pm 

Fri 19th May - 5pm - 9pm 

Sat 13th May - 9am - 4pm 

Sun 14th May - 10am - 4pm 

Sat 20th May - 9am - 4pm 

Sun 21st May - 10am - 4pm 

Planters and hanging baskets made to order. Free advice on plants. Large 

variety of quality plants at value for money prices. 

Kilbarchan Smile Gateway Garden Party Will Be Part 

Of Lilifest 2017 

Kilbarchan Smile is once again hosting the Gateway 

Garden Party as part of this years Lilifest. 

Taking place on Sunday 28th May (12noon - 4pm) 

the event will celebrate the completion of the next 

phase of development of the garden that recently 

received some additional “Stalled Spaces” funding. 

The family fun day will feature music, a performance by Loud and Proud, 

LEAP, Fairtrade/Coop, RSPB and other stalls. Young Habbies can also join 

storyteller Anne Pitcher for some interactive storytelling fun with puppets, 

props, sound makers and songs. Hot dogs and refreshments will also be 

available (while stocks last). 

All are welcome to come and have a look, meet the volunteers and find out 

more about getting involved. 

TOP 

GARDENING 

TIPS 

Joint Chair, Damon 

Scott, said; “It is 

hoped the Gateway 

Garden Party and 

ongoing access 

to the garden will 

encourage more 

local people to get 

involved, develop 

an interest in 

gardening and grow 

their own plants. 

“We’d really like as many people as possible to start to use the garden. 

We’ve still got plenty of materials for making more growing spaces and 

there is a lot of room. It is a really healthy outdoor pastime and we’re 

actively encouraging the growing of vegetables and herbs.” 

Gail Scoular, Joint Chair, adds: “The Gateway Garden Party is an 

opportunity for local people to come and have a look at the space, meet 

the volunteers and find out more about getting involved. We’ve continued 

to have an amazing response from local businesses and individuals 

including donations of materials and plants as well as invaluable help from 

Renfrewshire’s Community Payback team.” 

Before the garden party the next monthly Drop In session at the garden will 

take place on Sunday the 14th of May from 1pm to 3pm. Come and help 

with potato and veg planting and put your name down for a growing area 

& start your very own veg plot! All welcome, gardening is great for all the 

family. 

Kilbarchan Smile is always looking for volunteers to help with the various 

projects it is undertaking. To get involved contact Gail Scoular on 07985 

749220, email gailscoular@gmail.com or join the group Kilbarchan Smile 

on Facebook. 

The ultimate garden treat for fun-loving felines is 

Catnip (Nepeta cataria). Not all cats are susceptible but 

70% of them will show great interest. Dried Catnip is available in 

pet shops but the fresh plant makes an attractive addition to the garden 

for both owner and puss. As it’s a member of the mint family, it can 

become invasive so is best confined to a pot rather than in the ground. 

Lavender is a great herb providing a bushy and attractive 

hiding place for cats. 

Cats love to lounge in the sun but can be prone to 

sunburn. Planting large shrubs gives cats the 

opportunity to seek shade while still enjoying the warm 

weather. 

Piles of logs make excellent areas for scratching claws, 

while low shrubs make interesting hiding places for 

cats to snuggle up in for an al fresco snooze. 

A full list of plants that are dangerous and best to 

avoid can be found on the International Cat Care’s website 

www.icatcare.org. Lilies in particular can be lethal if a cat ingests 

pollen from its fur after brushing against them. 

Ensure your cat is fully vaccinated before venturing outdoors to protect against diseases and parasites. 

Neutering is also vital to prevent unwanted kittens being born and to reduce roaming.


Welcome to Scotland’s largest Regional Park 

Spring Starts: The summer season got 

underway with a busy weekend at the 

start of April, since then there have been 

Model Boat Championships, Bird Ringing 

Demonstrations, Spring Sailability Regatta, 

Easter Entertainment and Pedal the Park 

100km Sportive to name just some of the 

events and activities of the last month. Please look on our website for 

forth coming events or pick up a summer whats on guide at a Visitor 

Centre. 

Summer Hours: The Park’s 3 Visitor Centres are open the following 

hours: Castle Semple is open daily 10am – 5pm and Greenock and 

Muirshiel are open weekends and public holidays 11am – 4pm. With the 

lighter nights coming in we have lots of opportunity for you to get outside 

and walk, run or cycle. 

Ride 63 Community Cycle Club: Report that Tuesday evening is the 

current ride night, meeting outside RT Cycles in Glengarnock at 6.20pm 

or at Castle Semple at 6.40pm exact route depends on the weather and 

who shows up. The 2017 club ride calendar can be seen on the Club 

noticeboard at Castle Semple Visitor Centre. Contact the club on the 

‘group style facebook page’ or email the secretary ridesixtythree@gmail. 

com for a membership form and ride info. 

Clyde Muirshiel Munchkins: This month this Brand NEW Pre 5’s Nature 

Club will splash in to the pond to see what creatures call it home. Meet 

at the Greenock Cut Visitor Centre on Wednesday 24th May, full details 

including booking can be done online. 

Keep Safe: Castle Semple Visitor Centre is now a ‘Keep Safe’ location 

to help people with a disability feel safe in the community. A window 

sticker lets folk know Castle Semple is a suitable place to come if they 

feel threatened or vulnerable. Look here for www.iammescotland.co.uk 

more information. 

Looking Ahead: 

Summer holiday outdoor activity courses are booking up but there are still 

spaces available. Why not keep your kids busy and give them a taste of 

outdoor adventure in the holidays, all courses can be booked using the 

online booking system. 

10k Bog Stomp Run takes place on Sunday 3rd September from the 

Greenock Cut Visitor Centre, online entry is up and running at www. 

clydemuirshiel.co.uk/event/bog-stomp-2017. 

Tag-n-Track Project update 

Spring has definitely sprung with the arrival of many of our migratory 

birds. Willow warblers, chiffchaffs and swallows have all been spotted 

and the lesser black-backed gulls are taking up territories and starting to 

build nests on rooftops. 

May is going to be a busy month for the project as we will be catching 12 

adult gulls to fit with satellite tags. Our aim is to catch adults on the nest, 

fit them with a tag, metal BTO ring and a colour ID ring before releasing 

them to carry on nesting and rearing chicks. We will then make regular 

weekly visits to see if we can spot them from a distance by looking for the 

colour rings to see that the tags are not having any effect on their breeding 

attempts. The tags we are going to be using are GSM satellite tags which 

will take a fix on the gull’s positions up to 5 times a day. This data is then 

relayed through the mobile phone network back to our computers. We 

are expecting the birds to frequent their nesting sites during the summer 

and then, in the autumn, the juicy data will start to come in. 

By this point you are probably wondering why we are tagging gulls…well 

did you know that the lesser black-backed gull leaves our shores in the 

autumn and migrates to sunnier climes such as Portugal, Benidorm and 

even The Gambia? Our project wants to highlight these movements that 

this species makes by engaging the public. Gulls have a bad reputation 

but many of the problems are actually caused by us rather than the gulls. 

We will be doing regular social media and website updates letting people 

know where the individual gulls are as well as working with schools in 

Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and North Ayrshire. So keep an eye out for 

gulls with white rings with red writing and let us know if you spot any. We 

are also looking for volunteers to help us with a variety of project tasks 

such as camera trapping monitoring, gull spotting and more. If you fancy 

learning a new skill and want to find out more then please contact us on 

the details below. 

In other news the project was visited 

by the Cotton Club (an older adult 

recreational group) who enjoyed an 

afternoon of bird ringing with siskins, 

blue tits and long-tailed tits all putting 

in an appearance. We also ran another 

public demonstration in April which was 

our busiest yet for visitors. 

Unfortunately it was very windy and birds were few and far between. 

This didn’t dampen the spirits of many avid visitors who were very patient 

and happy to enjoy being in the Visitor Centre. We managed to capture 

some more siskins and retrapped a coal tit that was ringed in September 

2016 and a female 

long-tailed tit that 

was captured a 

week before. Our 

thanks goes out to 

Bill Crookston and 

Natalie McAlindon 

who have taken 

some of the bird 

photos that you see in this and last month’s articles. 

Event News 

Our next ringing events will take place at Muirshiel Country Park on 

Saturday the 6th of May between 10am and 3.30pm and Greenock Cut 

Visitor Centre on Sunday the 7th of May between 10.30am and 3.30pm. 

There will also be a ringing demonstration as part of the Waunder’ful 

Woods day at Muirshiel Visitor Centre on the 21st of May between 11am 

and 3pm. Please do come along and see what surprise birds we get in 

the net this time. If you can’t join us on these days then keep an eye out 

for our stand at the Kilmacolm show on Saturday 13th May and Gourock 

Highland Games on Sunday 14th May. 

More Info… 

Details can be found on the Park’s website www.clydemuirshiel.co.uk/tagn-track 

or by emailing tnt@clydemuirshiel.co.uk. The Project also now 

has its own Facebook Page which can be found at www.facebook.com/ 

TagnTrack/ 

Talks to groups can be arranged if you are interested in finding out more 

about the project and its findings as the project progresses. 

Keep up to speed with events and activities taking place on the Park’s Facebook: facebook.com/ClydeMuirshielRegionalPark or 

Twitter @Clydemuirshiel pages and Instagram pages.


51 51 

For more information about the reserve or any of our events, please call 

01505 842 663 or email lochwinnoch@rspb.org.uk. 

Spring is upon us and wildflowers are starting to appear on the reserve. 

At this time of year, as the days grow longer and the sun begins to shine a 

little more, we start to think about the natural world that is a little closer to 

home – gardens! Now is the time when many folk drag their lawnmowers 

out of the garage, and start thinking about giving the garden hedge a trim. 

As well as being fantastic places to enjoy the summer weather (when it 

appears!), gardens are also vital habitats for a variety of wildlife. Whether 

you are a green-fingered gardening expert or a reluctant grass-cutter, there 

is plenty you can do to help give nature a home in your own garden. 

A brilliant way to liven up your garden, and help our friends the bees, 

is to add some flowers! Seeing that splash of summer colour will be 

sure to brighten your day, but it will also be much appreciated by your 

local bumblebees and honey bees. Many bee species are decreasing 

in numbers quite dramatically due to 

changes in climate and loss of habitat, 

so why not give them a helping hand? 

Adding a variety of different flowers to 

your garden is a great way to do this. 

Garden plants such as singles dahlias 

and lavender can be planted in beds, 

pots or baskets and are perfect for 

nectar-loving bees. You can also try 

adding some native wildflowers such as 

scabious, tufted vetch and knapweed. Did you know that bees particularly 

like purple flowers, as this is the colour they see most clearly? 

If you’re searching for some floral inspiration, look no further than our 

annual Plant Sale on Saturday 20th May. We will have a wide selection of 

garden flowers and plants available to purchase, all with the added bonus 

that some of the profits will go towards the RSPB’s vital conservation 

work.


Kilbarchan’s famous Lilias Day celebrations are all set for 

Saturday 3 June! 

Taking place in the conservation village of Kilbarchan, the Lilias Day 

celebrations date back to the 1700s when the village was a centre of the 

weaving trade in Renfrewshire. Today it is firmly established as a key event 

in the Renfrewshire events calendar and a great day out for all the family. 

A historic parade still leads the celebrations and is followed through the 

village by decorated floats, pipe and brass bands and involvement from the 

community and organisations in and around the area. The parade finishes 

in Kilbarchan Park where a host of stalls, activities and events take place to 

raise thousands of pounds for good causes. 

Local residents and businesses will dress the outside of their premises 

and a prize is given for the best decorated house and business as well as 

for best decorated float. The parade leaves the bottom of the village at 

1pm and along the way the statue of Kilbarchan’s famous piper, “Habbie 

Simpson” on the steeple in the village square is brought to life and joins 

the parade. 

If you haven’t been to Lilias Day before, make this the year to come along 

and join the fun. 

Highlights for this years Lilias Day 

Highlights for this years Lilias Day include a medieval battle re-enactment, 

circus performers, the local football derby between Kilbarchan Primary 

and Bridge of Weir and the annual tug of war tournament. Other features 

include a food village, circus skills workshop, archery, a medieval camp, 

dog show and Jamie McArthur’s music tent. 

The parade will showcase the best in local piping with Kilbarchan, St 

Columba’s and Houston pipe bands all taking part, followed by a fantastic 

display of local creativity in a unique procession of floats. The park layout 

helps to create a festival feel with a ‘food village’ ‘kids’ zone’ and ‘active 

area’. 

Big Prize Raffle 

The grand finale this year will again be the big prize raffle, when one lucky 

winner will leave the park £1,000 richer. If you haven’t bought your ticket 

yet you can buy them at local shops throughout the village and on the day 

at the Lilias Day Committee stall in the park. The raffle draw takes place in 

the park on Lilias Day at 4.30pm. 

You can keep up to date on all the latest news on the Lilias Day website 


Miss Lilias And The School Queen 

The two leading ladies of Kilbarchan’s Lilias Day have been announced for 

the event taking place on Saturday 3rd June. 

duties Cara will read a proclamation to officially open Lilias Day and, later 

in the year, will have the honour of switching on the Christmas lights in 

Kilbarchan. 

Every year the most senior pupils in Kilbarchan Primary School elect a 

School Queen and attendants to 

represent the school at Lilias Day. 

The group takes a leading role in 

the parade and Miss Lilias crowns 

the School Queen as the parade 

arrives in the park. 

The School Queen this year is Emma 

Moore and her attendants are Zoe 

Ryszewski and Cara Lauder. The 

Crown Bearer is Pierre Minucci and 

the footman Jason Kirkwood. 

@LiliasDay 


LILIFEST KICKS OFF LILIAS DAY CELEBRATIONS 

Lilifest will once again present an exciting range of events and activities as 

part of Kilbarchan’s Lilias Day Celebrations. 

A number of new events have been added to the programme including 

“An Evening with Rev Ian Miller” featuring one of Kilbarchan’s best loved 

personalities. Ian is a master raconteur with an Aladdin’s cave of stories 

and jokes as anyone who has had the pleasure of his company will testify. 

Guests are sure to enjoy his “set” at Kilbarchan Performing Arts Centre on 

Thursday 1st June proceeds of which he has kindly agreed to donate to 

Kilbarchan Smile to reinvest in the village. 

This years’ festival is brought right up to date with and an interactive Lego 

animation workshop by Morgan Spence whose creations viewed more than 

10 million times worldwide. He has also appeared on the BBC and ABC 

television in the US discussing his work that includes videos for DJ Paul 

Oakenfold and Paisley’s City of Culture bid. On Monday 29th May Morgan 

will present a 90 minute workshop where he will be sharing his experiences 

and knowledge of the craft before assisting participants in creating their 

own animated clips* using Lego. 

The Kilbarchan Smile Gateway Garden Party will once 

again form part of Lilifest. Taking place on Sunday 28th 

May (12-4pm) the family fun day will feature music, a 

performance by Loud and Proud, LEAP, Fairtrade/Coop, 

RSPB and other stalls. Young Habbies can also join 

storyteller Anne Pitcher for some interactive storytelling fun 

with puppets, props, sound makers and songs. Hot dogs and refreshments 

will also be available (while stocks last). 

A series of events including live music and quizzes will take place at the 

village’s two pubs Habbies and The Trust whilst Village Voices and The 

Junior Choir will perform their summer concert at Kilbarchan Parish Church 

on Sunday 11 June (includes afternoon tea). The popular Barchan Mad 

Comedy night also makes a welcome return on the night of Lilias Day itself 

featuring a great line up with host for the evening, Graham Barrie. 

Brookfield Knights bring more live music to the Performing Arts Centre with 

internationally renowned roots music from Laura Cortese & The Dance 

Cards from Boston on Tuesday 23rd May and Chris Stout & Catriona 

McKay’s Shetland-inspired sound on Wednesday 7th June. 

Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards 

Chris Stout & Catriona McKay 

Cara Batin is Miss Lilias 2017 and the School Queen is Emma Moore. 

The Lilias Day committee choose Miss Lilias each year based on her 

contribution to the community or good causes. Cara is in 4th year at 

Johnstone High School. For several years Cara has been heavily involved 

in ReMode, LEAP’s Youth Engagement Programme clothes upcycling 

boutique in Lochwinnoch. She has also recently completed her Duke of 

Edinburgh Bronze Award. Cara was voted school queen in 2013 and is 

delighted to have been chosen to be Miss Lilias this year. As part of her 

“Habbies Hoolie” family ceilidh makes a welcome return to the Kilbarchan 

Performing Arts Centre on Saturday 17th June with the area’s leading ceilidh 

band, Clamjamfrie, serving up a rousing evening of music and dancing on 

the evening of the Kilbarchan Show. 

Lilias Day itself will offer a day packed with activities and entertainment on 

Saturday 3rd June with the park opening at 12noon and historic parade 

starting at 1pm. 

For full list of events please see the What’s on section or for more information 

visit www.liliasday.co.uk


53 53 

HIGHWOOD, KILMACOLM Open Sunday 14th May 2pm - 5pm for Bluebells 

Woodland walk around 50 acres 

of beautiful native bluebells in a 

delightful setting bordering the 

Green Water river with tumbling 

waterfalls. Stout waterproof 

footwear is essential as paths 

can be muddy. Dogs welcome 

on a lead. Fantastic opportunities 

for lovers of wild flowers and 

photography. 

GET HERE - Take B786 Lochwinnoch Road out of Kilmacolm and continue for 

approximately two miles then follow SG signs. From Lochwinnoch take B786 

Kilmacolm Road for approximately six miles, then follow SG signs. 

Donations welcome. Disabled Access Home made teas available. Dogs 

Allowed. Plant stall. Delicious home baked tea and plant sale. Fun duck 

race on the river for families at 3.30pm with rubber ducks available for 

purchase on the day. 

Orkidstudio receives 40%, the net remaining to SG Beneficiaries 

BRIDGE OF WEIR ROAD GARDENS - NEW FOR 2017 

Open Sunday 21st May 2pm - 5pm 

BEECHWOOD - The garden was 

redesigned in 2004 to provide a 

sweeping lawn around the side 

of the house suitable for family 

use. The borders are well stocked 

and offer an interesting variety 

of shrubs and plants, including a 

eucalyptus tree. 

LARCHMONT - within the walled 

gardens are mature trees, rhododendrons and azaleas with wide lawns 

& herbaceous borders. The garden also offers a fine example of a late 

Victorian glasshouse. 

SHIELDHALL - was for many years part of St Columba’s School, returning 

to residential use in the 1990s. Since then the tarmac playground has been 

transformed into a well stocked garden with mature shrubs & herbaceous 

plants, providing colour and interest throughout the year. The garden is 

on two levels with a meandering path leading you through both. 

GET HERE - The gardens are within 50 yards of each other on the Bridge of Weir 

Road in the middle of Kilmacolm. Signage will be up on the day. 

Entry £4. Disabled Access Home-made teas available. Dogs Allowed. 

Plant stall. Ardgowan Hospice receives 40%, the net remaining to SG Beneficiaries 

Brookfield Gardening group 

This is an informal group of people interested in gardening. We meet 

monthly during the growing season, taking turns to host the meeting and 

offer a tour of our garden. It is a great opportunity to get advice from 

other gardeners and share plants. Those who wish also help to keep the 

Millennium Garden (at the top of Victoria Rd) and the flower beds at the 

Village Hall stocked and weeded. If you are interested in joining us, please 

contact Helen Ostrycharz by emailing hrostrycharz@gmail.com 

Summer’s on its way 

As bulbs fade and herbaceous 

borders grow in leaps and bounds, 

it is now clear that summer is 

approaching. Sowing and planting 

out bedding can begin, depending 

on regional weather variations, and 

you can take softwood cuttings. It’s 

also time to get back into the lawn 

mowing regime, as the lawn will be 

loving the warmer temperatures 

this month brings. 

Top 10 Jobs This Month:- 

1 - Watch out for late frosts. Protect 

tender plants 

2 - Earth up potatoes, and promptly 

plant any still remaining 

3 - Plant out summer bedding at the 

end of the month (except in cold 

areas) 

4 - Water early and late to get the most 

out of your water, recycle water 

when possible 

5 - Regularly hoe off weeds 

6 - Open greenhouse vents and doors 

on warm days 

7 - Mow lawns weekly 

8 - Check for nesting birds before 

clipping hedges 

9 - Lift and divide overcrowded clumps 

of daffodils and other springflowering 

bulbs 

10 - Watch out for viburnum beetle and 

lily beetle grubs 

www.rhs.org.uk/advice/in-month/may 

Wildlife Crime 

Liaison Officer 

These officers can be contacted to 

report crime or to seek advice on 

wildlife crime matters. Call Police 

Scotland on 101 to report a wildlife 

crime or email us at Contactus@ 

scotland.pnn.police.uk.


Langbank 

Playgroup 

Langbank playgroup is the place 

to be!!! We offer a wide variety 

of experiences for the children, 

such as social interaction with 

others, creative and imaginative 

play opportunities, numeracy and 

literacy challenges, as well as 

outdoor play. 

We are thoroughly enjoying our 

Skoobmobile sessions and the 

children are developing their 

knowledge of songs and stories 

through these sessions. 

We have a close relationship with 

the local Primary School and we 

have already started our visits 

to and from the school. This will 

ensure a smooth transition for our 

children venturing into Primary 1 in 

August. 

Do you have a child aged between 

2.5yrs to 5yrs old? Then why not let 

them come along and experience 

the fun! Everyone welcome from 

Langbank and surrounding areas. 

Playgroup is held on a Friday 

morning (term time) in Langbank 

Village Hall and we currently have 

spaces for children aged 2.5yrs to 

5yrs. If you would like to join us 

on a Friday morning or for more 

information, please contact Jen 

Burrows on 07947983025. 

Kilmacolm 

Toddlers and Playgroup 

Kilmacolm Primary School 

Firstly, a huge thank you to everyone who helped in making our Easter 

Eggstravaganza fundraiser such a success! A good time was had by all 

and these events could not go ahead without the hard work and support of 

our committee members as well as everyone who attends the events. 

The children are looking forward to some exciting events coming up 

including their Sports Day and a summer trip. 

The playgroup are currently recruiting for a new Senior playleader. To find out 

more information and how to apply please email Carly at: cgorman1009@ 

gmail.com - full details can be found in the classified section at the back of 

the magazine. 

P1 had a visit from Buzzy, the giant honeybee, who lead our P1 pupils into 

the wonderful world of bees in an interactive show by Generation Science. 

The boys and girls learned how a bee’s body is different from ours and how 

bees and flowers work together. There was fun, games and even ‘The 

Busy Bee Dance’! 

We took part in a fundraising event 

for Red Nose Day, organised by our 

P6/5 class and their teacher Mrs 

McPherson. The pupils bought red 

noses, dressed in red, donated a 

£1 and then had fun and games in 

the hall. We hope to raise a large 

amount to donate to Comic Relief. 

Thank you for your hard work P6/5 

Mrs Carruth organised a visit from SSPCA where all classes had a short 

talk about the important work the organisation does. The boys and girls 

had lots of questions for Elizabeth and Andy and learned lots of interesting 

animal facts and stories. 

We recently were invited by Kilmacolm Art Class to hold a competition in P5-7 

for art work to be displayed in the club’s exhibition in Kilmacolm Community 

Centre. Our winners were: 3rd Ava Oates, 2nd Lilianna McWhinnie, 1st 

Emily Wilson. Highly recommended were Jules Gaston and Emre Gider. 

Thanks to Janice Sinclair and tutor Tom Murray who encouraged the boys 

and girls and then judged the entries. Well done to all who took part and 

many thanks to Kilmacolm Art Class for their kind donation to the school to 

buy art resources. 

We celebrated World Downs Syndrome Day by 

wearing ‘Lots of Socks’ to raise awareness of Downs 

Syndrome. We wore brightly coloured socks, patterned 

socks, socks on socks, socks on heads, in fact, socks 

just about everywhere! 

There were a 

lot of excited 

children during 

the auditions 

for our school 

show planned 

for May. What 

hard work the boys and girls put in, 

they were word perfect, expressive 

and more than just enthusiastic. 

Leading parts were allocated 

with more speaking parts to be announced at a later date. Well done to 

everyone, you are the best! 

We rounded off March by holding a coffee morning, organised by our Parent 

Teacher Fundraising group. Staff, parents and pupils all helped to raise a 

wonderful £562 for school funds. Thanks to all who helped donate to the 

stalls or who helped on the day. We appreciate the continued support from 

all parents and staff. Thank you. 

Baby and 

Toddler Group 

A Baby and Toddler Group is held on 

Friday mornings, 9.30am -11.30am 

in Elderslie Kirk, Main Rd, Elderslie. 

It only costs £2 and that includes a 

snack for your little one and a lovely 

cup of tea / coffee for yourself. Lots 

of different toys to play with - all 

welcome! 

every Mo n d a y 

Lochwinnoch Baby & Toddlers 

McKillop Hall, 9.45am - 11.30am 

£2/family fee incl tea & children’s snacks. 

Kilmacolm Playgroup 

St Columba Church Hall, Kilmacolm, 

9.30am - 11.40am 

Howwood Baby & Toddler Group 

Howwood Parish Church, 10am - 12noon 

Kilbarchan Parish Church Tots’ Club 

Kilbarchan Parish Church Hall, 9.15am 

- 11.30am 

every Tuesday 

Kilbarchan Tots 

Kilbarchan Scout Hall, 10am-12noon 

£2 contribution. Tea, coffee & biscuits. 

Bridge of Weir Toddlers 

Cargill Hall, Lintwhite Cres, BoW 

Pop along and see us from 9.30am - 11.30am 



9.30am - 11.40am 

Howwood Playgroup 

Howwood Church Hall, 9.45am - 11.35am 


Kilmacolm Toddlers 


10am - 11.30am 

For children from birth to 3 years. 

Lochwinnoch Baby & Toddlers 

McKillop Hall, 9.45am - 11.30am 

£2/family fee incl tea and children’s snacks. 



every Th u r s d a y 

Houston Toddlers 

Church Hall, Main Street, Houston 

Pop along and see us from 9.30am - 11.30am 



9.15am - 11.40am 



every Fr i d a y 

Langbank Playgroup 

Langbank Village Hall, 9.45 - 11.45am 

For 2.5 - 5yr olds. 

Contact Jen Burrows 07947 983025. 

Langbank Under 3’s 

Church Hall, Langbank, 10am - 11.45am 

For children from birth to 3 years 

Baby and Toddler Group 

Elderslie Kirk, Main Rd, Elderslie, 

9.30am - 11.30am 

£2 includes children’s snack and tea/coffee. 

Lots of different toys to play with. All welcome. 

Community Bookbug Sessions 

Livingstone Hall at St Columba’s Junior 

School, Knockbuckle Road, Kilmacolm. 

From 9.30 - 10am 

1st & 3rd Fr i d a y 

Renfrewshire Inverclyde Twins Club 

McKillop Hall, Lochwinnoch, 

1pm -2.30pm 

£3. Bring a mug along for a cuppa.

St Fillan’s 

Primary 


Duchal 

Nursery 

55 55 

Many thanks to all the parents of 

St Fillan’s who sponsored their 

children to take part in our obstacle 

course. It has raised a fantastic 

amount of money for school funds. 

We will be using the money to buy 

new laptops for the school and this 

should now allow us to have 1 per 

pupil at computer times. 

Our tennis players took part in a 

tournament at Strathgryffe and 

did us proud in their team effort 

while our rugby players enjoyed 

participating in a tournament in 

Greenock. 

Our annual 

Easter Bonnet 

Parade took 

place before 

we stopped for 

the holidays. 

There was a 

great variety 

of creations. 

Very well done 

to all of our enterprising families for 

working together to allow us to have 

our Easter Bonnet Parade. 

Our P7 children organised a food 

bank collection for Johnstone food 

bank and we were overwhelmed by 

the generous contributions from our 

parents. 

Gryffe High School 

Delightful Spring Concert 

We are delighted that Greenock 

Morton Community Trust are doing 

football taster sessions for the 

children again this term, we have 

had great fun doing this over the 

past few years. The Trust aims 

to encourage children to choose 

exercise as a healthy way of life and 

the children are loving their time on 

the pitch learning new skills! 

We are all getting very creative with 

egg boxes and stone painting for 

the entries for this year’s Kilmacolm 

Show, we will have a stand there too 

so please pop over to say hello! 

As you can see we have an action 

packed time at Duchal, learning 

through play in a friendly secure 

environment, if you would like to 

find out more about what we do and 

find out more about our extended 

hours, please come along to our 

Open Morning on Saturday 20th 

May from 10am – 12noon. This is 

open to anyone who is interested 

in nursery places in the future and 

is a great opportunity to meet the 

teachers and current parents and 

get a taste for Duchal life, we look 

forward to welcoming you. 

More information is available on 

our website www.duchal.com and 

our Facebook page. If you would 

like to arrange to visit the nursery to 

see for yourself what we can offer 

please email info@duchal.com. 

A busy theatre thoroughly 

enjoyed the exceptional musical 

talent of our pupils in the Spring 

Concert. As they say, ‘Practice 

makes Perfect’ and that certainly 

shone through with each well 

thought out performance. As well 

as the Jazz Band, Concert Band, 

Choir and String Ensemble, the 

audience was treated to solo recitals from our ‘Young Musicians of the Year’ 

winners. 

Eco Committee News 

March 25th was WWF Earth Hour 

2017, which raises awareness of 

the issue of Global Warming by 

encouraging people to turn off their 

lights between the time of 8.30pm 

- 9.30pm. The Eco Committee 

supported this challenge. As 

well as organising an informative 

short presentation for all S1 to S3 

classes, subjects were challenged to teach in the dark for a period. S2 

can be seen here in the Maths Department engrossed in a maths related 

Treasure Hunt - working in the dark! 

Remember to follow us on Twitter: @GryffeEco 

Mr. J. Clark – on behalf of The Eco Committee 

Kilmacolm Nursery 

The children in Kilmacolm Nursery Class have 

been enjoying some Outdoor Learning. They 

have enjoyed the Spring weather by taking 

trips to Duchal woods and spending a lot of 

time in the nursery garden. The children are 

particularly enjoying the ‘Mud Kitchen’ that was 

created by CBC (the company who refurbished 

the school). 

There is a 

lot of fun and very muddy learning going 

on! The children are learning all about 

‘Fairytales’ just now and they have created 

a huge beanstalk and castle in the nursery. 

They have also planted ‘magic’ beans in 

the hope that a real beanstalk grows! 

Photography Blog 

by Lauren Russell, Owner, Little Studio Kilmacolm 

How much is Newborn photography worth? 

Think back to how you deliberated over your wedding 

photographer - you ensured that the photographer was 

experienced so that your special day would be captured 

beautifully and professionally. This was probably a budgetstretcher 

but worth it in the long run as you now have a 

cherished collection of photos by which to relive that day. 

Wedding and Newborn photography have one thing in common - neither 

photoshoot can be repeated! Newborn sessions usually have to be booked far 

in advance and have to take place within the first 10 - 14 days of your newborn’s 

life, as the newborn characteristics disappear after just 2 short weeks. 

From the very first moment you see, hold and smell your newborn child, your 

world will change forever and your wedding day will pale in significance to this 

time in your life. You will want to remember all the little details such as your 

baby still curled up, milk spots, flakey skin, wisps of hair, pouty lips, curled up 

fingers and toes. These little details will change and disappear every single 

day as baby gets older and you will more than likely want both parents in these 

photos as well! 

Clients who come to me to get their 6 or 7 month old baby photographed for 

the first time, more often than not express their regret at not having booked in 

for a Newborn session. 

Perfecting poses and handling newborns (and doing so safely) takes years of 

training, practice and hard work. Newborn photographers simply cannot make 

mistakes. Any professional Newborn photographer will tell you that, above 

everything, safety is paramount. 

What you need to take into 

consideration is that the 

photographer you choose, 

works safely with your baby, 

is experienced in posing and 

soothing newborns, has a varied 

portfolio showing comfortable and 

relaxed babies and, lastly, has a 

good reputation. 

So, if you’re wondering how much 

Newborn photography is really 

worth, the answer shouldn’t be a 

monetary amount. It should be 

how much these images will be 

worth to you.


Port Glasgow High School 

BBC Orchestra comes to PGHS (by Sarah Harrison S3) 

A selection of instrumentalists from our 

school had the opportunity to participate 

in the BBC 10 Pieces Project. This 

involved working with players from the 

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra who 

held a question and answer session, a 

master class with two senior pupils and 

rehearsals to perfect our chosen pieces. This was a once-in-a-lifetime 

experience and I can guarantee that everyone involved has come out with a 

better understanding of classical music and with inspiration for the future. 

Saturday School 

Our senior pupils have been investing 

extra effort on their exam preparation 

over the last month. In addition to over 

300 Supported Study sessions which 

have been offered as part of our on-going 

programme, we have been delighted to 

develop a partnership with the Saturday 

School Ltd in Glasgow. A number of our 

National 5 Maths pupils have given up 

some of their Saturday to attend additional sessions at City of Glasgow 

College. Pupils have reported that these sessions have been of real benefit 

– and have enjoyed some lunch in Glasgow as some well-deserved ‘down 

time’! 

WASTED project (by Jay Robertson S2) 

On Thursday 16th March, S2 pupils took part in a workshop about alcohol 

and drugs. We learned about what alcohol and drugs do to your body and 

what the side-effects are. We also learned how to help someone who is 

affected by alcohol or drugs. There were 8 different stations, each one with 

a different purpose. The people who ran the event were the Inverclyde 

Youth team. We spoke to police officers who gave us a lot of information. 

This event was fun, informative and if you get the chance to do it, you 

should. 

Duke of Edinburgh Day 

Hike 

S3 pupils spent a day 

enjoying a practice hike in 

preparation for the qualifying 

expedition required for 

the Bronze award. Pupils 

navigated the Greenock 

Cut using map reading skills 

which had been developed 

in class. And all in glorious 

sunshine! A thoroughly 

good day was had by all. 

Girls in Science 

The school recently hosted a Girls in Science event which involved 

participants from a number 

of schools along with visiting 

Scientists. It was a huge success 

and very enjoyable for the pupils 

involved. 

Follow us on Twitter @ 

PortGlasgowHS and @ 

PGHS_PE_ 

Houston Baby & Toddlers 

We are really looking forward to our upcoming sessions at toddlers, 

enjoying seeing our friends, more crafts and even a teddy bears picnic. 

Why not come along and join us on a Thursday morning? 

Children from 0-4 years old, together with their parents/grandparent/ 

carer, will receive a warm welcome. The children can have fun playing 

with our many toys while the adults chat over a cuppa. We meet every 

Thursday 09.30 - 11.30 (term time only - 

CLOSED 1st & 25th May) in the West hall, 

Main Street, Houston, PA6 7EL (next door 

to the Carrick Centre) – welcome anytime. 

We look forward to meeting you. Sharon, 

Lesley & Fiona. (lesleyannjackson@ 

outlook.com). 

Houston Primary School 

Eco News 

The P6 Eco Representatives and Rangers have taken a leading role in 

preparing bird feeders and ensuring that there is plenty of food to attract 

the birds down at our beautiful orchard. Their aim is to attract as many 

birds as possible before Hayley from Clyde Muirshiel comes to set up her 

bird catching net ready to tag and track the birds in our local environment 

in June as part of our Eco Vertical Learning day. We also plan to visit the 

Craigends Yew, identify trees and their leaves, build dens, create transient 

art pieces using natural materials and have loads of fun outdoors all day 

long. 

The Primary 6 pupils have also entered a competition to create a poster 

about saving energy organised by Renfrewshire Council. The winning 

entrant will receive a £50 voucher for the Science Centre and the school 

will receive money for Eco projects. Green fingers crossed! 

Our Gardening Club set a whole school challenge to decorate a planter and 

fill it with spring bulbs. Now that the bulbs have bloomed our judges Mrs 

Morrison and local gardener Hamish have chosen the winning planters. 

The awards go to P1B, P4 P5 and P6. 

Class News 

The Primary 7 pupils are looking forward to their annual residential trip to 

Loch Insh, where they will learn to windsurf, kayak, canoe, sail and raft 

build to name but a few activities that are on offer. A wonderful week of 

adventure lies ahead. 

They also look forward to their transition visit to Gryffe High School in May. 

Primary 7 also entered the local Rotary Quiz and they won! The pupils 

who will now be representing us in the regional final are Peter Boyd, Ben 

Stevenson, Luke Wilson and Tylar Pollock. Our reserves are Emma Laird 

and Sarah Donnelly. They have been studying every lunchtime. What a 

clever and dedicated team they are. 

A number of stages held open afternoons which were very well attended. 

It is a wonderful opportunity for parents and grandparents to come and see 

all the amazing work that we do. Thank you for all the positive comments 

in our Visitors book. 

Primary 4 have been studying Charlie and the 

Chocolate Factory and were inspired to create 

their own elevator inside the class. I’m sure you 

will agree it is choc-tastic. 

Primary 2 are learning about the Vikings and are 

heading off to Vikingar in Largs to enhance their 

learning. 

Happy Birthday Houston 

Houston Primary School has been celebrating its 40th year by inviting in 

former staff and pupils who have kindly shared their memories of days 

gone by with us. We took the opportunity to record this special moment by 

having a whole school aerial photograph taken in the shape of the number 

40. We also released 40 ruby helium balloons and sang happy birthday at 

the top of our voices as we watched them 

float away. 

The nursery have been having Stay and 

Play sessions for pupils and parents. The 

pupils have confidently shown their special 

guests all of the things they like to play with 

when they are at nursery. A good time was 

had by all. 

Amazing Clarice Cliff artwork by Primary 7. 

The National Theatre of 

Scotland is partnering 

up with the Wheatley 

Foundation to give 200 

young people from disadvantaged backgrounds 

the opportunity to go to the theatre for the first 

time. 

The scheme will see young people living in 

Wheatley Group homes across the central belt of 

Scotland given the chance 

to see a performance, get 

a backstage tour, and 

be given a workshop on 

drama and performance.


57 57 

St Columba’s School, Kilmacolm 

Open Week 22nd - 26th May 

Visit us during our Open Week from 22nd to 26th May to see our Early Years, 

Junior and Senior Schools at work and play. We provide an all-through 

education for boys and girls age 3-18 and offer wraparound care from 7.30am 

- 6pm. 

At St Columba’s pupils and parents are known by name. From the day 

of arrival you are warmly welcomed into a supportive and compassionate 

community where lifelong friendships are forged. Together with excellent 

teaching, this ensures that every child achieves their full potential. We also 

offer a wide range of Advanced Higher subjects to those who wish to join us 

for their sixth year, and are happy to discuss your options with you. 

To book an appointment for Junior School please call 01505 872768 or 01505 

872238 for Senior School and visit www.st-columbas.org to find out more 

about us. 

Pipe Band on Tour in NYC 

Our Pipe Band certainly made the most of 

the Easter break by travelling across the 

pond to embark on a 5 day tour of New York! 

They received an overwhelmingly fantastic 

reception, with praise flooding in from all of their 

performances, in particular the Tartan Parade on 

6th Avenue and their ‘Flash Mob’ performance 

in Grand Central Station. It was an amazing 

experience for everyone involved and as a 

School we are very proud of their achievement. 

Former Pupil and School Matches 

We had a great day and turnout for the annual Former Pupils v School hockey 

and rugby matches on Saturday 25th March. Well done to all the players for 

hard-fought matches. Sales from the match programme raised £168.73 for 

the East Africa Appeal. The results were - 

Hockey: 1st XI 1 - 0 FPs 

Player of the Match - Imogen Davies 

Rugby: School Captain’s XV 24 - 12 Vicecaptain’s 

XV 

Player of the Match - James Smith 

FP Old Boys 28 - 32 Old Old Boys 

Player of the Match - Iain Gillies 

Junior School London Drama Trip 

Our J5/J6 pupils were also busy during Easter 

with a drama trip down to London to explore 

some of the city’s fantastic theatrical offerings. 

They enjoyed an afternoon at Pineapple Dance 

Studio, street theatre in Convent Garden and 

a trip to see School of Rock amongst many 

other activities. It was a jam packed 3 days 

with lots of fun, laughter and learning! 

Silver Tablet Concert 

A date for your diary! The Silver Tablet celebrates the best of musical talent 

from Senior VI who compete for this award by performing pieces of Grade 8 

standard. The concert will be held on the morning of Monday 5th June in St 

Columba’s Church at 11.30am followed by light refreshments. Members of 

the School community, including parents, friends, former pupils, former staff 

and former parents are all welcome to attend this lovely musical celebration. 

Please contact nmnkay@st-columbas.org if you wish to attend. 

Annual Sports Dinner 

Well done to all of the winners from our 

Sports Dinner. It was a fantastic evening 

with our Guest Speaker Ross Miller, Former 

Pupil (2003) and Scotland 7s internationalist. 

The winners were; 

Joe Yacoubian - Captain’s Shield & Murray 

Kicking Cup 

Maddie Cleat - Captain’s Shield 

Eilidh Fleming - Goalkeeper’s Shield 

Imogen Davies - Players’ Player of the Year 

Harry Briggs - Players’ Player of the Year 

The Green Cup - Most improved Hockey player of the year - Anna Hendry 

The Steel Cup - Most Improved Rugby Player of the year - Jamie Wilson 

St Columba’s at Kilmacolm Show 

We’ll be at the Kilmacolm Show on Saturday 13th May with a marquee full 

of exciting games and fun activities, so don’t forget to pop along and say hi 

when you’re there!


Boglestone Judo Club 

Boglestone junior section were on their travels to the Satire championships 

in Lasswade outside of Edinburgh. 

It was a great day out with Boglestone winning 4 medals on the day. These 

junior club competitions are a great way to let the junior players try the 

techniques they have practised in the club in a competitive environment, the 

juniors did well, with silver medals going to Harry Vine and Luke Wolfenden 

and Bronze medals going to Dillon Tollan and Gary Thomas. 

Boglestone juniors practice on a Wednesday at Boglestone Community 

Centre from 7pm to 8pm. 

Gleddoch Ladies Golf Club 

A Great Start To The New Golfing Season 

The boys celebrate on the winners rostrum 

Gleddoch Ladies had their first 

competition of the year on 1st 

April, a fun tri-am competition 

over 12 holes. The weather was 

fine (mostly), the sandwiches 

afterwards very welcome, and 

everyone enjoyed themselves 

thoroughly. The winners were new 

captain Mhairi, Trixie and Shirley, in 

spite of Shirley’s buggy problems! 

It was great to meet friends not seen all winter, and we are all looking 

forward to the new season. 

Gleddoch Ladies are a friendly bunch and welcome visitors and 

prospective new members. Contact Martin McCorkell on 01475 

540704, or Gleddoch Hotel Reception. 

Kilmacolm Ladies Golf Club 

What a treat for the Ladies 

section of Kilmacolm Golf 

Club who enjoyed an 

evening with Jim McArthur, 

recent past Chairman of 

Congo and of the R&A 

Championship Committee 

and Hazel Irvine, renowned 

television and sports 

presenter. 

Lady Captain, Lois Brown 

welcomed everyone and Past Captain Susan Reid introduced our guests. 

Jim, a seasoned speaker, tee’d off with a tried and tested anecdote using 

notable names from the Ladies section to bring much laughter to the room. 

He spoke enthusiastically and gave us an insight into his role at the R&A, 

his involvement with the Open championships and as a rules official. If 

you think you struggle to remember the rules of golf, try recalling them 

under pressure with TV cameras and microphones honing in on your 

answer! Touchingly, he recounted the year at Royal St. George’s, when 

Darren Clarke won his Open title and the overwhelming support from both 

crowd and players. Another moving moment, witnessing Ernie Els’ and 

Adam Scott’s great sportsmanship over the 2012 Open; the essence of 

golf and the nature of the game in clear evidence that day. From municipal 

beginnings as a lad in Glasgow to Augusta National Golf Club, he has 

golfed all over the world. With a staggering 120 qualifying rounds played 

last year, his wife wonders that they are still married! Although difficult to 

pick a favourite, both he and Hazel agreed that British courses offer true 

Open tests, Muirfield being their top pick. 

Hazel held us captivated with her career in broadcasting and journey to date. 

As well as golf, she’s commentated on snooker, football and presented at 

both Commonwealth and Olympic Games. With viewing figures reaching 

tens of millions, the enormity of the task was ever present. She readily 

admitted that whilst being a keen sportswoman, she’s never had the drive 

to become exceptional. However, commentating on and interviewing those 

at the top of their field, for her, is the next best thing. As with her presenting, 

her evening’s preparation was meticulous and she spoke effortlessly 

without missing a beat. What one doesn’t necessarily appreciate on TV is 

the warmth of her character and just how natural and charming she is, with 

a great sense of humour. Oh, and as his golf partner, Jim tells us she is an 

impressive driver of the ball! 

Although the season opener had 

to be postponed due to snow, 

the night was a huge success. 

A laughter filled evening was 

followed by a welcome supper 

from Stuart’s catering team, with 

Mamie outdoing herself once 

again with the cake selection. 

With a new manager at the club, 

we’re now looking forward to 

an enthusiastic and successful 

126th year of golf.


European Cycling Challenge 

Baby Massage Classes 

59 59 

This year the challenge includes the immediate area 

outside the city of Glasgow to include the neighbouring 

municipalities in the Clyde Valley area collectively known 

as Glasgow City Region. This should help encourage 

more cycling and include multimodal journeys helping 

get more people out on their bikes. 

Across the area has seen a huge growth in its citizen’s love of cycling, with 

many who work in the city travelling by bike. Types of cycle route provision 

is varied and includes: segregated cycle ways, on road facilities designated 

via lining, signed routes on quiet roads or through its parks and shared 

surfaces provided for pedestrians and cyclists. With a focus in promoting 

health and sustainable transport, cycling is the natural choice. 

In the city centre there is a cycle hire scheme, run by Next Bike. With 43 

stations and 420 hire bikes located at transport hubs, it’s the easy way to 

get to destinations across the city and visit tourist attractions, and cultural 

and educational centres across the city. 

The climate of the Clyde Valley is similar to most northern European 

towns and cities, the people are friendly, the architecture stunning and the 

surrounding countryside beautiful. 

Whatever your reason to come to Glasgow, you’ll enjoy it even more getting 

around by bike. Further information on the challenge for the Glasgow City 

Region can be found here: www.nhsggc.org.uk/ecc 

Baby massage the perfect way to encourage and 

nurture that vital bond between parent and baby. 

Learning this skill offers a wonderful opportunity to 

spend time with your little one encouraging both 

verbal and non verbal communication ensuring 

they feel loved, valued and respected. 

My name is Janette and I have worked in childcare 

for over 25 years, the past seven years supporting 

parents affected by post natal depression and I am 

passionate about encouraging and nurturing that precious connection 

between parent and baby. I am a fully qualified infant massage therapist 

and a member of the International Association of Infant Massage. 

Infant massage provides that all important stimulation of your baby’s 

senses promoting better health and well being. It can help your baby to feel 

securely attached, increase levels of relaxation and longer sleep, reduces 

crying and emotional distress, improves coordination and relief from wind, 

colic and constipation. For you as a parent it helps you feel closer to your 

baby, increases confidence in your ability to care for and nurture your baby, 

understand your baby’s behaviour, crying and body language. 

Classes are offered locally either in groups or one to one on weekdays and 

Saturday mornings. Mums, Dads, close family members or primary carers 

are welcome. 

Warm and welcoming environment in which to learn a new life long skill. 

Refreshments provided and opportunity to meet new parents. 

Please contact for further information – email janette.a.mckenna@gmail. 

com 

Morton Chairman to be 

Highland Games Chieftain 

Saturday 24th - Sunday 25th June 

After the thrill of it’s debut in Scotland in 2016, the Grand Prix of the Sea 

will return to Greenock in 2017! Don’t miss this great FREE event at the 

Esplanade in Greenock. 

Mixed in with the powerboat and jet-ski racing will be jet-ski freestyle 

displays, air displays and 

a wide range of stalls and 

interactive games afloat 

and ashore. 

For more information, visit 

www.p1superstock.co.uk 

The Chieftain for the Gourock Highland Games has been named as 

Greenock Morton Chairman Douglas Rae OBE. 

The businessman – who is also chairman of the Golden Casket 

confectionary corporation – will preside over the 61st annual games at their 

new permanent home at Battery Park. 

Douglas Rae OBE said: “I am absolutely thrilled and extremely honoured to 

have been asked. I am really looking forward to the event and to spending 

the day with everyone taking part. Hopefully the sun will be shining.” 

Gourock Highland Games - on Sunday 14 May - hold a unique position in 

Scotland marking the start of the Scottish Highland Games season and this 

year come just a week before the first major pipe band championships. 

Alongside the pipe band competitions the event includes traditional 

highland games, heavyweight events, the West of Scotland Highland Dance 

Championships and mini highland games involving local school children. 

The event will also host the first ‘come and try sports’ event with a range of 

free sports activities. 

Fairground rides, children’s activities, vintage fire engines and a wide range 

of food and community stalls add to the entertainment for people of all 

ages. 

The Games open to the public at 12.00pm and culminate with the Chieftain’s 

March Past. 

Gourock Highland Games is organised by Inverclyde Council and supported 

by River Clyde Homes, Inverclyde Active Schools, Gourock Community 

Sports Hub and Gourock festival of sports. 

The piping competitions at Gourock Highland Games are run under the 

auspices of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA).


Twist & Hit Cheerleaders Free Taster Session 

Sunday 7th May, 2017 from 1:15pm to 6:30pm 

The Bield Scout Hall, Woodside Crematorium, Broomlands 

Street, Paisley, PA1 2NP 

At our training facility you will get the chance to watch this 

AWESOME sport in full action and learn how to tumble, stunt, 

jump and dance in a safe environment. 

With FREE complimentary food, drink and entertainment you will 

get the chance to socialise, play games and interact in a high 

paced fun sport. 

11 years and younger - 1.15pm-2.30pm 

Watching a performance from our MINI 1 ROSE and YOUTH 1 

LIME teams followed by a taster session 

12 years and over 

Watching a performance from our JUNIOR 2 MINT and SENIOR 

3 FUSCHIA teams followed by a taster session 

www.voluntaryarts.org/Event/twist-hit-cheerleaders-free-taster-session 

West End Snakes and Ladders 

A huge park area in the West End of Paisley, complete with 

basketball courts and a large asphalted area has been badly 

overgrown and filled with litter for years. We have cleared and 

cleaned the area and its original paving, and will be creating a 

ground mural of a snakes and ladders board game that would 

largely fill the asphalt area and be used by all the children in the 

area, including those in wheelchairs. 

We are a community service squad made up of between 2-5 

different people each Wed-Sat 9.30-3.30. Our event would go over 

two weeks to ensure quality and engage the maximum number of 

our clients and the local residents. We will start by chalk outlining 

the board, then do as many squares as possible each day, 

finishing with lettering and the snakes and ladders themselves. 

The snakes will feature the paisley pattern throughout. 

If you want to join, contact Ria FitzGerald 

riafitzgeraldinteriorstyling@hotmail.com 

and on 0141 8401 001. 

Extra Funds For Sport 

An additional £2 million will be invested in sports governing bodies, Minister 

for Sport Aileen Campbell has announced. 

The extra funds will be distributed by sportscotland, the national agency for 

sport, to help offset reduced revenue from the National Lottery. 

Sport governing bodies receiving a share of the extra money will be asked 

to help meet the Scottish Government’s priorities on reducing inequalities 

in sports participation. This means encouraging more women and girls to 

take part in sport, achieving 50/50 gender balance on boards, and greater 

engagement with LGBT communities, disadvantaged communities and 

other under-represented groups. 

sportscotland will now work with sports 

governing bodies to make final decisions 

about how to allocate the additional 

investment. 

Ms Campbell said: “The Scottish Government is committed to do all we can 

to encourage more people to lead active lives. Sports governing bodies 

have an important role to play in that, and they can also be instrumental in 

ensuring equal access to sport and physical activity. 

“We’ve asked the UK Government not to compound the effect of their 

austerity agenda by ignoring the problem of falling revenues to sport from 

the National Lottery – but they don’t appear to be listening. 

“That’s why we’re providing this additional £2 million to help sportscotland 

and the governing bodies meet our shared goal - a healthier Scotland 

where everyone gets a fair chance to enjoy sport.” 

Chair of sportscotland Mel Young said: “The Scottish Government and 

sportscotland have been working very closely for a period of months with 

a view to delivering the best possible financial outcome for sport and we’re 

delighted that the Minister is announcing an additional £2 million into 

sport. 

“This extra investment from the Scottish Government allows sportscotland 

to supplement our planned investment into the Scottish governing bodies of 

sport and will help protect jobs and encourage growth within the sports. 

“We believe in the power of sport, in its ability to help instil leadership and 

teamwork among our children and young people, allow people to lead 

happier, healthier lives, and to promote social cohesion, so it is terrific news 

that the Scottish Government has been able to provide extra money for 

sport in Scotland.” 

Walk a Mile Event - Paisley 

Wednesday 10 May 2017, 12 noon, walk commences at 12.30pm 

Fountain Gardens, Love Street, Paisley, PA3 2DZ (at the fountain) 

To celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week, the Renfrewshire Anti Stigma 

Alliance (RASA) group are organising a ‘Walk a Mile’ event on the 10 May. 

The aim is to raise awareness of Mental Health and to challenge mental 

health stigma and discrimination. The walk is being supported by the 

national charity See Me and is inspired by Chris Young’s UK wide campaign 

to end mental health stigma and change the way people think about 

mental health. For further information please contact: bernadette.reilly@ 

renfrewshire.gcsx.gov.uk 

To Register visit: https://letswalkamile.org/events/walk-a-mile-renfrewshire 

Please note the initiative is not restricted to Fountain Gardens area, you 

can do it Anywhere and Anytime 

on Wednesday 10 May 2017. 

Afterwards, if you want you can 

share your experience with other 

Walkamilers by uploading a 

selfie on Twitter and Instagram 

using the national hashtag 

#letswalkamile or Renfrewshire 

based #WalkamileinRenfrewshire


St Vincent’s Hospice 

Annual Golf Day 

Kilmacolm Golf Club 

Free lessons 

61 61 

The weather was glorious for the 

annual St Vincent’s Hospice Golf Day 

which was held this year at Ranfurly 

Castle Golf Club, Bridge of Weir on 

Friday, 24th March. 

After a 1pm shotgun start, our golfing 

enthusiasts set off on the course 

with a chance to win a brand new 

car sponsored by Arnold Clark if they 

managed a hole in one on the 7th 

tee! This day was not only a fantastic 

fundraiser raising over £10,000 but an 

extremely enjoyable afternoon despite 

no hole in one! 

The Winning Team “The Magnificent Seven Frank 

Morrison, David Ewart, Erin Morrison, Les Meenely 

“The Old Ran girls” team L-R Mairi Milne, Hazel 

Kirkland, Jennie Scott and Angela Paterson 

Louise Strachan, Hospice 

fundraiser said “we could not 

have wished for a better day in 

March, the sun shone from start to 

finish. We would like to thank all 

of the individuals and businesses 

who supported this day including 

the team at Ranfurly Castle 

Golf Club, Arnold Clark, Stewart 

Catering and all local businesses 

who kindly sponsored a tee. 

Ronnie Carswell, Secretary at Ranfurly Golf Club said “were are delighted 

to have been able to support the St Vincent’s Hospice golf day and all 

at Ranfurly Castle Golf Club are absolutely delight the day was such a 

success”. 

St Vincent’s Hospice is a charitable organisation at the heart of the 

community, offering specialist care and services to all those affected by 

life-limiting illness. 

“Zipslide the Clyde” 

in aid of St Vincent’s Hospice 

Glide across the Clyde on a zip wire attached to a mobile crane and 

see Glasgow from a new perspective. 

Join us on Saturday 13th May and help us raise funds to support those 

with life- limiting illnesses in the Renfrewshire area. 

Thirteen was the lucky number of participants that took part in “Zipslide 

the Clyde” for St Vincent’s Hospice on Sunday 9th April. The thrill seekers 

braved an adrenaline filled flight across the River Clyde on a zip wire and to 

date have raised £3,500 while doing so. 

If you would like to test your nerves and support local patient care in 

Renfrewshire why not sign up to our Saturday 13th May “Zipslide the 

Clyde”. Minimum sponsorship £150. Let’s hope the 13th will be another 

lucky fundraising day for the Hospice! 

If you would like further information, please contact our fundraising team on 

01505 705635 or email info@svh.co.uk. 

Pictured L-R Jennifer McLaughlin, Lauren Gallagher , Rachel Carruthers, 

Laura Horn, Laurent Jean 

This year almost 60 people, of various ages, took advantage of our PGA 

professional Iain Nicholson’s free golf lessons starting off at St Columba’s 

Church Hall and finishing up at Kilmacolm Golf Club. Demand was such 

that Iain offered three one hour sessions every Monday night over a 12 

week period, with participants encouraged and supported by several 

members of the golf club. 

The sessions have continued to prove very popular and based on feedback, 

we’ve made improvements to our ‘Intro to Golf Membership’ package. We 

now offer: 

Full access to our driving range & practise facilities; 

Weekly Monday range practise sessions with 

member’s supervision & support; 

A free golf lesson with & ongoing support 

from our club professional; 

Flexible access to the golf course with a 

variety of circuits suitable for beginners; 

A buddy system mentoring & supporting you 

on the golf course; 

Access to a friendly welcoming clubhouse. 

If you would like to take advantage of this 

membership and all that it can offer; please 

get in touch with Iain Nicholson [872695] or the 

golf club office [872139]. We look forward to 

hearing from you and supporting your pathway 

to playing golf. 

Renfrewshire Girls Golf 

A coaching day was held at Kilmacolm Golf Club on Sunday 26th March for 

the young girl golfers in the area. Some of the girls were quite new to golf 

so it was great for them to meet up, make new friends and learn some basic 

skills. 

With the sun shining and the girls resplendent in the county colours, 

Kilmacolm’s club professional Iain Nicolson led the coaching session and 

concentrated on short game skills. The girls then had the opportunity to play 

some “real golf”, the more experienced girls playing over the 7 hole shortened 

course and the others playing 3 holes marked out on the driving range. 

Finally there was putting, pizza and prizes and hopefully encouraged some 

new young golfers girls for the future. 

Lynda Bradley Junior Convenor, Kilmacolm GC 

Ladies County Championship 

Eilidh Briggs, Curtis Cup player, won this year’s Renfrewshire Ladies 

County Championship at Pollok Golf Club on 14th April. Well done, Eilidh; 

a great start to your competitive golf season. 

Lois Brown, Lady Captain


Kilmacolm Bowling Club 

On Saturday 8th April, President Jack Taylor open the green for the forthcoming season. His wife Marjory 

delivered the first bowl. (pictured l-r Chris King, Phil 

Harrison, Marjory Taylor and Jack Taylor) 

The Ladies President, Sandra Crawford was joined by 

her husband Sandy to welcome the ladies to the green 

on Tuesday 11th April. 

The bowling club are holding a come and try weekend 

on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th April between 10am 

and 2pm. 

Please bring a pair of flat soled shoes. For further 

information, contact the Secretary on 01505 874239 or 

kilmacolmbowlingclub@gmail.com 

Simplyhealth Great Women’s Run 

Ever fancied trying dingy sailing or windsurfing or other watersport? Come 

and try on Sunday 14th May at Castle Semple Loch 10.30am - 4pm. 

Castle Semple Sailing Club has a variety of dinghies which you will be able 

to see both on and off the water. Likewise Clyde Windsurfing Club will be 

demonstrating windsurfing for anyone who wishes to try this exciting sport. 

For further info and to book a sail contact dawn@castlesemplesc.co.uk 

or contact Mike at mike@clydewindsurfing.co.uk. Castle Semple Rowing 

Club will also have their rowing machines available and clinker built rowing 

boats for you to try. 

All clubs involved are 

working together to build a 

new watersports hub at the 

lochside which will provide a 

top notch facility for the clubs 

and the local community well 

into the future. The Semple 

Sports Action Partnership 

(“SSSAP”) project involves 

the Sailors, Windsurfers, 

Rowers and also the Fishermen from St Winnoch Angling club. We are 

raising funds for the build so if you would like to make a donation please 

feel free to leave your spare change in one of our donation boxes on the 

day. All donations are very welcome and much appreciated. 

Sunday 4th June 

The Simplyhealth Great Women’s 

Run is the largest women’s only 

running event in Scotland and is 

the perfect opportunity to get a 

team of friends together to take on 

the 10k or NEW 3k distances. 

Whether you walk, run or jog, you 

will all get that finish line feeling 

and be able to celebrate in style in 

the heart of Glasgow’s West End. 

“The new route was awesome”, “The atmosphere was electric” & “Amazing 

entertainment on course” were just some of the comments that we received 

last year and 2017 is set to be even bigger once again…so what are you 

waiting for…sign up to today and be part of something GREAT! 

every Mo n d a y 

every Th u r s d a y 

Adult Jazz Class 

Bridge of Weir, 10am 

Tel: 01505 690757 for further information. 

Adult Beginners Ballet Class 

Bridge of Weir, 11.30am 

Tel: 01505 690757 for further information. 

Kilbarchan Athletic Club 

On-X, Linwood, 7pm 

All abilities welcome. Tel: 07941 686990. 

5-a-side Football 

Powerleague Paisley, 6pm 

Tel: Jim on 01505 874215; or jimbretherton@aol.com 

Bridge of Weir Ladies Badminton 

Cargill Hall, Lintwhite Cres, 7.30pm 

Callanetics 

Brookfield Village Hall, 7.15pm 

Strathgryffe Motorcycle Club 

The Trust Inn, Kilbarchan, 9pm - 10.30pm 

Visit www.strathgryffe.org for details. 

The Shotokan Karate Club 

Woodlands Primary, Linwood, 7-8pm/8-9pm 

www.linwoodkarate.co.uk 

every Tuesday 

Bridge of Weir Walking Group 

Outside the Co-op, BoW, 10.30am 

1 hour walks. Call Senga on 0141 842 3000. 

Gryffe Badminton 

Strathgryffe Tennis Club, 8pm 

Football Training 

Johnstone High School, 6pm - 9pm 

Call Ali on 07775 578795 for details. 

Taekwon-Do 

Johnstone Sports Complex PA5 0LD, 6pm 

Call 07951 365166 for details. 


Greenock Hockey Club 

Inverclyde Academy, Greenock, 6.30 - 8pm 

Contact Liz Baldwin, mobile 07944 607005. 

Callanetics 

Brookfield Village Hall, 5.15, 6.15 & 7.30pm 

Kilbarchan Athletic Club 

On-X, Linwood, 7pm 

All abilities welcome. Tel: 07941 686990. 

Kilmacolm Walkers 

Birkmyre Park Pavilion, Kilmacolm, 10am 

David 01505 874192 

kilmacolmwalkers@talktalk.net 

Callanetics 

Brookfield Village Hall, 9.15am & 10.30am 

The Shotokan Karate Club 

Woodlands PS, Linwood, 7pm & 8pm 

www.linwoodkarate.co.uk 

Football Training 

Johnstone High School, 6pm - 9pm 

Call Ali on 07775 578795 for details 

Taekwon-Do 

Johnstone Sports Complex PA5 0LD, 6pm 

Call 07951 365166 for details 

Baby Ballet 

Cargill Centre, Kilmacolm, Morning 

Call Gail Ashley on 07415 701667 for details 

every Fr i d a y 

Callanetics 

Brookfield Village Hall, 9.15am & 10.30am 

Adult Tap Lessons 

Cargill Centre, Kilmacolm, Evening 

Call Gail Ashley on 07415 701667 for details 

every Su n d a y 

Birkmyre Rugby Club, Kilmacolm 

Youth Rugby Section, 11am - 1pm 

www.pitchero.com/clubs/birkmyre


Bridge of Weir Ladies 

Badminton Club 80th 

Birthday Dinner 

63 63 

Tennis For Kids Course 

Tue 02 May - Tue 06 Jun 2017, 4pm-5pm 

Kilmacolm Tennis Club, Castlehill Rd, Kilmacolm PA13 4EL 

On 29th November 2015 the British Davis Cup Team wrote their names 

in history by winning the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas for the first time in 

79 years. In achieving this incredible feat of becoming world champions, 

they presented everyone who loves tennis in Great Britain with a unique 

opportunity to make a difference and grow the game! 

Growing the game means investing in the grass roots and this means kids. 

We’re passionate about helping as many kids as possible try tennis and the 

Tennis for Kids campaign is just one of the ways we’re doing this. 

Recommended for kids aged 6 to 8, Tennis for Kids is a 6 week FREE 

coaching course, aiming to provide 20,000 children with the opportunity 

to pick up a racket and be introduced to the sport in a fun and relaxed 

environment. 

What you can expect? 

• An enthusiastic coach who has attended a specific Tennis for Kids 

training course 

• A free racket to use during the course and keep forever if you attend 

at least 4 of the 6 sessions 

• An opportunity for parents to get involved 

• A follow-on offer to encourage you to keep playing at the venue after 

the course is complete. 

Need more information? Contact Coach Melissa Stewart on 07788 414172 

or email melissastewart.tennis@gmail.com 

Sporting Blog 

by 

Rest Days – We All Need to Take Them! 

Lesley Handley 

When people embark on new fitness program’s they often train as much 

as they can and don’t give their body time to recover. Rest days are just 

as important as training days, and everyone needs to take them. 

1. Muscles need rest… 

It’s not about the saying of ‘no pain no gain’, if your muscles are 

becoming permanently achy then it’s time to take a day or two rest. 

Sore muscles after a training session is actually the pain of muscle 

damage – muscle fibers tend to stretch and break during exercise 

and these fibers then need time to repair and grow allowing them to 

develop/strengthen and reduce further breakage over time. 

2. Prevent injuries… 

There is only so much that the body can take within training and often 

injuries can come about simply by over use of certain muscles or 

muscle groups. A great example of this is shin splints; this injury is 

common in new runners who go from doing very little to trying to run 

every day and shin splints are often the result – the cure for them… 

REST! 

On Monday 27th March eleven ladies of Bridge of 

Weir Ladies Badminton Club sat down to dinner at 

Ristorante Amaretto, Bridge of Weir for the club’s 

postponed 80th Birthday dinner. 

Inaugurated in the Summer of ’35 and comprising 

ladies from the mixed club and new members, 

Bridge of Weir Ladies Badminton Club commenced play on 7th October of 

that year. The annual subscription was 2/6 with a payment of 9d per night 

to cover the cost of shuttlecocks. 

The club is still going strong 80 years on playing on Monday evenings in 

the Cargill Hall from September to 

March. 

After an enjoyable meal there 

was a sweet treat in the form of a 

Badminton Racquet Birthday cake, 

made by Mrs Dickson’s Kitchen, 

complete with shuttlecock of 

course. 

3. Stronger immune system… 

Exercise is a great way to improve the immune system, which also 

plays a big role in recovery. However too much exercise and no time 

for the body to recover has the opposite effect on the immune system. 

Feeling run-down, or colds hanging around longer than usual often 

indicates that some rest is required to let the body catch back up on 

itself. 

4. Improved Performance… 

Yes… believe it or not a few days rest can help improve your 

performance. Some people don’t want to miss a couple of days in 

case it affects the progress they have already made, but for most 

people it generally takes 1 or 2 weeks of no activity before they notice 

a change in their performance. 

Lesley 

For more information on nutrition or Personal Training contact me on 0773 627 4925 or email Lesley@fitsmartfitness.co.uk


SITUATIONS VACANT 

TRADES AND SERVICES 

MISCELLANEOUS 

BUSINESS 

HEALTHCARE/BEAUTY 

MUSIC TUITION 

CHILDCARE 

Houston registered childminders. 

For an informal chat to fi nd 

your best childcare, call 

Elizabeth Waddell T: 614925 

Kilmacolm/Quarriers area 

registered childminders. P/ 

time or F/time vacancies for 

u-5’s and after school. T: 

873839.


65 65 

PROPERTY 

churches 

BRIDGE OF WEIR 

Freeland Church: Rev KN Gray BA 

BD. Morning Service 10.30am. 

Crèche, Sunday School, Lynx 

and Cornerstone. Evening 

Service 7pm www.freeland. 

org.uk 

St Mary’s Episcopal Church, 

Johnston Rd, Bridge of Weir, 

PA11 3EE. Our Services are 

held every Sunday at 10am. 

On the fi rst Sunday each month 

at 6pm we welcome all who 

enjoy the beauty of quietness 

and peace at “Sanctuary” our 

Contemplative Service. All who 

seek God in mindful enquiry, 

in beauty, in quietness and 

service to others, all who are 

tired of life or full of it, all who 

are confident or all who are 

afraid - indeed whoever you 

are - you are welcome here! 

http://www.heartlandsec.org/ 

BoW/index.html Contact: Revd. 

Heller G.P 01505 872961. 

St Machar’s Ranfurly Church: 

Sunday services 10.30am, 

Junior Church & Youth Church, 

hearing aid loop system. For 

more information on activities 

and events find us online – 

stmacharsranfurlychurch.org. 

uk or Facebook. Come along 

– all welcome. 

Hope Hall: Sun 1pm Sunday 

School, 4.30pm Gospel Service; 

Mon 6.30pm Investigators for 

Kids, 8pm Bible Study and 

Prayer. 

ELDERSLIE 

Elderslie Kirk: Sunday service 

every week at 11am. Minister - 

Rev. Robin Allison. All welcome. 

Weekly meetings:- Monday 

Club every week from 12noon 

- 2.30pm. Light lunch and a 

varied activity programme. 

Midweek Fellowship will meet 

every Wed from 10.30am for 

Tea/Coffee followed by a short 

Service of Worship at 11am. 

HOWWOOD 

Howwood Parish Church. Minister 

Rev May Bell. Sunday Service 

and Sunday School. 10am each 

Sunday. Prayer meeting held at 

3 Bowfield Way, Howwood, 

7.30pm on Tuesdays. 

HOLIDAY HOMES 

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY 

HOUSTON 

Houston and Killellan Kirk Church of 

Scotland Charity no SC 012822. 

During the Ministerial vacancy 

the Rev. Ian Bell will conduct our 

services. 2nd, 9th, 23rd & 30th 

April - 11am Morning Worship. 

Holy Week services. 10th to 

14th April all services begin 

at 7.30pm. Monday - Houston 

and Killellan Kirk. Tuesday - 

Joint service with Linwood at 

Houston. Wednesday - Joint 

service with Linwood at Linwood 

Parish Church. Thursday 

(Maundy) The Sacrament of 

the last Supper. Good Friday. 

Houston and Killellan Kirk. 16th 

April 8am early morning Easter 

Service (bacon butty breakfast 

afterwards) - 11am Morning 

Worship including children’s 

Easter Egg Hunt. 

St Fillan’s, Main St, Houston: Sun 

Masses: Vigil (Sat) 5pm, 9.30am 

& 11am. Weekday Masses: Mon 

- Sat 9.30am. Rosary: Tue, Thurs 

& Sat 9.10am. Exposition: Mon, 

Wed & Fri 9.05am. Confessions: 

Sat 10 - 10.30am and after Vigil 

Mass. Baptism: By arrangement. 

Parish Priest: Rev. Joseph 

Burke. Pastoral Assistant: Sr. 

Mary Frances Collett, RNDM 

(Tel 01505 613514). Address: 

‘Abbotsfi eld’, St. Fillan’s, Main 

St, Houston, PA6 7EL. T. 01505 

612046. E. parish@stfi llan.org. 

uk www.stfi llan.org.uk 

Houston Baptist Church at Carrick 

Centre: 11am Family services 

with SS for children age 5 - 12; 

6pm Eve Service; Mid-week 

Home Bible Study; For more 

information contact; Rev. D 

Snelson 01505 612722. 

Church of the Nazarene: Village 

Hall, Main St, Houston PA6 

7EL. Rev. Benito S Coetzee. 

Family services at 10.30am 

with full toddler, children & youth 

activities running concurrently 

with the service. Youth meets 

at 6.30pm - 8pm on Sundays. 

Word and Table Quiet Service 

held from 9am - 9.30am every 

3rd Sunday. www.houston. 

nazarene.org.uk 

June ‘17 Issue: 

• Deadline: 19 May 

• Delivery: 02 June 

July ‘17 Issue: 

• Deadline: 16 June 

• Delivery: 30 June 

KILBARCHAN 

Kilbarchan Parish Church in May: 

Services continue at 11am 

each Sunday throughout May, 

conducted by Rev. Stephen 

Smith. Sunday School and the 

crèche continue to meet in the 

large hall from 10.45am each 

week and refreshments will 

be served after the service as 

usual. All welcome to any or all 

of these services. For further 

information about the church 

and the organisations, please 

visit Kilbarchan Kirk online: 

www.kilbarchan-kirk.btck.co.uk 

KILMACOLM 

St Columba Church of Scotland: 

(charity no. SC007992) Morning 

Worship Sundays at 11am. All 

welcome. Coffee/tea served in 

the hall after the service. 

Grace Church Kilmacolm: in 

association with Downavale 

Free Church of Scotland (Charity 

No: SCO38274) - Sunday Service 

at 10.30am in Kilmacolm Guide 

Hut, Woodrow Avenue, PA13 4QF 

- all welcome. 

Kilmacolm Old Kirk: Church of 

Scotland (Charity no. SC009291). 

www.kilmacolmoldkirk.org.uk. 

Minister Rev. Dr Peter McEnhill 

(01505 873174). Morning 

Worship – Sundays 11am, all 

welcome Sunday School and 

Crèche available. Night Kirk, 

a short reflective service 1st 

Sunday each month at 6pm. 

Sòlas Bereavement Group, 2nd 

Thursday each month at 6:30pm 

in Kidston Hall. Thursday 6th 

April Sòlas Bereavement Group 

meets in the Kidston Hall from 

6:30 – 8:30pm. Mon 10 – Fri 

14 April – Holy week services; 

venue to be confi rmed. Sunday 

16th April – Easter Sunday: 

9:30am: Holy Communion at 

Knapps Loch; 10:30am: coffee, 

tea, hot cross buns; 11am: 

Easter Worship with celebration 

of Holy Communion. 

St Colm’s Catholic Church, Smithy 

Brae Kilmacolm. Rev. Vincent 

Byrne. Family mass Sundays 

10am with children’s liturgy, 

followed by tea and coffee. 

Eucharistic service Thursdays 

11am. Rosar y Tuesdays 

6.30pm. Prayer group meets 

Thursdays 7.30pm. Further 

information and contact details 

www.stcolmsparish.co.uk. All 

welcome. 

Buddhist meetings: Buddhism 

of Nichiren Daishonin. Phone 

Margaret on 01505 871343. 

St Fillan’s Episcopal Church, Moss 

Road, Kilmacolm, PA13 4DL. 

Services on Sunday at 11.30am. 

Wednesday: 10.30am Holy 

Communion. On the last Sunday 

of the month at 11:30am we 

welcome families to come and 

join us for our monthly Family 

Service. We are united by our 

belief in Jesus, who sustains 

and encourages us in all the ups 

and downs of life. Everyone is 

welcome to join us ! http://www. 

heartlandsec.org/KLM/index. 

html Contacts: Revd. Heller 

G.P 01505 872961 / Maureen 

Russell (Pastoral Assistant) 

01505 872905. 

LANGBANK 

Langbank Parish Church: Rev. Dr. 

Ken Forrest. Sunday Services 

10am with Sunday School, 

Crèche and young people’s 

group, the Welcomers. Tea/ 

coffee after the service. Church 

service starts at 10am. Come 

along and meet in the Hall 

from 9.50am. Charity No. 

SC015085. 

LOCHWINNOCH 

Parish Church: Rev. May Bell. 

11.30am Morning Service 

Sunday School and Crèche. 

Calder United Free Church: 

(Church Street, Lochwinnoch) 

Sunday: 11am Morning worship 

with Sunday School and Crèche. 

6.30pm Evening Fellowship 

group, 7.30pm ABC’s Teen 

group. Wed 6.30pm - 7.30pm. 

Spiritualist Church, Lochlip Rd. All 

services commence 7.30pm. 

QUARRIERS 

Mount Zion Church: Rev. Andy Lunn 

BSc, (01475 791282) Mount 

Zion Church, Law View Road, 

Quarriers Village, PA11 3FD. 

Sunday Worship: 10:30am, 

Bible Study and Prayer Meetings: 

Wednesday at 7pm and Friday 

at 10 am. “Mozzy” Youth Club 

Thursdays at 6:30 for young 

people of high school age. Half 

night of prayer: 7pm – midnight, 

4th Friday of each month. Feel 

free to come along at any of 

these times. 

‘The Gatherin’ is at 7pm on the 

fourth Sunday of each month, at 

Mount Zion Church in Quarriers 

Village. The Gatherin’ for people 

to come together who hunger 

for more of the presence of the 

Lord and to be fed from His word. 

Please come and invite others: 

all welcome! 

TRADES & SERVICES 

Black & White ads only 

Lineage: up to 20 words £13.00* 

Boxed ad: £7.50* per column cm 

PROPERTY & HOLIDAY HOMES 

CARS FOR SALE 

Lineage: up to 20 words £13.00* 

Boxed ad: £7.50* per column cm 

Photo: add £7.50* (colour) 

*all prices subject to VAT 

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 ST Machars Church Hall 1st Tuesday 

April 7pm. Bridge of Weir Primary School 1st Tuesday 

May and June 7pm (No meetings July and August) 

www.bridgeofweir.org 

BROOKFIELD: Brookfield Village Hall: 7.30pm 

in February, April, June, August, October and 

December on 2nd Thursday of the month. 

HOUSTON: Carrick Centre: 3rd Wed at 7.30pm 

www.houstoncommcouncil@yahoo.co.uk 

HOWWOOD: Village Hall: 2nd Tues at 7.30pm. 

www.howwood.com/community-council.php 

KILBARCHAN: Steeple Hall: monthly at 7.30pm. 

www.kilbarchan.info/community_council.html 

KILMACOLM & QUARRIERS: Last Tues at 7.30pm, 

Kilmacolm Cargill Centre (NB: No meetings: July or 

Dec) www.kilmacolmcc.co.uk 

LANGBANK: Church Hall: 2nd Wed at 7.30pm 

LOCHWINNOCH: Bowling Club: 1st Tues at 7.30pm 

community halls to let 

Bridge of Weir, Freeland Church. Tel: 612245 

Brookfi eld, Village Hall. Tel: 335562 

Houston, Carrick Centre. Tel: 612203 / 331488 

Houston, Compass Centre. Tel: 615441 / 612617 

Kilbarchan, Guide Centre. Tel: 702758. 

Kilbarchan, Old Library Centre. Tel: 706070 

Kilmacolm, Cargill Centre. Tel: 873994 

Kilmacolm, Brownie/Guide Hut. Tel: 874428 

Kilmacolm, Masonic Hall. Tel: 873059 

Linwood Masonic Hall. Tel: 07825 222944 

Please add your community hall details to our list - 

email to info@advertizer.co.uk 

local councillors 

RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL: www.renfrewshire.gov.uk 

Ward 7 - Johnstone South, Elderslie & Howwood: Cllrs 

John Caldwell, John Hood, Stephen McGee and 

Iain McMillan 

Ward 8 - Johnstone (North), Kilbarchan & Lochwinnoch: 

Councillors Derek Bibby, Andy Doig and Christopher 

Gilmour 

Ward 9 - Houston, Crosslee, Brookfi eld & 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


ITEMS FOR SALE 

BABY EQUIPMENT 

Phillips AVENT combined baby 

food steamer and blender 

with instructions and recipe 

booklet. Good cond. Smoke 

free, pet free home. £30. Tel: 

01505 672175. 

Tidlo wooden activity walker. 

Exc. cond. £18. Tel: 01505 

672175. 

Phillips AVENT microwave 

bottle steriliser. Exc. cond., 

with instructions. Smoke free, 

pet free home. £5. Tel: 01505 

672175. 

Mamas & Papas high chair with 

animal design. Feeding Tray, 

under storage basket. 4 way 

harness. Used in good cond. 

£40. Tel: 07946 008496. 

Mamas & Papas high chair with 

pear design. Feeding Tray, 

under storage basket. 4 way 

harness. Used in good cond. 

£40. Tel: 07946 008496. 

Fisher Price rocker seat baby to 

toddler - Rainforest pattern x 

2. Seat lies back for smaller 

baby and rocks. Playtoy 

goes across seat. Suits new 

baby to 2 years. Used only 

at grandparents house. Very 

good condition. £20. Tel: 

07946 008498. 

Cosatto Hello Dolly Twin 

Buggy with dolly design on 

hoods and matching cosy 

toes fl eeced lined. Matching 

bottle carriers (never used). 

Double Raincover. Pram has 

double under storage basket. 

Folds easy like umbrella style. 

Used only at grandparents 

house. VGC. £75. Tel: 07946 

008496. 

Chicco Polly High Chair. 

Sturdy, foldable and compact. 

Large tray with easy-clean 

detachable cover. Adjustable 

back-rest and height, so 

fits at table when child is 

older. VGC. £30. Tel:07765 

550180 

Mamas and Papas cream baby 

bath. Exc. cond. Smoke 

free home. £5. Tel: 01505 

672175. 

Silver Cross Surf baby foot snug 

in grey. Exc. cond. Smoke 


672175. 

Cosatto 3Sixti pear high chair. 

Turns through 360 degrees, 

can be adjusted to any 

height with removable tray 

section. Good cond. and 

full instructions. Smoke 


672175. 

CLOTHES & SHOES 

Jacques Vert Blue & White 

Dress & Jacket - size 16 - 

worn once - also a hat. Cost 

£300 - sell £70. Tel: 07961 

588820. 

Mid grey M&S suit. Trousers 

36/31” Jacket 40”. Wool mix. 

Worn twice. £50. Tel: 01505 

614895. 

Marks and Spencer men’s 

charcoal suit. Chest 48ins, 

waist 38ins, inside leg 31ins. 

Wool rich blend, exc. cond. 

£20. Tel: 01505 672175. 

Dr. Martens gent’s safety shoes, 

FS57 Air-Wair, black leather, 

size 9. Never worn, still 

in box. £25. Tel: 01505 

690247. 

Women’s Nike running jacket. 

Lightweight, black, size 

medium. Exc. cond. £20. 

Tel: 01505 672175. 

Men’s Dehavilland black coat. 

Wool/cashmere mix, hardly 

worn in exc. cond. Chest 

48ins. £50 (cost £120 new). 

Tel: 01505 672175. 

Adidas Gazelle Originals Ladies 

Trainers UK6.5 - purply pink. 

Only been worn a few times. 

Exc. cond. in original box. 

£30. Tel: 01505 615055. 

Men’s full length Dannimac 

raincoat in grey. Removable 

lining. Large. Good cond. 

£20. Tel: 01505 672175. 

Men’s M&S waxed casual coat 

in dark green. Large. As new. 

£50. Tel: 01505 672175. 

Nike Air Max 90 Mesh GS 

Boys Trainers UK5.5 - White 

mono leather. Only been 

worn twice. Exc. cond. in 

original box. £30. Tel: 01505 

615055. 

A pair of Celine Sandals size 

38 as new. £50. Tel: 07796 

478167. 

Purple peplum-style maternity 

dress by Seraphine in size 14. 

£8. Tel: 01505 672175. 

Adidas Superstars 2 Ladies 

Trainers UK6 – holographic 

silver. Only been worn a 

few times. Exc. cond. in 

original box. £30. Tel: 01505 

615055. 

HOUSEHOLD & GARDEN 

Camp beds, folding in good 

cond. £10 each or lot of 5 

- £40. Tel: 07977 986526 or 

01505 872192. 

Wall mounting mirror - Black 

metal framed rear mounting 

points. (W) 82cm, (H) 105cm. 

Good cond. £25. Tel: 01475 

540714. 

Retro style oak and veneer 

coffee table from the House 

by John Lewis range. Handy 

shelves and drawers for 

storage. Approx H38cm x 

W110cm x D60cm. Exc. 

cond., smoke free home. 

£170. Tel: 01505 672175. 

Art Deco mirror 66.5cm wide x 

39cm high. £10. Tel: 01505 

672175. 

Bosch under counter fridge, 

with pull out shelves, VGC, 

buyer uplifts. £70. Tel: 07964 

993353. 

Superking size cream 

headboard. £30. Two single 

divan beds with storage, with 

two single mattress - excellent 

condition. £25 each. Beds 

can be connected to make 

a super king size width. Tel: 

07884 975648. 

White bathroom sink and 

pedestal with taps. Approx. 

58cm (W) x 46cm (D), bowl is 

15cm (D). Pedestal 65cm (H). 

Used but good cond. £20. 

Tel: 01505 672175. 

Mirrored wooden bathroom 

cabinet. Approx. 60cm (W) x 

65cm (H) x 13cm (D). Three 

shelves. Used but good cond. 

£20. Tel: 01505 672175. 

One-off, eye-catching, modern 

stylish Italian designed 

glass and marble coffee 

table approx. 2’ high x 2’ 

square with solid glass top 

set in quarried matte marble 

geometric pediment. £199 

ono. Tel: 07738 955232. 

Unique Italian marble and glass 

display shelves approx. 3’ high 

x 4’ wide with solid quarried 

matte marble uprights and 

two heavy glass shelves in 

superb cond. £199 ono. Tel: 

07738 955232. 

Modern design Headboard - 

single bed. Mocha colour 

suedette. Never used. £15. 

Tel: 01505 690247. 

LEC Fridge Freezer - 48.5” (H). 

£50. Tel: 01505 705731. 

Highly polished, graduated nest 

of square side tables with 

slender curved cabriole legs 

and acorn pattern beading in 

VGC for age. £90 ono. Tel: 

07738 955232. 

Pine slatted wooden bed frame 

- 4’6” (W). With mattress. 

Nearly new. £100 ono. Tel: 

07900 477277. 

Pair of cream fabric-covered 

column lamps (approx 115cm 

tall and 15cm in diameter). 

Ideal for bedside. Good 

condition, smoke free home. 

£30. Tel: 01505 672175. 

IKEA Large Sofa Bed, pull out 

bed is full double bed size. 

Seats 3. Exc. cond. Colour 

Ecru with four matching 

cushions, includes a brand 

new full set of covers. (W) 

200 cm, (D) 110 cm and 

extended length is 250cm. 

£85. Tel: 01475 540714. 

Farmhouse solid pine 

rectangular table with 6 

matching high back chairs. 

Used in VGC. £475. Tel: 

07946 008496. 

Lawnmower - 140cc MacAllisterself 

propelled, petrol driven. 

Blade size 46cm. Just over 2 

years old. VGC. £100. Tel: 

01475 540752. 

ELECTRICAL & GAS 

Panasonic portable stereo 

CD system in silver. Good 

condition, with instructions 

and remote control. £15. Tel: 

01505 672175. 

Black Sanyo modular music 

centre featuring FM tuner 

with pre-set station facility, 

indoor table-top aerial, twin 

cassette decks, CD player 

and separate speakers all in 

exc. cond. delivering powerful 

yet mellow, full tone. £50 ono. 

Tel: 07738 955232. 

PETS 

Fish tank in pine cabinet 2 years 

old, VGC. £50. Tel: 07939 

121239. 

SPORTS 

Moda minor Junior Road bike 

24” wheel. Good cond. £150. 

Tel: 01505 614121 

Ladies Golf Bag - Pink. Hardly 

used. £20 ono. Pink Head 

Covers £5 ono. Tel: 07900 

477277. 

Dinesse large Matt black ski/ 

snowboard helmet. Good 

cond. £20. Tel: 01505 

672175 

US Kids golf stand bag set. Suit 

height 46 - 49”. £40 ono. Tel: 

01505 341206 

Powacaddy, battery & charger. 

VGC. Any reasonable offer 

will be donated to Beatson 

Cancer. Tel: 01505 872717 

Exercise bike. 18kg fl ywheel, 

3pc crank system, heart rate 

monitor, adjustable resistance. 

Fab cond., only used a couple 

of times. Fully assembled, 

buyer to collect. £115 ono 

Tel: 01505 871320 

TOYS/GAMES/DVD 

Playmobil City Life Vet Clinic. 

Unwanted gift - box still 

sealed. £10. Tel: 07900 

477277. 

Wooden toy ark with animals. 

Good cond., smoke free 

home. £12. Tel: 01505 

672175. 

ADVERTISING 

sales & wants ad rates: 

UP TO £200 ....... FREE 

£201 to £500 ..... £5.00 

£501 to £1000 ... £10.00 

OVER £1000 ..... Call for details. 

Use our Sales & Wants form and post to 

The Gryffe Advertizer, Neva Place, Bridge 

of Weir, PA11 3PN. 

or email your items to info@advertizer.co.uk 

The Business Advertisements (Disclosure) Order 1977 

NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS 

The Law requires that Advertisers selling goods in the course 

of a business MUST include the word Trader, Dealer, Agent, 

Breeder or appropriate wording in the Advertisement to 

distinguish from private advertisers. 

Fisher Price rainforest jungle 

gym. Exc. cond. with 

instructions. Smoke free, pet 


672175. 

Plastic toddler seat for child’s 

swing with ropes attached, 

just no frame. VGC. £5. Tel: 

01505 672175. 

OTHER ITEMS 

Brand new steel car wheel 

6JX15H2 and new Jinyu tyre 

185/60 R15. Stored as spare 

wheel only. £80. Tel: 07736 

067169. 

Gents Watch - Citizen Eco 

Drive. Smart watch in exc. 

cond. with black face, silver 

colour hands/numerals 

and day/date calendar. In 

original box with instructions. 

Purchased £89, sell for £28. 

Tel: 01505 690247. 

Invacare wheelchair as new. 

Large wheels, black in colour. 

Generous seating area. £100. 

Tel: 07976 294460. 

2 new tyres 255 35 18 dunlop 

sport maxx. £200. Tel: 07885 

100077. 

Drum Kit. Five piece full size 

adult. Reasonable cond., 

bass drum pedal missing and 

snare stand a bit wonky. £30. 

Tel: 07788 111557. 

Galvanised steel ash bucket 10 

litre. £4. Tel: 01505 672175. 

Microsoft wireless keyboard, 

mouse and USB desktop 

receiver in black and silver. 

Exc. cond. £15. Tel: 01505 

672175. 

2 Girls Dawes Venus 20” wheel 

bikes, 6 gears, pale blue 

(around age 6 plus). Exc. 

cond. £50 each (twins). Tel: 

01505 844933. 

2 Britax Isofix Romer car seats 

(4 - 11 years) Black/grey. 

VGC. £20 each. Tel: 01505 

844933. 

Cycle carrier for bikes on rear of 

car. Suitable for saloon, hatch 

and estate cars, adjustable 

mounting fittings, webbing 

straps with grips for edges 

of boot/tailgate. Folds flat 

for storage. £15. Tel: 01475 

540714. 

Pair of car booster seats, one is 

dark blue/cream and the other 

is grey/pink. Both seats are 

universal 15 - 36 kg (3 to 11 

years) and in good cond. £6. 

Tel: 01475 540714. 

Garmin nuvi 2445LMT 4.3” Sat 

Nav with UK and Western 

Europe Maps. 

Includes 

software, Car charging/ 

comms lead, USB lead and 

screen and air vent mounts. 

Maps updated from Garmin 

Website 11th April 2017. £30. 

Tel: 01475 540714. 

Visorblade Supertooth 

II Universal Bluetooth 

Handsfree Kit. Includes 

mains charger, car charger 

and a visor mounting clip. 

This unit lasts for weeks on a 

single charge and is easy to 

set up and use in car. £15. 

Tel: 01475 540714. 

Blaney Trouper 200cc rear 

wheel drive quad bike. Little 

used, original tyres. £350 

ono. Tel: 01505 873177. 

WANTED ITEMS 

Old records Wanted 45`s & 

LP`s CASH Paid. Tel: 07710 

777571. 

Local lily grower requires the use 

of a greenhouse/polytunnel in 

Kilmacolm area in return for 

light gardening duties. Tel: 

Vince 01505 872082. 

Cash paid for Music CDs (a few 

or a lot). Tel: 0141 882 5594 

or 07765 115347. 

FREE CYCLE 

Two glass doors from (now 

demolished) bedroom 

cupboard. 67” / 170 cm long 

x 30” / 76 cm wide. Free if 

uplifted. Tel: 01505 871261. 

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: 

Defi nitions: “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.


67 67 

ADVERTIZERS - A TO Z 

Accountants & Financial 

Affluent Financial Planning . . 24 

Cheetham & Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

CLA Accountancy Services Ltd . . 15 

Fergusons CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

Fiona Christie Accounting Serv . . 15 

GMH Chartered Accountants . . 26 

Stewart Independent Financial . . 1 

Architectural Services 

Casa Homes & Gardens Architect . . 7 

Grid Design Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Automotive Services 

AK Vehicle Rental . . . . . . . . . 1 

ARC Fleet Services . . . . . . . . . 24 

Collins Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

Gryffe Garage Motor Engineers . . 31 

Bathrooms 

Affordable Luxuries . . . . . . . 7 

Bathroom Solutions by MPH . . 11 

G Woods Bathrooms . . . . . . . . . 6 

Instyle Kitchens & Bathrooms . . 17 

Bedrooms 

Burndale Workshop . . . . . . . . . 13 

Blacksmith & Metalwork 

McLaughlan Metal Fabrication . . 43 

Tennamast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 

Building Services 

A O’Hare - Building Services . . 5 

B Hughes Builders - Houston . . 5 

BOW Stone Works . . . . . . . . . . . 51 

Bridge of Weir Roofing . . . . . 6 

Clippens Roofing . . . . . . . . . . 3 

DJD Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 

I & J Building & Roofing Serv . . 2 

James Kerr Joiner . . . . . . . . . 43 

JBC Joiners and Builders . . . 11 

KC Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

Kilellan Roofing . . . . . . . . . . 17 

M Addison Joiners & Builders . . 3 

MBS Roofing & Building Contrac . . 3 

Old Mill Chimneys . . . . . . . . . 45 

RPH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 

Rukeri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 

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 . . . . . . 16 

Ren Chamber of Comm . . . . . . . . 27 

Care Services & Homes 

Confident Care Ltd . . . . . . . . . 13 

Catering 

Gadds Gourmet . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 

Karen Rankin Catering . . . . . . 15 

Cleaning & PowerWash 

CleanDryCarpets . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Come Clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 

DS Cleaning (Windows) . . . . . . 17 

Eclipse deep clean . . . . . . . . . 14 

Fastclean Scotland . . . . . . . . . 15,7 

Gryffe Roofing Services . . . . 6 


Nutech Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Omni Housekeeping . . . . . . . . . 41 

Platinum Cleaning Services . . 5 

BY CATEGORY 

Coffee Shops 

Bernie’s Cafe Deli . . . . . . . . . 16 

Computer, IT & Web 

ColCom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

Computer Repairs . . . . . . . . . . 1 


Driveways 

A&G Driveways . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Driving Instructors 

AL Stewart - Driving Instruct . . 14 

Education 

St Columba’s School . . . . . . . . 57 

Electricians 

Delta Electrical Services . . 33 

GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Lamont Electricians . . . . . . . . 3 

MAS Electrical & Security . . 2 

Entertainment 

Sandy Cunningham Musician . . 20 

Fencing 

Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 


Tennamast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 

Firewood & Logs 

LJX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 


W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 51 

Funeral Services 

Beaton Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . 39 

John Roach Funeral Directors . . 2 

Garage Doors & Gates 

Powerdoors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Garden Service & Design 

3D Garden Design . . . . . . . . . . 48 

A Peebles Landscape Contractor . . 50 

Apple Tree Garden Design . . . 50 

Care & Repair Gardening Servci . . 48 


Craig Kennedy Gardening . . . . 51 

DJD Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 

DMG Garden Services . . . . . . . . 48 

Garden Services . . . . . . . . . . . 51 

Glenmoss Landscapes . . . . . . . . 48 


J S Montgomery Ltd . . . . . . . . . 53 

M&M Garden Services . . . . . . . . 53 

MJ Lawnmowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 

R Williams Tree Surgeon & Grou . . 53 

W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 51 

West of Scotland Landscape . . 53 

Gas & Heating Services 

A&J Plumbing Heating & Gas . . 15 

C Hunter Plumbing Heating Gas . . 33 

GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

I D Plumbing & Heating . . . . . 12 

Phoenix Gas Services . . . . . . . 1 

Glazier 

1on1 Double Glazing . . . . . . . . 3 

Cloudy2Clear Windows Glasgow . . 5 

JayBee Double Glazing Repairs . . 3 

TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Hairdressers & Barbers 

Arlene Mitchell Hair & Beauty . . 39 

Nix Hairdressing . . . . . . . . . . 39 

pick up a copy 

Bishopton: Post Office, Woodrow’s Store, Keystore, Library, 

Ingliston Country Club 

Bridge of Weir: Gibb Stuart, Bernie’s Cafe, Lochnagar, 

The Bridge, Library (Cargill Centre) 

Erskine: Garden Centre, Library, Sports Centre, Swimming 

pool 

Houston: Co-op, Carrick Centre, Post Office, Newsagent 

Howwood: Village Store, St Vincent’s Hospice 

Johnstone: Henderson Kilts, Papa Mac’s, Library 

Kilbarchan: Sheridan’s Store, Campbell’s, Newsagents, 

Bobbins, Old Library Centre 

Kilmacolm: Newsagent, Pieri’s, Cross Café, 

Gibb Stuart, Cargill Centre, Library 

Langbank: Finlaystone Visitor Centre 

Lochwinnoch: Keystore, McKillop Centre, Library, Castle 

Semple Centre, Newsagent 

Health, Beauty & Fitness 


Bluewater Dental . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Ferringtons Hypnotherapy . . . bk 

Healing Rooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 

Kilbarchan Chiropodists . . . . 41 

Kilbarchan Dental Practice . . 13 

LaserLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 

New Vision Opticians . . . . . . . 10 

NLP Positive Changes . . . . . . . 37 

Sole Solutions Podiatry . . . . 39 

Home Hardware 

Gibb Stuart . . . . 14,15,25 

Home Improvements 

Alvic Sliding Wardrobes Ltd . . 5 


Conservatory Conversions . . . Bk 

Orchard Flooring . . . . . . . . . . 18 

Rent A Bloke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

Home Interiors 

Baytree Interiors . . . . . . . . . 5 



The Furniture Barn . . . . . . . . . 3 

Home Security 

Brookfield Alarms Ltd . . . . . . 33 

Joiners 


CLH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 

DJY Joinery Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 33 



JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 


McGowan Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . 14 

RPH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 




TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Woodburn & Beattie Joiners . . 17 

Kilt & Dress Hire 

Henderson’s Kilts . . . . . . . . . 12 

Kitchens 







Leisure & Recreation 

Kilbarchan Agricultural Societ . . 21 

Kilmacolm Show . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 

Locksmiths 

Arco Locksmith . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

Elliott Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

Painters & Decorators 

A Gallagher Painter&Decorator . . 15 

Colin Docherty Painter Decorat . . 7 

David Kennedy Decorator . . . . 3 

Ian Livingston Decorating . . 19 

James Martin - Painter & Decor . . 3 

John H Barney . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

M&E Painters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 

Ranfurly Decor . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Pest Control 

RED Pest Control . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Pet Services & Training 

Bridge of Weir Dog Walking . . 46 

Husse Pet Food . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 

PetVets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 

Smart Dog Grooming . . . . . . . . . 46 

Strathgryffe Dog Walks . . . . . 47 

Photographers 

Little Studio Kilmacolm . . . . 55 

Plasterers 

Bryan Slaven Slater & Plaster . . 16 

Charlie Orr Plasterer . . . . . . 4 



Plumbers 




GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 


JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Shower Expert . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

Property, Sales & Let 

Cochran Dickie Estate Agents . . 29 

Corum Property . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 

Hames Estates . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

Kingsley Wood & Co Solicitors . . 1 

Lind Letting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bk 

Removals 

@ease Removals & Transport . . 41 

The Right Move . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Restaurant & Bars 


Little Hanoi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Retail 


Gibb Stuart . . . . 14,15,25 


R o o fi n g 









RPH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 




Sale/Want 

Annual Subscription L Green . . 

Solicitors 

Affinity Family Law Experts . . 8 


Special Occasions 

ABC Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 


Storage 

Store First Glasgow . . . . . . . . 35 

Stoves 


Taxis & Minicoach hire 

ABC Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Johnstone TOA Taxi Co . . . . . . 31 

Minicoach Tours Scotland Ltd . . 12 

Tiling 

Gordon James Ceramic Tiler . . 15 

Scott Russell . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

Travel Agents 

Travel Actually . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

Tree Surgeon 

Branch Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 


LJX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 

W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 51 

TV & Satellite 

Derek McBride Aerials . . . . . . 33 

Kieran Turner Aerial&Satellite . . 3 

Upholstery Services 




P Thomson Upholstery . . . . . . . 2 

Window Cleaners 




Matthews Cleaning Services . . 14 

Window, Consv & Repair 




TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

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 . . 41 


3D Garden Design . . . . . . . . . . 48 

A Gallagher Painter&Decorator . . 15 


A Peebles Landscape Contractor . . 50 

A&G Driveways . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 


ABC Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

Affinity Family Law Experts . . 8 

Affluent Financial Planning . . 24 


AK Vehicle Rental . . . . . . . . . 1 

AL Stewart - Driving Instruct . . 14 

Alvic Sliding Wardrobes Ltd . . 5 

Annual Subscription L Green . . 

Apple Tree Garden Design . . . 50 

ARC Fleet Services . . . . . . . . . 24 

Arco Locksmith . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 


B Hughes Builders - Houston . . 5 

Bathroom Solutions by MPH . . 11 


Beaton Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . 39 


Bluewater Dental . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 

BOW Stone Works . . . . . . . . . . . 51 

Branch Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 

Bridge of Weir Dog Walking . . 46 


Brookfield Alarms Ltd . . . . . . 33 




Care & Repair Gardening Servci . . 48 


Charlie Orr Plasterer . . . . . . 4 

Cheetham & Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

CLA Accountancy Services Ltd . . 15 

CleanDryCarpets . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

CLH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 


Cloudy2Clear Windows Glasgow . . 5 

Cochran Dickie Estate Agents . . 29 

ColCom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

Colin Docherty Painter Decorat . . 7 

Collins Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

Come Clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 

Computer Repairs . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Confident Care Ltd . . . . . . . . . 13 


Corum Property . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 

Craig Kennedy Gardening . . . . 51 

David Kennedy Decorator . . . . 3 

Delta Electrical Services . . 33 

Derek McBride Aerials . . . . . . 33 

DJD Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 

DJY Joinery Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 33 

DMG Garden Services . . . . . . . . 48 



Elliott Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 


Fergusons CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

Ferringtons Hypnotherapy . . . bk 

Fiona Christie Accounting Serv . . 15 


Gadds Gourmet . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 

Garden Services . . . . . . . . . . . 51 

GasMan Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

Gibb Stuart . . . . 14,15,25 


GMH Chartered Accountants . . 26 

Gordon James Ceramic Tiler . . 15 

Grid Design Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Gryffe Garage Motor Engineers . . 31 


Hames Estates . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

Healing Rooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 

Henderson’s Kilts . . . . . . . . . 12 

Husse Pet Food . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 



Ian Livingston Decorating . . 19 


J S Montgomery Ltd . . . . . . . . . 53 


James Martin - Painter & Decor . . 3 



JDPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

John H Barney . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

John Roach Funeral Directors . . 2 

Johnstone TOA Taxi Co . . . . . . 31 

Karen Rankin Catering . . . . . . 15 


Kieran Turner Aerial&Satellite . . 3 

Kilbarchan Agricultural Societ . . 21 

Kilbarchan Chiropodists . . . . 41 

Kilbarchan Dental Practice . . 13 


Kilmacolm Show . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 


Lamont Electricians . . . . . . . . 3 


LaserLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 

Lind Letting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bk 

Little Hanoi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Little Studio Kilmacolm . . . . 55 

LJX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 


M&E Painters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 

M&M Garden Services . . . . . . . . 53 

MAS Electrical & Security . . 2 

Matthews Cleaning Services . . 14 


McGowan Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . 14 


Minicoach Tours Scotland Ltd . . 12 

MJ Lawnmowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 

New Vision Opticians . . . . . . . 10 

Nix Hairdressing . . . . . . . . . . 39 

NLP Positive Changes . . . . . . . 37 

Nutech Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . 2 


Omni Housekeeping . . . . . . . . . 41 

Orchard Flooring . . . . . . . . . . 18 

P Thomson Upholstery . . . . . . . 2 

PetVets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 

Phoenix Gas Services . . . . . . . 1 

Platinum Cleaning Services . . 5 

Powerdoors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bk 

R Williams Tree Surgeon & Grou . . 53 

Ranfurly Decor . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

RED Pest Control . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Ren Chamber of Comm . . . . . . . . 27 

Rent A Bloke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

RPH Joinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 

Rukeri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 


Scott Russell . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

Shower Expert . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

Smart Dog Grooming . . . . . . . . . 46 


Sole Solutions Podiatry . . . . 39 

St Columba’s School . . . . . . . . 57 

Stewart Independent Financial . . 1 

Store First Glasgow . . . . . . . . 35 

Strathgryffe Dog Walks . . . . . 47 



TD Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Tennamast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 


The Right Move . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 


Travel Actually . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

W B Smith & Son . . . . . . . . . . . 51 

West of Scotland Landscape . . 53 

Woodburn & Beattie Joiners . . 17 

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 

WhatsApp 07731 923970 

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

Next Issue: (#273) June ‘17 

Deadline: Friday 19 May

68 

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

you can contact us @GryffeAds using #Advertizer 

or by email info@advertizer.co.uk or phone 01505 613340

272 May 2017 - Gryffe Advertizer

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